Paul Minnillo and Matthew Mytro bring old Italian classics and modern delicious experiments to the table.
Moreland Hills' Flour Restaurant serves up the kind of dinner you might expect if you frequented neighborhood restaurants in Tuscany. You'll find wood-fired pizzas with a lightly charred, chewy crust and locally harvested toppings, house-made pastas with slowly simmered sauces and carefully crafted cheese boards. Led by chefs Paul Minnillo and Matthew Mytro — the self-proclaimed old-school and new-school duo — Flour's classics-with-a-twist approach has changed the way we see Italian dining. "I love using modern techniques, liquid nitrogen and some of the chemicals —any of the stuff in that realm. But I also have a love for just simple, classic food," says Mytro. "It's the perfect marriage between the two." Don't miss: We get that ordering pasta at an Italian restaurant can feel tired. Swap noodles for the semolina and mushroom gnocchi with oxtail ($29) for a different take that still satisfies: Fluffy, hand-formed pillows of dough are coated in a thin but rich mushroom broth and topped with shredded oxtail and fragrant ubriaco cheese. Brunch me: Sunday brunch at Flour is a treat with the kind of fare you won't see elsewhere. Try the eggs Benedict ($14.50) with house-made mortadella, a wood-fired breakfast pizza ($14.50) with pancetta or the oxtail potato hash ($9) studded with mushrooms and tender braised beef. 34205 Chagrin Blvd., Moreland Hills, 216-464-3700, flourrestaurant.com
