VINNIE CIMINO

This chef’s unabashed homage to the culture, cuisine, and communities of the Midwest is a study in fun and flavor.

- CHANDRA RAM,ALEX LAU

CORDELIA

Cleveland

A relish tray at Cordelia in Cleveland

THERE’S A MOMENT THAT HITS YOU early in your meal at Cleveland’s Cordelia, when you reach across the table for a dollop of fried chicken rillettes to smear on a buttery fried saltine or drag your fork through a plate of Lamburger Helper. As you lean over the table, you are embracing a moment focused on both the food and the friends you have there with you.

If Vinnie Cimino, the chef and co-owner of Cordelia, is near your table, he might hug you right back. Cordelia is both a restaurant and Cimino’s heart on his sleeve, an unabashed homage to the Midwest and the people who make the region so special.

When Cimino opened Cordelia in 2022 with his business partner, Andrew Watts, they designed the restaurant to support Cleveland today while also celebrating its past. They upcycled as many pieces as possible, like the bowling alley lane refashioned into a kitchen counter and the 100-plus photos of the city displayed in vintage frames on the walls. The homey, stylish atmosphere is echoed by an approach to hospitality that Cimino calls “Midwest Nice.” Guests are welcomed as old friends, and cooks drop dad jokes at the tables as they deliver your food. “It’s about holding the door, greeting people with a smile and the respect they deserve,” Cimino says. “There’s no one person making everything happen here. The restaurant needs people to make it what it is. We don’t take that lightly.”