Sorry to hijack but agree with your sentiments on Kihachi, my wife and I use to eat their frequently. When you say Dublin Sushi, can you clarify? Are you referring to Mr. Sushi, Yoshi’s or another venue?
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Hi Mike - It’s in a strip mall in Dublin, and is literally called Sushi.com . Terrible name, terrific sushi. Also in that strip mall is a place called Napa Kitchen & Bar. It’s off of Muirfield Drive.
Thanks. I’m aware of Sushi.com but haven’t been there. Have been to Napa Kitchen & Bar a few times but it’s been awhile. What made Kihachi so special were the rotating daily appetizers & specials as we rarely ordered off the main menu.
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@Josh_Grossman My middle child got tickets to see Rick Steves next week at Mershon Auditorium. I’m driving from Indiana; she’ll be driving from Denison. Two questions:
What is parking like?
Are there any quick-ish dinner options within walking distance or a short Uber?
Mershon Auditorium is right smack in the middle of the OSU campus, attached to the Wexner Center Art Museum so plenty of garage parking very close. On food not much walkable but I might recommend an Uber to Understory:
Other options might be Pelino’s Pasta, ['plas], or Alqueria
If you have time and are there early, the Orton Geological Museum is unique but closes at 4PM.
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Pelino’s is a good option (lived directly across the street there back in the 70’s). Another option besides Understory which is nearby is Harvest Pizza, and if you’re looking at buying your daughter a steak the new Capital Grille is minutes away from Mershon.
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We went to Alqueria last year. Really enjoyed it!
We might be stuck with college food. She has lab until 4:30 and I’m concerned she won’t get to Mershon until 6pm. Rick goes on at 7.
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Does fet Fisk do corkage? Btw just made James beard finalist
I don’t know about corkage. Now it’s an even tougher reservation.
My daughter is going to attend Kent State U in the fall. We are taking her next week and she’s requested Italian for a nice dinner out. We are booked at a hotel in Streetsboro so was wondering if it’s close enough to Cle to go for dinner ?
Any recommendations ?
It’s about a 40 min drive to downtown from Streetsboro.
You might check out Hudson. It’s a super cute town not far from Streetsboro.
I haven’t been in awhile, so I’m not sure about Italian restaurants there.
If you want to drive downtown, there are quite a few good options. Osteria, Casa La Luna, Oliva (Italian steak house). Oliva is newer and really nice. There are many more. I need to think about it for a sec.
There is also Little Italy, but that will be a trek for you.
My first thought right away and especially for a new to the area college student would be
It’s kind of the institution in the area (~70yrs), it’s prime casual yet will be upscale from what she will be ordering in the dorms thereafter!
Meatballs, Midwest pizza and Akron salad (mozz with a little lettuce) are all good. It’s is not refined food though.
If you are looking for something more refined though and traveling (easy drive) is an option I think Giovanni’s is probably the highest end (old school) in CLE. I haven’t been in ages and they used to require a jacket, but they have relaxed that.
I used to love Bruno’s (prob too far for this) but have heard it’s not the same but it/was a cool place.
In my experience Little Italy has been disappointing (besides really a hard drive to get to) in general for food. It’s a cool place to visit, but culinary chops aren’t the high point besides the Cassata cake.
Il Venetian and Osteria are probably the most acclaimed downtown.
I’m not really a high end Italian diner, so take my thoughts as just a starting point for general ideas.
If you have time for breakfast, I would suggest
Down that way at some point.
I agree that Hudson is a Nice place to stroll and there probably are some places worth exploring but it’s just not on our radar.
(I keep updating as I think)
I bit further but cooler would be Chagrin Falls. A real old school downtown gone upscale. This might fit (maybe the best mid range option, close and in cool spot, patio ect)
There’s an old school wine/cheese/beer shop around the corner in a cool spot worth browsing where I cut my teeth…(again I haven’t been lately, prob nothing to find great but worth a walk through town).
ok nice suggestions. A couple ,more questions if you please. I was told to avoid Akron. Correct ?
Is Cuyahoga Falls a suburb of Akron and a decent alternative to going to Cleveland ?
I don’t know that you need to avoid it, but there probably just isn’t much reason to go there to hang out. There are some nice things to do, (art museum, baseball ect) but it’s kind of a depressed old rubber factory town that’s lacking on general energy. In fact it can be sad realizing what it once was. (Tough to admit since I was born there)
Cuyahoga Falls is its own city but does feel like a suburb of Akron to me, since it’s just so close.
Again nothing wrong just not horribly exciting. Front St is a nice enough place to window shop and grab coffee ect.
“I went back to Ohio, but my city was gone.” - Chrissie Hynde
Cuyahoga Falls is plenty safe if you find a dining option you like there
We only had time for 1 dinner. Did Cafe Toscano in Aurora. Very nice and friendly.
Thanks everyone. I’ll be back of course.
Much as @Robert_M_yers said, Akron is not a bad place, but there aren’t too many things to do. The art museum is however very much worth a visit if you happen to be in Akron. Another curiosity is the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology, on the edge of the Univ of Akron campus. Finally, not very far out of Akron there is Stan Hywet Hall, if you’re interested in a late 19th/early 20th century industrialist’s mansion — a pretty impressive example with extensive grounds around it.
I appreciate that knowledge John. My grandfather was Emeritus university of Akron Psychology professor. I spent lots of time there as a child.
I’ve never heard of the Cummings center. Not sure how…but cool!
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