Remember three hour dinners with friends new and old? The laughter, the inside jokes that unfolded organically, the drinks… oh, the drinks.
It seems like forever ago since we enjoyed things like this, but it’s slowly becoming our new normal again (thank god!).
If you’ve tested the public dining waters over the past few months, tell me if this sounds familiar—meeting a friend (or two, tops) for coffee outside, taking sips between masked lips, wanting to lean in for that hug goodbye but settling for a wave and a distant, “See ya next time” instead.
Ugh. It’s been a long, hard 438 days (but who’s counting?).
Recently, though, I got a taste of that old school, magical, “we HAVE to hang out more often” kind of night when I took a small group of friends (none of whom had hung out before) to one of my new favorite restaurants in Lakewood called Summer House.
I’m not sure if it was the fantastic views of the lake and the city, the fact that every bite of food we tried was off the charts, or because the drinks were flowing and we had a fun, little buzz going, but it was one of those nights none of us wanted to end.
If you haven’t had a chance to experience Summer House, you need to put it at the top of your list like YESTERDAY.
Summer House opened exactly six days before COVID forced them to close up shop. And when I tell you the mission that underlies this Lakewood hotspot, you’ll understand why it was so important that they come back to life.
Fortunately, they were able to open their doors again after putting safety precautions in place. And the truly amazing thing—the thing that wraps up the culture of this place in a nutshell—is that when it was time to open back up, every single staff member came back to work.
That’s the vibe here—everyone is family. You can feel it whether you’re a first time guest, a regular, or a member of the staff. The intention wrapped up in every aspect of the restaurant is rooted in family sharing food and stories around the table.
The beautiful view is an added bonus.
The family-style vibe can be seen in the scratch-made shareable plates, the genuine friendliness of the bartenders and servers, and the heartfelt artwork hanging on every wall: portraits and paintings of family—of Mikey’s family.
You see, this restaurant was opened in the legacy of the owners’ teenage son, Mikey, who had Down's Syndrome and passed away from leukemia in 2019. Even the inspiration for the restaurant’s name came from Mikey, whose favorite place on the planet was the family’s summer house on Kelly’s Island.
And the name, decor, and vibe of the place are not the only things dedicated to Mikey’s legacy. One hundred percent of the restaurant’s profits are donated to Awakening Angels, a 501(c)3 organization in Cleveland dedicated to research, education, and social programs to improve the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities.
One hundred percent!
This must be why a table of perfect strangers can have the time of their lives here. Mikey’s parents say he was so full of life and love and happiness. Even while he was going through chemotherapy, he listened to music on his headphones and danced.
