Cleveland: He's done French food, sushi and world cuisine. So gravitating toward Italian dishes seems the logical next step for serial restaurateur Zack Bruell, chef and owner of Parallax, Table 45 and L'Albatros.
In January, his desire to tackle all food Italian fueled the opening of Chinato, a restaurant Bruell says he designed to reflect simple cuisine and cooking techniques from all regions of Italy.
He has transformed the long vacant corner of East Fourth Street and Prospect Avenue into a sleek, vibrant space that uses low lighting and walnut wood to play off the sepia, wall-sized photograph of Florence rooftops.
It's a comfortable setting to take on the restaurant's lengthy menu, which is broken into crudo (raw bar selections), antipasti, salad, pasta (half and full orders) and entrees. Simple, well-executed flavors come alive in tender seared scallops; thinly sliced beef tongue with salsa verde; and pork, veal and shiitake mushrooms stuffed into exquisitely thin ravioli.
2079 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, 216-298-9080, chinatocleveland.com
2079 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, 216-298-9080, chinatocleveland.com
