“If there’s one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Akron, Ohio, it’s leaving it. One would find themselves hard-pressed to find a substantial variety of fine dining and exhilarating nightlife if confined to the borders of our college town. But one needn’t travel very far to explore a considerably more diverse scene of pleasurable entertainment.”
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If there’s one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Akron, Ohio, it’s leaving it.

One would find themselves hard-pressed to find a substantial variety of fine dining and exhilarating nightlife if confined to the borders of our college town.

But one needn’t travel very far to explore a considerably more diverse scene of pleasurable entertainment.

Despite its rep for having a disgraceful economy and some of the worst schools in the nation, the city of Cleveland does, in fact, offer up more than a few fine diamonds in the rough for chic cuisine and invigorating diversions.

Nestled comfortably in Cleveland Heights a few blocks off Lee Rd., Nighttown is the place to come for great jazz music and some of the best fine dining offered in the state of Ohio.

I recently caught a write-up for Nighttown in Ohio Magazine which described this wondrous watering hole atop Cedar Hill as a treasure and a destination where the appeal of the place extends beyond the lure of the music or the love of food.

It lies in the unconventional yet harmonious mix of the establishment’s customers.

Completing my more than satisfactory read, my mind was made up. This was one jazz club I couldn’t afford to miss.

And neither can you.

Treasure indeed.

Where can one even begin to expound upon the character that is Nighttown?

Aside from the caliber of entertainment (which we’ll get to in a moment), Nighttown offers an absolutely mouth-watering array of appetizers, entrees and desserts.

During my excursion, my girlfriend and I kicked off the evening with Halloumi Kebobs.

A collection of grilled vegetables were skewered with bite-size portions of Cyprian sheep and goat’s milk cheese.

This delectable duo was then drizzled with a touch of chive oil.

The amazing texture and enchanting aromas and tastes of the fresh peppers and cheeses awakened my palate to a brand new universe of fine cooking.

But that was just the beginning.

My steak arrived next; but not just any steak.

It was a tender, juicy, lip-smacking New York Prime strip steak.

Grilled to perfection and served with a heaping mound of mashed potatoes and a few stalks of fresh string beans, this flawless cut of beef satiated my every craving. Except for maybe one.

But fear not, for that stubborn longing could only be satisfied with what tasted like mama’s own warm apple pie, served a la mode, of course. It was the absolute perfect ending to the meal.

The service was well-above par, with near perfect meal pacing and attentiveness.

The servers gracefully maneuvered through the cozy table arrangements with finesse and offered more than adequate descriptions of the menu items.

The bartenders were also outstanding, and the brilliant workforce elevated the evening to a new level of class.

Nighttown also features an extensive bar menu that includes a plethora of specialty drinks and classic favorites.

The Café Ulysses, a combination of Jameson’s Whiskey, Bailey’s and Frangelico, comes from the same inspiration as Nighttown’s name. (It is named after Dublin’s red light district in the novel Ulysses.)

But even more stimulating than the Ulysses is the Coffee Martini, a smooth and sensuous blend of Espresso, Bailey’s, Stoli Vanil and Kahlua.

But the real indulgence came not on a plate, but on the stage.

On Feb. 1, 2008, the clientele had the privilege of hearing world-renowned trombonist Jiggs Wiggam accompany Paul Ferguson and his octet of trombones, a piano, stand-up bass and drummer.

What transpired that evening was pure magic.

As the horns took center stage, sharing the lime light with melodic piano harmonies and heart pounding beats arising from the strings of the bass and the thumps of the kick drum, the crowd grew quiet, caught in a rapture of musical bliss.

And so it was for the next few hours of jazz-induced ecstasy.

Nighttown offers one of the most unique and enlivening experiences I’ve ever had.

The atmosphere was the inviting and heartwarming and provided a luminous blend of eclectic styling and top notch service.

I feel the restaurant’s slogan of Great dining, great music may well be the understatement of the year.

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