Cleveland for one day: what to do?

[TheFoo]

We're going to be in Cleveland for a wedding tomorrow, and we have the day free until the evening. Any recommendations on what to do? All we can think of is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Any good lunch places?

 

[why]

Slyman's Deli is arguably better than any kosher deli in New York and one of the last vestiges of Cleveland's immigrant worker culture. Get there before 11 a.m. or you'll have to wait a long time for lunch. http://www.slymans.com/ I'd take you on a tour of the ghetto but I'll be in North Carolina. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is pretty terrible. I wouldn't bother if I were you.

 

[trader]

these cleveland tourisms might give you some ideas http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1907953 http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1909669

 

[dayglo]

for lunch time on a saturday i would hit up the market district in the ohio city neighborhood. you have to go to the westside market: http://www.westsidemarket.org/ a few lunch spots of interest around that area(ish): http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/ http://www.thegreenhousetavern.com/ www.lolabistro.com www.meltbarangrilled.com or if you want to stick with the east side, the coventry area will cover both shopping (brigade is there) and food http://www.coventryvillage.org/

 

[dayglo]

Originally Posted by why

Slyman's Deli is arguably better than any kosher deli in New York and one of the last vestiges of Cleveland's immigrant worker culture. Get there before 11 a.m. or you'll have to wait a long time for lunch. http://www.slymans.com/
http://www.sokolowskis.com/ is also really good for weekday lunch

 

[Cary Grant]

The Rock Hall has a number of very interesting things to see if you are into music history but the building itself is the absolute antithesis of what the rock hall should be. It in no way captures or supports the "rock and roll thic/lifestyle/verve" the architecure is bleh... still, the collection is pretty impressive.

You're there Friday? Slyman's is pretty good for deli.

 

[why]

Originally Posted by dayglo

http://www.sokolowskis.com/ is also really good for weekday lunch

Yes, if Michelin plans to make a guide for cafeterias this should have at least one star more than Hometown Buffet. Sokolowskis sucks. Inbred Clevelanders recommend it, but for people that have experienced the real world it's trash.

Originally Posted by dayglo

for lunch time on a saturday i would hit up the market district in the ohio city neighborhood.

I wouldn't. There's nothing there that isn't an imitation of something from New York or elsewhere.

you have to go to the westside market: http://www.westsidemarket.org/

Yes, if you want rotten produce and resold wholesale goods. Most real vendors from a decade and before now do business from brick and mortar shops or strictly selling to local supermarkets.

a few lunch spots of interest around that area(ish):

http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/
http://www.thegreenhousetavern.com/
www.lolabistro.com
www.meltbarangrilled.com

or if you want to stick with the east side, the coventry area will cover both shopping (brigade is there) and food

http://www.coventryvillage.org/

Great Lakes Brewery is closed while developers build another gauded strip mall to replace the last one overrun by crime and grime. It isn't good anyway. It's bar food (Applebee's) inside a pretty good microbrewery. But since I don't need to go there to have their beer, I won't.

Melt is a disgusting feedbag. Hurr hurr you put a pound of cheese on buttered bread and flipped it on the grill for two minutes? Then why is the wait over an hour for burnt crust, annoying patrons, and enough feed for half the barnyard?

 

[Piobaire]

I think the area is called "Ohio City." Wander Westside Market and eat some pasties or Scottish pies while you marvel at the Amish meats. Then go to Light Bistro and enjoy the braised pork belly.

 

[gomestar]

Bourdain did an episode of No Reservations with Rhulman in Cleveland. Rhulman strikes me as a knowledgeable guy, might be worth checking out on iTunes.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by gomestar

Bourdain did an episode of No Reservations with Rhulman in Cleveland. Rhulman strikes me as a knowledgeable guy, might be worth checking out on iTunes.

It was the episode that made me want to eat at Lola.

 

[ChicagoRon]

Lola for lunch is the way to go... Muse in the Ritz is also okay.

Don't know why so much Vitrol from WHY; you're kind of kicking a city while she's down.

 

[Huntsman]

Cleveland is one of my favorite cities in the U.S. Foo, if you're in Center City or the Westside, I would certainly stay in Ohio City and have lunch either at Light Bistro or at the Flying Fig. Lola and the Greenhouse would also be excellent choices. If you are to the East (then of course you can see the Cleveland Museum of Art -- which although undergoing extensive renovations is still incredible), then you can have lunch at L'Albatross. Cleveland has some great delis like Slyman's, but really, you're a New Yorker, you're not going to have an order-of-magnitude better experience at a Cleveland deli, while some of those restaurants are truly stunning while also giving you a taste of Cleveland's culinary culture. I think something you might enjoy to do would be to head to Chagrin Falls to the East -- it's rather affluent little city center has one of the most remarkable clothing stores anywhere: they have Kiton and Oxxford next to Chateaux d'Yquem and Petrus. Really. Wine and some pretty awesome clothes -- mainly menswear, but they have a small and excellent womenswear collection as well.

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

Lola for lunch is the way to go... Muse in the Ritz is also okay. Don't know why so much Vitrol from WHY; you're kind of kicking a city while she's down.
Why hates Cleveland fairly passionately and really ought to move. ~ H

 

[binge]

I recommend Smitty's Executive Lounge, around E.55th & Superior if memory serves.

After the wedding, when you're good-n-drunk, stop at Panini's for a late-night bacon-egg-and-cheese monstrosity.

 

[poorsod]

The Greenhouse tavern wouldn't serve me Pepsi or Coca cola because the drinks were "artificial". They only serve organic sodas (or "pop" as they call it in the Midwest).

 

[Huntsman]

Originally Posted by poorsod

The Greenhouse tavern wouldn't serve me Pepsi or Coca cola because the drinks were "artificial". They only serve organic sodas (or "pop" as they call it in the Midwest).
As a person who considers Coke his greatest public vice and comfort food, I think this is great, especially if their sodas do not have 11 and a half teaspoons of sugar per can, like Coke does. ~ H