It’s been a while since Northeast Ohio was blessed with a year of dining like the last one. But what stood out? That question was harder than ever to answer, but here are the dishes that made a lasting imprint after 12 months of eating out around the region.

Margherita Pie at Pizzeria Uciuni in Old Brooklyn Pietro Maniaci, a barber who started down the pizza rabbit hole late in life, is wowing diners from his barebones Old Brooklyn pizzeria. Cross the threshold into Pizzeria Uciuni and you’ll spot Maniaci in his characteristic white shirt and newsboy cap, building New York-style pizzas from scratch in the open kitchen. The margherita is textbook, with a thin, crisp, tender and evenly browned crust supporting the perfect balance of sauce, fresh mozz and basil. This throwback shop is open just four days a week, has no phone and accepts only cash. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Grilled Skewers at YYTime in Asiatown YYTime is unlike any other restaurant in town. Serial restaurateur Sheng Long Yu’s bright and bustling Asiatown food hall is like four restaurants in one, with boundless options in categories such as cold appetizers, fried appetizers, grilled skewers, buns, dumplings and stir-fries. I could spend hours snacking on grilled items alone, with standouts like pudding-soft eggplant, meaty king oyster mushrooms, jumbo head-on shrimp, spice-dusted pork belly and savory bone-in lamb chops, to name a few. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Omakase at Issho Ni in Willoughby Johanes Jonathan and his wife opened Issho Ni in Willoughby in 2019, with the restaurant quickly developing a following for its stellar ramen and creative sushi. But it was when the owners launched a series of omakase dinners that the restaurant began catching the attention of serious sushi aficionados. Held a couple evenings a month, the intimate, interactive and exclusive 20-course dinners are built around fish and seafood flown in specifically for the meal. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Soup Dumplings at Artis in Lakewood Andrew Mansour, the chef and owner of Artis in Lakewood, has remarkable range in the kitchen, putting out a varied but captivating roster of plates. None more so than the “lobster bisque,” a playful moniker that doesn’t begin to describe the dish. Imagine a steamer basket of Shanghai-style soup dumplings, but in this case, the standard broth and pork filling is replaced with lobster bisque. The delicate purses are paired with a sherry gastrique dipping sauce. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Orecchiette at Scorpacciata Pasta Co. in Shaker Hts. After five years of quick-serve existence in the Market Hall at Van Aken District, Peter Reuter opened a full-service version of his pizza and pasta concepts on Larchmere. While ostensibly a neighborhood pizza and pasta joint, the food here soars thanks to from-scratch cooking at the hands of a skilled chef. The orecchiette is bold and brash, featuring al dente pasta, punchy broccoli rabe, kalamata olives and thumb-size chunks of juicy sausage. It’s all tossed with chilies, breadcrumbs and pecorino cheese. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
No. 1 at Affettati in Little Italy One of the best sandwiches in Cleveland comes from a nondescript storefront in Little Italy – a shop that goes largely unnoticed by the masses. Each morning, Kevin Dawe arrives early to bake the bread that will form the backbone of the sandwiches. After baking, the rolls are super-crispy on the outside, with an airy, tender crumb within. The #1 – one of just a handful of offerings at this streamlined eatery – is judiciously layered with sliced prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, red onion and arugula. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
AYCE Korean BBQ at One Pot on Coventry Even when the food and service rise above satisfactory levels, dining out isn’t often “fun.” But rally the right posse for a meal at One Pot and you’re in for a culinary adventure. The sleek décor, impressive tabletop technology and all-you-can-eat arrangement sets this place apart from others in the category. On offer is a limitless supply of thin-sliced pork belly, ribeye and beef belly, marinated meats like beef bulgogi and garlic chicken, seafood items like jumbo head-on shrimp, salmon and squid, all paired with a staggering selection of sauces, garnishes and spices. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Roti at Callaloo Cafe in Cleveland Hts. If you never managed to make it out to Waterloo to try Callaloo Cafe – or even if you did – food fans should make a point to visit Kelvin Cadiz at his new location in Cleveland Heights. Named after the national dish of Trinidad, the laidback eatery offers a nice mix of traditional and contemporary Caribbean foods. I head straight for the roti – warm, flaky and soft flatbread that’s busted up on the griddle before serving with curry, which in my case is luscious bone-in goat. Credit: Courtesy Photo
Bistecca alla Fiorentina at Tutto Carne If you’re going to go out for steak, you might as well go all out for steak. That was our opinion at Tutto Carne, where there was little chance of fiscal restraint anyway. The meats all hail from sister establishment Village Butcher in Mayfield, where they are hand trimmed and dry aged. Our 3-finger thick bistecca alla Fiorentina – a weighty bone-in porterhouse – is expertly grilled, sliced and presented on the proverbial silver platter. We gilded the lily with an order of roasted bone marrow, which arrived on the same platter. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Dive Dog at Never Say Dive in Old Brooklyn Never Say Dive, which opened in Old Brooklyn at the beginning of the year, skillfully blends genuine dive-bar digs with a serious food and bev program. That means in place of flat beer and stale popcorn, guests are treated to killer cocktails and elevated pub fare. This “high-low” approach is best illustrated by the Dive Dog, a hot dog that received a glow up. A thick Kobe-beef dog is tucked into a poppy seed brioche bun, drizzled with mayo, capped with house chips and gilded with dollops of briny caviar and fresh herbs. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Birria Tacos at Cozumel in Cleveland Hts. When it comes to pleasure-dining, few restaurants cultivate joy better than this home-grown brand. Cozumel quietly launched birria tacos last year as a “secret menu” item, but the overwhelmingly popular response promoted the dish to regular status. Each order includes three soft corn-tortilla wrapped tacos filled with flavorful braised beef, diced onions and fresh cilantro. A dunk into the accompanying consommé takes them to a whole new level. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
The Dive Dog at Never Say Dive Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.