Zhug

Zhug oozes warmth and class, and is probably my favorite of Doug Katz's restaurant ventures. Like his other recent restaurants, it's best enjoyed as a tapas adventure with friends. Unlike his other ventures, they unfortunately are too cool for reservations. There's usually a couple spots open at the bar for the taking, but come with any more than 4 people and your wait on a busy night may be upwards of an hour. If you're lucky, you can find street parking in front on Cedar (free since COVID days), or park in the old Dave's grocery lot across the street (also free). The dim lighting allows candlelight, plush pillows, and verdant greenery to dominate the atmosphere. The staff are entirely the opposite of the standoffish lot you might imagine would work here - every person we've encountered has been friendly and incredibly accommodating. Also accommodating is the menu, which is vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan friendly. Although they do have high chairs and children are welcome, it's not an ideal place to bring little rowdy ones since there's quite a bit of glassware and candles, not to mention tight quarters. Two gender-neutral bathrooms are located at the back and kept in orderly condition. Be prepared to get lost in the sauce, because there are a lot of sauces and dips. A satisfying order usually consists of about 2-3 dishes per person. The usual culprits on our group's order are the Nigella Seed and Burnt Onion Hummus - paired with the complimentary pita bread, and a little dollop of their complimentary zhug (a spicy green Yemeni sauce), this provides a cozy foundation for your stomach as you await the rest of the food. Cauliflower, Roasted Carrots, and Potato Tostones are other delightful, textured bites to get your fiber in and fill up. Protein wise, I'm a huge fan of the Crispy Chicken and its brightly seasoned dipping sauce, as well as the Warm White Beans (more pleasurable than the plain name would suggest) and plump Butter Roasted Shrimp. Their wine and cocktail menu is tastefully curated, but I've actually never made it to the desserts since we're usually so stuffed after the savory dishes.

Lots of people but the food, just amazing quality. The tahini ice cream was the best dissert I had in Cleveland so far. Good if you want to eat gluten free, vegan, or dairy free.

I've been waiting to go here for a long time and it was SO worth it. While I'll say that our server wasn't super friendly, the food more than made up for the service!!! Between the three of us we had flatbread, labneh, feta, potatoes, carrots, beef, and eggplant. It was delicious and so so fresh. I especially loved that nearly everything is gluten free as I'm gluten intolerant!!! Will for sure be coming back soon!