Caroline M
They move here — fast attentive service, no wait for drinks or great food, but we were not pushed out the door when done. It was a hopping place with plenty of professional staff that gave a good overview of the menu and made sure our water glasses were always full. Many dishes are meant to be shared and arrive as they are prepared. The West coast oysters from Washington were the freshest we have tasted in Cleveland. Loved the coin towels. The grilled octopus was tender, and the lamb meatballs with pine nuts and fresh mint and dill were crusty on the outside and tender inside. The Napoletana pizza crust was perfectly cooked but lacked flavor; it was still good and enough for 2 people. The Affogato dessert was a winner. We will be back to try the burger, crispy pork belly, and deviled eggs that all looked delicious … Make your reservations in advance.
… moreMorgan Pattison
It was our first time at Michael’s on a Friday night. We got in easily via a reservation. It was a warm evening so the garage-type doors were open to the night air. We skipped appetizers and went straight to dinner. I had the mushroom pizza and he had a burger. He had a beer, I had red wine.
Both dinners were okay, I declined my leftovers as I didn’t feel they would keep well. But I could see one person eating a whole pizza themselves as an entree.
The ambience was great for Van Aken. Server was a bit distracted and was not as attentive as we would have liked. The wine was very pricey.
We will try again, maybe we just hit an off night.
… moreKathy H
Finally a place close to home with really good food!!! We had the acorn squash appetizer- who knew squash could taste SO good!!! Then the polenta fries – also yummy. We shared the truffle pizza – did I mention they have a pizza oven??? The wine list was nice. The restaurant is not big,, so it’s quiet enough to talk but also big enough to have an energy to it. Decor is modern and upscale. Service was very good – the waiters are attentive without hovering. It was a nice night out! We will be back soon!
… moreBrady
MGFD is a elegant spot with and large selection of wood roasted dishes.
Service was nothing special this time around, as in the past it has been spectacular. It’s hard for restaurants to find staff so the decline in quality of the service is reasonable.
Most of the dishes were super good, although some of them were missing the “wow” factor which used to be more evident in their dishes.
Overall a solid meal but rating it based on service, value and tastiness hence the 4/5
… moreLisa Angelo
Enjoyed some delicious oysters & cocktails at the bar along with a well flavored French Onion Soup, Pear Salad & a side of green beans. The crafted cocktails are delicious too
… moreNick Groh
4 stars overall and 5 stars for the drinks. We had 4 cocktails total and every one was excellent. Drinks were definitely the highlight.
Food was wonderfully cooked to perfection, but some flavors were muted, especially the polenta fries. Polenta fries looked delicious but were missing even the most basic seasoning like some salt. There’s a million herbs and spices that could have matched looks and flavor. The spicy ketchup was considered bland by my wife, who generally runs scared within 100′ of a hot pepper.
Falafel was much improved, and the potato chips were cooked well but could have used some salt. Focaccia bread was great with the herb butter. The flavors of the focaccia completely contrast the polenta.
… moreMarLesia Wren
first time coming and i experienced brunch. my waitress was very nice, she helped me to narrow down my food choices. i had a cocktail and the orange juice is freshly squeezed which is great. i had the lump crab deviled eggs and sorry to say i wasn’t impressed, i don’t know if lump crab was mix in the egg mixture or what. i didn’t have a lump of crab in my mixture if it is supposed to have it mixed in. my duck hash was delicious and i was upset at myself because i forgot to tell my waiteress i wanted scrambled egg with cheese but she also didn’t ask me either. only reason i wasn’t upset really because my potatoes were good and that is the key component in my meal plus brussel sprouts were oh sooooo good, it was like they were fried. i had duck confit before so this my first time having duck served to me like this but it was good! i will come back to this establishment to try lunch and dinner.
… moreRusty Greene
This place is great. Came here on the recommendation of a friend and cause we knew the chef was a rock star from previous restaurant. Nice ambiance, food was very impressive. We had multiple appetizers and entree’s. The Hominy appetizer is the best use of Hominy I’ve ever come across. The bacon pizza was great, but the casarecce was out of this world. Also the cocktails were great, make sure if Derek is working the bar you ask for his drink suggestions.
… moreJess Halda
The atmosphere is awesome, the staff is friendly & knowledgeable, the cocktails are delicious, and the food is Ahhhhhh-MAZIMG! Derrick at the bar is really fantastic!!! Can’t wait to come back!!!
… moreIthaca Court
Loved the pastrami sandwich, and the overall vibe of the place. My server was excellent and I would certainly come back.
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