Cleveland has said goodbye to plenty of restaurants during the pandemic years, but it’s also said hello to a healthy batch of fresh ones. 2022 is a bumper year on that front, with plenty of doors opening through the summer and more on tap for the fall and winter. Here’s what’s debuted so far.

Indie 2038 East 4th St., Cleveland When Greenhouse Tavern closed, East 4th Street lost its only public rooftop bar. Now the restaurant is home to Indie, where owners Gabriel Zeller and Julie Mesenburg have buffed up the faded rooftop bar for a new generation. Enjoy frozen drinks and bar snacks while watching the action at street level. Credit: Scene Archives
Filter 740 W. Superior Ave., Cleveland Since opening his first Sauce Boiling Seafood Express restaurant in 2019, Kyler Smith has gone on to open four more locations in Ohio, with more on the way. In February, Smith opened Filter in former Take 5 Rhthym and Jazz space in the Perry–Payne Building and the changes are dramatic, to say the least. Sporting a lounge-like atmosphere, with shimmering fabric panels, a DJ booth and lengthy bar, the 120-seat restaurant and bar is already attracting a ton of attention. The menu is under the control of chef Jarrett Mines, whose client roster as a private chef includes top players from the Cleveland Browns. Diners can look forward to American fare like pasta, fish, lamb chops and steak. Credit: Scene Archives
Boss ChicknBeer 120 Front St., Seven Hills Heather Doeberling and Emily Moes made such a splash with their popular food truck Boca Loca that they opened a Berea-based brick-and-mortar operation of the same name a couple years later. They parlayed those early successes into Boss ChicknBeer , which they opened in 2018, also in Berea. Recently, they sold both Boca Loca ventures to focus on Boss, a brand bound for bigger things. Seven Hills will be their third location in addition to Berea and a Bay Village location that opened in 2021. Credit: Scene Archives
Bright Side 1948 West 25th St., Cleveland It’s been 17 and 15 years, respectively, since McNulty and co-founder Mark Priemer opened Bier Markt and Bar Cento in Ohio City. This past October, the partners announced that they were closing both venues to make way for something new. This June, they introduced the neighborhood to Bright Side, a bar forward concept. In the kitchen will be the powerhouse tag team of chef-partners Andrew Bower and Steve Schimoler, who marks his return to Ohio City. Together, the chefs have crafted an entirely new menu of creative comfort food made with healthy, local ingredients. To drink there are 16 craft beers (12 from Market Garden, four rotating locals), cocktails and a Champagne-heavy wine list with other global gems. Credit: Scene Archives
Edda Coffee Roasters 2011 West 25th St., Cleveland Add Edda Coffee Roasters to the offerings that are now open at Intro in Ohio City. Edda is a bright and blissful all-day café that anchors one end of the tree-lined plaza. Charlie Eisenstat, formerly of Pour Cleveland, is roasting “Nordic-style” coffee beans in house for the café. Those beverages are paired with an all-day menu of light, fresh and wholesome foods. A display case is stocked with grab-and-go pastries like power balls, gluten-free cookies, banana bread, triple-berry scones and fruit-filled beignets. Credit: Scene Archives
Amba 1430 West 28th St., Cleveland Walk into Amba and it’s clear you have the makings of another one-of-a-kind experience from chef Doug Katz. The building is divided into two connected but distinct spaces, the main Amba dining room and the smaller Bar Amba. As at Zhug in Cleveland Heights, the aim is to foster an energetic, lively and informal atmosphere where diners can feel comfortable standing, talking and visiting with nearby tables. Also reminiscent of Zhug, the menu at Amba is loaded with small plates built for sharing. There are two dozen items that range from small, zesty condiments to composed meat and fish dishes. Many of these “Indian-inspired” street foods have a clear through line all the way back to the tandoor oven at Fire. There are options for vegans, gluten-free diners, seafood- and meat-eaters. Credit: Scene Archives
Jade 1048 Old River Rd., Cleveland Zdenko Zovkic closed his Warehouse District mainstay XO Prime Steaks, but soon we can find him down in the Flats, where he’ll be presiding over Jade. This ambitious Asian-fusion concept will offer guests three different experiences on three different levels. Moving up from the ground floor, diners will progress from street food and sushi to upscale dining and finally a stylish rooftop club. Credit: Scene Archives
Juneberry 3900 Lorain Ave., Cleveland There is a silver lining to the 2019 closure of Jack Flaps, a popular breakfast diner in Ohio City. Chef Karen Small took the space over and finally opened a diner of her own after much anticipation. The bustling cafe serves breakfast-all-day and lunch items until the early afternoon. Small, who is also in the process of a new concept at the recently closed Flying Fig (2523 Market Ave.,) in the same neighborhood was motivated to grab the space because of what she believes is a gap in the marketplace. Juneberry features an all-day breakfast and lunch menu largely inspired by the chef’s decade spent living outside of Athens, Ohio. Credit: Scene Archives
Original Steaks and Hoagies 7894 Broadview Rd., Parma Since purchasing Original Steaks & Hoagies, Jeff Wiseman has been on a mission to expand the brand throughout the region. For the first seven years of the company’s existence, Twinsburg was the only place a steak lover could sink his or her teeth into an authentic Philly cheesesteak. Then, seemingly overnight, Original Steaks & Hoagies shops began opening in places like Fairlawn, Canton, Lorain and Medina, not to mention an ever-expanding fleet of food trucks. The next pin on the map is Parma, where franchisee Keith Keger recently opened the newest Original Steaks & Hoagies location.Under Wiseman, the menu at Original Steaks has grown from just a handful of cheesesteaks and hoagies to more than two dozen sandwiches starring steak, chicken and deli meats. Credit: Scene Archives
Pins Mechanical Co. and 16-Bit Bar + Arcade 1880 West 25th St., Cleveland Pins Mechanical Co. and 16-Bit Bar + Arcade is a unique combination of a vintage arcade and a modern bar and bowling alley. The space is massive, with rows of classic arcade games, skee-ball, and pinball machines lining the walls. The bar features an impressive list of craft beers, cocktails, and spirits to keep you refreshed as you play. Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic trip down memory lane or a fun night out with friends, Pins Mechanical Co. and 16-Bit Bar + Arcade is the perfect spot for you. Credit: Scene Archives
PonyBoys 506 E. Washington St., Chagrin Falls PonyBoys will bring modern Mexican fare to Chagrin Falls. Opening soon, the 60-seat restaurant from industry vets Ryan Scanlon and Christian Kalinyak will offer “elevated Mexican street food.” Credit: Scene Archives
Blue Agave 2071 East 4th St., Cleveland Since taking over the former Zocalo spot on East 4th Street, Alex Martinez and his team have been busy transforming the 14-year-old, two-level restaurant into something a bit more current. Martinez and his partnership group operate numerous Northeast Ohio restaurants, including Tres Potrillos, Jalapenos, El Palenque, Fiesta Habaneros, Tito’s Mexican Grill, Tacologist and Blue Habanero. In the entrée department, there are traditional platters like fajitas, burritos and chimichangas mixed with house specialties such as seafood-stuffed chile rellenos and carne asada. To drink, there are cocktails like Palomas, Mojitos and Mexican Mules, signature margaritas made with fresh-squeezed fruit juices, and an all-Mexican draft beer list. Credit: Scene Archives
Anna In The Raw 1300 East 9th St., Cleveland It’s been six long months since Anna Harouvis shuttered her 20-year-old Good to Go Café at the IMG building downtown — and as she likes to say, she hasn’t been lying on a beach in Greece all winter. Instead, she been putting her heart and soul into her new café, which is located in the lobby of the AECOM building across the street. At 2,000 square feet, the new Anna in the Raw location is more than twice the size of the original café. Like the original café, this new shop will be a boon for “clean food” lovers thanks to the chef’s roster of raw, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and wholesome foods. In addition to Harouvis’ signature line of cold-pressed juices, there will be soups, salads, sandwiches and heartier dishes. Coolers will be stocked with fresh juices and grab-and-go items. Credit: Scene Archives
Build the Pho 11440 Euclid Ave.., Cleveland Before the close of March, a new lunch and dinner option opened at Uptown in University Circle. Build the Pho, as the name suggests, is a build-your-own-bowl-style Vietnamese noodle shop. The restaurant is in the former Bamboo Garden space on Euclid. The new eatery is owned by Sheng Long Yu, who also operates Shinto, Kenko Sushi, Dagu Rice Noodle, Hell’s Fried Chicken, and recently announced an ambitious Asiatown food hall. Credit: Scene Archives
Mango Mango 3133 Payne Ave., Cleveland Back in February we shared the news that New York-based sweets shop Mango Mango would open its first Ohio location in Asiatown. Local franchisee Bin Zheng has just announced that opening day will be Thursday, April 14th. Hong Kong-style dessert shop, opened in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood in 2013. Since then, the colorful confectionery has expanded to include approximately 30 locations in 12 states. The expansive menu includes familiar items like smoothies, milks, bubble teas and mango mochi, alongside house-churned ice cream starring green tea, red bean and mango. There are also many-layered mille crepe cakes, coconut crepe rolls and fresh fruit waffles. Credit: Scene Archives
Garden of Eden 2017 East Ninth St., Cleveland Azure Sun Lounge was put to bed to make way for the Garden of Eden, a splashy new rooftop oasis at the Metropolitan at the 9. The 12th-floor height immerses guests in the surrounding skyline as opposed to hovering above it. Easygoing happy hours and early dinners will give way to a DJ-fueled lounge vibe in the evenings. Credit: Scene Archives
House of Creole 668 Euclid Ave., Cleveland Jeffrey Miskiri, owner of a Washington D.C.-based restaurant group with multiple concepts with names like Po Boy Jim, Creole on 14th, Suga & Spice and Miss Toya’s Creole House, recently opened House of Creole in the former Sixth City Sailor’s Club and Hodge’s space downtown. Since opening, House of Creole has been dishing up Big Easy-style starters like fried green tomatoes, crab cakes and deviled eggs with shrimp. For the main event there will be fried fish po’ boys, seafood etouffee, Cajun shrimp and grits and jambalaya loaded with shrimp, chicken, sausage and rice. Credit: Scene Archives
Let’s Talk 1300 East 9th St.., Cleveland In the wake of new investments and improvements to the AECOM building in downtown Cleveland, a handful of new food tenants have begun preparations to move into the property. Those who will do so in the coming weeks and months include Winking Lizard, Colossal Cupcakes, Anna in the Raw and Let’s Talk. Opening soon will be Let’s Talk, which is taking over a space formerly home to Al’s Deli (not to be confused with the Al’s Deli down the block). The “food side” will cater to the employees in the building with coffee service, grab-and-go breakfast and lunch items and heat-and-eat meals for those people to take home. There will be soups, salads and sandwiches available throughout the day. The “bar side” will open for lunch and happy hour, offering wine, cocktails and live entertainment on a vintage piano. A menu of creative small plates will be prepared by chef Amy Jones. Credit: Scene Archives
Lulo Kitchen and Lulo Cafe 1273 West 9th St., and 1300 East 9th St., Cleveland Lulo Kitchen has the unmistakable feel of a boho-chic juice bar on Tulum’s famous beach road, a breezy sun-drenched space where art and culture and food collide. At Lulo, the flavors of Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil make appearances in the form of empanadas, tostones, Cubanos, carne asada and other satisfying items. Earlier in 2022, the husband-and-wife team behind Lulo Kitchen opened Lulo Café, a spin-off, of sorts, from their original Pan-Latin eatery. Customers can expect a similar line-up of coffees, teas, juices, smoothies, salads, soups, sandwiches, bowls and plates. There is also a heightened emphasis on breakfast items like overnight oatmeal, acai bowls with tropical fruit and grab-and-go Latin pastries like pan de queso, buñuelos and empanadas. Credit: Scene Archives
The Yard on 3rd 18042 3rd St., Willoughby For years, Lure Bistro was home to one of the best patios in Downtown Willoughby. That made way for The Yard on 3rd, the town’s first food truck yard. The casual dog-friendly spot features an outdoor bar, plenty of seating, televisions and family-friendly games. The main attraction — apart from the bar — will be the rotating roster of food trucks. But equally compelling is the Geraci’s Slice Shop, a first for the beloved pizzeria. The shop will be a year-round operation that serves both The Yard guests but also take-out and delivery for Willoughby and the surrounding area. Credit: Scene Archives
Credit: Scene Archives
Jibaro 6152 Broadview Rd., Parma It’s been more than a year in the making, but Héctor Rodriguez has opened the doors to his Latin restaurant, Jibaro. The Parma eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes with decidedly Puerto Rican flavors. Until recently, diners could have found Rodriguez crafting Latin sandwiches at El Sabor de Ponce. In the morning, Jibaro serves hearty breakfast platters of eggs, ham and tortillas, ham and Nutella pancakes, or breakfast sandwiches of ham, egg and cheese on domplines (Puerto Rican fried dough). For lunch, there is a roster of overstuffed sandwiches on Italian bread, including a classic Cubano and Tripleta. Larger plates are available during lunch and dinner hours. Seafood mofongo or trifongo can be ordered with shrimp, octopus or conch. There are versions topped with pork, fried chicken and fried pork chops as well. Credit: Scene Archives
Mabel’s BBQ 28699 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere B Spot, Michael Symon’s gourmet burger bar at Eton, was approaching middle age when the pandemic struck. In 2021, Symon and his business partner Doug Petkovic made the decision to close the restaurant after nearly 12 years in operation and reopen it as Mabel’s BBQ, which opened in March. Credit: Scene Archives
Martha on The Fly 2173 Professor Ave, Cleveland This weekend-only breakfast concept took their pop-up concept and turned it into a brick and mortar spot that opened in Tremont in April. At this micro-diner, patrons can look forward to breakfast sandwiches perfected during the pop-up run, items like the Betty, Shirley and Doris egg sandwiches, Martha on the Fly will showcase new menu items like their potato crispies as well. Credit: Scene Archives
The Village Butcher 818 SOM Center Rd., Mayfield As Giovanni’s restaurant in Beachwood cruises to its 46th year in business, and weeks before Paloma debuts at Van Aken District, owners Carl Quagliata and Zack Ladner opened the doors to The Village Butcher in Mayfield. Located a stone’s throw from Smokin’ Q’s, the team’s barbecue restaurant, The Village Butcher aims to be your friendly neighborhood butcher shop, deli and marketplace. Credit: Scene Archives
Pins and Needles 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood Pins and Needles is a 70’s style lounge located inside Mahall’s. It’s an intimate bar and lounge that looks ripped from 1970s suburbia, right down to the wood paneling, cushy furniture, and even the glassware. There’s room for about 35 guests in the retro-chic lounge and bar. When it comes to the beverages, those, too, were worm-holed straight from another era. But unlike most of the versions whipped up 50 years ago, these cocktails are made with fresh-squeezed juices, handmade mixers and other top-quality ingredients. While there, guests can also order food from the restaurant. Credit: Scene Archives
Pioneer 2407 Lorain Ave., Cleveland Pioneer, the new wood-fired sports bar at Intro in Ohio City opened in June. As the name implies, Pioneer captures the spirit of the great outdoors and camping culture, but filters those activities through a new-school lens. Owner Dan Whalen describes the menu as “American food with hints of Latin and South American flavors.” Most sports bar follow a typical format that includes cheap domestic beer, sticky floors and deep-fried everything. Whalen surveyed the landscape and saw the potential for a more elegant version of the sports bar destination. Credit: Scene Archives
Roasted 2275 Professor Ave., Cleveland Roasted, a community-minded coffee shop, opened in Tremont earlier this year. The café serves coffee, smoothies and bakery items like brioche breakfast cups, bagels, scones, vegan brownies and grab-and-go healthy snacks. But the goal of the cafe isn’t just about the food and drinks, it’s more about being a communal space for people to work, hang out and gather. Credit: Scene Archives
Rum Runners 1085 Old River Rd., Cleveland Thirsty Dog Brewing in the Flats closed over winter and was taken over by Rum Runners, a name that doubtless conjures memories. Rum Runners, along with places like River’s Edge, Fagan’s, D’Poo’s on the River and Peabody’s Down Under, was a staple attraction during the Flats’ halcyon days in the 1980s and 1990s. After a beach-themed makeover, the 7,000-square-foot space opened Memorial Day weekend. There will be live music on weekends on the indoor “Endless Summer” stage, plus live music on the front patio down the road. To drink, there are plenty of rum-fueled drinks, mojitos, margaritas, frozen pina coladas and 20-ounce tiki “fishbowls.” There’s also a full menu which includes burgers, flatbreads, sandwiches and more. Credit: Scene Archives
Northstar Cafe 3380 Warrensville Center Rd., Shaker Heights Beginning in June, Northstar Cafe joined its sister establishment Brassica at Van Aken District in Shaker Heights. Van Aken will be location number six for Northstar Café, which opened in the Short North neighborhood of Columbus in 2004 and quickly became one of the more popular restaurants in Columbus. Northstar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day plus weekend brunches. A large, open kitchen turns out an American menu of familiar foods made with exceptional ingredients and expert technique. Credit: Scene Archives
Sauce The City 14480 Cedar Rd., University Heights Victor Searcy Jr. once again is making moves. The enthusiastic entrepreneur made a name for himself by selling one of the city’s best hot chicken sandwiches at the original Sauce the City stand in the former Ohio City Galley space (now closed), at First Energy Stadium and Rocket Mortgage Field House. Next up is a fast-casual restaurant in University Heights. Searcy has taken over the former Fishstix space in the Cedar Green shopping plaza. Credit: Scene Archives
Sophie La Gourmande 2275 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights For three long years, Bob Sferra, the longtime chef, caterer and culinary instructor has been quietly working behind the scenes to open his dream business, a patisserie cafe, which opened in April in the Heights. The café offers sweet and savory breakfast and lunch items alongside high-end French-style pastries. Up front, a mini marketplace is stocked with prepackaged pastries like biscotti, hand-tempered chocolate bars, seasonal shortbread cookies, and Florentines. A lengthy counter is stocked with baked goods like croissants, pain au chocolat, macarons, palmiers, coffee cake, financiers and heartier items like breakfast danishes and ham-and-cheese buns. At lunch, cheese-topped focaccia, croque monsieur and seasonal quiches join a roster of pressed sandwiches filled with tuna, egg and tapenade or roasted eggplant, tahini and fig jam. A selection of healthy vegetable-based salads that can be enjoyed hot or cold are also available. Credit: Scene Archives
Welcome to the Farm 1054 Old River Rd., Cleveland Welcome to the Farm, a live-music and entertainment venue from Forward Hospitality Group and country music star Chase Rice, opened to the public on March 4. The club is located in the same building in the Flats as Smokey’s BBQ and Saloon, which also is nearing opening day. The 5,250-square-foot space features a center stage, capacity for 280 people, and garage doors that open up to a patio on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. The venue joins other Forward Hospitality Group (which includes former Cleveland Indians’ second basemen Jason Kipnis as a part owner) properties in the neighborhood such as Good Night John Boy and FWD and will become part of a diverse portfolio that also includes Garden City, Bell & Flower, 3 Palms and SeeSaw. Credit: Scene Archives
Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes 69 North Main St., Chagrin Falls Since launching in Avon Lake in 2014, Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes has added shops in Rocky River and Avon and outputs at Crocker Park and Cedar Point. Next up for the popular confectionary is a storefront across town in Chagrin Falls, the first location on the east side. KEC brings their signature gorgeous and delicious sweets like macarons, cookies, cupcakes and much more to the Chagrin Valley. Credit: Scene Archives
Nubeigel 2254 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights It just got easier to score a bag of fresh-baked bagels on Cleveland’s east side. Nubeigel, Cleveland Heights’ new bakery/café is owned by Josh Admon, a chef who recently relocated from Jerusalem to University Heights. Admon’s plain, sesame, poppy, everything and everything spicy bagels are hand-rolled, boiled and baked, giving them that characteristic sheen and chew. Bagels can be purchased individually ($2), by the dozen ($21), or as sandwiches filled with cream cheese schmears of various flavors. In addition to plain cream cheese, Nubeigel sells versions with kalamata olives; capers and red onion; Sriracha; and horseradish dill (all $4). Add-ons like smoked salmon, kimchi, capers, tomato and cucumber can be tacked on for a fee. Credit: Scene Archives
Bartleby 1430 West 28th St., Cleveland It’s been more than a year since Morgan Yagi announced his plans to convert the former Crop Bistro space in Ohio City to Bartleby, but it finally opened in August. Yagi spent much of the past 15 months gently reshaping the interior of the historic United Bank Building, a 1920s-era property with soaring ceilings, bronze light fixtures and a run of arched windows that flood the space with natural light. While Crop Bistro leaned more to fine dining, Bartleby aims to be more approachable and accessible in its offerings. Chef Matt DePante, most recently from The Dutch in Miami, has worked alongside consulting chef Dante Boccuzzi to develop a menu that offers a broad mix of tastes. Diners can look forward to items like burgers, pizzas and bowls of pasta, but also a great grilled ribeye, all dished up in a supper club-style environment. Credit: Scene Archives
Damas Eatery 3650 West 117th St., Cleveland Kifaya’s Kitchen was a dream come true for Kifaya Mohamed. After fleeing Somalia as a refugee, Mohamed made her way through Yemen, eventually settling in Cleveland where she was able to open a restaurant that showcased the foods of her homeland. After eight years, Mohamed was ready to move on from the restaurant grind, but in a symbolic passing of the torch, she placed the restaurant into the hands of another passionate immigrant. Yaseen Allaham, who fled war-torn Syria, has taken over the westside restaurant and in July opened Damas Eatery. The offerings at the Syrian/Mediterranean eatery are mostly similar to Lebanese food with their own kick. Credit: Scene Archives
Jack Frost at the West Side Market 1979 West 25th St., B4-B5, Cleveland For the better part of 85 years, Jack Frost has been luring people to Old Brooklyn for some of Cleveland’s best donuts. The shop (4960 Pearl Rd.), largely rebuilt from scratch five years ago, offers more than 200 flavors of donuts throughout the year. But good luck finding those donuts anywhere but there. Now, many of those signature flavors and styles are available at Jack Frost’s new satellite shop at the West Side Market. Donut lovers can find the goods at stand B-4, B-5, in the former home of Pinzone’s Meats, which left the market in 2020 after 44 years. Credit: Scene Archives
Choolah 1903 W. 25th St., Cleveland First announced in 2019, Choolah opened the doors to its beautiful new Ohio City restaurant in late July. Located on W. 25th Street, just steps from the West Side Market, the fast-casual Indian eatery is the second location in the area, in addition to the original location in Beachwood (27100 Chagrin Blvd.,), which they opened 8 years ago. Since then, the company has gone on to open shops in Pittsburgh, King of Prussia, Sterling, Virginia, and Boardman, Ohio. Ohio City is number seven for the fast-growing company. Formerly home to Howard Hanna, the 3,000-square-foot space has been transformed into a colorful, art-filled space with indoor and outdoor dining. Next up for Choolaah is a location in Westlake, which currently is under construction. Credit: Scene Archives
Agave and Rye 1352 W. 6th St., Cleveland When guests enter Agave & Rye, they will be immersed in a colorful, whimsical environment jam packed with fine art, sculpture, graffiti-style paintings and blown-glass chandeliers. Agave & Rye is billed as a modern tequila and bourbon hall that serves “epic tacos.” The restaurant is known for its double-shelled tacos, which feature crunchy corn and soft flour shells sandwiched together by beans, queso, pimento or guacamole. Fillings and combinations range from the Plain Jane, stuffed with ground beef, shredded lettuce, white cheddar and diced tomato on up to the Crown Jewel starring butter-and-garlic lobster, shiitake mushrooms and truffle mac and cheese. Credit: Scene Archives
City Slice Pizzeria 12021 Lorain Ave., Cleveland City Slice Pizzeria might be the closest thing Cleveland has to a neighborhood slice shop in Brooklyn, Staten Island or any of the five boroughs for that matter. This sliver of a storefront is loud, bustling and filled with the unmistakable sights and sounds of an old-world pizzeria. Heck, they even have a pizzamaker named Mikey. Open since February, City Slice has attracted an enthusiastic fanbase of New York-style pizza lovers. Cleveland has no shortage of pizza places, but we’re sorely lacking in slice shops, the kind of places where a hungry shopper can be in and out in a few minutes with zero advance planning. And if we’re counting slice shops that traffic in real-deal New York-style pie, the number drops to almost zero – especially now that we’ve lost Vincenza’s. Credit: Scene Archives
Cordelia 2058 East 4th St., Cleveland When speaking of hotly anticipated openings, nothing topped Cordelia taking over the former Lola space. Owner Andrew Watts calls East 4th Street “the best address in the city,” and in July, he and executive chef Vinnie Cimino officially became that street’s newest operators with an approach they call “Midwest Nice”. To complement that “Midwest Nice” hospitality, Cimino has devised a style of cuisine that he calls “Modern Grandma,” which reimagines familiar Midwest classics that many of us grew up enjoying around the family dinner table. Cimino, the former chef de cuisine of Greenhouse Tavern, will put his local farmer connections to good use in dishes like “Pantry Snacks and Relish Trays,” which includes farmer’s cheese with honey and fermented garlic alongside jammy eggs with harissa. Other menu sections are titled “Breads & Things,” “Eat Your Veggies” and “From Our Butchers.” Some dishes that guests can look forward to are pork belly with sarsaparilla beurre blanc, popcorn chicken livers with ballpark maple mustard, and Steak Cordelia, a large-format cut. Credit: Scene Archives
Kitchen Social 211 Park Ave., Ste. 115, Orange Village Kitchen Social, a Columbus-based restaurant group with two locations, opened its third location at Pinecrest in July. The former Next Door space at Pinecrest has been reshaped into a contemporary eatery with plenty of indoor and outdoor dining. Owner Brian O’Malley, along with partners Brian Harvey, Phil Yandolino and Justin Stratford, opened the first Kitchen Social in late 2019 at Polaris shopping center in Columbus. Two years later they capitalized on the success of the first spot by adding a second location in Dublin. “If you look at the menu, we’ve got Indian, Asian, Mexican, Italian and Southern,” said O’Malley. “We have fresh seafood and steaks, but then we’ve got great burgers and pizza. The menu works for everybody and that was an important part for us.” Credit: Scene Archives
Gingham Market 17000 Madison Ave., Lakewood Ever since opening Gatherings Kitchen in Lakewood, Ruth Kostadinov has had her eye on the next-door space, which finally opened this July after 13 years of wanting to acquire the space. Shoppers will find a bright and inviting space filled with prepared foods, local pantry items, beer and wine, and more than a few surprises. Rounding out the offerings are more than 90 local products that range from hot sauces and mustards to fermented foods and small-batch cheeses. Cold beer, wine, cocktail mixers and cooking utensils also are in supply. Credit: Scene Archives
The Reserve 42 North Main St., Chagrin Falls The Reserve finally opened at the end of August. The restaurant replaces Umami, which closed this past winter after 14 years. When guests return after the months-long hiatus they will find a handsome bar constructed of black walnut that spans the length of the left side of the room. The biggest changes were “reserved” for the menu, which is under the control of chef Gregg Gale. This time around, the chef focuses almost entirely on small plates, many of which will be familiar to regular diners. Most of the large plates and entrees have been jettisoned or converted to small-plate form. Seafood still plays a starring role on the menu. Credit: Scene Archives
Beachwood Truck Park 24619 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood Even before he welcomed his first guest at his Lakewood Truck Park, Dan Deagan already was on the hunt for a second location for his Truck Park concept – that’s how confident he was that it would be a hit. And hit it has been since opening two years ago, despite the fact that year one was pretty much peak pandemic. Deagan found his next site in Beachwood, specifically a decommissioned fire station on Chagrin Boulevard, about a half mile west from Richmond Road. The sprawling corner property is now wrapped by six-foot wood fencing and furnished with dozens and dozens of picnic tables. There are both indoor and outdoor bars, a mezzanine with soft seating, gas-powered firepits and plenty of sun-shielding umbrellas. There are usually 2 or 3 trucks at lunch and dinner times daily, check the website for the rotating schedule. Credit: Scene Archives
Terrestrial Brewing Co. 2537 Lorain Ave., Cleveland Owners Ralph Sgro and Ryan Bennett have been working on the project of adding a restaurant to Terrestrial Brewing’s taproom since last fall, when they announced that they were taking over the next-door space, which had been vacant since 2017. The restaurant, which Sgro likes to describe as “40-percent fancier than the taproom,” is headed up by executive chef Michael Lovano, formerly of One Red Door in Hudson, Lola Bistro downtown, and Summer House in Lakewood, where he was chef de cuisine. Obviously, beer makes its presence felt throughout the menu, popping up in dishes like pretzel bites with beer cheese, beer-braised duck poutine, beer-battered walleye sandwich, and the stout pot du creme. Other items include vegan mushroom wings, wagyu corn dogs, gnocchi with mint pea pesto, smash burger, and a half chicken. Credit: Scene Archives