Cleveland’s top restaurants redefine Midwest dining. From familiar faces to new names, these are our 25 favorite places to eat and drink across Northeast Ohio right now. 

SUGGESTED: Check Out Cleveland's 10 Best New Restaurants

Abundance Culinary

Opened: 2023
Located: Cleveland Heights
Seats: 38
Style of Cuisine: Northern Chinese
Key Players: Chef Liu Fang

Rising star chef Liu Fang, who immigrated from China during the pandemic, transformed her bun-based pop-up to a full-scale Northern Chinese restaurant inside a historic diner car. Best known for her pork, chicken and beet buns ($10-$18), the chef also presents noodles, small plates, dumplings, wings and other modern Chinese dishes unlike anything you'll find in the region.

Forward Movement: The diner car is getting interior revamp from star designer Kelley Schaffer that should take the experience up a notch.

216-785-9959, 1975 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, a-bun.com

Acqua Di Dea

Opened: 2021
Located: Downtown
Seats: 200
Style of Cuisine: Mediterranean Seafood
Key Players: Lola Jacaj

A sleek Downtown coliseum of seafood in a 147-year-old brick space, Acqua di Dea (formerly Acqua di Luca) offers rustic Italian seafood dishes and top-notch hospitality, the kind where you don't pour your own wine and the waiter knows your needs before you do. Go big with the butter-poached lobster tail ($120), or try something new with the Ippoglosso ($50), a pan-seared halibut served with shiitake mushrooms, almonds and farrotto, which is like risotto but with whole grains instead of white rice. 

Corner Dominance: Jacaj recently opened Oliva Steakhouse next door to Acqua di Dea. That restaurant landed on our 10 Best New Restaurants. 

216-329-0700, 500 W. St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, acquadidea.com

Amba

Opened: 2022
Located: Ohio City’s Hingetown
Seats: 100-plus
Style of Cuisine: Indian-inspired small plates
Key Players: Co-owners Douglas Katz and Todd Thompson

After a dramatic renovation of an old machine shop, a buzz engulfed the 6,000-square-foot restaurant. The industrial minimalist interior instantly became one of the city’s most transformative dining rooms. Dim lights and loud music starve the senses and heighten the smell of the spices. “We wanted to have this spirited, theme sort of feel,” says chef-owner Douglas Katz. “We wanted to create an adventure.” The restaurant's audacious soul shows up in shareable plates of soft clay bread ($6); beetroot raita yogurt ($11), a bright pink dip that’s sweet and tangy; and spicy sloppy Joe with keema venison-tomato curry ($19) work best in tandem by providing a dipping vessel and a creaminess that cuts the spice. Still, dishes such as the crispy puris ($13), a potato salad-stuffed wafer or the popcorn chicken ($16) flavored with barbecue sauce and serrano chilies stand alone. Any adventure benefits from a guide, so we suggest letting the chef-curated menus at least steer you in the right direction. 1430 W. 28 St., Cleveland, ambacle.com

Dinner and Drinks: At Amba or its adjacent cocktail lounge, order craft beverages such as the a5 ($14) with chai bourbon, mango puree, yogurt and orange liqueur or the tiki-adjacent a2 ($14).

Astoria Cafe & Market

Opened: 2016
Located: Gordon Square
Seats: 138, 100 outside
Style of Cuisine: Mediterranean with a heavy Greek influence
Key Player: Chef Cory Kobrinski

Astoria is known for its selection of cheese and charcuterie boards. Right now, we're enjoying These are a Few of Our Favorite Things ($20), which offers an array of mild goat, cow and sheep cheeses, and the Show a Little R-E-S-P-E-C-K ($20), where the lightly smoked speck is a star. We also start with the dolmades ($11), a rice-stuffed grape recipe passed down through a Greek associate’s family. The trio came dressed in a lemony ladolemono so tangy and bright that we almost forgot we weren’t in the sunny Greek Isles. Next, the veal, lamb and ricotta meatballs ($30), served on pasta with a chunky tomato sauce, were designed by chef de cuisine Cory Kobrinski to be the antithesis of every overcooked “hockey puck” he’s ever eaten. “Taking out eggs and incorporating ricotta cheese creates this super-crispy outside, this light, fluffy inside,” he says. Day or night, the big windows and market atmosphere make the space feel bright and alive. 5417 Detroit Ave., Cleveland,  astoriacafemarket.com

Get Schooled: Astoria’s cheesemonger Tom Leguard teaches a monthly chess school on wine and cheese pairings.

216-266-0834, 5417 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, astoriacafemarket.com

Batuqui 

Opened: 2015
Located: Larchmere Boulevard, Chagrin Falls
Seats: 32
Style of Cuisine: Traditional Brazilian 
Key Players: Owners Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira

Opened in 2015 in a 120-year-old Victorian on Larchmere Boulevard, Batuqui is more than a Brazilian steakhouse. Hailing from Bahia and Minas Gerais, regions renowned for their culinary prowess, Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira present traditional flavors like feijoada ($38), a quintessential black bean stew; pao de queijo ($11.50), cheese bread from Minas Gerais ($14); and the national cocktail, caipirinha ($11). “Cooking is a cherished family legacy,” says Batista. 12706 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland; 17 E Orange St., Chagrin Falls, batuquicleveland.com

Bigger table: We’re sad to hear that Batuqui is leaving its cozy Larchmere home. Luckily, its new spot is the 1922-built former St. Paul’s Evangelical with stained glass windows and tall ceilings that will expand seating from 32 to 110. The project is set to be completed by the end of the year. Here is the cocktail (and the steak) you must try during your visit.

 216-801-0227, 440-600-2122, 12706 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland, 17 E. Orange St., Chagrin Falls, batuquicleveland.com

Cent's Pizza & Goods

Opened: 2021
Located: Ohio City
Seats: 30ish
Style of Cuisine: Modern Wood-Fired Pizza
Key Players: Owner Vincent Morelli

In a building you could almost miss off the beaten path, Ohio City’s ultra-cool, artfully branded pizza shop would be right at home in a bigger city like Los Angeles or New York, where chef and entrepreneur Vincent Morelli learned to make pizza. Thankfully, this wood-fired pizzeria is all Cleveland’s. 5010 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, centspizza.com

Try This: Sunday gravy ($18). Inspired by his grandparents’ Sunday pasta dinners, Morelli uses his grandmother’s meatball recipe. “This pizza is basically that Sunday pasta sauce but built onto a pizza,” he says. “The smell and taste are nostalgic for me.” 

 216-862-6427, 5010 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, centspizza.com

Cilantro Taqueria

Opened: 2019
Located: Various Locations
Style of Cuisine: Mexican/Tacos
Key Players: Owner Raul Carrillo

Every city needs a late-night taco joint. Bonus points if it’s next to one of the best music venues in town. Thank you, Cilantro Taqueria, for fueling post-Grog Shop concerts with your cheap, beloved menu of tacos, beers and bomb-ass elotes. It’s no wonder that the shop has found quick fans in Northeast Ohio, expanding with four additional locations in Lakewood, Shaker Heights, North Olmsted and Chesterland. We recommend the build-your-own tacos ($3.99+). Customize to your liking with chicken tinga, shrimp, al pastor and carnitas and toppings like mango pico de gallo, salsa verde, queso, cheese and, of course, the restaurant’s namesake — cilantro. Quesabirria tacos ($13.99 for 3) are also available, with dunks into a slightly spicy consomme giving a nice finishing touch. Cilantro’s dessert options don’t disappoint either. Chocoflan ($6) gives a rich cocoa flavor base to the Hispanic dessert, and the tres leches cake ($7) is a creamy, scrumptious final bite. Inside Cilantro’s first location, you’ll see hints of its former life as a Chipotle. The restaurant reused much of the furniture and built-in decor, likely keeping costs low when it moved into the Coventry space. But those costs translate to the customer experiences, too. A big meal at Cilantro Taqueria won’t break the bank. It’ll taste good. And, best yet, it’ll always be there for you until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Other Than Tacos: Always, always start with the elote: If you’re feeling feisty, opt for the Hot Cheetos coating ($4.50). Beyond beers, the fruity peach frozen margarita ($8.99) impresses, as does the freshly muddled minty mojito ($8.99). Or, opt for a creamy, lightly sweetened horchata ($3) instead. 

 cilantrotaqueria.com

Cordelia

Opened: 2022
Located: Downtown
Seats: 200
Style of Cuisine: Midwest Comfort
Key Players: Owner Andrew Watts, Chef-owner Vinnie Cimino 

It’s been a big few years for the folks at Cordelia. Since being named 2023's Best New Restaurant, they've been doing anything but resting on their laurels. For one thing, the restaurant is still packed to the gills every night, as well as during the frequent foodie events it hosts, and chef-partner Vinnie Cimino, who has become a strong ambassador and leader among Cleveland's food scene, was nominated for a James Beard Award. You could say things have been going well. The menu rotates, but you can almost always get the pimento cheese ($10), the hummus-like carrot muhammara ($10), and whatever fresh fish they can source from Kate's Fish at the West Side Market (mkt). Our seasonal favorite right now is the spring pea toast ($16) with ramps, whipped ricotta, egg yolk and mint on focaccia bread. 2058 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, cordeliacle.com

All-time favorites: First-timers and indecisive visitors should opt for the Bellie Up ($90), Cordelia’s tasting menu. The kitchen staff chooses six to seven dishes, including a few fan favorites. “We like to change and do different things,” Cimino says, “but the hits are hits for a reason.” Dig into crowd pleasers like the carrot muhammara, the corned lamb and the burger box ($22), a splittable cheeseburger modeled after White Castle’s sliders. Here are a few more facts about the award-winning restaurant.

216-230-2355, 2058 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, cordeliacle.com

Heritage Steak & Whiskey

Opened: 2024
Located: Eton Chagrin Boulevard
Seats: 166
Style of Cuisine: Steakhouse
Key Players: Owner Doug Petkovic

Doing a steakhouse well in 2024 is not easy. Since the foodie wave of the late 2000s, those for whom food is as much a hobby as it is nourishment have yearned for newer, bigger, more photogenic and more exotic (whatever that means). A steakhouse isn’t any of that. We’ve all endured enough tough cuts, mediocre mashed potatoes and environmental drudgery to get too excited over a new steakhouse. We’d rather try foreign street food, beer-infused doughnuts or trendy small plates than return, again, to the tired American classic. That means, if you’re going to do a steakhouse in 2024, you better make it damn good — impeccable even — which is exactly what restaurateur Doug Petkovic has done with Heritage Steak & Whiskey, last year's reader-voted Silver Spoon Award winner for Best New Restaurant.

Try This: Some steak and seafood is prepared tableside, including the 32-ounce tomahawk ($125) and the 40-ounce porterhouse for two ($165), which are carved from and reassembled on the bone, and the Dover sole ($85), which is filleted and deboned right in front of you. Even the creme brulee ($12) is flamed tableside.  The menu’s cheapest steak, however, the American wagyu hanger ($45), still demonstrates excellence. 

216-508-4650, 28869 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere, heritagesteakandwhiskey.com

Opened: 2017
Located: Ohio City
Seats: 40ish
Style of Cuisine: Pizzeria
Key Players: Owners Brian Moss and Brian Holleran

Moody and classy, this Gordon Square hot spot is a stylish pizzeria that composes beautifully balanced pies, such as the beloved Speck Pie, a white pizza with cured ham, lemon ricotta, pistachio and hot honey. Enjoy a classic rock playlist in a casual setting. You'll likely have to wait, but if you're willing to sit at the bar, you're typically seated in no time. The speck ($18-$23) with thinly sliced ham, pistachio, lemon ricotta  and hot honey is most popular, but don’t fear the clam  ($24-$32) with pecorino.

Pizza of the Stars: Many of our pro players have dubbed this their favorite spot, most loudly basketball stars Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Darius Garland.

216-282-1451, 1303 W. 65th St., Cleveland, ilrionepizzeria.com

Issho Ni Ramen

Opened: 2019
Located: Willoughby
Seats: About 30
Style of Cuisine: Sushi Bar
Key Players: Owner Johanes Jonathan, Executive chef Ryan Endrian 

Greater Cleveland’s best ramen and, arguably, sushi lives in a strip mall 20 minutes east of Downtown. Inside, you’ll find a bar manned by sushi chefs ready to guide you through rare offerings and over-the-top rolls, while servers hustle out ramen with a range of complex flavors that range from sweet and savory to knock-your-pants-off spicy. Perfect for Cleveland weather is the spicy tonkotsu ramen ($16.99) with a soft-boiled egg, pork belly, kikurage mushrooms and a house blend of nine chilies (plus ghost pepper if you dare to surpass spice level 3). “I never go higher than two,” says owner Johanes Jonathan. 

No stone unturned: Executive chef Ryan Endrian and his staff are students of sashimi, maki and nigiri. Fanatical about every detail, the team flies in fish from Tokyo and even tests the water quality to make sure it’s optimal for the sushi rice. “There are only a few ingredients in nigiri, so there’s nowhere to hide,” says Endrian. Learn more about Issho Ni's forthcoming Cleveland expansion. 

34302 Euclid Ave., Unit 1-2, Willoughby, isshoniramen.com

Larder Delicatessen and Bakery

Opened: 2018
Located: Ohio City
Seats: 26
Style of Cuisine: Modern delicatessen
Key Players: Chef-owners Jeremy Umansky, Allie La Valle

The past inspires this Hingetown deli in an 1800s-era firehouse. Glass cases display fresh meat, pickles and pastries, and an open kitchen offers new takes on sandwiches, salads and desserts. Co-owner and chef Jeremy Umansky’s biggest
inspiration, though, is helping Clevelanders discover food that is truly local. Dishes like the pastrami sandwich ($17) — a fan-favorite evidenced by the 200 pounds of brisket the deli shreds through weekly — and the dill-powered matzo ball soup ($8) feature ingredients sourced from the West Side Market, Port Clinton, Medina County and more. Along with regional family recipes, Larder showcases the abundance of ingredients the Cleveland area has to offer. “Any story we want to tell of who was here, who is here, who will be here, we can tell through ingredients that we get locally,” he says. “We’re doubling down on who we are and the resources that we have here.” Umansky and his partner and wife Allie La Valle, who runs the bakery program, were each individually nominated for James Beard Awards in the chef and baker categories.1455 W. 29th St., Cleveland, larderdb.com

Koji Pioneer: Despite looking back, Umansky literally wrote the James Beard-recognized book, Koji Alchemy, on
the mold-based fermentation process that drives the restaurant’s best bites. 

The Last Page

Opened: 2021
Located: Pinecrest
Seats: 170
Style of Cuisine: Modern American
Key Player: Chef Brad Race

A meal at The Last Page takes you around the world in one sitting.  Your map is an impressively cohesive menu that streamlines similar flavors from different continents to create a melting pot of cuisines. Globetrot among courses, or even in the same meal, with the brulee French toast ($14) at brunch, New Orleans classic shrimp po-boy ($17) at lunch, or Australian lamb chops ($48) for dinner. Other stars include the duck confit fried rice ($28) and the Thai-style branzino ($46), served whole. Located in Pinecrest Shopping Center, it's a suburban restaurant that stands out among the pack.

Smoke and Mirrors: Cocktails like the flaming mai tai ($14) and The Last Manhattan ($17), served in applewood smoke, complete The Last Page’s experiential dining approach.

LJ Shanghai

Opened: 2017
Located: AsiaTown
Seats: 50
Style of Cuisine: Shanghainese 
Key Players: Chef Edmond Tsui, Owner LJ

If LJ Shanghai is open, you’re likely to see — and hear — the restaurant’s namesake, LJ. And she’s likely to be very busy. At the tail end of a bustling Tuesday night shift, she sits for an eight-minute interview and shares the inspiration behind the shop: “I craved my hometown food,” she says. “It’s my comfort food.” Her soup dumplings ($8) became famous at neighborhood potlucks before she and her husband, Edmond Tsui, opened the restaurant in 2017. The dumplings are just a part of this restaurant’s offering of mouthwatering textures and flavors. There are also the light, crunchy cucumbers ($7), the flavorful, spicy (but not-too-spicy) chaoshou ($10), the meaty, chewy pan-fried beef noodles ($17) and the fall-off-the-bone, bite-sized sweet and sour ribs ($11). It’s a menu of uncompromising quality and careful selection, showcasing an authentic kind of Chinese food beyond the iterative fast-casual and takeout box spots of every neighborhood. It’s special beyond the flavors, too. “When I run this business, I’m trying not to just bring food to the people,” LJ explains, “also, I want to bring our culture to the neighborhood.”

150: The number of soup dumpling orders LJ makes on a busy day.

3142 Superior Ave., Cleveland, facebook.com/ljshanghai

Mabel's BBQ

Opened: 2016
Located: Downtown
Seats: 145
Style of Cuisine: Cleveland BBQ 
Key Player: Owner Michael Symon

Barbecue typically makes you think of Texas, the Carolinas or Kansas City. But since 2016, Michael Symon has worked to change that with his Mabel’s BBQ on East Fourth Street. Symon’s Cleveland-style barbecue hinges on Bertman’s Ballpark Mustard, a brown mustard that has been a staple at Cleveland’s baseball games since the 1920s and adds a tangy kick to the Cleveland BBQ sauce. Additionally, Texas-style sausage is replaced by Eastern European kielbasa, perhaps best on the “Polish Girl ($18),” where the sausage is topped with coleslaw and pulled pork. In the smoker, Ohio fruitwood injects flavor into the pork belly ($17), served with a maple mustard glaze, or the brisket ($19), which is served as a choice of fatty or lean (we like it fatty). Barbecue has boomed in recent years, but only Mabel’s has explored how Cleveland’s unique tastes and heritage can leave a mark on the cuisine. 

Whiskey Island: Mabel’s bourbon list features more than 200 bottles, including a full list of Symon’s own River Roots Barrel Co., which is bottled locally. 

2050 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, mabelsbbq.com

Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar

Opened: 2017
Located: Downtown
Seats:  500
Style of Cuisine: Steakhouse
Key Players:  Owner Malisse Sinito, Chef Brandon Veres

A handful of restaurants vie for the honor of best steak in Cleveland, but only one pairs that hunk of beef with the most incredible atmosphere — and that’s Downtown’s Marble Room. Dining at Marble Room is truly about the full experience. The restaurant’s marble columns and vaulted ceilings make use of a former bank built in the late 1800s by the three sons of President James Garfield. “We wanted to turn people’s expectations upside down a little,” says Malisse Sinito, president of Savour Hospitality Group. “We wanted to re-imagine this opulent experience in a more modern way, or a more sexy way that’s different than what you would expect.” But executive chef Brandon Veres’ menu ensures a trip to Marble Room isn’t all flash. The 18-ounce Delmonico steak ($88) is cooked to a medium rare as is the 12-ounce filet ($59). Even better were the shareable side dishes, like potatoes au gratin ($14) or Brussels sprouts ($17), coated in bacon, goat cheese and balsamic reduction. “We’re here to offer an experience,” says Veres. 

10: That’s how many different steaks are on the regular menu at Marble Room, although some might be added as specials.

623 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, marbleroomcle.com 

The Pompadour

Opened: 2016
Located: Fairport Harbor
Seats: 44 
Style of Cuisine: Spanish-Inspired Tapas
Key Player: Chef Rusty James Phillips 

Rusty James Phillips’ intimate small plates restaurant is as far off the beaten path as the beach town, Fairport Harbor, that he calls home. Like that beach, its location makes it an underappreciated gem. Phillips elevates the familiar, like in Punk Rock Chicken ($16), a spicy thigh from Peninsula’s Heritage Farms served with potatoes and citrus habanero BBQ baked beans. The chef is often spicing things up, figuratively and literally. The mussels ($18), for example, sit in Mexican chorizo, white bean and a paprika-infused tomato broth rather than garlic and wine. “The idea is treating high-end ingredients like the venison (a $25 tenderloin served with bok choy) with as much care as the humble chicken,” Phillips says. With 14 craft cocktails, including the Stargazer ($14), a passionfruit Arnold Palmer-like tiki, the beverage program alone is worth the drive, and also be sure to hit the zero-proof You Wanted a Hit ($14), with non-alcoholic tequila Seedlip Spice and a little bit of spice. 

New Possibilities: Phillips is readying a new concept directly next door to the Pompadour with a wine bar and tastings.

320 High St., Fairport Harbor, thepompadourbar.com

Poppy

Opened: 2023
Located: Larchmere Boulevard
Seats: 75
Style of Cuisine: Seasonal American Classics
Key Player: Owner Jessica Parkison, Executive Chef Erik Kneip

Jessica Parkison, the former proprietor of Lakewood’s James Beard-nominated small plates restaurant Salt, brings that critically acclaimed approach to a heavier seasonal menu. Unlike Salt’s avant-garde approach, however, Poppy’s food is classic with modern twists. Dishes range from the likes of the grilled whole branzino ($42), served with lemon cream, confit shallot, blistered cherry tomato, rice cake and fried capers, to the Poppy Burger ($20), with a house beef patty, horseradish remoulade, smoked cheddar, cherry peppers and arugula.  The one-of-a-kind experience is inspired by the owner’s grandmother and the historic renovated house and spacious patio on Larchmere Boulevard that it calls home.

Home Sweet Home: Formerly Felice Urban Cafe, the 115-year-old house, which is reminiscent of Parkison's grandmother's home, features one of the best patios in the city.

216-415-5069, 12502 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland, poppycleveland.com

Rood

Opened: 2018
Located: Lakewood
Seats: 75
Style of Cuisine: Pie and Seasonal Midwestern
Key Player: Owner Corey Hajde, Executive chef Josh Erickson

Since 2018, Rood has dished out a few exciting concepts on Lakewood’s Madison Avenue. He started with shareable, gourmet sliders and creative twists on pies. Today, however, Rood has shifted from sliders to hearty Midwest eats with seasonal ingredients. (Psst... the sliders are back. Brunch, too!) With a camper serving station and an art deco reader board, the decor is Miami-inspired. 17001 Madison Ave., Lakewood, rfpie.com

Midwest Dreaming: Executive chef Josh Erickson wants to put Midwest Americana on its head. The recent Maple Leaf Duck Breast ($36), which is pan-roasted with smoked harissa yam terrine, sesame honey runner beans and fig jam, shows this desire off. But you can also head South in the always-great Cajun Shrimp and Grits ($28) with oishii shrimp, creamy cheese grits, andouille sausage and gravy, and chili oil.

Szechuan Gourmet

Opened: 2012
Located: Lakewood
Seats: 85
Style of Cuisine: Szechuan
Key Player: Owner Kitty Wang

It’s easy to get addicted to that special, spicy tingle that only Szechuan food offers. But even spice babies find a big menu of noodles, fish and meat to explore. With a dozens of dishes on a dizzying menu of appetizers, soups, fried rice, noodles and more, the Asiatown staple does it right with appetizers like dumplings ($6.95) in deep-red spicy oil sauce and flaky scallion pancakes ($5.95) and heavier dishes including Szechuan dried pepper chicken ($16.95) with peanuts and

Dried Out: Like hot pot? Try dried pots ($17.95-$22.95), which are similar but without the soup. Find a wok stuffed with super-spicy veggies, seasonings and your choice of seafood, beef, lamb, chicken and more. 

216-881-9688, 1735 E. 36th St., Cleveland

Thai Thai

Getting Smarter: Those family recipes are better than ever as Wongpeng has brought her recent culinary degree to the table (and kitchen). 

13415 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-4890, thaithailakewood.com 

Thyme Table

Opened: 2019
Located: Bay Village
Seats: 52, 30 outside
Style of Cuisine: Upscale Americana
Key Players: Owners Mike and Tess Smith, Chef Julie Chimes 

Since starting in the industry at 15 years old, Mike Smith has been dedicated to hospitality and food service. After years of catering, Smith and his wife opened their cozy, intimate Bay Village eatery just 10 months before COVID-19 changed the world. Since then, they’ve worked to create a space that’s spiffy but casual, fancy, not stuffy. The BBQ beer braised short rib ($32), fork-tender and served over cheddar grits, is a menu constant. But the restaurant’s high-low dichotomy might be best exemplified in the famed loaded lobster tots ($14), which are topped with bacon, scallions, cheese sauce and chipotle aioli. “We turned something that shouldn’t really be fancy into something fancy,” says Smith. “That’s a lot of what we do. I think it shows who we really are.” 

Sister Spot: Check out Trust Coffee, Smith's new Bay Village all-day coffee and breakfast spot. 

583 Dover Center Road, Bay Village, thymextable.com

Tita Flora's

Whether or not it's "Cleveland's first Filipino restaurant," as it proclaims, it's certainly a favorite taste of home for those seeking a Southeast Asian flavor. Sizzling and flavorful Filipino dishes get a spotlight at Flora Grk’s small-but-mighty Independence restaurant. Find Filipino staples like veggie- or pork-stuffed crispy lumpia ($6-$7); pancit ($14), a stir-fried noodle dish; or longsilog, an all-day breakfast dish of sweet-and-spicy sausage fried rice topped with a fried egg. No Filipino restaurant would be complete without adobo ($14-$15), which sees chicken or pork braised in a soy and vinegar sauce with seasonings and spices. 

One More Thing: The customary dessert is halo halo ($10), translated to "mix-mix," which is a creamy shaved ice with surprising starches and a scoop of ice cream.

216-232-4303, 6531 Brecksville Road, Independence, titafloras.com

Tutto Carne

Opened: 2023
Located: Little Italy
Seats: 45
Style of Cuisine: Modern Italian
Key Players: Chef Zachary Ladner and Partner Carl Quagliata

You definitely have your old standbys in this Mayfield Road neighborhood. And they're all great! But finally, Little Italy gets a forward-looking boutique restaurant. The menu is broken up by steaks, not steaks, pasta and antipasta. So obviously the steaks, including the 16-ounce Ohio-raised Wagyu Delmonico ($140) and the 10-ounce Ohio-raised black angus Top Sirloin Cap ($45), are great. But don't miss out on the pasta section's Lobster Fra Diavlo ($65) with house-made wagon wheels pasta, Maine lobster, mussels, tomatoes, garlic, chilies, seafood brodo and white miso or the not steak's Classic Veal Parmigiano ($65) with rigatoni in slow roasted marinara, confit tomatoes, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and mozzarella.

Meat Men: Chef Zachary Ladner and Carl Quagliata call it a “carnivore’s paradise,” with protein coming from their own butchery in Maple Heights.

216-471-8386, 2181 Murray Hill Road, Cleveland, tuttocarnecleveland.com

Zhug

Opened: 2019
Located: Cleveland Heights
Seats: 80
Style of Cuisine: Mediterranean Mezze
Key Players: Co-owners Douglas Katz and Todd Thompson

How do you maintain a buzz? If anyone knows, it’s owner-chef Douglas Katz, who operated Fire in Shaker Heights for 20 years. “After a few years, your staff can grow on their own, and you’re able to step away a little bit,” says Katz, who has since opened Amba, the dark sister to Zhug’s bright banquet-lined dining room. “Exploring other things keeps the juices flowing.” After five years (three outside the pandemic), the Cleveland Heights Mediterranean spot is as exciting as ever. Build-your-bite remains the best approach to a menu still centered around its namesake green, spicy chutney. Dip flatbread ($7) into hummuses topped with nigella seed and burnt onion ($13) or curried lamb and apricot ($16). Pair that with classics like the smoked octopus ($19) and purple potato in saffron aioli and the beef kofte ($18) with smoked feta, shaved fennel and radish. Cover a new addition like the Pacific lingcod cakes ($18) with horseradish, pickled shallots and frisee in creamy labneh ($7). After nearly three decades, Katz remains a symbol of new sensations and infinite possibilities. 

Hiding in Plain Sight: After looking around the world for the best tahini, the cuisine’s essential sneaky ingredient, Katz found a company here in Ohio, SoCo (formerly named Seeds of Collaboration).

12413 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, zhugcle.com