Like that one guy on Yelp, I really wanted to like Palazzo. I have been captivated by the curious, but vacant, building throughout my entire tenure as a restaurant critic. Vacillating between dilapidated eyesore and Lilliputian castle, depending on the light, the fieldstone-clad restaurant held so much history, intrigue and promise that all one could do is hope that some intrepid chef would rescue it before it was too late.
The last restaurant to occupy the structure closed in 2002, the very year that I began covering food in Cleveland. But that didn’t prevent me from digging into its past. Oddly enough, the building used to reside on the opposite side of the road, until the land beneath its foundation was appropriated for a new rapid transit station. On both sides of the street, proprietress Palmina DiFilippo lured hungry diners with her fresh-baked breads, steamy cups of minestrone and mile-high lasagne al forno, all lovingly made from scratch in the back of the house.
Palmina’s, as the popular red-sauce joint was called, rolled merrily along until about 1993, when the grandchildren of the original owner took possession, reworked the interior and unveiled Palazzo, a ritzy Italian restaurant. Through ups and downs, sisters Carla and Gilda graciously operated the “palace” for about a decade, leaving behind many of the restaurant’s iconic fixtures for the next caretaker of the quirky spot.
That white knight would not materialize for another 17 years, when Rafael Zaloshnja purchased the building, thus sparing it from the wrecking ball. The Albanian-born chef had long been an admirer of the structure and dreamt about opening a restaurant of his own in that very spot. That’s precisely what occurred in late May when Palazzo, an upscale Italian eatery, opened its doors.
While I am absolutely thrilled to see the building full of life, I am less enthusiastic about the spotty service, uneven food and laundry list of faux pas that we experienced over the course of two meals and a boatload of cash.
Our first contact with an employee, apart from the host, took place literally seconds after taking our seats, when a server ran up to the table just long enough to announce that the special of the day was some type of fish. She was gone in a flash, without so much as a greeting, a drink order or an offer of bread. Throughout the entire meal, she dashed about the dining room as though her hair was aflame, pausing just long enough to drop off a dish, before racing away to what I can only imagine was a life-or-death emergency out of our line of sight.
We ordered a nice bottle of Barolo ($60) and it arrived very warm to the touch, as if stored near a pizza oven or on the surface of the sun. That bread never did arrive, so we flagged down a busser, who promised to see to it. When it finally appeared, well into the meal, it did so in the form of a large, unsliced loaf, requiring a return visit to the kitchen for some attention.
High notes include an appetizer of crispy cheese-stuffed artichoke hearts ($14) in a truffle-scented cream sauce, hot and tasty wedding soup ($7), a Margherita pizza ($14) with an excellent crust, and a pair of pastas, neither of which are made in house. The bucatini Bolognese ($22) featured noodles from Flour Pasta Company and a straightforward meat sauce, while the lobster ravioli ($24) came straight from Ohio City Pasta and was gilded with large shrimp and a blush cream sauce. Freshly grated cheese had to be requested and half orders are not available.
Low notes include a bowl of steamed mussels ($11) with bivalves the size of a fingernail, a bowl of shrimp bisque ($9) that was essentially truffle oil-infused cream and a Caesar salad ($7) that did not resemble those of the diners all around me, given that it had waited somewhere warm until it wilted. Toss-ups range from a prosciutto-free veal saltimbocca ($28) with limp asparagus and undercooked potatoes to an impressive-looking grilled pork chop ($22) served atop a melange of tepid vegetables.
Those seated in the dining room have an unobstructed view of a salad and dessert station that is positioned on this side of the kitchen door. We watched as the staffer sliced open plastic-wrapped balls of commercial mozzarella, grabbed berries straight from plastic clamshells, and squeezed grocery store chocolate sauce from a plastic bottle. Nearby, a server cleared every last plate from a couple’s table except for the woman’s entree, while over there, a manager tugged on the jacket of a server in the midst of discussing specials just to say that a diner requested his check.
There’s always room for another great Italian restaurant, especially in this neighborhood. Here’s hoping that Palazzo will become that place.
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2019.
you can always tell when the restauranteur doesn’t recognize doug or kiss his ass, because his ego will be bruised and he will try to gut the place with an arbitrary, petulant review like this.
I was there Saturday. On my way in the door, my neighbor and his wife were coming out and warned me and my date to not go inside. They stated that they waited 45 minutes for their first drink to be delivered and the waiter never returned to take orders even though there were only 3 occupied tables in the restaurant. I had no problem finding a close parking spot, so that assessment held water. We bailed because we had theatre tickets and couldn’t risk the same situation. I hope they solve these issues because I was very excited to eat here when I heard it was opening. Say what you want about the reviewer, but I’ve heard this same story from other people who aren’t nearly the food snob that I am.
What do you mean with beware? They are not poisoning people over there. You should be responsible for the words you use, You just cant make money by destroying other people business. I have been there three times and i loved the food, the servers were nice and friendly, the staff was so hard working!
What do you expect? To collect the berries from their yard?? come on people we are all eating fruits from the supermarket.
This place is so peaceful, the owner was so kind to us, he chatted with all the customers and asked them about the food and everything. I highly recommend this place. Dont belive this bull shit!
Doug gushed over the news that this venue was reopening after many years, and now he rips them a new asshole? Something else must have pissed Doug off enough to try to bring them down before they even got off the ground. He’s probably already got the “Palazzo is closing” story in a file somewhere? Why should one reviewer wield so much power in a city this size? Don’t listen to him, sheeple! Go anyway!
Unless youre Michael Symon or Rocco Whalen, Doug Tratter doesnt give a shit about you or your restaurant.
Im sure some new places have their issues, but stating an article with beware shows what a heartless, bitter, stuck up old man you are. If this was in a hot area of tremont and they were welcoming him and his entourage with a free meal, Im sure the review would be different. Give the place some time to get settled. And dont go off reviews from a self centered entitled jerk like that. People like him and articles like this are the reason so many small businesses which people invested their life savings, all go under. I have enjoyed the food. Does the staff and restaurant need some tweaking? YES. As most restaurants do Im the beginning. But give it some time. Not every place can afford to open a restaurant Michael a Symon style with 2 weeks of server training, or buy products from locally sourced farms. Just because they didnt roll out the red carpet to this prick, doesnt mean its a bad place.
Full disclosure: I have been to this restaurant twice, once for dinner and once for Togo food. I do not work there. I am just sick of seeing this guy slander people and places based on how much of a celebrity they treat him like.
Time for a change. Even FDR only ruled for 12 years. Al Capone ran Chicago for a decade.
Doug thinks he’s one, or the other, or both. And that he IS the Food King of Northeast Ohio.
What he really is? A big fish in a medium-sized pond, who’s used all the oxygen after 17 years.
Nothing lasts forever. One day he’ll cross the line, and Cleveland will once again have a restaurant reviewer who isn’t lionized and comped, and whose opinions aren’t based on bread and dough.
when you say something childish like the wine was stored on the surface of the sun instead of the restaurant couple improve its serving temperatures for wine, it renders your whole article un-serious and deserving of scorn. That just isnt journalism its childish and honestly feels retaliatory, like some of the other commenters have pointed out.
Scene editors: Im sure we can find someone else capable of 500 word restaurant reviews, eh?
This article sounds retaliatory, and purposely singling out this particular eatery. It seems like this author has personal issues, or is guided to purposely write this way. I believe that this owner needs to be supported and not critiqued so harshly, especially considering the location. Look around and see what the owner did with that place. Looks stunning inside and out, and what if there is some kinks still to be worked out. I will go there more now than before just to prove you wrong. I hope you get sued for purposely attacking this restaurant. It is obvious from the words you used in this article, that your description is not making sense.
Gotta wonder…would it be worth the time and money for Rafael Zaloshnja to lawyer up?
Ghetto? Section 8? Intimidating tenants? I drive by there all the time. I NEVER see anyone in front of those buildings, EVER. Poor baby, does West Blvd. SCARE you? OOOH, black people! The horror! Only one thing worse than a racist…and that’s a racist who’s also a pussy.
Before I saw this review about this establishment. I knew it wasn’t going to be good based on prices alone. I’m sure the food is good the service may need improvement but who in their right mind is going to pay those prices for a bowl of pasta? Are you kidding me? Really? Seriously? Pasta is so cheap to make it literally costs pennies to make. I could make a single pasta dinner with sauce, meat, cheese, salad, bread, and butter for less than $5.00 dollars for the whole meal. I know you are paying for the ambiance and the experience of dining out but please don’t gouge the consumer. If you provide a decently-priced meal I would be a customer for life and would come back many times but if your going to gouge me into paying for an overpriced meal you can bet I won’t be back. I don’t care how good you are. You take care of me and I will reward you with good reviews and customers to make your business a success. Simple as that.
“…who in their right mind is going to pay those prices for a bowl of pasta? Are you kidding me? Really? Seriously? …you are paying for the ambiance and the experience of dining out but please don’t gouge the consumer…if you’re going to gouge me into paying for an overpriced meal you can bet I won’t be back….”
Couldn’t have said it better myself…and I would apply it to almost every “new dining concept” that opens…and often quickly closes…in Cleveland over the past decade or so. Too many of these entremanures think that opening a new establishement means obtaining a license to print money, usually by jacking up menu prices as much as possible.
They seem to think that there’s unlimited supply of suckers out there, mainly young city dwellers with high-paying jobs and fat wallets, who eat out four or five times a week and are always looking for new adventures in feeding their faces. Yeah, there are a LOT of people like that in Cleveland now…they’ll stand in line in the hot July sun to fork over a sawbuck for a cabbage roll at the Taste of Trement…but not all of Cleveland is like that…or wants to be…or will ever be.
Plenty of people of moderate means or who are struggling…and they look at Doug’s reviews and shrug and say…”I can’t afford this crap”…or “I’m not gonna be a patsy” or “Why in hell would I ever want to go THERE and pay THAT much to eat THAT?”
So places end up opening and closing and three or four failures happen at the same address and then there are pieces about “cursed addresses.” No address is cursed. it’s the shmucks who rent them and try to make a killing who are cursed AT, by people without the scratch.
I might be able to afford a joint like Palazzo once a year, for a special occasion like a birthday or an anniversary, but certainly not as a regular dining spot. I know there are a lot of well-heeled city kids out there, but in this town, there are a lot more not-so-affluent middle-aged and geezerly restaurant patrons. Truth is, nobody goves a flying f’k about them. Money talks and bullshit walks…or goes to Applebee’s. Yetch! It’s not just the Cleveland weather that makes a lot of Clevelanders say: “Let’s just eat at home.”
Geezer with a freezer…
You think this place is expensive? LOL!!! You don’t get out much, do you? This place is on par with most Italian restaurants in the city. Go to Olive Garden or better yet stay home and yell at your wife.
Got nothing to bitrch about now that LeBron is history…so you target ME, asshole? I’d be willing to put up at least a C-note, or several of them, that I get out more than a punk like you who sits behind a keyboard all day, and I go to more places than you. Just not to a lot of restaurants. So you can kiss my wrinkled ass.
First the headline…WOW? The place has not even been open 2 months. Any business, i don’t care what it is,? has much to overcome. I go there regularly. Could they improve? Yes. However, there are many high points. The patio is great. While on a busy street ….i love it and after awhile you can block out the noise. The staff, is lean, but super friendly as is the owner. It’s so hard to find great staff, they have their core and they will find the right people to round out the team. Also, I’ve had many lovely bottles of wine there and the prices are reasonable. They also started a great happy hour, they have introduced specials each night. With time, they will figure out what works and those dishes to remove. THE DUCK IS FANTASTIC, hands down exceptional. The buccateeli was great. The desserts on par. Their fish special always good. LIKE every restaurant, i end up ordering the four or five things they make really well. Give it time. I like having an Italian option in the neighborhood. There are so so many challenges opening any type of business I think he should be applauded for the huge effort to get this up to code and functioning. I disagree completely with not everything you stated but the tone of this entire review. It’s so not the case.
Michael Symon loving douche.. B-spot is average at best!! Its the only Symon restaurant Ive been to because B-spot was the first impression for me, so didnt want to try anymore of his places… so now reading this Doug guys review and everyones comments, Im DEFINITELY going to try this restaurant. Dirty politics is what this article is and only hurts our city and those hard working employees at this establishment!
LeFlop has spent several years pissing and moaning about the Cavs and the Browns. Lebron is now ancient history, and (after twenty years) the Browns appear to be poised on the brink of greatness once again. So this loser will finally need to get a life.
Plus, he’ll probably kiss off the Steelers. Nothing is more pathetic and pitiable than a bandwagon-jumper who waits until things start going well again before he hops aboard.
And this fair-weather “fan” can celebrate Cleveland victories wins with sixty-buck bottles of wine and twenty-buck pasta bowls, while those in the know get more bang for their buck at less pricey Italian joints. Bon appetit!
Geezer….you mad bro?
Im fortunate to be able to go out all the time and many times it’s places like Palazzo. Do you count Burger King and Mickey D’s among the 60? Again, Palazzo is reasonably priced. Do yourself a favor and save your c-notes…every once in awhile Olive Garden has BOGO. Enjoy your PBR during the Tribe game tonight.
Laughable losers….on the brink of greatness again? You lost any credibility with that statement. They are the worst franchise in NFL history. Can you say back to back seasons of 1-15 and 0-16? LOL!!! Keep buying tickets and jerseys sucker and hopefully by November clown fans will once again be wearing brown bags.
Cleveland has a lot more things to do in the summertime than stuffing your face in what SCENE likes to call a “bistro” or an “eatery.”Read it again, sonny…I wasn’t talking about restaurants. It’s called “reading comprehension” for a reason.
And when you’re down to throwing around brand names (Mickey D’s. Burger King, Olive Garden, PBR), you’re running out of ammo. That all you’ve got left in your snark pouch, kid?
Try doing some homework, if you know how. Plenty of NFL sourcebooks out there, all of which will tell even a mope like you that there have been far worse outfits, over the long haul, than the Browns. They blew a few opportunities last season, but 7-8-1 is at least respectable. Or were you too stunk and droned to be awake in 2018?
Keep beating that dead horse and knocking the Browns…it means there’ll be one less ass in the seats. And I mean that literally–one less ass. That’s YOU, pal. But you can go right on bitching and whining about the “Clowns”–and making yourself look foolish. It’s what you do. And probably ALL you do.
I don’t know what Palazzo Mr. Trattner wandered into but his review could not be further from the experience I had over two dinners to date, the most recent of which was last evening. Our server was outstanding in all aspects relative to efficiency and knowledge of both the menu and wine list. Our appetizers, salads (a bit overdressed on both occasions, but a minor flaw), and main courses were excellent. Our wine selections did not burn any of our party in either the temperature or price department. As importantly, the price point of our meals in general was comparable to the other fine dining venues around town and in a nut shell, I will go back often and recommend Palazzo to my friends.
I have no ties to this restaurant but I cannot help but feel that there is some underlying malice on the author’s part relative to the overall tone of his review. Beware…are you kidding me? I am certainly not a professional restaurant reviewer but mine and my wife’s social and travel adventures tend to revolve around food and wine. Name a good restaurant in the area and I would bet that we have been there. That’s what we do because that is what we enjoy. What I experienced at Palzzo is a far cry from what was portrayed in Mr. Trattner’s article. Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but my experience was one of fine food and service provided by a talented chef putting it all on the line to contribute to the fine dining scene with which we are blessed in this city.
I do not know Mr. Trattner nor had I heard of him prior to reading his review. I just don’t understand where the motivation lies in seemingly trying to tear down someones genuine efforts that this one patron feels will continue to improve and develop into a must go among our many cleveland restaurants. I would urge any one to give Palazzo a try and make your opinion with an open and unbiased mind.
This review cannot and should not be taken seriously. Not only does it offer contradictory information, it also reads like a retaliatory hit piece. “Beware those who enter” Who can ever take this guy seriously? Who is still employing him?