Chef Brad Race Dishes on His Cleveland Favorites: Word of Mouth

Despite never attending culinary school, Brad Race has carved out a name for himself in Cleveland’s dynamic food scene. After two years on Wall Street, Race left finance to pursue his passion for cooking. Now at The Last Page in Pinecrest, he brings a globally inspired approach rooted in his diverse experiences, reimagining what modern American dining can look like in the Midwest.

Date Night: Our favorite spot is Amba. I love Doug Katz’ restaurants. Amba in Ohio City is dark and intimate, but the food is flavor-forward. We usually get the spinach dip with the clay bread; that’s my favorite.

Kid-Friendly: One of my son’s favorite places is The Sleepy Rooster in Chagrin Falls for brunch. We go there almost every week. He gets the same thing every time, usually the kids’ pancake that comes with a side of yogurt, bacon and eggs. He’s 6 years old, and he loves it there. My go-to there is the chorizo hash and eggs, and my wife’s go-to is usually the shrimp and grits. Besides that, he really likes Pizzeria DiLauro in Chagrin Falls. We usually get the Grandma Pie, which originated in Long Island, where I’m from. I think they do a really good job. Coming from New York, DiLauro hits home for me the most.

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Everyday Faves: Sandwich-wise, I love Larder (Ohio City). I think Jeremy (Umansky) does an amazing job. His pastrami sandwich is out of this world. Then there’s Batuqui in Chagrin Falls. It’s super authentic. I’ve been to Brazil multiple times, and for me, it’s nostalgic and as close to eating in Brazil as you can get. My standouts there include the caipirinha cocktail, the salgadinhos, which are a little bar snack, the bolinho de bacalhau (cod fish croquettes) and the torresmo com mandioca (fried pork belly). A lot of times, my wife and I will just go and sit at the bar there and order appetizers.

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Inspo: The one chef out there who’s doing food that’s a little more cutting edge and inspirational would be Vinnie [Cimino] at Cordelia. I think he does some really cool stuff. 

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Tea Time: I sometimes make it at home, but if I’m going somewhere for it, I go to the Spice & Tea Exchange in Chagrin Falls. I love the turmeric ginger blend; they also have a pu’er tea, which is a Chinese black tea. It’s really rare to find a place that does that.

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