TOP NEWS

Cleveland’s Best Wings

Fat Little Buddies, a popular neighborhood restaurant and bar at 26906 Cook Rd, in Olmsted Township, has been crowned the winner of Cleveland.com’s “Best Wings” contest. Fat Little Buddies edged out The Rusty Barrel at 27026 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake, for the top spot. Skinny’s Bar & Grille, 780 E 222nd St., Euclid came in third place. More than 25,000 votes were cast in the readers’ poll. Best of Cleveland team members Yadi Rodriguez and Peter Chakerian visited the winners this past week and have features on all three.

FOX 8 meteorologist Mackenzie Bart shares her favorite food finds

We catch up with FOX8's Mackenzie Bart, proud OSU Buckeye, uber-talented Miss Ohio and all-around fun weather guru about her favorite Northeast Ohio nosh. READ MORE

Sober curious trend takes hold in Cleveland’s alcohol-free spaces

The trend of being "sober curious," or reducing the amount of alcohol a person drinks, has caught on in Cleveland. From mocktail bars to kava cafes, there are plenty of places to explore a sober curious social life. Alex Darus has the story. READ MORE

7 places to try Korean corn dogs in Northeast Ohio

What's the hottest food trend on social media? One contender is the made-for-Instagram Korean corn dog. These colorful dogs not only look more intricate than the American version, but the flavor is more dynamic as well. The dish starts with a sausage or hot dog dipped in a thick batter that is fried. Sometimes, the filling can include a stick of melted cheese alongside the sausage or on its own. The fried stick is typically sprinkled with sugar and often coated with toppings, whether it be chopped French fried potatoes or crushed-up Cheetos. In Cleveland, there are a handful of local restaurants and grocery stores that offer cheesy Korean corn dogs, both basic and loaded with interesting toppings. Here are 7 places for Korean corn dogs in Greater Cleveland. READ MORE

Shea Brewing launches dire GoFundMe initiative

Shea Brewing founder Ron Shea issued a dire plea about the future of his brewery in Akron. Unless needed funding comes in soon, he may have to close. Cleveland.com’s Marc Bona has the story. READ MORE

CREPEscape crafts candy-loaded crepes, waffles, more

North Olmsted’s latest dessert shop CREPEscape is looking to give back to its hometown with freshly made crepes, waffles, waffle sticks, and beyond. The menu is full of desserts aimed at Greater Cleveland locals with a sweet tooth. Cleveland.com’s Alex Darus has the story. READ MORE

Cabin Club restaurant to shut down temporarily

The Cabin Club restaurant will shut down for a week for remodeling, its owners announced. Hospitality Restaurants’ floor-to-ceiling refresh of the company’s first restaurant began Monday, Oct. 30. The renovation targets the dining room and bar area, the company announced in a press release. The 60-seat Cabin Club is at 30651 Detroit Road in Westlake. It was a log-cabin structure transformed in 1991 from what the company calls a shot and beer bar to an upscale steakhouse-tavern. DETAILS

OPENINGS

Restaurateur Brad Friedlander to open Lopez in Chagrin Falls

Brad Friedlander is getting back into the game. He is reviving Lopez, his old Mexican restaurant, this time at 506 E. Washington St. in Chagrin Falls. The address had been home to several restaurants in the recent past and is next to a Burntwood Tavern. Friedlander told cleveland.com he just took possession last week and hopes to open in mid-November. Friedlander opened Lopez y Gonzalez in 1980 at 2066 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights and had a long, successful run there before closing it in 1998. Another restaurant bearing the Lopez name opened a few years later down the road and kept the Mexican vibe alive until 2020 under the direction of chef Michael Herschman of Mojo fame. READ MORE

Master Pizza to open new Brecksville pizzeria/ice cream shop
Master Pizza, a regional chain based in Mayfield Heights, is opening a new location on Mill Road in Brecksville. Corradi’s Scoops Ice Cream Shop will operate in the same building. Both businesses are scheduled to open in late November or early December. READ MORE

EVENTS/TASTINGS

Turkey Trot progressive dining-sipping event is scheduled

The Grand River Valley wine region’s 15th annual Turkey Trot is set for Nov. 1-22. The progressive food and wine tasting event includes these Northeast Ohio wineries offering samples paired with Thanksgiving-inspired appetizers:

Debonné Vineyards, 7840 Doty Road, Madison; Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, 5585 N. River Road W, Geneva; Grand River Cellars Winery & Restaurant, 5750 S. Madison Road, Madison; Laurello Vineyards, 4573 Ohio 307, Geneva; Cask 307 Winery, 7259 Warner Road, Madison. The pairings will be offered noon to 5 p.m. DETAILS

Mad Elf release party set at Winking Lizard

The Winking Lizard in Independence is holding a Tröegs Mad Elf release party Thursday, Nov. 2. The party is 5 to 7 p.m. On tap will be a trio of ales - Mad Elf, Naked Elf and Gingerbread Cookie Stout. Chris Trogner from the Hershey, Pennsylvania, brewery is scheduled to attend. READ MORE

Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern plans Cognac dinner

Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern is holding a Cognac 101 dinner paired with Rémy Martin on Thursday, Nov. 2. Dinner is 6:30 p.m. A Rémy Martin representative will discuss flavor profiles and tasting notes. Blue Canyon is at 8960 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg. DETAILS

Alley Cat Oyster Bar rewards diners for sampling up to 60 oyster varieties

Get an Oyster Passport at Alley Cat Oyster Bar and eat your way to a free wine dinner. If you can eat enough oysters, that is. The Flats East Bank restaurant at 1056 Old River Rd, Cleveland, is launching its first Oyster Passport. Starting Nov. 6 and continuing through April 2024, diners receive a stamp for each new oyster variety sampled. Just under 60 oyster varieties are listed in the passport. To make stamp collection easier, at least six oyster types will be available each day. These will vary throughout the promotion. Diners can preview varieties on the Alley Cat website and Instagram account. READ MORE

Cleveland Restaurant Week menus set

Cleveland Independents’ annual Cleveland Restaurant Week is scheduled for Nov. 6-18. More than 30 independently owned places in the local restaurant consortium will offer special three-course, prix-fixe dinners. From Akron to Geneva to Westlake, restaurants are planning everything from dishes like black-eyed pea and garbanzo bean salad as a first course at Astoria to drunken ramen noodles as a second-course option at Sora to bourbon chai-poached pear with vanilla-bean ice cream and caramel sauce at Coppia Restaurant. Marc Bona has the scoop. READ MORE

Tartine Bistro, Watershed Distillery team up for bourbon tasting/dinner

Northeast Ohio bourbon nerds can try Watershed Distillery’s portfolio of rare bourbons this month at Tartine Bistro in Rocky River. The Bistro will serve five different bourbons – three of them rare--at its Nov. 17 Limited-Release Watershed Bourbon Dinner. All will be served in one-ounce pours and paired with artisan dishes created by Chef David Birge. READ MORE

The Aviator sets 5-course Bourbon tasting

The Aviator Event Center & Pub has scheduled a Jefferson’s Bourbon Tasting and five-course dinner on Tuesday, Nov 14. The dinner – which is 6 to 8 p.m. – will include one-ounce pours of each Bourbon. The Aviator is at 20920 Brookpark Road, Cleveland. DETAILS

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Guarino’s – better than your Italian grandma’s

Little Italy is a natural destination before or after an outing at the parklike Lake View Cemetery or a visit to the Cleveland Art Museum. The oldest restaurant in the neighborhood Guarino’s has vintage Victorian décor. Beads hang from the bar – a throwback to the Prohibition practice of obscuring the street view from law enforcement. The menu offers traditional Italian and Italian-American dishes with flair. Satisfy the desire for a hearty pasta -- ravioli or lasagna. Or think grandma’s holiday table and order the brasciole, a rolled flat steak stuffed with prosciutto, hard-boiled egg, cheese, fresh garlic and parsley. If your grandma didn’t make it, try it. Pizza and pasta are in the house. Desserts are, as you’d expect spumoni, cannoli and tiramisu. DETAILS

Griffin Cider House & Gin Bar

Griffin Cider House & Gin Bar in Lakewood is the perfect cocktail bar to try when you're sick of your regular bar order and are in the mood to try something outside of the box. The menu reads like a book with both classic and inventive gin cocktails and a lengthy cider list in a bar that feels like it was plucked out of London. It's a cozy spot with plenty of seating to meet with friends, sample some cocktails, and enjoy a quiet night out on the West Side. Griffin Cider House & Gin Bar, 12401 Madison Ave., Lakewood. 216-767-5444;5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Monday, 5 p.m. until 12 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 5 p.m. until 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday; Closed Sundays. DETAILS

Sip a few pints at Broadview Brewing Co.

With a dozen beers on tap – including an Imperial Cream Ale!? – Broadview Brewing Co. has settled into its comfy Cuyahoga County home not far from Interstate 77. The brewery hosts live music on Saturdays, paint-and-sip nights, comedy and more at 4001-A Towpath Road in – where else - Broadview Heights. Hours: 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. DETAILS

SPOTLIGHT

CLASSIC CLE Eats & Drinks

Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s Dortmunder Gold is a cultural icon. It’s been there from the start at Great Lakes, dating back to September 6, 1988, when brothers Pat and Dan Conway decided to dump their day jobs for something a little sexier. It’s an intriguing brew: simple, yet complex. Smooth, well-balanced, accessible and crushable. But also subtly nuanced with a thin head, biscuit-like flavor profile with floral notes and beautiful, orange-bronze color. Cleveland.com’s Peter Chakerian has a meditation on Cleveland's flagship lager. You never forget your first. READ MORE

Entertainment | Food and Drink

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