Classy old school fine dining.
Given Giovannis' reputation of being the best of the best [of Cleveland, mind you] I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. Well for one thing, the service was excellent from start to finish. We were led to our table and cloth napkins were placed in our laps. Oh so classy. Bread was immediately brought over and placed on each of our plates. No clumsy ole basket on the table here.
There was an extensive selection of wines available by the bottle or glass. The menu had a good mix of pasta, fish, and meat dishes. My father, who rarely agrees with any cook's execution of 'medium rare,' actually seemed pleased with the done-ness of his lamb chops. I had the halibut served with Swiss chard and a delicious risotto.
The ambiance can be described as grown up and dignified. Not hip and trendy but not old and stuffy either. As far as the reputation, I agree that they have their s*** together. This seems like the kind of place you could go for a special occasion and know that everything will go smoothly.