Three For All: Eclectic Eats

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Fat Cats
Photo by Ken Mengay

Crave

Address: 57 E Market St. Akron, OH 44308

Phone: 330-253-1234

Website: www.eatdrinkcrave.com/flash/index.htm

Owners DeAnna Akers and Aaron Hervey have cultivated one of Akron's premier dining destinations with inventive food pairings and preparations wholly devoid of pretense. The multilevel restaurant has partially exposed brick walls that gain a flash of color and vibrance with contemporary artwork. Starters are as simple (and delicious) as a grilled cheese with tomato soup and as involved as smoked salmon and panko-crusted Atlantic salmon served atop caramelized leek polenta with horseradish beet butter sauce. One example of the chefs' culinary whim is the BLT: peppered bacon, sliced apple, watercress, oven-dried tomato, sharp cheddar and maple-Dijon aioli. Gram flour-crusted Lake Victoria perch is pan-fried and served with parmesan-cauliflower puree with Sicilian caponata, hinting at a culinary worldliness and mastery of flavors. Walnut-crusted Maytag blue cheesecake with port wine reduction rethinks the classic post-dinner noshing in one harmonious, decadent turn. 

Light Bistro

Address: 2801 Bridge Ave. Cleveland, OH 44113

Phone: 216-771-7130

Website: www.lightbistro.com

Award-winning chef Matthew Mathlage's Light Bistro inherited the space previously occupied by Parker Bosley's acclaimed New American Bistro, where many a Cleveland palate came of age. Mathlage carries on the mission to highlight the freshest seasonal, locally farmed foods available, but with updated presentations and techniques. The revamped space captures the historic beauty of the building, with wood floors, exposed brick walls and the work of local artists. The menu offers many ways to experience Mathlage's approach, from traditional and progressive American tapas to bar snacks and pizzas to elegant main courses. Put together a mix of munchies like house-cured olives, lamb meatballs with mint tomato sauce and a bag of fresh potato chips. Then, indulge in truffle and ricotta ravioli or West Coast halibut with basil gremolata and ratatouille. Ideal for pre- or post-even socializing, Light's bar is well-suited to groups or an intimate snack for two.

Fat Cats

Address: 2061 W 10 St. Cleveland, OH 44113

Phone: 216-579-0200

Website: http://coolplacestoeat.com/fatcats.html

Fat Cats, created by the same folks that oversee things at the Lava Lounge and Felice Urban Cafe, was among the first independent restaurants to plant roots in Tremont. Led by chef Ricardo Sandoval, the seasonal menu is updated daily, often with a specials board as extensive as the regular menu. The menu has a decidedly Mediterranean flair with starters that include Moroccan spiced sardines with fennel-leek salad and preserved lemon vinaigrette, and veal sweetbreads with an earthy blend of Parma prosciutto, shiitake, garlic, tomato and sherry.Entrees include a beautiful roasted rack of lamb with a creative sweet potato–goat cheese tart, braised greens and lively lemon-mint salsa verde. Vegetarians will love the creamy, slow-cooked butternut squash polenta with root vegetables, mushrooms, tangy Lake Erie creamery chevre and crispy sage. The restaurant is located in a residence-cum-restaurant, and the exposed brick, old woodwork and local art give it a delightful bohemian chic that finds an eclectic mix of people gathered and united by an appreciation of fantastic food. The service staff is energetic and talkative, which makes the experience all the more enjoyable. The small patio offers one of the more interesting cityscapes, overlooking the Flats into Downtown Cleveland.