The Untouchable Italian Kitchen

Think you can’t find the real deal when it comes to authentic Italian cuisine? Forgetaboutit! It’s right here in Medina.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 02/24/2009
I had the occasion this month to visit the once-Italian neighborhood anchored by St. Rocco’s Church on Cleveland’s West Side. The drive through the old home of my wife’s ancestors was a somber reminder of the ethnic traditions that are melting away in the pots of corporate-owned food factories—like the Sunday aroma of homemade sauces that saturated piles of spaghetti, rigatoni and cavatelli.

Sean Brauser is a guy who understands that tradition.

That’s one reason the owner of Romeo’s Italian Kitchen visits Italy at least once a year, bringing back authentic recipes he serves in his restaurant that revisits a long-gone era.

But the food isn’t all that’s authentic at the Italian Kitchen.

A white stenciled sign on one of the interior brick walls suggests that you vote Eliot Ness for mayor of Cleveland—a replica of a real sign that has adorned an old inner city building since 1947. The balance of the décor is mostly dedicated to Al Capone and the rest of the Chicago wise guys that Ness and the “untouchables” worked to put behind bars.

“I’ve always had a strong interest in the gangster era,” Sean explains. “The American public has romanticized that era. When you come in here we want you to feel like you’re back there eating in a real old-school Italian restaurant.”

Except here you don’t have to be afraid to sit with your back to the door.

“When you leave here you’ll feel more Italian than when you came in,” Sean promises.

You certainly won’t have a problem with the food at the Romeo’s Italian Kitchen.
Romeo’s Pizza, also owned by Sean, has won numerous local, national and international awards, and Sean has been featured on the Food Network and other local television shows.

You don’t think he can do for authentic family Italian dining what he’s done for pizza?
Forgetaboutit.

“All the food here is inspired by recipes I learned in Italy,” Sean insists. “It’s all cooked to order using the best ingredients.”

Like the Penne alla Vodka with Sausage—penne pasta with crumbled sausage and ground beef in a zesty tomato cream sauce.

Or Mama’s Lasagna—made with cottage cheese, a creative departure from the typical ricotta.  There are 15 dishes under 10 bucks and all-you-can-eat salad bar for just $1.99 more. For lunch, try the $5.99 all-you-can-eat buffet, featuring pizza, salad, soup and pasta.

It’s an offer you can’t refuse.

The Romeo’s Italian Kitchen opened a year ago right next to the Medina location of Romeo’s Pizza. Like an old speakeasy, it can be a little hard to find unless you know where to look. Look for the Romeo’s Pizza and Romeo’s Italian Kitchen signs on the plaza behind the Key Bank building in the North Court Plaza, on Route 42. And by the way, if you see the Romeo’s sign in the old Fenn Plaza, at Fenn Road and Route 42, ignore it and keep going south toward Medina. Phone Romeo’s Italian Kitchen at 330-723-6111.

If you’re interested in a franchise opportunity, call Sean. Romeo’s Pizza now has 13 locations in Northeast Ohio and Sean is looking to add seven more by the end of the year. See www.romeospizza.com for more information.

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