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| - Sergio, Sergio. You really know how to woo a happy-hour-lovin' girl.
AMBIANCE:
Ebony trim interiors, lofty ceilings, soft candle lighting complemented by the glow of Cleveland's silver skies. Swank in clean and simple lines--the bar: a sleek and modern nod to the tiki bars of pinup fame. Live jazz band not 10 feet away yet unobtrusive, melting into the woodwork. Lounge areas with small tables for a more intimate respite. Saravá: seduction is thy name.
DRANKS:
Sergio's harbors a small but respectable selection of beers, wines, and Brazilian-style cocktails, poured on the heavy side. (I'm looking at you, Copa Kiss & Mojito.) But the Street Plates alone are worth an after-work quick dip into this luxe hideout.
EATS:
Had only 2 plates, including a respectably tasty and surprisingly light beef churasco, but the obvious showstopper was the P.E.I. mussels. Plump mussels simmered in butter broth* you wish you had more than the already 4 large slices of golden-crusted garlic ciabatta toast to mop it up. I was ready to tip the bowl for a shameless, slurplicious finish but settled for more subtle teaspooning. Hey there, what's going on? Oh, you know, just feeding myself like a ravenous baby bird with this teaspoon here like it's a nourishing stew and not butter mussel juice normal people leave in the bowl when they're done nibbling ugly balls of succulent meat scraped off of iridescent shells. You know, the uge.
(*reminiscent of Tremont Taphouse's mussel broth but understandably lighter, given TT's version includes beer, blue cheese and bacon)
THE CATCH / VERDICT:
None really. The cushions in the mini lounge area could use new covers. Service was pretty regular but could've been a bit more attentive. And maybe they could make a mintier, limier, less rummy mojito. And the $18 HH deal--2 apps and a drink--isn't exactly rock-bottom pricing. But for HH in Cleveland, it doesn't get much better than Sergio's Saravá.
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