TOP NEWS

Cleveland’s Old 86 bar finds creative nightly snack option

Old 86 is a no-nonsense bar in Gordon Square that serves canned beer and straight shots seven nights a week. For patrons lucky enough to be there between 10 and 11 p.m., the bar offers an exclusive bar snack with its Bad Company wings. READ MORE

Avon Brewing Co. continues expanding, opening Madison Brewing Co.

Avon Brewing Co. is expanding eastward and is slated to open Madison Brewing Co. in the former Cornerstone Brewing Co. Location. Sunday was Cornerstone’s last day in Madison, and Avon Brewing’s Mathias Hauck said he hopes for a quick conversion to open in the space by Memorial Day or soon after. Hauck and his team have been on a steady growth plan since opening the original location on Detroit Road in 2016. But it’s not as if they threw a bull’s-eye blindly at a map to expand. READ MORE

Japanese-style pub Issho Ni Izakaya takes over Cha at Tinnerman

Cha at Tinnerman on Fulton Road in Ohio City is closing at the end of May. Issho Ni Izakaya will take over the first floor of the space, serving izakaya or Japanese bar food. The restaurant will also have a cold bar serving traditional Japanese sashimi. There will also be a full Japanese sake menu, Japanese cocktails and Japanese draft beer. A second-floor dining concept serving omakase sushi will follow at the end of the year. The owners also operate Issho Ni Ramen, Sushi & Hibachi in Willoughby, and Issho Ni Poke in Mentor. And they do popup events as Kyuu-Juu at other Cleveland restaurants. READ MORE

New Moxie to be named Odd Fellows restaurant in Chagrin Falls

Moxie’s reincarnation in Chagrin Falls will be called Odd Fellows, it was announced Monday. Restaurateurs Brad Friedlander and Michael Dubois own the restaurant, which is in the former Aurelia Honest Food and Drink space at 16 N. Main Street. Target opening date is June. Odd Fellows will occupy the Independent Order of Odd Fellows building. The fraternal organization that once existed in Chagrin Falls consisted of men who sought self-fulfillment through primary values of friendship, love and truth. It promotes personal and social development. READ MORE

Juneberry Table announces start of dinner service

The popular breakfast spot by Chef Karen Small will be a new dinner addition to Ohio City. Juneberry P.M. will debut on Wednesday, June 5. The menu will keep lunch items from the day menu, a few spins on the starters, entree and breakfast-for-dinner specials. READ MORE

Doodle Drive-In: Dogs, drinks and doodles in a relaxing retro vibe

Doodle Drive-In offers a casual, relaxed patio, a peaceful bubbling fountain and a calm setting to hang out, take in the sun and enjoy a specially made nosh. And that’s for the dogs. Laura and Mike Grguric bought Retro Dog, which was around for eight years before becoming a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, and turned it into Doodle Drive-In. The carhop-pooch centric eatery with everything from beer to burgers and more has a Cuyahoga Falls zip code but is on the Stow border. This month, the dog-friendly spot is marking its second anniversary at 350 E. Steels Corners Road. READ MORE

WOIO’S Kelly Dobeck’s favorite dining, dessert & dog-friendly spots

Kelly Dobeck of WOIO-TV is as awesome as can be. With a dachshund named Thunder and a love for all things weather, science and Northeast Ohio, she's like the cool front that everyone can agree is welcome. She sat down with Cleveland.com to talk through her favorite dining, dessert and dog-friendly spots -- and where she gets a hot dog for her hot dog. READ MORE

I tried 13 different ribs at the Downtown Willoughby Rib Burn Off

As a judge, Paris Wolfe sampled entrees from each location in the competition. Learn about the five criteria judges employed and why "fall-off-the-bone" tender isn't always a good thing. READ MORE

Two Ohio distilleries win medals in spirits competition

A pair of Ohio distilleries have won medals in a competition from the American Spirits Council of Tasters. A.M. Scott Distillery of Troy and High Bank Distillery Co. of Columbus won gold in the blind-judged competition that included more than 1,200 entries covering whiskeys, tequilas, bourbons and others. READ MORE

Gourmets in the Garden returns to Cleveland Botanical Garden

Cleveland Botanical Garden is hosting three Gourmets in the Garden events again this summer. At each event, a chef will show attendees how to make a simple item with local ingredients. Tastings follow the short classes. Chefs include Magdalis Galzarz of Creative Feast (June 20), personal cheff Tiffany Miller (July 11) and Bonn Rassavong, chef/owner, Doinks Burger Joint (Aug. 15). READ MORE

Solon mom sells allergen-free, Southeast Asian-inspired spices and sauces

Sonya Patel's children have challenging food allergies that limit their culinary choices. So, the Solon, Ohio, mom started a seasoning company – PUR Spices -- to expand their food choices. PUR products are handmade in small batches in a facility free of the top nine allergens. Patel started production at the Cleveland Central Kitchen, an incubator space for many new culinary businesses. As PUR grew, she moved to a production facility in Bedford Heights. There condiments and sauces are still made by sourcing wholesome ingredients and grinding whole spices. All ingredients are listed on the labels. READ MORE

Ohio wineries win top awards

Seven Ohio wineries have garnered 10 top awards in the Ohio Wine Competition, with the northeast part of the state faring well. The winners all drew Overall Best of Show, Best of Class and Best of Ohio in the competition. READ MORE

Top celebrity brands

Products have forever been hitching their wagons to stars. Alcohol brands are, perhaps, one of the latest categories to shine from star power. A celebrity contact agent website, looked at Google searches of popular celebrity alcohol brands to determine which celebrity brand beverages are getting the most interest. Here’s the list in order of most popular. READ MORE

OPENINGS/CLOSINGS

Loiter Cafe and Marketplace to open in East Cleveland

Ismail Samad is one of those rare people who can concretely manifest his idealism. His latest project is opening Loiter Cafe and Marketplace in East Cleveland as a comfortable space for people to hang out, order coffee, tea and sandwiches or pick up convenience items like milk, eggs, tea, honey and more. In mid-June, Loiter will be the first business to open in the new Circle East development near the border of Cleveland and East Cleveland. It is in the former Mickey’s Rust Proofing Building, which was originally a car dealership. Loiter leases the former storefront showroom at 15001 Euclid Avenue, East Cleveland. READ MORE

Stirling, intimate fine-dining restaurant, set to open in Akron

Akron restaurateur David Glenny, who founded and operated the Bricco restaurant chain before selling it about five years ago, has a new concept opening soon. Stirling, a fine-dining restaurant, will open at the end of May at Liberty Commons in the Merriman Valley, at 1288 Weathervane Lane, in space that formerly held Brubaker’s and other bars. The chef is Amy Leighley, who worked as chef de cuisine at Portage Country Club and previously at the acclaimed Eleven Madison Park in New York and the boutique No Soliciting Bar in Columbus. READ MORE

Irie Jamaican Kitchen to open in Lakewood

Irie Jamaican Kitchen will open its anticipated Lakewood location this week. The fast-casual Caribbean concept will host its grand opening on Tuesday, May 21 for the new location at 13804 Detroit Avenue. READ MORE

New 7 Brew coffee shops literally drop into Northeast Ohio

Drive-through coffee brand 7 Brew literally dropped into Middleburg Heights and Parma last week. That’s when a crane placed the future coffee stand buildings onto their sites. The two newest coffee stands are at 18000 Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights and at 1075 W. Pleasant Valley Rd., Parma. Openings are planned for summer. READ MORE

Chipotle continues NE Ohio expansion

Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its latest Greater Cleveland location earlier this week. Like its recent openings, the restaurant will feature a Chipotlane, the drive-through pickup lane that allows customers to pick up digital orders without leaving vehicles. It marks the first Chipotlane in Avon. It will be located at 1485 Nagel Road, Avon. Hours will be 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. READ MORE

EVENTS/TASTINGS

Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off & Beer Fest

The beloved holiday tradition returns to the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds as 10 rib teams from across the country compete for the coveted Best Ribs trophy. Expect craft beers, fair food and live music, too. Admission $10. Free Friday noon-5 p.m. 19201 E. Bagley Rd., Middleburg Heights. May 24-27. DETAILS

Tremont Greek Festival

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church hosts the 52nd edition of this annual celebration of Greek culture. Feast on authentic delicacies like Gyros, Souvlaki, Mousaka, Pastitsio and Spanakopita while you enjoy live music and dance performances. Free admission. 2187 W. 14th St., Cleveland. May 24-27. DETAILS

Blossom Time Festival

Hot air balloons will fill the sky at the spectacular Balloon Glow in Chagrin Falls, the kickoff event to the village’s annual festival. Carnival rides, midway games, live entertainment, food trucks, a 5.25-mile run and parade round out the fun. Riverside Park, Chagrin Falls. May 23-27. DETAILS

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

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

Rosewood Grill highlights Bardstown Bourbon Co. in dinner

Rosewood Grill, 16740 Royalton Road, Strongsville, has scheduled a dinner featuring Bardstown Bourbon Co. of Kentucky. The dinner is 6 p.m. Monday, June 10. The distillery is in Bardstown, which is located 40 miles south of Louisville and about 60 miles west of Lexington, was built in 2016. READ MORE

West Side Market vendors featured in Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dinner

Great Lakes Brewing Co. is featuring West Side Market vendors in a five-course brewmaster’s dinner. The dinner – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11 - will take place on Market Avenue in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. Ingredients in the dishes will come from the market’s vendors, and beer pairings will accompany the courses. In case of inclement weather, the dinner will be in the brewery’s tasting room. READ MORE

Miner Family Wines featured in dinner

Dean Martin’s Lanning’s - true fine dining in Akron - is holding a dinner in June featuring Miner Family Wines of California. The multi-course dinner, which is Tuesday, June 18, will highlight the award-winning winery of Napa Valley, California. Also, the restaurant has recently added lunch hours. 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

Akron Pizza Fest scales back

The fifth annual Akron Pizza Fest is returning for Labor Day weekend but will scale back to two days. The fest is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 30-31. Reconstruction at Lock 3 has forced the event to move to a nearby temporary space. READ MORE

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Irie Jamaican Kitchen

Chef Omar Mckay’s love of Jamaican food reaches back to his childhood and his melding of flavors reflects that wide-eyed love – paired with respect for spice that can only come from hands-on cooking experience. Dishes land somewhere between old-fashioned soul food and traditional. The jerk chicken and shrimp have depth and character; you can’t get oxtail on-the-go like theirs anywhere else. We could eat their mango salsa and cilantro lime sauce on anything. Multiple locations. READ MORE

On the Rise Artisan Breads

Bakeries are oft-overlooked places for breakfast and lunch. On the Rise Artisan Breads in Cleveland Heights serves a number of sandwiches including a tofu Bahn Mi for vegetarians or a Miller’s roast beef with house horseradish aioli, arugula and pickled shallots. Most of the ingredients are from local growers or purveyors. While you’re there get a cup of coffee and a loaf of bread for home use. On the Rise is at 3471 Fairmont Blvd., Cleveland Heights. READ MORE

Amba

Doug Katz’s Amba in Ohio City gets a lot of buzz for a reason. The menu features sharable Indian-style plates in a moody and sophisticated space that makes it feel like it belongs in a major city like New York or Berlin. The Amba Favorites curated menu is a must for two people. It comes with clay bread, herb raita, crispy puris, popcorn chicken, ghee-basted shrimp and wok-fired string beans, and it’s nearly impossible to pick one stand out of all the dynamic dishes. Amba is at 14308 W. 28th Street in Cleveland. DETAILS

Oak Barrel Brasserie & Taphouse

The Valley View spot doesn’t get enough love for being all things to all people and actually doing it well. Watching your carbs? Food allergies? Vegetarian? Vegan? Pescatarian? Gluten Free? Want steak? Or some smokehouse delights? Lobster roll? Wood-fired pizza? Look, if you can’t find something to love in this robust menu (see duckfat wings!) it’s time to re-evaluate your life. This place rocks. DETAILS

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)

Entertainment | Food and Drink

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