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| - We started our Saturday night off with being turned away by many of our neighborhood restaurants for a lack of adequate planning (reservations). We then decided to give a newer off the beaten path restaurant a try. We strolled into Rockefeller's, a beautiful historic bank turned into an uber fab hot spot. The dimly lit space boasts romantic architectural detailing and grandeur that surpasses any other Height's restaurant.
The hostess, although friendly seemed a bit annoyed/confused at our lack of reservations, and almost needed our guidance as to which seating options might be available, hence the 4 out of 5 stars. We were seated in the lounge with the option of moving to the dining room once a table was ready. We opted for this option, until we made it onto our second round of drinks and realized that the lounge was more than adequate for us to dine in. The lounge does have its own menu, which is artistic and inspired and by all means delicious. However, you are able to order from the full menu as well which does have a lot of delicious offerings.
Our first round of tempting eats were the home-fried malanga chips with dip and the coconut glazed calamari. Both were brilliantly seasoned and beyond tasteful. The calamari was also the perfect crispness, which is very important to me!
Our second course was a bit of a sampling of both menus and included the grilled cheese and short rib sandwich, the pancetta with blue cheese burger, the lamb meatballs, and of course french fries with house made ketchup. All of the items were shared between the four of us, and were borderline intoxicating to our taste buds! The sandwiches were all skilfully prepared and delivered at the right temperatures. The lamb meatballs were served with a pan-fried sweet potato cake and a bbq sauce that truly rounded out the robust flavors of the lamb.
As the evening progressed and the cava poured, the lounge and adjacent den filled with a late twenty-somethings crowd which brought the energy level up a bit. Our last round of drinks was spent with jazz music being played, a well-tended fireplace setting a golden-hued ambiance throughout, and jovial conversation filling the room.
It was the perfect retreat for a Saturday night out in Cleveland Heights.
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