Eating Your Way Through Cleveland, Ohio

Before I visited, I don’t think I could have told you three things about Cleveland. Sure, there’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Browns, Guardians, and Cavaliers…but what else? 

I remember the 30 Rock episode where Liz Lemon debates moving there with her boyfriend (along with the song). I know that it borders Lake Erie (a perfectly fine Great Lake!). But besides that, I’ve got nothing.

Is Cleveland a city without an identity? Or has its story simply not been told yet?

Let’s find out.

Tuesday

I landed at the Cleveland airport a little after 11:30 AM. I was immediately bombarded with statues, murals, and ads promoting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By the time I got into the Lyft to my hotel, I bought a ticket. You win this round, Cleveland Visitors Bureau.

After dropping my bag off at the Residence Inn right in the heart of downtown, I walked up 9th Street for lunch.

Winking Lizard Tavern

As I walked up the busy street on a sunny and crisp afternoon, I thought I messed up because I had passed the supposed spot where this location of Winking Lizard sits. I turned back around and found it confusingly in an office building. I don’t know too many sports bars tucked into a corporate lobby, but I eventually found my mark.

There was a decent lunch rush (probably everybody who works upstairs in this building) so I grabbed a seat at the bar. I ordered a Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold Lager to sip on while debating the real matter of which wings to order. It’s always nice when wing flavors are displayed on a spectrum of spiciness, so I made sure not to go too hard on heat. I settled on Cajun and Spicy Sesame wings with a side of tots.

The Cajun flavor mixed hot sauce with molasses, vinegar, sugar, and parmesan cheese, which yielded a notable heat level balanced well by the sweetness of the molasses and sugar. The first wing or two was awesome but the overwhelming spice blend got exhausting after a few more. The Spicy Sesame, however, grew on me with each bite. It was a blend of hot chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds, so it had a surprisingly complex flavor profile that I wasn’t expecting from a sports bar.  The tots were simple, which is hard to beat when eating a classic side like this to complement the more interesting wings.

Even though Winking Lizard is a local chain with over a dozen locations around Ohio, it had the feeling of a local watering hole. The bartender knew patrons by name as well as their usuals.

After devouring wings, tots, and a beer, I needed a caffeine boost as well as a walk to start the digestion process. Cleveland was in full autumnal mode so it felt simply phenomenal outside. I live my life based on sweat mitigation so this was as close to a stress-free lifestyle as I’ve had since last winter.

I first tried The Copper Moon but it didn’t have seating, which I needed for a few more hours of work. I eventually ended up at Betts, the restaurant inside the Kimpton Hotel.

Betts

Immediately upon sitting down at the bar, I felt like an extra in a much more interesting sitcom about the different dynamics of each employee and their respective relationships with each other. Every interaction I saw had exposition, conflict, and resolution, from the one episode about whether they had nitro on tap to the episode about who will cover the bar during the managers’ meeting. Here’s hoping it gets renewed for another season!

To drink, I got the Lekko Nitro Coldbrew. Sometimes nitro cold brew tastes too nitro-y and not coldbrew-y enough, but this particular one had a nice mix of the two, which made it pleasant to sip and helped me work productively for the rest of the afternoon. 

After wrapping up for the day, I walked to check into my hotel and relax for an hour or so before walking a block down to the East 4th Street area for my dinner.

Butcher and The Brewer

NOTE: I was still pretty stuffed from my lunch at Winking Lizard, so bear that in mind as I share my thoughts on this meal.

I once again sat at the bar (a tradition I kept up most of the weekend) and started off with one of the inhouse beers: a table beer called Keep It Movin’, brewed with spelt and toasted coriander. I actually did pick up on the coriander, which usually sounds like pretentious brewpub jargon, but I get it here!

I ordered two plates: the Beef Sliders and the Crispy Pork Belly. The Beef Sliders are served on potato rolls with American cheese and a shredded lettuce slaw. I liked the crispiness of the beef patties, and the lettuce slaw had the relish flavor of a Big Mac/special sauce. Ultimately, though, this tasted like something you’d get at a grill-out by that friend who’s actually pretty good at grilling but has to compromise on quality to make cheeseburgers in bulk.

The Crispy Pork Belly was served with Ohio City Provisions Braunschweiger (smoked liver sausage), potato pancakes, fried egg, hollandaise, and a red pepper vinaigrette. The pork belly wasn’t crispy as much as melt-in-your-mouth tender with a nice flavor. I wish there was less hollandaise, which overpowered the rest of the plate. I didn’t realize the Braunschweiger was liver sausage until I took a bite and looked up what it was, which definitely explained the unexpected richness. The potato pancake was honestly pretty bland and more dry than crispy. I assume this meal was supposed to be a take on a tradition breakfast plate: bacon, sausage, hash browns, and egg, but there just wasn’t much of a cohesive identity to it.

Between my already diminished appetite and the hit-or-miss quality of the food, I unfortunately did not join the Clean Plate Club tonight. As an interesting note, I had also heard “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones at every single Cleveland establishment I was in today. This city has a real classic rock DNA, like Louisville with bourbon and Muhammad Ali.

Society Lounge

East 4th Street at night is quite a spectacle: every bar and restaurant was lively and action-packed. After dinner, I wasn’t hungry in the slightest nor was I ready to call it a night yet so I strolled until I found the mysterious-looking Society Lounge, a 21+ cocktail club. I walked into the lobby, either leading straight ahead to apartments or downstairs to the bar, where I went. 

This spot feels classy, with a dark aesthetic and paintings and murals on the wall like The Palm. The “professional craft cocktail bartenders” are clearly knowledgeable and passionate about the art of mixology, which showed when I asked for a recommendation and was guided to the perfect drink for my mood and tastes.

The Agave Herb Smash contains cilantro-infused tequila, lime, and agave. It’s described as “invigorating, tangy, and smooth,” which I can’t disagree with. The cilantro brings a really interesting layer that I don’t often experience in a cocktail. It goes further than a margarita, which might have jalapeño or some other spice. The cilantro marries the agave and gets cut by the tequila. The lime is the cherry on top. It’s almost like salsa verde in libation form.

I respect that they don’t appear to serve food here. With so many other eateries on East 4th Street, why bother trying to compete instead of just focusing on your strengths? 

At this point, I was full, tipsy, and ready to call it a night and prepare for a full day of eating my way through Cleveland.

Wednesday

I went for a run in the crisp morning as soon as I woke up. I went north up 9th street, past the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and up to the North Coast Harbor overlooking Lake Erie. There were seagulls (or lake gulls?) all over the place, singing a song they perhaps picked up from the nearby Hall of Fame.

After my run, I showered and got ready to find a spot to grab breakfast and then do some work. I walked past the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (home of the Cavaliers) and Progressive Field (home of the Guardians) then turned onto the Hope Memorial Bridge for a long walk towards Ohio City.

Westside Market Cafe

I ended up stopping at the Westside Market Cafe, located in the historic Cleveland market. There was a cool retro diner vibe inside, but I opted to sit outside to enjoy the cool weather. I got the Chorizo Wrap and it was fantastic.

This wrap was stuffed with chorizo, cheddar, black beans, and scrambled eggs and served with a smokey salsa and sour cream and a side of home fries. The chorizo brought a killer spice, complemented well by the fluffy eggs, oozy cheese, and black beans, which also brought a nice variety of textures. After my extensive research on breakfast burritos, this meal once again reinforced my belief that they’re one of the best foods on the planet. I also got the home fries well done and they were absolutely perfect.

Edda Coffee Roasters

I hardly needed to walk a block to end up at Edda, which checked every box for a great coffee shop:

• Great coffee (I got the Signature Cold Brew)
• A nice lineup of pastries and other foods
• Free water in a dispenser (available in both still and sparkling!)
• Plenty of seating with abundant outlets for long-term parking to work
• Lots of natural light
• Great music (mellow but high-energy)
• Bathroom, with none of that password or shared key funny business

I worked up an appetite over the next few hours and eventually hopped on an electric scooter to grab lunch.

Citizen Pie Roman Cafe

There’s nothing better than pizza and there’s no better way to eat it than by the slice. Citizen Pie Roman Cafe had the right idea, offering an eclectic variety of slices, both classic and unique. I got two types: the Little Italy and the Cacio E Pepe.

The Little Italy is topped with red sauce, fresh mozzarella, shallots, Holiday sausage (a brand local to Cleveland), peppadew peppers, shaved pecorino, basil, and oregano. It’s definitely a more traditional pizza configuration but still extremely flavorful, with spice from the sausage and tartness from the peppadews. Plus, the shallots bring a little sweetness to the mix. 

The Cacio E Pepe has garlic cream sauce, fresh mozzarella, burrata, black pepper, shaved pecorino, and basil. This slice captures everything magnificent about the pasta dish, but it’s even better because it’s a pizza! I love how garlicky and creamy it is. 

I appreciate that both slices have strips of basil, rather than entire leaves of it, which don’t disperse well and provide an overwhelming amount of basil flavor. The wood-fired crust also gives each pizza a lovely crunch and flavor. I appreciate the rectangular slices, though it was confusing deciding which way to attack the slice. I ended up just ripping them in half and starting from the newly-formed middles. There was a specific moment when some garlic cream sauce from the Cacio E Pepe slice spilled onto the plate, so I sopped it up with the Little Italy slice and the result was pure magic. 

The Corner Alley

I had about an hour to kill before my visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so I stopped by another East 4th Street spot, The Corner Alley, for a quick beer to get in the right headspace to learn more about Keith Richards and Ozzy Osbourne. 

I ordered the Columbus IPA, which tastes like a standard IPA,  but a little more drinkable. Based on the vibes here, even on a Wednesday at 1:00 PM (with girls dancing and team outings in full swing) I bet this is an amazing spot to watch Browns, Guardians, and Cavs games. I’m not too envious though as Cleveland is one of the only sports cities with a more tragic history than my hometown of Atlanta. 

Then I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was cool but not particularly moving. Though The Beatles exhibit rocked (no pun intended); they always feel like a band that transcends the usual bounds of space and time so to see John Lennon’s famous granny glasses or the handwritten lyrics to “In My Life” is special.

The Garden of Eden

Afterwards, I had one last work call but wanted to take it somewhere outdoors so I took the elevator of the Metropolitan at The 9 hotel up to the 12th floor for the Garden of Eden rooftop bar. Inspired by my Beatles experience, I got the Strawberry Fields cocktail.

The Strawberry Fields contains Maker’s Mark, strawberry purée, lemon juice, and honey simple syrup. It’s certainly strong but the strawberry flavor is fresh and not overly sweet. I also appreciate the dehydrated strawberries used as a garnish; it reminds me of the cereal Special K with Red Berries.

After wrapping up the last of my work for the day, I went back to my hotel to change then walked back up to my old stomping grounds (East 4th Street) for dinner. My plan was to have a burger and maybe one other dish, but it ended up being one of the most impressive meals I’ve ever had in my life.

Cordelia

I was seated at the bar and started off my odyssey with a Cucumber Slumber: blanco tequila, rye whiskey, cucumber chamomile lime oleo, thyme & sage simple syrup, and pomegranate. It was herbaceous, refreshing, and certainly potent – I could tell it was strong so unless I was trying to get nuts, this was a sipper, not a chugger.

I asked my server what he recommended if I wanted a variety of dishes and he pointed me towards the Bellie Up tasting menu, with the premise that it lets you “try a little bit of everything. Let the kitchen show you a good time, and feed you like grandma does.” Well, when in Rome! Let the games begin.

[note: this whole experience happened so quickly and each dish warranted an in-depth explanation by the sous chef, so I didn’t get every single detail and might be wrong on some things. But rest assured that my feelings about each course are completely accurate.]

The first course was the Tomato Toast, Japanese milk bread topped with tomato mayo and fresh tomatoes. Wow! This took everything I love about the timeless southern staple of the tomato and mayo sandwich but elevated it to absurd heights. The cloud-like texture and sweetness of the bread were beautiful and the tomato mayo and perfectly-salted tomatoes made every single bite something remarkable.

The next course was Honey Za’atar Chicharrones with Pimento Cheese. Damn! The za’atar honey dust was fantastic and unlike any seasoning I’ve ever had, spicy and sweet but still subtle. I love the crunch of the chicharron and how it contrasts the pimento cheese. The chives on top also brought a nice element to the party.

Next up was compressed pork belly with pear chow chow. Whoa! (I’ll stop with these exclamations, but I definitely had an outburst with each new plate) I wasn’t expecting it to be served cold, almost like spam. The pork belly had great texture and cool flavor, from being “cured in a weird way,” according to my guide. The chow chow was sour and sweet and a fabulous sidekick to the pork belly.

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure exactly what this was but I know it’s a salad with beets and carrots and a fermented kimchi mustard vinaigrette with herbed cream cheese. The veg actually comes from their usual garlic farmer who’s now diversifying and growing other things, like…beets and carrots! This dish was a trip: creamy and salty and fresh and summery and wintery and sweet and everything in between. I don’t even like beets and was devouring these. Even the tops of carrots were amazing, and the globs of herbed cream cheese took things to the next level. As if this couldn’t get any better, it was topped with Chinese crispy fried garlic. What a flavor bomb!

The next dish was their insane take on a Big Mac with fries: “Golden Arches Tartare”. It’s beef tartare with relish, the iconic Stadium Mustard, yolk jam, and fricco and topped with salt & vinegar chips. It literally tastes like a Big Mac but with only the good parts and with added complexity and freshness. The homemade salt and vinegar chips, however, stole the show, changing my life with each bite.

Next up were some corn fritters, essentially fried polenta atop a roasted tomato sauce and pesto with parmesan. The fritters were light and very corn-forward, like meatballs except corn. The pesto was also spicy and garlicky, and added a pleasant dimension to the dish. 

At this point, I was starting to slow down but everything was just so tasty that I couldn’t resist.

Next up was fried levain bread topped with farmer’s cheese (or maybe herb cream cheese?) and a garlic and balsamic blueberry jam. It’s all happening so fast! The bread had a hearty bite, ripe with seeds and whatnot.

Even as I’m filling up, I can’t help but note how perfectly spaced out this meal has been. The final few courses were about to come in hot and take my fullness over the edge.

Wings are my all-time favorite food so what a treat that they brought these out next. It’s confit wings tossed in hot sauce served with some frites and drowning in parmesan cheese, along with their creamy French dressing for dipping. The wings and fries both had a smokey aftertaste and the wing sauce was fantastic. Every tasting menu should have wings and fries somewhere in the equation. 

For the grand savory finale, they busted out the tried-and-true Burger Box. It’s “1921 style” (which I understand to be a reference to White Castle sliders and the year the chain was founded) with smoked cheddar, Kool Aid pickles, onion, and “our sauce” on everything-seasoned buns. After watching so many of these getting made on the flat top, they didn’t disappoint. The meat is flavorful and crispy, the veg adds a crisp freshness, the cheese “skirt” (resulting from sprinkling cheese to the side of the meat then scraped off and on top) is crispy and salty, and the everything bun is nuts.

I was so, so full at this point so I could only eat one of the two sliders. I wish I could have eaten this four courses ago to give it the respect it deserves.

Finally, it was dessert time, which meant I’d have to miraculously make room for one more dish. And this one was worth it: the Slush Float, ice cream meets a slushie. This “Cordelia classic” is house-made basil mint ice cream with blueberry jam, a rosé bubble granita, and topped with crispy meringue. This was super fruity and super tart and got better with each bite as the soft serve and the granita melted and married each other.

To summarize the Bellie Up experience…wow.

My server said he’s gained thirty pounds since he started working here a year ago; I feel like I’ve gained thirty pounds since sitting down 90 minutes ago. Every dish was unique but down-to-earth and downright delicious. The service was impeccable, down to the employee who saw me wandering around in search of the restroom and pointed me in the right direction with a smile. This was simply one of the best meals I’ve had, and it was under $100 in total.

If you’re ever even remotely near downtown Cleveland, sprint to Cordelia.

My one complaint is that it’s just so much food and I couldn’t say no to any of it, so the rest of my night was spent groaning and rubbing my tummy while looking back and cherishing each and every bite I had.

Thursday

I woke up no less full, so sluggishly lifted some weights in the hotel gym then packed up and walked up to Solstice Roasters, a bright and intimate coffee shop right next to Progressive Field. 

Solstice Roasters

I posted up for a few hours and did some work while sipping on cold brew and noshing on a Quiche Lorraine from ​​Gray House Pies in Westlake. 

The quiche contains bacon and swiss with a flakey and buttery crust, which definitely reveals Gray House Pies’s pie expertise because the crust is so flavorful. There’s a crispy layer of swiss on top and fluffy egg and smokey bacon underneath. This was a light but satisfying start to my last day of indulgence. 

It was finally time for lunch, which I wanted to take close to my hotel to be ready to hightail it to the airport right afterwards.

Barrio

I was debating between tacos and Vietnamese, but let’s be real: it was always going to be tacos. 

I ordered the Casa Margarita with a tajin rim to start. It was a little sweeter than I prefer but tasty nonetheless. As I debated what else to get, I got chips and salsa (the salsa was a little fruity, maybe pineapple?) and the Jalapeño Popper Queso: queso blanco piled up with pickled jalapeños, candied bacon, bacon cream cheese, cheddar, and ranch crema. 

I love the flavor the bacon brings as well as the bacon cream cheese which thickens it up and definitely adds to that popper taste. For my tacos, I debated doing a custom creation but decided to just trust the taco experts. I got the El Sully and Camaron Agrietado tacos.

El Sully was double-shelled (soft flour tortilla, hard corn tortilla, and queso) filled with chorizo, chihuahua, lettuce, pico de gallo, and Barrio secret sauce. This taco ruled. It was like a way better Taco Bell item with awesome spice and tangy flavor from the secret sauce. The cheese complemented the spice well. I loved the texture of the double shell…this was a worthwhile mess.

The Camaron Agrietado taco was less impressive: a flour tortilla filled with jalapeño lime shrimp, cilantro-lime rice, verde slaw, and crack sauce. It mainly came down to a ratio problem. There was way too much bland rice and only three or four pieces of shrimp. I appreciate that this taco came with a spork (the most underrated utensil), which is how I mostly ate this one.

And that was that. I took a Lyft to the airport and reflected on how much I ate and how varied the quality was. There were some downright disappointing dishes and some simply stupendous ones. I admittedly spent most of my time in the same downtown area, so I think I simply need to make it a point to return to Cleveland.

There are many meals left to eat.