I felt as if I were transported out of Cleveland without leaving the 216 area code!
1. Location: Alley Cat has the monopoly on the waterfront. The open air venue and the industrial decor allow the guest to appreciate the history of the flats while elevating it to modern day. What a treat to enjoy the sun setting over the water as boats motor past!
2. Service: Let me begin by stating that we dined here their first week in operation. It is terribly difficult, I am sure, to get a restaurant up and running. It takes time to work out some kinks and get everyone on the same page. However, our server Katelynn was a dream. She greeted us with a warm smile and immediately went into describing the oyster selections. She continued by expanding on the specials of the day and some changes that had been made to the existing menu. She checked in after each course was delivered to ensure we enjoyed everything.
3. Food: We ordered our cocktails and they arrived promptly. (Have Jillian make an Old Fashioned! Yum). Fried Calamari was our first course. I couldn't get enough of the preserved lime. Watch out for the kimchi salad - HOT. My boyfriend loved it. Second course included two appetizers and an entree which we rotated between. Little neck clams in old bay butter were a lovely costal standard. The ceviche included halibut and ahi tuna served with 3 tostones. I would have liked a few more tostones as the amount of ceviche you received was plentiful. Luckily they are available to order as a side! Since we had our fill of seafood we tried the green papaya salad with roasted chicken and Thai-lime vinaigrette. YUM! Served cold, it's exactly what you would expect from the menu description. We finished dinner with the chocolate terrine. I would return for that alone if nothing else as I have quite the sweet tooth.
Give Alley Cat a shot. I guarantee there's something to enjoy for everyone!