Lola
 

Watching Iron Chef Michael Symon compete (and rack up the wins) on Food Network and do his thing on The Chew, you very quickly get the sense that this Cleveland-born chef has the cooking chops to back up the air time. His flagship restaurant Lola (relocated from its original Tremont location to downtown Cleveland, and helmed by executive chef Joe Swan) is not a good restaurant, it’s a great one. You can expect the meat-centric fare that Symon is best-known for (bone marrow, beef cheek pierogi, venison, pork shank, you get the idea), but it’s all served with a delicate touch. Take for example, a fried pig’s ear and watermelon summer salad offered on a tasting menu a few years ago — memories still linger. -- Arthur Bovino