Page 6 - Full Bar News Today

With a decidedly California feel, this attractive wine bar boasts a barrel-vaulted ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows and low-slung tables and couches. An appealing roster of small and not-so-small plates goes well beyond the ubiquitous cheese board. Come for the food, stay for the Enomatic, a self-serve dispenser that marries smart-card technology with sweet, sweet wine.

Stepping into this cozy neighborhood ristorante — with its wooden bar, linoleum floors, and menu of pizza, pasta, and assorted parmigianas, cacciatores, and marsalas — is like traveling back in time to the days when Italian restaurateurs baked their own breads, made their own pastas, and served it all in charming, intimate spaces. Almost everything on the “full-meal deal” menu is delish. But when it comes to fried calamari and baked lasagna, Bruno’s s...

Heading into its fourth decade, this charming Ohio City café remains a reliable, if non-trendy, refuge for lunch, dinner, or Sunday brunch, best enjoyed in the airy garden room, a mug of cinnamon-scented coffee at hand. While gourmet burgers are the specialty of the house, other options abound, including salads, wraps, steaks, and pastas.

If you weren't born into an Italian family, dining at this unpretentious Solon restaurant could be the next best thing. Chef-owner Jimmy Daddano makes all his sauces from traditional recipes: Yeasty garlic rolls, slathered with butter and cheese, arrive fresh from the oven, and Jimmy's mom makes the homemade desserts from scratch.

If “youthful” and “edgy” are what it takes to toss your trenne, this snug little restaurant at the far end of a Parma strip plaza may not be your kind of place. But if good-tasting Italian fare, brought forth in large portions at reasonable prices, is what makes your Alfredo creamy, look no further than the dimly lit Corleone’s.

One of many area outposts for this locally based tavern chain, the Independence Winking Lizard offers the typical combo of sports-themed decor, casual noshes — including the better-than-average wings, burgers, wraps and big salads — and a killer collection of suds. Full bar.

This dim watering hole is the quintessential neighborhood bar, but with one important twist: The homemade grub is several cuts above the competition. Especially noteworthy are the boffo burgers — freshly ground, hand-formed giants, done to order and served with style — and the plump pierogies, smothered with grilled onions and sour cream. Full bar, live music on weekends.

With a handsome lounge, a shady porch, and a pan-Asian menu that includes Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai standards, as well as sushi and even some gently handled fusion fare, the Pearl is a gem for casual dining. Small but thoughtful wine list.

The eclectic, contemporary menu at this Tremont fixture is a good match for its shabby-chic decor; and somehow, dishes like bouillabaisse, seared duck breast, and sausage-and-goat-cheese rigatoni taste better when devoured 'neath the light of candles and lava lamps. Friendly staffers and a full bar are other reasons to pad on into this neighborhood gem.

This handsome dining room earns praise for quality, execution, and value, if not ground-breaking originality. Contemporary American in spirit, the approachable menu marries shareable starters, bountiful salads, and crowd-pleasing sandwiches with choice steaks, pastas, and seafood. Full bar and patio with fire pit.