Italian nutrient : it ’s not always the gut - busting soup , salad , and bread-stick followed by a heaping plate of alimentary paste you likely remember eat as a kid . ( Although , sometimes , that hit the spot too . ) From Old - World classic to fresh - school interpretations , Clevelanders have a bevy of Italian dining options all over Ithiel Town these days . From ultra - fancy to stretchable - drawers - casual , we ’ve rounded up 12 of the best Italian restaurants in township .
Nora
In our low opinion , the very undecomposed kind of Italian food sport gamy - quality seasonal ingredients served simply . With beauty such as cherry tree - peach fruit compote top creamy burrata , rosemary crostini , and fettuccini with pancetta carbonara and a poached egg dish out up in an intimate , white - tablecloth setting , Nora executes this principle to a very elegant T.
Bruno’s Ristorante & Catering
Red - sauce fanatics flock to this loose neighborhood spot for hearty constituent of Italian classics you ca n’t block up digging your fork into . Do n’t miss Bruno ’s homemade lasagna , which is incisively like your grandma used to make . Unless your grandma is n’t Italian ; then it ’s likely right smart better .
Marotta’s
With a close-fitting inside styled after an Italian coffee bar and a reclusive terrace that ’s equally tempting , Marotta ’s could draw diners on its atmosphere alone . But with its array of homemade pasta and some of the verybest pizza in Cleveland , food is most unquestionably Marotta ’s independent attraction . When an empty table is voiceless to total by in this no - qualification spot ( which is most of the time ) , you ’d be smart to grab a pizza pie to - go and enjoy it at the as excellent Wine Spot , just a few doors down the road .
Giovanni’s Ristorante
This special - occasion eating house offers excellent serving and decadent Italian dishes service in an upscale place setting ( who is n’t into glistening chandeliers and a bulwark of wine-coloured ? ) . If you ’re feeling imaginative , start your meal with the Chefs Collection of Interesting Things , described as “ house - made terrine and pates , whipped ricotta , and an assortment of eclectic garniture of a fanciful nature . ” ( Yes , really . ) Do n’t even think about skipping Giovanni ’s really sublime mansion - made sweet .
Johnny’s Bar
We know 2016 ’s glorious patio days are numbered , but if you ’re run to savour one last alfresco repast in Cleveland , let it be at Johnny ’s lush backyard garden . This longstanding Fulton Rd address dish out out some blasted fine Northern Italian cuisine , including Solanum tuberosum gnocchi with sautéed peewee , broccoli , and cream , as well as an ever - classic surf & sward .
The D.C. Pasta Co.
With a number of local restaurants to his name , chef Dante Boccuzzi is seemingly everywhere these sidereal day – including the ‘ burbs . Although , of course , you ca n’t go ill-timed with any of his spots , D.C. Pasta throw a ivory to suburbanites who are seeking a dining experience that ’s more business district than landing strip shopping center . Although the menu vary regularly , do n’t overlook the linguine alla carbonara with truffle , a popular mainstay on D.C. Pasta ’s card since it first opened .
Flour Restaurant
With a New - industrial setting that feels like a cleaned - up , hip version of a classical joint , Flour offer creative new takes on Italian cuisine alongside old - school dishes . For instance , diners can grind into a “ swelled A$ $ Meatball ” with whipped ricotta , Sicilian provolone , and sage , or stick to a attempt - and - true preferred like tagliatelle Bolognese . No matter which path you take , it ’s bound to be delicious .
Lago
Two words : lobster gnocchi . Well , OK , there ’s far more to this glamorous Italian eatery in the heart of the new Flats , include an splendid vino list and some of the area ’s best food , but it ’s sure as shooting a dish that ’s not to be miss . Pair your pasta with a lump of fresh bread , a bowl of warm olive , and a glass or two of rich Italian red vino , and you have yourself one unusually indulgent repast .
Stino da Napoli
In today ’s plastic earth , it ’s true that cash - only eating place can be a real pain sensation in the rear . But trust us , Stino da Napoli is well deserving the venial inconvenience of a pre - dinner trip to the ATM . This tender and welcoming spot in Rocky River ’s lovely Downtown airstrip serves up mouthwatering Italian classics such as a bright caprese salad and lush linguine with clams .
Pepper’s Italian Restaurant
You do n’t have to be dress out to the nines to dine at Pepper ’s – just be sure to take your appetence . This Lakewood dearie wait on the variety of everyday Italian food you believably recollect digging into as a child , including wimp Parmesan and meat & cheese ravioli hiding under menage - made tomato sauce . In fact , we indicate you wear escaped - fitting pants for this nostalgic slip down memory lane .
Chinato
The 4th restaurant in chef Zack Bruell ’s local enterprise , Chinato serves upscale Italian intellectual nourishment in the warmheartedness of Cleveland ’s bustle East 4th Street district . Dishes such as smoked whole chicken with radish salad and chocolate truffle glaze and the stuffed Xiphias gladius with olive library paste take the expert of several Italian regions and commingle them all into one delicious spot .
Michelangelo’s
Competition is everywhere in Cleveland ’s Little Italy , yet Michelangelo ’s softly go down itself apart from the rest with its all right solid food serve in a sophisticated setting , instinct with a fireplace and overstuffed leather chairs . Do not miss the sacchetti al tartufo : ricotta- and ignominious truffle - stuffed alimentary paste with black truffle cream sauce . Once in a while , we all merit a lulu as luxurious as this .
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Meatballs at Lago|Barney Taxel/Courtesy of Lago
Courtesy of Flour
Bruno’s Ristorante & Catering (edited)
Giovanni’s Ristorante (edited)
Courtesy of Flour Restaurant
Stino da Napoli
Courtesy of Chinato
