It's probably a stretch to call any restaurant that is routinely found on the Cleveland Top 100 list a dark horse that you never saw coming, but that's exactly how I'd describe Aldo's. A friend of mine lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood by Aldo's, and had been telling me about it for years. He never went into great detail about it, just said it was a good place to go to get Italian food, but because of the diminutive dining room, that it could be hard to get in. My wife and I decided to make the trek recently. When you pull in, it's not the most eye catching place, as it's located in a strip mall. Because the dining room is so small (roughly 30 seats), we decided to get there shortly after they opened, and were rewarded with no wait at all! When you get there, pay attention when you walk in, as there's a white board directly in front of the door that has all the daily specials. The staff was incredibly attentive. We were given a menu each, and a wine list. My wife asked the waiter (Mary) if they had other drinks, and she said just ask, and they would try to accommodate. My wife ordered an Espresso Martini, and I had a Peroni. For apps, we ordered the mussels, which are served in a red sauce made with wine and garlic, and the homemade meatballs. For entree, my wife ordered the Veal Parm, and I tried the lasagna. The apps arrived, and they were good! The mussels, never my favorite dish, were steamed well, the broth they were served in was nice and flavorful, and the house made bread that was served with it was crusty, almost charred on the outside, nice and soft in the middle, perfectly suited to mop up that delicious sauce! Our entrees came out and were otherworldly! I've eaten a lot of lasagna in my life, so much so that my wife jokingly called me Garfield when I ordered it again. This was, hands down, the best freaking lasagna I have ever had! And for the price point, it was an extremely generous portion! The noodles were so soft and delicate that my fork glided through it like soft butter. The sauce was rich, slightly sweet, acidic, and everything I'd even want a red sauce to be. Topped with melted mozzarella, truly perfection. My wife said it was the best veal she had ever had as well, so much so, that I only got one bite! Tender, breaded freshly before sauté, topped with that same heavenly red sauce, served with fresh spaghetti, really a superior example of what good Italian food should be. We both stopped eating about half way through the entree, partly to save some for later so we wouldn't have to let this experience end, partly to soak up the ambiance of the restaurant, with its dim lighting, family photos of trips to Italy on the walls, and partly so we could try dessert. The waiter brought out a dessert tray made for a king, and my wife chose a deconstructed eclair, which was a layer of chocolate ganache over pastry cream, with cooked pate a choux in the middle, and I chose the homemade espresso gelato. What a treat! I wish I could adequately describe the lush texture, the richness, the creaminess, the pure unctuous-ness of these desserts, but I wouldn't do them justice. What a remarkable meal. What a great little restaurant. read more