Taste of Cleveland

The things most people miss out on when visiting a new city are the great restaurants all the locals go to. The next time you dine out, look around. If everyone else there is a tourist, then you're in the wrong restaurant. Whenever I travel, I always want to try to experience the city or country as a local, no matter where I might be.

Cleveland is no different, so I have put together a list of four restaurants I feel are at the top of the class in Cleveland. Some of them are easy to find and even as a tourist you might run across them. A couple others will require a little effort, but they are definitely worth the time.

Quick Tips:

Take the time to find one or more of these restaurants, and bring a friend. They are some of my favorite places to go, and I know you will feel the same once you have a chance to try them.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are two good ways to get around.

1. Cleveland has an above-ground train system called the Rapid. It runs from the airport through the western suburbs to downtown, then again from the eastern suburbs to downtown. A newer line has been put in to go from downtown to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Flats. At only .50 per ride, this is the easiest and cheapest way to get around.

2. If you are staying downtown, taxis are the next best thing. You can get almost anywhere downtown with a 5-minute taxi ride.

If it is a nice day, walking is also a good choice. You will find that the major sites downtown are no more than a 20-minute walk away from each other.

Every city in the country has that one completely unique and authentic restaurant that is the local secret. The restaurant is usually impossible to find, but once you do, you will wonder why you waited so long. Johnny Mango "World Café and Bar" is that place in Cleveland.

Located on the west side of the Cleveland, right in the middle of Ohio City, near the West Side Market, on what seems like a back road residential street, this gem of an establishment offers an array or drinking and dining delights. They take the title World Café to heart when creating their menu choices. Johnny Mango serves a wide variety of foods, from Mexican and Caribbean to Thai and Southwestern. Whatever you order, be prepared to eat, because the portions are healthy. And since we are in Cleveland, known for big eaters, I mean really healthy. You will not leave hungry! On top of that, the prices are fairly cheap. You can get a meal for less than $10.

Some of the highlights of the menu include:
• Burritos as large as the plate
• Happy Beans
• Pad Thai
• Homemade salsa and guacamole
• Caribbean Fries
• Grilled bananas for dessert
• Margaritas by the pitcher

They also do an outstanding job of catering to vegetarians, as almost every plate can be changed. When you walk in, make sure you take a look at the chalkboard behind the bar to find the specials. Other highlights of Johnny Mango include delightful bartenders and waiters/waitresses, an outdoor patio for people watching, great ambiance and Spanish decor inside, and, most importantly, NO SMOKING!

If you are in town and want to experience Cleveland with the locals, come join us at this great little restaurant.

If you want a bar with good food and good beer, this is an excellent choice. Cleveland's Rock Bottom Brewery is located on the west side of the Flats in the Powerhouse. It is the first building you see as you enter the main parking lot on the west side.

There are three ways to get there. Drive yourself, but be prepared to pay for parking, $5 to $10, depending on the day and time of year. Take a cab. The cab will drop you off right in front, and when you leave there will be plenty to choose from, since the Flats is a pretty popular night spot. Finally, you can take the Rapid. If you are coming from either the east or the west side of the city, take the Rapid to the Tower City Station and get on the Rapid that heads down to the Flats. It is no more than a 10-minute ride from Tower City. The Rapid will drop you off at the top of the flats, so you will have a short walk to get down to Rock Bottom.

Once you get there, you will find an outstanding environment for just hanging out. The wood finish of the bar and the big oak tables are very inviting and conducive to talking and drinking for extended periods of time. The staff is very friendly, and I have never had a bad service experience in all the times I have been down there.

Now let's get to the important part--the beer! As you might expect, Rock Bottom Brewery has its own assortment of home-brewed beers to quench your thirst. They cover the range of lagers to ales and dark to light, but I assure you that if you are a beer lover, you will find something that you like. Ask about their specials, as they will oftentimes have a seasonal special that is definitely worth a try.

When it comes to food, they pay as much attention to detail as they do with their beer. They are an American food-style bar and have a huge variety of choices, ranging from burgers and streaks to seafood and pasta, but it is there pizza that is truly special. With a honey brown ale crust cooked in a brick oven, this is a feast that is second to none. With a range of toppings that are always changing and a thick layer of cheese, these are hard to pass up.

The Rock Bottom is a great place for a date or night out with friends, but if you in Cleveland and want some good food and good beer, this is the place to come.

Mama Santa's Pizza is one of the classic little Italian restaurants that will quickly become one of your favorites. Located in the heart of Little Italy, Mama Santa's is a local favorite and very popular with the local college students at Case Western Reserve University (my alma "madre").

Every night Mama Santa whips up her best stuff and gives a great selection of home-cooked Italian dishes, ranging from the store's namesake, her outstanding pizza, with any topping you can think of, all the way down to her hearty pasta dishes. Any choice is an excellent one, and with huge portion sizes, you will not walk away hungry. In fact, you will be lucky if you can walk away at all. (The last time I was there someone had to roll me home.)

The restaurant itself is tucked into a quaint little shop that makes you feel like you are really stepping into an Italian restaurant in some little town in Tuscany. There is ample room inside and, expect for Saturday and Sunday nights, the wait is not too long. Mama Santa also offers a takeout, but you will not find a delivery option here. Parking is also challenging. The main brick street is always packed with cars, so your best bet is to park on one of the side streets and walk.

If for some reason you still have room in your stomach when you leave, or you just want to see how much your really capable of eating, head up the street from Mama's and make your way into Presty's Donuts. Presty starts making his donuts in the early evening for the next morning, so this is when you will find the freshest supply. They are without question the best donuts I have had and are a far cry from the too-sweet or too-greasy donuts you'll find at Krispy Kreme or Dunkin' Donuts. Get a dozen, have a couple, and save the rest for the morning.

One of the things I love the most about Cleveland is Lake Erie. I love being around water and I love boating up and down the shoreline on a hot summer day. I have found myself spending whole afternoons just walking my dogs up and down the shoreline, just people-watching and enjoying the lake breeze. If you are like me or just like spending as much time as possible outside near the water and want a place to cool off on a hot Saturday afternoon, Shooters is the place to do it.

Shooters is located at the north end of the west bank of the flats. It is on open-air bar and grill with a couple of different decks. There is a boat dock in the front where on a weekend afternoon in the summer you will find all different sizes of boats stacked 5 deep. The menu selection is classic American with a couple great selections of lake fish. You will also find choice local microbrews on tap. Prices are all reasonable and in the $10 to $20 range for a good dinner.

As the day turns into evening, Shooters starts to hop. With dockside bars and either a DJ or local band on the stage, Shooters becomes one of the local hot spots. The "scenery" is great during the day and gets better at night. This is not so much a club (I'm not a clubber), as it is a great place to hangout with friends and listen to good music. It is both a great place to start your evening or to finish.

Parking is easy to find but will run you at least $5, depending on what is going on down there. You can also take the Rapid from downtown, or a quick 5-minute cab ride from Tower City is just as easy.

If you want to move on, just start walking south on the boardwalk and stick your nose in the numerous other bars and restaurants to complete your flats experiences. If clubs really are your thing, take a cab for a few miles to head around to the east side and commence getting your groove on.