For more than 25 years, Douglas Katz has worked hard to bring new tastes to Cleveland. When the chef does take some time off (a rarity), here’s where to find him.
Inspiring Flavors: My favorite place to try something with new and inspiring flavors in Cleveland is Alea. I love the small venue, the open kitchen and the simplicity of the space. I also love the way that Athan, the chef, creates dishes where they’re just very simple, and he uses fresh ingredients and highlights the ingredients over anything else. You can really taste the food, each individual thing and how it goes together. As a chef, I just love that simplicity.
Quick Bite: I have too many. I love Patron Saint. It might be more like a half-hour, quick lunch. I love going there because the food comes up quickly. You can sit at the bar counter and get a quick salad, or you could get two or three different shareable plates. It’s a super fun neighborhood spot. To me, it’s all about the quality of the food and the ingredients. I also love running into Beet Jar after I go to the gym and grabbing these awesome smoothie bowls with dates and nuts and almond butter.
Suggested: Kiln, the new Van Aken District restaurant from chef Douglas Katz, Opens This MonthRecommendations for family and friends: I love brunch at Juneberry; I always get a salad and a side of sausage. It’s a really small space, but hustle and bustly. I love lunch at The Judith; they have these awesome salads. I love Cent’s Pizza. I don’t like to eat too much pizza because I typically like to eat healthier, but it’s my go-to. I love the staff. I love how the decor is really unique to itself. There’s definitely a story that they tell, and I just love the food. They do Wonder Bread, it’s a baked pizza dough that puffs up with olive oil and salt, and you can put chili crisp on it and rip it. You eat it with Stracciatella cheese, and it’s the best thing ever, just super fun. I think all the places I mentioned are fun, and I think that’s something that I look for when I go out.
Best Drink: I love every quality coffee place in Cleveland: Duck Rabbit, Rising Star, Lekko. It’s about the origin and the story of the coffee. If they do pour overs or single-origin coffee, I love that. Not that everything has a story, but I like to fill myself with good quality, and I want to support people who really care about that and are doing great quality work.
Ole Reliable: Astoria. They have a Horiatiki salad, and I tend to get that. They do great fish dishes and meat dishes, as well as charcuterie and cheese. I love that Mediterranean style. I have to say, I love this Ethiopian spot, called Zoma. It’s a really unique experience. It’s great if I’m in Cleveland Heights. I just love the flavors and the richness of the food. There’s a lot of options.
Best place to unwind: In the summer, I would say Flight [Cleveland] patio to have a glass of wine. I can take my dog there and sit outside. If it’s not food related, then Edgewater Park is my absolute favorite place to go, 2-3 times a day just to clear my mind, take calls, walk my dog. I just love it; we’re so lucky.
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