The 8 most-anticipated new restaurants in Cleveland

2022 was a banner year for a Cleveland food scene that saw more than two dozen restaurants open their doors.

Why it matters: Several noteworthy chefs — old and new — are looking to continue that momentum in 2023 with fresh concepts and designs.

• Here are some of the most-anticipated restaurants opening this year.

Wolf Pack Chorus

Opening: March 1

Details: Wolf Pack Chorus opens next week in Little Italy with what its website calls "globally inspired cuisine" served in an "approachable upscale dining experience."

• The dinner menu includes everything from a Nashville-style duck confit to salmon with pistachio risotto.

Dukes n' Boots

Opening: March

Details: Michelin-starred chef Dante Boccuzzi is stepping away from his traditional upscale dining format with Dukes n' Boots.

• The restaurant and bar in Willoughby will feature Southern comfort food centered on what he's dubbed "glorifried chicken."

Fahrenheit

Opening: Spring

Details: Chef Rocco Whalen's Fahrenheit has been a go-to spot in Tremont for two decades. Its move to downtown will fittingly be grand.

• The re-imagined Fahrenheit will take up two stories in Pubic Square with a rooftop bar in the former home of John Q's Steakhouse, a landmark location in Cleveland.

Poppy

Opening: Spring

Details: Jill Vedaa and Jessica Parkison, owners of popular Salt+ in Lakewood, have been busy.

• The duo is turning the former Felice Urban Café space on Larchmere Boulevard into Poppy with a downstairs bar and second-floor dining area featuring a traditional food menu.

Banter

Opening: Spring/summer

Details: When owner Matthew Stipe closed his popular Gordon Square sausage and poutine bar in 2020, he insisted it was just temporary.

• A man of his word, Stipe is bringing Banter back to Gordon Square in a bigger space on Detroit Avenue formerly occupied by Minh Anh.

Artis

Opening: Spring

Details: Chef Andrew Mansour, who previously worked at Zhug and Edwins, plans to open his own "shareable steakhouse," Artis, in the space previously occupied by Side Quest Bar in Lakewood.

• Mansour tells Axios the location will feature an art deco vibe influenced by his time as a chef in Miami and New York, as well as his native Cleveland.

Lao Sze Chuan

Opening: Summer

Details: Lao Sze Chuan isn't locally owned, but it comes with big-city pedigree.

• The famed Chinese restaurant group based in Chicago will open its first Ohio location in the space formerly occupied by City Works in Pinecrest.

Evelyn

Opening: September

Details: The aforementioned owners of Salt+ are also preparing Evelyn, a Spanish-style restaurant with elevated tapas and paella.

• Vedaa and Parkison are overseeing a major reconstruction of the former Spice Kitchen + Bar space at West 58th Street and Detroit Avenue.

Be smart: Restaurant opening dates can change, so check the venues' websites and social media pages for updates.