Photo by Doug Trattner
Tita Flora's
Buy: Revivals
Who doesn't love a great comeback story? In a year plagued with tough losses like Corky’s, Empress Taytu, Deagan’s and Saucisson, there were some bright spots in the form of unexpected returns. After nearly four years of darkness, Nighttown burst back onto the scene. Lopez, a restaurant that began life in 1980 and was put to bed a second time in 2020, was revived by its founder in Chagrin Falls. La Cave du Vin, a Cleveland Heights mainstay for 23 years, made its triumphant return this year in Tremont. And Village Square Pizza, a 50-year-old pizzeria in Woodmere, earned an 11th-hour reprieve thanks to new owners.
Buy: Filipino Food
2023 was a banner year for adobo fans. After years of waiting in vain for something new on the Filipino food scene, Cleveland scored two big hits in the form of Tita Flora’s and Parilya. The first, a sit-down eatery in Independence, has been hopping since it opened in July. The second, a brick-and-mortar homebase for the food truck of the same name, is just getting started. Those two additions join longstanding spots Mely's Kainan and Nipa Hut Oriental Market.
Sell: Million-Dollar Steakhouses
When we take a close look at the dining landscape of late, we see a bifurcation of the industry resulting in fast-casual joints in one direction and high-roller haunts in the other. Nobody seems to be complaining about the $80 ribeyes at places like Red, Fahrenheit, Marble Room, Tutto Carne and Heritage, which likely is why we haven’t seen the last of their ilk. In the coming months we’ll welcome Oliva downtown, Artis in Lakewood and likely a few others currently in development.
Buy: Conveyor Belt Sushi
Sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing until it arrives. That was the case for me, at least, when I made the short trip to Watami in Parma. Gimmicks, I can take or leave, so I wasn’t expecting much in the way of satisfaction upon arrival at Ohio’s only kaitenzushi, or conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. But within seconds of parking the car, we were grabbing plates from the passing belt and smashing sushi rolls. Two dozen plates and $83 later, we were on our way out the door wondering why there aren’t more conveyor-belt restaurants.
Buy: Ethiopian Cuisine
This year we lost Empress Taytu, Cleveland’s first Ethiopian restaurant when it opened in 1992. But then it came back! – only to close again for good shortly thereafter. That blow leaves the whole of Northeast Ohio with two, count ‘em two Ethiopian restaurants. While thankful for Zoma in Cleveland Heights and Habesha in Kamm’s, we strongly believe that a region as diverse and food-obsessed as ours can support a few more.
Hold: KBBQ/Hot Pot
Trends are gonna trend and the absolute explosion of Korean barbecue and hot pot joints has been nothing short of astonishing. Long relegated to a few mom-and-pop Asian eateries with portable tabletop burners, these under-the-radar foods are now taking center stage at flashy new restaurants all over town. Fiyah downtown finally arrived after a three-year gestation, Gogi En brings comfort and panache to tabletop cooking in Solon, and One Pot will soon offer guests an all-you-can-eat BBQ and hot pot experience on Coventry.
Buy: Cincinnati Chili Parlors
To the untrained palate, Cincinnati chili is a food to be mocked, derided and belittled. To those who grew up eating it, the humble dish deserves the same honest appreciation as other immigrant foods like Polish pierogies, Irish colcannon or Jewish knishes. When it comes to comfort food, it’s tough to top a plate of tender pasta topped with aromatic, Mediterranean-spiced chili and a mountain of finely shredded cheddar cheese. With the recent closure of Skyline, there now are zero places in town to indulge.
Buy: All-Day Cafes
At places like the Judith, Patron Saint and Edda, time has a pleasant way of slipping by unnoticed. Not quite coffee shops, not quite bistros, these welcoming third places offer so much more flexibility and range. Pop in for your morning brew and enjoy a bite that goes well beyond a baked-from-frozen bran muffin. At lunch, these atypical cafes offer a mature alternative to banal fast-casual spots. And come happy hour, they provide the best of all possible worlds with respect to boozy sips and cheffy bites.
Sell: Smash Burgers
It’s official: we have reached the summit of Mt. Smash Burger. For fans of this ubiquitous double cheeseburger, the days have never been brighter. At places east, west, north and south, line cooks are bearing down on helpless blobs of ground beef, smooshing them into lacey submission. But what of us burger lovers who enjoy a thick pub-style burger cooked to a rosy medium-rare? We are left to pound sand.
Buy: Culinary Creativity
When was the last time you picked up a menu and smiled? There was a time in the not-so-distant past when chefs sought to stand out from the masses by having some fun in the kitchen. Every dish wasn’t a winner but at least an adventurous diner could take a stab at something that wasn’t a taco, burger, pizza, fried chicken sandwich or steak. Yes, there are exceptions, but their numbers have never been fewer.
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