As Cleveland slips into mid May, Ari and I anxiously await two happenings: one is for the weather to stay above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The other is for the opening of Club Isabella, the restaurant whose progress we have been following since we moved in together in June 2010.
In February we had another opportunity to meet chef and owner Fabio Mota, who gave us a tour of the restaurant in its in media res state: Club Isabella signage had been mounted, half of the seating had been installed, and a gorgeous bar stippled with hanging globe lights claimed an entire side of the main room.
We also heard a little more about the progression of the menu, which promises the “twist of the familiar” Mota described at the end of autumn. The menu will include dishes such as croque monsieur topped with avocado salad, assorted tartars with a deep fried egg & toast, and cuttle fish fried sweet and spicy eastern style.
The best thing about this last visit was not only the promise of “clean,” no-frills good food, but also Mota’s attitude toward the entire building process. Building from scratch is no “croque walk” (my bad joke, not his), especially when Cleveland weather delivers snow in April and winds that can chuck our mailbox across the street. But our new acquaintance seems calm and content, pleased with the body of his restaurant, and ready to instill it with soul as soon as the kitchen has been completed.
nice feature!
Thanks Steph! It was tons of fun.
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Ari – where is he from? You know we are related to the Motas in Panama?
Hi Andrea – Obviously I’m not Ari but I can answer that. He was born and raised in Cleveland…maybe a distant relation though??
I’m so excited for this restaurant to open! I’ve been watching its construction with great anticipation!
I was walking by last week peeling an orange, and Fabio saw me and let me see the restaurant…it looks a lot different now! There’s this awesome lighted panel thingy at the back, and it’s got a chique yet romantic feel on the inside. I wish I hadn’t had a half-peeled orange in my hand when I got to meet some of his associates, but it was cool!
I have also been waiting for them to open since I first saw the construction! Looks like I will finally be able to make a trip there soon…
Let us know what you ordered and how you liked it! Hope to see you soon 😀
Hi ! I was able to have a drink and a delicious wellcome to the club,it was a grate experience, arrived at 9pm and left at 12 am, Fabuloso!!!!
I’m glad you liked it! We’re really enjoying having the restaurant in our neighborhood. 🙂