As self-professed in a recent post, I by no means have any talent in the kitchen. And you know what? I'm okay with that. It doesn't mean I don't like food (as measured by my 34" waist, which incidentally used to be a 29" five years ago -- don't know why I thought it was important to make that point, but when you're a gay man...it just is). So obviously I eat out a lot. In fact, many of my friends often turn to me for dining recommendations because I've become somewhat of a regular at many of the downtown restaurants. If you're ever in Cleveland feel free to email me and I'll be glad to provide you with a recommendation. Just tell me your price range, your cuisine preference (Italian, Chinese, etc.) and the atmosphere you desire (romantic, family style, bar & grill) and I'm sure to know of a spot that will....well....hit the spot.
Last Saturday my friend Jess and I planned a dining treat prior to heading out for an evening of community theatre. I didn't make reservations as we had planned to play it by ear depending on what we were in the mood for when it came time to meet up. Our first notion was Lolita's in Cleveland's artsy Tremont neighborhood. But silly me, I neglected to realize that the chances of getting in to Lolita's without a reservation were slim to none ever since the restaurant's owner, Michael Symon, won last season's Iron Chef. Of course when the hostess said "Oh...we book two weeks in advance," I raised my eyebrows and gave her my best "don't you know who I am!" look. I took a moment and came to terms with the fact that being a slightly chunky, 30-something, gay man who runs a blog that most people have never heard of is certainly not the sort of credentials to get me a seat at the VIP table. So we headed across the street to Lago.
As we were turned away from Lolita's little did I know that my biggest disappointment of the evening was yet to come. Though Lago touts itself as "Tremont's first Italian restaurant serving Northern Italian Cuisine...all our dishes are homemade recipes using only the finest ingredients," I cannot think of a compelling reason to go back.
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