Cleveland, you’ve got moxie! Well, at least you did until 2019.
Moxie was a Cleveland-area restaurant located in the Beachwood ‘burbs that closed its doors last year after a 22-year run. I kinda groaned when the announcement of its closing was made. I mean, I wouldn’t necessarily classify Moxie as destination dining, but it was certainly a welcome eatery in a landscape dotted with chain restaurants in close proximity to the malls (Figures 1-3).
Figure 2. Mom and Cece gave Moxie a post-shopping lunch thumbs up (2018).
Figure 1. The Moxie white bean hummus was the bomb diggity (2018).
Figure 3. Moxie was open for lunch on most days, making it a good pit stop when running errands in the ‘burbs (2018).
Actually, upon reflection, the food was quite good (Figures 4-7). Did I mention that in its 22 years of existence, Moxie’s kitchen was staffed by highly skilled chefs, including Doug Katz who went on to establish Cleveland’s Fire Food & Drink?
Figure 5. Scallops were always a good bet at Moxie (2018).
Figure 4. Fish with an Asian flare for Mom at Moxie (2018).
Figure 6. Moxie had the beef, and then some (2019)!
Figure 7. Oysters! Although, this particular batch came both shucked and seasoned, much to Mom’s chagrin (2019).
Oh, and did I mention that Moxie had a patio space (Figure 8)? You know how Clevelanders love their patios during the summer!
Figure 8. Mom enjoying the patio at Moxie on a bright summer night (2018).
Well, shoot, now I really miss Moxie. Luckily for me, the space formerly occupied by Moxie wasn’t vacant for long. Turns out that the new restaurant, Blu, is under the same ownership as was Moxie. In fact, much feels the same as Moxie—the staff even recognized us at the patio! The main differences, besides the sign and decor, are the focus on seafood (Figures 9 and 10) and the hours (no longer open for lunch). The main similarities are the the aforementioned staff, the location, and the quality of the food.
Figure 9. More oysters at Moxie, I mean, Blu (2019).
Figure 10. Fritto misto, complete with bruleé lemon at Blu (2019).
The more things change, the more they stay the same, but with a tinge of blu I suppose.
