E-MAIL CHRIS   PRINT   2008 COLUMNS   ARCHIVES   SEARCH ARCHIVES CLEVELAND ROCKS, CLASSIC BAR DIVISION By Chris Barnett July 17, 2008 -- A dozen years ago or more, business was transacted and deals were sealed in drowsy, dull Cleveland hotel bars like the ones at the sclerotic Stouffer Tower City. Downtown Cleveland was comatose, a dreary stretch of mostly abandoned buildings. The action in Cleveland, such as it was, was in row after row of saloons down by the Flats along the banks of the Cuyahoga River. But those joints were mostly populated by wild childs drinking Jell-O shooters or shots of whiskey with a beer chaser. Hardly venues for business travelers. A blink of the eye and it's 2008. Cleveland has undergone at least a couple of renaissances. Fancy hotels (the Ritz-Carton and Hyatt Regency) have sprouted downtown and the stolid Stouffer has been cleaned up and relaunched as the Renaissance Cleveland. Friendly thirst parlors have rolled out the red carpet to visitors, not just locals. In the popular Warhouse District, not far from downtown, I like the Metropolitan Café, the Velvet Dog and Crop Bistro. In the East 4th Street neighborhood, you will find the cool, high-energy Lola Bistro and Wonder Bar. Or check out Table 45 in the InterContinental Hotel, located on the campus of the famed Cleveland Clinic. But the place to go these days is a place that has been beloved by Clevelanders for years. Johnny's Downtown is the Warehouse District outpost of the Santosuossos clan, Cleveland's first family of Italian cuisine and cocktails. Great-grandma Louise launched the dynasty in the 1920s with Louise's Garden, a restaurant and saloon on Fulton Road that survived Prohibition. It was renamed Johnny's Bar in 1952. Around the corner is a former speakeasy called Johnny's Little Bar. The downtown branch rode one of Cleveland's first renovation waves and opened in 1993. Just ask John Zingales, an asset manager for Smith Barney in Cleveland and the No. 1 fan of Johnny's Downtown. Does he have a barstool named after him yet? "You don't want a special place at the bar," he says with a smile. "Everyone hunkers down and settles in and you meet many interesting people." Zingales, who hoists a Glenlivet single malt on the rocks, says Johnny's is a magical spot for him. "Had my first date here with my wife, Marla, and we started off at the bar. A prominent Cleveland attorney, Bob Rotatori, who's known as Cleveland Bob, comes in and croons at the piano bar. This place is historic." Can't argue that. Originally the Burgess Grocers Building, which dates to the post-Civil War era, Johnny's 18-foot ceilings give the dining room a cathedral look. The bar is sort of a rectory of dark mahogany and black and white floor tiles. Floor-to-ceiling tapestries are both artistic and great soundproofing. Filling out the space with Old World elegance and sophistication: a dozen burgundy leather barstools; two simple, classic chandeliers; a huge spray of fresh flowers; and a half-dozen murals in the dining room. Johnny's Downtown is under the watchful eye of partners Joe Santosuosso and Paul Anthony, well-seasoned hosts who make newcomers feel like regulars. "Businesswomen and vacationers can sit at our bar, have a drink and never have to worry about unwanted suitors," says Paul. "The bartenders and all of us keep an eye on them." Mixologist Richard Ballard, who has worked for the Santosuosso family for 23 years, is the soul of discretion. I tried to wheedle names and unforgettable yarns out of Ballard, but he wouldn't betray a trust. "Everyone comes here," Ballard admits, including members of the Cleveland Browns football team, the Cleveland Indians baseball team and the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team. Ballard says he also gets the cream of the city's "lawyers, judges, CEOs [and] news media. I have lots of good stories. But you'll only hear them after I am dead." Johnny's Downtown is a magnet for more than sports starts, business chiefs and politicos. It's near the Ritz-Carlton, the Marriott at Key Center, the Wyndham Cleveland and the InterContinental. Hotel concierges know they can send guests over and not worry about complaints. But this is no oasis for bargain hunters who want to imbibe at yesteryear prices. No happy hour here. But the wine list nabbed an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. Ballard says the martini reigns as the favorite cocktail. He mixes plenty of the classic gin version--"very, very, very dry with Bombay or Beefeater"--but these days he is also getting calls for pomegranate or espresso vodka martinis using Grey Goose, Ketel One and Absolut. Straight-up cocktails are about 7 ounces in size and prices hold tight at $10. Still, Cleveland hasn't abandoned its roots. "We carry lots of beers," confides Ballard, including the hometown brew, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, which goes down smooth at $5 a bottle. Bar appetizers range from stuffed calamari to banana peppers filled with Asiago cheese, ground veal and peppercorns. Prices average $13. The bar at Johnny's doubles as a dining table. Anything on the menu will be served on linen over mahogany. A local favorite: veal chop Milanese with Savoy potatoes and a seasonal veggie for $43.

ABOUT CHRIS BARNETT Chris Barnett writes about business-travel tactics and strategies that save time and money and help minimize hassles. He is based in San Francisco and has written for a wide variety of major newspapers and national magazines. Barnett on Business Travel is syndicated by Copley News Service. THE FINE PRINT Joe Brancatelli makes this space available to Chris Barnett in the spirit of free speech and to help encourage editorial diversity and the wider discussion of important travel issues. All of the opinions and material in this column are the sole property of Barnett. This material may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of Chris Barnett. This column is Copyright © 2008 by Chris Barnett. JoeSentMe is Copyright © 2008 by Joe Brancatelli. All rights reserved.