Bar Crawl: Cleveland, Ohio
Aperitivo, tropical drinks, beers, and dive bar burgers await in The Land.
Here’s what you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:
Bar Crawl: Cleveland’s bar scene is filled with gems — we’ll take you to some of our favorites on our latest bar crawl.
The Order: Charleston, South Carolina’s Chubby Fish serves a must-try dish of chili garlic shrimp.
August’s Featured Field Guide: Ready to plan your trip to Boston? Our full list of favorites is available in our Field Guide to Boston, which is included in a paid newsletter subscription. This 49-page dining guide includes a curated four-day itinerary with 30+ recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks.
Weekend Reading: Cynar Coladas with
, breakfast with , a trip to New Hampshire with , Napa Valley picks from , and more!
CLEVELAND, OHIO — We keep finding ourselves in Cleveland these days, and that’s a great thing, particularly since each time we go, there’s a worthy new bar to visit. We’ve hit up loads of spots old and new — we’ve drunk amaro at Cent’Anni, an Italian-influenced bar in Little Italy; sipped wine at La Cave du Vin (and cocktails before that in the space’s predecessor, The Spotted Owl); tried the themed cocktail menus at Cloak & Dagger; hit happy hour at The Velvet Tango Room; eaten pierogies at Prosperity Social Club; and grabbed late-night beers at The Harbor Inn (which is certainly not new; it opened in 1895). You should check out all these! But to make this bar crawl manageable we had to make some hard choices, and picked the six spots we’ve been enjoying the most lately. Some of these bars are brand new while others have been open for 40 years, but all of them are worth putting on your Cleveland itinerary.
12:00 PM: BRUNCH + APERITIVO HOUR
Patron Saint
Why you should go: This airy bar serves coffee and cocktails all day, which makes it a good spot whether you’re seeking an espresso tonic and eggs in purgatory or a Negroni on tap and tinned fish. Try a menu cocktail like the spruce mojito, one of the rotating wines by the glass, or select one of the aperitivos on offer, like Ramazotti Rosato or Don Ciccio Cinque and get it turned into a spritz. There’s a list of amaro available neat, on the rocks, hot, or mixed with tonic and lime. Fuel up for the afternoon with a broccoli melt or steak salad and an affogato. There’s a little merch area so you can grab bottled spritzes, pasta, candles, or copies of the fun poster that hangs on the wall and declares Cleveland “The Riviera of the Midwest.”
What to get: Spritz, amaro
2915 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 | @patronsaintcle
2:00 PM: BREEZY BREWS + SNACKS
Noble Beast Brewing Co.
Why you should go: Along Lakeside Avenue on the outskirts of Cleveland’s downtown, you’ll find a bright and lively brewery. It’s home to Noble Beast Brewing Co., opened in 2017 by two Cleveland natives, brewer Shaun Yasaki and chef James Redford. Order a Union Pils Bohemian Lager at the counter and then snag a table among the many barrels where stouts, barleywines, and Belgian-style beers are slowly being aged. For your second round, try the award-winning Evil Motives, a double dry-hopped IPA, or a Reggae Shark, with notes of pineapple and mango. Pair it with a spent grain Bavarian Pretzel or a smoked kielbasa corndog.
What to get: Evil Motives IPA, Union Pils Bohemian Lager
1470 Lakeside Ave E, Cleveland, OH 44114 | @noble_beast_brewing
4:00 PM: VIKING HAPPY HOUR
LBM
Why you should go: Even if a — checks notes — Viking-inspired bar feels outside your usual realm, go anyway. A crew of industry veterans started this spot, where the ambiance is no-frills, the music is heavy metal, and the drinks are great. Try house signatures like the spicy Gunslinger, with whiskey, ginger-orange syrup, lemon, and ginger beer or the tropical-ish Hellhound, with Bombay gin, Luxardo maraschino, tropical fruits, and aquafaba. If you’re visiting on a weekday, get in before 7 p.m. for $10 classics like sazeracs and palomas.
What to get: Gunslinger
12301 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107 | @lbm_bar
6:00 PM: A TROPICAL INTERLUDE
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room
Why you should go: Porco packs ’em in every night for excellent tiki drinks, a solid rum selection, and Filipino snacks. The vibe is classic tiki — the room is decked with palms, carvings, and outrigger canoes (some items were sourced from Cleveland’s Kon-Tiki, which was open from 1961-1976) and the drinks come loaded with umbrellas and swizzle sticks. Try a classic Jet Pilot, one of their original drinks, or sip through the rum collection. Porco also makes excellent non-alcoholic versions of many of their drinks; the Mai Tai is particularly good.
What to get: Jet Pilot, Mai Tai
2527 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113 | @porcolounge
8:00 PM: COCKTAILS + PICKLED EGGS
Never Say Dive
Why you should go: A cool newcomer in Old Brooklyn, Never Say Dive melds low-brow decor (think neon signs, light-up Santas, and other ephemera) with high-brow cocktails and food. Well, sort of — the signature bite is a pickled egg served with fried Saltines and mayo. Chef John Hagerty also offers plates like caviar service, shrimp cocktail, and a fancy hot dog, so this is a good spot for dinner. There’s a tight and good wine list, fun cheap beers, and thoughtful cocktails. The menu changes regularly, but there are two signatures you can have each visit: the Old Brooklyn (it’s a Brooklyn cocktail) and the Dirty Martini, with vodka, housemade brine, and manzanilla sherry.
What to get: Martini, Old Brooklyn, pickled eggs
4497 Broadview Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109 | @neversaydive
10:00 PM: BEERS + BURGERS
Johnny’s Little Bar
Why you should go: It’s been a long day and it’s time for a beer. And it’s long past time for a cheeseburger. End the night back downtown at Johnny’s Little Bar and get both. The weathered back alley dive bar is a beloved institution, serving Cleveland customers for over 40 years. Grab a wobbly table near the bar and order their house cheeseburger with standard toppings, chips, and a pickle. Packets of mayo are available upon request. Pair your burger with whatever local beer is on tap — we went for the Prosperity Wheat, a hefeweizen from Cleveland’s Market Garden brewery.
What to get: Local beers, cheeseburger
614 Frankfort Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 | @johnnys_little_bar_cle
More Cocktail Stories
Chili Garlic Shrimp at Chubby Fish
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Chubby Fish is a delightful seafood spot in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. There will be a wait, but you can show up before 5 p.m. to snag a seat during the first wave of diners, put your name in and go grab a daiquiri at The Ordinary, or hire this guy for $50 to wait in line for you. It’s worth the little bit of hassle to get a table, since the seafood is pristine, the dishes are creative, and everyone is having a good time. The menu changes daily depending on what seafood is available, but there are a few staples: A caviar sandwich, a beef tartare, and chili garlic shrimp. The latter has succulent shrimp tossed with ginger, garlic, fresno chiles, and scallions, which are served over white rice and topped with soft cilantro leaves. A lemon wedge comes alongside to squeeze over the top, and the bright acid ties it all together.
252 Coming St, Charleston, SC 29403 | @chubbyfishchs
All Month: Download Our Four-Day Getaway Dining Itinerary in our Field Guide to Boston!
Want to plan a trip to Boston? Our full list of favorites is available in our Field Guide to Boston — free this month to paid newsletter subscribers. This 49-page dining guide includes a curated four-day itinerary with 30+ recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks. It’s downloadable for offline reading, includes Google Maps and Instagram links, and is formatted for your phone — perfect for easy reference on your next trip. Paid subscribers to American Weekender can download this Field Guide for free using the discount code in this month’s Weekend Getaway issue. They also receive 50% off any additional guides.
One More Colada for the Road
I’ve had my share of piña coladas over the years. I love them and am always intrigued by a new variant. I’ve had tequila coladas at Extra Fancy, clarified coladas at White Lyan, sotol coladas at Sepia, paw paw coladas at Lost Lake, absinthe coladas at Maison Premiere, and Scotch coladas at both The Whistler and Green River. And of course we can’t forget the brilliantly named Brancolada, a Fernet colada served at Donna. So you know I perked up when
wrote about Cynar coladas for his newsletter, . “There isn’t a whole lot to analyze or break down here,” Suderman writes. “This looks like a Piña Colada — but with Cynar instead of rum. I have slightly tweaked the proportions to make the Cynar more prominent in the mix. I’ve added salt/saline in order to heighten the flavors and mitigate some of Cynar’s bitterness. And I have used lemon instead of lime as the sour/acid element, because I usually find that lemon plays better with Cynar. But it’s really just a Cynar-ized Colada. That it works so well is more proof of my thesis that you should put Cynar in everything.” Sounds okay by me!ILLINOIS
Breakfast on The Mother Road: It’s the 100th anniversary of Lou Mitchell’s, an iconic Chicago diner. For Jolene Handy, sitting at the old counter conjures thoughts of “all of the people who sat there enjoying a meal or some conversation or maybe just quiet time alone with a cup of coffee.” —
for her newsletter,NEW HAMPSHIRE
A Travel Guide to Squam Lake, New Hampshire: For a recent newsletter, Kristen Luiso visited Squam Lake in New Hampshire. “There are blueberry bush filled island paths and shallow, sun-drenched coves. It reveals incredible mountain scenery and is not at all crowded. In fact on most weekdays you’ll feel like one of only a few boats out on the water.” —
for her newsletter,MARYLAND
Tour Indonesia in a single bite at Artha Rini: How a Kensington, Maryland chef turned home cooking skills into professional success. — David Hagedorn for Bethesda Magazine
CALIFORNIA
The Best of Napa Valley: Celebrated Michelin-starred chef Philip Tessier shares everything you need for the perfect California wine country getaway. —
for her newsletter,WISCONSIN
American Weekender Mailbag: Scott Worsham, the owner of Chicago’s mfk, writes: “Just got back from two weeks in Madison and can report that the new Mint Mark is better than ever. No reservations, so go early or late. Bar opens at 4:00, kitchen at 5:00, a useful hack for us bar diners!” Thanks for the tip, Scott!
Got a report from your most recent weekend getaway? Leave a comment below or shoot us an email at hello@americanweekender.com. See you on the road!
— Compiled by Kenney Marlatt
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Love that Noble Beast makes their own victory banners. Very cool.
So good!