EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute is a french restaurant in Cleveland Heights, Cleveland.
EDWINS, Brandon Chrostowski's French restaurant and culinary school training formerly incarcerated students since 2007, moved into the old Nighttown space on Cedar Road in February 2025.
Signature dishes: Classic French bistro plates, Steak frites
Must order: Steak frites and a glass of Burgundy from the wine cellar.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; arrive early to walk the expanded teaching kitchen and the new oyster bar.
Address: 12383 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
Zhug on Cedar Road at Cedar-Fairmount, chef Doug Katz's Middle Eastern mezze room named one of Esquire's best new restaurants, runs a casual high-energy dining experience.
Signature: Mediterranean mezze, Tagine
Order: Order four to five mezze for the table including the namesake zhug sauce.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; small-plate dinners run faster than the prix fixe.
Vero Pizza Napoletana on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, a 900-degree wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria with imported Italian flour and Vesuvius tomatoes.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Locally made gelato
Order: A Margherita from the wood-fired oven plus two scoops of locally made gelato.
Tip: Walk-ins only; arrive by 17:30 Friday and Saturday to avoid the wait. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Mallorca on West 9th Street in the Warehouse District, the Spanish-Portuguese dining room a 2026 James Beard semifinalist, has poured the flaming Spanish coffee since 1997.
Signature: Paella Mallorquina, Flaming Spanish coffee
Order: Paella Mallorquina for two plus the tableside flaming Spanish coffee.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable a week ahead. The flaming coffee is $30 for two and worth the show.
Zhug on Cedar Road at Cedar-Fairmount, chef Doug Katz's Middle Eastern mezze room named one of Esquire's best new restaurants, runs a casual high-energy dining experience.
Signature: Mediterranean mezze, Tagine
Order: Order four to five mezze for the table including the namesake zhug sauce.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; small-plate dinners run faster than the prix fixe.
Mama Santa's on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, the family-owned Sicilian pizzeria since 1961, anchors the Italian-American block with hand-tossed pies and homemade pasta.
Signature: Sicilian pizza, Handmade manicotti
Order: Sicilian sausage pizza and a plate of the manicotti to share.
Tip: Takes reservations and walk-ins; the patio opens in warm months. Closed Sunday.
Trattoria on the Hill on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, an Italian-American dining room since 1988, runs hearty traditional pasta plates and veal mains.
Signature: Homemade pasta, Veal piccata
Order: Eggplant parmesan and the chicken piccata, plus a slice of cassata cake to finish.
Tip: Reserves through Tock; the patio opens in warm months and Little Italy parking is tight outside the lot.
Vero Pizza Napoletana on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, a 900-degree wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria with imported Italian flour and Vesuvius tomatoes.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Locally made gelato
Order: A Margherita from the wood-fired oven plus two scoops of locally made gelato.
Tip: Walk-ins only; arrive by 17:30 Friday and Saturday to avoid the wait. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Li Wah inside Asia Plaza on Payne Avenue in AsiaTown, Cleveland's longest-running Cantonese dim sum room, runs weekend cart service and full-menu ordering throughout the day.
Signature: Cart-service dim sum, Peking duck
Order: Cart-service har gow, siu mai and BBQ pork buns; order Peking duck a day ahead.
Tip: Saturday and Sunday 10:00 cart service is the move; weekday lunch runs menu only.
