Inside: La Strada

Veteran restaurateur Terry Tarantino’s La Strada (his other restaurant is Little Italy’s La Dolce Vita) fits in perfectly among the city’s East Fourth Street entertainment district. Open since fall, La Strada feels like a European streetscape fashioned from a Fellini film, with a swooping balcony decorated with an ornate wrought iron railing overlooking a dining room dimly lit by classic chandeliers. With your first step in the restaurant you feel transported across the Atlantic, with an otherworldly menu that features the flavors and spices of the entire Mediterranean region.

Food: La Strada’s menu is a sampling of signature dishes and inventive combinations from the Mediterranean’s food rich countries: pastas and pizza from Italy, kabobs and meats from Greece, seafood from Spain, and grains from Israel.

On our visit during a rainy Friday night, my wife and I started with a baby octopus appetizer, drizzled with olive oil and served on top of Israeli couscous. The baby octopus was fresh and delicate, melting in our mouths, while the large grain couscous was a nice base for the dish to shine.

Next, we split the Insalata di Roma, featuring arugula, artichokes and goat cheese and served with a house vinaigrette dressing. It was a sizeable and tasty dinner salad that was more than large enough for us to share.

For our entrée we decided on the evening’s special—a unique and delicious halibut served with sautéed zucchini, onions, red peppers and carrots, and mixed with Israeli couscous. The dish was surprisingly sweet and sugary, topped with a blood orange and graciously split for us to share. With the appetizer and salad, it was the perfect amount of food to complete the meal.

Not wanting to leave without at least a taste of dessert, and not sold on any of La Strada’s traditional offerings, our waiter helped us pair the restaurant’s vanilla gelato with fresh berries. It wasn’t entirely inventive, but it was exactly what we wanted.

Drinks: A large 180-degree circular bar anchors the lower dining room, with bartenders expertly preparing mixed drinks and servers quick to suggest a bottle of wine. The bar is fully stocked and all the premium liquors and wines are priced fairly reasonably, with glasses starting in the upper single digits.

Service: Service was quick and professional, although our waitress was not as polished as some of our city’s notable fine dining establishments. Bread and butter was served as soon as we were seated, and all of our courses were served hot and timely. The pace was a little rushed though, and our server struggled with describing and recommending dishes. She did, however, have our shared dishes split, and assisted us in creating our own dessert as we wanted something that was more a combination of two offerings on the menu.

Atmosphere and Décor: With an open kitchen billowing with the aroma of the restaurant’s custom-built wood burning pizza oven, La Strada radiates with the energy of a picturesque European cobblestone street. Wooden tabletops dot the dining room, while Fellini films project onto a large wall. During our visit, the dining room was about half full of couples and small parties enjoying a night out.

Insider tip: If you are on a budget and want to try the restaurant’s menu, La Strada is open Monday through Friday for lunch, and features much of the dinner menu at lunch portion prices.

Bottom line: La Strada is a welcome addition to the downtown culinary scene. Tarantino is a natural restaurateur, having found a way to bring his love of Mediterranean culture to the picturesque East Fourth district, and now Clevelanders have another unique dining destination to showcase.

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