News Bites (39)

Ohio’s only AAA five-diamond restaurant, Classics, shut its doors in December. But construction is already in progress for a new dining experience in the Intercontinental Hotel — Table 45, which will be fronted by Zack Bruell, also of Parallax. Table 45, which will also absorb the hotel’s Grill Room, will feature an all-new menu and modern décor, and is scheduled to open this spring.

Sergio’s Saravà at Shaker Square is offering a new happy hour that includes a dollar off drinks from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays, while a number of the restaurant’s street plates will be available three for $12 at the bar, including the Saravà burger, artichoke fritters and Sergio’s Olympic olive mix. Meanwhile, over at chef/owner Sergio Abramof’s original restaurant, Sergio’s in University Circle, a Monday night half-price special is available on all bottles of wine priced under $100.

Although she calls the closing bittersweet, Susie Porter is shutting down her immensely popular Town Fryer and moving to San Diego. Jan. 31 was the official closing date, but patrons will have one last chance to party. Porter and her crew will return Feb. 16 through 20, with a limited menu and a wide array of live music from the bands with whom they’ve formed relationships. Mardi Gras, Feb. 20, will be the last hurrah, when Porter says she’ll “cook up a bunch of crawdads and we’ll have a lot of music and a lot of tears.” We may be crying into our gumbo, but we’re happier than a deep-fried Twinkie that the Fryer is having a fitting farewell.

Oenotria, a Little Italy wine bar, has expanded into the former Presti’s Doughnuts location and opened a bistro. Tony and Sherry Scimone use his wine knowledge and her family recipes to create a dining experience they describe as “Tuscan with a twist.” The bruschetta with fried greens, cannelleni beans and tomatoes, the chicken pancetta wrapped in prosciutto and finished with Madeira demiglace, and the tilapia topped with fresh basil and tomatoes sound too tempting to miss. 12407 Mayfield Road, (216) 421-9463

Momocho, an Ohio City hot spot (and we mean spicy!) closed briefly at the end of January for cosmetic updates and so the owners could travel to Mexico, scouting new flavors and dishes to bring back to salivating Clevelanders. New menu items are already available, including a taquito with ancho, macacah and coffee-braised brisket, shredded and served with guacamole and salsa verde, a lamb albondigas (a Mexican meatball) and a mahi-mahi pescado taquito. A new coconut-lime rice pudding with blueberry cebiche and a Mexican chocolate crème brûlée finish things on a sweet note. (216) 694-2122