This Week in Cleveland Food News: Ugh, More Closures

Pearl Street Wine Market and Cafe 2523 Market Ave., Cleveland In 2022, Karen Small shuttered the Flying Fig, her 23-year-old Ohio City bistro. But when she did, she announced that she would be partnering up with Jill Davis, owner of Toast Wine Bar, on a new project in the same space. Inspired by European bistros, Pearl Street Wine Market & Café combines the retail aspect of the former Market at the Fig with a casual small-plates, farm-to-table café. In addition to small and shared plates starring local charcuterie and cheeses, there are larger entrees featuring proteins, pasta, grains and seasonal produce. A rotating selection of wines by the glass, beer and classic cocktails are also available. While we’ll always miss Flying Fig, the newer version is filling the space in our heart left by it. Credit: Photo by Joe Szabo

– Pearl Street Wine Market & Cafe will close at the end of March after a new landlord informed Chef Karen Small the monthly rent would more than double. OCI hadn’t been charging market rate previously.
– Melt melts by another location.
– Steve’s Diner, one of the last bastions of 24/7 dining in Cleveland, closes after this weekend.
– Cafe Avalaun, a haven for the gluten free crowd in Northeast Ohio, will also shutter this month.
– In better news, the former North High Brewing spot in Ohio City will be filled by a new taproom from Royal Docks.
– Good Company is now open in Akron in the former Spotted Owl space, which has sat dormant for some time.
– This week’s dining review: How and why Sushi 86 keeps adapting and evolving.
– Pulpo Beer Company has reopened in Willoughby after a brief closure due to maintenance and now features a streamlined menu and identity. It will also welcome a new cocktail bar upstairs very soon.
Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.

This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 12, 2024.