First Look: Felice's Urban Cafe

“Can I introduce myself? I’m Margaret and I own the place,” explains a very delighted Margaret Mueller, owner of Felice's Urban Café, who happily went from table to table welcoming guests and thanking them for dining with her. Following her warm introduction, she went onto explain that she and chef Ricardo Sandoval, who is well-known for his popular Fat Cats and Lava Lounge eateries, aren’t trying to impress the world, but rather offer good food in an environment that makes you want to come back for seconds without breaking the bank.

Enter Felice, the five-month old restaurant right around the corner from Shaker Square on Larchmere Boulevard featuring a Mediterranean-inspired menu in a homey atmosphere.

Food:  Felice, which is the name of Mueller’s mother, daughter and granddaughter, offers Spanish and American cuisine ranging from small plates to entrées with nothing over $19. All items are made from scratch and Sandoval uses as many local ingredients as possible, including several items from the garden out back.

To start your meal off, try the mussels diavolo in a spicy marinara sauce with Spanish olives (unfortunately, there is no crostini accompanying to soak up the flavorful sauce) or the Baricelli cheese plate. Other items to try include the spicy chorizo, grilled baby octopus and pan-roasted sardines.

Entrées worthy of an order include the ultra tender St. Louis BBQ ribs with a slightly tangy sauce served with Napa cabbage slaw and crispy shoestring fries; and the skirt steak with house chimichurri, seasonal vegetables and parsnip purée. Both dishes were cooked and seasoned beautifully and offered a nice window to the chef’s approach to food. The only item that was rather disappointing was the parsnip purée.

Food prices on average range from $3-$19 and happy hour items, which include ribs, lamb burgers, mussels and goat cheese crostini, range from $3-$5.

Libations: The wine list offers a nice selection of fairly reasonable options ranging from $25-$70 per bottle, or $8-$9 per glass. A little more impressive is the limited but interesting microbrew menu (try the Circus Boy from the Magic Hat Brewery in Vermont). If neither sounds appealing, inventive cocktails include Felice Rita (lime, orange, lemon, Cuervo, cintronage, orange juice and sour) or the Lemon Berry Basil (Stoli blueberry, Citron, 7-Up, basil and lemon).

Happy hour specials on drinks include $5 martinis, $3 microbrews and $6 wine pours.

Décor: The beautiful Craftsman-style house alone is worthy of a visit with its coffered ceilings, meticulous woodwork, numerous built-ins, authentic period art deco wallpaper and inviting oversized front porch with a few tables. Out back, there is an equally attractive and secluded patio.

Service: The server was laid back yet attentive and knowledgeable about each entrée and its ingredients.

Crowd: The restaurant draws plenty of area devotees, including Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights residents as well as spill over from Shaker Square.

Insider Tip: For an incredibly good deal, be sure to visit on Wednesdays when you can choose any appetizer, entrée and dessert (go for the warm chocolate cake with ice cream and strawberry puree) off the menu for only $22.

Bottom Line: The Larchmere area is continuing to build up and solidify a reputation for offering good eats for foodies. Felice will definitely help attract people to this area and keep them coming back for more.