In the Market for Some Local Cuisine?

Housed in an iconic clock tower topped brick market house designed by the same architects who came up with the initial plans for the Cleveland Museum of Art and Lakeview Cemetery’s Wade Memorial Chapel, Ohio City’s West Side Market (www.westsidemarket.org) is one of the city’s most unique shopping experiences.

Named one of the country’s “10 Great Public Spaces” by the American Planning Association, it offers fresh produce and fine meats in addition to pastries and a variety of ethnic eats. Even if you can’t take any of the fruits and veggies home with you, you’ll love the variety of exotic food like falafel, street crepes, pierogi, empanadas, cannoli, and more that you can eat while spending the morning at this city-owned market. 

Great Lakes Brewing Company Video

A Cleveland institution since 1988, Great Lakes Brewing Company is Ohio’s most celebrated and award-winning brewer of craft lagers and ales, and the oldest microbrewery in the state.

For more information on Great Lakes Brewing Co., including their fleet of beers, brewery tours, dining, gifts and more, visit www.greatlakesbrewing.com.

Something is definitely brewing in Cleveland Plus

The fact that Clevelanders love a good beer is nothing new. In the early 1900s before Prohibition, there were 26 breweries operating in the city. Many were small, family-owned operations that distributed to their immediate communities using snappy slogans like Gund Brewing’s “A Wonderful City–A Wonderful Beer.”

When the oldest brewery in Cleveland ceased operations in 1958, homogenous national brands were on the rise. But everything comes full circle and our thirst for beer infused with some local flavor has returned in part due to Patrick and Daniel Conway, two brothers who established Great Lakes Brewing Company in the late ‘80s and tapped into the resurgence of the microbrewery.  Today the eco-friendly brewer creates a long list of beers beloved by Clevelanders and named for historic events and characters including Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Commodore Perry IPA and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.

Willoughby Brewing also serves up a lot of history and atmosphere with its handcrafted ales and lagers.  The Lake County brewpub is housed in a 100-year-old brick railway repair depot for the Cleveland/Ashtabula Interurban Rail Line. From their signature Willoughby Wheat to Wild Irish Red, the selection is constantly changing, meaning return visits are mandatory for beer lovers.

Just one year old and already taking home some major awards is Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon to the west in North Olmsted. While Fat Heads first opened in Pittsburgh, brewmaster Matt Cole has made bellying up to his very expansive bar in a former farmer’s market a truly Cleveland experience and “a must” for beer lovers. Not only is there an extensive list of house brews (some even incorporating ingredients like local honey), but there are dozens of great “guest” craft beers available at all times.

Still haven’t had your legal limit? Well, you know what they say about beer –it’s not just for breakfast anymore, it’s also for brunch. Every Sunday Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood dishes up some pretty tasty brunch fare which, served with their Bloody Mary bar or any of the 27 beers on tap or 200 bottled brews they have on hand, can really make for a pleasant morning after.

Another hip watering hole with plenty to offer beer snobs is Cleveland’s Tremont Tap House. With its sought-after summer patio, an array of 100+ handcrafted American and European beers (20 of which are on draft) and an inspired menu, this gastropub’s casual sophistication takes quaffing a beer to a whole new level.

Then there’s Cleveland Chophouse & Brewery, Cellar Rats Brewery (a mini brewery at Debonne Vineyards), Rocky River Brewing Company, Brew Kettle, Chardon Brew Works, Cornerstone Brewing, Put-in-Bay Brewing and so many others . . . taste them all during the celebration of craft brews that is Cleveland Beer Week. A weeklong celebration dedicated to the local brewing scene.

Click here for a map of a few locations for craft beer-lovers and visit Positivelycleveland.com for a list of all the best watering holes in town. – Submitted by A.K.

 

Cleveland Plus Microbreweries

The fact that Clevelanders love a good beer is nothing new. In the early 1900s before Prohibition, there were 26 breweries operating in the city. Many were small, family-owned operations that distributed to their immediate communities using snappy slogans like Gund Brewing’s “A Wonderful City–A Wonderful Beer.”

When the oldest brewery in Cleveland ceased operations in 1958, homogenous national brands were on the rise. But everything comes full circle and our thirst for beer infused with some local flavor has returned in part due to Patrick and Daniel Conway, two brothers who established Great Lakes Brewing Company in the late ‘80s and tapped into the resurgence of the microbrewery.  Today the eco-friendly brewer creates a long list of beers beloved by Clevelanders and named for historic events and characters including Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Commodore Perry IPA and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.

Willoughby Brewing also serves up a lot of history and atmosphere with its handcrafted ales and lagers.  The Lake County brewpub is housed in a 100-year-old brick railway repair depot for the Cleveland/Ashtabula Interurban Rail Line. From their signature Willoughby Wheat to Wild Irish Red, the selection is constantly changing, meaning return visits are mandatory for beer lovers.

Just one year old and already taking home some major awards is Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon to the west in North Olmsted. While Fat Heads first opened in Pittsburgh, brewmaster Matt Cole has made bellying up to his very expansive bar in a former farmer’s market a truly Cleveland experience and “a must” for beer lovers. Not only is there an extensive list of house brews (some even incorporating ingredients like local honey), but there are dozens of great “guest” craft beers available at all times.

Still haven’t had your legal limit? Well, you know what they say about beer –it’s not just for breakfast anymore, it’s also for brunch. Every SundayBuckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood dishes up some pretty tasty brunch fare which, served with their Bloody Mary bar or any of the 27 beers on tap or 200 bottled brews they have on hand, can really make for a pleasant morning after.

Another hip watering hole with plenty to offer beer snobs is Cleveland’s Tremont Tap House. With its sought-after summer patio, an array of 100+ handcrafted American and European beers (20 of which are on draft) and an inspired menu, this gastropub’s casual sophistication takes quaffing a beer to a whole new level.

Then there’s Cleveland Chophouse & Brewery, Cellar Rats Brewery (a mini brewery at Debonne Vineyards), Rocky River Brewing Company, Brew Kettle, Chardon Brew Works, Cornerstone Brewing, Put-in-Bay Brewing and so many others . . . taste them all during the annual celebration of craft brews that is Cleveland Beer Week.

Click here to find it on tap in Cleveland Plus.

– Submitted by S.F.

Great Lakes Brewing Company’s “Pint Size Farm” at Hale Farm and Village

Take . . . make . . . make. This is how the Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) describes their sustainability initiatives. Everything that can be reused is . . . and when I say everything I mean everything. For example, GLBC owns the “fatty wagon,” an eco-friendly shuttle bus run on used vegetable oil. Eat at GLBC on game days (Indians or Cavs) and save on parking by purchasing a roundtrip ticket from the Ohio City brewery downtown to Progressive Field or Quicken Loans Arena for just $1.

The “fatty wagon” is merely the beginning of GLBC’s green efforts. Turns out, half the veggies served during the summer months are grown right here in Northeast Ohio. An unlikely partnership with Hale Farm and Village, a 19^th century living history museum located about 45 minutes away in Bath, Ohio, provides the space needed to grow locally about 50% of the fresh ingredients used in Great Lakes’ popular dishes. But, the “Pint Size Farm” provides more than the culinary delights plated at GLBC. The location of the Pint Size Farm, directly next to a 19^th century farm, allows visitors to Hale Farm an opportunity to observe the striking similarities between farming practices of yesteryear and those used today.

For more information about the Great Lakes Brewing Company, their food, their brews and their environmental sustainability efforts, visit www.greatlakesbrewing.com and follow @GLBC_Cleveland on Twitter. For more info about visiting Hale Farm and Village, visit  www.halefarm.org. –Submitted by CA

Fistful of Festivals: 15 Big Celebrations to Round Out a Great Cleveland Summer

Ingenuity, Cleveland’s Festival of Art and Technology
July 10-12
Playhouse Square
What do aerospace engineers at NASA have in common with a Cleveland psychobilly band like the Whiskey Daredevils? Well, you can find both at Ingenuity, Cleveland’s Festival of Art and Technology–a weekend-long celebration of art, music and technology, designed for audiences of any age, staged in the center of downtown Cleveland. More than 70 organizations and about 1,000 arts and technology groups (from UrbanArtz to the CSU Chemistry Department to Three Olives Vodka) come together for the unique festival that is celebrated throughout Cleveland’s streets, alleys, and performance venues. It has piano competitions, virtual entertainment, poetry readings, technology lectures, design contests, film presentations, tons of great bands, and a crazy amount of bizarre acts and exhibits. High technology firms and major colleges and universities are presented alongside acclaimed artists to create a dazzling display of exciting new work you won’t find anywhere in the country. Cost: Single day is $10, weekend $15, children 12 and under are free.

Italian-American Council Festival
July 10-12
Akron, Lock 3
The tastes and smells of Italy mix with the culture and atmosphere of Akron and its downtown Lock 3 Park at the Council of Italian-American Societies’ 62nd annual Italian-American Festival. Dabble in wine tastings, Italian cooking classes, bocce tournaments, car shows and plenty of people watching, scored to a background of bands like Hotel California (an Eagles tribute outfit) and the Sands Trio (a homage to the Rat Pack). The Budweiser Clydesdales even parade down Main Street on Saturday (3-5pm) and Sunday (12:30pm). For the bold, we suggest the pizza eating contents on Sunday (1:30-2:30pm), where pie and man fight for supremacy. A Catholic Mass is held on Sunday at 11am (where all gluttony is forgiven) followed by a spaghetti dinner (where all gluttony begins anew). Cost: Free

Wellington Cheese Festival
July 17-19
Downtown Wellington
Slicing and dicing oodles of dairy delights, the City of Wellington cuts more cheese than any healthy Ohio town probably should. Luckily, it’s all in honor of the annual Cheese Festival–a celebration of crafts, rides, live entertainment and most of all Wellington’s cheesy history (throughout the 19th Century Wellington was known as the country’s Cheese Capital with 40 factories). Enjoy the grub–cheese on a stick, cheese hotdogs, cheese popcorn, cheese pizza and a variety of unique dairy blends–while participating in a bevy of activities (which in the past included) the Cheese Olympics (including a cheese shot put), Kids Cheesefest (mold chunks of Velveeta into . . . anything), and the Cheese Festival Parade (full of floats, marching bands and your favorite farm animals). Cheesecake bake-offs, kid rides, a petting zoo and a slew of food and beverage booths round out this tasty event. 

27th Annual Cleveland’s Irish Cultural Festival
July 24-26
Berea Fairgrounds
Over a quarter of a century of great and green Cleveland-Irish heritage are honored this July in Berea. The Annual Irish Cultural Festival celebrates Northern Ohio’s lively and historic Irish traditions with more than 20 bands on nine stages, dancing schools, live theatre, a children’s area and tons more. Irish and American specialties like bangers, bridies, boxty, Irish stew and corned beef are available in the food court. Then relax to the high-spirited magic of musicians from Ireland and America like the Hedge Band, the Irish Descendants, Cherish the Ladies and the Screaming Orphans. Outdoor Mass on Sunday is always a festival highlight, with renowned Celtic harpist Dennis Doyle. Cost: General admission is $10 and parking is free; kids under 10 are free too.

Balloon Classic Invitational/Jackson-Belden Food Fest & Fireworks
July 31-August 2
Kent State Stark Campus
More than 75 excitingly slow and lumbering hot air balloons compete for big money ($19,000 and other prizes) at the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic Invitational in Canton. And while these inflatable aircraft compete for your love and cash, the Jackson-Belden Food Fest will win over your stomach next door. Around 25 vendors (both from in and out of state) cook up first-rate foods for balloon gawkers–sausage and pulled pork sandwiches, homemade ice cream, ribs, apple and cherry cobblers, wine and beer, and yes, even corn dogs. Some 100,000+ people will come to enjoy the exquisite fair food while watching balloons like “Piggles,” the floating piggy bank, “Touchdown,” an enormous flying football, and “Off the Wall,” a Humpty Dumpty balloon. Plus the festival will have its share of fiery explosions — at the Saturday night fireworks display for sure, but also at the Friday Night Glow, when the balloons tether to the ground and fill their envelopes with propane. Cost: Admission is free; $5 for parking after 3pm.

Shatterproof Summer Dates: Five Romantic Dinners and Destinations Not Even You Can Screw Up

THE MEAL: You wine and dine at home this date, but feel free to plan your dinner magic with a little brainstorming visit to the Great Lakes Brewing Company(216.771.4404) or the Market Avenue Wine Bar (216.696.9463), both in short walking distances. Relax on a rustic outdoor patio, sip locally-brewed beverages and figure out hors d’oeurvres, the main course and little late night dessert.

THE COST: Research some recipes that sound fancy, but are fairly easy to make (like soy-glazed salmon, pan-seared filet mignon, or lemon-garlic chicken). Visit Pinzone Meats (Stands B-4 and B-5) and grab two fresh sirloin tips for $5 a pound (about $15 per steak), which are great and cheap for grilling. Or visit Kate’s Fish (Stand F-12 and F-13) and pick up two Atlantic salmon filets for $8.99 per pound, for a healthy, late night affair. Throw in some veggies ($10) and a few Great Lakes beers ($15) and you’ve got a pretty cheap date. 

THE KNOWLEDGE: Adventurous food choices will show an open mind willing to try new things. In contrast, hunting for the perfect hamburgers between complaints about the cleanliness of the fruit will unleash the miscreant date monster beneath. Pay close attention to their urban diplomacy skills. The ability to wrangle with artful street vendors (while being funny, smart, and getting a good price) will only add bonus points to the long-term relationship formula.   

What’s Cookin’ in CLE (10.14.08)

The Fabulous Food Show returns to Cleveland, November 14-16.   The weekend-long show promises to keep you busy, but while you’re here why not head out and experience some of Cleveland’s culinary hotspots and other notable attractions.   Here are a few places to check out for eats and entertainment:

Make it a priority to have lunch at Melt Bar and Grilled.  Melt features more than 20 different takes on the classic–all with their own unique twist.  The menus appear on vintage record covers and the Lakewood restaurant is decked out in pop culture decor with lots of memorabilia.  I suggest you try a “Parmageddon,” stuffed with onions, kraut and a potato-and-cheese perogi.

Or stop in Great Lakes Brewing Company, an eco-friendly restaurant and brewery that names their handcrafted beers after local historical figures and events.  After you eat, enjoy a free guided tour or just check out the rest of the brewpub and see bullet hole attributed to an altercation when crime fighter Eliot Ness was in the bar. (Ness himself, I heard, didn’t actually carry a gun.)

A Burger and a Beer…or Two (09.20.08)

Great Lakes Brewing Company has been one of Cleveland’s most beloved restaurants since 1988.  An environmentally-friendly microbrewery and restaurant (they even use vegetable oil to fuel their diesel trucks), GLBC’s brews named after historical figures and events (Eliot Ness, Commodore Perry, etc.) are a source of community pride. 

Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland,OH.

Last weekend some buddies and I went the brewery for some patio eating and people watching.  Located on Market Avenue just off West 25th street in Ohio City, GLBC’s patio is a great place to grab some food and watch all the action of the neighborhood.  We ordered a few of the beer samplers for the table which includes five ounce tastes of 10 of their beers on tap.  This brewpub is doing everything right.  The food is always great and business runs smoothly.  My favorite is the Old World Burger, served on a homemade pretzel bun that is just amazing. 

Free brewery tours are offered on Fridays between 5pm – 9pm and Saturdays between 1pm – 9pm.  My friends and I learned the whole brewing process in less than an hour and were soon convinced we could start a great brewery of our own but, since those euphoric and ambitious thoughts were mostly likely ale-induced, we proceeded on with the tour. 

So while the late-summer/early fall weather is still around, I really recommend freeing up your next Saturday and heading to GLBC for some good food, great beer and a nifty little tour. –AS

Eco-Friendly Fun (Beer Included) 08.09.08

Burning River Fest attendee enjoying a Great Lakes brew.

This past weekend was Burning River Fest. Formerly at Whiskey Island on Lake Erie, I heard “traffic flow” issue caused it to be moved to the east bank of the Flats. The day-long event includes eco-friendly exhibits, locally-grown and organic foods, live music and—the main feature—Great Lakes Brewing Company beer.

I looked into the organic animal treats (did you know that cats like wheat grass?), had a vegetarian burrito to die for from Plated Landscapes, tried a bite of Ohio City Pasta’s spicy Mediterranean salad and even adventured into some goat cheese ice cream with fresh peach from (I believe) Lago. I saw a little bit of the “inspirational groove” of the Prayer Warriors and got winded just watching a bearded man expend a billion calories dancing like a whirling dervish. I also ran into friends who may have indulged in a few Dortmunders (gold lager) or Holy Moses (white ales honoring Moses Cleaveland, the Western Reserve surveyor for whom Cleveland is now named, by the way).

Bowling at the Harbor Inn on the west bank of The Flats.

But all too soon the skies grew dark and the rains came. We raced (and biked) over to a truly great Cleveland “dive bar” paces away . . . the Harbor Inn. There, we waited out the storm and bowled a game on the “machine.” –AK