The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Novel idea
The Last Page may not quite reach its highly whimsical goals, but the sharable fare is pretty tasty all the same
The website for The Last Page invites you to “Discover a new way to dine & drink.”
The site for the restaurant in the Pinecrest development in Orange Village goes on to talk of how “most memorable experiences begin with a feeling and take you on a journey far more exciting than any set destination.”
Well, you’ll forgive me if, late on a recent Saturday afternoon, I walked into the place — opened in early 2021 by Todd Leebow, the president and CEO of Cleveland-based Majestic Steel — with pretty high expectations.
While they weren’t quite met, there are plenty of reasons to turn to The Last Page, even if the generally robust prices may make it a special-occasion destination rather than a go-tostop for many.
It bills itself as a modern-American concept with global influences and inspiration taken from the Prohibition Era. No argument there.
And, admittedly, this early hour probably was not the best time to check it out, but my friend Erin and I were locked into an inconvenient 5:55 p.m. showing of the movie we wanted to see at the Silverspot Cinema that’s a stone’s throw from The Last Page in Pinecrest. (I had reservations for 4:30 that, as I suspected, were not needed.)
The decor is classy while also comfortable, and as you venture inside you can’t help but be taken by the sophisticated, naturally lit space to the right of the entrance with a couch and other seating. There, you can imagine business types closing a big deal or simply well-dressed friends enjoying drinks on a night out.
Arriving before my friend, I was led to a spot just to the right of the highly attractive bar: a half-moon-shaped booth that could seat three with a chair facing it for a fourth. Again, classy and comfortable — and also a little different.
What I didn’t get from the website is that The Last Page serves dishes meant to be shared, some that are more obviously main courses and others sides, each of which is brought to the table when it’s ready. Our excellent server explained that and offered some helpful suggestions.
With his help, we landed on a couple of mains — the Carne Asada $38), more mine, and the Truffle Orecchiette ($24), more hers — along with the Crispy Potatoes ($12), the Broken Egg Fried Rice ($18) and the Sesame Brussels Sprouts ($14).
First, though, a signature cocktail.
What jumped out to me from several creative options was The Last Manhattan ($16), which brings together barrel-aged Bulleit rye, vermouth, orange bitters and applewood smoke. I asked for it in a rocks glass with one large ice ball.
Not only wasn’t I prepared for the wildly fun presentation — smoke emanating from the concoction filled a domed glass cover, which the server raised, allowing the drink to become increasingly visible — I also wasn’t ready to fall so madly in love. I’m a lover of smoky flavors done well, and The Last Manhattan proved to be transcendent, a cocktail complex and bold but not overpowering.
(I later ordered the similarly presented $15 Mystic, the star of which is serranopepper-infused Espolon tequila, and while I found it to be spicy and fun, it simply couldn’t live up to the lofty heights reached by its predecessor.)
The food soon started to arrive.
And while I mentioned them last, the sprouts showed up first and remained No. 1 in my heart throughout the culinary affair. Prepared with kimchi yogurt and the spicy Korean sauce ssamjang, it was all kinds of flavorful as well as appealingly crunchy. Restaurants often do with sprouts what your mother could not, and I’ve never liked a preparation more than this one. It’s a must-try.
Sticking with sides, we received the potatoes soon after, and they were delicious, as well. You choose one of two preparations
— salt-and-pepper or BBQ Spice — and they come with a curried-shallot aioli for dipping. My guess is I would have liked the latter option even more, but the classic S-and-P flavoring was quite good, and the appropriately crispy potatoes were unquestionably elevated by that accompanying sauce.
The rice was a mild disappointment, if only because it sounds so good — the description mentioning kimchi, spinach and egg yolk — and because it was a recommendation of our server. Because it was merely fine AND because we had other things with which to keep our taste buds occupied and happy, the generous mound of rice went largely neglected.
Also failing to meet my expectations: the Carne Asada — sliced marinated skirt steak described as being served with peppers and onions, as well as queso fresco, but also including too much of some type of leafy element. It was surprisingly bland and simply not worth the nearly $40 price tag.
On the other end of the spectrum lay the Truffle Orecchiette and its parmesan-garlic-and-black truffle cream wonderfulness. While not something I’d likely ever have selected
on my own, it was so rich, creamy and altogether interesting that I regret not finding room in my stomach for more of it.
My best advice is to visit The Last Page with a group of at least four, one with as many adventurous eaters as possible so as many dishes are in play.
On a return trip, I’d love to try the Scallop Okinawa ($18), with its mix of diced raw scallops, Japanese sweet potato and more; the Tuna Tartare ($26), which the server said is popular; the Faroe Island Salmon ($30), the description of which had me at “whiskey glazed onions”; and the simple-but-delicioussounding Last Chicken Sandwich ($18).
For the dessert-curious, the Swiss & Salty ($18) — a dark-chocolate swiss roll heightened by Ganache, coffee cream and salted caramel ice cream — sounds to me like the tastiest of the five solid listed choices.
The Last Page may not have introduced me to a new way to dine and drink or even taken me on some metaphorical journey. On the other hand, there was a destination — deliciousness — and a return visit sounds pretty appetizing.