Five Cleveland restaurants that could earn a Michelin star
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The Michelin Guide's anonymous canvassers are scoping out Cleveland as part of a Great Lakes expansion.
Zoom in: Here are five Northeast Ohio restaurants that we think could plausibly earn a Michelin star:
🇧🇷 Batuqui
Star case: Cleveland's best Brazilian joint — recently featured in Joakim Noah's Cleveland redemption visit with Anderson Varejão — relocated to a historic church on Larchmere Boulevard late last year.
- The one-of-a-kind atmosphere elevates the authentic South American cuisine.
🍷 Chez Francois
Star case: The white-tablecloth French bistro in Vermilion is certainly among Northeast Ohio's priciest dinners.
- The commitment to high-class service and atmosphere — jackets are required for men — makes guests feel like every meal there is a special occasion.
🧺 Cordelia
Star case: Vinnie Cimino is Cleveland's hottest chef and once again a finalist for a James Beard Award.
- Cordelia is perhaps the least stuffy fine dining experience in town, with a menu that leans into unpretentious Midwestern charm: pull-apart burgers, deep-fried saltines and the like.
💭 Our thought bubble: Would this be the first Michelin-starred restaurant where you can order a Miller High Life on draft?
🍗 Larder
Star case: Locally sourced meats, lovingly prepared in a setting both rustic and urbane.
- Before you argue it'd be insane to give a delicatessen a Michelin star, try the fried chicken sandwich.
🍽️ Zhug
Star case: Chef Doug Katz's modern Mediterranean restaurant in Cleveland Heights remains the region's premier small-plate experience.
- The extremely dark ambiance at Amba, Katz's Hingetown Indian fusion restaurant, may be more distinctive, but Zhug is the effervescent yang to Amba's yin.
📬 Email us at [email protected] and let us know which Cleveland-area restaurants you think might have a shot at a star.