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Tag: Cleveland Heights Restaurants

  • Edwins Rekindles the Spirit of Nighttown While Charting a Deft Course Through French Dining – Cleveland Scene

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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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    Douglas Trattner

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  • Edwins Rekindles the Spirit of Nighttown While Charting a Deft Course Through French Dining

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    Photo by Doug Trattner

    The frog legs at Edwins

    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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    Douglas Trattner

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  • Cozumel Brings a Welcome Dose of Comfort and Traditional Mexican to Cleveland Heights

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    When a property as prominent as the former Mojo/Lopez spot in Cleveland Heights comes on the market, talk rapidly shifts to possibilities. In the days and weeks that followed the closure of that restaurant, the chatter in local coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants up and down Lee Road was dominated by the “wishing game.” Punters of all stripes tossed out best-case scenarios featuring big-name chefs, red-hot concepts and underrepresented cuisines.

    Ironically, few of the countless neighbors I spoke with in those days mentioned Mexican – and yet, when announced, the development seemed to have delighted the widest possible audience. And when the name Cozumel was revealed, the response was near-universal in joy – because when it comes to pleasure-dining, few restaurants manage to cultivate joy better than this home-grown brand.

    While Northeast Ohio has no shortage of locally owned Mexican restaurants, Cozumel has risen to the top thanks to a collection of well-run and well-placed locations that span the region. Partners Ramon Aguirre, Jaime Delapaz and Martin Soto opened their first store in Broadview Heights in 2001. They went on to open seven more locations, from Westlake to Brunswick. So when the opportunity to open a location on the east side of town arose, the owners pounced on it.

    Since opening in September, Lee Road’s newcomer has been reliably busy, with diners filling the seats both inside the dining room and out on the unseasonably warm patio. The owners are a frequent sight at the restaurant, seeding the place with a culture of service, hospitality and comfort that diners have come to expect from the brand. While each location has its own staff, charms and quirks, they all dish up the same roster of approachable, affordable and satisfying Mexican and Tex-Mex-style foods. With this location – and Parma before it – Cozumel has adopted a more contemporary if spare décor, leaving behind the dark woods, faux stone and kitschy trimmings.

    Unlike most restaurant groups that reach this size, Cozumel has avoided the adoption of a commissary, those centralized kitchens that prepare foods in bulk for multiple locations. Instead, they prefer to fry the chips, blend the salsas, steam the tamales and roll the burritos onsite to ensure freshness.

    We all know that the number one reason we head to the neighborhood taqueria is for the bottomless chips and salsa. At Cozumel, baskets of warm, thin, crisp and not-too-salty chips land on the table within moments. The house salsa is fresh and bright, but for a bigger kick diners can request versions made with habanero or chile de arbol.

    To start, there’s queso fundido, ceviche, taquitos and a unique “chunk” guacamole ($9.85) that features large pieces of avocado, onion, bell pepper and a choice of corn, mango or jalapeno. The Cozumel soup ($4.75) combines a flavorful broth with tender shredded chicken, pico de gallo and rice. It’s topped with tortilla chips. Poblanos are stuffed with cheese and served with ranchero sauce as an appetizer ($3.90) or transformed into an entrée ($17.95) with the addition of ground beef inside and rice and beans on the side.

    There are few more expansive menus than this one, jammed with items like tacos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas and chalupas that can be filled, mixed and matched in near-limitless ways. Fajita lovers have their pick of meat or seafood – or can opt for combos like beef and chicken ($21.55). The customary sizzling platter is loaded with meat and crisp-tender bell peppers, grilled onions and mushrooms. A shrimp and garlic dish ($23.95) is every bit as fresh, fragrant and appealing as those enjoyed in beach towns up and down the Riviera Maya. Carnitas-filled enchiladas Aztecas ($15.75) are capped with housemade chorizo, tomatillo sauce and melted cheese.

    Cozumel quietly launched birria tacos last year as a “secret menu” item, but the favorable response promoted the dish to regular status. An order ($15) includes three soft corn-tortilla wrapped tacos filled with tender braised beef, diced onions and fresh cilantro. Dunking them into the accompanying consommé turns them into drippy flavor bombs.

    It’s been said that we often don’t know what we want until it lands on our doorstep. For residents in the food-obsessed neighborhood of Cleveland Heights, that seems to be the case with Cozumel. Few cuisines manage to gratify such a diverse group of diners as does traditional Mexican. And given that Cozumel serves lunch and dinner seven days a week, the door is always open to fans young and old, seasoned and new.

    Cozumel Mexican Restaurant
    2196 Lee Rd., Cleveland Hts.
    216-331-4310
    cozumel.us

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    Douglas Trattner

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  • Trinidadian Specialties Shine at New Location of Callaloo Café in Cleveland Heights

    Trinidadian Specialties Shine at New Location of Callaloo Café in Cleveland Heights

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    On most afternoons, you can find Kelvin Cadiz chilling on the side patio of his Cleveland Heights restaurant. That’s where his two offset grill/smokers sit, puffing aromatic smoke plumes into the air. From those grills come exceptionally flavorful foods like jerk chicken, rib tips and grilled whole chicken wings.

    I first met Cadiz a decade ago, when he opened Callaloo Café in Collinwood’s Waterloo Arts District. After a solid run in that neighborhood, the owner relocated his business to Lee Road, bringing his generous spirit and comforting Trinidadian fare with him. Thanks to word of mouth, the casual carry-out-heavy eatery is making a name for itself with locals who love food. When I make my first visit – a year and a half after Cadiz opened his new restaurant – the owner says with his characteristic friskiness, “What took you so long?”

    Named for the national dish of Trinidad, Callaloo offers a nice mix of traditional and contemporary Caribbean foods. The first item I would recommend to friends is the roti, which is named after the flatbread despite it being served alongside a curry. That’s how vital and delicious roti is. Trini roti is warm, flaky and soft unleavened flatbread that’s busted up on the griddle before serving. It makes the ideal delivery method for long-cooked meats like curried chicken or luscious bone-in goat ($16). That dish is accompanied by a side of curried chickpeas and potatoes.

    Cadiz’ jerk chicken ($23) is similar but not identical to a traditional Jamaican. He does a stellar job of slow-grilling the meat until its fall-apart tender and spiced clear down to the bone. The chestnut-colored meat is glazed with mildly sweet sauce that gives way to honest heat. My choice of sides nets me orders of warm cabbage with peppers and onions and the namesake callaloo, a mellow stew of spinach, okra and coconut milk. For a more affordable taste of the house jerk, order the wings ($12), which include four whole wings.

    The concise but fluid menu also offers stewed chicken, steamed whole red snapper and contemporary starters like nachos, quesadillas and burritos. Those quesadillas ($12) and burritos ($12) come with a choice of steak, chicken, fish or tofu and arrive crispy from the griddle. My burrito is stuffed with large pieces of flaky fish, crunchy cabbage, rice and beans. The addition of pineapple overwhelms an otherwise tasty quesadilla, in my case made with tofu and served with a mild and fresh tomato-based salsa.

    Callaloo Café
    2234 Lee Rd., Cleveland Hts.
    216-417-5232
    callaloocafe.net

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    Douglas Trattner

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  • One Pot on Coventry is a Sizzling Korean BBQ Adventure

    One Pot on Coventry is a Sizzling Korean BBQ Adventure

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    Photo by Doug Trattner

    One Pot in Cleveland Heights

    “I kind of feel like a kid in a candy shop, where I can have anything I want,” says a tablemate.

    It’s hard to argue with that sentiment when you’re gazing at a menu packed with dozens and dozens of colorful food pictures, all there for the asking. Like that proverbial kid in the candy shop, the near-limitless choices are at once thrilling and a bit overwhelming.

    “This is definitely a ‘choose your own adventure’ kind of meal,” adds another.

    When One Pot opened this spring on Coventry, it brought with it the next wave of Korean barbecue. The sleek décor, impressive tabletop technology and all-you-can-eat arrangement is the sort of setup that’s been available elsewhere in this country for years. Korean BBQ has always been an enjoyable and delicious feast, but at One Pot and places like it, the entire experience is elevated and transformed into a lively celebration.

    After pulling the plug on Taco Roosters, Hang Zheng gutted the interior and replaced it with a retro-futuristic dining room devoted to Korean BBQ and Asian hot pot. The restaurant is sleek, attractive and vividly hued, with tangerine-colored booths, smoldering neon and an array of Bearbricks, adorable bear-shaped figurines from Japan. Every table in the spacious dining room is equipped with built-in burners for barbecue grills and hot pots.

    Tables can elect to order BBQ, hot pot, or both. The price is $29.99 per person for either one ($19.99 at lunch), but only $5 more person for both. While the table shares one large, central grill for BBQ, each diner gets his or her own hot pot to manage. Both are all-you-can-eat affairs.

    Even at $34.99, the value is exceptional, especially considering the quality, variety and level of service that comes with it. First comes the soup, a choice of nine different broths. We ordered Korean kimchi, pork bone, Thai tom yum and the house spicy Szechuan. Each was flavorful enough to enjoy on its own. There are a few vegetarian broths as well.

    The natural inclination is to go nuts when ordering – and how can you not when there are so many tantalizing meat, seafood, vegetable, rice and noodle options. But diners will find that the tabletop fills up fast, piled high with foods waiting to be cooked, dinner plates, cooking tongs, snipping shears, serving utensils, water glasses, side plates filled with sauces and so on. Ordering additional items is as easy as flagging down a server or using the QR code assigned to the table.

    After putting in our order, we made our way to the well-stocked condiment bar. What diners lose in the way of a typical banchan spread they gain in a staggering selection of sauces, garnishes and spices. Our hands-down favorite is the house special sauce, but there is also shacha, hoisin, peanut-sesame, chile garlic and others. Add-ons include kimchi, fresh chopped garlic, jalapenos, chopped nuts, dried red pepper flakes and scallions. If you’re looking for lettuce, just put in an order with your server or via the QR code. (It’s free, of course.)

    By the time we got back to our table, the food started arriving. Before long we were grilling paper-thin slices of pork belly, ribeye and beef belly, which cook in seconds on the hot grill. Marinated meats like beef bulgogi and garlic chicken spit, spatter and smoke a little more, but the in-table exhaust manages to capture most of it. There was also jumbo head-on, shell-on shrimp, zucchini, radish, watercress and bok choi. Most items are appropriate for either the grill or hot pot; it just depends on one’s personal preference. Some, like udon and ramen noodles, go into the soup.

    With an adventurous group, there really is no more entertaining way to dine. Guests take turns manning the grill, adding raw ingredients, flipping vegetables, removing cooked items. Hot-off-the grill foods are dipped in sauce, paired with rice and washed down with icy shots of Soonhari soju ($13/bottle). It’s loud, it’s lively, it’s a wee bit chaotic at times, but it sure as heck beats a tepid burger on the sofa.

    During our meal, the griddle grate was swapped out three times, our hot pots were topped off with broth whenever needed, and empty plates continually cleared away. I appreciate the straightforward menu that lacks any appetizers, pricey up-sell items like wagyu beef, or anything else that detracts from the main event.

    In addition to the soju – including fruit flavors – there is beer, wine, cocktails, milk tea and fruit tea with boba.

    The beauty of having places like One Pot alongside our beloved legacy Korean restaurants is that we have options to suit our mood. When an AYCE blowout seems like too much fuss, we can take comfort in a quiet meal at one of our favorite mom-and-pop places.

    One Pot
    1825 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Hts.
    216-673-3888
    onepotusa.com

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    Douglas Trattner

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