Chef Ricardo Sandoval has been a Cleveland trendsetter for the past 20 years at his funky Tremont spot.
For 20 years, chef Ricardo Sandoval hasn’t just been pushing trends forward — he’s been setting them.
The Tremont spot defined patio eating with one of the city’s best skyline views, and the colorful bohemian bar and eatery has been a hub for local artists, whose work is on display and for sale in the restaurant.
Its unpretentious fusion menu, which offered fresh, farm-to-table and sustainable bites before it was cool, finds inspiration in Sandoval’s Filipino roots, especially in dishes such as the Arroz Caldo ($16 with pork belly), a Calabrian chili-laden porridge.
A wider Asian influence is found across the menu, including in the kimchi potatoes ($9.50), served with Brussels sprouts kimchi, a fried egg and Sriracha aioli.
Sandoval even handles modern fads with ease, tackling the Popeyes-induced fried chicken craze of 2020 with a soy-tinged adobo fried chicken ($17).
After all, when you’re the tastemaker, nothing you do goes out of style. fatcatstremont.com
Can the suburbs support a hip, forward-thinking eatery? When it comes to Westsiders in Rocky River, our readers, who voted it Best New Restaurant, say "absolutely." Now, find out what our staff thinks. By Lynne Thompson
