Water Works

For a city with a Great Lake and a rockin' river, Cleveland's waterfront dining options sure run dry. Happily, Cyrus Waterfront Restaurant & Patio (2000 Sycamore Street in the Flats) is launching soon, and it sounds assuredly shipshape.

At various times home to T.G.I. Friday's and the Riverwalk Café, the soaring space at the end of the Powerhouse is an architectural knockout. But it's the setting -- on the west bank of the Cuyahoga, with its barges, boats, and yachts -- that makes the spot unique. To take full advantage, owner and namesake Cyrus Davarpanah, former sommelier and GM at Valley View's Lockkeepers, has upgraded the riverside patio, adding a three-tiered stage, a lineup of local bands, and seating for 200 guests.

To eat, former Lockkeepers chef Pamela Waterman has whipped up a creative collection of contemporary American cuisine, featuring items like flank steak churrasco, grilled Canadian salmon, and the Pavilion Panini with grilled veggies, hummus, and mozzarella. Entrée prices top out at $23; meal-sized salads and sandwiches run from $8.50 to $14. Chef Anthony Seminatore, lead sous chef at the former Classics, will be in charge of execution. Cyrus opens on May 7.

Alice unchained . . . After opening with much hoopla in 2002, Alice Cooper's Cooper'stown was transformed into Local Heroes on March 30 without missing a beat. According to partner Tim Rose, not only is the new venture locally owned and operated, but its decor honors hometown heroes in sports, music, and public safety. The menu got a makeover too: Trans fats are out, and an expanded assortment of wraps, salads, and other "light" fare is in. Not that Rose has gone overboard: "If you still want those chili-cheese fries, we've got 'em!" Heroes serves lunch and dinner daily; call 216-566-8100 for info.

Mojo rising . . . Longtime Cleveland chef, restaurateur, and bad boy Michael Herschman (Cena Copa, Mojo) developed a devoted following with his sassy global fare. Then he went to work at Vivo (347 Euclid Avenue) and learned to cook fluent Italian. Now Herschman's breakin' loose: Vivo's spring menu features several Mojo-style faves, including Thai beef noodle salad, tiger shrimp with five-spice tempura, and a mouthwatering roasted salmon with spicy cashews, gingery spinach, and red-pepper hoisin sauce. "I did five years' penance," the chef explains. "It's time to funk it up." -- Cicora