Lucky's Cafe

Lucky's Cafe in Tremont is one of our favorite breakfast spots in Cleveland. Ingredients come from local farms or the on-site garden, and chef-owner Heather Haviland is an accomplished baker, making all of the restaurant's bread and pastries in-house. Put all that together, and add a pinch of foodie flair, and you have a delicious menu that gives down-home breakfast standards deliciously modern personality. On the savory side of the equation, you'll find Lucky's legendary cheddar and scallion biscuits topped with from-scratch (even the meat) sausage gravy. For people with a sweet tooth, Heather serves up waffles smothered in honey whipped cream, strawberry-rhubarb compote and caramel sauce. Don't worry about the maple syrup; you'll never miss it. For being such a seemingly casual place, the kitchen is quite strict about substitutions, but our pint-size reviewers enjoyed the kid's plate with cheesy eggs, toast and fruit. Tremont is Cleveland's original urban-artist hangout, and Lucky's fits that stereotype. The bright, casual restaurant is in a converted 19th-century house, and servers are friendly hipsters in skinny jeans. If the weather's nice, sit outside, where shaded picnic tables offer nice views of the garden, sidewalk traffic and a colorful sunflower mural where you can peek through a hole to pose for a picture. Lucky's gets busy, especially in winter when the patio isn't available; the brunch line usually heats up around 11 a.m. or even earlier on Sundays.