When you think of America’s culinary capitals, cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago likely come to mind. Cleveland, however, rarely makes the list. As a native Clevelander who moved to Los Angeles right after college, I’ll admit my expectations were low when I moved back to my hometown this January. But what I found was a city transformed.

Once dismissed as “The Mistake on the Lake” (a jab dating back to 1969, when the Cuyahoga River famously caught fire), Cleveland has evolved into a mosaic of lively, food-forward neighborhoods. Tremont’s walkable streets are lined with Victorian homes, stylish restaurants, and inventive cocktail and wine bars. Ohio City hums with creative energy, anchored by the iconic West Side Market where global food stalls (pierogis are a local specialty), craft breweries, and local coffee counters coexist. In Cleveland Heights, a retro 1950s diner turns out some of the city’s most exciting modern Chinese dishes, while a fine-dining restaurant in Moreland Hills surprises with a wine and bourbon list to rival any metropolitan spot.

This is by no means an exclusive list—and perhaps I’ll come back with more recommendations as I settle in—but here are the four experiences that made me see Cleveland in a whole new light.

Cru Uncorked

Cru Uncorked in Moreland Hills delivers one of Cleveland’s most refined evenings out. Sandy and Sarah Cutler opened it in 2017, with the goal of creating a French-inspired restaurant close to home. The result feels like a fine-dining escape, where the elegance of a French countryside château meets Midwestern warmth. Inside, guests linger over artful dishes by executive chef Sam Lesniak, with dishes like octopus with ricotta aji amarillo cream, 'nduja chorizo, and saffron risotto, and a deep wine list that caters to lovers of Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux.

Since beverage director Anthony Taylor joined in 2019, the cellar has grown exponentially from 300 to 15,000 bottles spanning 16 countries. The list is a collaboration between Taylor, Cru’s president Chris Oppewall, and maitre d'hotel Janine Poleman, who all first worked together as sommeliers at LockKeepers under the tutelage of Ohio’s first master sommelier, John Unger. Their shared vision—to bring the coveted Wine Spectator Grand Award to Cleveland.

Champagne offerings range from grower-producers like Egley-Ouriet and Henri Goutorbe, to Grand Cru Krug and Salon (you can order “Les Mesnil” from ‘04, ’06, ’07, ’12, ’13, or ’08 in magnum). There are 49 DRCs on the list, including La Tache, Richebourg, and Romanée-Conti, as well as verticals of all five First Growth Bordeaux. By the New Year they’ll have every vintage of Mouton Rothschild going back to 1982. But there are also more obscure options like Taylor’s personal favorite, Pico Arinto dos Açores from the Azores Wine Company, or Valdespino Toneles sherry made from Moscatel.

Taylor’s enthusiasm extends beyond wine. As a member of the Cleveland Bourbon Club, he’s curated a whiskey selection almost as extensive as the wine list. Highlights include a private barrel selection from local Cleveland producer River Roots, seven expressions of Glenmorangie single malt, and WhistlePig’s 18-Year-Old Double Malt Rye.

Abundance Culinary

Chef Liu Fang, born in the Qufu District of China’s Shandong province, is the first to bring modern Chinese food to Cleveland. After moving from China with her Cleveland-native husband and business partner Carl Setzer, Liu Fang launched Abundance as a pop-up at Larder Delicatessen before moving into its current home, a 1940s diner car in Cleveland Heights. The focus is on dishes like spicy lamb, tomato dumplings, and savory sour broth fish made with cured halibut, house-fermented tomatoes, king oyster mushrooms, and pickled mustard greens. The food is supported by a curated wine list designed to complement bold, spicy flavors with high-acid selections.

The wine program, led by Roohi Rustum, spotlights organic and biodynamic wines from women-led wineries, like Vanessa Cherruau’s Chenin Blanc from Loire’s Château de Plaisance to Martha Stoumen’s Benchlands red blend from Mendocino. Rustum presents some of her rarer bottle offerings by-the-glass on “Thirsty Thursdays”—an electric Godello and slatey Mencia from Veronica Ortega are recent examples. Rustum pairs traditional dishes like Lion’s Head meatballs, a Jiangsu province specialty of soft wagyu meatballs stewed with cabbage and served in a flavorful broth, with Georges Joillot Pommard. Or you can attend a beer brunch, a nod to Liu Fang and Setzer who began their careers by opening the Chinese craft brewery Great Leap Brewing.

La Cave du Vin

This narrow, dimly lit bar—framed by brick arches, black leather booths, and the soft glow of red string lights—feels moody, romantic, and unmistakably cave-like. Opened in December 2023 by the Buildings and Food restaurant group (the team behind Prosperity Social Club, renowned for their Cleveland pierogis), La Cave du Vin is a collaboration between wine director Sean Cathcart and CEO Will Hollingsworth. The duo first fell in love with wine at a bar of the same name in Cleveland Heights’ Coventry Village. When that spot closed in 2018, Hollingsworth purchased the rights and revived its spirit here in Tremont.

“Cleveland deserves a wine bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously,” says Cathcart, whose 30 by-the-glass pours are designed to spark curiosity. They focus on sustainably-farmed, family-owned producers that span a wide spectrum. You’ll find light and juicy selections like Ohio’s own Laleure “Silo” Chambourcin and the highly allocated Occhipinti “SP68” Frappato/Nero d’Avola from Sicily alongside more classical, structured choices such as Daniel-Etienne Defaix Vaillon 1er Cru Chablis and Casanuova delle Cerbaie’s Brunello di Montalcino. 

On Wednesdays, the bar hosts “Pour Decisions”—you can order high-end wines in half glasses, making a taste of the good stuff more accessible (Vilmart Champagne at $20 is an upcoming selection). Or you can choose something from La Cave's ever-revolving in-house wine selection, available to take home or open at table for $20 corkage. For Ohio, this is a good place for rare finds at minimum markup—varieties like Italian Ruchè and producers Ovum or Nikolaihof. Insider tip—visit on Sunday for $3 off all by-the-glass offerings, and no corkage.

Cent’s Pizza + Goods

Chef and owner Vincent Morelli originally wanted a career in fashion before moving into the hospitality business. He’s rechanneled that passion into a multi-use space where he showcases food and beverage alongside fashion, art, and design. From the outside, Cent’s doesn’t look like much—it’s a nondescript brick building in Cleveland’s Ohio City, But inside it’s all vibe—black and white tile floors meeting book displays lit up by red light installations, the Pixies streaming from the turntable, and blue strobe lights dancing across the ceiling like constellations. Morelli’s menu focuses on artisanal pizzas—try the Mama (sweet onion and kalamata olives) or the Shroom (cream, garlic, and mushrooms galore)—but also serves cheese, meats, and tinned fish. 

Varun Sharma runs a natural focused wine program, but don’t bother looking for a printed menu. Instead, servers ask for taste preferences and a price range, then bring back two to three bottles to start a conversation. I found options like Bordenave Gros Manseng from Juracon and Filipa Pato’s Blanc de Blancs from Bairrada using Bical, Cercial, and Maria Gomes grape varietals. And there’s only ever one red and one white offered by-the-glass, which rotates almost every weekend. Cent’s also has great Amaro options like Cynar, Meletti, Amaro Nonino, even the NA Dr. Zero-Zero AmarNo, if you want the bitter without the buzz.