A stellar cellar - Adega in The Nine, Cleveland, Ohio

The Christmas holiday season is my time to return to the suburbs of Cleveland to visit my family (and usually friends, but that didn't really happen this year). We have local spots we always tend to visit, and enjoy. You may have read about Bistro 70 in the past. This year, my brother scheduled a dinner downtown in the heart of Cleveland. He chose to have us dine at Adega in the Metropolitan at the 9 Hotel. Adega can be translated into "cellar" in Portuguese, and I'm guessing part of the reason the restaurant is named Adega is that it has a beautiful wall of wine. It also has gorgeous lighting, an inviting bar, and a very small waiting area comprised of eclectic furniture. It is a unique and fresh space.Being an urban-dweller for almost four years now, I can appreciate that going downtown allows for finding unique cuisine more easily than is typically available in the 'burbs.Adega's menu is not one you'd easily find on the east side of Cleveland (from where I hail). The menu is full of Mediterranean ingredients and flavor combinations.Everything looked appealing to me, so I pulled out my handy card to provide to our (extraordinary!!) server, Jay. He didn't hesitate, even commenting on the "surprise" aspect of the dining experience.Jay actually took things a few steps further. He brought Chef Nelly out to greet us and to thank us for dining at Adega that evening. He also brought the table a serving of the octopus appetizer, much to my mom's dismay. Though, she did try it! Everyone else did too, and most enjoyed it. I've had octopus many times, served in different ways, and I was pleased that Jay chose to serve us this dish.The salad Jay chose was superb! It was a winter vegetable salad - hearty and healthy. Just look at this photo - those vegetables and that beet sauce...For my main dish, Jay chose the "Kobe beef of pork", the Iberico pork. It was so tender and flavorful (though, as a warning, a bit on the salty side). I shared bites with everyone at the table and it was unaminous - WOW! Such a simple dish, but decadent.We were also served the crispy Brussels. I told Jay it was like he was reading my mind - he picked perfectly! The Brussel sprouts were like an early dessert at the table - we could not get enough of them! Crunchy deliciousness!After dinner,the general manager came by with Jay to check on us (I told you we had great service!). Then, we were served a couple of desserts. Jay knew that we had two people with gluten-free requirements, so in addition to the warm apple fritter doughnuts with Franglica and caramel sauces, he brought sorbet for my brother and uncle. Great attention to detail! I also loved the presentation of the food - from start to finish.Now, we didn't need the dessert, nor would we likely have ordered it, but we did do some damage anyhow. The doughnuts were a sweet, wintery treat, and a pleasant way to finish the meal.Overall, the dining experience with my family at Adega was fabulous! The service could not have been better, and the food was absolutely delicious. I'd like to hope that I will be back when I visit Cleveland again, whether for family time, out with friends, or taking a customer out to dinner - Adega is a great spot to enjoy the experience of dining out. Cheers!Ker