10 Vintage Photos from the White Hurricane of 1913
Last week marked the 100th anniversary of the terrifying “White Hurricane” of 1913, the blizzard-like storm that brought life in Cuyahoga Country to a dead standstill for two cold and miserable days. How appropriate that this week, Clevelanders are huddling around their TVs and smartphones in the midst of yet another winter storm watch, tracking…
19 Members of the Ohio State Women’s Hockey Team Were Suspended After Participating in the Largest NCAA Brawl Ever
A friendly competition between the Bemidji State and Ohio State women’s hockey teams turned hostile on Friday night when a massive brawl broke out after the Buckeyes were defeated 2-3. 19 OSU players were disqualified for participating in the fight and a combined 287 penalty minutes were issued, making Friday night’s fight the largest in…
Line-up announced for Annual Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive
Joe Kleon Black Death Resurrected For the fifth year in a row, locally based Auburn Records has teamed up with WJCU 88.7 FM and German metal writer Iron Ingo Stührenberg present the fifth annual Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive. The two benefit concerts that take place on Dec. 6 and 7 at the Beachland Ballroom…
Piada Rocky River Offers Free Food for a Year to First 100 Guests
Fans of Piada Italian Street Food, the fast casual concept from Chris Doody that landed on Cleveland’s east side earlier this year, might want to camp out in Rocky River later this week — and we mean that quite literally. In advance of its Rocky River opening, the fast-growing regional chain often billed as the…
Our Movember Wish List
Movember is upon us— and as the first snows fall and the first face-chapping winds whip through city streets, gents across Cleveland are chucking their razors in efforts to increase awareness about men’s health. We decided to join in on the fun this year, and have created a wishlist of 10 Cleveland lads we hope…
Opening Day Around the Bend for Beachwood-Based Winks
Winking Lizard, Lizardville and Winks owner John Lane says that the second Winks Bar and Grille will open next month in Beachwood. Number Two for this growing regional brand will open Tuesday, December 3 in the former home of The Pit (25800 Central Parkway), situated behind P.F. Chang’s on Chagrin Boulevard. “It’s going to be…
It Will Cost More Than $3 Million To Kill The County’s Contract With Former Med Mart Manager MMPI
Another droplet in the sea of questionable developments surrounding the public handling of the Medical Mart and Cleveland Convention Center… Per a County Council item set for discussion today, the termination of the county’s contract with former Med Mart operator MMPI will run at least $3.2 million. The full total is unclear, as there are…
Lakewood’s Former Hilliard Square Theater May Be Demolished
Photo Courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project The former Hilliard Square Theater in Lakewood AKA the Westwood Theater may soon face the wrecking ball after standing vacant for the last 25 years and suffering damages from superstorm Sandy last year. The movie theater, which was built in 1927, has been issued dozens of repair notices…
Ohio State University Will Open Cartoon Museum to the Public This Weekend
The Ohio State University is opening the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum to the public this Saturday, November 16. The museum’s collection of cartoon art and artifacts is the largest in the world, with over 300,000 original comic strips, 45,000 books, 29,000 comic books and thousands of boxes of fan mail and artists’ personal…
5 Great Places to Fill Your Growler in Cleveland
Lizardville Beer Store and Whiskey Bar It’s worth visiting Lizardville Beer Store and Whiskey Bar just to look at their huge selection of beer and whiskey. There are over 600 bottled beers and over 170 whiskeys available for on-the-spot sampling and to take home. The store has three locations: one in Rocky River, another in…
This North Olmsted House Is On The Market and Perfect For Hoarders
23975 Mastick Road Warm and cozy, yes? If you’ve been thinking about getting into the hoarding scene, there’s a really terrific opportunity awaiting you on Mastick Road in North Olmsted. This gem of a house comes as is; consider it a starter kit for the prospective pack rat. Here’s the full listing, (sic) throughout: Attention…
Ex-Smiths Guitarist Johnny Marr ‘Rediscovers’ his Euro Roots on New Album
Having spent several years living in Portland, Oregon, where he recorded and toured with indie rockers Modest Mouse, guitarist Johnny Marr could’ve easily cut his new album, The Messenger, there. Instead, Marr, who plays the Grog Shop on Wednesday, moved back to his native England to record the disc. “I have this notion, almost a…
Giant Eagle Conceptual Plans Presented for Corner of West 117th and Clifton
NEIGHBORS IN ACTION The corner of West 117th and Clifton is now a grassy lot, save for the vacant Fifth Church of Christ Scientist located along Lake Avenue to the north. We reported back in March that the word on the street was revolving around a Giant Eagle Express homing in on the vacant corner…
Election Day Selfies Are Illegal in Ohio
Tuesday was election day: Many Ohioans came out and exercised their right to vote. And many of those voters took selfies while doing so. Why not document the experience, and encourage others to vote through an inspirational pic of yourself in the booth, right? According to News Channel 5, the selfie trend may end up…
UPDATE: Man Arrested for Having Sex with a Rubber Pool Raft. Again.
Update: Butler County’s Edwin Tobergta, 34, will spend the next 11 months behind bars after he was found guilty of having sex with a rubber pool raft in public— for the fifth time. In June, several neighborhood children caught Tobergta doing the nasty with an inflatable raft outside of his Hamilton, OH home and reported…
Veterans Day Stories From Across Northeast Ohio
– The Plain Dealer’s cover story offers inspiring perspectives from three Marine 1st Division sergeants who served in three different wars. A quick excerpt: They took different, yet familiar paths of the thousands who came before them, and have followed since. And they’re among the select few who know the cost of defending their country…
Ohio to Offer 255 Specialty License Plate Designs
Adding some pizzazz to your car will include more options than ever. Governor John Kasich is set to sign a bill into law that will increase the number of specialty license plates to 255 in Ohio. The Governor’s John Hancock will add specialty tags for “Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” “Power Squadron” boating education, and for holders of…
VIDEO: Mentor Forklift Operator Runs Over Propane Tank, Narrowly Escapes Exploding Fireball
A 62-year-old Mentor man narrowly escaped with his life on Thursday after he ran over a propane tank that fell off of the forklift he was operating. The tank exploded, causing a fireball of epic proportions to consume his lift. It barely missed a passing car, and somehow the forklift driver walked away from the…
16 Swagalicious Shirts of Mall Guy
In case you missed it, last week’s cover story featured Mall Guy — Mall Guy! — the seemingly ubiquitous Cleveland character known for his vibrant sense of style and prime choice in hangout spots: The Strongsville Mall. Most likely, you’ve seen him. Perhaps, you’ve even snapped a photo with him. Definitely, you’ve heard about his…
Rock Ballet “The Masque: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe” Opens Tonight
The writings of Edgar Allan Poe don’t exactly lend themselves to rock musicals. But that didn’t stop the folks at Shadowbox, a Columbus-based theater company, from composing The Masque: The Stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Tonight at 8 at the Breen Center for the Performing Arts, that original score will be performed live during a…
Update: Ghostbusters 3 *May* Begin Filming in Cleveland in 2014
[This post contains updates] The film industry is booming in Cleveland. This summer’s shooting of “Captain America: Winter Soldier” was exciting to say the least. Parts of the city were shut down to film wild explosions and stunts, and A-list celebrities were spotted all over town. The trend continues, with filming of “Jenny’s Wedding,” starring…
New East Side Bakeshop Coming From Chefs at Flour
By April, chef-owners of Flour Paul Minnillo and Matthew Mytro plan to open a new French bakery immediately next door to their Moreland Hills restaurant. The as yet unnamed project will take up residence in the 2,000-square-feet space to the restaurant’s left. “I’m going to stage at Bouchon Bakery in Napa, and we’re going to…
Experts Discuss Media Coverage of Catholic Priests’ ‘Struggles,’ Odd Bouts of Navel-Gazing Ensue
McGonegal For some reason, The Plain Dealer posted a story titled “Experts discuss why the struggles of priests are so well publicized.” The occasion for this little discussion comes about following the Rev. James McGonegal’s three-count indictment, which includes a felony count for failing to disclose his HIV-positive status when he propositioned a Metroparks ranger.…
Campbell’s Sweets Factory Now Open in Lakewood
Today is the first day of business for Campbell’s Sweets Factory’s new Lakewood shop at the corner of Warren Road and Detroit Avenue (14730 Detroit Ave., 440-799-8778, campbellssweets.com). It is that company’s third location, along with the original at the West Side Market, and the newer sweets shop down the road on W. 25th Street.…
Limo Driver Tries to Lure Boys in Solon
A Chagrin Falls man tried to lure two boys into a limo by claiming he was an undercover cop and celebrity bodyguard. 67-year-old Robert Knost was arrested after allegedly enticing two 12-year-olds to get into his car near Aurora Road in Solon. Knost reportedly asked the boys if they wanted to take pictures inside and…
Scene Podcast: Dining Editor Doug Trattner on Food Trends, New Joints, and the State of the Cleveland Food Scene
This week’s episode: Host Craig Lyndall is joined by Scene’s fabulous dining editor Douglas Trattner (@dougtrattner) to talk food, food and food. In addition to the regular festivities of this issue, we’ve got a special dining-only insert called Flavor out there that has coverage on everything from trends we love and hate, the state of…
Kat Torok Busted for Drunken Driving Just Hours After Winning School Board Re-Election
A newly elected Kirtland School Board official received a schooling of her own yesterday morning when she failed Drunken Driving 101 and was arrested after partying *too hard* at her re-election victory party. Kat Torok, 46, reportedly lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a ditch on Mulberry Road at around 1:30 a.m. on…
Video: Rollerblading In Cleveland Is Intense
I quit rollerblading some time in elementary school when I couldn’t quite find the right balance between safety and not looking extremely ridiculous. The ill-fitting bike helmet and bulky plastic and elastic padding on every possible joint that my parents ordered me to wear was no fun to put on and it looked like I…
10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend (November 8-10)
‘Nother big weekend ahead of us, Cleveland. Kick off your weekend right by stopping by Flavor on Thursday night at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. Consider it a warm-up of sorts to this weekend’s Fabulous Food Show. On Friday and Saturday, spend your time sampling delicious eats and drinks from a variety of local vendors, plus…
Thor: The Fellowship of the Aether
Here’s what I want, said Thor: The Dark World cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau: I want a real slow tilt up Hemsworth’s abs. I want the Asgardian light to be especially slanty and dramatic in this little gazebo here and I want Hemmy’s pecs to look absolutely humongous. Got that? I mean I want those suckers to…
Plot holes aside, About Time is a Better-Than-Average Romantic Comedy
Plenty of critics have pointed out the plot holes in the new romantic-comedy About Time, a film about a man (Harry Potter’s Domhnall Gleeson) who travels back in time to save his relationship with the woman (Rachel McAdams) he loves. We can’t argue with those critics. Yes, more than a few inconsistencies mar the story…
Ohio Good Samaritan Lured into Trap and Beaten Unconscious When He Tried to Help a Couple Jump Start Their Car
When a Butler County man pulled over to give a young couple a jump start on Friday evening, he thought he was just helping out two fellow motorists make their way home. What this good Samaritan didn’t realize, however, was that he’d just walked into a trap set by the couple and one other accomplice.…
30 Incredible Movie Poster Recreations From Your Favorite Hollywood Hits, Curated by Lakewood Author Matthew Chojnacki
It’s often said that contemporary Hollywood films just aren’t quite what they used to be- and that goes for the movie posters that accompany them. Gone are the days of the classic one-sheet poster—you remember—so provocative, so handsome, that fans would often flock to flicks because of the artwork alone. The hand drawn posters for…
Today’s Buzz Pieces: Cleveland is Affordable and Terrific For Young Entrepreneurs
Lots of good news from Out There making the rounds on Twitter, et al., today. First up, a quickie from Coldwell Banker Real Estate: Its 2013 Home Listing Report tosses Cleveland up on the No. 1 slot for least expensive homes. Among a comparison of four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes across nearly 2,000 markets, Cleveland’s average clocked…
Momocho’s Eric Williams Announces Ohio City Breakfast Joint
Eric Williams, along with his partner Randy Carter, will open Jack Flaps, a 40-seat “urban breakfast shop” in Ohio City. Set in the former home of Palookaville Chili (3900 Lorain Ave.), the breakfast and lunch cafe will serve a short stack of creative waffles, pancakes and French toast dishes. Items might include vanilla bean pancakes…
Also on Stage
Cut Flowers Karamu House We all know, thanks to the movies, that African-American men like to talk smack in the barbershop. But who knew such verbal jousting was happening in the back room of florist shops? Stems are being sliced, not hair, in Cut Flowers by Gavin Lawrence, now at Karamu House, but this well-intentioned…
My Perfect Meal, My Favorite Neighborhood: A Tasting Menu of Our Favorite Bites in Cleveland’s Best Dining Districts
LAKEWOOD Long the burger and chicken wing capital of the region, Lakewood has blossomed into bona fide ‘ville de vittles. You can never go wrong with happy hour at Pier W (12700 Lake Ave., 216-228-2250, selectrestaurants.com/pier), which also happens to offers some of the best views of Lake Erie in Cleveland. Try the braised Angus…
Woman in Charge: New Artistic Director Laura Kepley Holds the Whip in Hand at the Cleveland Play House
“We’re bringing in a guy from out of town.” That sentence has been used billions of times over the years when companies, in all sorts of industries, try to upgrade their leadership. The idea, it seems, is that some out-of-town dude is going to be a lot smarter than any of the local dummies, er,…
Regional Beat: Filament 38
Isolate Decay Disintegrate: (self-released) The guys in this veteran industrial act have said they aimed to focus on “big hooky choruses” on this, their fifth studio release. That’s apparent right from the start as opening tune “Stitch_Crucifix” sounds more like White Zombie than Skinny Puppy. The same goes for tunes such as “Clockwork” and “Sometimes,”…
Band of the Week: Redhoney
Meet the Band: Ryan Young (vocals and lead guitar), Will Gernat (drums), Dale Lenze (guitar and Rhythbiance), Josh Vance (keyed instrumentation), Sean Cifranic (bass) Sweet 16: Drummer Will Gernat and singer-guitarist Ryan Young first started jamming together when they were only 16. “He gravitated toward the drums when he realized he wasn’t as good as…
From Farm to Plate: Jonathon Sawyer has Built a Successful Restaurant by Going Green
Jonathon Sawyer is a popular name in the culinary world, not just in Cleveland but nationally. Having worked under Michael Symon before venturing out on his own, Sawyer was named one of the best new chefs in Food & Wine magazine in 2010. He also competed in the Iron Chef America earlier this year. However,…
Review of the Week: All is Lost
There was a discrete pro-gression of personal opinions that attended my viewing of All is Lost, the lost-at-sea tale from director J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) and starring Robert Redford as a lone yachtsman, opening Friday at the Cedar Lee Theatre, Cinemark Valley View and Regal Crocker Park. For the first 45 minutes, I was convinced…
Buy, Sell or Hold: Here Are Some Local Dining Trends That We Can’t Get Enough Of, Can’t Get Away From, or Are Enjoying Just Fine, Thanks
Put an Egg on It!: Sell It used to be that eggs were for breakfast – plain and simple. Now they come on every other dish in town, from hamburgers and tamales to pizza and asparagus. Fried eggs are now a required addition to the Sides portion of most menus because apparently, runny eggs go…
Blue is the Warmest Color is Bold, Brazen, and a Bounding Success
Young love is a familiar subject in film, but Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue is the Warmest Color is unique and rare. It captures the delicious intensity of first love, the spontaneity, the uninhibited giving, the rawness, and, yes, the eroticism. It also encapsulates the devastating effects of love lost, and the poignant pain that can plague…
Flavor: Cleveland’s Ultimate Dining Guide
My Perfect Meal, My Favorite Neighborhood: A Tasting Menu of Our Favorite Bites in Cleveland’s Best Dining Districts Long the burger and chicken wing capital of the region, Lakewood has blossomed into bona fide ‘ville de vittles. You can never go wrong with happy hour at Pier W, which also happens to offers some of…
The Swagalicious Life of Mall Guy: Behind the LED Belt and Colorful Shirts of One of Cleveland’s Most Visible Characters
It’s not hard to find Mall Guy, the seemingly ubiquitous Cleveland character who wears slogans like “One Sexy B” and “YOLO Swagg On” or “UNFORGETTABLE” in rainbow letters on his T-shirts and an LED belt that unfurls boilerplate city boosterisms like “Go Browns” and “Cleveland Rocks” in scrolling red letters across his waist. You just…
Ken Stewart Goes North: An East Bank Outpost of Ken Stewart’s Very Much Reflects the Man Himself
Short ribs, that popular cut of meat adored for its intense beefy flavor and wallet-friendly price, appear on the Ken Stewart’s East Bank menu alongside a figure that would shock the conscience of butchers everywhere. At $50 for the entrée, it is far and away the highest priced version of the dish I’ve spotted in…
The Cleveland Craft Beer Report
Cleveland Beer Week 2013 might have ended, but the party continues on the shelves of local craft beer stores. Several notable new products made their debut during Cleveland’s annual craft beer celebration and remain available for purchase. Victory launched Dirtwolf Double IPA as a contemporary successor to its aging Hop Wallop. Dirtwolf has a savage…
Destination Saturation: A Look at the State of the Cleveland Dining Scene
Walk down West 25th Street in Ohio City today and you’ll spot a dozen restaurants that weren’t there as recently as four years ago. Ride your bike down Detroit Avenue in Lakewood and the story is pretty much the same, with nearly a dozen new restaurants coming online in just the past few years –…
Now Open and Coming Soon: There’s Still Plenty of Room in the Cleveland Food Landscape for New Restaurants. Here’s proof.
A restaurant per week? In Cleveland? That’s the most typical reaction I get after telling a new acquaintance what I do for a living. Surely there can’t be enough content to fill the pages of the Scene dining section week in and week out, they presume. Faithful followers of the local dining scene don’t need…
Time is on Their Side: How Legendary Garage Rockers Flamin’ Groovies got their Groove Back
To say Cyril Jordan and his band the Flamin’ Groovies have had to wait for their just due as rock legends is an understatement of monumental proportions. Born and bred in San Francisco, the Groovies have weathered many a storm over the past 48 years. Jordan’s integrity, which kept the band firmly rooted in the…
America Loves Cleveland: The Accolades Cleveland Chefs and Restaurants Have Gathered in the Past Year
Rising star chefs Joe Horvath and Jennifer Plank gained the attention of the national publication Restaurant Hospitality for the sexy farm-to-table offerings dished up at Toast, their trendy Gordon Square restaurant. In an article titled “Cleveland’s Melt brings cheesy menu to Columbus,” the Columbus Dispatch chats with owner Matt Fish about his soon-to-open restaurant in…
Positive Vibrations: Toad the Wet Sprocket Sounds Upbeat on First Studio Release in 16 Years
Toad the Wet Sprocket released five albums between 1988 and 1997 and racked up three Top 40 hits in that time. The Santa Barbara band’s breakthrough success came along thanks to its third album, 1991’s Fear. Driven by heavy radio and MTV airplay for the singles “All I Want” and “Walk on The Ocean,” the…
Savage Love: Senior Kinkster
Dear Dan — I am a kinky, youthful 72-year-old guy. I grew up in the Pleistocene era, when there was virtually no way to meet a kinky woman. I’ve had two vanilla marriages, and three months ago I ended a four-year vanilla relationship with the best woman I’ve ever met. I just couldn’t take not…
Greenhouse Tavern’s Jonathon Sawyer Shares His Special Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
It would be hard to overstate Jonathon Sawyer’s impact on the Cleveland dining scene. He’s considered one of the founding fathers of the city’s culinary renaissance. And he continues to bring national recognition to Cleveland with his Iron Chef battles and awards from Bon Appétit and Food and Wine magazines. For local diners, Sawyer has…
