Travel: Cleveland, USA

HOW many US cities can you identify just by their nickname? The Big Apple isn't hard, but what about The Big Easy?

Such names evoke a sense of glamour and intrigue, drawing visitors from around the world. So which city is the unlucky holder of the nicknames "America's Armpit" and "The Mistake On The Lake"? Full marks if you said Cleveland, Ohio. I went in the depths of midwinter to see if the city lived up to its name.

For decades, Cleveland has been the black sheep of an otherwise vibrant Midwest. Back when Detroit's car factories were humming and Pittsburgh's steel mills smoking, Cleveland was in decline. The fifth biggest city in the country in 1920, by the end of the 1970s it was the first to be declared bankrupt since the Depression. The nadir was reached in 1969 when the river, the source of all its wealth, became so polluted it actually caught fire. Cleveland's loser reputation was sealed.

But nobody loves a good old-fashioned comeback like America and Cleveland has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts, on the back of excellent medical facilities and a growing food scene with some of the country's top chefs and restaurants. The lasting effect of the bad times is still very much in evidence, however, and scores of abandoned houses litter downtown, giving the eerie feeling that you have wandered on to a post-apocalyptic film set.

Walking around on a Tuesday afternoon, I saw just five hardy souls though, to be fair, it was bitterly cold and, in a Cleveland winter, nobody likes to leave the warmth of good heating. Thankfully, there is plenty to do indoors. First on the list is what helped put Cleveland back on the map — the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

A must for music lovers, the building itself is worthy of a visit too. Designed by IM Pei, it is an odd-looking glass pyramid right on the waterfront, with excellent views of Lake Erie. Wandering around several floors of rock and roll history and memorabilia from the likes of Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi and Led Zeppelin, as well as more recent acts such as Bjork and the Jonas Brothers, made the hours fly by, as I rediscovered the beauty and raw power of this most American of musical genres.

Feeling peckish, I walked along East Fourth Street, a very small thoroughfare with many of the best bars and restaurants the city has to offer. They were surprisingly busy, but I only had eyes for one: The Greenhouse Tavern, recently voted one of the ten best new restaurants in America by Bon Appetit magazine. Part of the new wave of Cleveland chefs getting national attention, owner Jonathan Sawyer is a firm locavore, ensuring all ingredients are from local farms and growers.

The results are outstanding: a simple but satisfying starter of radishes smeared with butter and salt, followed by the best chicken wings I have ever tasted. Fried in duck fat and with roasted jalapenos and scallions, they slid off the bone with tenderness and a real bite. For a main course, I had a rich coq au vin that left me licking the plate clean. The side dishes, all locally grown vegetables in season, were delicious.

Other places I tried followed the Midwestern tradition of heavy and greasy food, such as local speciality the Cleveland Po'Boy, a sloppy combination of hotdog, hot sauce, coleslaw and chips, all stuffed into a bun. A messy delight, it was worth the several napkins and stained jacket (you never remove your jacket in Cleveland - ever). Like many American cities, it also boasts a variety of ethnic neighbourhoods including Asia Town and Little Italy, each with their own unique flavours. And there is the West Side Market, the second largest indoor market in the US, a place where you can get lost sampling all the edible delights.

Exploring is fun, but requires a car as the city is so spread out and public transport is minimal, with few taxis to flag down.

Worth a visit is Shaker Heights on the east side, a warren of lovely homes built in distinctive European styles, surrounded by trees. One of the country's first planned communities, it's hard not to think you've seen the quintessential American suburb in these streets.

Nearby is University Circle, with plenty for the family to do and see. Home to a burgeoning art scene, fuelled by newer artists fleeing high rents in bigger cities, it has an array of museums and galleries, including one for children. There is also the Botanical Garden and the impressive Severance Hall, home to the world-famous Cleveland Orchestra.

For nature lovers, the Cleveland Metropark system - a vast network of natural parks that rings the city and is known as the Emerald Necklace - offers various pleasures. In winter you can toboggan, cross-country ski and ice skate, while the summer months offer even more choices - from biking on the nearly completed 100-mile towpath, rock climbing and lazing on the beach of Lake Erie at Edgewater Park.

Further afield is Cedar Point Amusement Park, two hours due west, with 17 roller coasters, although if your idea of fun doesn't involve queuing for two hours followed by 17 seconds of abject terror, head east to the wine trail along the shore of Lake Erie. Alternatively, Amish country is two hours south, full of picturesque barns and charming B&Bs, plus some of the best home cooking around.

Cleveland has a lot more to offer than just crippling economic depression. The residents put up with being a national punchline with good humour and an almost pathological sense of loyalty. Their sports teams are chronic underachievers, adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory; but Clevelanders happily drink their city-brewed beer and cheer them on. No wonder I had a warm sense of feeling at home here. Mistake On The Lake? More like Cold, But With A Heart of Gold. Now if only that could catch on … n

Fly from Edinburgh with KLM and Delta (not direct) from 410 per person.

Stay The Cleveland Marriott Downtown (www.marriott.com) has rooms from $139 per person.

Drive Budget, Ford Focus, from $87 per day.

• This article was first published in the Scotland on Sunday on March 27, 2011