Around the corner from Jekyll’s Kitchen is the new West End
Bistro (79 West St., 440.247.3460, westendchagrin.com), a sharp little
eatery that replaced Village Exchange. Like the Exchange, West End is
operated by Gamekeeper’s Hospitality, the folks behind nearby
Gamekeeper’s Tavern and 87 West. Management retooled the short-lived
restaurant from a casual salad and sandwich shop to a more ambitious
American bistro. A snug little bar was installed in the petite dining
room, pushing more diners either up to the loft or out onto the
charming patio. The menu is built around wine-friendly starters and
small plates. Diners can share a cheese board ($14), relish platter
($8) or goat-cheese pizza ($10). Small plates, which range from $10 to
$18, include seared scallops, panko-crusted wild salmon and steamed
mussels. There is a small but attractive beer and wine list, including
house red and white pours for just $5.
Judging by the opening week crowds, Ohio City Burrito (1844
W. 25th St., 216.664.0908, ohiocityburrito.com) is plugging a
gap in the area’s dining scene. This fast-casual eatery, which opened
last week adjacent to the Old Angle Tavern, offers diners a quick and
relatively cheap mealtime experience. Similar in style and spirit to a
Chipotle Mexican Grill, OCB prepares burritos, tacos and nachos to
order for dining in or out. Choices are limited to a handful of dishes
that can be assembled from the same handful of ingredients. The burrito
($6.15) drill is familiar: A large flour tortilla is quickly steamed,
then filled with a choice of meats, beans, rice, cheese, guacamole and
salsa. Meat options include shredded chicken, braised beef and roast
pork. Beans are either black or refried. Salsas range from a mild pico
de gallo to a fiery red sauce. Tacos ($2.25) come in both soft and
crunchy shells. Apart from the temperature of the meat (unacceptably
tepid), my burrito was flavorful and filling. Like Chipotle, lines can
back up at busy times, snaking into the small dining room. Open Monday
through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
On October 2, Fire Food and Drink (13220 Shaker Sq.,
216.921.3473, firefoodanddrink.com) will launch
Friday and Saturday lunch service. “We’ve gotten a lot of requests over
the years,” says chef and owner Doug Katz. The new hours, adds
Katz, provide a seamless lead-up to the established Sunday brunch. Menu
items will include a nicoise salad with arctic char, catfish BLT on
grilled flatbread and chili pot pie with a cornbread crust.
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2009.
