The dining component of college life certainly extends beyond that place down the street that delivers, like, awesome wings, dude. As a student, you're hopefully well aware that Northeast Ohio boasts a veritable kingdom of killer restaurants. You can make the trek downtown or to Ohio City (and we recommend it), but we'd like to offer you some of our favorite nearby morsels for the collegiate la vita deliciosa.
Case Western Reserve University
There are some damn good restaurants in this neighborhood. Enjoy them all.
Quick Eats: The Jolly Scholar |
The burger here is the real deal. Order bourbon barbecue sauce taboot for the genuine Jolly Scholar experience. Feel free to call ahead and pick it up on your way back home, or pop a squat at the bar and enjoy dynamite food over an ice-cold IPA. 11111 Euclid Ave., 216-368-0090, thejollyscholar.com.
Date Night: Trentina | Impress your date by laying down a reso at the new Jonathon Sawyer spot. Trentina features a "chef's tasting menu," which means you throw down a ticket price and get samplings of Sawyer's Northern Italy-inspired meals. The menu bianco currently boasts the likes of caviar + ciccoli, pasta alla chitarra, and beasts roasted over embers, for crissakes. Yes, that's your mouth watering and, yes, you should book an evening here right now. 1903 Ford Dr., 216-421-2900, restauranttrentina.com.
Parents in Town: L'Albatros Brasserie and Bar | It's a special-occasion restaurant that needn't be reserved for special occasions. We love the out-of-the-way locale, the history-dripping old carriage house, and that romance-inducing magic-garden patio. But without stellar food and service, all of the former would be mere window dressing. Grab the lengthy one-page menu, point your finger at some French words and phrases, and know that whatever the kitchen sends out will knock your socks off. 11401 Bellflower Rd., 216-791-7880, albatrosbrasserie.com.
Late Night: Ninja City Kitchen and Bar | Friday and Saturday late-night hours make this Bac spinoff a must-visit after a night carousing around Case. Ninja City features a quick-service setup, but also boasts a classic full-service format with a bar. You'll get to build your own banh mi, rice bowl or bun over a drink. Nothing sounds better than that. 11311 Euclid Ave., 216-860-0510, ninjacity.com.
John Carroll University
Easy access to Shaker Square and other east-side eateries makes JCU a tasty starting point for your culinary explorations.
Quick Eats: Pizzazz on the Circle | A fine blend of college budget mindfulness and hip aesthetics, Pizzazz has become a JCU mainstay over the past 40 years. Hey, you can even get kinda fancy here and order up a horseradish-encrusted salmon salad or eggplant roulettes. But don't sleep on that awesome pizza! 20680 John Carroll Blvd., University Heights, 216-285-9958, pizzazzpizza.com.
Date Night: EDWINS | Far from a stuffy French bistro, EDWINS keeps spirits as high as the ceilings thanks to a breezy interior, refreshingly unceremonious service and a magnanimously priced wine list. But the food, overseen by French-born chef Gilbert Brenot, is what lures diners back time and again, for garlicky frogs' legs, escargot, steak au poivre and ripe, funky cheese. 13101 Shaker Square, 216-921-3333, edwinsrestaurant.org.
Parents in Town: Fire | The restaurant has thrived because it is one of the most consistently excellent options in town in terms of food, service and atmosphere. If Fire opened up tomorrow in Tremont looking just as it did 13 years back, it still would win Best New Restaurant: That's how timeless the place is. Chef-owner Doug Katz owns the farm-to-table American bistro genre, where the season's best ingredients are coaxed into flavor-forward plates of perfection. 13220 Shaker Square, 216-921-3473, firefoodanddrink.com.
Late Night: Rascal House Pizza | With hours that run until 2:30 a.m. (1 a.m. on Sunday nights), Rascal House is there for you when that heady craving for pizza comes along. You can order an array of comestibles through an innovative combo method (pairing various sizes of salads, pastas and pizzas) guaranteeing you and your buds get what you need when you need it. 11316 Euclid Ave., 216-791-4444, rascalhousepizza.com.
