Quirky, cool and culinary, Cleveland is worth a visit. —Noa Nichol
Hotel Heaven
For a comfy stay in Cleveland, look no further than the Ritz-Carlton. Located downtown, it makes walking to restaurants, activities and attractions easy. Many suites boast a view of Lake Erie, and all feature bathrooms stocked with Diptyque products (which can be purchased to take home, too). The hotel’s restaurant, Turn, offers mouth-watering fare, including the aptly named Best Falafel Ever and a deeply delicious, chocolate-y Ritz-Carlton Cake. Staff members provide exceptional, thorough and friendly service, making this property the perfect place to call home during your time in CLE.
Markets & Music
Food is a focus in Cleveland, and nowhere is that more apparent than at the historic West Side Market. Open since 1912, find stuffed peppers, sprinkle doughnuts, bratwurst sandwiches, potato pancakes, spicy enchiladas, meatball subs, spring rolls, beef jerky, baklava and more from 100-plus vendors. For some inedible retail therapy, head to City Goods: seven dome-shaped hangars that house shops with products from small local businesses and makers. Browse vegan-leather bags, natural soaps and salves, honey snacks and … picnic tables for squirrels. Tip: the centre hangar is a cocktail bar serving up aviation-themed sips. And no visit to Cleveland is complete without time spent at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Peer into glass cases filled with the personal items of rock royalty, listen to music’s greatest hits at specially designated booths and even try your own hand at greatness via interactive instrument stations—there’s even a chance to design and print your own band stickers.
Circle Time
University Circle is home to the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The former offers free admission to its permanent collection: artists like Dali, Monet and Warhol. It’s also kid friendly, with a hands-on art experience where littles can spin a pottery wheel, make a collage and create a self-portrait digitally, no cleanup required. Next door, the Museum of Natural History boasts dinosaur bones, resident critters (be sure to meet Meeko, an albino raccoon) and a planetarium offering shows throughout the day. Nearby (though not in University Circle), learn the story of the city through classic cars, election buttons and a working carousel at the Cleveland History Centre. We loved the Fashion After Dark exhibit, which let us explore the impact gaslight and early electricity had on clothing and fabric selection in the late 1800s.
Mummies, Movies & Magick
There’s no shortage of quirky in Cleveland. Mummies of the World, a never-before-seen collection now showing at Playhouse Square’s Corner Gallery, includes preserved human and animal mummies from around the world (fascinating, but not for the squeamish). The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick houses items ranging from Ancient Egyptian ushabtis to artifacts from the Salem Witch trials; learn how to read tea leaves and take home a crystal ball from the gift shop. A Christmas Story House, dedicated to the iconic holiday film, spans several buildings that made up the movie set. Check out Ralphie’s Red Ryder BB gun, the Parkers’ leg lamp and other props; snap a photo with a replica pole (just don’t stick your tongue on it). Last but not least, Coco’s Selfie Space, spread over more than 25,000 square feet of space below the 5th Street Arcade, boasts at least 70 photo spots and countless photo ops, from a life-size Barbie box to a sky-diving simulator. There are costumes, props and ring lights to play with, too.
Chef’s Kiss
Boy, does Cleveland know good food. For breakfast, Addy’s is a no-frills American diner tucked into the 5th Street Arcade, where the coffee is hot and the cheese omelette is an ooey-gooey start to the day. At lunch, Larder’s koji-cured pastrami is stupid good, as is its soft-and-chewy black-and-white cookie (trust us, get two). Slyman’s is iconic; the corned beef sandwich is a monster, and worth the near-certain lineup. Guarino’s is Cleveland’s oldest restaurant; order the Italian wedding soup and a heaping plate of angel hair pasta with sauce. But the crown jewel of it all, in our opinion, is Cordelia: a bona fide “best new restaurant” where, no word of a lie, we ate the greatest meal of our lives (sorry, mom). The menu changes, sometimes daily, but to-die-for dishes we had included a sweet-smoky carrot muhammara with deep-fried soda crackers (a revelation!), creamy artichoke dip with crisp potato chips, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly with sarsaparilla beurre blanc and, to end it, house-made basil-mint ice cream with blueberry jam, topped with a rosé bubble granita and crispy meringue. An elevated Hawaiian shave ice, it was the perfect end to a perfect meal—and an awesome time in Cleveland.
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