Grovewood was picked as a pre-concert dinner spot for a big group of us, and I'm really glad, because I never would have found this little treasure on my own. Don't be deceived by the appearance of this restaurant. From the outside it says "friendly neighborhood bar food," but inside you'll find a fascinating menu that is far from the usual deep-fried food meant to accompany pitchers of beer.
Instead, you will find things like bison pot roast, blackened scallops, seared tuna, cherry duck. You'll find a drink menu featuring White Cosmopolitans.
You will find yourself in a room full of folks in jeans and sweatshirts eating upscale food.
This is one of the things I love about the eating scene in Cleveland. We are blessed with so much good food here that we get it in our bars.
I had the empanadas of the day, pulled pork with apples and apple creme fraiche. Definitely not for everyone, but I thought it was delicious. My husband had the bison pot roast, which arrived with the tastiest gnocchi I've experienced. He hardly got any of them because the rest of us kept stealing them.
The service was outstanding. When we arrived our table was not only set, but water had been poured for all of us. We told the server that we were in a hurry to get the concert at the Beachland Ballroom, and he made sure that we were served quickly and efficiently. The noise level was low, making it easy to enjoy conversation at our table.
There were many other items I want to try on this menu. It's out of the way for us, but we will definitely be going back. It's a bit pricey for bar food, but reasonable for the quality of food served.