A Holiday Case of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"
Where to Take Those Out-of-Towners for Cle's Finest Flavors

Surprise! It’s the holiday season, and while you might still be recovering from your tryptophan induced coma from Thanksgiving, thoughts on what to get your foodies for gifts are likely weighing heavy on the mind -- nevermind the guests you'll all welcome to Cleveland for the various wintery holidays.

To wit, we here at Cool Cleveland have professionally reviewed 10 top-notch restaurants for upscale dining ambiance, creativity in flavor and range of culinary expression, all with the idea that they might make a great gift-giving option for you.

Travelers and locals alike consider the Cleveland as a “food destination” – Lola’s Michael Symon earning the “Iron Chef” kudos recently only adds to that buzz – and after reading the reviews of these ten hot locations, we’re sure you’ll understand why. We hope you’ll sample all the culinary delight there in the offing, or at the very least, consider treating your out-of-town family and friends with fine dining at one of these hot establishments.

Blue Point Grille - http://www.hospitalityrestaurants.com
700 W. St. Clair Ave., 875-7827

At the heart of the historic Warehouse District, you’ll find some of the freshest fish and seafood available anywhere in all of downtown. Perfect for a quiet evening for two, or for that energized “deal making” power lunch, Blue Point Grille showcases as an A-list destination for people who love fine cuisine in a comfortably posh environment. With a private dining room for parties, spectacular wine list and a mouthwatering menu to dive for, upscale dining never felt so good. Our staff is particularly enamored with the surf & turf appetizer (a Prime Sirloin Carpaccio with a buttery Maine Lobster Salad), bouillabaisse featuring lobster tail and other fresh shellfish, and the must-have Oyster Sampler (featuring Rockefeller, crispy and a smothered-in-brie-and-champagne sauce). A scintillating experience from the Hospitality Restaurants group – responsible for other favorite local dining haunts the Cabin Club, Delmonico’s and Salmon Dave’s Pacific Grille – Blue Point never disappoints. Executive Chef Pete Joyce and the staff always serve up perfection.

XO Prime Steaks - http://www.xoprimesteaks.com
500 W. St. Clair Ave., 861-1919

It’s referred to as “a modern steakhouse” take, with some of the most succulent, melt-in-your-mouth steaks in all of Northeast Ohio. This Warehouse District staple is chic and full of charm and cosmopolitan cool. Formerly XO Restaurant, XO Prime Steaks offers fine dining, and lush, well-prepared portions. Lobster, veal and lamb chops are but the beginning of the well-rounded menu. The lump crabcake appetizer is simply riveting, decorated with preserved lemon peel and tarragon aioli. XO’s grilled glazed salmon with shaved fennel and green beans incites a Pavlovian response and their giant shrimp cocktail and crème brulee make for fantastic meal bookends. Soups and salads are on the menu, but make no mistake: this is heaven for steakhouse connoisseurs. With dozens of perfect cuts of beef and topping combinations (six house-made sauces include a horseradish cream truffle and blue cheese Hollandaise) and incredible sides that include a three-cheese truffle macaroni with peas and prosciutto, tastebuds never had it so good.

Brasa Grill - http://www.brasagrillsteakhouse.com
1300 W. 9th St., 575-0699

If XO is a “modern” take on the steakhouse experience, then the unremitting tableside service, all-you-can-eat portions and provocative, República Federativa do Brasil spirit lends a piece of the Old World to Brasa Grill. This Churrascaria (pronounced choo-rah-scah-REE-ah) on West Ninth has a menu and flavors to meet any taste – beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey all appear in grilled form on the menu. In the Brazilian steakhouse Rodizio (ro-DEEZ-eo) tradition dating back to the 1800s, the folks at Brasa serve all of their different varieties and cuts of meat in a dizzying blur of gaucho-slicing ambiance. Aside from a meticulously matched wine list for the meat connoisseur, the Sunday brunch at Brasa is pure Tropicalismo for the palate and not to be missed. With a bounty of oysters, crab legs, shrimp, made to order omlettes, exotic salads, fresh fruit, imported cheese and handmade desserts, General Manager, Jesus Demanuel and Executive Chef Marcelo Fadul have clearly outdone themselves. Perfect for pampering.

Sushi Rock - http://www.sushirockohio.com
1276 W. 6th St., 623-1212

With its two area locations (the other located at LaPlace mall in Beachwood) Sushi Rock is like a little slice of New York placed squarely in your view. Located in the center of the Warehouse District, this is a favorite destination for discerning diners whose tastebuds crave sushi, sashimi and contemporary "AmerAsian" cuisine. With an aesthetic equal parts upscale restaurant and trendy Big Apple club, the artistic menu follows suit. The pan roasted Swordfish served on a soba noodle/scallion cake, a shitake snow pea sauté in miso glaze, Chambord duck breast adorned with goat cheese, hazelnuts and blackberries are all beautiful enough to behold, though even more incredibly flavorful. As for the sushi itself, everything on the menu explodes with freshness and flavor. A fine wine and mixed drink menu (including a slate of fabulous martinis) rounds out your experience. Chided by some as too trendy, Sushi Rock remains a staple in Cleveland’s fine dining scene. And for good reason.

Parallax - http://www.parallaxtremont.com
2179 W 11th St., 583-9999

This sleek Tremont dining hotspot is often praised for spectacular fish, seafood and sushi; it was selected as the “Best New Restaurant” by several local critics in Cleveland a couple short years ago. The kudos certainly fit: longtime area diners remember Chef Zack Bruell's former restaurant, Z Contemporary Cuisine, one of the best restaurants in town a couple decades back. Bruell continues to build on his reputation and experience with a myriad flavorful dishes, including his signature chicken and pomme frites, garlic gnocchi with braised pork shoulder and Chinese broccoli and a tantalizing Roasted Burgundy Escargot with toasted garlic butter and fried shallots. His Sashimi salad with rice wine vinaigrette and wasabi aioli is stunning. Bruell changes the menu with the seasons to take advantage of all the locally-grown produce and other seasonal ingredients. The Parallax wine list, carefully assembled by Bruell’s partner David Schneider, includes 25 different wines by the glass and four times that many by the bottle.

Fahrenheit - http://www.fahrenheittremont.com
2417 Professor Ave., 781-8858

Chef Rocco Whalen's eatery provides what has been described as a "comfortably sexy" environment and a unique dining experience. Cleveland native Whalen cooked for Wolfgang Puck as a sous-chef in a number of different locations before bringing his brilliance home to the North Coast. His restaurant features a season-inspired menu, a brand new Happy Hour and a private dining area for parties and business meetings. Whalen takes pride in his gourmet pizza, offering eight different varieties on the menu, along with a nightly pizza special that his muse calls him to create. The varieties range from a traditional Margherita, to pies that feature wild mushrooms, fennel sausage, artichoke, Nicoise olive and caramelized shallots. Fahrenheit’s savory four cheese and truffle oil pizza is brilliant in its simplicity. Not into a pizza? The delectable and savory Pumpkin Ravioli and a glazed Coffee & Mustard Crusted Pork Tenderloin (served with whipped sweet potatoes) are part of Whelan’s fall menu; both are simply exquisite.

Lola - http://www.lolabistro.com
2058 E 4th St., 621-5652

Michael Symon's Lola may well be the hottest spot in town. A sparkling jewel in the opulent East 4th Street entertainment district, newly crowned “Iron Chef” Symon offers a thoughtful and carefully crafted menu of contemporary American cuisine – with all of his regional nods enveloped in elegant, scrumptious flourishes. Like Whelan, Symon changes his menu seasonally. He’s known to offer everything from beef-cheek pierogies and spaetzle, to Scallop Ceviche with coconut and green chiles, to a Smoked Berkshire Pork Chop with cheesy polenta and barbeque onions. Symon is a featured chef on the Food Network and was recently named one of five finalists for “Best Chef: Great Lakes” in this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards. It’s easy to taste why. With a mighty wine list and an in-house pastry chef, Symon prides himself on creativity, variety and “ability to obtain locally grown and raised products” from area farms. His American “Neighborhood Boutique” bistro, Lolita (in the Tremont Neighborhood) is also not to be missed.

Bice Ristorante - http://www.bicecleveland.com
230 W Huron Rd., 298-4447

Dubbed “The Best Italian Restaurant in Cleveland,” Bice is located near the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Tower City Center, right in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Chef Luigi Iannuario and founder Raffaele Ruggeri offer a spectacular array of flavors from the Old World in everything from simple comforts like Prosciutto San Daniele with fresh cantaloupe and a lively Buffalo Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad to an extravagant Octopus Carpaccio with olives, potatoes and sun-dried tomatoes to the restaurant’s signature luxury – the Braised Beef, Veal and Spinach Ravioli in a marsala mushroom reduction. Don’t miss the fresh Crème Caramel with berries for dessert, with a rich cup of coffee. Bice has a full bar, and offers catering and takeout – something not all area restaurants will agree to – and on Fridays and Saturdays, a DJ gives Bice a bit of European nightclub flair. Bice is perfect for any occasion: it’s casual and comfortable, yet elegant. It lives up to the phrase “That’s Amore!”

Vivo - http://www.vivo-cleveland.com
347 Euclid Ave., 621-4678

If Vivo feels a bit familiar, it may be because there’s a sister restaurant in Chicago that operates under the same name and ownership. Cleveland’s version of Vivo sites at the mouth of East 4th street and concentrates on a delectable array of Italian flavors – all done in bold, rustic grandeur and presented in a stylish setting that exudes sheer, cosmopolitan cool. Executive Chef Michael Herschman (Michael Symon’s brother-in-law) delves into rich, sophisticated flavors with panache. The menu includes a spectacular Wild Mushroom Risotto with sea scallops, pecorino and grapes, a smart Tuna & Foie with nori, uni butter, wasabi cucumbers and served with “sticky rice fritters,” a prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast and a pork chop paired with a pancetta “BLT” topped with a caraway demiglace. The “V Lounge” located below Vivo features a slate of local DJs and premium bar adorned with overstuffed couches. Perfect for dinner or a tidy nightcap, Vivo lives up to its “within the living” namesake. Fabulous!! And with some big upcoming changes, even more so.

Fire Food & Drink - http://www.firefoodanddrink.com
13220 Shaker Square, 921-3473

A cool, eclectic vibe and a sizzling menu of attentively prepared fare have made Douglas and Karen Katz’s American bistro into one of the city’s top restaurants. Located in the historic Shaker Square district, fire is near University Hospitals and The Cleveland Clinic, The Cleveland Play House and the plethora of museums and attractions in the University Circle area. “Classical simplicity” is what you’ll find in this bill of fare, including an array of clay oven breads and designer pizzas, bountiful a la carte salads (including an otherworldly beet salad with horseradish crème fraiche) and a “Texas Shrimp Pappardelle with chantrelles, sherry butter, parmesan and tomatoes that melts in your mouth. Also worthy of mention are the Braised Organic Chicken with rutabaga-truffle puree and Tandoor Roasted Organic Pork Chop served on crispy spaetzle with braised red cabbage with bacon. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Katz has presented James Beard Foundation dinners on five separate occasions.

Where’s your favorite dining haunt, Cleveland? Where are you taking the relatives? Friends? Giving gift certificates for? Write us: letters@coolcleveland.com.

From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
(:divend:)