PLAIN DEALER APPLAUDS MAP ROOM

Gillespie's Map Room, tucked into a long, narrow space along West Ninth Street, bills itself as "your neighborhood pub." That's true, given its proximity to the plethora of apartments and condos bordering the east bank of the Flats. Drinkers on my two visits wore jeans, khakis and shorts and appeared to have dropped in to meet friends, catch a ballgame, and kibitz with the staff. They were young and old.

This wasn't because the food is bad. It's because the 5-year-old Map Room is chiefly a place to imbibe. The focus is microbrewed beer, 42 brands in all, on draft and in bottles, with catchy names like Blithering Idiot and In Heat Wheat. The wine list isshort and mostly forgettable. Read More at the Plain Dealer