12 Trends that Defined Cleveland's Dining Scene in 2023

The dust truly hasn’t settled from the pandemic that, in particular, rocked the restaurant industry. But closures and pivots have also created great opportunities for the survivors, and in 2023, some of the biggest players on Cleveland’s dining scene took steps toward expanding their empire. Meanwhile, other budding stars stepped into new spaces and roles.

We were there, along the way, to try the flavors of Northeast Ohio this year. Here's what we noticed.

Find more year-end stories: 2023 CLE Wrapped, Cleveland's Year in Review

Gettin’ Weird and Snacky
It’s been a decade since small plates were a new thing in Cleveland, but it’s fun to see that spirit evolve into a slightly more casual experience. From the Judith’s and Patron Saint’s all-day cafes to Karen Small and Jill Davis’s Pearl Street Wine Market & Cafe in Ohio City, no longer do you need to block off an entire night or get super dressed up to eat light-but-potent fare. And these spots aren’t pulling any punches. Patron Saint’s Carne Crudo ($10) puts a Mexican flare on a beef tartare, and the Judith offers dressed-to-order tinned fish ($13.50-$18) in the middle of the day and smoked oysters ($10) at night. 

ANOTHER Holiday Bar?!
As we expanded our list of holiday bars this year (sure we missed at least one or two) we began to wonder: Have we hit peak Christmas bar? If your friends start talking about going to some tinsel-covered tavern, maybe suggest one of these beloved Cleveland spots. (Not to be a Grinch: we’ll see you at the local dive.)

Vegan Variety
For vegan diners, there are more options than ever in Greater Cleveland, as regular restaurants continue to offer a variety of dishes free of animal products, along with a few new concepts that arrived this year. The all-vegan Green Kitchen opened a brick-and-mortar space in Clark-Fulton. The area’s first vegan deli, Black Market Meats, opened a 100% vegan space in Lakewood. Meanwhile, other all-vegan restaurants, including Cloak & Dagger, Foodhisattva and Birch Cafe saw continued success. (Birch even made it into the ranks of Cleveland Magazine’s Best of Cleveland.)

Pop-Up No More
Speaking of The Green Kitchen, it’s another example of a big trend in 2023: Pop-ups finding permanent homes. The concept, which was originally operating out of Little Rose Tavern in West Park, opened its own home in Clark-Fulton. The Roaming Biscuit also found a home in Gordon Square, and Cleveland Sandwich Co. grew its footprint by adding a Tower City Center stall. 

Revamps and Restarts
Some of Northeast Ohio’s classic restaurants reopened and got new looks this year. Fahrenheit, the longtime Tremont spot from Rocco Whalen, launched a swanky new spot Downtown in July. Lanning’s in Akron — a beloved date night and special occasion upscale restaurant in Akron — finalized its facelift as Dean Martin’s Lanning’s, named for the new owner. In November, Nighttown returned after a three-year, pandemic-induced hiatus with new ownership in Red Hospitality Group.

Branching Out
Many of Cleveland’s major players in the dining scene expanded their empires this year — some for the first time. One of those included the East Side’s Poppy, which was the first extension from the team behind Salt in Lakewood. (Look ahead for Evelyn, a Spanish tapas bar in Gordon Square from duo Jill Vedaa and Jessica Parkison, sometime in 2024.) Dante Boccuzzi of Gingko, Goma and Dante added Dukes N Boots, a Nashville-themed fried chicken and live music bar in Downtown Willoughby, and Crumb & Spigot of Chagrin Falls added its second location (and first on the West Side) in Lakewood. Sam McNulty and Mark Premier continued their dominance of West 25th Street with Clandestina and Smoke & Mirrors. After launching Geraci’s Slice Shop at the Yard on 3rd in Downtown Willoughby, the team behind three Italian restaurants on the East Side added a retro-themed Downtown Slice Shop. Finally, the beloved La Plaza Taqueria & Supermarket opened its Downtown partnership with Re:Bar and a supermarket, taqueria and ice cream shop in Amherst. 

Beep Boop
Whether it was when Watami, Ohio’s first conveyor belt sushi restaurant, opened in Parma, or when established chains like Don Tequila and RollHouse in Solon brought on robotic BellaBot servers, tech is playing an increasingly big role in bringing food to tables — or, to anywhere, like the University of Akron’s food delivery robots have done, traversing campus to bring food to students.

Non-Alcoholic Action
Mocktails continue to gain traction in Northeast Ohio, so much so that bars specializing in them have started to pop up here. Verbena, a non-alcoholic bar and bottleshop, opened its doors in Ohio City’s Hingetown neighborhood, and plenty of bars continued to amp up their NA menus in creative ways.

Taking Flight
Sure, flights of beer are a thing, but recent years have brought in flights of… soup? Sausage? Ice Cream? Bacon? (Oh my!) Restaurants offering these aesthetically pleasing samplers of various dishes are a welcome treat for indecisive and adventurous diners. 

Seltzers Everywhere
Low calorie and lower in alcohol, seltzers continue to increase their market share across the country, with sales more than doubling since 2020. With the industry expected to continue its boom from $13.8 billion a year to $57.3 billion in 2030, Cleveland companies are getting in on the trend. Great Lakes Brewing Co. launched its Agave Twist ranch water in 2021, but in April, it launched SunSail, a year-round hard tea, as well as a seasonal Rocket Pop Seltzer in July. Doinks Burger Joint, which opened in July, even launched a house seltzer program, which carbonates mixed drinks for a unique (and Best of Cleveland-winning) seltzer experience. 

Going Corporate 
Two young stars of Cleveland’s dining scene left the line for corporate jobs this year. Chef Adam Bauer, formerly of Heart of Gold, took on a new role at Levy Convention Center, which operates the food program at the Huntington Convention Center — and then returned to local restaurants, later taking a job at Cordelia. Chef Rachelle Murphy, who rebuilt Rood Food after the pandemic with an exquisite, rotating menu, left the Lakewood restaurant to become the culinary director of Seasoned Brands. Meanwhile, though he’s still operating Amba, Zhug and the forthcoming Kiln (don’t worry, people), chef Douglas Katz became the chef-partner of the Cleveland Clinic’s provider Morrison Healthcare.

Pizzatown, U.S.A.
Cleveland might be the best pizza city in the country pound for pound, and 2023 continued to bring big news in the pie sector. Vero and Cent’s — both of which would be good choices for your No. 1 pizza in the city — announced expansions, and Geraci’s Slice Shop asserted its Downtown dominance. Jolly Scholar, the University Circle brewing company, launched an old-school pizza shop in North Royalton, and Cha Bar & Kitchen finally returned to Fulton Road. Potentially, the heaviest hitter among the new ‘za crew is Boom’s Pizza. After opening his Lakewood pizza this year, Ben Bebenroth, formerly of Spice Kitchen, announced a second store at Van Aken to come in 2024. He told Cleveland Magazine that his plan is to open “five restaurants in five years.” 

Find more year-end stories: 2023 CLE Wrapped, Cleveland's Year in Review