Cordelia

An ever revolving door of Midwest culinary pride. I've frequented Cordelia for brunch, dinner, and their Bellies Up tasting menu and have been progressively awed by the creativity that goes into their dishes. It's East 4th, so parking is going to be a pain. There is a valet option along the street if you're willing to use that option. Moving on. The aura in Cordelia is nostalgia. Your grandma's kitchen with some street culture flair, touches of kitsch. Hip hop hits from the 90's and aughts grace your ears. Seating ranges from booths, traditional tables, high tops, and kitchen or bar counter. For the tasting menu, sit at the kitchen counter to get the full experience. The tapas-style menu is meant for sharing, so bring friends. Oh, and it also changes seasonally so don't get too attached. Reservations are recommended since Cordelia's been buzzy since opening, and the James Beard nominations aren't slowing them down. Brunch will be a little less busy if you're feeling a walk-in, and this was my first and most average of my three experiences. Fortunately it was also my introduction to their Jammy Eggs and Carrot Muhammara, which have been reliable sources of pleasure in subsequent visits. This is your cue to order these. The Jammy Eggs play with your senses, incorporating little cronchy bits of furikake with potent dill and creaminess of soft boiled yolk. The remainder of our orders - their takes on a breakfast sando, grilled cheese, and Dutch baby, were heavy and carby. Though sparks of creativity were present (kimchi tomatoes, hot sauce mayo), overall it felt like overdressed brunch. I returned for dinner a few years later and felt like the kitchen had finally hit their stride, as had the beverage manager. I very nearly ordered seconds of the seasonal citrus salad because it was just THAT good, and both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of some perfectly blue cocktail with some astronomy-inspired name sent our table into a binge frenzy. The Bellies Up menu is $90 per person and a fun way for the kitchen to show off the full range of their artistry. You don't know quite what you're gonna get (especially since you'll get some off-menu items), except a boat-load of food within whatever dietary restrictions you give them. We were started off with several of their starters, including an interesting chili cheese dip featuring saltines that were deep fried to give them a particularly satisfying crisp. The dishes did tend to skew cheese and red-meat heavy, and me not being a particular fan of either lamb or cheese, still found joy in the curried cucumbers in their over-dressed salad and the fun lamb hot pocket concept. The Cauliflower is another long-time favorite that the chefs swear will never leave the menu due to it's explosion of flavor and texture and a welcome balance to the heavy palate. We particularly enjoyed the ham hock and the fun chicharron-elephant ear like dessert at the end. More than just the food though, I do appreciate the eye for details and conservation. They truly try to incorporate every part of their ingredients into cooking. The chefs (especially the smashburger cook) were a treat to watch as they prepped and cajoled each other. Past menus are recycled into grease absorbers for dishes, and what a truly lovely, eclectic assortment of ceramics they have. There is an elevator down to the basement so that the bathroom is ADA accessible, although I do wish they had more than one stall for the women's restroom. It's a rather cute, vintage bathroom though, with unique sink taps. Can't wait to see what comes next for this E 4th gem!

I was very excited to be dining here especially after reading all the reviews and since it's led by a James beard finalist. To cut to the chase with some highlights--to me it was overall a disappointment. From the outset we had to wait over 15 minutes for a reservation I'd made. I always find this an off putting start to a meal. All 3 of us ordered the $90 tasting menu, our only food restriction was no pork. The trio of carrot muhurrama, farmers cheese and jammy eggs was the only course I truly liked: very clever use of ingredients (carrots and hazelnuts!)The staff who brought out the food seemed to be reciting the descriptions from rote, with little enthusiasm and at a speed that required me to ask them to repeat themselves bc I simply couldn't catch what they'd said (I'm a native English speaker). A lamb pasta dish was probably good but it was served so cold the lamb meat was almost inedible. A dish of dressed veggies was simply an overdressed salad with so much salty cheese on it, one would need to take blood pressure medicine if they consumed all of it. The Zaatar fried chicken was perfectly cooked but so bland that I wished I'd kept some of the excessive cheese from the prior salad to add flavor. A bok choy dish was similarly confusing as the prevailing sentiment was one of a glorified vinegary chow chow. The bone in Brussels sprouts were a hit-I enjoyed the spicy sauce countered by the apples (I assume?) giving relief to the palate. The tiramisu ice cream was forgettable. The plate of dirt was my favorite dessert--the mousse was very light and airy. The churros was ok. Overall, I was disappointed and would recommend against the tasting menu as value and taste are simply not there for $300. Perhaps a La carte is the way to go. Unfortunately nothing I had was compelling enough for a second try.

Neat little place in Cleveland. We started with carrot muharrma, farmers cheese, and crispy chicken skins. The carrot and farmers cheese spread were divine. Crispy chicken skins were underwhelming, think chicken cracklings in hot Cheeto dust.We did the burger box and jojos. The burgers were out of this world and the jojos were so big and crispy.We ended with two desserts: butter scotch pudding and a dirt bowl.

Cordelia has been at the top of my list to try since before it opened on my birthday in 2022; I'd been following the concept on Instagram. Well I finally got the opportunity to dine here and it was so much better than I could've ever imagined. We sat at the kitchen counter, and were promptly greeted by our server, Hannah. She was welcoming, friendly, helpful, and did a fantastic job. Since everything on the menu sounded good, we decided to do the Bellie Up tasting "menu" which we found out the chefs curate on the spot for you, as each course is a surprise. We were asked if there was something we absolutely couldn't miss (burger box and skyline dip) and about allergies etc. Then we ordered drinks and the fun began! Btw- Drinks were a knockout (thanks Lennon), amazing mocktails for those of us doing dry 365. All of the courses were brought out, and described, by members of the kitchen staff. They all seemed to love what they were doing and were very friendly. Our meal, brought out in five courses, consisted of the Skyline chili dip, carrot muhammara, Farmers cheese spread, burger box, overdressed greens, pork belly, mushroom toast, ham hock, cauliflower, and two desserts. The food was even better than I had anticipated, I didn't want to stop eating. I absolutely cannot wait to go back. We wanted to save room for each course, so Hannah boxed everything up, including fresh crackers and toast (!!!). Everything, down to the smallest detail, was so perfectly thought out. From the decor, to the plates, to the plating, to the perfectly paired ingredients, to receiving clean silverware between each course.... I was blown away. Cordelia describes themselves as "Midwest nice" and tbh that's the perfect description. While I'd consider this fine dining from a food/service perspective, it was not stuffy or pretentious, and instead felt like going "home" and I felt a wave of nostalgia. Never once did we feel rushed or unwelcome, everyone we encountered was so genuine and kind. Thank you for an awesome experience. I would 10000000000% recommend. They know what they're doing.

I love this place. I've been here multiple times and everything is delicious! I definitely recommend the Muhammarrrraaaaaa dip which is so delicious! Honestly the menu changes but you can not go wrong with anything you try ! I definitely recommend making a reservation at Booth in the back.

Another great experience at Cordelia. The place was packed on a Saturday night in January so book ahead. I suggest ordering three apps, a veggie, and a large plate to split for two people. The food combinations here are unbelievable. The staff was extremely knowledgeable on each menu item and made it easy to order.

Very unique menu with blend of Asian, contemporary American, and Jewish influence such as brussel sprouts with charoset, genmai. This is all pretty rich greasy stuff but super delicious. Several apps, greens, and entree options for the adventurous eaters. Big place that was very busy even on a non weekend night. Not too expensive but not cheap either. Several interesting cocktails to choose from although most are pre batched. Very friendly server.

Cordelia never disappoints! Hands down the best burger in Cleveland. No, I take that back.. the best burger EVER.

We came into Cordelia and I must say it is a study in extremes. We had some of the best dishes I've had in Cleveland at Cordelia, and some downright horrible dishes at the same time. I was surprised at the situation because I loved the sound of everything on the menu, and the service was friendly and fun - but the night was highly inconsistent - you'll see I still give 4 stars and that's because if you come in to this meal informed as to what is great, you could actually have a 5 star meal!First off valet may seem like it's $25, but they'll give you $15 back, so honestly not a bad deal to valet...just a heads up, make sure you ask! Second if you want something like the Bone Marrow Pot Pie call them and reserve it ahead of time, we didn't get to have Bone Marrow Pot Pie and I'm still sad about that, and we showed up at 7:30.The snacks at the front of the meal are generally good, I really like the farmer's cheese, but i'll be honest I liked it all - Chicken skins came in a close second. Then the over dressed greens and the brussel sprouts were both fabulous. Both felt like a nice way to pretend you're eating healthy vegetables. Then we ended up with some serious ups and downs; the Pork Belly is maybe the best pork belly I've ever had, hands down. I don't know how they make it, but this dish is worth coming in for. I would get this and a burger box and call it a day. You will have certainly consumed well more than 2000 calories if you do that. You can't go wrong with that plus one of the veggies I mentioned. The Lamburger helper was weird, but not bad...I don't think I'd get it again, but I didn't dislike it, just too many other good things on the menu. Where things really started to slide were with the Corned Lamb, Fried Chicken, and Fish. The corned lamb was overwhelmingly salty and rich - not in a good way like the Pork Belly, more in a i'm not going to make it through the rest of this meal way. Nobody at our table of 6 liked it. The Fried Chicken was incredibly dry and flavorless. It was really sad because it looked like it would have been otherwise good. The fish was so uninteresting that it was crazy that it came out of the same kitchen as everything else. Very confusing.Cocktails generally not great - often times too sweet, though they make a good espresso martini.The waitress seemed like she would have cared if there were fewer people in our party, but a party of six was not her favorite size, and she seemed to think we were not taking the meal seriously, which was a funny way to look at what was going on.I'll come back, but for very specific items - you don't really want everything on that menu.

Incredible experience each time I dine here. It's my go-to spot when I travel to Cleveland for work.