^ There are also a couple of places a little closer. Unless they've closed (which they very well may have), there were a couple bar/diner combos at Ontario and St. Clair that served mega-greasy breakfasts. For healthier breakfast options, there's the Au Bon Pain at E. 8thish and Superior and Panera in Tower City. For light fare, there's also Caribou in Tower City and Arabica at Rockwell and Ontario. I know that none of these provide the same visibility or ambiance that you could get at an E. 4th street greasy diner; just noting that there are definitely some options out there.

You could also try PJs Luncheonette in the Colonial Arcade - it ain't haute cuisine, but it's definitely greasy diner fare (and dirt cheap). Another healthy option is Octane Cafe on Euclid near East 6th: http://www.octanecafe.com/powerbreakfast_05.htm

PJs is uber cute!  What about at 2am, though?  I miss this in Ohio City as well...

I personally try to avoid eating after 10pm - a girl's gotta watch her figure, y'know ;-)

 

Maybe they could recreate the Big Egg somewhere along East 4th!

amen to that!  minus the roaches and hairy food, of course!

You know what would make a FANTASTIC all-night diner in the OC? That old bar just over the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge -- I think it's called the Bridgeview? Kind of a dirty white stucco building. It's still operating as a bar at present, but I think it's just crying out for a diner makeover. (O.K., sorry, way off topic again. This thread has a tendency for digression.)

no, I've thought that for years.  passing over that bridge as a teen and now as a 20-something.  let's do it!

It is a few blocks from Soldier Field, so my NFL allegiance is more or less settled.

 

But, The Bucks will be prominently featured.  No papers have been signed, so I guess this would still be an egg in a basket.  I get a formal offer tomorrow.

 

Cleveland is on the horizon.  I want to do a music venue in UC, a nice Euclid Tavern type place.

Give me a few years

 

congrats on the new chicago pub. as for clev, what the hey hows about reusing the 'ol euc itself? thats my idea of a music pub. if anyplace is begging for a comeback its that space.

 

 

 

That bar on Lorain is serious old school grit.

 

Is there still a little greasy diner called "the Spot" or something like that on the south side of Huron between 9th and Euclid?  It may have been a casualty of the rebuilt street.  But back in my intern days downtown it was some serious old-school greasy food.

 

Back to 4th Street:  I wish Otto Moser's was still there.  It's new space still does not click with me; close to the theaters yes, but too big and airy.

Some updates from stroll at lunchtime:

 

Lola--it appears to be all ready.  The only people that I could see in the place were wearing chef hats and were cooking.  Set the tables, take down the brown window paper and open the place up!

 

Bowling for Martinis--work continues.  drywall going up, h/ac vents and electrical work being done.

 

Woolworth on 4th--site of one of the new restaurants. It appears that construction work has begun. but, just barely.

 

Except for the Sincere Building's first floor, the old Cafe 56 storefront and the old jewelry store that isn't owned by Maron, there is work going on in every vacant space.  This is includes spaces that allegedly don't have tenants yet.

Some updates from stroll at lunchtime:

 

we're going to cross paths one of these days, my daily stroll usually takes me down e. 4th

wimwar, I think that some of those storefronts are being used for storage and construction staging for other buildings' rehabs.

 

There is a new Exhibition Cleveland exhibition going into one of the storefronts.

wimwar, I think that some of those storefronts are being used for storage and construction staging for other buildings' rehabs.

 

There is a new Exhibition Cleveland exhibition going into one of the storefronts.

 

I was wondering about that. But I tried to look to see if anything thing there was any new studs or drywall added, but I couldn't really figure that out.  Anyways, E.4 will feel very different in 8 months.

Finally, its here. From the PD..

 

A year late, Lola Bistro arrives

Finally, a year after it was scheduled to open, Lola Bistro opens Friday at 2058 East Fourth St., Cleveland. This is the most anticipated restaurant opening here since the original Classics opened in the old Omni International Hotel nearly 20 years ago. But don't count on walking up and grabbing a table for four. Friday is reservations only, and there are no more available. It wouldn't be a bad idea to call now if you want to get in soon. My money says that for a while, it will be hard to get a seat, with the possible exception of Monday and Tuesday nights. More on Lola next week, after I've eaten there. For reservations, call the restaurant at 216-621-5652.

 

what are the odds of seeing an updated website for the new restaurant?  i know i am demanding, but with a year lead time, what can you expect....

 

www.lolabistro.com

well the brown paper is down on lola, yay for friday.

Last night there was some sort of private party, but tonight it looked open to the public.  I may go in there some night soon just to sit at the bar, get a drink, oggle the menu, and soak up the atmosphere.  Actually eating will require a better job or winning lotto ticket.

Or getting your student loan check in the mail!  Lola, here I come!

you can always eat at the bar

That's one nice thing about eating at the bar - it's no biggie if you just order an app and a drink :-D

Well, the new menu is here - the prices are a smidge higher than when they were in Tremont but I guess that goes with their new flagship restaurant:

 

I'm sure it's all delicious, but come on, not a single entree for us veggies?

Hello, I would like one lamb Porterhouse Please, Med Rare. Thank you

Ahem, WHERE IS THE MAC AND CHEESE????

mayday what a score -- thanks.

 

wow, there is not a dud on the menu, i wanna try it all!

 

ps -- despite the price i find the seafood towers are totally worth it, go with a group for that.

New Lola reflects Symon magic

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Frank Bentayou

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Under spotlights from a high ceiling, the new downtown Cleveland Lola was a room to behold on its first Friday night serving paying guests.

 

Typically of Michael and Liz Symon's restaurants here and in New York, no time elapsed between when a glass door opened and the space erupted in energy...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/food/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1159260211149000.xml&coll=2

A chef's table against the open kitchen can be reserved by a half-dozen or so serious foodies, offering front-row views of the food-prep action and treats from the cooking staff.

 

I don't know if this has been done before to this extent, but it is the first I've heard of it.

Kind of a play off of the diner experience, but with a twist.

What an excellent idea.

I think alot of restaurants have chef's tables.  I know Momocho has one.

You're right. they do. The last one I used to work at (Champps Americana in Lyndhurst) used to have counter beside the kitchen and I have worked at various other places that had tables. I guess I was picturing the table adjacent to the kitchen/prep area and  the cooks handing over a spoon of whatever for the guest to taste... kind of like how Emeril used to do on his show.

(I say used to because I have not watched it in a couple of years)

I don't really know, I've never sat at one.  From what I can gather, at Momocho, you can reserve the chef's table and the chef's will create a menu for you and bring out the food and talk about it with you.  It seems like you would get special items not necessarily on the normal menu, but i'm not sure.

 

The people on the cleveland.com food and wine forum talk about it sometimes.

Stopped in Lola's the other day; they were still pretty much unpacking, setting up.  Seemed friendly.  Got a real nice decor; wine rack looked pretty extensive.  They'll be a welcome addition to our burgeoning E. 4th, foshizel... btw, what's in store for the old Sissler's jewlers building? It appears the only one currently not developed/under development.

 

 

btw, what's in store for the old Sissler's jewlers building? It appears the only one currently not developed/under development.

 

it was proposed to be condos upstairs.  there was a dumpster there earlier this week emptying out the second floor.

 

does anyone know where the patio is going to be for the corner alley?  the original drawings showed it on e4, but i think it would work better on the euclid side.  the frames for most of the windows are in - doesn't look like any sliding window-doors. hopefully i'm wrong about this.

it was proposed to be condos upstairs.  there was a dumpster there earlier this week emptying out the second floor.

 

That's good and that would be about it in terms of residential adaptive reuse for little E. 4th -- it's a rousing success.  Now, wouldn't a nice in-fill high rise be nice to bridge the gap where the vallet's wander?

 

Are apartments still planned for the space above the corner alley? I haven't heard anything about them since the intial announcement and the city project sign makes no mention of apartments.

 

Also for East 4th to be a complete success, the 3 vacant buildings on the south side of prospect between east 4th and 2nd must be redeveloped. I feel it kind of kills the energy when people walk by  dark, blighted buildings. 

Are apartments still planned for the space above the corner alley? I haven't heard anything about them since the intial announcement and the city project sign makes no mention of apartments.

 

Also for East 4th to be a complete success, the 3 vacant buildings on the south side of prospect between east 4th and 2nd must be redeveloped. I feel it kind of kills the energy when people walk by  dark, blighted buildings. 

 

No question about it.  Aparently something is going into May's old building, but it is still a huge blocking hulk which, sadly, cuts of the growing energy from E. 4th (and easterward) from the highly successful Fat Fish Blue @ Ontario & Prospect -- FFB is great but feels like an island development.  We need much more neighborhood linkage in this town.

Are apartments still planned for the space above the corner alley? I haven't heard anything about them since the intial announcement and the city project sign makes no mention of apartments.

 

Also for East 4th to be a complete success, the 3 vacant buildings on the south side of prospect between east 4th and 2nd must be redeveloped. I feel it kind of kills the energy when people walk by  dark, blighted buildings. 

 

No question about it.  Aparently something is going into May's old building, but it is still a huge blocking hulk which, sadly, cuts of the growing energy from E. 4th (and easterward) from the highly successful Fat Fish Blue @ Ontario & Prospect -- FFB is great but feels like an island development.  We need much more neighborhood linkage in this town.

 

Its right accross the street from towercity.  I personally don't feel like it "out there" by itself!

 

Although, I agree in the interm, something should be done at ground level on Prospect infront of May Co.

I agree with clvdr on this.  FFB in a corner location should be anchoring venues on each end of it (Ontario and Prospect)  It is an island developement.  And it really isn't across from Tower City considering Higbee's no longer exists. 

I still think and ESPNZone would go great there, but is that too close in concept to bowling for martinis

A pic of Corner Alley - as the pope pointed out, this is likely the bar area. Looks like they're really coming along!

 

And Lola - pardon the "zoom" blur - I was holding the lens up the window and STILL managed to catch a reflection! :(

wow good work.

 

the corner alley is looking like it will be pretty groovy. it's sure a lot further along than merely a gutted empty space when i saw it.

 

i love that lola pic thats funny. that is the exact same spot i looked in from this summer when it was a mess in there and the bar top had c-clamps around it. glad to hear they are open for biz at last.

Punch,

 

  You are a man of that thinks like me!    ESPNZONE  :banger:

i kinda like the blur from lola

 

and that's right, pope rolls with mayday. don't mess with us.

I really like Lola's look (at least from the outside).  It's modern and spare, but seems just warm enough.

there are a bunch of renderings posted on the Landmarks Commission page, agenda from Sept 28. 

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/agenda/photo/092806/index.htm

 

i'll link a couple of thumbnails (the images are large, but there are many more, including the floor plan showing 16 lanes).  i can't figure out how to link the actual images as the javascript is limited options in the pop up frame.

 

 

 

 

What is planned for above Corner Alley? I can't imagine living or working above a bowling alley.

^Depending on what (if any) sound suppression they use - it might not be completely awful. The last I heard, it was to be residential but that was a while ago. I did notice that they've put in a lot of new glass on both the lower and upper floors :)

What is planned for above Corner Alley? I can't imagine living or working above a bowling alley.

 

well, its better than living below a bowling alley :)

Depending on what (if any) sound suppression they use - it might not be completely awful.

 

the section that is over the bowling alley area had drywall, an air space and new framing, and then double drywall again.  i don't know if they insulated inbetween, but by leaving this air pocket, it will significantly reduce vibrations and noise above.  they did not do this type of consruction in the other areas of the restaurant. 

who wouldn't want to have their offices above a bowling alley/martini bar, though?  I mean, talk about opportunities to wine & dine clientele...you've got it all in the building!  And if you really want to venture out, you can pop down the block to Lola, HoB, Flannery's, or Pickwick...not a bad set of options!  So, can they get better rents from residential or office tenants?  Also, are there restrictions on what uses can go in based on the subsidies they've received? 

and i also think that at least part of the 2d floor was supposed to be overlooking the bowling alley area.  but i don't know how much of the 2d floor the corner alley is taking.