This is Spilling the Beans , where plugged-in baristas give us the lowdown on where to go, what to do, and what to eat (and drink) in their hometown.

"People ask me why I left Portland, and I tell them that Cleveland now is very similar to what Portland was 15 years ago," said Robert Stockham , general manager at the city's premiere coffee roaster, Rising Star . Except Cleveland is a city with its own swagger, and a cost of living so low that Stockham said, "You can buy a house for less than a car, and you should never pay full retail price for anything here." Also: Cleveland is the place for a hipster hotdog hangout that puts Froot Loops on its dogs, a brewery that has residents lining up for Christmas-spiced beer, and one of the world's best symphony orchestras. Come hungry, and let Stockham be your guide.

Courtesy of Urban Farmer

Where should we stay?

If you stay downtown, you can't go wrong. My favorite is Wallace Manor Bed and Breakfast in Ohio City; it’s a beautiful old, Victorian-era building that was recently renovated. The owners are super friendly and take care of people really well. We also have a Westin downtown that’s attached to Urban Farmer , a steakhouse that sources what it can locally. Other hotels to consider: the Metropolitan at the Nine , a luxury hotel-condo-restaurant complex, which is new, and a big deal for Cleveland; the new Hilton; and the Drury Hotel , because it’s in a converted school district administration building and is all marble.

Where should we grab breakfast?

Urban Farmer has a great brunch. But the real place to go is Jack Flaps . Their pancakes are freaking amazing. Everyone raves about a short stack of the lemon curd pancakes, but I love the Benedicto Mexicano, which has cornbread, chorizo, gravy, crema, and sunny side up eggs.

Best cup of coffee?

Rising Star , of course. Then Six Shooter Coffee , a local roaster, is in the Waterloo neighborhood nearest the best wood-fired pizza in town, Citizen Pie . Pour Cleveland is a multi-roaster. Vintage Tea and Coffee is also good.

Best place to see great art?

The Cleveland Museum of Art is nothing short of amazing. Not only is it one of the few free museums remaining in the country, but it has Rodin’s Thinker and one of Monet’s water lilies. Nobody talks about how unbelievable it is. Also, the covered atrium there is one of the most beautiful places in town.

Ron Antonelli / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Best market to eat your way around?

West Side Market . It celebrated its 100 year anniversary a few years ago. There are fish, meat, spice, and produce vendors. If you want spices, try Urban Herbs . Then try Rooted in Cleveland for local produce and pour-over coffee. The other two I love are the crepe stand and also a fishmonger called Kate’s Fish , which is notable because we're not near water and the fish they sell is excellent.

Best old-school Cleveland restaurant institution?

Pier W is the old standby with the best seafood in all of Northeast Ohio; it overlooks the lake. The other one would be Johnny’s , a downtown fancy steakhouse restaurant that’s been there for several decades. But the Cleveland institution everyone raves about is Sokolowski’s . We have a large Eastern European population here, and this is THE place to get pierogies, cabbage, and the like.

Sunny Day Photography CLE

Hottest new restaurant in town?

First, Mabel’s BBQ . It’s a Michael Symon project that’s reimagining Cleveland-style barbecue. Then there’s The Proper Pig . The Southern Café serves awesome Southern food. Also, I’m most excited about The Arcadian, which is trying to get as close to farm to table as it possibly can. On the more upscale end, there’s a French restaurant called L’Albatros that is absolutely to die for. I also should mention Happy Dog in Gordon Square. It’s a hipster hot dog hangout that serves great beer and a hot dog menu with wacky toppings like Sriracha, Froot Loops, and peanut butter.

Which restaurants do you frequent?

Superior Pho for one serves hands down the best pho in town. Then Caribe Bake Shop , which is a Latin American food restaurant that isn’t exactly a bakery the way its name says. There are empanadas, pintxos, shredded pork, shredded chicken, and you can mix and match. They make this sausage sweet potato ball surrounded by mushed plantains then deep-fried like a Scotch egg: it’ll knock your socks off.

Courtesy of Spotted Owl

Best cocktails in town?

Urban Farmer has one of my favorite bars, and my drink is the Farmer’s Handshake. There’s another place called Society Lounge , which is an old-fashioned speakeasy that really feels like stepping back in time. But The Spotted Owl is the local favorite. They hand-make their own ice and source very specific ingredients to create cocktails as true artists. The best drink I had there was called the Pampelmousse, and it had mescal, champagne, and grapefruit sherbet.

Courtesy of Market Garden Brewery

Best brewery to hang out at?

Market Garden Brewery , which has about 10 to 15 beers brewed in house in their tap room at all times. Many of those use Cleveland-based ingredients. Then there’s Nano Brew . Both are part of the Sam McNulty group, which is opening a “palace to fermentation,” a new brewery space that will brew and bottle. The third is Great Lakes Brewing , which has a more upscale menu, but is best known for its Christmas Ale. It’s dark brown and rich, with notes of coriander, cloves, cinnamon, and a head that makes you want to lap it up. It’s in limited supply and people line up on the day of release to get their hands on it.

Best place to see live music?

One of the best venues is the House of Blues , which has three stages and welcomes big and small acts. Then The World Famous Agora is quite popular for lesser known bands. Happy Dog is too. But if you’re coming to town, sign up for Sofar Sounds , or Sounds from a Room. They do pop-up concerts in weird venues, and only tell you where the concert will be about a day before. Locations have included weaving factories, secret parks, blocked-off courtyards—anywhere. There’s no entry fee and it’s BYOB. We also have one of the top symphonies in the entire world. Seeing a concert at Severance Hall is also worth it for the art deco architecture alone.

Sam Twarek

Best place to get into trouble for the night?

Start on 4th Street to get some food to coat your stomach. Then, if you want fun, loud, and obnoxious, go to the Warehouse District on West 6th. That’s where you’ll find a college to younger 30s crowd and bars with loud music, dancing, and lots of alcohol. Then I would go down to the Flats, which was recently rebuilt to be a walkable summer neighborhoods with great restaurants and bars. If you’re a beer drinker, try Beer Head down there. I’d also recommend Punch Bowl Social , because it serves giant boozy punch bowls. Another standalone place that’s a blast is the Porco Lounge and Tiki Room . It’s nowhere near anything else, but it serves the best Polynesian-inspired cocktails in Ohio.

Where to eat when the party’s over?

There are two places that are always packed after the bars close. My Friends Restaurant at the edge of Cleveland, which is kind of like Denny’s and serves omelets and burgers, is busier late at night than at any other time. Then you have The Big Egg , another IHOP-y place everyone ends up.

Daytrip?

Go to wine country. If you’re like, “Ohio has wine country?” Yes, we do, and there are some surprisingly amazing wineries. My favorites are Saint Joseph and M Cellars . You’re also about an hour away from Amish country; Sugarcreek is worth a visit.

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