Johnny’s Bar opened in the 1920’s as Louise’s Garden and was renamed Johnny’s Bar in 1952.  It has been in the same family for much of that time and that sense of tradition and neighborhood business provided the guest with a feeling that you’ve discovered a gem of Cleveland.  It looked like a cozy dive from the street with the deco sign on a building that dates to 1917, but inside there was an old school elegance complete with white cloth covered tables accented with black napkins, a large bar area and animal print carpet.  There are other dining rooms as well as a lovely patio named for the originator Louise (whose son Johnny took over).  The large menu was a la carte with a couple nightly specials and our helpful and friendly server knew about the various options and could provide wonderful descriptions as well as help to steer your choices.  There is a good sized wine list with more options than are listed.  We simply described what we were looking for to the owner  Bo Santosuosso with a price range and then he came up with an excellent choice.   Continue reading →