With the constantly expanding food scene and continuing neighborhood rationalizations across Cleveland, it's hard to find a restaurant that still embodies a neighborhood's legacy. But, just one town over in Cleveland Heights, Tommy's oozes with the true spirit of all my past memories in Coventry and Cleveland Heights. It's been a very long time since I've been here, but this place is still a special spot for the region. Just be strategic in your visit because they don't take reservations and the entrance gets crowded in peak hours.
I love that they have a gluten free menu and kitchen practices that protect against a contaminated meal. That's important for us with celiac disease. But what about the vegetarians, vegans, dairy free, and the carnivores? They got those crews covered too. And everything is packaged up in meals that feel like a cross between a diner and a healthfood store. It's the right mix of crunchy hippy food and greasy spoon that I just can't find anywhere. I especially love this aspect because it means the food is just slightly different from the norm. Natural peanut butter on an egg sandwhich is something you can order, for example.
That's kind of why Coventry was so special in the past -- it had the right mix of laid-back hippy and commercialism that didn't exist anywhere else in the greater Cleveland area. The food and the service both reflect this kind of attitude. That means you should expect a laid-back-hippy-greasy-spoon service experience. That's not a bad thing in my view because the servers and the food runners aren't messing anything up, they are just relaxed.
Lastly, if you leave here without a milkshake you did something wrong. Mocha peanut butter is my absolute favorite.