Forget just eating a delicious dinner; learn to make one yourself! Restaurants all over Cleveland Plus offer wine tastings, tequila tastings, cooking classes and other unforgettable culinary experiences. Add that to exciting ambiance, live music and package deals with area attractions and you’ve got a trip to remember. Enjoy one for an evening or plan your whole outing around them.
Restaurants Note: All restaurants are handicap-accessible unless otherwise noted.
A standout of the culinary world, Dante will treat your group like royalty. Dante holds monthly wine tasting dinners with a luscious five-course meal prepared by head chef and rising star Dante Boccuzzi. Each course is paired with a wine specially-picked by the in-house Sommelier. Dante also offers private tasting dinners and cooking classes that highlight local foods, making this a uniquely Cleveland experience. • Eclectic, modern American cuisine featuring local ingredients • Located on the suburban south side • Complimentary valet parking, three private rooms and fully customizable group menus
Fun Fact: Chef Dante Boccuzzi is a native Clevelander and has released two rock CDs.
Gain knowledge about cooking and about Cleveland at John Q’s Steakhouse. A Cleveland staple since 1979, John Q’s offers cooking classes and wine-pairing classes in the heart of Cleveland, overlooking historic Public Square. Local sports memorabilia provides a quick overview of Cleveland sports for newcomers or a nostalgic look back for natives. • Traditional steak dishes, along with lamb, pork and seafood • Located downtown on Public Square • Children’s menu, group menu, private dining room, outdoor patio
Fun Fact: A view of Public Square and local sports memorabilia on the walls make John Q’s a Cleveland restaurant through-and-through.
Lago Restaurant and Wine Bar 2221 Professor Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113 216.344.0547 www.lagotremont.com
Experience wines from the best vineyards all over the world, right from one of Cleveland’s trendiest neighborhoods. At Lago’s “Traveling the World With Wine” events, guests sample 25 wines from Australia, California, France and other countries (one region per evening), paired with a tasting of light hors d’oeuvres. That’s not the only exciting innovation happening at Lago. Every Monday, the chef prepares an array of vegetarian and vegan specials sure to delight vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. • Northern Italian cuisine • Located in the historic Tremont district • Customized group menus, valet parking three nights a week, patio, private dining room, Ohio’s largest collection of Italian wines
Fun Fact: Lago is the first and only Italian restaurant in Tremont; it therefore has Tremont’s first and only wine cellar.
Lopez on Lee 2196 Lee Road Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 216.932.9000 http://lopezonlee.com
“You became a tequila connoisseur…in Cleveland?” Don’t be fooled by its distance from Mexico—Cleveland is the perfect place to enhance your knowledge of that famous drink from south of the border. At Lopez on Lee, you’ll learn that there is more to tequila than just the margarita. Lopez offers tequila flights ranging from $11-32, as well as guided tequila and food tastings in a fun and convenient format. Enjoy your tastes on an outdoor patio on hip Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. • Mexican/Southwestern American food • Located on the suburban east side • Valet parking, group menu, party space, outdoor patio
Fun Fact: Lopez on Lee is one of only four Southwestern Food Club restaurants in the world. The others are in Palm Beach, Beverly Hills and Mexico City.
Maggiano’s Little Italy 26300 Cedar Rd #1103 Beachwood, OH 44122 216.755.3000 www.maggianos.com
Who says eating can’t be interactive? At Maggiano’s Little Italy, everyone gets in on the fun. Every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm, Executive Chef Brian Clark holds an entertaining and appetizing cooking demonstration outside the restaurant, giving participants a literal taste of both old menu favorites and new specials. Demonstrations can also be arranged for private groups upon request. • Old-style Italian cuisine • Located adjacent to Beachwood Place mall on the suburban East side • Free valet parking, planning experts available for large events • Upcoming package deals with the Marriot on Harvard, the Hampton Inn and Suites and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
Fun Fact: Maggiano’s melds the laid-back Italian pace of life with the time constraints many groups have to create unique cultural and dining experience.
Ready, set, cook! Offer your group some friendly competition, culinary-style, at Molinari’s. Cooking classes at Molinari’s split groups into four teams, with each team preparing one dish. In the end, everybody wins, because everybody gets to eat all the teams’ creations. Wine pairings round off the event. For a less hands-on experience, Molinari’s offers wine tastings coupled with a light dinner. Don’t be surprised if Chef Randall stops by to make sure the meal is exactly to your group’s liking. • Contemporary, creative cuisine with Northern Italian influences • Located on the suburban East side • Private dining room, private party accommodation on Sundays and Mondays
Fun Fact: Molinari’s began in 1991 as a specialty food and wine shop, and has since transformed into a 150-seat restaurant.
Bringing a large group to Cleveland? Looking for affordable restaurants that welcome groups? We’ve got a lot of those in Cleveland Plus. Here's a sampling of those that offer amenities such as tour bus parking, group menus and packages with area attractions.
Group-Friendly Restaurants
Eat N’ Park www.eatnpark.com Locations in Willoughby, Elyria, Mentor, Parma, Streetsboro, Cuyahoga Falls and Medina
Eat N’ Park offers an affordable menu with locations all over Cleveland Plus for your convenience. Stop by on your way to or from Cleveland, or make Eat N’ Park one of your meal destinations during your trip. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner anytime, Eat N’ Park is sure to have something for everyone. • Casual, neighborhood restaurant • Seven locations in Cleveland Plus • Kids’ menu, some 24-hour locations
Fun Fact: When eating with a tour group, everyone on the bus gets a free smiley cookie.
Hard Rock Café 230 West Huron Road Cleveland, OH 44113 216.830.ROCK www.hardrock.com
How many have you visited? Cleveland’s Hard Rock Café features memorabilia of rock and roll through the ages in a central downtown location. It also offers package deals with other group attractions, such as the world-famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum and internationally- known Cedar Point Amusement Park. The perfect restaurant in a city that rocks! • American, rock-inspired cuisine • Located downtown in Tower City Center • Group menu, kids menu, package deals with Cedar Point Amusement Park and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, private room
Fun Fact: Top memorabilia include Weezer’s yellow guitar, Janis Joplin’s sketches and Jimi Hendrix’s purple velvet pants.
House of Blues 308 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44114 216.523..BLUE www.hob.com
Cleveland’s House of Blues is the place to come for soulful, group-friendly eats. Situated on historic Euclid Avenue, the House of Blues offers southern-style dishes in a laid-back, music-infused atmosphere. Come for the dinner, stay for the shows! • Southern-inspired American dishes • Located downtown near trendy East 4th Street • Group menu, packages with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Folk Art tours, Sunday Gospel Brunch • Attached to one of Cleveland’s favorite live music venues
Fun Fact: House of Blues Entertainment has the largest public folk art collection in the US.
With four distinctively unique areas, options for a group event at Pickwick are limited only by your imagination. With numerous group options available it's simple to create a memorable experience for all. • Murder Mystery Dinner Theater: Enjoy live entertainment, great food and a one-of-a-kind night out. The interactive dinner theatre craze has come to Pickwick & Frolic as only Pickwick can pull it off with good food, permanent stage, computerized lighting, state-of-the-art sound and a national reputation for outstanding talent. Great for special occasions, group outings and building teamwork, creativity and problem-solving among employees in a unique atmosphere. • The Martini Show Dinner Spectacular: The music of Sinatra’s Vegas helps groups party like the Rat Pack in a full evening of fine dining and entertainment. Experience the exciting new supper club version of Pickwick’s famous “Midnight Martini Show”--the long-running Cleveland sensation that pays sizzling tribute to a cool era. Dine in Pickwick’s Vegas-style cabaret. Choose from one of our two supper club entrees prepared especially for the occasion. Interact with showgirls and crooners. Then sit back with a cocktail and thrill to the music that made the Rat Pack synonymous with great entertainment. The Martini Show has it all...cool guys, hot dames, great singing, audience interaction, jokes, toasts, prizes and lots of wisecracking.
Fun Fact: Pickwick & Frolic stands on the site of what was once The Euclid Avenue Opera House, built in the 1800’s.
Sit back, relax and treat yourself to the sights and sounds of the Mediterranean nestled in the leafy outskirts of Cleveland. Sergio’s on University Circle offers exotic dishes and live music to match—every Wednesday and Friday, local performers come to jazz up Sergio’s. A true glint in the gem of University Circle. • Mediterranean dishes with an emphasis on seafood • Located in University Circle • Valet parking and outdoor patio
Fun Fact: Chef and namesake Sergio Abramof moved from Brazil to the US at age 10.
At Sergio’s SARAVA, samba in the moonlight or sway to a bossa nova without a passport. Treat your group to Brazilian-inspired food, authentic Caipirinhas, and an evening of music by some of Cleveland’s best multicultural musicians. On Friday nights, Grupo Brasil will get you moving on SARAVA’s outdoor patio for an unforgettable dinner. • Brazilian cuisine • Located on Shaker Square • Valet parking, bar seating, fireplace lounge, outdoor patio, private dining room
Fun Fact: Sergio’s SARAVA is Chef Sergio Abramof’s second Cleveland restaurant. The first is Sergio’s on University Circle.
Voted #1 Group Attraction in Northeast Ohio eight years in a row, Carousel offers high-caliber, Broadway shows cast with New York's brightest talent. Come for a show or plan for dinner and a show. The Carousel now offers a number of great, group-friendly wine packages. Link here or contact the Group Sales department at 330.724.9855 for details.
The CVI combines a world-class chef (Chef Johannes Klapdohr) with the finest seasonal products and a state-of-the-art kitchen to create this truly unique institute. From kitchen design to the wine cellar, from the library to future teaching materials, the CVI caters to the educational and creative needs of all innovative and rising chefs across America. Pack your bags, bring your zest for food and your awareness for the importance of sustainable agriculture. • The Culinary Vegetable Institute and The Chef’s Garden™ hosts two- day customized culinary programs. Enjoy an experience that allows you the opportunity to gather at an exceptional and unique facility, enhance your cooking skills with exclusive, hands-on instruction, and have a great time with old and new friends. • The CVI offers cooking classes, team-building and special events. • Each guest has the opportunity to interact, observe and learn from Chef Klapdohr while enjoying a unique dining experience in a private, rustic retreat setting. • Visit their website to read all about this fascinating treasure, learn more about Chef Johannes Klapdohr and check out their upcoming classes and events.Chef Klapdohr
Fun Fact: The Chef's Garden™, part of the CVI, supplies more than 600 micro herbs, edible flowers and heirloom vegetables to the nation's finest restaurants.
Goodwin House Bed & Breakfast 14485 North Cheshire St. Burton, OH 44021 440.834.5050 www.goodwinhousebb.com
For a lesson in local delicacies with local ingredients, try the cooking classes at the Goodwin House Bed & Breakfast. The Goodwin House features six-hour “Buy Local” classes take participants to area farms and food shops to purchase ingredients, then back to the B&B for a class in cooking scones, Christmas cookies or Spanish Gazpacho, to name just a few options. And what’s a cooking class without a little eating as well? Lunch is included in the class and participants get to enjoy the fruits of their labors at the end of the day. • Quaint bed & breakfast in rustic Burton, 45 minutes east of downtown Cleveland. • Visit their website for detailed descriptions of available classes. Must preregister for classes.
Fun Fact: The Goodwin House is more than 180 years old and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mustard Seed Market and Café Montrose Location:Solon Location: West Market Plaza Uptown Solon Shopping Center 3885 W. Market Street 6025 Kruse Drive Akron, OH 44333 Solon, OH 44139 330.666.SEED (7333) 440.5190.FOOD (3663) www.mustardseedmarket.com
Learn how to make the most of the raw food craze with cooking classes at Mustard Seed Market and Café. This locally owned and operated market features cooking classes focused on creating ethnic cuisine out of raw foods. Sign up two or more people and receive a discount! Mustard Seed also offers a vegetarian buffet on Saturdays—vegetable-shaped hats optional. • Two locations: in Solon on the suburban east side and in Akron, 30 minutes south. • Cooking classes, health lectures, Saturday vegetarian buffet (Solon location only), Sunday brunch buffet • Go to their website for detailed descriptions of available cooking classes.
Fun Fact: Mustard Seed Market & Café is the largest locally-owned retailer of natural and organic products in Ohio.
When in Cleveland, eat as the Clevelanders do! The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland offers several packages that utilize local ingredients and local markets and cooking schools to put together a unique and representative Cleveland meal. For example, the “Fresh Market” package includes overnight accommodations in the elegant Ritz-Carlton, a breakfast with the hotel’s chef de cuisine, and tastes of Ohio wine and cheese. The highlight of the group's stay could be a guided shopping excursion to the historic West Side Market. The chef then prepares a lunch using the ingredients purchased at the market.
• Elegant hotel located in downtown Cleveland just off of Public Square • “Chef’s Dining Table” package offers a creative and customized meal, as well as the opportunity to interact with the chef • “Food and Wine” package gives an insiders look at The Chef’s Garden at the Culinary Vegetable Institute, a tasting menu from the restaurant MUSE and more. Limit of 10 reservations.
Fun Fact: The Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland, is home to the Martini Hall of Fame.
Dante
Montrose Location: Solon Location:
