Visit Sergio's Restaurant

Sarava at Shaker Square



13225 Shaker Square 216.295.1200 www.sergioscleveland.com	Hours: Mon-Thu 5-10pm Fri-Sat 5-Midnight Sun 5-9pm	Sarava (pronounced sah-rah-VAH) is a restaurant located on the NE side of Shaker Square.

Cleveland Girl's Blog

Come Inside

I was drawn in by a chorus of men's voices in harmony, amplified over a loudspeaker at Shaker Square this past Sunday afternoon. By following the melodic sounds, I ended up standing in front of a restaurant called Sarava, which is a Brazilian Portuguese word used to greet or wish someone well.

Three young men dressed in crisp, clean, and classic black and white, stood on the huge outdoor patio talking and listening to the Gospel music.

"What's going on in there?" I asked the guys as I gestured toward the restaurant.

Ben, a server at Sarava, informed me that there was a choir from True Missionary Baptist Church inside playing live music, and all three of the guys invited me in to check it out.

I told the trio that I had to go to coffee date a few doors down at Dewey's, but I was curious about why this group was singing at Sarava.

They told me that the owner, Sergio Abramof, planned this Gospel Sunday Brunch for the restaurant patrons, featuring live music and a special menu of tasty Georgia cuisine, compliments of Head Chef Willie Jackson. I pulled out my camera to grab a few shots of Sarava as a reminder to Google it and find out more later. Just then I heard, "There's Sergio right there! You should go and talk to him."

I did, and Sergio personally invited me in to see what was going on.

Entertaining Guests

The first thing I noticed when walking into the door was the beautiful interior of the restaurant. My camera didn't capture the soft lighting in this intimate but airy setting.

It truly looked like someone's home -- from the sleek leather couches in the front lobby, to the deep, dark wood that dressed the bar and walls, it was obvious that someone cared about how the guests' entire dining experience.

Later Sergio told me that the person who put so much time into the decor was his wife, Susan, who I unfortunately didn't get to meet (and ask her where she got the cool wall-hangings). Next time.

The Men's Chorus was set up in the front of the restaurant. Their angelic voices seemed to reach to the top of the tall ceiling that loomed above our heads. Sergio was standing at the door, taking reservations, greeting guests as they entered, yet keeping one ear on the sounds from the stage.

I realized that I was bobbing my head and I looked around and saw the other restaurant patrons doing the same -- some were even tapping their feet and singing along, while enjoying their meals!

After the choir finished that set, I asked Sergio if I could talk to him. He shot me a smile and before he could say anything else, a few regular guests came up behind him, tugged on his arm, and said "Hi Sergio!". He politely excused himself as the family dragged him away.

What Is Sarava?

I took a seat in one of the espresso-colored bar chairs and pulled out my notebook. Almost immediately a friendly smile greeted me. "Hi, how are you?"

The bartender, Megan, asked me if I needed anything so I let her know that I was waiting for Sergio.

I asked her how long she had been working at Sarava. Megan thought about it for a moment and then replied that she had been at Sarava for a little over a year. She then went on to tell me about how great it was working there.

Her eyes literally lit up when she told me about the food. She said that I HAD to try the brick-oven roasted Pork Chop Ipanema, the spicy Shrimp Quiabo and finish with the Coconut Butter Cake. I could feel my stomach calling as she told me the ingredients that went into these delicious-sounding dishes, but I tried to ignore it since I had dinner waiting at home.

I changed the subject and asked Megan about working with Sergio. Again, her eyes lit up.

Find out more about Sergio's restaurant - continued on page two

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