Ross Valenti, the restaurateur behind Tremont's Literary Tavern, plans to open a new spot called LittleLit at 1100 W. Royalton Rd. in Broadview Heights. The concept is described as a retro-futuristic diner bar built around a lengthy counter with an open kitchen that doubles as the bar, with lunch, dinner and late-night service planned on weekends.
Valenti already operates a pair of long-running Broadview Heights restaurants, D'Agnese's and Cantine, according to Cleveland Scene. He's also the owner behind the Literary Tavern at 1031 Literary Rd. in Tremont, which opened a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. For LittleLit, Valenti worked with Lakewood-based Scalish Construction to transform a former Subway restaurant into the new diner bar concept.
A Menu Built Around Smash Burgers and Chicago-Style Dogs
The planned menu centers on single and double smash burgers served on potato buns, including an OKC burger topped with grilled onions, sharp American cheese and comeback sauce. There's also a pastrami sandwich on rye planned for the lineup, the report notes.
Hot dogs get serious attention too, with all-beef Vienna hot dogs and Chicago-style beef and duck-fat dogs with natural casing on the menu. Those dogs can reportedly be served plain, with ketchup, mustard and onion, or Polish Boy-style, which comes loaded with BBQ sauce, slaw and beef-tallow fries. Salads and grain bowls round out the food menu, alongside a planned lineup of cocktails, beer and wine selections.
From Tremont Renovation to a Second Act in the Suburbs
The Literary Tavern itself has a renovation story of its own. When it opened at 1031 Literary Rd. in the summer of 2019, Valenti oversaw a complete renovation of the storefront and interior, which included finishing a small kitchen, according to Cleveland Magazine. The result was a 45-seat neighborhood tavern offering draft beers, wines by the glass and cocktails, with a kitchen menu that included salads, sandwiches, burgers, housemade pastas and entrees built around vegetables, seafood and meat, per an earlier Cleveland Scene report on the Tremont opening.
That track record gives some context for what Valenti is attempting with LittleLit — translating a neighborhood tavern formula into a diner-bar format built for smash burgers and hot dogs rather than pasta and seafood entrees. LittleLit is expected to open Monday, October 12, 2026; hours, prices or the final menu have not been confirmed for the Broadview Heights location.
