It has always been a part of Brian Okin’s master plan to build off the success of Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen, which he opened almost two years back in Broadview Heights. In preparation for that day he’s been busy assembling a core team of front and back-of-the-house talent that will oversee any future restaurants. In addition to co-owner and chef Adam Bostwick, Okin has brought in chef Brian Toomey, an alumnus of Verve and Black Pig, Okin’s wife Amanda, a front-of-house pro from Red and Lola, and Dave Hridel, a talented and popular bar manager most recently working at Spice.
That team will get to work immediately on its next project; transforming the recently purchased Reddstone (1261 W. 76th St.), which has been “closed for remodeling” since New Year’s Day, into Graffiti Social Kitchen. Reddstone originally was opened in 2007 by chef Josh Kabat, who now owns two Cleveland Pickle sandwich shops. In 2012, it changed hands, going to a restaurant group that included Fabio Salerno.
Following a largely cosmetic tune-up, Graffiti could be up and running by early February, says Okin. As for the menu, fans of Cork & Cleaver can expect the same bold, creative food in a slightly different package.
“It will be similar in style but not the same,” says Okin. “It will be a more casual version of Cork & Cleaver, with more shared items and appetizers. But we’ll definitely still have some entrees on the menu.”
Okin’s “reverse migration” from the suburbs to the urban core is a homecoming of sorts. His own restaurant Verve was not far from Progressive Field. He later worked at Luxe Kitchen and Lounge just down the road from Graffiti. It’s a neighborhood he’s quickly falling for all over again.
“I think the spot is beautiful, and there is so much great stuff going on over there,” says Okin. “That area is growing by leaps and bounds.”
He’s right, of course. In addition to the $100-million build-out of townhomes a few years back, the area just welcomed The Shoreway, a warehouse conversion project that features 45 luxury lofts all already spoken for. That building sits near a recently updated pedestrian tunnel that connects W. 76th to Edgewater Park.
Great stuff, indeed.
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2015.
Should also mention that they’re ousting the stand up comedy community that Ramon Rivas and Chucklefck have built there over the last five years. The stage that they will be tearing down has been graced by many a cutting national comic as well as beginners and veterans of the Cleveland comedy scene on a weekly, sometimes twice weekly basis.
Yay! Gentrification! Thanks for forcing out one of Cleveland’s best comedy rooms, which was praised by this very website, to make room for your shitty restaurant, you smug pricks.
P.S. Only a hipster shitwad with more money than sense would eat at somewhere called “Graffiti Social Kitchen.” The name alone makes me want to puke.
Sorry for the ousting of the comedy shows – hopefully the quality of the shows will allow them to find a new home, but why dump on the new owners and their business? The new owner is one of the founders of Dinner in the Dark – a chef driven event that raises money for local charities every month … so, I’m looking forward to talented chefs who care about the community coming into my neighborhood.
Hey yourrestaurantsucks: Did you make the same statement concerning GENTRIFICATION when the 100K+ condos were built and are continuing to be built, in that neighborhood? AND Ramon has already set himself up in the Hofbrauhaus/Hermit Club or is that a GENTRIFIED place TOO! Quit your bitchin’
I’m pretty skeptical. I really like Reddstone and was sad to hear it was shut down. Reddstone suffered in quality recently, but this doesn’t necessarily sound better.
Coworker’s input: “STOP CALLING EVERYTHING A KITCHEN. I’M NOT EATING IN THE KITCHEN.”