Sushi, BBQ, and Whatever Else Floats Your Boat at Hiroshi's Pub

When veteran Cleveland restaurateur Hiroshi Tsuji was describing his upcoming project to me, I was sure something got lost in translation. Though he has lived and worked in the Cleveland area for over 40 years, Tsuji still possesses a strong Japanese accent. So when he said something about a pub serving barbecue and sushi, I pictured tiny slabs of rice supporting barbecue eel, smoked salmon, and perhaps a soy-glazed scallop tossed in for variety's sake. Not quite.

Hiroshi's Pub, which opened two months back in Beachwood, indeed specializes in both barbecue and sushi. The sushi is a no-brainer, as Tsuji has been slicing up some of Cleveland's finest fish for decades, first at Shujiro and still at Shuhei. The barbecue, he explained, also was a natural as the casual pub would cater to all diners, even those who shun sushi. But, as anybody who has visited the nascent eatery can attest, management hardly stopped there. As batty as fish and 'cue might sound, the menu goes on to include saloon-style starters, Latin ceviche, Italian panini, New York deli, American comfort foods and eclectic pasta dishes. The tri-fold, six-page menu has so many options, in fact, it turns ordering a meal into a Mensa challenge. And, as one might expect from such a long-winded menu, there are winners and losers. Sorting them out is the customer's job.

The first decision a diner need make, long before cracking a menu, is where to sit. Previously Sumo, a large Japanese steakhouse, Hiroshi's inherited a roomy footprint. Off to one side of the complex is a bright dining room. Opposite is a lengthy, multi-angled bar that seats 35. A well-appointed VIP room is available for groups who desire a little privacy, while a larger private dining room is on hand for bridal showers, rehearsal dinners or high school reunions. At the heart of the space, affixed to the central kitchen, is a decent-size sushi bar. And, last but not least, is a fresh new patio offering alfresco dining. All told, there's room for some 250 guests.

Apart from being too populated, the menu suffers from a maddening layout. In addition to the section titled "Pub Appetizers," there is one called "More Appetizers," and another, believe it or not, titled "Pub Sushi Appetizers." In total, there are 19 different menu categories brimming with well over 100 items. It's no wonder servers can be overheard preemptively apologizing to diners when delivering menus.

Surprisingly, though, many of those items are very good. Sushi here is a no-brainer, and the variety can make for some pretty creative snacking. Along with the usual roster of nigiri sushi, sashimi and hand rolls, Hiroshi has come up with some pretty killer futomaki, or large rolls. Crispy fried onions garnish the outside of the White Dragon ($12.95), a large nine-piece beast filled with shrimp tempura, albacore and wasabi mayo. Bridging the Far East with the Wild West is the Big Horn ($12.95), an unholy roll-up of smoked brisket, jalapenos, sushi rice and barbecue sauce.

Speaking of barbecue: Apart from the baby backs ($13.95/half), which we felt had an odd flavor and texture, the fare leaving the hefty wood smoker ain't half bad. The pulled pork sliders ($8.50/3), topped with coleslaw and served on buttery rolls, make a delicious starter. Beef brisket ($13.95) leaves the smoker agreeably supple, moist and flavorful, especially when gilded with horseradish. Thick-sliced smoked turkey breast, part of a dinner platter ($12.95) with potatoes, veggies and cornbread stuffing, was easily the tastiest thing on the plate. I'll be back to sample the "12 by 12" prime rib ($19.95), a 12-ounce portion of 12-hour smoked rib steak.
With a hefty handful of primo burger joints at their disposal, Cleveland diners hardly need another option. But you know what? Hiroshi's hamburgers ($7.95) are pretty awesome, especially for fans of thin diner-style burgers. Here, twin slim patties are griddle fried, layered with cheese, and slid into a toasted brioche bun. Toppings run the gamut from bacon, egg and cheese to house-smoked corned beef.

Duds pop up here and there, like the bland, saltless edamame ($4.50), the smoked-meat potstickers ($7.95) absent any trace of smoke, and the egregiously salty cornbread stuffing on the turkey platter. But there are pleasant surprises, too, like fresh salads (with or with meat), stuffed and toasted panini ($7.95), and all-beef, additive-free hotdogs ($4.95) with gourmet toppers.

The fact that Hiroshi's serves food at all, let alone in the quantity it does, is somewhat ironic. The original Hiroshi's Pub, a Cleveland Heights hotspot "back in the day," never bothered with much food, unless you count a shot with beer chaser food.


Hiroshi's Pub
3365 Richmond Rd., Beachwood
216.464.4665

Baricelli Inn Gives Way to Washington Place Bistro

When Paul Minnillo decided to shutter his Baricelli Inn after 25 years to open Flour (see 8-25 Bites), he cleared the way for a different approach at the historic Little Italy castle. After speaking with Scott Kuhn, the new operator of the inn, it's clear that a departure is precisely what's in store. Slated to open in mid-November, Washington Place Bistro will be a modern American bistro serving value-driven fare. "The biggest change will be the concept," explains Kuhn, who also runs 87 West at Crocker Park and Welshfield Inn in Burton. "The goal at all my restaurants is to make guests feel comfortable and welcome." The high-end but affordable cuisine, he adds, will attract everybody from penny-pinching grad students to flush professionals. A major renovation of the space is underway, which will add a bar and lounge area, remodeled dining rooms, and a doubling of the outdoor patio. "This is a head-on collision between modern and classical," he says. The eclectic menu is still in the works.

One Red Door is Ajar

One Red Door (49 Village Way, 330.342.3667, onereddoorhudson.com), chef Shawn Monday's new Hudson eatery, quietly opened its doors this past week. Opened in the former Vue space, the restaurant features seasonal chef-driven comfort food in a smart, cosmopolitan setting. The menu is divided into sections titled Bites, Crusts, Shared and Feast, with prices for items ranging from just $3 for shrimp-and-pork wontons to $20 for Ohio steak frites. Other starters include Monday's meatballs in marinara, and chorizo-stuffed roasted dates. Flatbreads are topped with duck confit, butter-poached lobster, or wild mushrooms. In the share department is smoked pork dumplings, crispy shrimp and calamari, and a charcuterie board. In addition to the steak, entrée options include seared walleye with lobster jus, roasted halibut with crispy chickpeas, and a grass-fed burger.

New PlayhouseSquare Wine Bar; Bodega Re-Tools

Visitors to PlayhouseSquare will soon have a polished new wine bar to add to their pre- and post-theatre routine. Corks PlayhouseSquare, slated to open in early November, is a sister business to Corks Wine Bar in downtown Willoughby, and Market Avenue Wine Bar in Ohio City, all of which are co-owned by Greg Bodnar. Corks will occupy the former Hamilton’s Martini Bar space at 1415 Euclid Avenue, next door to the Allen Theatre. "This wine bar will be less rustic and more contemporary than our other locations so it's a better fit for PlayhouseSquare," explains Bodnar. Following a gut job that saw the removal of the floor, bar and raised banquettes, the lounge will boast bamboo flooring, sleek granite surfaces and glass pendants designed by a Cleveland Institute of Art grad. As with the other bars in the family, Corks will offer quick service foods like cheese and meat boards, baked brie, pizzas and bruschetta. Lunch may be added down the road.


"With the closing of Darna, there are no more Moroccan restaurants in Cleveland," explains Said Ouaddaadaa, referring to the recently shuttered Shaker Square restaurant. "I'm Moroccan, and a lot of my customers are Moroccan, and I got kind of sick of hearing about it." His solution? Transform his Cleveland Heights eatery Bodega (1854 Coventry Rd., 216.932.3060) from a Mediterranean-themed tapas lounge to a restaurant specializing in authentic Moroccan cuisine. In addition to some cosmetic tweaks, including the introduction of a new lounge and furnishings, Bodega has launched a new menu. Naturally, there are numerous couscous and tajine dishes, plus a festive Berber stew featuring prawns, scallops and mussels. Ouaddaadaa said he is debating changing the restaurant's name to Casbah.

Zinc Bistro: The Highs and Lows

Ruth Reichl, the former New York Times restaurant critic, rocked the dining world when she famously delivered a twin review of Le Cirque, long an untouchable temple of fine dining. Having once visited the restaurant wearing one of her trademark disguises – and receiving a peasant's welcome – Reichl was stunned by how dramatic her experience improved when she was "made" during a subsequent visit.

A recent dinner at Zinc Bistro followed that script to such comical proportions that all my tablemates and I could do was laugh – and cry, and smile. If our meal was a play in three acts, it would have been a curious marriage of comedy, tragedy and ecstasy. Experiencing all three in a single meal put a damper on the fun, to be sure. But it also offered glimpses of how good the new French bistro can be when it tries.

Having eaten a perfectly enjoyable meal at Zinc prior to the dinner in question, my expectations were firmly in mid-range, ready to be nudged upward by stellar food and service, or down by the opposite. The opposite is precisely what greeted us. Seated outside on a lovely summer's eve, thoughts of chilled wine danced in our heads. Alas, there was none to be had, at least during the irksome length of time it took to be greeted. Of the two chardonnays available by the glass, only one was on hand, compelling the ordering of the $12 option. Another tablemate opted for the rose ($8), which proved to be corked. There were no complaints, however, with the aligote ($8), a crisp French white. Bread, served with a lovely white bean puree, would not arrive until sometime during the second act.

Appetizers followed next, but they did not include our order of smoked trout for two as the kitchen had 86'd the item. A steaming crock of onion soup ($7) looked seductive, draped as it was with melted cheese. But until spoons arrived, we were left picking at the herb-scented brew with our forks. In possession of proper silver from the start, we dug right into a mini cast-iron pot of crumb-coated macaroni and cheese ($9). And we would have gobbled up the creamy pasta even faster had it contained a modicum of seasoning. No amount of spice, however, could have rescued a plate of fried oysters ($12) that was comprised of fetid, past-their-prime bivalves.

There were just enough intermezzos of pleasure to fortify us through the first half of our meal. That wonderful bread did finally arrive. As did a dreamy braised short rib ravioli ($11) appetizer, served on a bed of spring pea puree and garnished with ethereal mushroom foam. Cocktails, like the Moscow Mule ($8), served in a silver julep cup, or the Pursing Petal ($10), perfumed with limoncello, revealed creativity and craftsmanship behind the bar. And when all else failed, memories of a prior meal starring sparkling West Coast oysters ($12), to-die-for steak tartar ($15), and saffron-scented mussels frites ($15) buoyed our spirits enough to persevere.

But then, it all changed. After being spotted by the chef during his walk through of the patio, our meal took a marked turn for the better. So much so, in fact, that we couldn't help but giggle like stoned teenagers. Did we really just get served Russian style, with entrees presented by four separate staffers – including the general manager – in a single, dramatic flourish? And what's this? The previously unavailable trout appetizer making a surprise (albeit delicious and belated) appearance? No, we did not order the fried green tomato special, but we certainly wouldn't dream of letting it go to waste.

In that infamous 1993 Le Cirque review, Reichl noted how even the size of her raspberries had ballooned on her subsequent visit. I couldn't help but think along those lines when, upon gazing into my bouillabaisse ($28), I thought, "What a fine kettle of fish!" There were fat scallops, firm fish filets, plump mussels, briny clams, crimson shrimp – all nestled in a deeply flavorful broth. Our croque monsieur ($10), French for ham and cheese, arrived broiled to golden perfection. Steak frites ($29) and coq au vin ($14): Pure bistro bliss.

The takeaway from this tale should not be that Doug Trattner gets better food at Zinc than regular peeps. It is that given the right set of circumstances, Zinc can deliver fabulous food and service. Management just needs to discover a way to make that happen under every set of circumstances (before there happens to be no set of circumstances).


Zinc Bistro, Bar, Bakery
668 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
216.583.9462

Market Opens in River; City Tap Soon Flows in Gateway

To call Market (1137 Linda St., 440.799.4292, marketbeer.com) a "sports bar" is misleading. Yes, there are TVs, in this case svelte 60-inch LCDs. And sure, there's a bar, a huge granite oval that seats 40. But the attractive space could just as easily house a hip bistro. Much like they did with nearby Wine Bar Rocky River, owners John Owen and Dave Rudiger transformed a plain shell into sweet perch, in this case a "craft beer and sports bar with American comfort food." Market features reclaimed wood, exposed brick, silken leather, and ornate chandeliers. Sprawling patios, including a covered three-season area with radiant-heated floors, connect to the interior space via slide-away doors. Chef Rob Geul (Parallax, Fahrenheit) is running the kitchens, which are visible from behind massive picture windows. Starters include updated versions of stuffed peppers, pigs in blankets, and firecracker shrimp. There are several large salads and sandwiches, some of which include house-smoked meats. Sections titled "Meat Market" and "Fish Market" feature steaks and fresh seafood. Expected to be a hit for dessert are the deep-fried Uncrustables, which, says Owen, "are like little pucks of love." Opened last Friday, Market is now open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.



Look for City Tap to open early October in the old Boneyard space (748 Prospect Ave.), says owner Eric Pelham. Replacing the short-lived Forti's, City Tap will be a casual sports bar specializing in good beer and pub food. "The Boneyard was one of my favorite bars," Pelham says, "but the space had run its course." Following a gut job, the space will be roomier, brighter and serve better food, he promises. By removing the front platform and reorienting the staircase, considerable space was reclaimed for dining. The expanded menu will feature salads, burgers, wraps, salads and fresh-cut fries. One of the few holdovers will be the 40-beer tower, but all new lines will ensure fresher suds.

Minnillo, DiLisi Cook Up Flour in Moreland Hills

"We want to be known as a place with great pizza," explains Chris DiLisi. "We don't want to be known as a pizza place."

For the past five years, DiLisi worked as chef at the Baricelli Inn, which closed last month after 25 years. When Flour opens later this year, DiLisi will serve as executive chef and partner to his old boss, Paul Minnillo. While pizza – specifically Neapolitan-style pie baked in a wood-burning oven – will be a house specialty, the menu hardly stops there. House-cured meats, handmade pastas, and seasonal Italian entrees will also be dished up at this contemporary Moreland Hills bistro. "With Italian food," DiLisi adds, "it all comes down to the quality of the ingredients. Strip away all the bullshit and you've got nowhere to hide." Practically everything on the menu will be made in-house, he says, from the salumi on the meat board to the ricotta in the ravioli and the ciabatta in the bread basket. In addition to house-cured meats, starters will include sweet pepper-topped bruschetta, grilled sardines, and focaccia and tomato salad. Pastas – ricotta gnudi, squash ravioli, and cauliflower risotto – will be available in three sizes, ideal for tasting, sharing or pigging out. Entrees – all priced south of $23 – range from grass-fed beef short ribs to Colorado lamb shoulder with braised kale.

The centerpiece of the restaurant will be a six-foot-wide domed oven, and it will be the first thing customers see on arrival. At peek operating temps, the oven will cook a pie in 90 seconds, leaving the thin crust simultaneously crispy and chewy. A six-seat chef's table will overlook the open kitchen, giving those diners a great view of the pizza-making action. But not just them: The design of the restaurant will ensure that most customers have a clear view of the kitchen, including those in the adjacent 50-seat lounge. Overall, Flour will seat 140, not counting the front patio.

The oven won't be reserved for pizza alone. During service, vegetables will be caramelized in it, and Ohio chicken will be roasted in it. Immediately following service, the hot ovens will be used to bake bread. Over night, the lingering residual heat is perfect for braises and oven-roasting tomatoes.

As for all this talk about the demise of fine dining, DiLisi says, "Fine dining isn't dead. There has never been more talent or better food in this city. Our generation just wants to have fun while enjoying great food."