Bodega is the new tapas restaurant on Coventry that’s housed in the former Utrecht space. Still not sure where that is? Well, the restaurant is actually easy to spot. It’s almost like that childhood game where you try to figure out which one of these things is not like the other. After you visit Bodega, you’ll see it’s quite a different offering than anything you’d expect to find on Coventry, or in Cleveland Heights, for that matter. The décor, not the menu, is something you’d expect to see on W 6th.

At first glance, the space is quite stunning. However, once you settle in and really take all the details in, it’s almost over-the-top cool. There are several individual elements that are quite beautiful, like the backsplash in the bathroom, wine wall that’s positioned underneath the passersby, and the overall color palette. Nevertheless, it’s almost as if the owners wanted to see how many cool elements they could squeeze in the space and it comes across as if they are trying too hard to be the cool guy in town. There is no authenticity anywhere to be found.

For as much time as they clearly spent on the design, it’s too bad that same effort wasn’t put towards the food and overall service.

From the second we walked in, service was so so and at times, rude. We didn’t have a reservation and this clearly put off the host, despite several empty tables (that remained empty until we left). Then it took about 10 minutes for a server to acknowledge us, another 5 for a menu, then finally voila – she took our drink order. Meanwhile, we watched other people receive prompt service – and bread. Noticing we weren’t going to receive any bread anytime soon, I flagged down our server and asked for some with a look that basically said, “Hello – I’m pregnant and need bread NOW.” The bread came out after our meal.

For our meal, we ordered the caprese salad, French cigars (phyllo wrapper brie and honey), pastilla (chicken, onion, eggs, almonds and orange blossom water wrapped in phyllo topped with sugar and cinnamon) and the paella with saffron rice. For tapas, the sizes were what you would expect (rather reasonable) and the prices weren’t bad, either.

Aside from the French cigars, which we thoroughly enjoyed every last gooey bite, everything else was rather bland and uneventful. The shrimp in the paella was so unbelievably salty we couldn’t even eat it, and Jamie is convinced the peas and carrots in that dish were frozen veggies. The pastilla, which our server sold on us when she described it as extremely flavorful and something quite unique to the restaurant, was disappointing. It really didn’t taste like anything except dry, sweet chicken.

I’m not an expert, but based on our experience, we won’t be going back for seconds anytime soon and I really can’t see this place thriving in its current location – unless some changes are made and the overall “ego” of the place is toned down.

Coventry Welcomes New Asian Restaurant
Que Tal? announced its closing after 13 years on Coventry. Replacing it will be a Thai/ Vietnamese/ sushi restaurant, according to Clyde Mart of J.J. Hermann & Associates, the broker representing the newtenant. “The owner is a skilled professional who operates a Thai restaurant in Boston. Her sister and brother own Bangkok restaurant in Lyndhurst. This is a family-owned business. The reason they chose Coventry is because the area is very similar to where they are located in Boston,” he explained. The new 100-seat restaurant is being remodeled and is tentatively scheduled to open in mid-April. Mart said this will be a “casual, mid-scale priced restaurant.” Takeout service will be available.

International Flavor Comes to the Street
Coventry is quickly becoming Cleveland’s most diverse restaurant district, with the upcoming opening of Bodega. A tapas and wine bar, the restaurant is slated to open by the second week of
April. According to owner Said Ouaddaadaa (pronounced Sy-eed Wadada), “There is nothing like this in Cleveland, or in the State of Ohio. This is a new concept that has not yet made it to this area. It’s popular in other major cities and throughout Europe. It’s simple. It’s good and it’s not expensive.” Ouaddaadaa chose Coventry because “it’s a very busy street and it attracts a younger clientele.”

Approximately 25 varieties of tapas ranging in flavor from northern Mediterranean, Spanish to Moroccan French as well as over 200 martinis and 300 different wines from around the world will be the restaurant’s focus. Wine tastings and jazz, seven nights a week, are in the planning stages.

A Moroccan native who is now a resident of Cleveland Heights, Ouaddaadaa received his culinary training at Club Med under the direction of the chef from the prestigious Parisian Maxim’s restaurant. “He wanted to learn how to sail and I wanted to learn how to cook so I taught him sailing and he taught me cooking.” The owner of the Uptown Grille, located near the corner of Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Roads in University Circle, he previously owned Club Isabella.