A Local’s Guide to Food & Tunes in Cleveland

With famous chefs and venues with a vibe, it’s no surprise that Cleveland boasts a booming culinary and music scene. (Although Clevelanders may not “boast” about it because they’re so nice.)

Since Kimpton Schofield Hotel opened in downtown C-Town just last year, we’ve come up with a running list of our favorite hot spots. Here goes….

Culinary Moxie in the Midwest

Several James Beard Award winners/nominees set up Cleveland as a hot dining destination.

• Celebrity chef and “The Chew” star Michael Symon creates signature nose-to-tail dishes like pork belly with crispy ears at Lola Bistro.
• Zack Bruell’s former-jewelry-store-turned-eatery Cowell & Hubbard offers entrees like quinoa-crusted trout and Moroccan lamb shoulder.
• Neighbors of the Schofield Hotel, Parker’s Downtown is an homage to all that is good in Cleveland and offers a truly urban dining menu featuring local ingredients.
• Then there’s Jonathan Sawyer’s glamorous Trentina, showcasing Northern Italian cuisine amid mirrored tables and an iridescent chandelier.

A decadent bowl of pasta is always a welcome meal. (Photo Credit: Amelia Sawyer, Trentina)

One thing we’ve found to be true here: great food easily accessible from downtown and the prices are affordable, so everyone can enjoy eating out.

• Cleveland Pickle stuffs its sandwiches with unusual fillings like goat cheese and cashews.
• Overlooking the Cuyahoga River where an Irish shantytown used to stand is Major Hoopples, one of Cleveland’s most noted dive bars.
• If you want ethnic variety, head to the open-air Westside Market. There you’ll find 100 food vendors, including Pierogi Palace with its heavyweight potato-stuffed dumplings, and J&J Czuchraj Meats, which earned a shout-out from Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” with the aforementioned Symon.

Good eats abound at Westside Market

Brewing Up a Good Time

A revitalized blue-collar town without a few brewskis would be like a night without stars. Cleveland fills the skyline with almost too many breweries to count.

• We like Platform Beer Co. for its ever-changing draft selection, including “Darn Putin,” Russian Imperial stout.
• Pair your brew with German pretzels and potato pancakes at Hansa Brewery.
• A “reckless abuse of hops” is worth exploring at Fat Head’s Brewery, treating guests to a crazy array of brews and hearty fare.
• Masthead Brewing Co. won us over with a 100-foot bar, wood-fired pizza and American and Belgian beers.

Brews and Pizza go hand in hand. (Photo credit: Masthead Brewing Co.)

Sounds Like Cleveland

As home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland gets automatic music credibility. Top artists make tour stops in Cleveland because of it, and because they enjoy Cleveland fans.

• Among the intimate venues for national and local acts are House of Blues with its lively gospel brunch, the riverfront Jacobs Pavillion amphitheater and Music Box, featuring a supper club downstairs and concert hall upstairs.
• Claiming status as the biggest performing arts center outside of New York, Playhouse Square stages Broadway shows, dances, concerts and more.
• And if you can, try to catch the world-touring Cleveland Orchestra, performing at the opulent Severance Hall most of the year and at the outdoor Blossom Music Center in the summertime.

Outdoor concerts at Blossom Music Center are a summertime staple. (Photo credit: Roger Mastroianni, courtesy of The Cleveland Orchestra)

Of course, Kimpton Schofield Hotel places you in the middle of it all, welcoming you with classic beauty and open arms.