We wanna taco ‘bout it The “Best of Cleveland” team is talking tacos… specifically, the “Best Tacos in all The Land.” They’ve gathered up your om-nom-nominations and now it’s time to vote from the illustrious Top 10 List! Authentic Mexican recipes and/or family secret methods abound. Now it’s time for your votes! VOTE Storm closed market hall at West Side Market for one day, backup generators in future plans When the West Side Market closed Saturday, April 13, because of an electrical outage, people took to social media speculating what happened and urging the city to buy backup generators for the aging facility. Generators are already in the plans. DETAILS Beverage ‘Boss’ is on-trend with draught cocktails “Malternatives,” hard seltzers and hard liquor/spirit sales have hammered beer sales but spurned on a cocktail vogue. Boss ChickNBeer beverage director Melissa Pattison has been low-key flirting with draught cocktails for a while. We look at her Juicy B.I.G. margarita and the emerging trend. READ MORE Israeli wines gain popularity for Passover Wine has been important to traditions and rituals throughout time. Kosher wine for the Seder dinner is one occasion. To please the modern palate, these wines are increasingly made from classical grape varieties in both the New and Old World styles. The resulting wines are award-winning. DETAILS RampUp Festival celebrates ephemeral wild leeks Once a spring delight of rural folks and earthy types, ramps are an ephemeral wild leek (Allium tricoccum) that have caught fire with foodies. They grow in the leafy mulch of hardwood forests in the Northeastern United States; for example, the Cuyahoga Valley. Both bulbs and leaves are edible. Peninsula is holding a ramp festival on Saturday, April 27. READ MORE |
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Meet Paris Wolfe, part of your ‘Dine Drink CLE’ team here at Cleveland.com Paris knew from a very early age that she wanted to write. The fact that she ended up writing about dining, drinking and hospitality -- is like a dream come true. With wine, farm-to-table and homemade everything in her favorites list, we figured a “5 for Friday” rundown would be fun. It was. READ MORE Hank Kornblut, Mr. Brisket engage community with Corned Beef for Vets program With 50 years in, Mr. Brisket is giving back for the selfless service and sacrifice that active and retired military personnel endeavor. There’s no way to ever repay such dedication, but Hank Kornblut & Co. in Cleveland Heights have found a way for customers to show appreciation. READ MORE Wine, wine, more wine! Our monthly review of wine has an assortment of varietals from $10 to $25 We tasted eight wines from four countries, From the United States, Chile, Italy and Spain. READ MORE Market at the Food Bank auction under way Market at the Food Bank is coming up this weekend, but the auction for the fundraiser is under way now. Sports items, entertainment packages, concert tickets and many ither items are available to raise money for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. READ MORE 8 floral cocktails to make at home to usher in the spring season To celebrate the start of spring, we’ve gathered up 8 floral cocktail recipes worth making at home to usher in the season. The drinks include notes of elderflower, rose, lavender and beyond for blossoming notes in every sip. READ MORE Mellow Mushroom offering $4.20 munchies special for 4/20 For those celebrating 4/20 this weekend, Mellow Mushroom is offering a special to curb the munchies. The pizza chain, with a location in Rocky River, is offering its signature Pretzel Bites for $4.20 when ordered online on Saturday only. READ MORE Cocky’s Bagels fires up 4/20 celebration in Cleveland with freebies, deals on munchies Another local restaurant gearing up to celebrate 4/20 this weekend is Cocky’s Bagels in the Flats. Cocky’s is hosting a “Satur-daze” event from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. It will feature tie dye-ing, free “j papers” and a $6 Wake n’ Bacon sandwich with the purchase of a drink. READ MORE Going local with condiments for cookout-picnic season Ketchup, mustard and mayo... oh my! The next couple “Classic CLE Eats & Drinks” columns on Cleveland.com are all about local artisanal flavors for your picnic, cookout or party. READ MORE Ranking 20 frozen potato tots from worst to best They are known by tots, potato puffs and even taters. No matter what you call them we tasted and ranked 20 different varieties found in your grocers’ freezer. The “Best of Cleveland” team of Yadi Rodriguez and Peter Chakerian at Cleveland.com tasted them all so you don’t have to. READ MORE |
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OPENINGS The Yard on 3rd sets opening date with special addition The Yard on 3rd is scheduled to open for the season next month with a special addition: “The Shed - Cookies + Booze” in collaboration with Luna Bakery & Cafe. The seasonal outdoor eatery-bar is slated to open at 4 p.m. Friday, May 10. This is the third year for The Yard on 3rd, which offers a definite outdoor vibe. The Shed - Cookies + Booze is replacing Geraci’s Slice Shop, which relocated to a full-service Geraci’s Restaurant on nearby Erie Street in downtown Willoughby. READ MORE Little Italy’s Mount Granita opens with $1 scoop day Warmer weather is on its way and Mount Granita in Little Italy is getting ready. The year-old granita shop will open May 1 with a $1 scoop special. That junior scoop is usually $4. Granita is non-dairy, frozen dessert, related to sorbet and Italian ice, that hails from Sicily. This isn’t a chunky snow cone, but a creamy, smooth combination of fruit, sugar and water. DETAILS |
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EVENTS/TASTINGS Chardon Restaurant Week Sixteen local restaurants are participating in Chardon Restaurant Week, through April 21. They are scattered around the town square and as far away as Brown Barn Tavern on Mayfield Road. READ MORE The Rustic Grill sets dinner and a show The Rustic Grill at StoneWater is holding a special dinner and a show on Friday, April 19. A three-course English-inspired meal will be served as the Liverpool Lads, a Beatles tribute band, performs. READ MORE 111 Bistro schedules dinner with Italian wines from Carpineto 111 Bistro is scheduled to hold a five-course dinner featuring Carpineto, an Italian winery. The dinner is Thursday, April 18. Cocktails are at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. READ MORE Cleveland International Wine Festival is scheduled The Cleveland International Wine Festival is set for Saturday, April 20. Organizers say more than 100 wines will be available for tasting, plus there are multiple classes appropriate for wine beginners as well as established oenophiles. It’s at Landerhaven event center in Mayfield Heights. READ MORE The Aviator schedules Rodney Strong wines dinner The Aviator Event Center and Pub is holding a dinner featuring Rodney Strong wines of California. The multi-course dinner is Thursday, April 25, at the restaurant, which is adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Rodney Strong is a common name on many restaurant menus, and the dinner is a good way to familiarize yourself with the wines. READ MORE Books & Bites to bring in celebrity chef to Cleveland Books & Bites, a fundraiser for the Cuyahoga County Library Foundation, is coming up Thursday, May 2. Headlining the event this year will be Rocco DiSpirito, who has written more than a dozen books. His most recent book is “Everyday Delicious,” which focuses on 100 no-fuss weekday meals to help you cook like a chef in about 30 minutes. READ MORE |
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PICKS OF THE WEEK Cloak & Dagger Cloak & Dagger in Tremont is bar noir, like something out of a Harry Potter novel. For adults. On weekends, the dark, moody interior fills with happy people eating creative vegan dishes and socializing in groups or couples. Reservations are almost mandatory as the limited dining space, even bar stools, fill up quickly. Craft cocktails go with small plates like masa hushpuppies, carrot tartare, spring pea bruschetta and more. Cloak & Dagger is at 2399 W. 11th St., Cleveland DETAILS Zhug Douglas Katz’s Cedar-Fairmount hotspot is as spicy as the namesake jalapeño condiment that arrives with your Mediterranean Mezze feast. The buzz? Frenetic. The battery of brightly flavored (and impeccably dressed!) dishes? Dizzying. Club-like vibes? At once upbeat and downtempo. Diners stood/sat in alcoves outside, waiting for tables to free up. Inside, Katz greeted guests as they noshed plates of mejadra, kofta, labneh, moussaka, saffron-date-braised lamb and more. Our meal was a formidable culinary display, one that won’t fade in reflection any time soon. Bravo! Zhug is at 12413 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights. DETAILS Rockne’s You have to love a place that is equally a destination for a night out for couples as it is a family-friendly place. With a very affordable menu, Rockne’s offers something for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters. (Soup fans delight: three sizes are offered.) And you have to love the old photos of football coaching great Knute Rockne hanging in the space. Rockne’s has eight locations in Summit, Portage and Stark counties. READ MORE Dinerbar on Clifton Dinerbar on Clifton is where modern style meets classic diner charm. The menu is the star of the show, including all of the diner staples and more inventive bites. You can never go wrong with loaded diner fries, patty melts or malted milkshakes at Dinerbar. Additionally, other menu items like the Ahi tuna poke bowl or risotto balls hold their own. Dinerbar is at 11801 Clifton Blvd., Lakewood. DETAILS |
SPOTLIGHT Sokolowski's University Inn memorabilia sale set Items from the famed Sokolowski’s University Inn are going up for sale for one day next month. Scores of artifacts, mementos, sports items plus copper pots, a butcher block table and many other classic items from the restaurant will be available. The restaurant was an anchor for decades in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. READ MORE |
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