43, Restaurateur
Why she’s interesting: Jacaj is the restaurateur behind Casa La Luna (formerly Luca Italian Cuisine), Acqua Di Dea and Oliva Steakhouse. In early 2025, the respected front-of-house pro and wine expert is set to open a French concept, completing her domination of West Sixth Street and St. Clair Avenue.
Hometown Harvest: Growing up in rural Albania, Jacaj developed a love for whole foods, especially vegetables from her family garden and the peaches growing on nearby trees. “I’ve always had that natural taste and stayed away from artificial and fried and those things where they kill the real flavor.”
City Dreaming: At 17, she moved to Cleveland, working as a waitress at La Dolce Vita in Little Italy. “It felt like home to me. When I grew up in Albania, I felt like I wanted to move. Then Italy, too. When I came here, I’m like, I want to stay here. This is my home.”
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Wow factor: A food-focused traveler, her favorite trips are to New York City. She recently ate at Le Bernardin, chef Eric Ripert's famed French seafood restaurant. “It was the best six hours of my career. The best meal I’ve ever had. Some restaurants just have something that makes you go Oh, wow.” Copenhagen, Denmark, is her bucket list dining vacation.
On the homefront: While 14-year-old Jola and 17-year-old Ardea are in their high school era, they still make time for movie nights with hot chocolate by the fire on mom’s days off. “Now, it’s called a wasted Saturday night,” Jacaj jokes.
Textbook Taste: About 15 years ago, Jacaj became a certified sommelier, a year-and-a-half effort that involves more than just tasting wine. “It’s a lot of book learning. A lot of studying about weather, agriculture and different soils. If I know the location’s weather and soil, I should know what the wine tastes like.”
Simply Mad: This surprising Habenero-infused vidal ice wine from Geneva's Laurello Vineyards, a menu staple for 10 years, is Jacaj's favorite Ohio wine.
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