ThìNì Thai in Oberlin brings northern Thailand to eastern Lorain county With cold Cleveland weather knocking at the door, the “Best of Cleveland” team has been hyper-focused on noodles. They’re a perfect comfort food and winter dish, no matter how they’re dressed. We found ThìNì Thai in Oberlin listed as the top-rated Lorain County location for noodles according to Yelp’s rankings and planned a visit. But the 85-seat spot has a lot more happening there. Brothers Matt and Jason Adelman opened the restaurant in January 2020 with “tour guide”/friend Aon Krittathiranon as chef. The owners of Oberlin’s long-running breakfast-café-bar The Feve and the chef (owner of a top-rated culinary school in Northern Thailand) are hyper-focused on authenticity. Sure, you can get Pad Thai at ThìNì Thai, but once you've had some of the other dishes, you'll be bowled over. READ MORE Lake County Taco Trail 2024 passports ready, Lake County Visitors Bureau has launched its Taco Trail for 2024. Visit 12 of the 19 restaurants on the list to win a t-shirt. And to enjoy Mexican food at local restaurants. To participate in the Taco Trail and receive prizes, travelers must sign up for a free mobile passport that will be delivered via text and email. It can be saved to a mobile phone’s home screen for one-tap access. READ MORE Zanzibar Soul Fusion enters new era Zanzibar Soul Fusion has been a soul food staple in town for years. Recently, the restaurant with two locations was repurchased by its original owner, Akin Affrica. Affrica is focused on bringing quality service and consistency to both Zanzibar locations so that its customer base can have a reliable offering for authentic soul food for even more years to come. READ MORE Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland Cavaliers team up on beer The Cavs and Ohio’s first craft brewery have collaborated on a beer – the aptly named Easy Buckets Blonde. The beer was unveiled this week at the Great Lakes Experience, Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s concession area on the lower concourse. It will be available at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as well as the brewery. READ MORE Heinen’s, Market Garden Brewery join forces for eclipse beer Heinen’s and Market Garden Brewery are launching a beer for the solar eclipse called “Totality.” The West Coast-style India Pale Ale will be out in late March in time for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. It’s made with a very appropriate hop: Galaxy. READ MORE |
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DineDrinkCle Podcast talks Dry January, Veganuary and Classic Cleveland Eats “DineDrinkCle: The Podcast” tackles all of the January trends in their latest episode. Hosts Josh Duke and Alex Darus are joined by reporter Marc Bona to talk about the explosion of Dry January and Veganuary trends at the start of the year. Plus, Best Of reporter Peter Chakerian stops by to talk a bit about classic Cleveland eats from the Swenson’s Galley Boy to Mama Mary’s “gas station” hummus. LISTEN 15 non-alcoholic drink alternatives to try this Dry January As we head into the second half of January, some folks abstaining from drinking as part of the “Dry January” trend might be feeling some fatigue. We found 15 different non-alcoholic products, from beer to wine to spirits, to mix up your mocktails and help get you through the rest of the month. READ MORE Ohio-born Jeni’s Ice Cream releases sorbet infused with Uncle Nearest whiskey Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream recently released a Hot Toddy Sorbet that is infused with Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. The dairy-free dessert features flavors of orange, lemon, honey and cayenne to channel that of the classic warm cocktail. READ MORE Kathy’s Kolacke and Pastry Shop represents Cleveland in national baking contest Kathy’s Kolacke and Pastry Shop in Rocky River has advanced to the quarter finals of Baked from Scratch Magazine’s The Greatest Baker competition. Owner Kathy Schriner, who has run the business since 1991, is competing for a chance to win $10,000, and the contest aims to raise money for a non-profit focused on helping families affected by childhood cancer. READ MORE Best of Cleveland Team: Ranking Store-bought meatloaf in the area It’s officially comfort food season! With that, we know that the next three-plus months are going to be full of those warm, comforting meals that feel like a fleece blanket for your insides. The “Best of Cleveland” team decided to kick January off right by buying store-bought meatloaf from several of the region’s grocery stores and putting them to a taste test. Lucky's Market offered the most "bang for your buck," but they found some other solid choices. READ MORE |
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OPENINGS Ghost Tree Brewing Co. expanding The owners of Ghost Tree Brewing Co., in desperate need of space at their Amherst brewpub, have expanded to an industrial park in Elyria. The additional space will allow for a larger brew system and more production. READ MORE Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers openS in North Olmsted Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers openedTuesday, Jan. 16 – in North Olmsted. The restaurant is at 27350 Lorain Road. It covers 2,494 square feet and seats 56 people with additional seating on the patio. Drive-through and mobile ordering via the Freddy’s app and website is available. READ MORE |
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EVENTS/TASTINGS Nuevo Modern Mexican explores regions of Mexico in five-course dinner Tacos and tamales may be familiar Mexican foods, but the cuisine is broader and richer. The executive chef and bar manager at Nuevo Modern Mexican & Tequila Bar will show some of that at five-course dinner on Jan. 27 at the downtown Cleveland restaurant. READ MORE Rosewood Grill in Westlake schedules wine dinner Rosewood Grill has a dinner on Feb. 4 highlighting Transcendence Wines of California. One white and four red wines will be paired with dishes at the dinner, which features items like coffee-crusted beef tenderloin, smoked duck breast and tiramisu tower. READ MORE Winemaking workshop is scheduled A workshop on all aspects of winemaking is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20. It covers everything from varietals to viticulture. It’s offered through the North Coast Wine Club of Solon and comprehensively will explain history, techniques, equipment and more for new and existing members. The club buys grapes and brings them in to make wine. READ MORE Groundhog Craft Beerfest is coming up The sixth annual Groundhog Craft Beerfest is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3 in Youngstown. Two sessions will be held at Stambaugh Auditorium’s Jeanne D. Tyler Grand Ballroom: Noon to 4 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., with VIP tasting set for the first hour of each session. READ MORE Angels on the Avenue bus-brewery tour is back on The Angels on the Avenue bus tour of Northeast Ohio breweries is back on after a three-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. The daylong tour takes place Saturday, Feb. 24, and will visit Ghost Tree, Railroad Brewing, Twin Oast, Clag and Muffleheads. It supports St. Augustine Health Ministries. READ MORE |
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PICKS OF THE WEEK Heart of Gold Heart of Gold, 4133 Lorain Ave., on Cleveland’s West Side is a no-brainer spot for whatever dinner plans you have in mind. The food is delicious, the cocktails are phenomenal and it’s family-friendly enough to bring a crowd. One standout on the dinner menu is the Roman Club made with soppressata, roman mayo, spicy n’duja, fresh mozzarella, hot house tomatoes, sesame seeds, fried capers and butter lettuce on grilled Leavened sourdough bread. The brunch options are just as mouthwatering. DETAILS Johnny's Downtown There’s something comfortable and inviting about Johnny’s Downtown, a throwback vibe with hustling waiters and the melodic sounds of Mike Petrone on the piano. You can always count on all of that, as well as good food and drinks in its longtime downtown location. Johnny’s Downtown is at 1406 W. 6th St., Cleveland. READ MORE Cocina Elvis If thoughts of Mexico warm you, check out Cocina Elvis in Painesville. The small, simple, hole-in-the-wall cafe is one of the best parts of the Lake County Taco Trail. Authentic tacos, burritos, gorditas and more are made in-house. They are available to dine-in or take-out. They can be ordered as individual meals or family packs. Pick up an orchata or Jamaica agua fresco to complete the meal. If you have not had them, both beverages are a treat. DETAILS |
SPOTLIGHT Happy Dog Cleveland No one expects to find breakfast cereal on their hot dog. That’s exactly what The Slider Dog at Happy Dog Cleveland (and Progressive Field!) is topped with. There’s also a hearty serving of pimento mac and cheese, bacon and a frankfurter under all of those Froot Loops. Some folks think it's not “Classic CLE Eats.” Complainers think it's weird... but now that the Browns have exited the NFL playoffs, Guardians’ pitchers and catchers report in a month and that’s as good a reason as any to eat one. READ MORE Wine review for January: 9 wines, 5 countries Our monthly review of wines covers several varietals from five countries – the United States, Italy, Argentina, New Zealand and Chile. Our monthly review focuses on wines costing $25 and less. And while we offer our favorites, we focus on noting what flavors we’re getting out of the wines. READ MORE |
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