The 38 Essential Cleveland Restaurants

Replacing Michael Symon’s Lola Bistro, Cordelia has earned near-unanimous approval on East Fourth Street. Bright, bouncy, and approachable, the restaurant welcomes all comers with a hospitality philosophy dubbed “Midwest nice.” From the city’s most dramatic open kitchen, chef Vinnie Cimino reminds diners that eating out can still be daring, delicious, and playful, with overloaded relish and spread trays, fried watermelon, open-face tongue on toast sammies, whole fried spatchcocked chickens, and a four-slider pull-apart smash burger with an epic melted cheese skirt.