Taking Flight

Greater Cleveland restaurants have embraced the trend of shareable menu items in unique ways. Take a bite (or two) of these interesting food flights.

Most breweries offer some kind of flight board with a few different sips of their concoctions. But who says flights need to be limited to beer? Northeast Ohio’s culinary scene offers a variety of flights of everything from sausage to ice cream to guacamole and more. The menu option offers an opportunity to try a bit more of the restaurant’s menu without biting off more than you can chew. “I think if you were to ask chefs now why they do it, I think we would have the same answer,” says Momocho and El Carnicero chef-owner Eric Williams. “It’s the guest experience; it’s being able to taste multiple flavors; it’s a way to sample stuff.”

ALL SAINTS PUBLIC HOUSE’S SAUSAGE BOARD

Head to All Saints Public House to try some of the restaurant’s rotating sausages, perfectly paired with charcuterie board bites like pickled onions, pickles, mustards and homemade braised sauerkraut ($19). Executive chef Jared

Bazil sources most of the restaurant's selection of sausages from the West Side Market, occasionally mixing in off-the-wall options like wild game sausages, too. “We sell a lot of them, for sure,” Bazil says. “We’ve got one of the best patios, so a lot of groups come in. They get a bunch of share- able plates and get to try five different dishes instead of having just their one entree.” 1261 W. 76th St., Cleveland, allsaintspublichouse.com

ALMOST HEAVEN’S ICE CREAM FLIGHT

Six rounded scoops of Almost Heaven are available for order, in flight format ($6), from this group of Summit and Stark counties ice cream shops. Multiple visits may be required to work your way through the brand’s entire beloved 20-flavor menu. Various locations, almostheavenicecream.com

AVO MODERN MEXICAN’S DIPS TRIO

Three unique dips can arrive at your table, all at the same time, at Avo Modern Mexican — and you get to choose from the Ohio City restaurant's range of salsas, guacamoles and fundido ($13+). “It’s really popular,” says Avo co-owner Julie Mesenburg. “If certain people in your party don’t like something or have never had something, it offers you the opportunity to try something new.” 2058 W. 25th St., Cleveland, avo-ohiocity.com

COOL BEANS CAFE’S COFFEE AND SOUP FLIGHTS

Customers can sample much of this Medina cafe’s menu, all at once, by ordering a couple of flights. The shop regularly offers hot and iced coffee flights ($10.99) — and this past winter, introduced a soup flight option, too. “You can come three days in a row and get three different flights,” owner Laura Cavey said in a Cleveland Magazine interview. 103 W. Liberty St., Medina, coolbeansmedina.com

DAIRY GROVE’S ICE CREAM FLIGHT

Waiting in line at an ice cream shop presents some difficult choices. For those who can’t make up their mind at North Ridgeville’s Dairy Grove, there's a bit of good news: on the menu the shop offers a four-choice flight of ice cream flavors ($7.50). “We’ve noticed a lot of people come and not know what to get,” says Dairy Grove co-owner Kathy Salvo. “It’s so easy to suggest, ‘How about a flight?’ That way you can try a smaller scoop of four ice screams instead of having just one flavor.” 35455 Center Ridge Road, North Ridgeville, dairygrove.com

GIBBS BUTCHER AND BREWS’ BACON FLIGHT

Four hefty 4-ounce pieces of bacon (calculating … yes, that is one entire pound of bacon) make up Gibbs Butcher and Brews’ impressive bacon flight. Black pepper, cajun and maple flavors remain consistent, with the fourth flavor rotating through tastes like balsamic, Jamaican jerk and even “everything bagel” seasoning. Owner Jim Dixon sources the meat from his other business, Gibbs Butcher Block. “Customers love it. It looks awesome. It’s a pound of bacon and it’s on these big sticks,” Dixon says. “It’s one of those items where when you walk through the dining room, you’ll sell two or three more because somebody saw it and says, ‘What’s that?’ Well, that’s the pound of bacon they ordered.”

8154 Columbia Road, Olmsted Falls, gibbsbutcherbrews.com

LITTLE BIRDIE WINE NEST’S BEVERAGE FLIGHTS

Sip a cold-brew latte flight ($15) — and maybe make it boozy, if that’s your thing ($17) — at Little Birdie Wine Nest’s Morning Owl coffee bar in Parma. As if there weren’t enough options to sample, the shop rotates its coffee concoctions seasonally and recently introduced its summer menu. Beyond the caffeine, the shop also offers alcoholic slushie, mimosa and sangria flights ($17). 6060 Broadview Road, Parma, littlebirdiewinenest.com

EL CARNICERO AND MOMOCHO’S MARGARITA, GUACAMOLE AND SALSA FLIGHTS

The best things come in threes at Momocho and El Carnicero. Here, you can get tasters of guacamole ($25), salsa ($9) and margaritas ($15), enjoying a mashup of the Mexican restaurants' menus in flight form. Chef-owner Eric Williams has offered them since Momocho opened 17 years ago and since El Carnicero opened 10 years ago. “We’re appeasing the guests, but we’re also creating a different kind of environment, a snack-and-share. Who doesn’t like chips and dip? It just obviously caught on.” 1835 Fulton Road, Cleveland, momocho.com

SAUCED LAKEWOOD’S SAUCE FLIGHT

Try the namesake of this Lakewood restaurant with this unique menu option. A flight of sauces are available for dipping with either chicken nuggets ($9.50) or fries ($9.50). It mirrors the restaurant’s craft beer offerings, too, says co-owner Geoff Mathias. “Flights are kind of a very natural thing in that world, so we’ve always had beer flights,” Mathias says. “I know when I go out with my wife, we almost always eat off each others’ plates. When you go out with friends, who doesn’t like to share appetizers? We like to try stuff. One of the best things about going out to eat is trying something you can’t eat at home. A flight gives you a little bit of everything.” 14701 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, saucedtaproom.com