From cutting-edge culinary innovation to old-school staples, northeast Ohio boasts a cavalcade of great dining experiences. And behind each of these experiences is a restaurateur who has dedicated their career to what we eat. We know their names. Their hard-earned reputations. We crowd their restaurants every night and know exactly where to take friends and family when they visit from out of town. We know what these innovators bring to the table, but what do THEY look for in a restaurant? Where do they go when looking to wind down and eat something consistently and wholly satisfying? For the names that have made Ohio dining worthy of national praise, what’s their comfort food? Eric Williams — chef/owner of Momocho Mod Mex, Cleveland I tend to eat-and-run and recently discovered Bogtrotters Doorstep on West 25th in Ohio City. Bogtrotters serves oven-roasted au jus sandwiches the size of a small baby and are fuckin’ awesome. I get the Clevelander: roasted and sliced turkey with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. I order it wet and crunchy, which means the sandwich is ladled with extra au jus and topped with crunchy potato chips. Since they’re not open on Sundays, I order two sandwiches so I can eat one on Sunday. Bogtrotters Doorstep serves damn good, hand-crafted sandwiches until 3 a.m. on the weekends, too! DeAnna Akers — co-owner/head chef of Crave, Akron Cooking at its most basic level is color change. If you sift through all the franchise food you can find some colorful little gems out there. One of my favorites is Kasai, in Wadsworth. Throughout my small hometown travels in Akron to as far as Sicily and Europe, I have found one truth to the restaurant industry: chef-owned restaurants always seem to be more colorful to me. Color is exactly what you will find at Kasai. Let chef Leon Liang take you across our oceans. My personal favorite is the dragon roll, but you cannot go wrong at Kasai. Bob Mileti — owner of Primo’s Deli, Akron My favorite comfort foods are the appetizers at Ken Stewart’s in Akron on Market Street. I enjoy the atmosphere in the bar area where I can eat some great-tasting oysters on the half shell. I also enjoy Stewart’s sliders and calamari, but all the appetizers are good. Behind the bar, Carol makes a perfect martini. Great food, great atmosphere and the perfect martini. That’s my comfort! Josh Schory — chef/owner of Lucca Downtown, Canton When I think of comfort food, I like simple fare, warm atmosphere and welcoming hospitality. One place for me that I have enjoyed visiting time and time again is Mo Joe’s. Mo Joe’s is located on Hills & Dales Road between Dressler and Whipple. My daughter and I have made this little gem our weekly destination for us to have a nice quiet dinner. The menu consists of a variety of sandwiches, homemade soups, pizza and salads. I always order the grilled cheese, made with cheddar (you pick your own cheeses) on fresh bread baked daily. I also always opt for their homemade tomato bisque, a wonderful dipping companion to the grilled cheese. If you are looking for warm relaxing atmosphere, a welcoming staff and simple yet wonderful food, I recommend Mo Joe’s to anyone. Matt Fish — chef/owner of Melt Bar and Grilled, Cleveland I have numerous favorite dining locations in the greater Cleveland area, but there is one that is especially near and dear to my heart: Johnny Mango World Café in Ohio City. My favorite time to go to Johnny Mango is in the heat of the summer in the late afternoon. The sun comes down directly on their urban patio. You are forced to find shelter under their many umbrellas and cool off with many of their amazing libations. My favorite is the classic margarita made with Patron Silver tequila. The menu is very worldly with an emphasis on Mexican, Asian and Caribbean. The two main staples on the menu that I normally gravitate to are the Guacamole Scoop appetizer and the black-bean quesadilla Big Plate. The guacamole is wonderful yet simply made with pickled carrots and jalapenos on the side. The black-bean quesadilla has a kick of feta cheese, which I, of course, love! The Big Plate option means that it comes along with the rice and bean of the day and a grilled banana. I realize these both sound rather mundane, but the flavors are consistently great. Plus, great comfort food is nothing particularly fancy, just particularly good! Photo: Jeremy Aronhalt