17 River Grille 17 River St., Chagrin Falls Located overlooking the waterfalls of the Chagrin River in quaint downtown Chagrin Falls, Jekyll’s Kitchen turned into 17 River in 2020. Owned by veteran restaurateur Rick Doody, founder of Brio and Bravo, 17 River not only has beautiful views but also the food to match and is a gorgeously designed restaurant. The highlights of their brunch menu include a steak eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles and a sourdough French toast. Credit: Courtesy Rick Doody
When the next “Best of Cleveland” issue flies off the presses, you likely will see a new name beneath the category of “Best View.” That winner will be 17 River, the new Chagrin Falls eatery from Rick Doody (Lindey’s Lake House, Cedar Creek Grille) and partners Joseph Saccone and Richard Hauck (Hyde Park), which has been undergoing significant renovations since March 14. On that date, Jekyll’s Kitchen closed its doors following 10 years of service in advance of a major shake-up.

Following a few private events (pictured above), the space finally is ready to be unveiled to the public. That will happen tomorrow, Wednesday, August 19, when 17 River (17 River St., 440-893-0797) opens for dinner. The restaurant will be dinner-only for the first few weeks before adding brunch and, later still, lunch.

The main floor has been completely reworked to open the space up and better align it with those dramatic water views. All new furniture, fixtures, fabrics, flooring and lighting — designed by Wendy Berry of W Design — have been installed. The overall effect is to create a warm, polished dining room with the feel of a classic American grill.

The all-new menu has apparent nods to Hyde Park, Cedar Creek and even some Lindey’s Lake House. Starters include lobster bisque, biscuits and honey butter, and crispy fried shrimp and calamari. Salad choices feature tomato and burrata, a wedge and Cobb. There are a handful of sushi rolls and burgers, but also entrees like fish and chips, cedar-plank salmon, pan-roasted chicken and pork chop Milanese. For steak lovers, there are three chop choices: an 8-ounce filet, 20-ounce ribeye and steak frites starring grilled sirloin, french fries and Bearnaise.

Naturally, there is plenty of beer, wine and cocktails with which to pair all of the above.

Credit: Courtesy Rick Doody

This article appears in Aug 12-25, 2020.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.