Morning
With a menu of bagels, muffins and breakfast sandwiches, you'll know you've hit happy hour at this Gateway District espresso bar. The sausage, egg and cheese sandwich ($3.75) — and freshly roasted Cleveland Coffee Co. java — will sustain you for hours. 816 Huron Road, 216-861-8358, ajroccos.com
It's never too early to indulge in a sweet treat for breakfast, so give in to Cafe Ah-Roma's house-made scones in flavors such as strawberry, strawberry-banana or lemon ($1.95) and its view of the majestic Trinity Cathedral. Grab a cup of Caruso's or Red Cedar coffee blends — both local roasters — for an extra jolt. 2230 Euclid Ave., 216-771-8700, cafeah-roma.com
Stop by this urban cafe in the heart of East Fourth Street and fuel up on the crunchy peanut butter banana crush ($5) topped with agave syrup. Enhance the item's natural sweetness with black or lightly sweetened coffee. 2057 E. Fourth St., 216-394-0093, erieislandcoffee.com
Late Night
An eclectic mix of patrons — from those in college sweatshirts to suits — populate the 30-year-old Campus District dive bar. Indulge in the Italian ($8.75), a burger with mushrooms, grilled onions, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce, and you'll be in good company. 1762 E. 18th St., 216-621-0055, beckysbar.com
It doesn't matter whether you win, lose or draw at the Horseshoe Cleveland. With gargantuan slices of pizza ($6) at Rosie and Rocco's in varieties such as wild mushroom or chicken and bacon Alfredo, you'll know you hit the jackpot. 100 Public Square, 216-297-4777, horseshoecleveland.com
Fixin' to grab some late-night Southern comfort food? Head over to one of the Gateway District's newest hot spots to oblige your craving. The menu is peppered with creative cuisine such as the buttermilk fried yardbird and red velvet waffle with vanilla syrup ($12.95). 627 Prospect Ave., 216-862-5772, stonetownusa.com
Market Value
Grocery stores may be hard to find in Cleveland. Options for downtown dwellers will only get better with the addition of Heinen's 33,000-square-foot store in the Ameritrust complex, scheduled to open next fall. But for those hungry now, we did a supermarket sweep of downtown's two grocery stores to see how they checked out.
| Simply Food 1807 E. 12th St., 216-298-9110 |
Constantino's Market 1278 W. Ninth St., 216-344-0501, constantinosmarket.com |
| Square Feet | |
| 2,000 | 19,000 |
| No. of Aisles | |
| 4 | 6 |
| No. of Checkouts | |
| 2 | 4 |
| Gallon of Milk | |
| $3.89 | $3.49 |
| Dozen Eggs | |
| $2.29 | $1.79 |
| Four-Pack of Toilet Paper | |
| $1.29 | $1 |
| Loaf of White Bread | |
| $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Six-Pack of Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dortmunder Gold |
|
| $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Extras | |
| Prepackaged sandwiches and salads, prepared foods from Nour's Kitchen, freshly baked pastries | Salad bar, hot foods and prepared food areas, extensive wine selections and sushi |
| Why Here? | |
| Stop in if you're looking for hard-to-find ethnic ingredients — plus it's centrally located. | It's good for both the cook and the klutz in the kitchen with fresh produce or prepared selections. |
