Bruno’s is kind of a hidden gem in Cleveland. It bills itself as “the best kept secret in Cleveland.” Reservations are highly recommended, since the dining room only has 10 or 11 tables. Bruno DiSiena was the executive chef at the Cleveland Browns training facility in Berea before the team moved out of town. It’s famous for its lasagna, but any pasta with red sauce is a good choice here. 
The food and service is good, and the portion sizes are over the top. Count on taking your meal home and eating it for several days.
Located on the near West Side, the security guard outside made me a bit nervous about the area, but there is nothing to worry about. I parked on the street each time I have been here, but the business across the street allows Bruno’s patrons to park there as well. The guard ensures no one gets their cars broken into.
On my most recent visit I sat on the patio in the back because the dining room was booked for a private party. 
I actually preferred it, because it was perfect patio weather – not too hot with a nice breeze. My server greeted me and told me the bread was in the oven. He brought me my ice tea and took my order. He brought out a basket of warm bread and a garlic-herb butter. The bread was delicious, and you could tell it was fresh out of the oven. My entree came with a soup or salad. I ordered the house salad and a cup of the wedding soup extra.
The salad was really well dressed and came with a little Farfalle noodle to dress up the plate and add a touch of whimsy. I liked it. The vegetables were fresh and the cucumbers were crisp.
The wedding soup was delicious. Lots of fresh spinach and parmesan cheese. I also really liked the addition of the tiny pasta. I would definitely order it again.
As for my entree, I should know better than order spaghetti and meatballs at an Italian restaurant. I am never happy with the meatballs. This was the case here. The meatballs were too bland and there were only two. Next time I’ll order the bolognese or mushroom sauce. 
The pasta itself was really good. Cooked perfectly al dente and a nice carrier for the tasty red sauce.
My entree on my first visit was the Vitello Milanese Caprese. The veal cutlet was perfectly fried and topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and a balsamic glaze. I enjoyed every single bite – both in the restaurant and later at home.
The lasagna is luscious and creamy and hits the spot. It has just the right ratio of sauce to cheese, and lasagna fans will go home with a big portion to enjoy the next day too. If you are not sure what to order you won’t go wrong ordering the lasagna here.
My friends and I tend to order desserts and share them. We shared the tiramisu and the dreamsicle cake (which is probably similar to the Limoncello Cake being offered now). The tiramisu was delicious, but the clear winner of the evening was the dreamsicle cake. Three layers of moist pound cake with a big splash of orange filling and whipped cream – it was delicious and light with just the right amount of richness.
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They sell groceries, imported specialties, and freshly prepared delicacies. In addition to some daily specials (check their Facebook page), they serve sandwiches, salads and soups, chili, bisques and chowders. This is one family-run business I enjoy supporting.
feast at the Market. I was so excited to see the tortellini portion, because that is one of my favorite pastas that I used to eat at the local Italian restaurant when I lived in Germany. The proscuitto and peas cut the creaminess of the sauce and just creates a delicious pasta dish. I have been getting this regularly both in-house and as take-out. It never disappoints. The gnocchi and Bolognese was also a delicious treat. I love a good Bolognese, and this did not disappoint. The gnocchi were also perfectly cooked and not at all dense.
We headed back down Murray Hill for the final stop on the tour, Trattoria on the Hill. They seated us on the back patio and served us two crostinis (eggplant melonzini and white bean tuna) and a lemon sorbet with a raspberry sauce and a dash of sparkling wine. The crostini had a nice crunch, and I would be hard pressed to name my favorite one. Of course my absolute favorite was the lemon sorbet. It was refreshing and delicious. I wish they served this on their regular dessert menu. I would order it all the time!
Fragapane’s potato salad features slivers of carrot, onion and celery, and is a mayo-based potato salad. It’s not too sweet and is very smooth. It is simply delicious and very addictive. I have learned that if I need this for an event I need to call and order it ahead of time to ensure they have set some aside for me. I have driven over several times only to be disappointed that they have sold out.
lunch special that sells out quickly. This place is very popular with local workers.
Day to buy some and crashed my car on the retaining wall going back up my driveway. That was the most expensive Valentine’s Day ever.
Their most popular sundae is their signature Malley’s Hot Fudge Sundae. It is really good if you add Spanish peanuts to it – sweet and salty together is just a great combination. If you buy a fundraiser chocolate bar from a local school kid or the public library there is usually a buy one get one free coupon on the back for the hot fudge sundaes.
one or two entrees to choose from. C. raved about the Curried Butternut Pasta featuring roasted cubes of butternut squash with coconut milk, cilantro and lime over pasta, while R. loved the Vegan Beanburger, featuring a huge herb-scented, mixed bean patty, fried crispy and served with arugula, fresh cucumbers, tomato, and Monterey Jack cheese, with house-cut Yukon fries and herbed mayo.
friends and on my own. I have yet to have a bad meal.
Everyone who tried this dish absolutely loved it. It was perfectly prepared and just a huge knock-out. The Pla Rad Prik (or spicy crispy fish) is a Chef’s Special dish. It features either whole red snapper or halibut fillets, deep fried to a golden brown and topped with your choice of sauce, tamarind or garlic. The fish was indeed spicy and crispy when I ordered it. I had tried it at Siam Cafe and wanted to compare. This one held up to the Siam Cafe’s, and in my opinion it exceeded it. 
The dish was indeed spicy and served with the tamarind and pepper sauce. I ordered it as a cross between mild and medium, and it was just right for me. I left with a pleasant yet not overwhelming burn.
restaurant that can make everyone happy, and My Thai is one of them.
I have had both the My Thai and the Love in Thailand cocktails. The My Thai is made with pineapple, orange and lime juice mixed with white and dark rum and crème de almond, while the Love in Thailand consists of rum, crème de banana, orange and pineapple. Both are refreshing.
Mike and his brother Pete founded the business in 1999. As they explain on their website, “As far back as we can remember, ice cream has been a constant source of happiness to our family. And Cleveland has always been our home. So in 1999 we made crafting top-notch ice creams and serving them to the Cleveland community our 
life’s work. Today we are as passionate as ever about making our ice creams as delicious and wholesome as they can be, and to being at least a small part of the reason Clevelanders love to call this place home.” Mike is the ice cream chef and Pete is the “taster-in-chief and operations guy.” Now that I have met Mike (I met Pete several years ago when I lived in Solon) I can honestly say that both are just genuinely nice guys. I don’t know about you, but I want to support family-run, locally-operated businesses with friendly and 
and have several personal favorites, like the Fresh Mint Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Caramel Sea Salt, and Banana Cream Pie. Another friend swears by their Strawberry. Yet another adores the Butter Pecan. And don’t forget their seasonal flavors, frozen yogurt or sorbets. The Mango sorbet is amazing. When I am going hard-core non-dairy I get the Mango or Raspberry sorbets. They also offer two vegan options made with a coconut milk base. Whatever your favorite, you can’t go wrong.
turned out to be the most delightful eggplant parmesan and was surprisingly large. I will be ordering this the next time I go! I ordered the caprese salad, which featured hunks of fresh mozzarella and tomato (they were still in season at the time) and was topped with fresh basil and just some olive oil, salt and pepper.
perfectly prepared. You can order half portions of the pasta, and I suggest you do to try several at once. The aforementioned Sacchetti al Tartufo are little pillows of heaven stuffed with ricotta and black truffle and served in a black truffle cream sauce. Words cannot do this dish justice. You simply must order it. I was hooked from the first bite. Vegetarians will be happy with the potato gnocchi with hazelnut pesto (Gnocchi con Pesto di Nocciola) and the ricotta cavatelli with wild mushrooms in a rosemary fontina cream sauce (Cavatelli con Funghi e Fontina). I personally am also a huge fan of the veal-stuffed tortellini with prosciutto di Parma, green peas and Parmesan Reggiano (Tortellini di Vitello con Prosciutto e Piselli) – not pictured. 
I got hooked on this particular pasta dish while living in Germany, and their version is delicious. The Pappardelle alla Bolognese (also not pictured) is also savory and delicious. I got to try it on the NEO Food Tour of Little Italy.
According to the Pickle Bill’s website, the name Pickle Bill’s was conceived back in 1967. Its first location was on Old River Road in the Cleveland Flats. It was in business for 11 years and had a fairly limited menu. In 1982, Pickle Bill’s relocated to River Street in Grand River. There was a fire in 1998 and it was a total loss. The restaurant rebuilt and reopened in January 2000. There is no mention of the Lakewood location (which is now Deagan’s) on the website, but I remember eating there several times in the 1990s.
cinnamon honey butter, these things are the bomb. You can see from the photo how much cinnamon is in the butter from the darker color. It’s almost worth the trip just for the fried dough, but luckily they have lobster, crab legs, shrimp, various sampler platters and all kinds of all-you-can-eat specials.
are a lot of work, but worth it once you fish the succulent chunks of crab meat out of the shell.
The fish dinners serve huge filets of fish that extend over the sides of the plates. Two of my friends who are vegetarian but eat fish and chips loved their fish dinners here. One ordered it with the chips (aka French fries – pictured), while the other ordered the corn on the cob. Both pieces of fish extended over the sides of the plates. I am fairly certain the fish in the photo on the right is the panko-crusted walleye, but they also offer perch, tilapia, salmon and cod fish dinners.
The happy hour menu is fairly extensive, featuring all small plates, half pitchers of draft beer and select sakes, wines, martinis and cocktails for just $5.
One other must are the SASA fries. The fries here are something really special. They come with two choices of house dipping sauce (I prefer the creamy orange one, but both are delicious), and the fries are covered in shichimi pepper, a spice mix, and sesame-roasted, sun-dried seaweed flakes.
, arriving in a flaming foil package that has been doused in a liquor (sake?). The brief brush with heat gives the teriyaki sauce a smoky quality that seasons the lobster, crab, Chinese broccoli and masago (bright orange fish roe) filling. I simply can’t get enough of the delicious char flavor. It’s such a unique and delicious roll!
I must mention the cute white bottles and dipping plates for soy sauce that they use with the sushi. The dipping plate is curved to allow the soy sauce to collect in one half, leaving the other half somewhat elevated so you can rest your sushi there if needed. Very elegant!
Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats 