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life from the ground up

Real living in a processed world.

Restaurant Review: TownHall

By: Gabecomment

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We recently took advantage of one of the last nice weekends for the foreseeable future and got to eat outside at TownHall, located right next to the West Side Market in Ohio City. The place was hopping, and because they don’t take reservations on weekends, it took the two of us a good half hour to get in, which almost never happens.

The front and back of the restaurant are completely open, at least when it’s warm out, so even eating inside is like dining on a covered patio. The patio itself is spacious and features a variety of seating options, from regular tables to bar-style seating to couches and low tables. Definitely eat outside if you can.

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Restaurant Review: Noodlecat

By: Gabecomment

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While we were downtown for the big light show a couple weeks back, we stopped to have dinner at Noodlecat. With the kids, which is always an adventure (which is why it doesn’t happen often). If we take them someplace, it either has to be noisy or outside; fortunately, we were able to snag a patio spot.

Noodlecat is Jonathon Sawyer’s revamped vision of a traditional Japanese noodle house, sprinkled with a little Cleveland flair. It highlights some traditional and some more modern takes on a number of noodle dishes, featuring soba, udon, and ramen locally produced at Ohio City Pasta. With options like Smoked Brisket Ramen and Tomato Coconut Curry Udon, there should be an option to fit anyone’s taste (with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options in abundance). And they even have a kids’ menu that doesn’t consist of hamburger, hot dog, or chicken fingers (smaller versions of noodles or steam buns)!

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Restaurant Review: Melt Bar and Grilled

By: Gabecomment

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Melt Bar and Grilled has become a kind of Cleveland landmark – in the eight years since they opened the doors of their first location (which is now five, by the way), Melt has developed what can only be called a cult following, and the restaurant has been recognized locally and featured on several national TV shows. And after eating at their flagship several years ago, we made a dinner trip earlier this summer to their Mentor location.

The atmosphere is about what you’d expect from a place that specializes in beer and grilled cheese. It’s very casual with a continuous buzz of conversation, good music, and whatever game’s on at the moment. Good place to take noisy kids (and what other kind is there?), since they just add to the general din.

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Restaurant Review: Oak and Embers

By: Gabecomment

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Another recent hit was a brand new BBQ joint just up the road from us, Oak and Embers Tavern. There’s not a whole lot of good barbecue around here, so this one came with high hopes, and delivers on all counts.

We went with the whole family, so any place that can easily accommodate a dozen rowdies on short notice gets a plus. The inside is, I guess, pretty much what I’d expect a barbecue place to be. Rustic, rough wood, paper tablecloth (and crayons for all ages!), no frills, and enough noise to ensure that quiet conversations are out of the question. It was pretty busy the entire time we were in, so business seems to be good.

Of course, you know what you’re getting on the menu – lots of smoky meats (coming via a custom-built smoker) and lots of filling sides, such as the cheddar grits, cornbread muffins, and cheesy succotash. There are some non-barbecue options for those looking for lighter fare, but in general, if you’re here, you have a specific goal in mind.

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Restaurant Review: Fahrenheit

By: Gabecomment

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Working through a backlog of reviews…

Earlier this summer we had a chance to head to the West side to visit Fahrenheit, Rocco Whalen’s flagship restaurant. It being a beautiful afternoon in Cleveland (where beautiful afternoons are probably on the “Endangered” list), we ate out on the patio, which I highly recommend if the opportunity presents itself. Since we’re inside for so much of the year, we try to eat outside when we can. As such, I can’t speak for the interior, since I never saw it, but the pictures look nice, a modern but comfortable space.

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