A Little Downtown History
One of the most historic restaurants in downtown Akron is Bricco. Now, when you only go back 12 years to call a place historic, it says something about the development of downtown Akron, but there is no question the ongoing revival of our city got a major contribution from the restaurants operated at this location on the corner of Exchange and Main.
The place was opened at Treva in 1998 by Diane Robinson, one of the first people to recognize the potential as Canal Park was being built and the old Goodrich plants were being converted into the Canal Place business incubator, and the home to a couple of other corporate businesses. Cathy White was the first sous chef, then moved on to help Moe Schneider found Moe's in Cuyahoga Falls. When Robinson moved up the street found Piatto with Roger Thomas, White bought Treva. In 2003, ambitious David Glenny bought White out, and since, has opened three more locations, one in the valley, one in Cleveland's Playhouse Square, and one in the Doubletree Hotel in Fairlawn.
All four Bricco locations serve what I like to call “modern American pub food” with an upscale twist. This means lots of designer burgers, brick oven pizza, a wide range of salads and pastas, and just enough fish and steak entrees to satisfy the larger “traditional” appetites. Where the upscale part comes in is that Glenny (and all the previous owners) have been chef-oriented, so the menus and the cooking are a cut above the chain stores offering similar food, and the ambiance is much more customized, so each of the Bricco locations is unique, distinctive.
It would be possible to go on for a long time about all the various burgers, salads and entrees I've tried at each place. Suffice it to say that if you can't find something you like, you probably don't like eating out at restaurants! The best way to get a feel for how wide-ranging the menus have become is by visiting the main web site, then linking on to the location where you'll be dining: