Dodie’s Dockside

Located on the main floor of the Historic Ariel Hotel on Broadway, built in 1923, Dodie’s restaurant brings Lorain its first Italian-influenced coastal fare dining. Our menu takes what we love from traditional seaside food and gives it a contemporary, Italian twist.

Sitting dockside, Dodie’s remodeling pays homage to the building’s original architecture while harnessing the nautical spirit of Lake Erie’s coast. With local art and historical photographs, Dodie’s takes pride in being the place where you gather for the food, for the ambience, and especially for the community.

Here, find your destination restaurant for all occasions in Lorain. We encourage both family gatherings and intimate date-nights. Have a cocktail in the Bar Lounge with views of Black River Landing. Share a meal with friends or out-of-towners, and show off Ohio’s charming lakeside.

History

Dodie’s was born from love: love of food and love of community.

A husband and wife team, owners Tim Smith & Jamie Porrello had always dreamed of opening a restaurant together. Jamie liked to cook, Tim like to eat. Late into the night, the two would pour over imagined menus and invent the perfect cocktails.

For Tim, his desire to open a restaurant grew from the 20 years he spent in the food industry. Working in management prepared him for the business; but tending bar, working in service, and communing with the folks of his neighborhood made him realize his passion for it. Tim found he was a natural at fostering community. Effortlessly, and always with his joy and humor, he could make people feel welcome.

For Jamie, her propensity for cooking developed when she was little. Her earliest memories in the kitchen are playful anecdotes, lobster antennae atop her head, standing at her grandmother, Dodie’s side. Dodie’s family emigrated from outside of Naples to the U.S., and was a petite woman, but her presence in the kitchen was at once bold and loving. She always had the culinary remedy. It was Dodie’s magic to bring people together through food. Dodie taught Jamie everything about cooking, instilling it like value in her heart.

When Tim and Jamie’s first child was born, they knew it was finally time to realize their dream. The concept was to bring together the tastes of New England and aesthetic of Northeast Ohio in a tasty ode to their history. When they found this location, overlooking the water, and surrounded by all the special accents that make Lake Erie and Lorain such gems, they knew this was a wink.

And so Dodie’s was born:

A nod and prayer to the memory of a woman whose gift of bringing people together through food will continue to resound strong – and deliciously!