Michael Schwartz, designer and partner in the Hudson-based Flip Side burger restaurant (49 Village Way, 330-655-3547), has disclosed that he and partners Shawn and Tiffany Monday will open a second Flip Side in Cleveland. Schwartz says he has reached an agreement with Randy Ruttenberg of Fairmount Properties to open a Flip Side in the Flats East Bank project, within the complex that will include an Aloft boutique hotel. (Just don't rush to make reservations: While construction has begun on Fairmount's Flats project, completion is estimated to be as much as two years off.)
At 2,600 square feet, the planned restaurant will be slightly larger than the original in Hudson, explains Schwartz. Seating will be bumped up from just over 50 to about 75. An 800-square-foot patio will allow for additional seating.
"Shawn and I probably ate 400 burgers all over the country when we were researching Flip Side," says Schwartz. "We tried different types of burgers, different ways to cook them ... I'll probably die five years too early as a result."
Ultimately, the team settled upon grass-fed Ohio beef. "I think it's the best product out there," says Schwartz.
The team is also in the process of closing a deal that will bring a Flip Side to suburban Columbus.
Summer calling: Last year Bob and Nancy Mino purchased the Dari Delite, an old-fashioned ice cream stand in Ohio City. Now called the Ohio City Ice Cream Co., the shop is introducing a brand-new product line. In addition to the customary soft-serve, Bob prepares approximately 20 varieties of high-quality hand-packed ice cream. Sorbets, egg custards, and soon gelatos will join the party.
"This has been a neighborhood walk-up ice cream stand for 55 years," Mino says of the shop at Bridge and West 44th. "I've had multiple people tell me that they got their first ice cream cone here while buying their son or daughter their first cone. It's pretty cool."
Mino says he wouldn't dare kill off the popular chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry soft-serve cones that have been pleasing neighbors for generations. He just wants to offer more variety and better quality for those who desire it.
New flavors include a creamy mango sorbet, crunchy baklava with orange blossom, and delicious coconut almond fudge that tastes exactly like an Almond Joy candy bar. Fun-size kiddie cones and dog-safe desserts are also new to the mix.
