- here we go, flats east bank everybody. welcome to new day cleveland, i'm david moss one of those shows that you're gonna find invigorating and you're gonna say, "i can't believe i found this "in my own backyard." if you haven't been to the flats in recent years, you have not been to the flats, especially the flats east bank. just check it out. beautiful river here, we got the boats, we got the bridges, but we got a whole bunch of brand new clubs, restaurants, even a hotel. and if you get a little bored on this side, we got a way to get to the other side, there's a taxi, a water taxi. so, we've got a lot to show you on new day cleveland today. and we're gonna get started with one

c) - talk about dining with an amazing view and we couldn't be at another place other than one of zack bruell's amazing locations, alley cat, here in the flats. zack, i know that you have had such a reputation here in cleveland with so many wonderful restaurants. this being, probably too many for you to count, i think it's your eighth, though, if i'm counting correctly. - well, maybe nine. - maybe nine, oh my gosh. - i think nine. different restaurants in town, how do you make each one stand out and what makes this one so different? - [zack] well, every one is different. i mean, you can go from a brasserie to italian food to a fusion cuisine. this one is shore food. this is a seafood restaurant, it's an oyster house. so, on the weekends here we could, on one night alone, we could shuck 3,000 oysters. and we're shucking to order, we're not pre-shucking.

sters, bar one, two. go. - heard. - [zack] this is the first of our restaurants that are sort of a main stream restaurant. this is not intended to be fine dining. this is supposed to be, you know, just an escape for the evening, and you're escaping to the shore. but what shore is it? that's the question. are we on the east coast, or are we on the west coast? - [natalie] you could be both, right, you almost combine. - this is sort of like this hybrid. but this is something that i would envision having moved back here from los angeles. e in southern california. - [natalie] so, it doesn't have to be a special night out to come out and enjoy these meals. you've made it in a way so that it is, it could be at any night of the week that someone could come and enjoy the food here. - [zack] well, not just this restaurant but all of our restaurants. we encourage people to come back on a regular basis. we don't care if you come in and just make a meal out of appetizers. there's no problem doing that. it's like we're not asking people to break the bank

to come back. - [natalie] and the view, i mean how can you beat the view? - [zack] this is incredible. in the middle of service, a barge will come by that could be 300 feet long, and you know, things just come to a grinding halt when it does because people are just mesmerized by it. - [natalie] and i'm mesmerized by the food. we gotta talk about this a bit here. look at this fish platter. - [zack] okay well, we usually do a whole fish dish. and coconut rice. one of the signature dishes of the restaurant are these stuffed peppers. now, these are the types of dish that you would see in any hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant in southern california. but what makes 'em different is that they have soy sauce drizzled over 'em. broccoli caesar salad, it's charred broccoli caesar salad. - [natalie] i've never seen a charred broccoli caesar salad,

. (laughing) then we have a braised beef dish with a peruvian pepper. - [natalie] so, it's not just about seafood here. - [zack] exactly, it's like i know some people aren't always in the mood for fish, so there are options. all of my menus-- - wow. - have a lot of choice. that way, you can't get through the menu once with a group of four people, you have to keep comin' back. - you can't go wrong. that is to die for. i've had the salmon here, it's delicious. ng that's a little bit different and out of this world. - one of the things i wanted to become known for was a drink called the michelada. it's a tomato, clamato juice, and beer over ice. it's something that if you were in mexico, you had a hangover the next day, this is what you'd start your day out with. - the food is delicious, the drinks are here for you to enjoy, the view is impeccable, and you can come here anytime of year. even in the wintertime, still get this amazing view,

i can't thank you enough for having us here. - thank you, thank you. - i'll be back time and time again, that's for sure. - [zack] we will see everybody really soon (upbeat pop music) (thumping pop melody) - we're startin' at a place called beerhead bar and eatery, nick is here. you're gonna save me, right nick? - i try. - because i look at the wall here, and i think when people come in here and you ask them, you say, "what would you like to have?" how long does it take them to make a decision? - if i leave it up to them, a few minutes. - i bet, because how many choices are there? - about 460. - 460 choices, so beerhead's a pretty good name for the place. - yeah, shoe fits wear it, right? - yeah, right, right, so i learned that this place is also in chicago, you have a place in pittsburgh, a place in rochester, new york, you were saying.

on the east bank of the flats, and how's it going? - so far, so good. it's good to see the mix of people that come down here. you have the younger generation, you have the older generation that remembers the flats, for when it was. - yeah. - and now to see what it is, it's exciting. - [david] and i think it's pretty exciting for a person who's really into beer, because you can find a beer here that you liked, you had somewhere else, that you can't find, it's probably here, right? - [nick] yeah. - [david] what would be one of those beers? - honestly, it depends on what you go for. nda lucky in our position, it turns out we're pretty good customers, so we get kind of a the head on.-- - [david] the pick. - right. sleeper cell is one of those from founders. it's a 10% double ipa. - [david] do you have have it here? - yes. - [david] could you pour a little taste? - absolutely. - [david] yeah, like that's a good example. like, i've had beers like, we were at founders one time, and i had some great beers there. they were terrific but when i came back to cleveland you couldn't find them.

- [nick] and you just gotta know where to go. - (chuckles) beerhead. hey, so this is 10%, right? - yep. - so, i think i'll be okay after this, right? that is terrific. - not bad. - that is terrific. i've heard of a place called 3 floyds. do you guys ever get a chance to get anything from 3 floyds? - yes, and it's pretty much as soon as we get it on, it's gone when people know that we have it. - so, that is something that you can honestly tell the audience that it's almost impossible to get, you almost have to win the lottery of beer to get that beer. - pretty much. it took us a while to get it but again, and honestly, i think the three comes from like a three-day mark. that's about how long they last around here. - [david] that is amazing. you've got all the beers on tap, we talked about over 460 beers. how many are on tap versus bottles? - [nick] we have 50 on draft, three of them are nitro lines. and then, we have. what, about 410 in bottles, seasonals will change that. if we get large-format bottles, that'll change,

- i certainly hope not. (laughing) - [david] not after a couple of these, you won't. - no. - [server] thank you. - [david] hey, i saw some great stuff on the menu, too. like i'm a fried chicken freak. how's the fried chicken here? - [nick] our wings, they're wonderful. - [david] yeah. - you can get 'em with reaper sauce, which is basically just really, really, really hot sauce, barbecue sauce, but they're occasion dry rub. it's hard to beat it. - [david] yeah, i saw some great pizzas. - [nick] our pizzas, that's the best. - [david] what's your favorite? - [nick] goodfella, number one pizza. - [david] what's on the goodfella? - you get pepperoni, mild sausage, bacon, it of herbs, you know, basil, that kind of stuff. but i always tell people we have great beer and you have to have good food that goes along with it. - [david] yeah. - between that and our barbarian pretzel, which is about this big, it's really tough to beat it. - [david] and you can't really talk about beer much without talking about brats. you've got some pretty special brats here, too. - yes, 4-hour ale braised bratwurst comes with an onion jam, beer mustard, beer, why not? - what's the sleeper on the menu?

- [nick] i think the reaper dip. it has reaper sauce in it. it's like buffalo chicken dip on steroids. - [david] there is terrific stuff there. okay, so what beer should i try for my exit here as we go to break? - [nick] oh, what do you normally drink? - [david] well, i like those, everyone likes those ipas now, right? - you can get an ipa anywhere, that's a black ipa. that's from millersburg brewing company, it's called a currant event. wait till you see what that tastes like. - tell you what, when you come here you better talk to nick a little bit, because obviously he knows his stuff. whoa, big surprise. - yeah. - [david] terrific stuff, thank you, nick. - you're welcome. - beerhead bar and eatery. - great talkin' with ya. - we have some more surprises coming up right after the break. i like this surprise.

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it's our very special road trip in the flats. that's right, the east bank of the flats, and if you're looking for elegant food, really stylin' food, i think bold food and drink is the right place. right, chady? - yes, it sure is. you're in for a treat. - okay, so i learned how to say chady's name. how do you spell your name? - c-h-a-d-y. - okay, remember that, because when you come in here, chady's the guy who can help ya, and a lot of great things going on here.

as you walk around different bars and saloons, and all kinds of different ethnic foods. but this is where you come, it's more of a steakhouse kind of feel, isn't it? - correct, however, we have the kick when it comes to the food, but then when it comes to the prices, we try to keep it very affordable, and yet just really big food portion. - [david] yeah, really great stuff. i was looking at that, too. and i was, my boys are 20 and 22, they come down here a lot. because you've got like some great burgers on the menu, they're unbelievable. - [chady] we have something on the menu to please everyone. anywhere, it starts from like little snacks, sandwiches, salads, starting basically from five dollars going all the way to like 30, 33 bucks. - [david] you know why that is? because you have a secret weapon here. you make the ossobuco, you've got the duck, you've got the comfit, and you've got the burgers,

chef athenos have three restaurants and this is the third and definitely most, the boldest. - yeah. - hence, the name. - it's terrific. you know, i look at this wall of drinks here. it is beautiful to look at. what kind of drinks do you guys make here? - [chady] we have a lot of seasonal drinks, in the summer, mojitos. - [david] i could get a mojito? - [chady] yes. - [david] i could get a daiquiri? - [chady] you can get a, we can make you a daiquiri, however, we do, lately, a lot of bourbon-infused drinks, huckleberries, whatever's in season and is special we're always on board for that. - [david] there's really a big revival in those old-time cocktails, too, like the manhattans. - correct. - the old fashioneds. - [chady] we do have manhattans and old fashioneds on the new drink menu. - [david] yeah. - it's amazing, and we use all local ingredients,

stuff. - yes. - [david] and i wanna tell everybody, too. you know, we were talking about being being elegant food in an elegant restaurant, but you can walk in here, however you're dressed in the flats, it's a casual spot. it's just the food is elegant, but like you said, priced at a place where everybody can afford it and enjoy the best there is to be had. - [chady] the whole idea if you wanna come out with your, you know, loved one or friends, and you don't have to break the bank to just come in and enjoy very, very good food. - [david] and it's an open kitchen, so you can say hello to demetrios, give him a big wave, he'll wave back. he's a very friendly guy. it's a terrific place, and now i think we're ready lly big. are you ready for something big? - i am. - we're calling it the big bang. - [band announcer] okay everyone, now this next one, it's not a new song, but it's a song everybody knows. here we go. (piano introduction) - [craig] the big bang is a high-energy dueling piano bar. we play primarily guests' requests with a ton of crowd interaction. ? sloopy hang on ? o-h-i-o - [craig] on a normal night there'll be three

and then we have a third or fourth that is constantly interacting and jumping on the stage for bits and pieces of the show. ? hang on sloopy, sloopy hang on - so when the requests are generated, we have request sheets on each table as well as on the bar tops. and then, the customers fill those out and just drop them off on top of the pianos. ? say my name, say my name ? you actin' kinda shady - [zach] it's a lot of fun. it's always different. so, it could be any genre of any decade, it could be any demographic, any age group. people come to have a good time. they come to participate. they come to interact. and it's just it's all around, it's a really good musical show. it's not like anything you'll see any other place. - [band announcer] turn your volume up, people. ? rockin' my life away - [zach] people always try to give us the crazy requests. it's all over the board and it keeps it really interesting. it keeps it really fresh. (rock n' roll bridge)

es and appetizers, and flat bread pizzas. things that you be havin' a good time and still have something to eat while enjoying the show. ? when i came knockin' ? i hid and prayed we have 10 beers on tap that are local, as well as two feature beers. we also have an extensive drink menu that's made up by us and it's done seasonally. (rousing singing with piano) - [zach] people just, they love it. they love somebody that can play music you know, more than just a dj, you know. live entertainment, i don't think will ever die off because there's something magical about somebody actually performing. - [band announcer] clap your hands for our cheerleaders. (applause) - so, if you wanna check out the big bang, it's right behind punch bowl social, around the corner from bold food and drink. and guess what: more new day cleveland coming up right after the break.

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i know you! [laughs] welcome! hi! we're your neighbors. we live across the street. thanks for this. like the rest of the hood. genius. yeah, they offer tons of free hd channels. and you can record six shows at the same time. and with the super fast internet, entertainment nirvana! wow. nirvana. switch to time warner cable for $89.99 per month, you'll get free hd channels, 30 meg internet with no data cap, and unlimited calling. call now. looks like you're all hooked up. game's about to start. let's do it. we're watching here? oh yeah. ohh. how about you and i go watch my favorite show? switching is easy.

a money-back guarantee, and there's no contract to sign. oh you've got the twc phone. it's unlimited calling to like half the world. including mexico, canada, india, european union. yeah. this will work as a coffee table. don't! ah! it says...fragile. get tv, internet and phone for $89.99 per month. plus free installation, tv equipment, and epix included. call now. (honking) - welcome back to new day cleveland. it's our very special show, flats east bank, and sometimes you might want to go to the west bank. but how do you do it? how do you get to the west bank to the east bank?

t. - how are you, sir? - i'm good. - i didn't ask for permission to come aboard but does everyone have to ask for permission to come aboard your taxi? - no, you don't. everyone's welcome. - okay, let me start off by saying this is the cleanest taxi i've ever been in. (laughing) - a safe boat is a clean boat. - a safe boat is a clean boat. and it is a water taxi, that's what you call it, right? - yes. - okay, so we get on the water taxi. what's our location and where do people find it? - [captain] well, right now, we're on the east bank. we are located right next to coastal taco. we're underneath the main avenue bridge. and our dock on the west bank is just south of music box supper club. mile, so i have to watch out you're gonna take me the right way, or how do you charge? - if we did, it would be an even cheaper trip. it's two dollars for a ticket. that ticket's good all day long. so whatever our operating hours are for the day, your ticket, you can go back and forth as many times as you want. - [david] so, i buy a two dollar ticket, and you take me to the west side. - right. - [david] then i decide i don't wanna be on the west side. i get back on, come back to the east side. - [captain] come right back. - [david] take my ticket out, i wanna go back to the west side. and what time do you guys operate? what are your operating hours? - [captain] well, on thursdays, we run from four to seven p.m.

m. and on sundays, 11 to seven p.m. - okay, is there a first class, and coach, and all that kind of stuff, like on a boat? - no, your two dollar ticket gets you into any seat on the boat. - and do you serve dinner or drinks or anything like that? - no, no, but if you would be interested in a longer boat ride, we do offer river tours. - oh, on this same boat? - on this same boat. on tuesdays, we have a two-hour-long river tour. it's $15 a person. you need to call the canalway visitor's center to make a reservation. we cover about a six mile stretch of the cuyahoga river and we have a naturalist on board that narrates that trip. - [david] so, what kind of things can you learn on that trip? - [captain] well, you get up and close to the, real close to the freighters. you see the commercial and industrial side of the flats and the river. and then also the entertainment zone where we are now. (rhythmic techno-rock) - [david] there's a restaurant way up river that the metroparks owns, i think, isn't it? do you guys stop there, or just turn around there? - that's actually where our trips depart from,

- oh, so you go to merwin's for that trip. - right. - okay, so if you wanna take just the taxi, you come here next to coastal taco. - [captain] coastal taco or next to the music box. - [david] okay, so how long's this trip gonna take, the two dollar trip across here? - [captain] it's literally about a 1 1/2 minute ride. - [david] 1 1/2 minute ride. so, it's so close, do you recommend the taxi versus swimming? - yes, definitely, much safer. - much safer, yeah. people have tried to swim across here and it's not a good idea. - no, it's not, very dangerous. - yeah, so it's great. so, jump on board captain michael's, here. how many different captains are there? - we have about six different captains. put your hand up, come on, put your hand up. there ya go. - everybody's good. - there we go. so, check it out, it's only two dollars, and if you wanna take that longer trip, you go up to merwin's and that way you can find out about that also. when does that run? - those trips run tuesdays, and we have a 30 minute trip on wednesdays. - okay, so that's a great way to learn your way around here and it's a beautiful ride here. beautiful day, even when it rains a little bit. - it's very tropical out today. - hey, thank you very much. and i think the coastal taco's right up there and i think that's where we're gonna find natalie.

- well, we are in downtown cleveland, here in the flats. but when you come to coastal taco, you could be in any other beach city nearly in the entire world. and erin, i think would know that more than anybody else here, being that you're the manager. this place is unbelievable. - well, thank you. i'm glad you like it. it has been unbelievable, and we really wanted to bring, you know, our great feelings or going to the coast, or the lake. you know, we wanted to bring that kind of feeling to cleveland and i think we have. i think that you get that feeling when you're here. - [natalie] you absolutely do, i mean from the inside area to outdoors, you have games out here on the fake little grass that you have. - our backyard? - your little backyard area. the great benches you have set up here. you have this backdrop behind us that's incredible. the fire pit, on the inside, the fireplace, which is gorgeous.

- [natalie] thank you. - lodgey feel, so you can come in and you know, warm up by the fire on these cold cleveland nights, which are, they're coming. so, i know our patio season will have to come to an end sometime. - [natalie] but the restaurant won't be, you can-- - [erin] it won't, it'll keep going. - be indoors, fire going. - fire going. - [natalie] totally different feel almost. - [erin] yeah. - [natalie] and then, i feel like during, it's the same when you come here during the day and at night. two different worlds almost, in a way. - [erin] yeah, by day, you know, you get the lunch crowd, they come down, they wanna be by the water and take a little break. the families coming down to play games, and the kids play with the jenga blocks, which is a lot of fun. and then at night, like the switch flips, and it's, you know, it's a little bit of a playground down here, to really hang out, let loose. and, you know, our vibe. you know, it's coastal, you know, it's island time. you know, we wanna kinda give that to the people that live downtown, and the people that come in. - [natalie] you take a day off work here in cleveland, and you come down here for the evening,

- that's how i feel. - fire plus chill. - yes. - [erin] that's what we're tryin' to, you know, give people a way to chill out. - [natalie] and so, are these the signature drinks that everyone must love? - [erin] this is the margarita, yeah. so, all fresh ingredients here, fresh lime juice, just a little bit of agave syrup. - [natalie] delicious, delicious. - [erin] and really nice tequila milagro, which is a very smooth tequila, little bit higher end. so, it's a little bit pricier than the normal margarita, but-- - but it's worth it, let me tell you, that's delicious. - i think it's worth it. - i have a feeling i know what else is worth it here: - so, i think it's time to bring up the food, don't you? - [staff] let's go! - [natalie] all right, erin, i didn't think i could be more impressed with this place and now you've done it. - all right. - this food looks amazing. and i see clearly, you're known for your tacos. so, let's start with the tacos. and there's quite a variety here, i must say. - yes, well, chef george is great.

- [erin] yeah, cuban, kind of heart. so, you get that in the food for sure, but-- - [natalie] is that where the corn comes from, too? - [erin] yeah, it's a kind of a mexican street corn. very down, you wanna think like, something that you go, if you go to cabo, and you get at the beach, or you go to like the shore and you get a burger. you know, the jersey shore. and so it evokes that. but tacos, all kind of like hand made, all individually put together. but you have our steak taco there, that's your chicken tinga, e baja blue cod, which is a, you know, play on the baja fish taco. - that's the one i'm going to be going for. - and then, yeah, yeah, go ahead. and that's fried in a rice flour, too, so it's still gluten free with a corn tortilla. - okay. - it's a little bit lighter of a flour so it's not, you know, as heavy and bad for you as like a-- - so, you feel good about eating your tacos. - you do, you should. especially, after you have a couple of margaritas, you know? - exactly. - and then you have the mahi, that's our, you know, mahi taco there.

this is the chicken tinga, that is a tamale. and rather than putting the meat inside, which is kind of the traditional way to do it, the chef changed it up a little bit and did a tamale which is all corn, you know, masa, and then topping on top. you know, you take the lime, put it on as you like. - [natalie] and is this the one of the bowls? - [erin] that's one of the bowls. - [natalie] so it's a burrito bowl you can get. - [erin] yeah, yeah. - [natalie] i love the idea of this, too. - [erin] so, maybe a little higher end than you would think of like a chipotle bowl - gotcha, gotcha. - you know what i mean? - [natalie] and it probably tastes fabulous. and then, if you don't really want the whole fish end like your burgers. - [erin] yeah, two patties, cheddar cheese there, you got a great-lookin' burger, it's delicious. jalapeno slaw and then malanga chips, which are a peruvian, like root vegetable. - [natalie] i love this, so they're fried? - [erin] they are fried but they are also very light. a few good chips are also healthy for you, like plantains. - and i think one of the best things about this place is that you can get these items until what time of night? - you can get them until 1:30 in the morning.

eat late night. - last call for food, 1:30. - it's one of the only places you can do that down here in the flats, which is awesome. - we just started doing it, and we're sure it's gonna catch on. late night and tacos and margaritas kind of go together. - i'm all in. erin, thank you so much. you gotta dig in with me, right? - yeah, i will. - gotta taste these. this is awesome. (upbeat latino music) (rhythmic jazz) of the flats east bank and visiting a restaurant

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- [david] check it out, a giant freighter headed up the mighty cuyahoga. welcome back to new day cleveland and we are in the flats east bank. did i say that right, heidi? - yes, flats east bank. - because heidi is the person who knows all about this i was here in the beginning, like many, many years ago. - you walked up the hill. - walked up the hill. and (chuckles) this is not the flats i remember. - yeah, it's absolutely different. we are revitalizing, it's something that you've probably never seen before. it's just gorgeous. you don't even realize you're in cleveland. - no, heidi's taking me to school now, and the first thing i learned when i walked out on this, what is this called? - [heidi] a boardwalk. - [david] this is the boardwalk. this is one of the most fabulous, beautiful things in cleveland, right now. - [heidi] oh, it's gorgeous. i mean, you get to see, you just saw it, the boats.

- [david] it's always been a big attraction, a big draw for people to come here. especially that come from out of town and they see the stacks of gravel, and the bridges, and the movement down here, and the life. but you put it on a new stage. - [heidi] yeah, it's just a gorgeous feel from the restaurants, to the apartments, to the office buildings, it's just got this overall great feel. - [david] so, we say flats east bank. how is the personality of the flats east bank different than the west bank? - [heidi] you know, we have that water taxi that takes us to and from. - [david] aha. - [heidi] yeah, so we definitely work together. we love the flats east banks, or the flats in general. but the flats east banks, we've got great venues, great restaurants, and then we have the hotel and the ey tower, and our apartments buildings that really set us apart. - [david] yeah, this is one of those destinations where there is something for everyone. i mean, if you're in a very casual mood, there are how many choices for a casual mood you have? - [heidi] oh, at least, yeah, i can't even count. you know, we have so many great restaurants with phenomenal chefs in town, you know, from zack bruell to fabio serlarno

i mean, you just have so many options from the food side. but then from the bar side, we can go to big bang, we can go to forward, we can go to anywhere. i mean, you can really cover your bases here. - [david] and you can find anything you want. i mean there's a thousand kinds of beer here. there's different kind of ethnicity. - yes, have you been to beerhead yet? - yes. - so, thousands of beers. i mean, you know, with all the new changes in the beer laws, i mean you can go there and you can really see some new stuff going on. - what's your favorite thing about being down here? - that's a really hard question. a favorite, 'cause that's the number one question a lot: like, what's your favorite place to go? but i think, for me, i just love to experience it all. you know, big bang is one of those places that's just a good time. and i didn't know that i was gonna love it, and i have such a good time there. and then, you know, with my kids, they love punch bowl. i bring my children down here all the time. sit on coastal taco, they play games, there's ping pong, there's stuff going on. i can't even tell you what my favorite thing. - see, heidi answered my question. my favorite thing is discovery. all those things you said.

me down here and stand on the boardwalk and look back at the skyline, i mean, it's such an unique place. - [heidi] people say, "who's your demographic?" it is genuinely all over the place. - [david] this is the thing that people for years have been saying, why don't they do this? why don't they do that? why don't they do this with cleveland, and all this wonderful stuff? well, guess what? all the wonderful stuff has landed, and it's landed here in the flats east side. - yeah, it's been amazing. - it's fantastic. i am going to go to another place, i bet you tell me it's amazing. it's called willeyville. - yes, yep, they have great food on the table. (upbeat pop music) (train warning bells) - [chris] concept behind willeyvile essentially is doing as much scratch cooking as possible using local ingredients. nothing that's new to the country, but a little bit newer to the city.

uce. we ferment our own peppers and then mix it with butter and a little xanthan gum. we literally do everything we possibly can from scratch. touching everything, making sure everything tastes unique to what it really is, respecting the ingredients. i would call it modern american, that changes seasonally to multiple seasons, or just on my whim. which, you know, i could eat indian food yesterday and decide to do some tandoori today. you know, when you know how to cook, you're able to kinda do that. twice-cooked fries and some sausage gravy, house-made ricotta cheese and bacon. but at the end of the day we hope that it's better-tasting food. just really simple, great cuisine, doesn't need to be all this crazy stuff, it could just be three or four simple ingredients, you know, just mixed really well. (funky upbeat music) i always akin or equate great food to kind of great songs.

a little chili flake, a little salt, some herbs, some house-made ricotta and heavy cream whipped together. that is definitely something that everyone should get when they come here if they've never tried it. it has our sour dough on it, and hopefully, it makes, you know, the best, most unique table bread you could possible get in the city. the only big thing we had for the architect was we wanted this place in a few years to look and feel like an old pair of jeans. which was, we wanted to age gracefully, very warm, very inviting. and then, we wanted us, you know, i logged that open kitchen because as a chef, you like that energy. you feed off the energy of the crowd and all that stuff. our whole thing was casual fine dining. so, i've come from a fine dining background, and i've always hated that funeral parlor like formality of it, where everyone's, oh (shushes)

you wanna celebrate your anniversary, so that's my thing. everyone could come in any way, shape, or form. thing i love most about cooking really is, i really just love the tangibility of it, putting something on the plate. and it's always a challenge. - you gotta check it out. who doesn't love that fresh ricotta and the smell of fresh-baked bread? from the flats east bank after the break. - [natalie] it's a big social atmosphere. everyone gathered around the punch bowl and have a great drink.

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thmumaaz it's our very special show, flats east bank. and i tell you, we've been having a great time here enjoying all the entertainment, and some of the great food here. and you know, you look around and you see these different condominiums and apartments people have here. people live down here and get to enjoy it all the time. but if you wanna come down just for a couple of days, or you have friends coming to town for a little stay, how about a hotel? it's right there, it's called aloft. (mellow jazz riff)

- [bill] the aloft is kind of a newer brand within starwood hotels. it's different than your average hotel stay. the design, it's, well, modern, chic, and sassy is the aloft words for it. it's got the industrial feel to it. fits real nicely in the downtown cleveland area, that's for sure. it's a really fun place to come down, beautiful views of lake erie, right at the mouth of the cuyahoga river. it is the spot to be in downtown cleveland. (uptempo jazz) you can bring the train in, you can uber in from the airport, or if you're comin', you park your car once, and it's really all you need your vehicle for when you're here with us. we have 12 to 13 different food and dining options, right here, some nightclubs, some entertainment options. a lot going on right in this immediate area here in the flats. the hotel is kind of the hub of the new entertainment district,

we have 150 rooms, different than the average hotel. they're efficient in size, nothing oversized, nothing more than you actually need in a room. the unique lighting, the unique colors, the unique fabrics, really separates us from a lot of the different hotel brands. standard guest room here with two queen beds. this is a corner unit with views of lake erie and the cuyahoga river. as you can see, there is plenty of space here. flat screen tvs, pillow top beds, unique to aloft hotels, separate restroom areas, sink area. every room with a refrigerator and safe in every guest room. complimentary wifi all throughout the hotel. a remix lobby area really invites the guests to come down, get out of their rooms, mix and mingle with other guests of the hotel.

we have a patio facing west, the best sunset views in the downtown area right over lake erie. we also have the living room backyard area with a two-sided fireplace you can enjoy indoor or outdoor out lounging, right adjacent to the wxyz bar, so you can get one of our custom cocktails, relax next to the fireplace, summer or winter, and hang out right under the bridges of downtown cleveland. wxyz, it's quite a unique little bar atmosphere, as well. a week, actually, extended happy hour on sundays. the aloft brand, it's kind of a at home feel. it's kind of a casual business style hotel. we want you to feel welcome. anything you need, we're gonna do our best to take care of it for you.

and i tell you, so many things to do, i can't find her. she's probably doing something social. where? punch bowl social. (mellow ballad rock music) (patrons cheering) - if you wanna have a little bit of fun when you come down here to the flats, i think this would be the place to be. we are here at punch bowl social. - well, thanks for coming. - i love this place because you walk in, number one, it's huge, and i just feel like it's an atmosphere that you wanna come, you wanna bring a big group of people to. - it is, we've been recognized as being one of the favorite places to come to celebrate birthdays. but it is a place that really resonates to multi-generational folks, i mean, millennials all the way to generation-xers. people love, as parents, to bring their kids back

ew up with. you know, so it really resonates to every age group. - [natalie] so, what would you say is the whole, i guess, idea behind a place like this? - well, punch bowl social is a, you know, it's a three-pronged approach. first and foremost, is that we are culinary destination, with a scratch kitchen. we have a great culinary partner in huge acheson, who in addition to being a celebrity chef has also really helped bring, i think, punch bowl p four years ago. - [natalie] well, why don't we stick with the food theme, real quick now. i know that you have quite a variety, but it starts with some good happy hour dishes. - we have some great happy hour items. we run happy hour everyday from three to six o'clock, and that same menu option is also available for our late night offerings after 10 or 11 o'clock when the full menu kind of closes down.

- [dennis] we have everything from small plate items that can be shared, we do big plates for multiple people. we also have salads, and sandwiches, and other bigger entrees. we also serve breakfast everyday until three o'clock, so there's some breakfast options on there. we have a bigger brunch menu on saturday and sunday, when we open up at nine a.m. you know, with a bloody mary bar on sundays. - oh, gotta love a good bloody mary bar. also, a dj in house on sundays that plays some really great music to go along with your morning brunch. wash a lot of that down with and i know they have great bloody marys - always, here. - but these are just two of your many drinks. of course, i go for, this is the non-alcoholic drink? - it is. - so, what is this? - this is called the almond joy. a great contemporary milkshake with flavorings of the almond joy candy bar. - [natalie] and that one? - [dennis] this is one of our punches called the bachelor's cup, we have-- - it's beautiful. - three punches on our menu,

at least, minimum, monthly. punch is thought as the original cocktail. - [natalie] yes. - [dennis] and it's always a mix of some alcohol with some spice and some weak and strong flavors with it. - [natalie] it just brings together, i think, the whole idea of what you're going for here. it's a big social atmosphere, everyone gather around the punch bowl and have a great drink. - exactly. - now, the entertainment then, too, i mean, they come here and they play all these great games. to your childhood. - actually, we have bowling first and foremost. and our lanes are not necessarily regulation size, but they're there for fun. they can do 10-pin, they can do all kinds of different bowling games. - [natalie] i don't even see this. is this around the corner somewhere? - [dennis] so, there's eight lanes that we have in house. - wow. - [dennis] and they're set up in different areas for folks. we also have ping pong, we have a magnetic wall scrabble,

old-style pinball machines, a four-man pacman. we even have an imported bonzini table, which is an eight to 10 person foosball table. - [natalie] okay, so i said at the beginning of this segment, and i thing he's just explained why. if you wanna come down to the flats, have fun, enjoy yourself, bring a big group of people, have a birthday party, or just come down and enjoy your weekend, this is where you come. - absolutely, this is where you come. - punch bowl social. dennis, thank you. - thank you. (easy rock melody) (cheering) (mellow jazz music) - [chef] come pick up. - [natalie] when we return, we're bringing you a taste of italy. it's italian food at its finest.

- welcome back to new day cleveland.

i should say. and shouldn't you be at townhall? (laughs) - this is fabio. - i wear a few different hats. - fabio. - you caught me here today. - yeah, congratulations on that townhall, it's one of the most successful restaurants in cleveland. - oh, i appreciate that, thank you. - yeah, that's terrific. - i appreciate that, yeah. - so, here we are at lago, beautiful place. and this is, did you take this on as a hobby, or what's goin' on here? - ah well, fortunately or unfortunately, it's a family business. and i've been in it for a while, and my family had restaurants. i grew up in the business. sed to be in tremont, we were there for seven years. - [david] oh yeah. - and the flats project here presented an opportunity for us to come down, expand what we do, the catering and event business, as well as an italian restaurant. so, it was a great opportunity for us and we took it. - [david] so, you guys, your family definitely has your finger on the pulse of the city, what's going on here, huh? - well, i tell you what, i have a lot of history down in the flats, i started my-- - [david] you can't tell people about that, though. (laughs)

i used to live in miami. when i moved back and it was really an amazing thing for us to kind of come full circle and come back down here, me and my wife, and open this business down here. we were one of the first leases signed down here at acre restaurant for the aloft hotel, and it's been pretty amazing for us. - [chef] got a halibut going. - [david] so, what was the personality you wanted to build into lago that was sort of missin' in the flats, and makes it such a popular spot? - [fabio] well, i mean, it's the family kind of vibe that we have down here and what we bring as far as it's very personal for me and my wife. e here, we work the space where you can see us here at any given night, especially on the weekends. - do you get in the kitchen here? - oh yeah, yeah. the menu is something we're really proud of. - [david] i like the italian menu here. and i tell ya, it's easy, it's simple, and it's something people understand, and it's comfort food. - [chef] comin' up. - [fabio] the recipes range from north italy to sicily where my mom's from, and a lot of the items are things that really that we made as i was growing up in my family's restaurant.

comfortable, like you say, comfort food. - let's talk about lagos a little bit. the personality, how the personality really evolves, like during the day. like it's a different thing, like right now we're sitting out here in this beautiful sunshine, you see the bridges, you see all of this. you know, you could have lunch versus the evening. - [fabio] well, we try to be dynamic and we try to have something for everybody in the office buildings, and the residents now that have moved down here, at all times of the day. you know, we have a lunch business with a great happy hour. and then, we have an amazing dinner service. and then, we have live music, we have a dj here and that dynamic has really, i think, fit well for the flats and we have a lot of fun with it, as well. - yeah, we've done this show a whole hour here down in the flats, and it's really a lot of fun to see all the different personalities here. it's almost like a giant sampler. you know, you go to a brewery and they have the sampler of all the different beers. (laughs) - definitely, the wolsteins have done a great job, and fairmount property's done a great job, kinda bringing everybody together, and these different personalities, and different business types

- [fabio] we have flats-goers that come here to start their night and finish their night. you know, they go to the other places then come back. or they come here and the eat dinner, and then they go party and dance the night away. - [david] so, i valued the valet parking when i pulled up here. it was perfect. i jumped out of the car, i'm over here sitting with fabio. - [fabio] it's seamless, it really is, and it's really built kind of a lifestyle center down here, you know, where you can eat, you know, you play, and people are living down here now, you could sleep, too. - not while you're at lago. - (laughs) not while you're here. o big. hey, thanks a lot. - hey, my pleasure, appreciate you comin' down. - check it out, lago's, great spot. - thank you. (upbeat pop music) (chef calling order) (upbeat jazz melody) - well, i wouldn't recommend trying to do all this stuff in an hour, because there's a lot to do, but you know what you could do in an hour. you should come down here, park your car, and you could walk around and see everything that's here on the east bank of the flats.

or a lot of day-times here, or a lot of afternoons enjoying different types of food, entertainment, and fun. so, check it out. i hope you enjoyed the show. for natalie herbick, i'm david moss, and guess what? we'll see you on the next new day cleveland.

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