Edwins Restaurant & Leadership Institute: Cleveland's 25 Best Restaurants

Yes, we know Brandon Chrostowski is a good guy.

His restaurant group gives former prisoners and recovering addicts a second chance. The dude even flew to Poland to cook meals for Ukrainian refugees.

But none of that alone gets you nominated for the James Beard Awards’ Outstanding Restaurateur.

“It’s about hospitality, man,” says the chef, who gained his appreciation for service in the kitchens of Paris, New York and Chicago.

And there may be no better display of service than his Shaker Square French brasserie.

More than 20 artisan cheeses, ranging from a fudgy, spicy dark blue to a mild cheddar with thick veins of black truffle, are served tableside on a rolling cart. Wine lists and plats principaux are navigated expertly. Suggestions land perfectly.

My bread plate never sat empty, thankfully, as I ate about a loaf sopping up the braised rabbit’s ($36) luxurious mustard cream sauce and the shallot beurre blanc with the grilled seafood sausage ($15).

Service is something you don’t notice unless it’s really good or really bad. As the maitre d helped my wife slip her coat on and urgently hailed the valet, we definitely noticed. edwinsrestaurant.org

Our full list of 25 Best Restaurants, 10 Best New Restaurants and reader-voted Silver Spoon Awards is your guide to Cleveland’s best bites.