14 spooky bars worth celebrating Halloween at in Greater Cleveland Greater Clevelanders go all-out when it comes to celebrating Halloween. The holiday officially falls on a Tuesday this year, giving folks an entire weekend before to engage in tricks and treats. Many bars in Northeast Ohio jump on the Halloween bandwagon, but there are also a few institutions that channel a spooky vibe all year long. Cleveland.com's Alex Darus has put together a guide to 14 Northeast Ohio bars perfect for celebrating Halloween in 2023 that include both truly creepy haunts or just festive places to party.READ MORE 23 Greater Cleveland markets to support local while grocery shopping It’s easy for your weekly grocery trip to feel mundane and unexciting, especially if you’re frequenting the same giant box stores on a regular basis. A simple way to make your home cooking endeavors more exciting is by diversifying your ingredients by shopping at local markets with specialty products. Greater Cleveland has no shortage of markets specializing in everything from local producers to items from specific cultural cuisines. It makes it more exciting than the routine trip to Giant Eagle or Marc’s. Here are 23 Greater Cleveland markets to support local grocery shopping. READ MORE Sneak preview at Willoughby House Inn and Julia’s 1902 restaurant Construction at the historic Van Gorder estate, now known as home to “Willoughby House,” is generating curiosity from the community. The abandoned 120-year-old mansion and carriage house at 37819 Euclid Ave. -- a 10-minute walk from downtown Willoughby -- is undergoing a thoughtful transformation into a 10-suite inn, relaxed fine dining restaurant, and community events spaces. Brothers Michael and Paul Neundorfer hope to have the project completed in 2024. It will feature three renovated two-bedroom suites with kitchens in the Carriage House. An additional seven suites, Julia’s 1902 restaurant and bar, and an event space will be located in the main house. Cleveland.com’s Paris Wolfe has the story. READ MORE New owners update interior, menu at Six Horses Tavern Chefs Neva Justham-Bennett and Richard E Bennett, IV, took over Six Horses Tavern and The Cutting Board restaurant at the Aurora Inn on August 18. Two months later the dining room has a new look and menu. Paris Wolfe has the story and photos. READ MORE Pointless ginger ale leading Cleveland’s modern soda market Pointless Ginger Ale is a new endeavor from former craft brewers Carl Setzer and Ryan Chaif that utilizes cold-pressed ginger juice and minimal sugar. The drink is available at Greater Cleveland restaurants and growing. Pointless is produced at a facility in Saratoga Springs, New York, and sold in New York and Cleveland. Chaif previously owned a craft brewery in Sackets Harbor, N.Y. Setzer owned a craft brewery when he lived in China. Setzer also co-owns Abundance Culinary in Cleveland Heights with his wife and head chef Liu Fang. Alex Darus has the Pointless story. READ MORE |
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Cleveland ‘Snack Daddy’ and TikTok influencer Stefan Johnson shares his favorite dining spots Social media enthusiasts know Stefan Johnson for his irreverent food reviews as much as they do bass-baritone voice—which is every bit as distinctive as Hollywood legend James Earl Jones' boom is. Someday, we'll have the nerve to ask Johnson to re-do all the Cleveland.com reporters' voice mail messages. Until then, here's the scoop on his latest adventures and list of some of his favorite CLE eats for you to dig into. READ MORE Lift Up Vikes pantry and resource center is a ‘food desert oasis’ A RealCollege national survey published by Temple University’s Hope Center in March 2021 reported nearly 60% of college students — essentially three in five — don’t have enough to eat. Enter the Lift Up Vikes (or LUV) Food Pantry & Resource Center at Cleveland State University, a by-appointment-only oasis connecting CSU students in need to grocery and personal hygiene necessities. Megan Ashwill, Alexia Miracle and a staff of work-study Cleveland State University students run the program, helping serve campus and community in one of the more sensitive human challenges facing people today with dignity and love. Cleveland.com’s Peter Chakerian has the story as part of his “Kindland” series. READ MORE Cleveland-area restaurant owner sold scorecards at '48 World Series A Cleveland restaurant owner recalls selling scorecards during the 1948 baseball season, including the World Series. It was the last time Cleveland won the Series. Marc Bona has the story. This year’s World Series starts Friday. READ MORE Top 3 wing restaurants in NE Ohio: Best of Cleveland readers’ poll 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, edging 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. The Best of Cleveland team of Yadi Rodiriguez and Peter Chakerian will be visiting the Top 3 over the next week. READ MORE Restaurants given grants aimed at boosting worker wages Ten restaurants have been awarded grants as part of a High Road Kitchens initiative to help support efforts to bolster wages and encourage fair labor practices. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, One Fair Wage and High Road announced the restaurants selected to participate in the program at a press conference in Asia Town Center. READ MORE |
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OPENINGS Midnight Owl Brewing Co. to open this week in Shaker Heights Brewer Joel Warger and his wife, Rosemary Mudry, are opening a brewery in Shaker Heights this week. Cleveland.com’s Marc Bona has the story behind Midnight Owl Brewing Co. READ MORE The Rowley Inn sets reopening date The Rowley Inn closed in early August for a kitchen expansion. The staple in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood has set a reopening date for Nov. 2. Marc Bona talked to one of the owners about the restaurant and what the expansion entailed. The restaurant and bar at 1104 Rowley Ave., was built in 1906 when Tremont was far from a trendy spot. Lobster-shift workers would spill out of factories and head to the bar. During the filming of the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story,” Darren McGavin – who played “the old man” – would drink at the bar. It remains part of the fabric of the neighborhood. READ MORE |
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EVENTS/TASTINGS 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 Family Fun Fest Patterson’s Fruit Farm’s fall tradition of family fun continues with a corn maze, slides, apple picking and much more. Admission $7 weekdays, $11 weekends. Open daily through Oct. 29, weather permitting. 8765 Mulberry Rd., Chesterland. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Fri - Sun. DETAILS Mapleside Farms Pumpkin Village This picturesque orchard in Brunswick continues the fall festival season with another weekend of Pumpkin Village. The popular attraction features hayrides, fall foods, train rides, a giant slide and a massive corn maze that celebrates Browns fan favorite Myles Garrett and his love of dinosaurs. This final weekend is billed as a “Spooky Fest.” Admission $13. 294 Pearl Rd., Brunswick. 4-9 p.m., Oct. 27; 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Oct. 28; 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Oct. 29. DETAILS 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 |
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PICKS OF THE WEEK Lago The East Bank of the Flats is full of delicious dining options, but Lago is one that never goes out of style. The Italian restaurant is famous for its meatballs, but the menu has something that every kind of diner will love. Lago's setting feels romantic enough for date night but also lively enough for a business dinner with colleagues. The cocktail menu is also a winner, especially the authentic espresso martinis made with freshly brewed espresso. The lobster gnocchi is another entree you can never go wrong with. Lago, 1091 W. 10th St., Cleveland. 216-862-8065. 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday. DETAILS Winking Lizard – a place to sit, eat and watch sports With football in full swing, you have to love the offerings at the Winking Lizard. With scores of beers, televisions everywhere you look and an extensive something-for-everyone menu, it’s a great place to settle in to watch a game. (Tip: Show up before kickoff if it’s an Ohio State football game.) Northeast Ohio locations: Avon, Beachwood, Bedford Heights, Brunswick, Canton, Copley, downtown Cleveland, Independence, Lakewood, Macedonia, Mayfield, Mentor and Peninsula. DETAILS Gabriel’s South Table puts elevates bar food East Fourth Street is full of pre-theater dining options. Opened in the former Indie space this spring, Gabriel’s Southern Table + Whiskey is one of them. The menu has a bar-food-meets-fine-dining vibe. And Southern-influenced dishes nearly require an adult beverage. Starters include fried green tomatoes, Cajun tots, hush puppies, wings and more. Choose from whiskey or playful cocktails. DETAILS |
SPOTLIGHT Lawson’s Chip Dip remains a delicious nostalgia trip Food and culture reporter Peter Chakerian waxes philosophical on one of Cleveland's greatest dairy creations ever: Lawson's Chip Dip. READ MORE |
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