"Alea is not the first Cleveland restaurant to employ a wood-burning cooking suite, but the small bistro is built entirely around it. The starkly modern restaurant is limited in seats, entrees, and days of operation, but diners find their way nonetheless to savor smart, seasonal Mediterranean dishes like lamb ssam for two, ras el hanout-spiced pork ribs, and picanha steak, all prepared out in the open over wood. Those mains are supplemented by elegant snacks, starters, and salads. The wine list is short but exceptional, with bottles plucked from some of the best biodynamic winemakers around the world." - Douglas Trattner
Alea
