Scene June 30, 2021

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

1

2

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

3

CONTENTS JUNE 30-JULY 13, 2021 • VOL. 51 NO 38

Upfront .......................................5 Feature .......................................8 Arts .......................................... 23

Eat ............................................ 25 Music ........................................ 29 Savage Love ..............................30

REWIND: i973 Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Shawn Mishak Stage Editor Christine Howey Editorial Intern Emma Sedlak Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Creative Services Production Manager Haimanti Germain Editorial Layout Evan Sult Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace

Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd., #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-505-8199 E-mail scene @clevescene.com Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every other week by Euclid Media Group.

Verified Audit Member

Business Business & Sales Support Specialist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Cramer Circulation Circulation Director Burt Sender

Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2020 by Euclid Media Group. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed

Cleveland Distribution Scene is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader Subscriptions - $150 (1 yr); $ 80 (6 mos.)

Email Megan - MStimac@CleveScene.com - to subscribe.

envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above.

Subscriptions $150 (1 yr); $ 80 (6 mos.) Send name, address and zip code with check or money order to the address listed above with the title ‘Attn: Subscription Department’

...The story continues at clevescene.com

4

“Just tell ‘em we’re the dudes” works as well now as it did five decades ago.

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

248-620-2990

Printed By

Take

SCENE with you with the Issuu app!

“Cleveland Scene Magazine”

PHOTO BY DOUG TRATTNER, DESIGN BY EVAN SULT

UPFRONT Photo by stu_spivack/FlickrCC

HERE ARE YOUR SEVEN OFFICIAL CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR OF CLEVELAND

WITH THE FILING DEADLINE now in the rearview, seven candidates for Cleveland mayor remain. The six men and one woman below managed to gather at least 3,000 signatures and will appear on the Sept. 14 primary ballot. (Another candidate, Landry Simmons, submitted his signatures but failed to reach the 3,000 threshold and voluntarily withdrew Monday.)

Only two will advance to the November general election. And only one will succeed Mayor Frank Jackson, the city’s longest-serving mayor of all time. You’ve heard many of their names before, but here is a refresher now that the field has firmed up: JUSTIN BIBB - 34-year-old nonprofit executive, Mt. Pleasant born and raised, touts both his lived and professional experience and represents perhaps the furthest tonal departure from Frank Jackson. Big on innovation, but stresses need for basic competency in city’s administrative duties. As first-time candidate, the knock on him tends to be his lack of political experience. Campaign slogan,

“Cleveland can’t wait,” communicates need for urgency after lethargy of Jackson. Alum of KeyBank and nonprofit Urbanova. Corporate vibes.

Extremely popular among educated millennials and zoomers.

folks and youth. Alliances, business practices and temperament have made him divisive figure in Ward 7, (constituents either adore or despise him), and initial campaign finance irregularities might betoken trouble.

ROSS DIBELLO - Passionate, if soft-spoken, attorney from West Park. Campaign activity has been highly concentrated on far west side. Ideologically progressive.

Champion of procedural reforms to enhance “people power” at City Hall. Undeniable long shot, but has committed team of young, motivated volunteers. Campaign talking points center on issues of democracy building and scourge of money in politics. Extensive legal background, clear understanding of failings of criminal justice system, able to connect dots between those failings and Cleveland’s crushing poverty.

KEVIN KELLEY – Current city council president. Old Brooklyn resident. Former social worker yanked to dark side by forces unknown. Backed by building and construction trades and corporate donors. Enormous campaign war chest. Of counsel at Porter Wright.

Regarded with supreme distaste by many for his leading role in the antidemocratic actions of city council during his tenure. Has demonstrated repeatedly that he’ll work harder for guys like Len Komoroski and Scott Wolstein than any resident of Cleveland.

BASHEER JONES - Ward 7 Councilman. Race’s premier orator. Can fire up a crowd with ease. In lone council term — he narrowly defeated TJ Dow in 2017 — was unafraid to stake out lonely positions. Tireless advocate for Black

DENNIS KUCINICH - Former mayor, congressman, two-time presidential candidate. Disparaged as lefty kook, but launched campaign with public safety platform that included hiring 400 new police officers. Savvy (i.e. opportunistic) campaigner and charismatic debater.

Lost Ohio gubernatorial primary in 2018 to Richard Cordray. Reviled for paid gig at Fox News and defense of Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad.

Idiosyncratic ideology that defies traditional political spectrum. Public safety platform also includes new city division of peace, for example.

Ardent environmentalist. Would be Cleveland’s oldest mayor of all-time.

Campaign coincides with publication of Muny Light memoir.

ZACK REED - Former Mt. Pleasant councilman and 2017 mayoral candidate. Lost in landslide to Frank Jackson. Terrific slogan in 2017: “Nothing stops a bullet like a job.” Has failed to distinguish himself this time around but remains proponent of government transparency and openness at City Hall. Most recently employed as minority outreach guy for Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Strong base on city’s southeast side. Tremendous wardrobe.

SANDRA WILLIAMS - Veteran legislator and only woman in the race. Would be Cleveland’s first Black | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

5

Ayesha Bell-Hardaway, photo courtesy CWRU

UPFRONT female mayor. Quietly gathering institutional support and has locked up endorsements from region’s statehouse Dems. Represents closest thing to continuation of Frank Jackson leadership style: steady, experienced, deferential.

Will be dogged by central role in HB6 scandal. Williams was one of bill’s co-sponsors and proposed key decoupling amendment on FirstEnergy’s behalf.

Candidates no longer in the race: Dick Knoth, Arthur O’Kostendt, Landry Simmons, Latorya Witcher, Lee Wilson -Sam Allard

NAACP, CWRU Lead Backlash Over Deputy Monitor’s Forced Resignation Reaction has been vocal and consistent in the wake of assistant police monitor Ayesha BellHardaway’s forced resignation over accurate remarks she made concerning the murder of George Floyd during an NPR interview.

Those comments rankled head monitor Hassan Aden, whom BellHardaway has said threatened to remove her from her deputy position overseeing police reforms to a community engagement role.

Seen by many as an action antithetical to the mission of the monitor team, the clash has drawn backlash from Case Western Reserve University, where Bell-Hardaway is a professor, researcher and director of the Social Justice Law Center, the Cleveland branch of the NAACP and Black Lives Matter Cleveland.

“You would never fire a doctor for diagnosing a problem. Ayesha Bell Hardaway is diagnosing a problem.

We have systemic issues in policing, and it is our job to make sure that we have the reform that’s necessary.

No one wants to have a decree, but the reality is it’s necessary to get the reform that our citizens need,” said Danielle Sydnor of the Cleveland NAACP. In a statement, CWRU said, “This outcome is disappointing for many reasons, not least of which is the treatment of Professor Hardaway after six years of dedicated service on the monitoring team. Even more worrisome, however, is the signal sent regarding a body that ostensibly exists to serve the public interest. The group no longer will

6

benefit from Professor Hardaway’s considerable expertise as a legal scholar, seasoned litigator, and former Cuyahoga County prosecutor.

Going forward, other monitoring team members with concerns may not air them because of fear they, too, might be ousted.”

For her part, Bell-Hardaway said in her resignation letter, “I recognize that it is a tall order for some to accept the reality that violence exists in American policing and that systemic change is needed in order to address the longstanding and disproportionate impact that excessive use of force by police has had on Black people. However, the work of police reform is rooted in some of these hard truths.”

-Vince Grzegorek

How the City of Independence Uses Zoning to Codify Segregation When the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless learned that Independence Mayor Gregory Kurtz was exerting his influence to force Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry out of a contract with the Ramada Inn on Rockside Road (a story that appeared on Scene’s cover last issue), it attempted to get in touch.

Kurtz never responded, and so the organization penned an open letter earlier this month harshly condemning the suburb’s actions in the context of the pandemic.

“Rather than responding to the immediate housing and social service needs of our neighbors, the city chose to install a mobile police surveillance unit near the hotel

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

and to expand the city’s nuisance ordinance to include commercial businesses,” the letter read. “These acts of criminalizing homelessness only deepen the trauma and prevent people from finding a safe place to call home.”

The letter also focused on the persistence of racist housing policies, and noted that in Independence, zoning laws prohibit multifamily housing units anywhere in the city.

“Local and national research provides strong evidence on how zoning is a tool to further codify racism, classism, and segregation.

Decades of racist housing policy (redlining, residential segregation, white flight, etc.) have created this reality and reiterated the ideals of property and profit over human life and dignity,” the letter read.

Cleveland.com columnist Leila Atassi highlighted these policies as well in her column earlier this month on the Independence controversy and Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish’s complicity in it.

Michael Lepley of the Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research confirmed to Scene that Independence has excluded multifamily housing via zoning. And as NEOCH pointed out in its letter, this makes the community virtually off-limits for renters, working class, and working poor people. Owning a single-family home is the only way to live there, and the median home value in Independence is nearly $300,000.

Last year, the Fair Housing Center analyzed housing laws in Cuyahoga County municipalities and found that Independence was one of 11 with this type of exclusionary

zoning on the books. Independence joins the City of Highland Heights; the Villages of Bentleyville, Bratenahl, Brooklyn Heights, Gates Mills, Glenwillow, Hunting Valley, Moreland Hills, and Walton Hills; and Chagrin Falls Township.

In a more recent report, the Fair Housing Center also found that Independence was one of only two school districts in the county — Bay Village is the other — where multifamily housing was “nearly entirely” excluded. The report found that in the municipalities of most outer-ring suburban school districts, multifamily housing is permitted on only 5 percent or less of the municipality’s total land. That’s the case in Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools, Mayfield City School District, Orange City School District, Richmond Heights Local Schools, Solon City School District, and Strongsville City Schools. (In the Bay Village and Independence School Districts, multifamily housing is permitted on less than one percent of the land.)

Though Independence Mayor Greg Kurtz denied the assertions in NEOCH’s letter and said it was “outrageous” for NEOCH to attack Independence “with the broad brush of national injustices and ‘wrongs of history,’” the Fair Housing Center report explained that zoning is indeed a mechanism for the preservation of racial segregation.

“Zoning is not the sole explanatory factor of racial segregation in Cuyahoga County, but one of many tools that caused racial segregation,” it states.

“Explicit refusal to rent or sell based on race, blockbusting, and

racial steering by real estate agents caused segregation. Redlining, strategic municipal disinvestment, and urban renewal caused segregation. Highway construction and white flight to the suburbs caused segregation, as did municipal fragmentation paired with exclusionary zoning. What makes zoning different is that it codifies racially segregated living patterns, and while many of the other factors listed have been discredited or made illegal, zoning persists. Zoning is part of the structure of racism that maintains racial segregation and racial inequality.”

Independence, for the record, is 96% white. And as NEOCH has argued and as history demonstrates,

DIGIT WIDGET 75-21 Vote by the Ohio House of Representatives to expel former House Speaker Larry Householder from his elected position, after accepting and distributing $ 60 million from FirstEnergy to secure passage of HB6, what federal investigators have called the largest racketeering scandal in the state’s history.

1857 The last time someone was expelled from the Ohio House of Representatives.

379,589 Cleveland’s population, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, above the threshold at which city council would need to eliminate two wards and redraw ward boundaries.

500 feet Length of new Wendy Park Bridge, which opened last week, and now connects the neighborhoods of the near west side to Whiskey Island and miles of local bike trails.

that’s not accidental. -Sam Allard

Opinion: Stop Trying to Make “Kindland” Happen. Kindness Won’t Erase Poverty, Violence and Racism in Cleveland.

They’re at it again.

Having failed to reinvent Cleveland as the “epicenter for all things blockchain,” (Blockland), and having failed to manufacture the momentum required to redefine the region as a “vast proving ground for innovation,” (Betaland), local leaders are now attempting to remake Northeast Ohio as the “kindest place in the nation.” The initiative is known as Kindland.

Whether Kindland is a grift or merely a stupid idea hatched by wealthy superlative-imperativeafflicted people in the suburbs remains to be seen. It was launched last year by the Mayfieldbased nonprofit Values in Action Foundation in partnership with a number of local organizations for whom kindness is strictly an extracurricular activity.

During the pandemic’s early months, it attempted to capitalize on the inspiring stories of “local heroes” and “courage, caring and compassion” that flooded social media: corporations donating personal protective equipment to frontline workers and so forth.

But due to its progenitors’ lack of imagination and/or the strictures of their worldviews, Kindland quickly came to resemble other civic projects conceptualized by Cleveland elites. That is to say, it disclosed its neoliberal bent.

“What company doesn’t want kind workers?” The introductory Kindland guest column inquired last year. “If Cleveland became Kindland and developed a reputation as a kind, respectful and responsible community, would this become an economic development draw? Would companies relocating gravitate to our region? Would kindness increase productivity and happiness among workers? Employee engagement studies conducted by the University of California indicate that it would.”

Kindness at these bozos’ hands is not, in other words, the basic moral value one teaches young children with an assist from Jesus Christ: treat others as you’d want to be treated, etc. It is actually a corporate efficiency tool, an economic development strategy, with a gravysplashed side of paternalism. (If you pummel your employees with nonstop messaging about being “kind, respectful and responsible,”

maybe they’ll think twice about agitating for a union or demanding a living wage.)

The answer to the questions posed in the column above, for the record, is no. Employee engagement studies aside, employers now have mountains of evidence at their disposal showing that increased pay, paid time off, healthcare and other benefits are the surest ways to increase worker productivity and happiness, or even to hire workers at all. And — with all due respect — the purported kindness of a city’s workforce wouldn’t even crack the top 20 reasons why a company would relocated to a new city.

For these reasons and others, the Kindland script has undergone some edits. And lest you thought that a kindness initiative was a bit more subdued than the tech-infused moonshots of recent years, the new pitch glitters with a familiar, wildeyed ambition. Kindness will not just be an economic development draw for Cleveland. No no. Now it will be the elusive silver bullet that has the potential to remediate all of the city’s social ills.

Behold, the dumbest paragraph ever written, from the cleveland. com column yesterday reviewing Kindland’s first year: What would a community called “Kindland” look like?

Infant mortality would decrease; mentorship would increase; assistance and funding to young people who have business ideas would go up; jobs and life-skills training would be available and funded; cooperation and collaboration would be the norm; numbers of children living in poverty would plummet; learning, optimism and hope would increase; violence would decrease; Cleveland would have a happy and engaged workforce; kindness would enhance diversity, equity and inclusion; and, Cleveland would no longer be America’s poorest big city.

It’s pure fantasy.

Setting aside the perverse obsession with branding that makes these lunatics actually want to refer to Cleveland as Kindland — stop it — the most embarrassing element in the above is that its authors might actually believe what they say.

This is the naivety of a kindergartner. And it sounds absolutely deranged emanating from the region’s C-suites, with corporate and community sponsors like FirstEnergy, whose unprecedented kindness to Larry Householder led to the biggest corruption scandal in Ohio’s history.

Never mind that particular

inconvenience, or for that matter the Irishtown Bend extortion scheme of the George Group, a “Friend of Kindland.” (It occurs to ask: Would the kindness of Tony George, who threatened to remove his 37 restaurants from Cuyahoga County if it passed an LGBTQ+ charter amendment, “enhance diversity, equity and inclusion” in the region?)

Do the Kindland promoters think that a few more dollars to the United Way workplace giving campaign each year will make child poverty plummet? Do they think that a Saturday morning corporate outing with Habitat for Humanity will end the housing crisis? Do they think that one evening per month with a troubled youth will put a dent in gun violence?

They might. And for the record, all those things are great. Individual acts of kindness ought to be promoted among young people and adults. The golden rule really is one to live by. And as the first Kindland post suggested, kindness may indeed have a viral effect that could “infect” others and lead to more dignity and compassion for all.

But individual acts of kindness do not constitute systemic solutions to poverty, violence or racism. That requires policy interventions. And it often means legislation or allocation of public dollars in conflict with the preferences of corporate interests and wealthy individuals, who for obvious reasons love elevating politically neutral priorities like “kindness.”

One of the goals of the Kindland initiative was to document 1 million acts of Kindness in 2021. The column Tuesday, however, reported that more than 11 million such acts had already been tallied, including every shot administered at the Wolstein Center and every meal distributed by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank during the pandemic, (acts which call into question the record keeping of the initiative.)

This is a clear sign of the insufficiency of kindness as a solution. If Cleveland’s problems persist in spite of this overwhelming outpouring of kindness — 10 million more acts than the year-end goal!

— then kindness on its own isn’t up to the task. And if the initiative’s backers recognize this, and truly care about improving the quality of life metrics they’ve cited, the solutions aren’t a mystery.

-Sam Allard

scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

7

restaurant specializes in Texas-style barbecue like slow-smoked brisket, pulled pork and chicken, which are sold by the pound or in dishes like nachos, steamed buns and tacos.

FEATURE

Thai Thai

From the day it opened in 2016, Thai Thai was an undeniable hit.

The only downside: the wee 15-seat dining room. After temporarily closing in October 2020, Thai Thai finally reopened in its new, larger Lakewood home last spring. Now heat-seekers can enjoy electrifying dishes like larb, gai yang, tom yum soup, pad Thai, kra praow and Massaman curry in a more comfortable environment.

Chimi and Amba

WHILE YOU WERE IN

Hako sushi, photo by Doug Trattner

41 new restaurants to try in Cleveland this summer

By Douglas Trattner FOR MANY OF US, THE LAST year and a half has been a blur, a foggy morass during which time crept and progress seemed to slow to a standstill. And yet, since March of 2020 – the official start of the pandemic – there has been a remarkable amount of activity in the restaurant world.

Don’t believe us? Here (in chronological order no less) are 41 new and notable arrivals on the Cleveland food and beverage front.

Citizen Pie Roman Café

Chef Vytauras Sasnauskas, who also operates wood-fired pizza shops in Collinwood and Ohio City, opened Citizen Pie Roman Café in the former home of Erie Island Coffee on E. Fourth Street. Unlike the Neapolitan pies he bakes to order at his other pizzerias, Roman Café sells Romanstyle pizza al taglio, a focaccia-like pizza that is baked in advance. A daily assortment of rectangular-cut slices are at the ready for take-out or

8

a quick reheat in the shop’s oven.

Summer House

In March of 2020, Summer House opened in the former Swingo’s space at the Carlyle in Lakewood.

This restaurant from Tony George promises guests a summertime vibe 365 days of the year. The large space has been completely reimagined, with a 50-seat bar and stellar views of Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland. The bill of fare is Mediterranean, but there are plenty of creative American dishes on the menu as well.

Shinto Japanese Steakhouse (Westlake)

Sheng Long Yu, owner of the 17-yearold Strongsville restaurant of the same name, opened this splashy west-side eatery in the former home of Miami Nights. Inside the meticulously renovated space are multiple hibachi tables, conventional tables, a sushi bar and cocktail bar. Japanese food

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

fans can enjoy an extensive menu filled with sushi, teriyaki and lively teppanyaki-fueled feasts.

Boaz (University Heights)

Aladdin’s Eatery unveiled its healthfocused, fast-casual spinoff Boaz Café in Ohio City back in 2017. Last year they added this larger second shop in University Heights. Boaz focuses on light, bright, fresh and vividly flavored Middle Eastern fare. This quick-serve eatery offers everything from build-your-own bowls to Aladdin’s staples like fattoush salads, beef shawarma plates and rolled pita sandwiches.

Proof Bar-BQ

After years of delay, Proof was set to launch on March 18, 2020. That didn’t happen. Instead, this barbecue joint located in the lower level of the Tremont building Crust Pizza and Visible Voice Books opened its doors in May. Inside or out, the inviting

Since the start of the pandemic, chef Doug Katz has opened two ghost kitchen concepts. Chimi, a South American-themed eatery, launched last summer while Amba, an Indian one, debuted in early winter. Both are pick-up or delivery only. Chimi offers customers dozens of options that range from small bites to large plates.

Warm wraps are used to scoop up grilled chicken, braised short rib and shrimp Veracruz. Amba stars vibrant dishes like mixed vegetable pickles, biryani with saffron, chicken masala and chicken kofta. Amba proved so successful that Katz will open a brickand-mortar version of it in Ohio City later this year.

Lakewood Truck Park

Five years in the making, Lakewood Truck Park finally opened last summer, just in time to take advantage of alfresco social-distance partying. The 12,000-squarefoot property features two bars, a rotating selection of food trucks and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

Fun events like yoga, cornhole tournies and Tiki Tuesday with live steel-drum music keep the vibe lively and beverages flowing.

Cleveland Breakfast Club and Cleveland Vegan Club

Yours Truly closed its Shaker Square location after nearly 30 years, but it was quickly replaced by a twinconcept eatery from the owner of Angie’s Soul Café. Cleveland Breakfast Club and Cleveland Vegan Club operate out of the same property, with the former focusing on breakfast, brunch and lunch service and the latter vegan smoothies, bowls, sandwiches and wraps.

Hibachi Japan Steak House (Solon)

For decades, Hibachi Japan Steak

House has entertained and fed generations of Cuyahoga Falls residents. Last year, owner Morgan Yagi expanded northward, converting the former Akira restaurant in Solon to a new Hibachi Japan. The main dining room has 12 hibachi tables where guests can enjoy teppanyaki-fired dinners built around soup, salad, fried rice and a choice of chicken, shrimp, lobster and steak, but also sushi in the form of rolls, platters and pieces.

this well-appointed restaurant in the former Jekyll’s Kitchen space in Chagrin Falls. The interior has been completely reworked to open the space up and better align it with those dramatic water views.

All new furniture, fixtures, fabrics, flooring and lighting complete the transformation. Classic American grill dishes like lobster bisque, wedge salads, cedar-plank salmon, pork chop Milanese and steak frites with Bearnaise are what’s for dinner.

Hako

Home Bistro

A partnership between the owners of Sapporo Sushi (which closed last summer) and Ohashi in North Olmsted netted Hako, a new Japanese restaurant in Lakewood.

The space formerly was home to Kim’s Aji Noodle Bar and Yuzu.

Diners enjoy a freshly remodeled interior alongside nigiri sushi, sashimi, traditional and eclectic rolls and noodle bowls.

Betts

In March, the Kimpton Schofield Hotel in downtown Cleveland shuttered its restaurant Parker’s, making way for a transformation that netted Betts. The new breakfast, lunch and dinner eatery opened last summer with a menu built around elevated, health-conscious fare. The name “Betts” was chosen as a tribute to Elizabeth Schofield, the wife of the building’s architect and namesake Levi Schofield.

Sixth City Sailors Club

Joseph Fredrickson and the team from Society Lounge snatched up the former Hodge’s space downtown just in time to take advantage of that spacious courtyard patio and outdoor bar. The affordable, approachable neighborhood bar features slushie drinks, draft cocktails and quickfire cocktails. To go with the refreshments is a seafood-focused menu starring items like clam chowder, shrimp fritters, crab cakes and fried clams.

UJerk Caribbean Eatery

UJerk, a Jamaican-themed fastcasual restaurant, opened in the City Club Building downtown. The colorful restaurant specializes in jerk chicken salads, sliders, sandwiches and wraps. Other items like tuna salad, shrimp salad and falafel also can be enjoyed in slider, sandwich and wrap form. On weekends, UJerk trots out the Rasta Pasta, an Alfredo-esque pasta topped with jerk chicken.

17 River

Last summer, Rick Doody unveiled

Little Italy didn’t get to celebrate the Feast last summer, but it did score a wonderful new restaurant. Home Bistro is a revival of a Chicago spot of the same name that husband-andwife team Victor Morenz and Emily Gilbert owned before returning to Northeast Ohio. The transformation of the space, formerly Gusto, has restored much of the turn-of-thecentury elegance to the property.

From the kitchen, Morenz turns out an eclectic roster of globally influenced dishes that always hit their mark.

Hell’s Fried Chicken

Sheng Long Yu, the entrepreneur behind Shinto, Kenko, Dagu Rice Noodle and Ipoke, opened this streamlined fried chicken concept in University Circle. The fast-casual eatery offers a concise menu of fried tenders, whole wings, thighs and sandwiches, fresh-cut fries, coleslaw and garlic bread. An assortment of available sauces ranges from sweet to hot.

Bar Oni

Last summer, chef Matt Spinner announced that he was closing Ushabu, his shabu-shabu restaurant in Tremont. But he also announced its replacement, Bar Oni, which opened last fall. The hip, casual izakaya specializes in yakitori items like grilled chicken, sausage, pork belly and assorted vegetables. The skewers are joined by tempura, dumplings and pork katsu. To drink there’s beer, sake and draft cocktails.

Cloak & Dagger

This bookish cocktail lounge has nicely settled in at the revolving-door space in Tremont that has been home to many short-lived restaurants.

Billed as a neighborhood craft cocktail bar, the library-themed salon boasts a book-like menu filled with libations described with tasting notes like herbal, floral, smoky and spicy.

The beverages are buoyed by an allvegan roster of bar bites like fries, “pork” rinds, BBQ “chicken” skewers and banh mi sammies.

Soba Asian Kitchen

After working for years in a traditional hibachi-style Japanese restaurant, Jingbo Xiao had the brilliant idea to adapt the food to a fast-casual concept. He did just that when he opened his first Soba in Sandusky. He followed that up with a new location in the former Jimmy John’s space on Coventry.

The fully customized “bowl-type” experience tops bases like fried rice, egg noodles and soba noodles with veggies and proteins like chicken, steak and shrimp capped off with sauces such as teriyaki, garlic butter and yum-yum.

Yonder

The folks behind the fast-growing Boiler 65 concept opened Yonder last fall in the two-story brick building in Midtown formerly home to La Bodega and Angie’s Soul Café. This updated breakfast and lunch place offers counter service and some dine-in seating. On offer are creative breakfast sandwiches and brunch dishes, some of which are jazzed up with funky additions like Fruity Pebbles.

Leavened

Ian Herrington devoted a decade of his life to the art and practice of baking before opening Leavened, a European-style artisan bakery in Tremont. The sleek, modern storefront anchors the Tappan, a new residential building on Auburn.

Visitors can expect fresh-brewed coffee, fresh-baked loaves and a light café menu of soups and sandwiches.

Don’t miss the rustic sourdoughs, rosemary focaccia, cardamom buns and fruit-filled Danish.

Chicken Ranch

Anthony Zappola closed the Rice Shop last Thanksgiving, but the University Heights space quickly transitioned to Chicken Ranch. Chef Demetrios Atheneos, formerly of Forage Public House, Oak Barrel and Bold, opened this quick-serve fried chicken spot in early December.

It’s home to one of the best chicken sandwiches in town, but also ribs, shrimp, salads and sides. A great assortment of sauces adds to the fun.

Habesha Ethiopian

When it opened in Kamm’s Corners this past December, Habesha Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant increased the number of Ethiopian restaurants in Cleveland to three and is the only such eatery on the West Side. Fans of the cuisine will discover a familiar assortment of platters that combine vegetarian

and/or meat-based items – all served with injera bread for scooping and enjoying. Of course, the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, accompanied by the heavenly aroma of freshly roasted beans, is part of the experience.

The Sleepy Rooster

In February, Craig and Sarah Fitzgerald opened The Sleepy Rooster in Chagrin Falls. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Pittsburgh, Craig worked in fine dining restaurants in Pittsburgh and Florida. At Sleepy Rooster he focuses on top-flight breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes like fresh-baked biscuits and gravy, goetta and eggs, avocado toast and fried bologna sandwiches.

Keep The Change Kitchen Collective

Chef Ben Bebenroth wasted no time closing his farm-to-table bistro Spice Kitchen at the outset of the pandemic. A year later he launched Keep The Change Kitchen Collective, a virtual food hall that operates out of the 10,000-square-foot Spice Catering HQ in Detroit Shoreway.

Pick-up and delivery customers have their pick of multiple concepts like Winner Winner’s roasted chicken dinners, Leif’s “burly” salad and grain bowls and Woo! Noods & Rice.

Chatty’s Pizzeria

In March, longtime Michael Symon Restaurants employee Matthew “Chatty” Harlan opened this popular pizzeria in Bay Village. The oneof-a-kind setting in the Cleveland Metroparks Huntington Reservation is only part of the draw. The familyfriendly restaurant also dishes up great thin-crust New York and thicker Grandma-style pies along with charcuterie boards, burrata salads and meatball sandwiches.

Avo Modern Mexican

Gabriel Zeller and Julie Mesenburg, who also operate Char in Rocky River, grabbed the keys to the slick Bakersfield Tacos space in Ohio City and opened Avo in December.

Avo’s aim is to elevate the “mod Mex” experience with tacos starring house-made tortillas, arepas topped with barbacoa and larger plates like grilled shrimp in spicy cream sauce with corn cakes. An excellent bar program is the cherry on top.

Sauce the City Galley

With the addition of Pearl’s Kitchen in late winter, the Sauce the City Galley became, for the first time since the Ohio City Galley closed, fully occupied with restaurants. In | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

9

10

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

FEATURE addition to original tenant Sauce the City, the food hall now features chef Jose Melendez’ pan-Latin Twisted Taino, serving mofongo bowls, tostones, empanadas and tripletas, chef Tiwanna Scott-Williams’ Pearl’s Kitchen, a comfort-food spot selling Southern-inspired dishes like blackened salmon BLTs, shrimp and grits and bourbon bread pudding, and Good Meal Jane, an enigmatic pizza ghost kitchen. Next on leader Victor Searcy Jr.’s to-do list is getting the bar back in business.

Pizzeria DiLauro

Adam and Tiffany DiLauro parlayed a mobile pizza truck following into a brick-and-mortar success story. Occupying a prime corner spot in Bainbridge, this retro-chic neighborhood slice shop offers up a great experience from beginning to end. The main attractions are the thick-cut Sicilian and thin-crust New York-style pizzas, but diners also load up on salads, wings, charcuterie plates, meatball and Italian sandwiches and house-made cannoli.

City Pop Sushi

This visually appealing eatery downtown is a candy-colored homage to Japanese pop culture. Original artwork is joined by an arcade game, TVs streaming city pop music videos, and short roster of contemporary sushi rolls. Rolls, both grab-andgo and made-to-order, feature fully cooked items like bacon, steak and shrimp. They are served with dipping sauces like wasabi mayo and yum-yum.

The Last Page

Within a tsunami of fast-casual monotony, The Last Page at Pinecrest is a welcome detour. This modern-day supper club offers an immersive, upscale experience, from the luxuriously appointed waiting area to the grand bar in the rear of the drama-filled dining room. A lengthy menu avoids categorization of any kind, presenting instead a blitz of 25 appealing items that lean on various cultures and cuisines.

Kindred Spirit

Cleveland-based Forward Hospitality completely reimagined the former Sawyer’s space at Van Aken District into a more approachable casual restaurant. The space now offers unobstructed sight lines from end to end, inside and out. A chart-style

menu is ideal for grazing, with dips and spreads, composed salads, wood-fired meat, fish and veggie kebabs and a few mains. In addition to the roomy front patio, guests have access to Garden City, a cocktailfocused rooftop bar that also opened in the past year.

Van Aken District Market Hall

The Market Hall also was the site of expansion during the pandemic.

In addition to original tenants like Banter, Brassica, On the Rise and Craft Collective, the bright, buzzy food hall added Domo Yakitori & Sushi, starring sushi, yakitori and okonomiyaki, Lox, Stock and Brisket, with its killer fried chicken and brisket sandwiches, and Old Brooklyn Cheese Co., which stocks a line of award-winning cheeses and mustards.

Acqua di Luca

The transformation from XO Prime Steaks to Acqua di Luca is complete.

The eight-month process has netted a gorgeous new seafood-focused Italian restaurant from the owners of Luca and Luca West. Exposed brick walls, expansive fold-away windows, new blond wood flooring and an open kitchen give this prominent Warehouse District space a whole new lease on life. Chef-owner Luca Sema beams from that shiny open kitchen while preparing dishes like crudo, frutti di mare and roasted whole fish.

Goma

East 4th Street’s third act is well underway after the departures of Lola, Greenhouse Tavern and Chinato in the past two years with Dante Boccuzzi being the next powerhouse Cleveland chef to set up shop on Cleveland’s restaurant row.

Goma, Boccuzzi’s ninth restaurant, is opening around July 1st in the former Chinato space, which will be unrecognizable to anyone who enjoyed a meal there. Gone are the dividing walls and newly installed are two garage doors on the Prospect Ave. side, opening the space and putting it right in the action at the corner of East 4th. Split between sushi much like you’d find at Ginko and the addition of shabu shabu, tempura, salads, seafood and veg-focused apps as well as udon and ramen, the menu draws on Boccuzzi’s experiences in kitchens in Taiwan, Tokyo and the famed Nobu.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

11

12

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

$

0 3 + m r estaur o r f s r e g ants r u b !

6

JULY 12-18TH, 2021 PRESENTED BY

BURGERWEEKCLEVELAND.COM | FOLLOW US | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

13

14

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

15

49TH STREET TAVERN ML 49streettavern.com

4129 East 49th St., Cuyahoga Heights

49th Street Burger

10oz fresh burger patty with lettuce, tomato, onions, and your choice of cheese on a brioche bun. Served with a side of house chips and a pickle spear.

ALL SAINTS PUBLIC HOUSE allsaintscle.com

1261 W 76th St., Cleveland

The Polski Nokaut 1/4 lb steak burger, topped with beer braised sauerkraut, 1/4 lb J & J Czuchraj Meats smoked kielbasa, melted Swiss cheese, and a drizzle of house made paprika bacon aioli.

Add Bacon $2; Fries $5; Tater Tots $5

AMERICAN BURGER BAR AT JACK CLEVELAND CASINO jackentertainment.com/cleveland/ restaurants/ 100 Public Sq., Cleveland

Double Smash Cheeseburger All Beef Patties, American Cheese, Shaved Dill Pickles, Boom Boom Sauce on a Brioche Bun.

Portobello Mushroom Burger

Cleveland Kimchi, Boom Boom Sauce and a Fried Egg on top of a Soy and Ginger Marinated Portobello Mushroom on a Brioche Bun.

FLAT IRON CAFE

BE SURE TO GET

flatironcafe.com

1114 Center St., Cleveland

Bourbon Bacon Burger Our 1/2lb burger cooked to temperature and topped w/ melted cheddar, seasoned bacon and onion frizzles on a toasted brioche bun w/ choice of side. A new house favorite!

Double Smash Burger

GRUMPY’S CAFE

Two 1/4lb burgers “smash” cooked on the flat top w/ yellow onions. Each patty is then covered w/ melted American cheese and served on a toasted brioche bun w/ your choice of side.

FOREST CITY SHUFFLEBOARD

Psychedelic Burger 1/4 lb. burger topped with pulled pork, bacon, pineapple & bbq sauce on a sesame seed bun.

forestcityshuffle.com

GUNSELMAN’S TAVERN

Forest City Burger

gunselmans.com

2 Smashed patties, white american, caramelized onion bacon jam, heirloom tomato, house dill ranch tossed in iceberg lettuce

The Lil G

4506 Lorain Ave., Cleveland

THE FOUNDRY CONCERT CLUB LLC

ML

21490 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park

All beef patty, burger sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, tomato on a brioche bun.

foundryconcertclub.com

HATFIELDS GOODE GRUB ML

The Foundry Burger

16700 Lorain Ave., Cleveland

Your choice of protein: All beef patty, black bean or beyond burger, romaine lettuce, tomato, cheddar, onion, lime creole aioli and pickles.

Just like a chili cheese dog, on a hoagie bug topped with home-made chili and cheese, onion and slaw.

VE

hatfieldsgoodegrub.com

11729 Detroit Ave., Lakewood

Something Shitake About

1/4 Lb Chili Cheese Burger

BURGERSHOP CLEVELAND AT SAUCE THE CITY FOOD HALL

Your choice of protein: All beef patty, black bean or beyond burger, grilled onions and mushrooms, swiss, pepper jack and dill herbed aioli.

MARKET GARDEN BREWERY

saucethecitycleveland.com

GOURMET GUY CAFE

The Classic Premium Steakburger

gourmetguycafe.com

Certified Angus Beef Patty, caramelized onion, American cheese, bread & butter pickles, Bower’s secret sauce, shredded lettuce, Martin’s potato roll.

Substitute for Beyond Burger: $3

1400 West 25th St., Cleveland

Ribeye, Brisket, and Shortrib blend with shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes on a butter brioche bun.

A simple but elegant tasteful experience.

Smokehouse BBQ Premium Steakburger

Ribeye, Brisket, and Shortrib blend with shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, smoked bacon with our honey BBQ sauce topped with a crispy onion ring on a butter brioche bun.

CRAGGY BOGLANDS craggyboglands.com

4857 Robinhood Dr., Willoughby

The Traditional Burger Delicious hand-made patty with lettuce, tomato, red onions, sweet pickles, and roasted garlic mayo, served on a brioche bun.

20253 Lake Rd., Rocky River

Gourmet Guy Burger Burger Patty topped with Balsamic Onions, Truffle Oil, Brie Cheese, Arugula.

MILLER LITE SPECIAL ENJOY A MILLER LITE, RECEIVE AN EXTRA STAMP MUST BE 21+ PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

marketgardenbrewery.com 1947 West 25th St., Cleveland

Smash Burger

NANO BREW CLEVELAND

Black Bean Burger

nanobrewcleveland.com

Burger Patty topped with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and chipotle crema.

Spicy Burger

THE GREATROOM ML marriott.com

1360 West Mall Dr., Cleveland

1859 West 25th St., Cleveland

American cheese, roasted poblano peppers, caramelized onion, spicy mayo, lettuce, buttered bun. Named one of the “33 Best Burgers in America” by Thrillist.

Substitute Beyond Burger Patty: $3

Marriott Burger

Certified Angus Beef, Appplewood Smoked Bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, brioche bun. Don Hermann pickle chips, house kettle bbq chips.

GREENISLAND RESTAURANT

ML

greenisland.pub

16

grumpyscafe.com

2621 West 14th St., Cleveland

25517 Eaton Way, Bay Village

Irish Burger

Housemade corned beef piled high on top of a 1/2 pound seasoned Angus beef patty, topped with locally fermented sauerkraut and melty swiss cheese, served on a toasted brioche bun with your choice of 1,000 island or russian dressing.

BURGER W

= GLUTEN FREE SUBSTITUTE = VEGGIE SUBSTITUTE

VE = VEGAN SUBSTITUTE

SIRNA’S CAFE

YOUR PASSPORT

facebook.com/sirnas.bedford 795 Broadway Ave., Bedford

The Sirna’s Cafe Burger

NINJA CITY KITCHEN AND BAR VE ML ninjacity.com

6706 Detroit Ave., Cleveland

Pho Burger

1/3 Lb. beef patty seasoned with Pho spices on a brioche bun topped w/ provolone cheese, bean sprouts, shaved onion, scallions, Thai basil, cilantro, jalapeño & spicy hoisin aioli.

NORA’S PUBLIC HOUSE

VE ML

noraspublichouse.net 4054 Erie St., Willoughby

The Classic Burger 7 Ounce all beef patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese, house pub sauce.

If choosing a Beyond Burger patty add $3, or with Gluten Free bun add $2.

RUSTIC RESTAURANT rusticrestaurantoh.com

20780 Center Ridge Rd., Rocky River

The Riegelsberger

A double-patty burger on a toasted kaiser bun topped with two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Using with fresh, never frozen, ground beef from Foster’s Meats at the Westside Market.

SAUCED TAPROOM & KITCHEN saucedtaproom.com

14701 Detroit Ave., Lakewood

Jalapeno Popper Burger House beef blend burger patty on a toasted English muffin, topped with jalapeno popper dip, arugula, bacon and T-Rex sauce.

SCALPERS BAR & GRILLE scalpersbar.com

5718 Mayfield Rd., Lyndhurst

The “2-7” Burger

This burger is named after our 27th year anniversary coming up this July! This burger is our take on the famous “in and out burger” Half Pound Patty on a Buttery Brioche Bun w/ homemade thousand island dressing, bacon, grilled onions and American cheese!

WEEK KEY:

E

= TAKE OUT AVAILABLE

ML = MILLER LITE SPECIAL

TEAMZ RESTAURANT & BAR teamzsportsbar.com

6611 Eastland Rd., Middleburg Heights

Teamz West Coast Burger

Half pound angus burger with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles with your choice of cheese.

Participating in Cleveland Burger Week for the fourth straight year!

1/2 Lb. Angus Burger topped with chopped Pickles, Jalapeños, Bacon, Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Provolone Cheese, sliced Avocado, and drizzled with our Honey Sriracha Sauce on a Pretzel Bun.

SOL ML

THIRSTY DOG EAST BANK

solwilloughby.com

thirstydogflats.com

EL JEFE DIABLO

Carnitas Burger

38257 Glenn Ave., Willoughby

8 oz. Blackened patty with roasted poblano and Hungarian peppers, pepper jack cheese, jalapeño relish with spicy aioli.

SOMETHINGOOD TO EAT ON LARCHMERE VE somethingood.co

12210 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland

GOOD Burger

Black bean patty made from scratch out of black beans, brown rice, onions, green pepper, garlic, chia seeds, and GOOD spices on a toasted chia millet bun. Comes with a slew of toppings which are all free to add for Burger Week!

Royal Burger

Lentil patty made from scratch out of lentils, oats, carrots, pepitas, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and GOOD spices on a toasted chia millet bun. Comes with a slew of toppings which are all free to add for Burger Week!

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING CO. - CLEVELAND stbcbeer.com/taprooms/cleveland

1085 Old River Rd., Cleveland

Burger Patty, Pork Carnitas, Pepper Jack Cheese, Fried Jalapenos, Spicy Slaw and Spicy Mayo

WILD EAGLE SALOON wildeagle.com

921 Huron Rd., Cleveland

Asian Cowboy

Fried wonton strips, asian slaw and a soy glaze

Irish Cowboy

With swiss cheese & corned beef

Lil Classic Bacon Cheeseburger Maple glazed bacon, american cheese, lettuce and tomato.

Not as big as our eagle classic but still mighty!

THE WILD GOOSE ML wildgoosewlby.com

4144 Erie St., Willoughby

The Smash Me Burger American cheese, shredded lettuce and special sauce on a sesame seed bun.

811 Prospect Ave. E, Cleveland

THE WINCHESTER MUSIC TAVERN

Pickled onions, lettuce and tomato jam made with Roma tomatoes, lime juice, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and a little jalapeño all on a potato bun.

thewinchestermusictavern.com

STEVENSON’S BAR & GRILL

Italian seasoned beef burger, sausage patty, peppers al pomodoro, mozzarella, parmigiano ailoi, baby arugula, Insalata garlic bread bun.

Tomato Jam Burger

facebook.com/Stevensons-BarGrill-168116543204296/ 800 E. 200th St., Cleveland

Lil Fella

VE ML

12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood

The Donna Maria Constantino Burger

Vegan Version Available

With beyond meat, and house made vegan sausage.

Nationally recognized 1/3 pound beef patty with lettuce, pickle, cheese and our homemade sauce.

TAVERN OF LITTLE ITALY tolicleveland.com

12117 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland

MURRY HILL BURGER 1/3 Pound burger with fresh mozzarella, panko breaded roma tomatoes, grilled hot peppers, basil, and a balsamic drizzle.

#CLEBURGERWEEK

WWW.BURGERWEEKCLEVELAND.COM | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

17

18

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

19

20

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

VISIT US DURING AND TRY THE

SIRNA ANGUS BURGER

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

21

22

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

ARTS

Photo by Bob Christy

CURTAINS RISING

“Quilters” signals the re-start of the local theater scene

By Christine Howey AFTER A 15-MONTH PERIOD when there was no live theater, save for some talking heads on the Internet, what is the best show to restart your theatergoing life? Well, you could do worse than Quilters, opening Porthouse Theater’s season on the Blossom Music Center campus.

This warm and cozy musical will soothe your COVID-ravaged psyche with simple, pleasant songs and stories of women who helped settle the American West through constant work, birthing parades of rugrats, and stitching up quilts at a compulsive pace. Under the direction of Terri J. Kent who, given a chance, could turn your last Zoom call into a diverting entertainment, the all-female cast performs with verve and precision.

The idea behind the musical is that a woman’s life is like a quilt— you get a lot of different pieces and it all depends how you put them together. Well, sure. This is the problem with easy similes, because you could also make the argument that life is like a lot of things. Is

life like jar of mustard? Sure, it’s hard to get it open and when you do it’s either too bland or too spicy.

Is life like a paper clip? Definitely, it’s all about how you connect things, one with another.

Until somebody comes up with Paper Clip! The Musical, we can put our rant about similes aside and just enjoy a nice evening under the roof at Porthouse’s cozy

structure has the benefit of being flexible, as the overall narrative can turn on a dime, but the drawback is that characters don’t have the chance to be fully developed.

The one partial exception is the mother, well played at this performance by director Kent, who makes this frontier Earth mother tough on the outside but soft and loving on the inside. Indeed, love is

QUILTERS THROUGH JULY 3 AT PORTHOUSE THEATRE, BLOSSOM MUSIC CENTER CAMPUS 3143 O’NEIL ROAD, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH 44223 330-672-3884, KENT.EDU/PORTHOUSE

amphitheater. This show is divided into different quilt-like blocks that creators Molly Newman (book) and Barbara Damashek (music and lyrics) piece together to tell the tale of Sarah and her six daughters.

Each block is based on a real quilting design (star, log cabin, windmill, etc.) which then inspires a particular story that is acted out and often sung by the cast. This

the predominant mood throughout the play, even though Newman’s book touches on a number of traumatic events including a child who freezes to death in the winter, a ferocious fire that incinerates their cabin along with all their quilts, many stillbirths, and other miscellaneous tribulations.

Still, aside from a couple mild sibling spats everyone gets along

just jim-dandy with everyone else. All the sisters are eventually married, but there are no drunken or wayward husbands since all those unseen men are evidently too enamored of their wives’ tight thread counts to be distracted by demon rum, harlots or other homewrecking sins. This rose-colored look at women’s lives on the rugged prairie can give you a sugar rush at times. But after the months of hell we’ve just been through, we are well aware there are worse things.

The daughters are played by six young women who are either students at or graduates of the Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance, and they all perform admirably. Since they are neither given specific character names in the program nor are credited as performing particular songs, blanket recognition is shared by all: Danielle Dorfman, Stella Fisher, Hannah Hensler, Israeljah Khi-Reign, Megan Polk and Alexis Wilson with Cameron Olin as swing. They combine their talents to make some of the more promising songs sparkle, such as the up-tempo “Thread the Needle,” the lovely melody of “The Windmill Song,” and the fierce, indomitable strains of “Dandelion” as the show comes to a close.

It must be noted that there are a couple exquisite staging moments—one involving the birth of a child enacted with intense, poetic dignity, and the other an amusing take on a Conestoga wagon with actors holding up hula hoops representing its swaying ribs as it rumbles along the trail. The quilts that are held up by the actors and displayed on the rear wall of the set, which are used to push the play forward, are pleasing to the eye. But most are designs on a flat sheet of fabric and don’t display the comforting, puffy texture of a quilt with batting and backing.

The six-piece orchestra conducted by Jennifer Korecki gets the most out of Damashek’s sometimes pedestrian tunes, and Ben Needham’s scenic design is functional without being fussy.

Even though the material shows some mismatched rows and wavy borders, there’s plenty of comfort to be had in the stories of these hardy women. And huge kudos to KSU for continuing to run Porthouse Theatre, which is celebrating its 20th season of excellent summer theater in Cuyahoga Falls.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

23

24

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

Photo by Doug Trattner

EAT

RISE AND SHINE

The Sleepy Rooster is a great start to the day, whenever that happens to be for you

By Douglas Trattner THE PROSPECT OF WEEKEND breakfast in South Russell seemed as realistic as picking up the piano as an adult. As much as I wanted to check out Sleepy Rooster, which opened this past winter, I am too much of a “sleepy rooster” to manage a Saturday expedition that requires an early start. And given that the night which preceded it was a characteristically late one, the odds grew slimmer by the hour.

True to my nature, all we could muster was a late-morning departure. When we pulled up to the restaurant, it was approaching 11 a.m. and there was a line spilling out the front door. But when we checked in with the host to inquire about the likelihood of success, she put our minds to ease by muttering a late-riser’s three favorite words: breakfast all day. Better still, the wait would be only 20 minutes and there was a farmer’s market taking place directly across the street to pass the time.

I’m not sure what the strip-mall space looked like before Craig and Sarah Fitzgerald grabbed the keys, but I am certain it didn’t look like this. Nine months of work have netted a room that feels perfectly suited to easing people into their days, but also buoying them across the sluggish noontime hours. It’s light and bright without being

glaring. It’s minimal and modern without being cold. And guests aren’t packed in like anchovies as is the case at many diners. A lengthy bar facing the open kitchen gives singles and a doubles a convenient place to land and some live entertainment to boot.

For decades now, we’ve been witness to “upscale” versions of comfort food, of street food, of deli food. The trick is to elevate the genre without surrendering everything we loved about the food in the first

Nothing says rise and shine like fresh-baked biscuits, and at Sleepy Rooster they pop up with welcome frequency. They serve as the chassis to a classic breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese and meat. They provide a sturdy base to the house benedict, twin towers shellacked with housemade hollandaise. But they really shine in the biscuits and gravy ($11) where those fluffy rolls are smothered in peppery sausage gravy, which seeps into the crispy home fries. Those spuds happen to be the

THE SLEEPY ROOSTER 5210 CHILLICOTHE RD., SOUTH RUSSELL 440-557-5212 THESLEEPYROOSTER.COM

place. That tightrope walk feels even more precarious when we’re talking breakfast and brunch. Mess with it too much and you risk alienating the diehards. Craig seems to know when and how hard to push the peddle and when and where to coast. His secret formula isn’t a secret at all: great ingredients, proper technique. Leave the bags and boxes to the Denny’s of the world and make the darn things yourself. Of course, it helps to be a culinary school grad and veteran of fine dining restaurants, which the chef is.

perfect mix of creamy half rounds and crispy-crunchy bits. The kitchen also makes a version of that savory gravy with mushrooms in place of the ground meat.

Fitzgerald kicks up a typical hash and eggs ($13) with a prodigious amount of chorizo, which manages to be aggressively spiced without going overboard. In typical hash fashion, the meat is mixed with potatoes and onions, capped off with eggs your way and a side of toast. Ask for hot sauce here and you’ll receive a ramekin of the house

heater, a Buffalo-style brew that adds a pleasant tang. I’m not sure how the country fried ribeye steak escaped my view, but I’m dealing with a good bit of regret now that I see it on the menu.

In place of wimpy sandwich bread, the avocado toast ($9) is built atop grilled French bread sliced on the bias. The ripe flesh is thinly sliced, not mashed, and lightly seasoned with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Sleepy Rooster is one of the only local restaurants to make and serve goetta, the German breakfast dish made from ground meat, oats and spices. It has a comforting nutty taste and texture that goes great with eggs and toast, but also on its own as a side ($4).

My next visit will be pushed back a little later in the day so I can enjoy Fitzgerald’s soups, salads and sandwiches. Lunch ushers in dishes like French onion soup, mixed green and goat cheese salad, fried chicken on a biscuit, pork belly BLTs, fried bologna and onions, and grilled cheese with bacon, brie and jam.

With an all-star roster like that, it’s tough to decide what to leave on the bench.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

25

26

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

Photo by Vince Grzegorek

EAT BITES

First look: Dante Boccuzzi’s Goma, opening soon on East 4th Street

By Vince Grzegorek FOR YEARS, EAST 4TH WAS both one of Cleveland’s most starstudded culinary streets and one of its most stable.

Cleveland’s version of restaurant row boasted the Greenhouse Tavern, Lola and Chinato, three powerhouse restaurants from three Cleveland powerhouse chefs, in addition to mainstays like Flannery’s, Hilarities, Wonder Bar and Saigon.

Then May 2019 brought the end of Zack Bruell’s Chinato, Jonathon Sawyer’s financial implosion marked the end of Greenhouse in winter 2020, and the pandemic forced Michael Symon to close Lola.

For the first time in ages, there were vacancies and questions, even leaving the pandemic aside.

East 4th’s second act, though, was quickly taking shape.

And it’ll get a big boost in the coming weeks when Chef Dante Boccuzzi opens Goma (hopefully, chef says, sometime around July 1).

“You can feel it already,” Boccuzzi says of the energy around the street, noting not only a downtown that feels more alive since the return of many workers and events but also openings on the street. “You’ve got Citizen’s Pie, you’ve got Indie opening (in the former Greenhouse spot), and from what I understand someone has signed a lease on the Lola spot.»

Originally slated to land not only in downtown Cleveland but also in Pinecrest, Boccuzzi’s new project occupies the former Chinato space, though anyone who enjoyed a meal there in the past will hardly recognize it.

Boccuzzi and his team tore down walls to unify a room that had been divided and installed two garage doors on the Prospect Ave. side, opening up the space, which is now bathed in blues and grays with assorted fish-related artwork on the walls. Centering the room is a large bar that, like the bar at Ginko in Tremont, serves as a focal point for the action. Booths line the back wall, with tabletops both in the middle of the room and on the garage-door side

of the bar. Alongside the East 4th wall are six tables equipped for shabu shabu.

That interactive and communal meal is just part of what Boccuzzi and his team describe as a menu that fills out the other half of what Ginko could do, if it had a full kitchen, while offering much of what Ginko does.

One half of the menu — literally one whole side — features sushi of all kinds, from omakase tasting menus to nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls and pressed oshi style sushi.

The other half features not only the shabu shabu, with angus or wagyu beef, but tempura, tobanyaki, udon and ramen noodles with choice of broths, salads and a small roster of veg and fish-focused appetizers.

“I brought in a lot of my past experience as a chef,” Boccuzzi says, “working for Nobu, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, working in Tokyo and Taiwan. A lot of those ideas come into play here.”

A downstairs room will, in the coming months, open as a speakeasy.

Featuring a copper bar and a DJ booth, the space will be “hard to get into,” says Boccuzzi, who, it shouldn’t surprise anyone, spared no expense on the soundsystem. The space will also be available for private events.

The main room upstairs will get some of that vibe, Boccuzzi says, as plans include transitioning to bottle service late in the evening.

The pandemic scuttled the Pinecrest plan and put more than a few hiccups into the schedule to open Goma, but as the finishing touches get put on, Boccuzzi can see the finish line.

“It’s been very challenging, but definitely exciting,” he says. “This is my ninth restaurant. I’ve worked so long on this project, and it’s been years because of Covid. But it’s going to be pretty powerful. Just what’s happening on the street, baseball back, Rocket Mortgage open — everything’s coming back. These streets are coming alive.”

First Look: North High Brewing, Now Open in Ohio City Columbus-based North High Brewing has joined the craft beer party in Ohio City with its first Northeast Ohio taproom and kitchen (2814 Detroit Ave.), which officially opened last week.

Founded in 2011, the brewery began as a brew-on-premise operation before hiring brewmaster Jason McKibben in 2014. Since then, North High’s expanded beyond its initial flagship in the Short North neighborhood of Columbus to a full production brewery with taprooms in Dublin, Springfield and Cincinnati.

Like Cincinnati, the Cleveland taproom and kitchen is part of a COhatch coworking space, which is also celebrating its grand opening this week near the corner of Detroit and West 25th in the former Bounce Nightclub space.

“There are lots of breweries in Ohio City, but we’re confident we can come into the market and make a splash,” says North High Cleveland GM Mike Harl.

On tap will be five-year round beers and a half-dozen seasonal

options. Almost all the brewing will be done down in Columbus, but the Cleveland location is doing some barrel-aging brews locally. Eight cocktails and a small, focused menu of wines rounds out the beverage program.

On the food side, North High executive chef Ryan Oldham crafted a familiar brewpub-focused menu built around ‘munchies’ (deviled eggs, fried pickle chips, wings, fries), ‘shareables’ (nachos, pretzels), tacos (chicken, bbq jack, nashville hot chicken, tuna), assorted flatbreads, four salads, burgers and chicken sandwiches, and a small handful of entrees (ahi tuna, steak and potatoes, blackened grouper).

COhatch envisions the space working both as a neighborhood destination at lunch, happy hour and dinner for the bustling block newly filled with hundreds of apartments with even more coming online, and as a spot for coworking tenants to enjoy during the day, says Cleveland COhatch operations manager Christian Bryant.

The stylish space features an attractive bar, dining room, and two garage doors that expand the footprint during warm weather, bringing the inside action to the 12-table patio outside.

North High’s kitchen is open daily 11. a.m. to 10 p.m. The bar is open 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Thursday through Saturday.

vgrzegorek@clevescene.com t@vincethepolack

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

27

MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS

BE FREE FROM

• For Medical Marijuana Cards & Treatment Plans • Cards available same day!

COMPASSIONATE BOARD CERTIFIED MD MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS

DRUG ADDICTION Suboxone Clinic

WELLNESS CENTER 440-580-4998

28

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

MUSIC MAJORITY OF CLEVELAND MUSIC VENUES STILL WAITING ON FEDERAL AID FROM SVOG

By Jeff Niesel OF THE NEARLY 14,000 application submitted by independent venue owners and concert promoters from around the country for relief from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, only about 1,400 have been approved as of early last week.

Forty-four of those 1,400 grants have gone out to Ohio-based operators.

Northeast Ohio-based Jilly’s Music Room in Akron, the Berea Oktoberfest and the Auricle in Canton have received approval, but other venues have not. Rush Concerts Limited out of Mechanicsburg, OH, for example, received more than 6 million dollars but most of Cleveland’s music clubs have yet to receive a dime.

An online system crash in early April took down the application portal for weeks and frustrated many applicants, some of whom were in the middle of completely the lengthy application.

This week, a bipartisan group of representatives including Ohio senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown sent a letter to the SBA urging quick action in disbursing funds under SVOG. “With each passing day, more independent businesses are forced to shutter permanently or file for bankruptcy,” the letter reads.

“Landlords and banks are no longer permitting deferrals and are pressing for immediate payment of past due accounts; businesses are receiving eviction notices; mom-and-pop businesses are being forced to sell.

The Administration’s announcement is critical to these businesses as they work to meet existing debt obligations during these unprecedented times.”

Despite a self-imposed June 9 deadline to start rapidly disbursing funds to businesses most grievously impacted by the pandemic and resulting closures, venues and promoters have gotten little in terms of concrete action from SBA. Local promoter Jim Wadsworth

says he’s been approved for funding but hasn’t received any money yet.

Wadsworth, who booked shows at Nighttown, the Cleveland Heights bar and restaurant that’s closed for remodeling, is currently booking concerts independently in various venues.

“I have produced three shows this month at the Cleveland History Center, and there will be three free shows this summer at Lakeview Cemetery,” he says in an email. “I am also programming music at Maiden Lane Live in Akron, which is affiliated with the BluJazz and Musica Clubs. It has been low volume so far, but I always have something on the books, and there is more in the works.”

He says that the pandemic has been “a case of hunkering down and waiting for the conditions to get better.” The SVOG grant money would allow him to put on more concerts.

“I may take on some other projects as well,” he says. “It is too early to say. I do plan on carrying on, and hopefully I will be able to increase my volume as time passes. The grant will open some doors for me, and for the musicians I work with, so I am excited to be back in action. There is a lot to process, so I am taking it one day at a time.”

Mike Miller of the Music Box Supper Club says his club was in “rock solid shape” prior to the pandemic but could still use the federal aid. His application is still pending approval.

“This business is all about cash flow,” he says. “Our cash flow is still very tight but so is staffing. If staffing had rocketed back to full speed, I’d probably be in trouble on cash. SVOG will hopefully dovetail with staffing and help with our weekly costs. Right now, not having staff means we’re not selling tickets to full capacity.

We have sold out every show. That sounds fun but it isn’t. The phones ring continuously with regulars who can’t get tickets. We feel bad. We have open seats, but we wouldn’t want people to

come and have a bad experience, and we don’t want to burn out our staff either.”

Because the Grog Shop has experienced more than 90 percent loss of revenue, it’s in the highest priority of applicants, but the club’s application has been “under review” for two weeks.

“It’s ridiculous,” says owner Kathy Blackman, who also owns B-Side Liquor Lounge, which is located underneath the Grog Shop. “And now they’re saying we won’t see any money until July 4. I opened in May and everything was broken. I had three broken coolers and a broken air conditioner. That’s just upstairs. I also had two broken coolers downstairs [in the B-Side Lounge], and I had to buy furniture because I was trying to pivot to be seated. I basically moved forward as if I was going to get this money.

I didn’t even want to just open my doors. I wanted to be better. Thank god for [special Grog Shop-themed] Vans tennis shoes [the sales of which helped raise funds for the venue]. They kept me afloat for a few months. That was a really good thing that happened and a nice chunk of change.”

As of last week, other local music venues such as the Winchester, Wilbert’s, the Beachland Ballroom and the Happy Dog were still in a holding pattern despite having applied for funding.

“We’re hoping we get funds by the time we open,” says Happy Dog owner Sean Watterson, who says the club has been approved but had not received any money yet. “It’s like running on fumes on the last lap at the Indy 500.”

Cleveland Mourns the Death of Dave Molnar, Friend and Vital Member of the Local Music Scene Months later, Cleveland continues to mourn the sudden death in spring of Dave Molnar, a vital member of the local music scene.

Molnar, who was a musician, teacher, sound engineer, and beloved family member and friend, passed away unexpectedly on April 28th. He was 42 years old.

Known for his sharp intellect and wit, his kind heart, and prolific musical talent, Molnar was a ubiquitous presence on the scene, whether playing in one of many local bands, teaching at the School of Rock, or operating the sound board at Happy Dog. “Dave had an energy that could light up a room. He was big-hearted, opinionated and hilarious. From the moment we met, it was as though we’d been friends for years,” said Mara Robinson, close friend, bandmate and band photographer who has spent the

last few months cataloguing his work and intimate images she’d taken of him performing.

Molnar was a member of or influential in local acts such as The Dreadful Yawns, New Planet Trampoline, Expecting Rain, The Hot Rails, Volcano Fortress and The It*Men. He released a solo project under the moniker The Artificial Sweeteners in 2007.

“It’s terribly sad and awful to lose Dave,” said Tony Cross, GM of the Happy Dog and notable local musician.

“He was a real sweetheart of a person, extremely talented, and an integral part of the Happy Dog family. He was a real musician, and I always loved any project he was in because he brought his intuition and character and it always shined through. He was one of the great ones - he will be missed.”

“Dave could play virtually any style; that was one of his greatest strengths,” said Nick Tolar, former bandmate and member of Herzog. “He had very good taste and had an incredible memory.

Also we shared a musical vocabulary and that really helped get things done.

If I told him to make a part ‘Beatlesy,’ he could do it just like that.”

Out of all of the people who knew and played with Molnar, one man probably played with him more than anyone. This is close high school friend and bandmate Ben Gmetro, who helped found The Dreadful Yawns, The It*Men and New Planet Trampoline among others.

“As a sound guy, he wanted bands to sound their best, sometimes in spite of how they presented themselves.

As a guitar player, he could rip a Hot Rails solo, space out with New Planet Trampoline, or be gentile with Expecting Rain,” said Gmetro. “I had the pleasure of playing with him in a couple different Halloween cover bands and it was awesome. I asked if he wanted to do ZZ Top, and he was all about it. Then I let him know he had to sing lead too and he grudgingly went along. Even did the choreographed struts on stage because he was all in.

Next year we did James Gang and that was a blast too…He had your back and wanted the best for everybody.”

Dave’s family and specifically his twin sister, Kristin Molnar, provided some biographical information for this article and said of their family, “We are still trying to process all of this…

We have a long road ahead of us for dealing with this tragedy as well as sorting out all of that that has been left behind.”

– Shawn Mishak

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

29

SAVAGE LOVE QUEER QUICKIES Hey, Dan: I just attended the nauseating wedding of my 30-yearold niece to her boyfriend of several years. Both of them seem as gay as possible, but they are diehard religious fanatics. I can list 50 signs these two are gay, and once you point it out to someone who isn’t a bible thumper they go, “Yeah, that makes so much sense.”

The bride’s father, who was also the minister, praised them for not moving in together before the wedding — another sign. I personally find hetero abstinence until age 30 to be highly suspicious. In fact, refraining from heterosexual intercourse until that age only seems realistic if someone is gay or asexual. Our extended families are all religious blowhards, and we’re the only queer-friendly outlet in the family.

I want badly to let the newlyweds know it’s OK to question the complexities of sexuality and that we’re here to support them. I fear they’ll live for decades in awkwardness because my niece’s minister father is beyond judgmental and insists that love (and marriage) can only exist between one MAN and one WOMAN. Is there any tactful way to ask someone if they’re gay? Or to at least offer support if they’re closeted? How do we let them know our little corner of the family will love and support them? I wish someone had asked me when I was trying to figure it out.

—Union Not Concealing LGBTQ Energy Why would you go to that wedding when it’s still possible to plead pandemic? And avoid having to sit in a room full of unpleasant people and their equally unpleasant friends?

Both real and imaginary? A group of people who are also highly likely to be unvaccinated?

Anyway, UNCLE, if you’re out to the family about being queer and/ or being queer-friendly (it’s unclear what you ultimately figured out about yourself), your work here is done. Your niece knows queer people exist because you exist; she knows queer people live openly because you live openly. So she knows she has options, and she knows she has at least one family member she can turn to. Now if you were to take the next step — a radical step — and actually call your niece on the phone and ask her if she’s queer … if you

30

were to list all the traits you regard as proof both she and her husband are queer … it’s possible she might suddenly come out — unlikely, UNCLE, but possible. But it’s almost certain you would be scratched from the guest list for all future family events — whether or not your niece comes out — which seriously tips the scales in favor of making that call.

Hey, Dan: Recently, my nephew informed the whole family that he’s gay. We all said supportive things, and I told him about a “coming out” series of movies (Boys Life) and he appreciated the gesture. Now I come to the REAL reason for my writing to you. Though I enjoy the company of women — I am a man — my secret is that I find pleasure in sucking the pecs of muscular males. In my college days I made several male students and professors QUITE happy, and I got pleasure from these encounters, as well. Occasionally, when the opportunity presented itself, I came while being dominated by a muscular man with big nips, and it was heaven. My family knows nothing about this “other side” of me.

I find myself envying my nephew’s openness. Perhaps a naive question, Mr. Savage, but are there others out there like me?

—Pensively Examining Complex Sexuality P.S. Maybe one day I can take the same brave step my nephew has.

Yes, PECS, there are other bi guys out there. Some are into muscular pecs (although we just call them “tits” now), some keep this side of themselves from their spouses and families (which exacerbates bisexual invisibility and poor mentalhealth outcomes among bisexuals), and some really get off on being dominated (because, like, that shit is hot). So you are definitely not alone.

P.S. Today could be the day.

Hey, Dan: Just wanted to say thanks for the push I needed to come out as bisexual to my family. I told my parents a couple weeks ago and just told my sisters. Surprise response?

My oldest sister is also bisexual. Not the response I was expecting, but it was a moment of recognition for both of us. I’m 31 years old, and for

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

Joe Newton

By Dan Savage years I convinced myself that labels weren’t important, but I feel like a huge weight was lifted off me. THIS is who I am, and it IS important. Thanks for talking about bisexual visibility for a long time. For some reason, it took that repetition for me to feel like my bisexuality mattered and that coming out is important for me and the whole LGBTQ+ community.

—Proudly Unmasking Silenced Heart Welcome out, PUSH, and how cool to learn you have — that you’ve always had — a queer sister!

Hey, Dan: I’m a man. As a teenager I had crushes on women, but I was usually too shy to do anything about it. I had a girlfriend for two years, and I enjoyed her romantically and sexually. After the relationship ended — and after struggling to find women that were attracted to me — I decided to explore my sexuality. This is when I discovered trans women and became very confused. I am very aroused by them, even more than [by] cis women, and this is very confusing to me because they were women with very feminine appearances but their genitals were still masculine. At first I thought this was just some passing kink, but then I decided to experiment with trans sex workers. I got very aroused and enjoyed these encounters.

Does this make me gay? I have never felt anything towards a cis or trans man and can’t picture myself doing anything with one. I have always identified as straight, but this makes me think the label doesn’t fit. Also I haven’t told anyone else, but my friends think trans women are men and doing anything with them sexually is gay.

Are they right?

—Complications Implicating Straightness Your friends are wrong. You’re a straight guy who likes dick — dick, not dudes. And luckily for you, CIS, there are plenty of dicks out there that aren’t attached to dudes. While it might feel like a complicated and complicating way to be a straight guy, CIS, the straight label still applies.

Hey, Dan: “LGBT” patterns

are neurotic, preventable, and treatable. The Left has been lying about this for decades. Friskiness is one thing; perversion is another. Earlylife problems in parental bonding are the root of most conditions of sexual irregularity.

—Sharon Offers An Opposing View Lemme guess, Sharon-RhymesWith-Karen: Many, many years ago you caught your husband with a cock in his mouth — the same husband who was never big on initiating sex (at least with you) — and somehow your husband managed to convince you it was just one of those things, just one of those frisky things, a trip to the moon on cocksucker wings, just one of those things. I’m here to tell you there wasn’t just one. Your husband has sucked more cock than you know, SOAOV, and less cock than he’d like.

And for the record: LGBT describes people, not patterns, and everything you claim — that we’re neurotic, that we can be cured, that we failed to bond with one parent or bonded too much with another — was debunked decades ago. I would urge you to do a little reading, but your time might be better spent checking in on your husband. Where is he right now?

Questions? mail@savagelove. net. Follow Dan Savage on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage or savagelovecast.com.

mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage www.savagelovecast.com

HOME BUYERS!!!

FREE MONEY!!!

DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAM*

BUY YOUR DREAM HOME!!! Plus Get Up To $100k + More* (for new kitchen, new roof, new carpet, appliances, paint, basement waterproofing, windows, heating & cooling)*

NEVER EVER EVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BUY A HOME!!!

Great Low Fixed Interest Rates* When YOUR dreams come true... OUR dreams come true!!!

440.342.7355 (SELL) To Buy...or Sell

Call Grizzell *Some restrictions will apply *for those who qualify... we consider...

Se Habla Espanol

clevescene.com

GOOD CREDIT • BAD CREDIT • BANKRUPTCY

Phone Lines

EXPLICIT CHAT WITH SEXY LOCALS Get your FREE TRIAL! 18+ CALL The Night Exchange NOW! 216.502.4388 440.499.6400 www.nightexchange.com

HOT LOCAL URBAN SINGLES!

Are looking to hook up now!

Try it FREE! 18+ 216.367.1010 / 440.424.0303 www.metrovibechatline.com

CALL * CLICK * CONNECT

FREE to try! 18+ 216-626-7777/440-325-7777 Other Cities: 1-888-257-5757 www.questpersonals.com

CALL * CLICK * CONNECT

FREE to try! 18+ 216-626-7777/440-325-7777 Other Cities: 1-888-257-5757 www.questchat.com

Massage - Certified

CARING MASSAGE

Days & Evenings, weekends.

Warm candlelight atmosphere.

Lakewood/West Suburbs Linda 216-221-5935 | clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021

31

32

| clevescene.com | June 30-July 13, 2021