I don’t spend much time in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood.
That’s in part because Italian food isn’t really my jam.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ll happily eat it, and I often make it at home because it’s reasonably easy to make something relatively delicious.
But I’ll rarely go out of my way for it, and the East Side neighborhood — neither right off the highway nor the easiest place to find convenient parking — always feels out of the way.
But I was there early on a recent Saturday evening to check out, well, a not-Italian place. And that was part of the intrigue of the playfully named Wolf Pack Chorus. Opened in March by chef Chris Wolf and his wife, Katie, the restaurant offers “globally inspired cuisine.”
Its website also promises an “approachable upscale dining experience,” and that promise rang true during a largely enjoyable dinner with my friend Erin. I soaked in the tasteful but comfortable and unstuffy decor, and we received wonderful service. Unfortunately, the food — the most important component, especially considering the heft of the bill — was a mixed bag.
I took a moment before entering to appreciate the attractive but inhibited outdoor dining space and, once inside, the charming lovingly lit bar area.
Erin was waiting for me in a spacious booth, the table of which, like all the others, was covered with a white cloth.
We soon were greeted by Oliver, who took great care of us throughout the meal, answering my questions — “Should we try this or that?” “Is THIS popular?” “What does THAT menu description mean?” — and doing his best to pair Erin with a non-alcoholic cocktail the bartender would come up with on the spot, as there is none on the menu. (She struggled to tell him flavor profiles she liked, so this was no easy task, but he eventually returned with an apple cider-based drink she enjoyed. The receipt read “1 mocktail, not too sweet, bubbly” and at a seemingly high $13.)
I have a pretty firm handle on my preferred flavor profiles, but I still wanted Oliver’s seal of approval before I ordered the Piggly Wiggly from the Staples ($16) section of the cocktail menu, which also boasts New Favorites ($15). As with many on the menus at Wolf Pack Chorus, its description — “smoked bacon bourbon | brown sugar | walnut” takes a less-is-more approach, but Oliver convinced me it was in my wheelhouse, and boy was he right. Sweet (but not too sweet, like a certain mocktail) and a little savory thanks to the bacon element. I, too, would highly recommend it.
After more consultation with Oliver and negotiations with Erin, we landed on two appetizers: the Croquette ($18) and the Saganaki ($16).
The latter, a Greek-inspired appetizer built around the cheese Halloumi, along with a crusty baguette, cognac, fig, olive and basil, was an interesting mix of flavors and textures. As with other cheese-based starters, it was much more to Erin’s liking than mine.
She ended up with more of it and I with more of the former, which features four croquettes — fried round delights made with short rib and potato — on a skewer set atop a bowl with a blue cheese fondue and pepper jam at the bottom. I missed the sauce initially, and once I knew what I was doing with the appetizer, I loved the savory but complex treat. Very nicely prepared and presented.
Hard to say the same about Erin’s entree, the New York ($45), a steak smothered in artichoke, spinach and gorgonzola, with three big, heavily battered onion rings atop it. It looked too messy to me, and Erin found the steak bland. I’m at least intrigued by its components and I wish I’d asked for a bite to see if I concurred.
I was too caught up in my entirely pleasant entree, the Halibut ($40), nestled in a Thai curry sauce and topped with apple, onion, basil and tomato. The mild fish was perfectly cooked and was complemented nicely by the dish’s other components.
In fact, that subtle but tasty Thai sauce came in handy with one of our shared sides, the Brussels Sprouts ($12), which looked terrific but simply weren’t all that flavorful. We also picked at the Frites ($9), a crock of underwhelming shoestring fries served with an umami sauce, a black garlic aioli and another dipper referred to as “chili crisp” that was the best of the three.
As we were getting together for my birthday, it seemed fitting to split the Chocolate Cake ($14), one of three desserts on the menu. I loved the presentation — it’s served with a small pourer of cremé anglaise and a scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in something chocolatey and crispy. I planned to have only a bit of it but kept going back for more bites. Hard to beat cake and ice cream done well.
Wolf Pack Chorus really does do many things well — including another Staples cocktail I tried, the zesty Howling Wolf, with jalapeno tequila, Orange Tiger liqueur and “seasonal berry” — but feels like a work in progress when it comes to its food.
If I get back, there are other appetizers and entrees I’d still like to try, but, factoring in the cost, that feels like a reasonably big “if.”
Reviews are based on one anonymous visit to a restaurant.
Wolf Pack Chorus
2175 Cornell Road
Cleveland
440-208-4690
WolfPackChorus.com
Location: Corner of Cornell and Random roads in the Little Italy neighborhood.
Cuisine: Globally inspired and eclectic.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday (brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Liquor and wine: Full bar; happy hour 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Facilities for the handicapped: Yes.
Credit cards: All major
Vegetarian: Several options including seafood and Tempura Cauliflower entree.
Special diets: Some dishes can be modified to accommodate for allergies and dietary restrictions; many dishes are gluten-free.
Kid-friendliness: Mostly an adult place but will do best to tweak certain dishes to be more kid-friendly.
Outdoor dining: Patio seating about 40 people.
Dress code: Wide range from business attire to relatively casual is acceptable, with dinner being slightly more formal than lunch.
Reservations: Accepted.
Wi-Fi: Yes
Prices: Moderately high.
Value: Just OK.
Ratings (of five):
Food: 3.5.
Atmosphere: 4.5.
Service: 4.5.