Culinary shuffle in Van Aken Disrict It’s culinary musical chairs this fall at the 5-year-old Van Aken District. Four food establishments have moved out and four new ones are moving in. The movement isn’t a bad thing. It’s a natural evolution for the space, says market General Manager Jesse Rathner. Incoming restaurants include Boom’s Pizza, Gio’s Pastaria and Haute Donuts. A fourth concept is still unannounced. Cleveland.com’s Paris Wolfe has the scoop. READ MORE Blue Door Café looks for fresh start with elegant, new look When Michael Bruno bought the building for The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery in Cuyahoga Falls in 2011, it was a simple diner. Over the years both the menu and the interior have evolved. In early October, Bruno spent $70,000 to renovate the bar and elevate guest experience in the space. Once just a breakfast/brunch spot, it has now become a weekend dinner destination as well. READ MORE Wake Robin paves economic development path for East Cleveland Ismail Samad’s career in the restaurant and food manufacturing industry has led him to start successful businesses in Vermont and Boston. But Samad is a proud East Clevelander, which is why he’s returned to his hometown with a vision to build up the community that raised him. He is a co-founder of Loiter, a strategic business effort aimed at spurring growth and economic development in the city with a variety of businesses, including specialty food production and restaurants. Loiter acquired Wake Robin Fermented Foods in May 2022. The small, BIPOC-owned and operated enterprise has production facilities in Cleveland's Clark-Fulton neighborhood, but is also central to Samad’s vision for East Cleveland. Cleveland.com’s Alex Darus has the story. READ MORE Michael Symon releases new cookbook Cleveland native and James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Symon is certainly at home in a kitchen. But he’s no stranger to bookstores, either. The celebrity chef is back on the shelves with his eighth cookbook – “Simply Symon Suppers: Recipes and menus for every week of the year.” Symon, who got his start in Cleveland in the late 1990s by opening Lola in Tremont, still owns Mabel’s BBQ in the city. Paris Wolfe has some thoughts about the cookbook. READ MORE Cleveland among 7 arenas to debut special limited dishes and drinks Aramark, the food-service provider in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, is rolling out a few special and very limited menu items and beverage programs across seven NBA and NHL arenas. In Cleveland, fans in the upper reaches of Loudville will be getting a special new hot dog. The Cleveland Hot Kobe Frank will be offered in limited quantities at the Loudville Grill, section 216, in a southside upper corner behind one of the baskets. It’s a Kobe beef hot dog on a brioche bun topped with kale slaw, Cleveland hot sauce, onion tangler and ranch dressing. READ MORE |
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Who serves the best wings in Greater Cleveland? Our Best of Cleveland team is on the hunt for the restaurant that serves the best chicken wings in Northeast Ohio. They’ve narrowed the candidates down to a hot top 20. Now it’s your turn to vote for your favorite. We’ll announce the results on Tuesday, then we’ll visit the top 3 and try to find out what their secret is to the perfect wing. VOTE NOW Pooches have a pal in Swensons: Eatery makes dog sundaes free Doggie sundaes will now be free at Swensons, the drive-through eatery announced. The change begins today at all locations of the Akron-based company. Previously the sundaes for four-legged friends cost $1.05. They are part of Swensons’ doggie menu, which sold nearly 8,000 items in 2022, the company said. Items include a Doggie Boy - two freshly grilled patties and a riff on the restaurant chain’s flagship Galley Boy. READ MORE 35 restaurants in Northeast Ohio perfect for special occasions Northeast Ohioans are always looking for a new place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and more. Alex Darus has your guide to 35 restaurants prime for special-occasion dining in Greater Cleveland. READ MORE 24 places in Northeast Ohio for empanadas Empanadas are a staple in Latin cuisine. Different regions refer to them as different things - pastelillos, empanadillas, pastels, panades, molotes and more can be common names for fried pockets filled with beef, cheese and beyond. Alex Darus put together a guide to Cleveland restaurants that serve empanadas. It’s the fourth and final story in our series of Hispanic Heritage Month dining guides to Greater Cleveland’s rich Latin-American food scene. READ MORE |
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OPENINGS Lakewood’s coolest bar has officially opened From the owners of Barroco and Hola Tacos, Amazonia is a new “if you know, you know” cocktail bar showcasing South American flavors. It’s located in a former duplex on Hopkins Avenue right behind the original Hola location at 12102 Madison Ave. The chic cocktails are prime for exploring, especially the Heart of the Rainforest, a drink for daredevils. The makeup itself isn’t too intimidating as it features reposado tequila, coca-infused cachaca, acai, pineapple and lime. The twist is in the garnish — a chewable licorice stick coated with honey and edible ants. 1640 Hopkins Ave., Lakewood. 4 p.m. - 12 a.m., Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday. DETAILS |
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EVENTS/TASTINGS Prosperity Social Club sets ‘Made with Love’ vegan dinner Prosperity Social Club has scheduled a five-course vegan dinner paired with cocktails. The dinner – themed “Made with Love” and crafted by bartender and server Jaden Foster – is 7 p.m. Oct. 26. Prosperity Social Club is at 1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, in the city’s Tremont neighborhood. READ MORE Rosewood Grill to feature unique wine dinner Rosewood Grill in Hudson has scheduled a fall evening wine dinner featuring Quintessa wines of California. Michael Taylor of Huneeus Wines will guide the tasting, which is 6 p.m. Nov. 6. Agustin and Valeria Huneeus founded Quintessa in 1990. Rosewood Grill is at 36 E. Streetsboro St., Hudson. READ MORE |
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PICKS OF THE WEEK Alexander Pierce restaurant offers fine dining, wide-ranging menu Alexander Pierce opened in 2019 in Akron, filling a needed void for fine dining. It mustered through COVID-19 and is going strong. The staff always tries to add a nice touch here and there – like on a recent night when servers helped a fellow out by dropping off roses one by one right before he proposed. Its menu covers the gamut. A salmon patty even comes with the imprint of the restaurant on the bun, along with a skewered garnish. It’s at 797 E. Market St., Akron. Opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. DETAILS 6 Horses Tavern Fall is a great time to cozy up with a late brunch. Pair lobster benedict or vegan pancakes with the Bloody Mary Cart ($19 for two people) at 6 Horses Tavern at the historic Aurora Inn in Aurora. Available in the dining room or tavern, the cart includes assorted olives, pepperoncini, pickled green beans, celery, lemon, lime, hot sauce, bacon, rosemary and vodka. You create your favorite combination. The tavern changed ownership in August. It is now under the direction of chefs/owners Neva Justham-Bennett and Richard Bennett IV. DETAILS |
SPOTLIGHT Christmas Ale is here! Great Lakes Brewing’s 2023 first-pour party The annual festive launch of Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s Christmas Ale was held Oct. 12 at the brewpub in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. Cleveland.com’s beer expert Marc Bona was there, along with photographer David Petkiewicz. Check out their festive coverage. READ MORE |
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