This week, Ciao Bistro (3800 Whitman Ave., 216-371-1007) will open in the attractive brick building that was briefly home to Cha Spirits and Pizza, which relocated from Battery Park at the tail end of last year. The spot on a quiet residential street in Ohio City was also home to Pastas and Pastries, an even shorter-lived restaurant concept.

“This is a whole new concept, a whole new everything,” promises owner Shawn Taylor.

Taylor, a Cleveland native, says that for years, working as both an owner and operations manager, he’s opened scores of restaurants around the country, including large spots like Carrabba’s Italian Grill. He came back home for family and jumped at the opportunity to take over the little spot on Whitman.

“This is exciting because it’s a smaller, more intimate affair,” he says. “This is the right spot; it’s adorable, it’s cute, there’s a lot of walk-up traffic.”

Taylor describes Ciao as “rustic Italian-Sicilian with a little Mediterranean flair.” There will be soups, salads, pastas, pizzas and entrees, including steaks, salmon and specials like chicken Marsala and lemon-pepper chicken.

There is a strong emphasis on “value,” Taylor asserts, with most meals priced at or under $15. “Even with bread and salad you’ll still be around $20, which I think is really good for Italian.”

The spot comes with a full liquor license.

Some minor cosmetic tweaks were made to the 40-seat bistro, which will open this week, possibly as soon as Wednesday. When it does, it will serve dinner and weekend brunch.

As for why his predecessors failed to survive, Taylor won’t venture a guess. But when it comes to Ciao, he has a two-pronged plan for how to succeed.

“I’ve been doing this so many years,” he says. “I think every restaurant is driven by food and service. If the food’s not good, you’re not going to make it. If the service is not good, you’re not going to make it. Day one will set your tone for the duration.”

This article appears in Oct 17-23, 2018.

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.

56 replies on “Ciao Bistro to Open This Week in Ohio City”

  2. Ciao! Bistro is going to be a great addition to this neighborhood…. They are extremely lucky to be able to interact with Shawn Taylor!!! He is an amazing person! Personally cant wait to try it out Dont forget to spread the word on Ciao! Bistro

  3. Shawn Taylor, owner of this restaurant, just called his new neighbors “liberal white cunts” on facebook, unprovoked. That’s not welcome here.

  4. I seen the FB post too – hope word gets out because that goes against everything the neighborhood and community stands for.

  5. “Liberal white cunts” really? This is a brown liberal speaking, I work less than a block away and sure won’t step in. I know where I am not wanted. I’ll help spread the word to my very proud liberal and progressive friends..

  6. Hopefully… the owner quickly hires a new manager gets rid of this Shawn Taylor guy and makes an apology on Facebook to all those whom Shawn has offended. Otherwise might as well keep the doors locked. Such unprofessional rhetoric is not welcome in the CLE food scene. BTW did anyone write to the Scene or Trattner about this? It deserves publishing

  8. This “liberal white cunt” won’t be eating there, and if there’s no apology forthcoming from Mr. Taylor for his facebook comments then I will plan on organizing people to picket the restaurant from the public sidewalk.

  9. Owners of businesses probably shouldnt call potential female guests cunts and then double down by saying its true.

  10. This “liberal white cunt” won’t eat here. (Technically I’m progressive rather than liberal…but I digress.) If throwing the “c” word is the gut level reaction of a male business owner on social media in response to a woman who comments upon a business name, that says a lot about his personality and character. Suffice it to say, our household dollars won’t go to this restaurant. Yes he’s got a right to his opinion; I, as a consumer, have the right to determine how my money is spent.

  11. Apparently liberal white cunts arent welcomed by the owner, Shawn Taylor, so Illbe avoiding this place like the plague. Wouldn’t want to find a pipe bomb in my pasta just because Im a registered Democrat :-/

  12. What on Earth did this LWC say to him to evoke such a reaction. It must not have been too warm and fuzzy!!

  13. Ahhh dammit I wanted to try this place!! Thanks for the heads up, neighbors! 🙂

    Sincerely,

    A Liberal…

  17. Shawn, you should be pretty ashamed right now. You just ruined this restaurants reputation before it opened because of your hateful comment. I guess you had Trump moment. Newsflash…the rest of us liberal cunts wont let you get away with it. Go crawl back under your rock. Dope.

  19. Hmmm… I hope he doesnt owe the banks a lot of money… cause he just turned off a whole slew of customers. Probably the ones that were going to help keep the doors open.

  21. Liberal white cunts. Is that a requirement or a disadvantage? The manager of this restaurant has managed to shut it down with 3 simple, yet poorly chosen words. Good job, Shawn Taylor. And we shall now call you one simple word: unemployed.

  22. Well…the Black liberal cunts wont be eating there either. Youve just killed your business bro.

  23. This Ciao Ciao Bambino, or whatever the hell it’s called, is going to be an even shorter-lived “restaurant concept”, as Dough likes to call everything, than the joint’s short-lived and shorter-lived predecessors, thanks to a choice bit of assholery by some shmuck who may have just blown whatever winning streak he was on, if not his entire career, thanks to some stupid keystroking on Farcebook in the heat of the moment.

    A heads-up for Shawn: Better reduce that so-called “rustic-Italian-Sicilian- Mediterranean” concept down to that of a simple sandwich shop. Why, you ask? Because, pal…you’re toast. At best.

  24. Isnt this business naturally dramatic enough without making such a bold statement before youre even open? Did you think this would effect the people youve hired that depend on this job to pay their bills? Wow- just wow.

  25. Shawn Taylor now claims that he wasn’t the one running the account, and that he gave access to his personal and business account to a friend who made that post. He says he is a Facebook novice, doesn’t know how to use it, block or unblock someone, or put anything on a page.

    His page is 10 years old, and contains a ton of pictures and posts going back years. Instead of taking responsibility for what he did, he’s just lying, and doing it badly.

  26. Doug reports:

    “…for years, working as both an owner and operations manager, hes opened scores of restaurants around the country, including large spots like Carrabba’s Italian Grill. He came back home for family and jumped at the opportunity to take over the little spot…”

    NEXT:
    (per Eric Steiger)

    “He says he is a Facebook novice, doesn’t know how to use it, block or unblock someone, or put anything on a page. His page is 10 years old, and contains a ton of pictures and posts going back years.”

    So how is Cleveland a lot like Washington?

    Conservatives are notoriously piss-poor liars.

    Shawn, when you find yourself in a hole…fer chrissakes…QUIT DIGGING! STFU and get off Farcebook!

  30. The owner of the restaurant called women cunts, doubled down in it, had some bullshit apology, and then deleted all negative reviews and conversation about his misogyny. NOPE.

  31. Wow. I ‘ve never actually SEEN a high-tech lynching before!

    But this guy did the crime. There were plenty of witnesses. He tried to cover it up and lie his way out of it.

    Guilty! Guilty! GUILTY! Storm the jail and hang him high!
    And that’s what is happening. Right here. Right now.

    Shawn got some splainin’ to do? Nope. Too late. Sell the joint.
    New owner will need a new name. And a HUGE “Under New Management” sign.
    And maybe a new “concept.” Italian? Three strikes and you’re out. How about…um…Peruvian? Why not?

  32. Yeah, there are plenty of places to eat not run by foul-mouthed ignorami. Think I’ll just stick to those.

  33. Calling your potential guest liberal white cunts is not smart…. You had ONE JOB…..

    And deleting your fb account does not delete screenshots

  34. Peruvian, my ass…Cleveland needs a Norwegian restaurant! Sell, Shawn, sell! To Sven Svenson!

  36. It appears that this disgusting misogynist just “set the tone” for the duration. I stand in solidarity with the LWCs and will not go there. Vote with your dollars if you agree!

  37. This guy is deluded. Not only for responding to some banal comment in a public forum by calling a woman a “liberal c*nt” but for also thinking that “rustic Italian-Sicilian with a little Mediterranean flair” is a whole new EVERYthing.

  38. We should be finding ways to bring people back together, not dividing each other even further. NOT coming to this place ever. I don’t care WHAT your politics are, c word is unacceptable.

  39. Let’s coordinate a protest outside the business on opening day. That might be more effective than pontificating on an online comment thread.

  40. Well I was excited to spend my money here, but this Liberal White cunt will take her money elsewhere.

  41. I bet Shawn is ignorant enough to think that only white liberal females are offended. Well I hope not because they are my sisters and when you hurt them you hurt me. Hate gets you nowhere…ever.

  42. Will this weekend see the grand opening…if any?
    Will there be a protest march? Will there be a a picket line?
    Will there be four news trucks there, along with food trucks, to siphon off business?
    Will the sidewalks be blocked? Will there be signs?
    Will the cops be there, too? Stay tuned! Don’t touch that remote!

  43. Did anyone ever think the neighbors just may be LWC’s. I know some. They can be very nasty people. There are two sides to every story. Let’s get the facts!!

  44. Where ya been, JD? Little late to the party, ain’t choo?
    Finally, a conservative voice heard from. newsflash: You’re pissing into the wind.

  45. Doug reports that the signs are coming down (as of today) and furnishings are being removed.
    Looks like this weekend’s picket line and the necktie party are cancelled. BUMMER, DUDE!
    Grand Opening is becoming a No Opening. Crap! I wanted to be there SOOOOOO much!
    You hardly ever see an “eatery” close BEFORE it even opens. Gotta be a Cleveland first!

  47. This is karma too funny!!! Glad the world can see your true colors and fyi he is the biggest lier and conman I know.. Hey Shawn just own it isn’t that what you told me?? And btw I was telling the truth my screen was open and anyone of the manager’s could have done it you know exactly what im talking about… Get out of the shoreway we don’t want your business talks a good “game” but that’s all it is…..

  49. Takes a while, but eventually you always get the lame and unfunny snarks from the rockheads in the crowd. And that one was even more stupid than most.

  50. Never mind that asshat…pay attention to the chick who appears to be claiming he’s a lying con man and that he was set up by a “manager’ who was pissed at him. Spill dem beans, Holly! TALK! TALK!

  51. I urge all of you to reconsider. I hate to sound preachy, but, seriously, what would Jesus do? He would surely forgive and give a second chance. None of us have needed a second chance??? The whole thing doesn’t make any sense and it is unclear who said what. So I went there tonight to see what’s what. His family is fantastic, the staff is great, and the food is amazing. It was really a great dining experience!! He’s going to be open every night, so please reconsider and give him a chance.

  52. oh, and they don’t have a liquor license yet, so bring your own bottle! The bill was so inexpensive without the wine!

  56. Ciao Bistro, we hardly knew ye, because nobody went there. Six months and dead.
    No, make that aborted before ever being born. Causes of death: Assholery, stupidity, and shmuckery.

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