Your summer dining dance card is about to get a whole lot busier as more than a dozen joints are set to debut across town. From familiar names to newcomers, casual neighborhood joints to dazzling destinations, fresh concepts to reborn and retooled favorites, here’s what to look forward to this year.

Tied House + Kitchen, Cleveland Partners John Bikis and Dave Sutula launched Royal Docks Brewing in Stark County nearly 10 years ago. Next up for them is Tied House + Kitchen, which is taking over the North High Brewing space in Ohio City. This will be the brewery’s fourth location overall and first in Cuyahoga County. When it opens in the coming weeks, the brewery will sport white subway tile, high ceilings painted black, concrete floors, exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and corrugated metal. There will be 16 handles, a full bar and a menu filled with beer-friendly fare. Credit: Scene Archives
Wine Dive, Lakewood El Carnicero served its last meal on Cinco de Mayo, but the space will soon have new life thanks to Dan Deagan and Jackie Ramey. The couple will open Wine Dive in early July, which combines the come-as-you-are appeal of the neighborhood dive with some actually decent wine and cocktails. Guests can expect 20 wines by the glass, twice that in bottles, plus classic cocktails and beer, all dished up alongside dive-bar vibes. The plan is to offer killer happy hours, a full roster of fun nightly promotions, and better-than-expected pub fare – including late-night brunch. Credit: Courtesy Photo
A.J. Rocco’s A. Brendan Walton closed A. J. Rocco’s, his convivial Gateway District café, at the tail end of 2019, but within months he was planning to reinvent the spot a few doors down. After a gut renovation of the former Huron Point Tavern (and Alesci’s Downtown) space, Rocco’s 2.0 is ready to welcome its first guests. At full bore, the two-level, three-bar eatery can serve 170 guests, but cozy nooks and private areas provide the flexibility to use the space as needed. Walton plans to ease into things with respect to food. Chef Devin Cerjan will offer approachable food that aims to fill the niche between basic fast-casual and pricy fine-dining. Diners can expect wings, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and mac and cheese, plus nightly specials like pastas, steaks and seafood. Credit: Douglas Trattner
Oliva, Downtown Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse, is opening this week. The new Warehouse District restaurant is owned by Lola Jacaj, formerly Sema, who also operates Acqua di Dea (formerly Acqua di Luca) and Casa La Luna (formerly Luca Italian Cuisine). A year-long renovation project has transformed the former Osteria space from a close-quartered trattoria to an elegant Tuscan-style ristorante. A blend of materials, textures, colors and artwork combine to create a contemporary and elegant dining room that feels much larger than its predecessor. The previously enclosed kitchen and private dining room in the rear of the space has been reconfigured into a dramatic open kitchen and chef’s counter. Overall, the seating in the restaurant has nearly doubled from 50 to 100, including the 14-seat quartzite-topped bar. Jacaj describes Oliva as a nose-to-tail restaurant that goes well beyond steaks and chops. Credit: Douglas Trattner
Batuqui, Cleveland After nine years in their present home, Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira are relocating their beloved Brazilian restaurant. But they aren’t traveling far: the new eatery will be located 130 feet west in the former St. Paul’s Evangelical Church. The attractive Craftsman-style building on Larchmere was constructed in 1922 and features stained glass windows, soaring ceilings and rich wood accents. The ambitious project began this past fall and is expected to last until next fall. The owners will continue to operate from the original location throughout summer. (A second location in Chagrin Falls, which opened in 2021, is also running.) Seating will climb to a “comfortable” 110, including a stunning bar. There will be a small front patio and spacious lower level, which will be used for private events and live entertainment. Credit: Douglas Trattner
Julia’s 1902, Willoughby Brothers Paul and Michael Neundorfer spent two years converting a former country estate in Willoughby into a posh 10-room inn and full-service restaurant called Julia’s 1902. Built at the turn-of-the-century by Charles Schweinfurth, who designed many of the houses on Cleveland’s famed “Millionaire’s Row,” the Neo-Gothic mansion boasts original oak wood flooring, coffered ceilings, pocket doors, leaded-glass windows, stained-glass door panels and richly tiled fireplace surrounds. Chef José Coronado showcases his flair for fusing Latin American, Asian and American flavors into approachable, appealing dishes. The menu features starters like harissa-roasted carrots, tempura-fried cauliflower, and hamachi aguachile. Whole branzino is topped with ginger gremolata, duck confit gets the mole treatment, and a big bowl of pozole is capped with seared halibut. Credit: Courtesy photo
Aurelia 16 North Main St., Chagrin Falls Chef-owner James Balchak spent nearly six months converting the North Main Diner, formerly Dink’s, from a dowdy luncheonette to a smart little supper club. Energy from the buzzy bar scene boosts the mood and spirit of the entire space, ensuring that the atmosphere never dips to melancholy. This farm-to-table restaurant has recently found its footing after testing some things out and figuring out what worked and what didn’t. Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene Archives
Mojo World Eats 2196 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights Mojo, the restaurant that began life in Tremont 25 years ago and was revived in Cleveland Heights in 2020, closed as the calendar turned from 2023 to 2024. In 2010, owner Michael Herschman Herschman began his stint as executive chef at Lopez on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. In 2016, he purchased the business from longtime owner Craig Sumers. In 2020, just weeks before Covid forced every Ohio restaurant to close, the chef unveiled his new version of Mojo. Credit: Scene Archives
Kiln, Shaker Heights After four years of instability – beginning with Sawyer’s and ending with Shake It – one of Van Aken District’s most prominent restaurant spaces landed one of Cleveland’s most bankable chef-operators. This winter, Doug Katz announced his plans to open Kiln, which the team describe as a “modern take on a classic European bistro.” Along with managing partner Todd Thompson and executive chef Cameron Pishnery, the team will create a “beautiful and comfortable interior with warm and friendly service.” The menu, still in the planning phase, will offer a broad range of sharable dishes served in the classic bistro style, which is to say on their own rather than as part of composed plates with starch and vegetables. When it opens in fall, Kiln will join Zhug and Amba in the Katz portfolio. Credit: Tiffany Joy Photography
Boom’s Pizza 14370 Detroit Ave., Lakewood Partners Ben Bebenbroth formerly of Spice and Jonathan Bennett of Moxie and Red started hosting “doughball Fridays” at Keep the Change Kitchen Collective, the now-closed virtual food hall from Spice Hospitality Group, during the pandemic. The pizza became so popular that they decided to open a brick and mortar space which opened in Lakewood in January as Boom’s Pizza. The Neapolitan-style pizza shop has quickly become one of the most popular eateries in town, and for good reason. It’s phenomenal. Credit: Agape Photography
Fiamma, Woodmere Early last year, Mendel Segal opened Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ in Shaker Heights, one of only a handful of kosher barbecue restaurants in the country. The gregarious “rabbi pitmaster” will attempt to duplicate the success of that operation at Eton Chagrin Boulevard, where he will open Fiamma, a kosher Italian restaurant. When it opens in the coming months, the “modern Tuscan” restaurant will offer a full menu of salads, wood-fired pizzas, housemade pastas and fish. But keeping the place kosher means making the choice between dairy or meat – and dairy it will be, says Segal. The centerpiece of the restaurant will be a unique wood-burning pizza oven with a rotating hearth with an opening on the kitchen side, where the pies will be loaded, and a second opening on the dining room side, where the pies will be removed and plated. The former Mabel’s BBQ space will be reworked into what Segal promises will be “the nicest kosher place between New York and Chicago.” Credit: Courtesy photo
STEAK, Tremont Fresh on the heels of their recent success with Geraci’s Slice Shop in downtown Cleveland, the trio of Terry Francona, Jason Beudert and Chelsea Williams staked a claim on the former Parallax space in Tremont. The owners hope to “disrupt the steakhouse category” by delivering an affordable steakhouse experience in a cool, hip environment. The owners also plan to diverge from convention by offering diners a single choice of beef: the underappreciated coulotte. That cut will be sold as part of an all-inclusive meal that includes a fresh salad, house-made rolls and bottomless hand-cut fries, all for the low, low price of approximately $30. Also on the menu will be six to eight shareable sides. A dessert cart will make the rounds of the dining room. And there will be plenty of craft cocktails, wine and beer. Credit: Google Maps
Untitled (former Bell & Flower), Chagrin Falls For those keeping count, Rick Doody currently operates Bar Italia, Cedar Creek Grille, Lindey’s Lake House, JoJo’s Bar and 17 River Grille, the last two of which are situated in Chagrin Falls. Late last year, Doody quietly added a third Chagrin Falls property to his portfolio: Bell & Flower. For now, it’s business as usual by the falls. But soon, Doody will launch a major restoration and renovation project on the 150-year-old building to “bring the building back to its historic roots,” he says. Plans call for swapping the current industrial vibe for a more classic bistro décor with tin ceilings, wood floors, exposed brick walls and a long bar along one side. Doody also wants to swap the front windows for ones that slide open while creating more of a connection with the alley patio. For design inspiration, Doody is looking to one of Columbus’ most enduring gems: Lindey’s in German Village, which his mother opened 40-plus years ago. For culinary inspiration, he’s eyeing great New York bistros like Pastis and Balthazar. Look for the dust to settle by late summer. Credit: Google Maps
The Kraken Room, Willoughby Earlier this year, the Vergara family streamlined the offerings at its Willoughby property, jettisoning Hola Tacos and Barroco Arepa Bar to focus solely on Pulpo Beer Co. The rearrangement freed up the second floor for something new: a cocktail lounge called The Kraken Room. Juan Vergara says that the success of Amazonia in Lakewood, the restaurant group’s first foray into craft cocktails, inspired them to double down by adding an east-side lounge. As with Amazonia, the bar will be under the guidance of beverage director Gabrielle Swafford. With names like A Watery Grave, Siren’s Song, Harbinger of Doom and, natch, Release the Kraken, the beverages adhere to a maritime theme. Those creations are joined by some tiki classics, Prohibition-era blends, mocktails, beer and wine. To eat, there are small plates like cotija fries, shrimp cocktail, soups and salads, and larger plates such as smash burgers and a flame-grilled steak. Credit: Douglas Trattner
Scorpaciatta Italian Restaurant, Shaker Heights Peter Reuter had a five-year plan to take Scorpacciata from a food stall concept to a brick-and-mortar restaurant – and he’ll come close to hitting that goal when Scorpaciatta Italian Restaurant opens this month. Reuter, who launched his pasta stand at Van Aken District in 2018, quickly followed that up with a pizza shop. For the past year, the Johnson and Wales graduate has been hard at work converting the former Larchmere Tavern into the new full-service home of Scorpaciatta. The bar and restaurant will offer pizza and pasta, naturally, but also a wide variety of appetizers, charcuterie, and entrees. There will be seating for about 75 in the dining room, with room for another dozen at the bar. Credit: Google Maps
Tricky Tortoise, Willoughby Willoughby Brewing Company had a remarkable run stretching back to 1998. After closing for good in 2020, the massive property sat idle for about four years. That’s when Bobby Ehasz grabbed the keys. Ehasz, a career military guy, is a partner in Pompatus Brewing, a nano brewery in Bainbridge. Ehasz’ first major hire was Caleb Brown, a brewer who worked at Platform/AB and Thirsty Dog. Craft beer fans can look forward to a lineup of clean, drinkable and broadly appealing styles. The new owner has done considerable work to brighten up the cavernous space and make it more comfortable. A second bar was built in the dining room to take some pressure off the main bar by the brewhouse. In preparation for the return of live music, the stage is getting a facelift and the sound and lighting systems are being updated. To eat, there will be straightforward pub menu with wings, pizza, pierogies and pie. And that model train that circles above? It’s still there. Credit: Scene Archives
BBQ Joint from Quagliata and Ladner, Mayfield Carl Quagliata and Zack Ladner opened The Village Butcher in Mayfield nearly two years ago. When the adjacent storefront came on the market, the owners decided to grab it, not knowing what they would ultimately do with it. Those plans came into focus after Quagliata and Ladner decided to close Smokin’ Q’s BBQ in Mayfield (replacing it with Cuoco Bello). Given the high cost of food and labor, a full-service barbecue restaurant no longer made financial sense, Ladner explained. But a fast-casual version just might. When it opens this summer, the new BBQ joint will sell Texas-style barbecue by the pound and serve it with sliced white bread, pickles and onions. Guests can expect a roster of wood-smoked meats like brisket, pulled pork, ribs, burnt ends, turkey, sausage and chicken. Credit: Courtesy Zach Ladner

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.