One of the most looked-at properties in Gordon Square finally has been spoken for. The long-running City Grill, which closed a few years back, has been purchased and will be renovated into a new restaurant. At the helm will be chef-owner Cory Hess.
Located near the intersection of W. 65th and Detroit (6416 Detroit Ave.), the building that housed the neighborhood hamburger joint will be gutted and rebuilt as an open bistro that will seat approximately 100 people, according to Hess. Architect and neighborhood resident Robert Maschke will be handling the renovations. Estimates put opening day around the first of next year.
Currently, Hess works as sous chef at Lola. Before that he was the chef at Bistro on Lincoln Park in Tremont, where he worked alongside Pete Joyce for much of his tenure. The Johnson & Wales trained-chef will take all the skills he has gleaned while working in some of this city’s finest kitchens and repackage them into an approachable, neighborhood-friendly gastropub.
“I want it to be a friendly place — the kind of place I would like to hang out at after work,” says Hess. “But it’s still very much on the drawing board.”
Stay tuned to this channel for progress reports.
This article appears in May 15-21, 2013.
Cory Hess is a talented young chef with an understated, unassuming, welcoming style. At the time it closed, Bistro on Lincoln Park was producing some of the best dishes in Tremont. Looking forward to it.
Welcome to the neighborhood!!
Hope they do well and have a lot of success. I’m a big fan of anything grilled, so it sounds great to me.
CONGRATS on your new space, first and foremost. Secondly though: “gutted and rebuilt” makes me cringe. City Grill has operated as that for nearly 100 years and is a Cleveland landmark. It oozes history and character. PLEASE be respectful in your renovation. For it to be gutted and look like every other cookie-cutter gastro-pub would be an absolute travesty. Keep that georgous back-bar, re-hab and please don’t destroy such an iconic space.