25 Best Restaurants: Fahrenheit

Rocco Whalen has a blueprint for keeping a restaurant fresh after 16 years — especially in the competitive Tremont dining neighborhood. Like the gray City Edition Cavs jersey he sports in the commercials, Whalen serves up equal parts reinvention and he-gets-us Cleveland comfort. So after giving Fahrenheit an interior renovation in 2015 with new floors and tables and a fresh coat of paint, Whalen continues to transform his Professor Avenue spot into an all-star for every kind of meal. A popular rotating happy hour menu almost always includes perennial favorites such as the Cleveland Cheesesteak ($8), an upscale version of the Philly favorite made with truffled cheese whiz. “We mix and match different ingredients with different flavor profiles,” Whalen says. The dinner menu, which changes every four to six weeks, is filled with imaginative starters such as the kimchi melon salad ($12) with curried bacon and yuzu and with decadent and unexpected dishes such as the Kobe short-ribs-and-fig pizza ($21) topped with roasted garlic and an aged balsamic reduction. And if that’s not enough Fahrenheit for you, last year Whalen entered the brunch game with playful dishes such as Cap’n Crunch-topped pancakes ($12) and a breakfast spin on his signature Cleveland Nachos ($13) — crispy potatoes covered in gooey cheese and snappy bacon, topped with a fried egg. “They’re perfect after you’ve had too many pints at the Treehouse or Flying Monkey the night before,” he jokes. 2417 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-781-8858, chefroccowhalen.com

Insider Tip:
In an effort to cater to all palates — including diners from the popular Tremont Athletic Club around the corner — Whalen developed an “undercover vegan menu” heavy on Asian-inspired flavors. Just ask your server for the off-the-record menu.