Restaurant road trip: Highlighting Culinary Gems in Cleveland

Jill Vedaa knew she was taking a risk by opening a restaurant in Cleveland devoted to small plates of food. In Buffalo, its Great Lakes sister city, diners celebrate fried fish that “hangs off the plate.”

In Cleveland, “we have the same kind of mentality,” she said. “If the food isn’t bigger than your actual head, what’s the point of getting it?”

Two years ago, Vedaa launched Salt+ with business partner, front-of-house manager and drinks auteur Jessica Parkison. It was time to try  feeding people the way she wanted to eat. “Entrees always overwhelm me,” she said. “I’m doubting myself that I can eat it, and then I end up taking it home.”