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The old Nighttown had a sneaky way of turning moments into hours. A true neighborhood pub, it was the type of place you’d pop into at happy hour for a quick drink with a mate. But one round often turned into two, so the prudent thing to do was to order a quick appetizer. And then, just as you were about to settle up and sally, other friends invariably would roll in, turning that brief meet-up into a full-fledged outing. The next thing you know it’s 10:30 p.m. and you’ve Irish-goodbyed the gang because they showed no signs of letting up.
That situation never happened to me at the new Nighttown, the lukewarm revival from the Red Restaurant Group, but it certainly has at Edwins. Since moving in, Brandon Chrostowski not only has found the ideal new home for his mission-based restaurant, he also has rekindled the soul and spirit of the building. In hindsight, there was no better outcome for the property than the one we now enjoy.
After the roller-coaster ride that we all endured – one that included the abrupt closure of a Cleveland Heights landmark, a four-year wait for a refurbished replacement, and the subsequent collapse in one quarter of that time – the transition to Edwins has been a breath of fresh air. Chrostowski’s outsized personality fills every nook and cranny of the meandering place, the food feels uniquely suited to the rooms, live jazz has returned to the stage, and people are eagerly filling the seats.
The true beauty of Edwins lies in its range and flexibility. Under one roof there are multiple bars, dining rooms, menus and vibes. Where one sits on the property determines whether he or she will be ordering off a brasserie menu, fine-dining menu or smaller bar menu. Sundays usher in a family friendly buffet brunch.
There may be no prettier sight than the freshly installed raw bar in the main pub. No fewer than a dozen varieties of East and West Coast oysters are displayed on a shimmering bed of ice. After being shucked to order, our mixed dozen ($30) arrived on a large silver platter with mignonette, house hot sauce and fresh lemon. Also on the ice-covered tray were plump, perfectly poached shrimp cocktail ($12) and sauce. We paired the seafood with glasses of unoaked chardonnay ($9) and French sauvignon blanc ($8).
It’s surprising how at home Edwins’ brasserie dishes feel at this famed Irish pub. Our table quickly filled with plates of steak tartare ($14), potato and ham croquettes ($9) and frog legs ($15). Bombarded with heaps of garlic, butter and fresh parsley, the frog legs have made the journey from Shaker Square unscathed. The croquettes are warm, crisp and comforting, but the tartare is too finely minced for our taste.
Those plates were soon replaced by others bearing chicken paillard ($23), braised beef short ribs ($25) and steak frites ($33), three satisfying and agreeably priced dishes. Covered in dark, rich gravy, the braised beef and truffle mash will be a popular winter item. If the chicken was pounded any thinner, it would land in a different dimension. It is lightly breaded, pan-fried and paired with green beans and pomme puree. Cleveland’s best steak frites now resides in Cleveland Heights, where expertly grilled strip steak is sliced, paired with a mountain of crisp fries and laid to rest in a pool of decadent Bearnaise.
Diners in search of a more upscale experience should book a table in the main dining room, where a menu offers a choice between a la carte dishes or multi-course tasting menus. The latter requires a table-wide commitment. This is where you’ll find Edwins chestnuts like foie gras terrine, Maine lobster salad, seafood sausage, duck confit, bouillabaisse, horseradish-crusted salmon and others.
Few operators are as comfortable as Chrostowski pivoting from gilded seven-course tasting menus with wine pairings to smoke-filled cigar and burger nights on the patio. The chef and host glides between the two worlds, often within the same hour, with confidence and comfort. One moment he’s easing the cork from a rare bottle of Burgundy, the next he’s cracking open oysters with the speed and skill of a Big Easy lifer.
A pleaser at heart, Chrostowski continues to check things off our collective wish list. Happy hours are back and better than ever, with steals and deals on beer, wine, cocktails and food. Late-night dining is back, with service stretching past midnight most nights. And live music is back, both in the form of free weekend sessions as well as select ticketed events curated by Dominick Farinacci. What more can one ask for?
Edwins
12383 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Hts.
216-921-3333
edwinsrestaurant.org
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That situation never happened to me at the new Nighttown, the lukewarm revival from the Red Restaurant Group, but it certainly has at Edwins. Since moving in, Brandon Chrostowski not only has found the ideal new home for his mission-based restaurant, he also has rekindled the soul and spirit of the building. In hindsight, there was no better outcome for the property than the one we now enjoy.
After the roller-coaster ride that we all endured – one that included the abrupt closure of a Cleveland Heights landmark, a four-year wait for a refurbished replacement, and the subsequent collapse in one quarter of that time – the transition to Edwins has been a breath of fresh air. Chrostowski’s outsized personality fills every nook and cranny of the meandering place, the food feels uniquely suited to the rooms, live jazz has returned to the stage, and people are eagerly filling the seats.
The true beauty of Edwins lies in its range and flexibility. Under one roof there are multiple bars, dining rooms, menus and vibes. Where one sits on the property determines whether he or she will be ordering off a brasserie menu, fine-dining menu or smaller bar menu. Sundays usher in a family friendly buffet brunch.
There may be no prettier sight than the freshly installed raw bar in the main pub. No fewer than a dozen varieties of East and West Coast oysters are displayed on a shimmering bed of ice. After being shucked to order, our mixed dozen ($30) arrived on a large silver platter with mignonette, house hot sauce and fresh lemon. Also on the ice-covered tray were plump, perfectly poached shrimp cocktail ($12) and sauce. We paired the seafood with glasses of unoaked chardonnay ($9) and French sauvignon blanc ($8).
It’s surprising how at home Edwins’ brasserie dishes feel at this famed Irish pub. Our table quickly filled with plates of steak tartare ($14), potato and ham croquettes ($9) and frog legs ($15). Bombarded with heaps of garlic, butter and fresh parsley, the frog legs have made the journey from Shaker Square unscathed. The croquettes are warm, crisp and comforting, but the tartare is too finely minced for our taste.
Those plates were soon replaced by others bearing chicken paillard ($23), braised beef short ribs ($25) and steak frites ($33), three satisfying and agreeably priced dishes. Covered in dark, rich gravy, the braised beef and truffle mash will be a popular winter item. If the chicken was pounded any thinner, it would land in a different dimension. It is lightly breaded, pan-fried and paired with green beans and pomme puree. Cleveland’s best steak frites now resides in Cleveland Heights, where expertly grilled strip steak is sliced, paired with a mountain of crisp fries and laid to rest in a pool of decadent Bearnaise.
Diners in search of a more upscale experience should book a table in the main dining room, where a menu offers a choice between a la carte dishes or multi-course tasting menus. The latter requires a table-wide commitment. This is where you’ll find Edwins chestnuts like foie gras terrine, Maine lobster salad, seafood sausage, duck confit, bouillabaisse, horseradish-crusted salmon and others.
Few operators are as comfortable as Chrostowski pivoting from gilded seven-course tasting menus with wine pairings to smoke-filled cigar and burger nights on the patio. The chef and host glides between the two worlds, often within the same hour, with confidence and comfort. One moment he’s easing the cork from a rare bottle of Burgundy, the next he’s cracking open oysters with the speed and skill of a Big Easy lifer.
A pleaser at heart, Chrostowski continues to check things off our collective wish list. Happy hours are back and better than ever, with steals and deals on beer, wine, cocktails and food. Late-night dining is back, with service stretching past midnight most nights. And live music is back, both in the form of free weekend sessions as well as select ticketed events curated by Dominick Farinacci. What more can one ask for?
Edwins
12383 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Hts.
216-921-3333
edwinsrestaurant.org
Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
