Happy 90th birthday, Swensons! Swensons, the classic drive-in restaurant, is celebrating 90 years in business. The old-fashioned, tray-on-car eatery, with hustling Curb Servers, has been around since 1934 and in recent years has been expanding. The nostalgic restaurant has not deviated from its original business model over the decades READ MORE Great Lakes Brewing Co. CEO resigns Mark King, who joined Great Lakes Brewing Co. in 2019, has resigned, and the brewery promoted two executives as co-CEOs. During King’s tenure, the brewery opened a canning production facility in Strongsville and developed multiple products. READ MORE Is Hop Tree Brewing Co. closed? Is Hop Tree Brewing Co. closed for good? The Google business profile lists the brewery as “permanently closed.” The voice mailbox is full, and messages left via email and Facebook message were not returned. A link to Hop Tree’s homepage from Facebook is expired. The brewery is at 1297 Hudson Gate Dr., Hudson. On Monday, the front door of the Hudson brewery - which opened in December 2017 in an office park in Hudson – had a pair of simple hand-written signs that read: CLOSED. READ MORE Restaurateur Dan Deagan launches new Wine Dive Bar in Lakewood Restaurateur Dan Deagan is planning to open Wine Dive this July in the space formerly occupied by El Carnicero. The Lakewood bar will be a new concept for Deagan who owns and operates Lakewood and Beachwood truck parks, Humble Wine Bar and Dive Bar Cleveland. The restaurant will open roughly a year after Deagan sold Deagan’s in Lakewood. READ MORE New fast-casual BBQ spot to open next to The Village Butcher Restaurateurs Zach Ladner and Carl Quagliata are opening a take-out barbecue joint next to The Village Butcher Shop. They opened The Village Butcher Shop next to Heinen’s, 818 SOM Center Road, in 2021.The new fast-casual BBQ concept – yet unnamed -- is projected to open in late July/early August. While mostly takeout, the fast casual spot will have 16 seats. READ MORE Chin’s Ramen pop ups at Larder on Sundays and Mondays When owners Jeremy Umansky and Allie La Valle close Larder Delicatessen on Sunday and Monday, the space takes on a different persona. That’s when Chef David Chin brings his pop-up noodle shop into the deli space and serves two types of ramen to hungry diners. Doors to the temporarily named Chin’s Ramen open at 5 p.m. The popup, which is run by Chin, his fiancé and 26-year-old son, stays open until the food or the customers are all gone. READ MORE Wines, wines, more wines For our monthly wine review in May, we tried nine wines from nine countries. Our global jaunt has us trying everything from a Gruner Veltliner to Garnacha from a variety of regions and varietals around the world. READ MORE |
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Oliva nears opening downtown Oliva, an Italian steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, is planning to open Saturday, June 1, in the space formerly occupied by Osteria de Valerio e Al. The basement location on St. Clair Avenue has a cool vibe with Jacaj’s design touches throughout the restaurant, which features an open kitchen. READ MORE New owner to lead On the Rise Artisan Bread After 20 years of running one of Cleveland’s most successful bakeries, owner Adam Gidlow started working on a succession plan with managing partner Brian Evans. Starting next January, Evans will reach a new goal and take majority ownership of the Cleveland Heights artisan bakery. The bakery is known for European-style breads made with basic ingredients – flour, water, salt and yeast. All flours are unbleached and unbromated. And the recipes contain no dough conditioners or preservatives. READ MORE 4 Ohio restaurants make best brunches list A pair of restaurants in Columbus, plus ones in Cleveland and Canton have made OpenTable’s list of best places to have brunch in Ohio. California led the list with the most entries, at 13. READ MORE Tom’s Foolery Distillery controls production from grain to glass Authenticity and locality mean a lot to Tom and Lianne Herbruck, owners of Tom’s Foolery Distillery. Started in 2008, the hobby-turned-distillery has operations split between Burton and Chagrin Falls. The farming and distilling is in one town, with the aging and storage in the other. We visited the distillery as part of our ongoing "Spirited Women" series featuring reporters Paris Wolfe and Alex Darus, who are exploring Northern Ohio’s distilleries. READ MORE Al Gaisson provides curated meal delivery service with elevated ingredients for local home chefs Al Gaisson is an alternative and local delivery service that aims to get people to slow down and connect over a beautifully curated meal. The local business was created by chef Alexandra Gaines and kicked off its first delivery on May 3. READ MORE What is Ohio’s favorite cocktail ? Monday, May 14 was World Cocktail Day, and it’s likely that many Ohioans celebrated with one particular cocktail. According to Google Trends data, the margarita is the most popular drink in Ohio these days. Our home state isn’t alone – the classic tequila cocktail topped the list across the country. READ MORE |
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OPENINGS/CLOSINGS A.J. Rocco’s opens downtown After a few years of planning, A.J. Rocco’s is now open. In sight of Progressive Field and located next to the Clevelander, the bar-restaurant moved to an adjacent space from its original location on Huron Road. A. Brendan Walton has reopened the space, which caters to pre- and post-game fans and others who want a bite and a drink. READ MORE Ray’s Place announces it’s closing Fairlawn pub Ray’s Place, which offered an affordable and extensive menu along with dozens of different craft beers on tap, is closing its Fairlawn location. Its last day is slated to be Sunday, June 30. Ray’s Place is located across from Summit Mall. READ MORE The Human Bean coffee shop opens in Mentor The Human Bean, which offers multiple caffeine delivery systems, opened at 8764 Mentor Ave., Mentor, on May 8. The location’s menu includes specialty-grade coffee, fruit smoothies, whole-leaf teas, and hot breakfast items to-go. Boba drinks and caffeinated Bright energy drinks are also available. READ MORE Calico Jack Coffee Roastery to open in Mentor Calico Jack Coffee Roastery is launching it first storefront coffeeshop June 9 at 8595 Mentor Avenue, Mentor (next to CLE Juice Box). They’re taking over the former Lakeshore Coffee Company, which was operated by a friend who is stepping away for personal reasons. READ MORE |
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EVENTS/TASTINGS Ohio Distillery Trail launches May 22 The Ohio Distillery Trail officially opens on May 22. Created by The Ohio Distillers Guild, the trail spotlights 24 distilleries and introduces consumers to the depth and breadth of craft spirits made in Ohio. More distilleries may join the roster soon. “The Ohio Distillery Trail is a celebration of the exceptional craftsmanship and innovation within our state’s distilling community,” Joe Bidinger, Secretary of the Ohio Distillers Guild and CEO of Echo Spirits Distilling Co. said in a press release. “Ohio distilleries make international award-winning whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, and more. READ MORE Chocolate and mocktail pairing scheduled Les Dames d’Escoffier is holding a chocolate tasting with mocktails. Billed as “An Evening of Choctales and Mocktails,” it will be held at Sweet Bean and presented in conjunction with SoBern Journey. The tasting is 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, May 20. Sweet Bean owner Kristen Barnes, a member of the non-profit culinary organization for women, will provide five chocolates. Non-alcoholic wine and mocktails will come from SoBern Journey, a popup bar in Cleveland. READ MORE Want to ‘Drink Like a Mother’? Der Braumeister has scheduled an affordable wine tasting themed “Drink Like a Mother.” The tasting will feature three wines Friday, May 24, spotlighting wines from Australia and Argentina. The restaurant-bar is usually known for its European beer, but also has a solid wine selection. READ MORE The Grand Resort bringing in winemaker for tasting The Grand Resort in Warren is bringing in Robert Foley, namesake of Robert Foley Vineyards, on Thursday, May 23, for a tasting of six wines from the California winery. Foley has been making wine in Napa Valley since the 1970s. READ MORE Hall of Fame Ribs Burnoff is scheduled The Pro Football Hall of Fame is holding the three-day Hall of Fame Ribs Burnoff. It will include a judged competition for half a dozen rib joints – local and out-of-state. The fest, which has free admission, is set for May 24-26. The Hall of Fame is bringing back the fest, which had been on a 10-year hiatus. READ MORE Nature at Night dinner to feature Doug Katz, Vinnie Cimino, more chefs for Shaker Lakes benefit The annual Nature at Night annual benefit has announced its star-studded dinner and drinks lineup, with some of Greater Cleveland’s best chefs participating in the event. The annual dinner, which raises money for the Nature Center at Shakers Lakes, is set for June 1. READ MORE North Canton Beer Festival is coming up The fifth annual North Canton Beer Festival is coming up Saturday, June 1, in a cool venue - MAPS Air Museum. This year it is adding a neat component – Bourbon tasting. The fest will include samples from 20 local and reginal breweries. READ MORE Flour Restaurant to feature Quilt Wines Flour is scheduled to feature Quilt Wines of Napa Valley, California, at a tasting Wednesday, June 26. The wines are from winemaker Joe Wagner. The tasting, which has limited seating, is at the Moreland Hills Italian restaurant. READ MORE |
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PICKS OF THE WEEK TY FUN Thai Bistro TY FUN is a slice of Bangkok in Tremont, which explains why the restaurant has been around since 2006. The cozy neighborhood bistro has a comforting menu to match, with can’t-miss items like Tom Kha coconut soup and basil fried rice. It’s always wise to save room for dessert, with slices of key lime and coconut cream pies to choose from. TY FUN is at 815 Jefferson Ave., Cleveland DETAILS The Oak Barrel The Oak Barrel offers an array of menu items, from more than a dozen “snacks” like Blue Crab hush puppies to delicious sandwiches (the Cuban is a hearty, tasty one) and much more, including five different tacos. The “brasserie and taphouse” is at 5975 Canal Road, Valley View. READ MORE Mason’s Creamery If you haven’t had a Korean corndog yet, get to Mason’s Creamery in Ohio City. The corner ice cream shop has three versions of these corndogs -- regular, flamin’ hot Cheeto and potato. The flamin’ hot Cheeto is surprisingly good. Finish the meal with ice cream. The purple ube is an uncommon and therefore necessary choice. Ube is a purple yam that contributes to the ice creams purple color and vanilla-like flavor. Mason’s Creamery is at 4401 Bridge Ave., Cleveland. READ MORE |
SPOTLIGHT ‘Best Tacos in Greater Cleveland’ We wanna taco ‘bout the top three finishers in our Best of Cleveland team’s Best Tacos contest. Monarca in Medina, La Plaza Taqueria in Cleveland and multi-spot Blue Habanero make up the winners. We’re done with our visits and have profiles of each. First Place: Best Tacos in Greater Cleveland: Monarca is your winner in the 2024 readers’ poll (photos) Second Place:Best tacos in Greater Cleveland: La Plaza among top finishers in readers’ poll (photos) Third Place: Best Tacos in Greater Cleveland: Blue Habanero among top finishers in readers’ poll (photos) |
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