The Grovewood 
Tavern and Wine Bar is hidden away in a North Collinwood neighborhood. In fact, your first thought when you are looking for it will be “Am I in the right place?” Tucked in the middle of a residential neighborhood just off I-90 (Hint: it’s best to get off at E. 182nd street), the Grovewood has been consistently serving outstanding food and drinks. This is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland and only 17 minutes from me by car, but I don’t think to go here as often as I should.
I first discovered the Grovewood in 2009, back when I was still running a dining out group through Meetup.com. Someone had recommended it, and we enjoyed an outstanding meal. Every subsequent visit I have made, whether I’m sitting on the patio or in the dining room, has been outstanding.
When you walk up to and into the restaurant, you can see the chefs cooking through the front window. There is a small, cozy bar area behind the hostess station, and the dining room is to the right. The inside feels like a comfy little neighborhood joint, with white Christmas “fairy” lights and quirky lamps hanging down from the ceiling and interesting pictures on the walls.
They have an outstanding selection of wine and cocktails as well as a changing menu of beers on tap. The servers are very knowledgeable about the food, wine and beer.
Several friends and I met for dinner recently and enjoyed another fantastic meal. Several of my friends are vegetarians, so they were thrilled that the Grovewood has really expanded its offerings for vegetarians and vegans. The first time we were there they only had 
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.
As for me, I ordered the Grilled Mini Brie and Pear Salad and the Grovewood Chicken Sandwich topped with sliced, grilled apples; caramelized onions; Brie and toasted almonds, accompanied by house-cut Yukon fries and herbed mayo. I could have done without the toasted almonds, but this sandwich was delicious. The house-cut fries were delicious as well, especially dipped in the herbed mayo and the house-made ketchup (nicely spicy but not too spicy – no Heinz served here!). I will definitely order it again.
This time around we shared the Belgian Chocolate Lava Cake and the Caramel Pecan Cake. Both were paired with vanilla ice cream, and were delectable. My dining companions dove into these so fast I was unable to get pictures. However, I have to say my absolutely favorite dessert in Cleveland is served here – Burnin’ Down the House, a chocolate swan filled with fresh berries and flambéed table side (for two), with two dishes of vanilla ice cream. It is one impressive dessert!
You really can’t go wrong ordering anything off the menu here. From the Yakitori to the Seared Tuna Loin (pictured here) to the Ohio City Pasta and gnocchi to the burger, everything I have had here has been outstanding.
The only thing I am not a fan of is the bread service. The bread is very flavorful, but somewhat dry. They serve it with a dipping sauce with olive oil, roasted garlic cloves and balsamic vinegar that just doesn’t work. The sauce doesn’t blend well, and you can’t really taste the balsamic. But on the bright side that just leaves more room for the rest of the food.
I attended a Mad Men Spirit Dinner here back in 2010 that I still remember fondly. People dressed in reminiscent dress, which was a lot of fun. The spirit dinner was hosted by North American Spirits and featured nostalgic cocktails such as a Manhattan made with bacon-infused bourbon (not the most stellar cocktail of the evening, but certainly the most unique) or a pear mule paired with complementary courses. It was outstanding from start to finish. In fact, I made the grilled brie salad with pear vinaigrette for Christmas that year (they gave us some recipes to take home with us). It received rave reviews from my family. If you get a chance to attend one of the spirit, beer or wine dinners you should definitely do it! Reservations are a must, and they tend to sell out quickly.
Contact info:
Grovewood Tavern and Wine Bar
17105 Grovewood Ave
Cleveland, OH 44110
(216) 531-4900
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!
tics. The Muzak is horrendous, the place is fairly bare and dated with a fish tank, wood walls and plastic tablecloths under glass, and the website is pretty outdated. However, the place is very clean, and the food is delicious!
My waitress asked why I wasn’t using the chili paste/oil (I am not a fan of spicy), but she showed me how to doctor it up by mixing it with the hoisin sauce and chili sauce in the bottles on the table. About one third of each sauce mixed together in the bowl to taste, and it is not at all spicy and just delicious! I greedily added it to my pho. I ordered a small pho and two egg rolls, and it was the perfect meal.
a bit, and the pork, cabbage and carrot filling was dense and flavorful while paired with the crispy, flaky wrapper. The fresh Shrimp Spring Roll (#9 – Gỏi Cuốn) is served with a side of peanut sauce for dipping. The roll is always fresh and tasty, and peanut dipping sauce is thick, creamy and delicious!
hes ranging from Bun dishes, Vegetarian Szechuan (pictured), Scallop Hibachi, Vietnamese Stir Fried Noodles, and numerous curry dishes the hands down favorite was the cinnamon beef pho! If you want some flavorful Vietnamese cuisine you won’t go wrong here! Just be sure to wear a shirt that you can clean. I left after my most recent visit wearing quite a bit of pho broth!
from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., but one Yelper also warned that if you get there after 2 they may have closed early so be forewarned if you are looking to get there towards the end of their work day.
chutney, bacon, coleslaw and Maui sweet onion potato chips on toasted sourdough. It was warmed in a panini press and all I can say is WOW! This sandwich was DELICIOUS. The flavors blended together perfectly. The smokiness of the turkey, the sweetness of the chutney, the creamy freshness of the coleslaw and the crunch of the potato chips just worked together so well! Each bite was an absolute delight. I have a new favorite sandwich.
ologna, Monterey jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, pepper rings and Italian dressing on a hoagie roll, to eat later that night. The hoagie did not disappoint. The bread was soft, the meat was fresh and the Italian dressing dripped from the sandwich, which I always view as a sign of a good sub. I hate subs where you can barely taste the dressing. I ordered it with a side of “potato chippers” – homemade kettle chips that are seasoned and served with a Ranch dipping sauce. The Ranch dressing was necessary, because the pepper seasoning was intense but good.
