Scene November 3, 2021

November 3-16, 2021 | clevescene.com |

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER 3-16, 2021 • VOL. 52 NO 09

News: Elections...........................6 Upfront .......................................7 Get Out .....................................28 Art ............................................30 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

Eat ............................................ 33 Music ........................................ 37 Savage Love ..............................38

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NEWS

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

CLEVELAND INDEED COULDN’T WAIT Bibb kicks the shit out of Kelley, will become Cleveland’s next mayor

By Sam Allard JUSTIN BIBB HAS DEFEATED City Council President Kevin Kelley in the 2021 Cleveland mayoral election and will succeed four-term incumbent Frank G. Jackson. Bibb, a 34-year-old nonprofit executive and first-time candidate, will become the city’s 57th mayor and the second youngest to ever hold the office.

Political inexperience did not prevent Bibb from running a vigorous campaign, fueled by a loyal and energetic supporter base and legitimized by high-profile endorsements. Tuesday, he led Kelley from wire to wire, establishing an early lead through absentee ballots and never wavering. With nearly 100 percent of precincts reporting, Bibb’s lead was 63-37. Kevin Kelley’s presumed strongholds in Old Brooklyn, where he serves as councilman, and in precincts on the far west side were not enough to overcome Bibb’s success elsewhere.

Bibb dominated in the September primary. And in the weeks that followed, he gained the support of challengers Zack Reed and Sandra Williams, which helped him fortify his position in Black east side neighborhoods where the most votes were up for grabs.

Since he announced his candidacy in January of this year, Bibb has advanced a strategy of hyperactive voter engagement. He appeared through the spring, summer and fall at neighborhood events and backyard meet-and-greets to introduce himself to voters and spread his message of the urgent need for change at City

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Hall. His tireless campaign staff were door-knocking, phone-banking machines.

In substance and style, Bibb billed himself as the antidote to the stagnancy of the Jackson years, an ambitious young executive from Mt. Pleasant who had both the professional and lived experience to modernize city government. He has said he will prioritize efficient city services while injecting “bold, new, dynamic, visionary” ideas across all city departments. Bibb has also been a vocal supporter of Issue 24, the Citizens for a Safer Cleveland Ballot Initiative that calls for increased civilian oversight of the Division of Police. That measure passed overwhelmingly Tuesday as well, despite a full-court-press against it from the Kelley camp in recent weeks.

Polls closed Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., and vote totals from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections began trickling in shortly after 8. By 10, it was clear that Bibb’s lead was likely insurmountable, but he didn’t deliver his victory speech until Kelley had conceded closer to 11.

To a gathered crowd of supporters at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, Bibb walked on stage with his campaign staff to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” He thanked his family, his staff and his hundreds of volunteers before reiterating his campaign’s central themes.

“I won’t be a perfect mayor,” he said. “I’ll make mistakes. But I’ll

| clevescene.com | November 3-16, 2021

serve you well, and I’ll lead with honesty, integrity and transparency.

Because those aren’t buzzwords.

Those are values.”

For Kelley, Tuesday’s result ends his tenure in elected office, at least for now. He was first appointed to Cleveland City Council in 2005 (by current County Prosecutor Mike O’Malley), and has served as the body’s president since 2014.

His 2021 candidacy was a sustained public relations campaign designed to rehabilitate his image.

Voters know Kelley chiefly for his anti-democratic actions at City Hall. It was Kelley who enlisted the Republican Batchelder Group to lobby for preemptive legislation that effectively killed the local Fight for $15. It was Kelley who devised the legal strategy by which more than 20,000 resident signatures were denied on the Q Deal referendum.

And it was Kelley who delighted in hunting for technicalities on which to invalidate the petitions of both the CLASH coalition and the group seeking to reduce the size and pay of city council.

Those actions constitute Kelley’s record and legacy. And yet his campaign, which began with a war chest far in excess of all other challengers, highlighted legislation at City Hall that recalled his social justice roots: the creation of an infant mortality task force, for example, and a partnership to provide legal representation for evicted tenants.

Kelley managed to place second in the September primary, backed by downtown business interests and the construction industry. Since then, he has collected as many Black endorsements as he could pay for in an effort to pick up votes on the east side, where he is still generally reviled.

In recent public appearances, his strategy against Bibb was to mock and belittle him for political inexperience and to dramatically mischaracterize Issue 24. Kelley accused Bibb of wanting to “defund the police” — reminiscent of Republican attacks on Democrats — while also saying that Bibb represented “platitudes, not progress.”

In the final days before Tuesday’s election, Kelley’s campaign adopted an even more vindictive tone. Dave Wondolowski, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council and sitting member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, spoke at a Kelley Get Out the Vote event on Cleveland’s West Side. He said he had never seen a mayoral candidate in Cleveland have to battle

not only his opponent, but the media as well.

“I’ve never seen the Plain Dealer and other media outlets favor a candidate like I’ve seen here,” Wondolowski said, as recorded by Ideastream’s Nick Castele. “So when we win this election on Tuesday, we’re going to kick the shit out of the media. We’re going to kick the shit out of Justin Bibb, right? We’re going to win.”

The crowd applauded uproariously.

Kelley’s concession speech was more measured Tuesday night, consisting largely of thank yous to family and supporters in police, fire and labor. (Dave Wondolowski even approached the mic to make amends: “I want to wish our new mayor the best, and I love you media people, at least today I do.”)

Kelley called to congratulate Bibb and then delivered his final remarks flanked by colleagues Kevin Conwell and Basheer Jones. “When you have elections, you can do one of two things,” he said. “You can fight about it, cry about it, complain about it, the coulda woulda shoulda, or we can come together. We can look at the Cleveland we can build together.”

Both Bibb’s victory and the passage of Issue 24 will be seen as triumphs for progressive organizations in Cleveland and for those who believed that the racial justice demonstrations of 2020 merited more than a symbolic response. Despite the manic attempts

by Kelley to frame Issue 24 as a dangerous measure that would defund the police and result in hundreds of officers leaving the force, Clevelanders voted to approve it 59-41.

Bibb referenced the success of the measure in his remarks.

“After we lost Tamir, after we lost George Floyd, we knew that we could not have more of the same,” he said.

“We’re gonna show the nation that in Cleveland, we can have good, smart law enforcement that also respects the rights of our residents.”

Bibb closed with a pro-democracy message, cautioning that there was much work to be done in Cleveland, but that with cooperation, the future was bright.

“No one mayor can solve these problems in isolation” he said.

“It’s gonna take a people-powered movement to move this city forward.

When I take that oath in January, I’m not taking the oath by myself.

We the people are taking that oath together.”

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

Photo Courtesy ‘Protect Ohio’s Future’

UPFRONT

Photo by Sam Allard

LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD RACES ARE OHIO’S MOST VIOLENT CULTURAL BATTLEGROUNDS THE CEO OF THE OHIO SCHOOL Board Association (OSBA), Richard Lewis, said last Wednesday evening that there were 2,678 candidates for school boards across the state.

Among them are 1,351 challengers, a dramatic 30% increase in the number of challengers from 2019 and a 50% increase from 2017.

School board elections, held in odd-numbered years, have this year become culture war battlegrounds. In Ohio, far-right organizations like Ohio Value Voters and Protect Ohio Children have put forth slates of candidates in suburban districts who are opposed to what they call Critical Race Theory, comprehensive sexual education and social and emotional learning. (Locally, a majority of these candidates have also been endorsed by the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County.)

Opposition to these issues has gained traction on social media and in suburban GOP clubs, and has crescendoed to what would typically be comedic proportions

at school board meetings in Cleveland’s suburbs.

But the meetings have become tense. Armed police officers are now commonplace. The fear and anxiety borne of both the pandemic and the nation’s reckoning with racial justice now manifests in granular concerns about curricula and school operations. Parents and other community members now regularly excoriate boards on issues ranging from student mask mandates and other Covid precautions to diversity, equity and inclusion courses.

Controversies of a puritanical bent abound. In Hudson, Mayor Craig Shubert called on the entire school board to resign last month over prompts in a creative writing course book that had been used for years in a college-level elective.

Shubert referred to the prompts, which were never used in the class, as “essentially child pornography.”

Richard Lewis spoke Wednesday as part of the Real Talk series hosted by a number of Northeast

Ohio Leagues of Women Voters.

While he did not speculate on the reasons for the surge in candidates, he said the uptick was an anomaly, but was not worried about forthcoming turnover. There tends to be quite a bit of churn on school boards anyway, he said, with the average tenure lasting roughly four years. When asked directly by moderator Jenny Hamel of Ideastream Public Media, he said he was not concerned about the potential influx of new members.

“It’s nothing to be frightened of,” he said. “New school board members will bring new and fresh ideas and ask questions that haven’t been asked before. Every board member started new at some time.”

He said he hoped, however, that new candidates wouldn’t be “singleissue” board members.

“It’s an enormous task,” he said. “The job is to raise the bar on student achievement, provide a world-class education, and help the students succeed and have

better lives. If an individual comes in with just a single issue, they’re still there for four years, and they need to be prepared to take on the mantle of all these other difficult decisions and different agendas.”

Members of local school boards who appeared in the panel discussion commented that many of the hot-button issues of the past year were far removed from boards’ responsibilities. Opposition to Critical Race Theory, for example, which is now standard among delusional white communities that perceive themselves to be subjugated, rarely intersects with a board’s decision-making around budgets and governance.

“The concerns people have around Critical Race Theory are not what we’re doing,” said James Field, a school board member in Hudson. He and others said that they now spend time explaining to agitated community members what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion means in the first place.

“The whole point of DEI is

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UPFRONT not to make white students feel bad,” said Lisa Priemer, president of the Bay Village School Board, elaborating on conversations she’d had with concerned parents and grandparents. In largely white suburban communities, where the teachers are also largely white, DEI is often merely to expose students to different races and cultures. A Stow-Munroe Falls board member, Nancy Brown, referenced the radical act of acquiring books by more racially diverse authors for the school library.

The unhinged rhetoric of opponents, however, holds that Critical Race Theory is not only being taught in local high schools, but is indoctrinating children “with race-based hatred of white people, of American history, and of capitalism, with the goal of the communist takeover of our nation.” (This was from a robocall in Rocky River, urging voters to vote against a school levy due to a small contract with the Diversity Center of Greater Cleveland, which conducted a four-hour DEI course that encouraged Freshmen to respect other cultures.)

Experts say that stoking the fear and anger of the electorate on these divisive issues and directing them to school board races has been a tactic emanating from right wing think tanks.

Speaking to Scene Wednesday, Piet van Lier, Senior Researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, mentioned places like the Manhattan Institute and the Heritage Foundation.

“It’s well-funded people and organizations from outside Ohio, and these issues really weren’t issues until they started bringing them in and spreading their money and talking points around,” he said. “It’s now one of those ‘anti’ issues. Anti-CRT, anti-mask, antivax. It’s all part of the same push to disrupt our democracy.”

Van Lier said he believed that most of the public schools in the state, which 90% of Ohio’s children attend, were taking solid approaches to teaching history, one of the more enflamed areas of parent opposition.

“Teachers are confronting our country’s racial history, looking at where we are now, and looking at how we can move forward together,” he said. “That’s not a divisive message. It’s a positive message. But the manufactured

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controversy is all about stoking fear.”

Van Lier said that that’s on purpose. An angry, fearful electorate is much more likely to vote on election day, presumably for Republican candidates.

“That’s become part of the playbook,” van Lier said. “It’s not just about about who’s going to teach our kids and what they’re going to be taught. It’s about finding issues that will get people focused for this election and in 2022 and 2024. It’s a longer-term strategy: Build up these issues, get people riled up and motivate them to go to the polls.”

-Sam Allard

Two Ohio State Board of Education Members Forced to Resign Because They Weren’t Racist Enough Two members of the Ohio State Board of Education have resigned after they voted not to rescind a symbolic anti-racist resolution passed after the murder of George Floyd last year.

The members, Board President Laura Kohler and Eric Poklar, resigned last Friday morning. It was clear that the Ohio Senate would not re-appoint them due to their votes earlier this month.

In Kohler’s case, Gov. Mike DeWine requested the resignation personally.

There are 19 members of the state Board of Education. Eleven are elected and eight are appointed by the Governor. Last month, state lawmakers introduced a bill to eliminate the appointed members so as to improve accountability, they argued.

This was understood to be in response to the votes on rescinding Resolution 20, the anti-racist resolution passed in the weeks following George Floyd’s murder.

The message contained in that resolution was hardly controversial. “As our nation grapples with the hard truths of racism and inequality, we are listening with broken hearts and engaging with determined spirits,” the resolution read. (Kohler was one of its authors.) It acknowledged that racism exists—a tough pill to swallow for many Ohio Republicans—that racial disparities in student achievement persist to this day and that progress to mitigate those disparities has been uneven. Hatred and bigotry don’t belong in Ohio schools, it said.

This wouldn’t do for the current

Board of Education. They voted 10-7 earlier this month to rescind it and replace it with a more neutral, colorblind resolution championing excellence for all. Kohler and Poklar voted no.

Cleveland.com reported on Poklar’s resignation letter, which made no mention of the Resolution 20 controversy, but followed closely on the heels of Kohler’s announced resignation.

“I salute those I have worked with and wish only the best to those who will serve in the future,” he wrote. “Quite simply, my time on the board has ended and I am ready to hand off my responsibilities to whomever comes next.”

NBC News interviewed Kohler, who is a Republican. She said she was heartbroken that the state Board of Education, and local school boards, had become so mired in politics.

“It’s not political in the sense of Democrat vs. Republican,” she said. “It’s more a sense I think of conservative Republicans not being happy with me as a moderate.”

The resignations arrived less than a week before the Nov. 2 election, in which school boards will elect new members statewide.

Far-right groups have endorsed slates of candidates who have made opposition to Critical Race Theory— which includes, by their definition, the acknowledgement of racism as a feature of U.S. history—central components of their campaigns.

-Sam Allard

Batty Email from Mike Polensek Illustrates Toxicity of Entrenched Power Mike Polensek, the Paleozoic Cleveland city councilman from Collinwood, sent an absolutely batty email to a Ward 12 (Slavic Village) resident last month, warning against what he described as a sinister faction of leftwing women running for council. These women, led by the evil tyrant queen Rebecca Maurer, are hellbent on turning Cleveland into Portland, Oregon, he said.

In the deranged worldview thus enunciated, these candidates— Maurer in Ward 12, Polensek’s challenger Aisia Jones in Ward 8, and Kate Warren in Ward 13 (Old Brooklyn)—are out to overthrow the current council with the ultimate agenda of defunding the police and controlling the new administration.

“What should be clear to all [is] that Ms. Maurer, who I don’t even

know, is running a slate of extreme left wing candidates citywide in an attempt to turn Cleveland City Council and Cleveland into Portland Oregon. God help us! She is not about good governance, it’s about control. And she is supporting candidates that she believes she can direct for her own personal agenda! The question is? What’s the real objective, most believe it’s to defund the police and turn City council into a leftwing adversarial group in an attempt to control the new Mayor and administration. All Clevelanders better take notice, for this is a dangerous group who does not have Cleveland’s best interest at heart. Time is now to expose this bunch of characters! The Media better start to deep dive on her candidates so as to expose there sinister game plan! [sic]” The hysterical rhetoric leaves one speechless. Polensek has become unmoored, so addled by power that he doesn’t recognize the irony of a 40-year incumbent describing the ambitions of a firsttime challenger as being, “about control.” (An additional irony is that Polensek, for years, has spoken on background to reporters about how spineless the current council has become, unable to exert control or even minor checks on Frank Jackson and his bulldozer agenda.)

Polensek is, for the record, a double-dipping councilman who has held his seat for more than four decades and remains a beloved political figure in Ward 8. He has always had a populist brand— he is opposed to stadium deals, for one—but is ardently pro-cop and a proponent of individual responsibility. The day the letter was publicized, he voiced his fear, as he has in the past, that many of the thousands of Clevelanders behind on their water bills were unlikely to begin paying again, and that they were exploiting the city’s generosity in the context of the pandemic, trying to “beat the system” by not paying what they owe.

Polensek and most of the incumbents on council—certainly guys like Kevin Kelley in Ward 13 and Anthony Brancatelli in Ward 12—haven’t had to sweat their elections for decades. They operate from a position of authority that they hold to be inviolable. They view council seats as theirs, private property to hold as long as they choose and to bequeath to an heir without constituent involvement.

In council members’ authoritarian conception of political power, challengers by

definition cannot be public-spirited citizens who have specific aims for improving the city. They must be devious outsiders with unknown agendas. They must be thieves.

It’s natural that Polensek, then, calls on the media to dive deep on the slate of alleged leftist ne’er-dowells. It’s unclear what he suspects will be exposed. Scene has written about all three of these candidates and detected no sinister motives.

In Ward 8, Aisia Jones launched her campaign because she felt citizen voices weren’t being heard at City Hall. “[City Council has] to work with residents, not just for them,” she told Scene in February.

In Ward 12, Rebecca Maurer— the attorney who wrote the CLASH legislation—explicitly centered her campaign on resident engagement, launching a “transparency pledge” that she invited incumbents and challengers to sign onto. She said voter disengagement was a City Hall problem. “And City Hall has to fix it,” she told Scene. “We cannot tackle the large issues facing our city until we get this right.”

In Ward 13, Kate Warren said she believed she was uniquely qualified to serve on City Council because of both her direct service and policy experience. She told Scene she was running so that she could tackle urgent social issues like poverty. “I think I’ll be able to provide quality city services—residents expect their councilperson to address the basic things they need from city government,” she told Scene, “while also thinking about policy work to improve living conditions.”

This is a dangerous group of women? Women who don’t have Cleveland’s best interests at heart?

Get a grip, Mike.

Polensek’s language illustrates well the dangers of entrenched power. If you hold onto it as long as Polensek has, you start to regard citizens participating in democracy as your enemies. (Kevin Kelley has made clear over the past eight years that this is now council’s default position.)

Aisia Jones held a press conference at City Hall shortly after the letter was circulated to demand an apology from Polensek and to decry the councilman’s “dangerous and unprofessional behavior.” This includes not only sending the above email, but also distributing a mailer in Ward 8 that includes Jones’ home address. (Jones lives in Ward 10, across the border from Ward 8, and Polensek has made her residency a key component of his campaign against her.)

In a press release, Jones said that Polensek’s language and tactics descend from a history of intimidation used by white leaders to threaten and punish Black challengers.

“It doesn’t matter if Polensek intended this impact or not,” Jones wrote. “The reality is that publishing my home address and whipping up conspiracy theories about women in this council race are all part of a long and troubled history in which those in power oppress and intimidate those who dare run against them. This is a democracy, and I have the right to run my race without fearing for my safety.”

-Sam Allard

DIGIT WIDGET 99.94% MetroHealth employees in compliance with the hospital’s vaccine mandate, including 94.4% who are fully vaccinated and 436 employees who have submitted religious and/or medical exemptions.

150 Estimated number of unwanted New Year’s Eve parties hosted at Cleveland AirBNBs last year. This year, AirBNB is blocking certain one-night reservations in whole homes to curtail them.

$441,000 Value of counterfeit sports championship rings seized last week in Cincinnati by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The 94 total rings were shipped from Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

$2 million Largest philanthropic gift in the history of Magnificat High School, courtesy of alum Brittan DiSanto and her husband Fred DiSanto, which will be used to transform the Rocky River high school’s visual arts wing.

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UPFRONT Cuyahoga County HR Director Abruptly Quits Jesse Drucker, who had been Cuyahoga County’s director of HR since the spring of 2020, abruptly resigned last week.

He did so in a late morning email to Armond Budish and chief of staff Bill Mason.

“I am resigning effective immediately,” it read in full, according to a copy provided to Scene by the administration.

A spokesperson had no immediate statement on the cabinetlevel director quitting with no notice.

Drucker, who had no comment when reached by Scene on Wednesday, is just the latest toplevel manager or director to depart Budish’s administration, which has seen just as much turnover in its second term as it did its first.

Drucker had replaced Douglas Dykes, who resigned amid the county corruption probe and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors. Last year he took a job at Cleveland State University.

-Vince Grzegorek

Alaska Airlines to Launch Daily Nonstop Service from Cleveland to Seattle in June Alaska Airlines has announced a significant expansion of its Ohio service beginning in June, 2022, which will include daily nonstop flights between Cleveland Hopkins and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports.

“Ohio is an economic powerhouse with a vibrant cultural and corporate scene that’s underserved and primed for growth as we emerge from the pandemic,” said Brett Catlin, vice president of network and alliances at Alaska Airlines, in a company press release. “Adding Cleveland to our network furthers our investment

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in the Buckeye State while adding an important nonstop link between Northeast Ohio and the Puget Sound.”

Daily flights will depart Cleveland at 6:25 p.m. and arrive in Seattle at 8:30 p.m. From Seattle, daily flights will depart at 9:50 a.m. and arrive in Cleveland at 5:15 p.m.

In addition Alaska Airlines will expand to twice-daily flights from both Columbus and Cincinnati.

Future expansion is also possible in Cleveland.

The PD / cleveland.com’s Susan Glaser reported that the service in Cleveland was made possible, in part, by an incentive from JobsOhio and Cleveland’s business community. The subsidy, which was estimated to be worth between $600,000 and $1.5 million, acts as an “insurance payment” and would provide Alaska funding if the route fails to meet its financial projections in year one.

JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef defended the subsidy on the basis of statewide economic development.

“One reason JobsOhio’s Air Service Restoration program was established was to connect Ohio’s diverse industries to rapidly growing markets,” he said, in the Alaska Airlines press release.

“Alaska Airlines’ new service from Cleveland to Seattle not only provides nonstop flights to and from the West Coast but also a quicker connection to growing markets in Asia, both of which support Ohio as America’s leader for re-shoring open and secure supply chains.”

Cleveland has not had daily flight service to Seattle since the days of the United Hub, which shut down in 2014. And Hopkins officials have evidently been courting Alaska Airlines for years, as the largest airline in the United States not currently flying out of -Sam Allard Cleveland.

scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene

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2621 W 14th St, Cleveland SUNNY SIDE UP FLATBREAD Sautéed spinach & mushrooms, tomatoes & red onion topped with sunny side up eggs, feta & herb vinaigrette.

GRUMPY’S FLATBREAD Chorizo, pepperoni & scrambled eggs over mozzarella and tomato sauce.

HAIL MARY’S FOOD AND DRINK hailmaryswestlake.com 27828 Center Ridge Rd, Westlake THE GONG SHOW House-made sausage, pepperoni, banana peppers, with aged provolone and whole milk mozzarella cheese blend.

INFERNO FLATS infernoflats.com

1059 Old River Rd, Cleveland CHICKEN PARM PIZZA Fried chicken cutlet, marinara, italian herbs, provolone, fresh parmesan.

MARKET GARDEN BREWERY marketgardenbrewery.com

1947 West 25th St, Cleveland GET STUFT Confit turkey, potatoes, cranberries, gravy sauce, stuffing breadcrumb, aged cheese blend, herbs

6643 Mayfield Rd, Mayfield Hts 14701 Detroit Ave, Lakewood 620 Ridgewood Crossing Dr, Copley/Fairlawn 26429 Center Ridge Rd, Westlake 34263 Center Ridge Rd, North Ridgeville 6847 Ridge Rd, Parma 5909 Andrews Rd, Mentor-on-the-Lake 35400 Vine St, Eastlake 13311 Pearl Rd, Strongsville 35954 Detroit Rd, Avon 9735 Ravenna Rd, Twinsburg 2736 Medina Rd, Medina 152 Bell St, Chagrin Falls PEPPERONI PASSION Award Winner! Pepperoni, Cup’N Char pepperoni, mozzarella and provolone cheese blend with our famous, homemade original pizza sauce & finished with parmesan

MULBERRY’S mulberryscleveland.com 2316 Mulberry Ave, Cleveland CHICKEN PARMESAN PIZZA Grilled marinated chicken, signature sauce, fresh mozzarella, grated parmesan, roma tomatoes, and asiago cheese topped with balsamic glaze. +$4.00 Gluten Free

MY PIZZETTA - DRIVE-THRU ONLY mypizzetta.com 14290 State Road North Royalton PORK LOVERS Brick oven pizza with our in-house red sauce, blend of mozzarella/ provolone cheese, and topped with pepperoni, sausage, ham, and bacon.

BROCCOLI ALFREDO PIZZA Starts with our in-house alfredo sauce, a layer of mozzarella/ provolone cheese blend, then we add broccoli, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers. +$2.00 Gluten Free

OHIO CITY PIZZERIA ohiocitypizzeria.org

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3223 Lorain Ave, Cleveland CHEESE PIZZA Our classic 12” cheese pizza (6 cut).

PEPPERONI PIZZA Our classic 12” pepperoni pizza (6 cut).

Upcharge for Gluten Free and Vegan Options.

VE OLD SCHOOL PIZZA & WINGS oldschoolavonlake.com 445 Avon Beldon Rd, Avon Lake DELUXE PIZZA Red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, black olives.

PEPPERONI PIZZA Classic red sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni. +$2.00 Gluten Free

PIZZA WHIRL pizzawhirltogo.com 1822 West 25th St, Cleveland THE PROFESSIONAL Ranch based pizza with mozzarella cheese, chicken, tomatoes, and roasted peppers, and buffalo sauce on top.

MUSHROOM MADNESS Mushroom cream sauce base with mozzarella cheese, seasoned mushrooms, and shaved parmesan on top.

Order online at BoomsPizza.com or Call (216) 465-1130 Curbside Pickup Only

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K L O C AT I O N S • $ 8 P I Z Z A S P PIZZA 216 KITCHEN + TAPHOUSE pizza216.com

SAUCY BREW WORKS saucybrewworks.com

401 Euclid Ave Suite 163, Cleveland MARGHERITA Mozzarella, garlic, olive oil, basil, maldon sea salt. +$3.00 Gluten Free

2885 Detroit Ave, Cleveland 400 Park Ave Suite 170, Orange Village BEES KNEES Bees Knees Apizza | Topped with Saucy Red Sauce, Mozzarella, Spicy Capicola, Honey, and Red Pepper Flakes. (Substitute breaded cauliflower for protein.)

RIDGEWOOD KITCHEN & SPIRITS ridgewood84.com

SIRNA’S sirnaspizza.com

9853 Johnnycake Ridge Rd. Suite 8, Concord 2-TOPPING LARGE PIZZA House-made dough with your choice of sauce with 2 toppings of your choice! GF available in 10” crust.

MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA Garlic white sauce, provolone, spinach, crumbled feta, onions, tomato, kalamata olives, fresh basil and balsamic drizzle. GF available in 10” crust.

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SAINATO’S ITALIAN FAMILY EATERY sainatosatrivergate.com

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1852 Columbus Road, Cleveland BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA House-Made Buffalo Sauce, Chicken, Red Onions, topped with Mozzarella Cheese.

C-TOWN PIZZA Roasted Red Peppers, Green Peppers, Artichoke, Garlic Oil Sauce, topped with Provolone Cheese.

SALTED DOUGH salteddough.com

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9174 Broadview Rd, Broadview Heights ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE AND PORK BELLY Roasted fall vegetable ricotta pizza with roasted carrots, hubard squash, butternut squash, roasted red onions, rosemary, with pork belly, mozzarella and balsamic drizzle.

THE GRAYSON Red sauce, roasted tomatoes, spinach, caramelized onions, mushrooms.

SAUCED WOOD FIRED PIZZA saucedwoodfiredpizza.com 21984 Lorain Rd, Fairview Park HOT ITALIAN Red Sauce, Soppressata, Fresh Mozzarella, Red Pepper Flakes, Mike’s Hot Honey. +$3.00 Gluten Free

SAUCED TAPROOM & KITCHEN saucedtaproom.com 14701 Detroit Ave, Lakewood PIEROGI PIZZA A quarter sheet of our housemade dough, topped with white sauce, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, mini-cheese and potato pierogis, caramelized onions and topped with cilantro lime sour cream.

ABC PIZZA A classic: Quarter sheet of our housemade dough, topped with red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni and parmesan.

SAUCE THE CITY PIZZA EXPRESS

11773 East Washington St, Chagrin Falls FRENCH ONION PIZZA A twist on a classic! Fresh provolone, swiss and mozzarella cheeses on top a rich French onion base with caramelized onions on top.

Vegetarian.

BUILD YOUR OWN With any one topping-10” Vegan and Gluten Free Option available for upcharge.

P SLOPPY BOBS sloppybobsparma.com 5994 State Rd, Parma FAT MAC 1000 Island dressing topped with ground beef, cheddar cheese, Lettuce, onion & pickles.

841 West Bagley Rd, Berea

Mild Buffalo and ranch base with melted mozzarella and provolone, diced chicken, diced tomatoes, banana peppers, topped with green onions and drizzled with extra mild Buffalo sauce. **Take-Out special is with a purchase of a beverage only**

WILD EAGLE SALOON wildeagle.com

921 Huron Rd E, Cleveland 5001 East Royalton Rd. Broadview Hts 9470 State Route 14, Streetsboro PHILLY CHEESESTEAK FLATBREAD White sauce, onion, mushroom and mozzarella cheese.

NASHVILLE CHICKEN FLATBREAD White sauce with Nashville oil, Nashville chicken, cheddar/jack mixed cheese and pickles.

ULTIMATE VEGGIE FLATBREAD Marinara sauce with spinach, mushroom, onion, mozzarella, and parmesan.

THE WILD GOOSE wildgoosewlby.com

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4144 Erie St, Willoughby PEPPERONI Famous red sauce, house four cheese blend, cup + char pepperoni

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY - CLEVELAND

ZEPPE’S zeppes.com

stbcbeer.com/taprooms/cleveland 811 Prospect Ave E, Cleveland SPICY MEATBALL PIZZA Spicy Meatball Pizza: spicy red sauce, mozzarella, sliced meatballs, fresh basil, and parmesan.

TAVERN OF LITTLE ITALY tolicleveland.com 12117 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland THE GOAT FLATBREAD Tomato jam, balsamic braised onions, bacon, goat cheese, arugula, and balsamic glaze.

CHICKEN BACON RANCH FLATBREAD Garlic butter, ranch, grilled chicken, bacon, mozzarella, topped with green onions.

Gluten free available for upcharge.

TEAMZ RESTAURANT & BAR teamzsportsbar.com 6611 Eastland Rd, Middleburg Heights CHICKEN TENDER MELT PIZZA Teamz homemade ranch dressing base with chicken tenders, bacon, mozzarella cheese blend, topped with your choice of mild or hot sauce. *Take out available with purchase of a beverage.

25780 Miles Rd, Bedford Heights 8235 East Washington St. Chagrin Falls 320 Broadway Ave, Bedford 110 Cherry Ave, Chardon 9950 Johnnycake Ridge Rd, Concord Twp 3333 Massillon Rd, Green 5843 Darrow Rd, Hudson 5559 Wilson Mills Rd, Highland Heights 15065 Kinsman Rd, Middlefield 11110 Kinsman Rd, Newbury 1983 Ridge Rd, North Royalton 2736 Ridge Road N, Perry Twp PEPPERONI PIZZA 12” pizza with your choice of ZigZag or thin crust, choice of traditional red sauce or Aglio E Olio white sauce and pepperoni (or substitute your favorite topping!).

Use code PW21 for online orders.

OLD WORLD MARGHERITA 12” 8-cut thin crust pizza with Aglio E Olio white sauce, tomatoes, chopped garlic, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella + provolone + mozzarella cheeses.

Use code PW22 for online orders.

PIZZA WEEK KEY

THIRSTY DOG EAST BANK thirstydogflats.com 1085 Old River Rd, Cleveland MAC N CHEESE PIZZA Penne pasta, garlic breadcrumbs, chopped bacon, green onion.

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BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA

14 INCH PEPPER PIZZA Garlic butter base topped with mozzarella cheese, red peppers, green peppers, banana peppers & fresh jalapeño.

saucethecitycleveland.com

Gluten-Free Option Vegetarian Option

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Vegan Option Take-Out Available

1400 West 25th St, Cleveland CLEVELAND HOT CHICKEN PIZZA 10 Inch Pan Pizza with Rustic Rosemary Marinara Sauce with Fresh Local Low Moisture Mozzarella topped Cleveland Hot Chicken, and Kooling Sauce baked to perfection.

U R PA SS P O R T S TA M PE D

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TONY K’S BAR AND GRILLE tonyks.com

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# C LE V E L A N D P I Z Z AW E E K

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GET OUT

Everything to do in Cleveland for the next two weeks

WED 11/03 The Monkees Farewell Tour with Michael Nesmith & Micky Dolenz This infamous American pop group monkeys around for the last time as it brings its farewell tour to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage at 8 tonight. Original members Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz will be on hand for the affair. Check the venue website for ticket prices.

10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.

THU

11/04

Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason became internationally famous after performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

He makes his Cleveland Orchestra debut tonight at Severance Hall with Elgar’s rhapsodic Cello Concerto, a “meditative, poignant work created in the emotional wake of World War I.” The concert begins with a piece by British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and it ends with Dvorák’s Sixth Symphony. The music starts at 7:30, and performances continue through Sunday. Check the orchestra’s website for more info.

11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

FRI

11/05

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening: MMXXI Tour In 1988, Jason Bonham took his late father John Bonham’s spot in the televised, first-ever Led Zeppelin reunion at the Atlantic Records 40th anniversary concert. Less than a year later, he went on tour with Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and recorded the album Outrider with him. Bonham has continued to tour and record ever since. He brings the latest incarnation of his tribute to Zeppelin, which he’s dubbed a Led Zeppelin Evening: MMXXI, to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage tonight at 8. Check the venue website for ticket prices.

10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.

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Jason Bonham brings his Led Zep tribute to MGM Northfield Park. See: Friday, Nov. 5.

SAT

11/06

MasterChef Live!

This stage production brings together the culinary hit TV shows MasterChef and MasterChef Junior for head-to-head cooking demonstrations and challenges with past MasterChef and MasterChef Junior contestants. The event begins at 7 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre.

Consult the venue’s website for ticket prices.

182 South Main St., Akron, 330-2532488, akroncivic.com.

SUN 11/07 Mick Foley Were you really into watching wrestling on TV in grade school?

Who wasn’t, am I right? Surely, you remember Mick Foley, the bearded (and sometimes masked) beast who was part of the WWE’s “meteoric rise” during the 1990s. Foley moonlights as a stand-up comedian and delights crowds with anecdotes

| clevescene.com | November 3-16, 2021

from the ring and other middle-aged white guy-type fare. He’s got his share of stupid one-liners, but he has a surprisingly personal touch on stage, often sitting to tell stories and reveling in off-the-cuff selfeffacement. He’ll performs tonight at 7 at Hilarities. Check the website for more info.

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

MON 11/08 Movie Mondays Every Monday, Cleveland Cinemas hosts $5 Movie Mondays, where film fans can catch up on the latest Hollywood flicks for significantly reduced prices. Bring your friends and family and make Movie Mondays a weekly tradition — many theaters even offer discounted concession stand items. Participating theaters include Apollo Theatre, Cedar Lee Theatre and Chagrin Cinemas.

Additional charges apply for 3-D movies., clevelandcinemas.com.

Mike Corrado

TUE

11/09

Where Did We Sit on the Bus? This autobiographical solo show follows a kid from his childhood to adulthood, as he explores his family’s history, his identity as a first-generation American, and what the world will be like for his future children. Featuring live music that melds Latin beats, hip-hop, and looping, Where Did We Sit on the Bus? promises to be “a high-energy, tour-de-force theatrical experience that examines what it means to be Latino in America.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Allen Theatre. Check the Playhouse Square website for more info.

1407 Euclid Ave., playhousesquare.org.

WED 11/10 The Prom Featuring direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls, The Book of Mormon), a book by Tony

GET OUT Award winner Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (Aladdin), music by Tony Award nominee Matthew Sklar (Elf) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin, The Prom was such a smash on Broadway that the play has now taken to a national tour. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through Nov. 21. Consult the Playhouse Square website for more info.

1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

THU

11/11

Tchaikovsky’s Winter Dreams When Tchaikovsky set out to write his First Symphony, he nearly drove himself to exhaustion completing it. The piece remembers a classical music favorite to this day. Tonight at 7:30 at Severance Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra will perform the opus along with Ravel’s jazz and Mozartinspired concerto and Dvorák’s In Nature’s Realm. Performances continue through the weekend; check the orchestra’s website for times and ticket prices as well as COVID protocols.

11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

FRI

11/12

The Year of Magical Thinking An adaptation of Joan Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking “transforms the story of the sudden and unexpected loss into a stunning and powerful one-woman play,” as it’s put in a press release.

Tonight’s performance takes place at 8 p.m. at Kennedy’s Cabaret, where performances continue through the weekend. Check the Playhouse Square website for more info and COVID protocols.

1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

SAT

11/13

Textile Art Alliance: Uncommon Threads Twenty-five artists from the Textile Art Alliance will display their artwork, including batiks, embroidery, fabric collages, quilts, wearable art, and weavings at Textile Art Alliance: Uncommon Threads,

a new exhibit at the Beachwood Community Center. All artwork is for sale, and proceeds will benefit Beachwood Arts Council, a nonprofit organization. The Textile Art Alliance, also a non-profit organization, promotes textile and fiber arts in Northeast Ohio by sponsoring exhibitions and educational programs. The exhibit continues through Sunday, Dec. 5. A meet-and-greet event with the artists takes place today from 5 to 7 pm.

Admission is free. Face masks are required.

25325 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood, beachwoodohio.com.

SUN

11/14

Nemr Critics credit Nemr, a Lebanese/ American standup comedian, with establishing the standup comedy scene throughout the Middle East.

Nemr actually grew up in San Diego but then moved back to Lebanon with his family, where he sought to “break down barriers.” He performs tonight at 7 at Hilarities. Check the club’s website for ticket prices.

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

MON 11/15 Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Thanks to an NBA schedule that tries to limit travel, the Cavaliers took on the Boston Celtics this past Saturday, and they’ll face off against the team again tonight at 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Check eh Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse website for ticket prices.

One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

TUE

11/16

Protomartyr Last year, indie rockers Protomartyr had to cut their tour short due to the pandemic. Over the summer, however, the band announced a fresh North American trek in support of their latest album, Ultimate Success Today. For this tour, they’ll be joined

by Ohio native Kelley Deal from the Breeders/R. Ring (some fans got a sneak peek of this lineup prior to COVID lockdown). The concert begins at 7 p.m. Check the Mahall’s website for ticket prices.

13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene November 3-16, 2021 | clevescene.com |

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ARTS A RICH GUMBO OF MUSIC AND MEMORIES

A young girl finds her place in the world in Where Did We Sit on the Bus? at the Cleveland Play House.

by Christine Howey SURE, I’VE LOST some degree of patience after being restrained by Covid for the last 17 months, so let’s jump to the conclusion: You should find a way to see the current show at the Cleveland Play House.

Where Did We Sit on the Bus? is an innovative and absorbing one-person show employing the Latin rhythms that nurtured its creator and original performer, Brian Quijada.

Beyond that, the production features Hamilton-esque touches in regard to its inventive take on storytelling.

Powered by a sonic environment that is more than a soundscape—it is a unique and customized sound universe, a “soundiverse,” my neologism, you’re quite welcome— and it bristles with layered elements that include rock, hip-hop and R&B. Oh, you say you’ve heard all that in plays before? Well, how about live looped music, snatches of slam poetry, live looped spoken word, digital finger drumming, and turntablism (which, for the uninitiated, is manipulating records on two or more turntables to create unique sound mixtures).

All that sound magic is created by Quijada, who is the sound supervisor for this production, along with director Matt Dickson and sound designer Curtis Craig. But it would be for naught without the engaging performance of Satya Chavez. She tells the story of Bee Quijada, a firstgeneration Salvadoran American growing up in Chicago. Her journey starts in the womb (yeah, I know all of ours do, but she brings us in there with her) and extends into her mid-twenties. In between, she spins memories of her family, the stories she’s heard about her great-greatgreat-great-grandfather and her journey through various schools.

Along the way she plays a variety of musical instruments, tweaks some of the staging effects by tapping floor-mounted buttons with her foot, and throws in some cartwheels when appropriate. The storytelling is propulsive as it sweeps you along, with some sections existing as standalone songs.

Early on, there is a clever take on her surname Quijada, which

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Satya Chavez utilizes the whole soundiverse to tell the story of Bee Quijada.

WHERE DID WE SIT ON THE BUS? THROUGH NOVEMBER 14 AT THE CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE PLAYHOUSE SQUARE, ALLEN THEATRE, 1407 EUCLID AVE. CLEVELANDPLAYHOUSE.COM, 216-241-6000..

teachers and students find hard to pronounce. She provides a lesson, à la Liza Minelli’s “Liza with a Z,” to help with that: “It’s Q not K, not h it’s j.” She also describes how music is such a compelling part of her life and explains the three different dancers she sees at weddings— the spinners, the hip dancers and the footwork dancers, sharing examples of each.

But there are also the mystifying and hurtful parts of growing up in a foreign culture. When she is taught in school about Rosa Parks, she sensibly wonders: if white people were in the front of the bus and Black people were in back, where

| clevescene.com | November 3-16, 2021

did people like her sit? Also, which water fountain did they drink from?

Her teacher’s abusively dismissive answer: “They weren’t around.”

Bee fights against this attempted erasure of herself and her people by defiantly insisting on being who she is, and that means pursuing her passion for theater and performing. Chavez prowls, leaps and dances across Lex Liang’s lean, function-first set, enhanced by Michael Boll’s deft lighting design, where various electronic and acoustic instruments are set out.

This is Bee’s musical world where Chavez and the design team tell her story in a seamless and continually

PHOTO BY ROGER MASTROIANNI

entertaining stream of words, notes and sound effects.

Sure, there is a message behind all these sonic calisthenics, but the show never goes all treacly at those moments. In middle school, she makes friends with a Jewish boy and is accused by her pals of being “white bread,” which leads to another song that reminds her not to forget where she came from and to protect her dreams. Even when she references the Emma Lazarus poem on the Statue of Liberty, and when she raps about HOPE, “One word, four letters that’ll set me free,” you ride with her since the emotion is genuine. And earned.

Where Did We Sit on the Bus? is theatrical delight with a big and boisterous heart.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

ARTS GUIDING LIGHTS

CMA debuts new exhibition on motherhood

By Shawn Mishak

Detail from “Not My Burden,” 2019. Titus Kaphar (American, b. 1976)

PICTURING MOTHERHOOD NOW, a new exhibition featuring a diverse collection of works by 33 contemporary artists, is now on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Gallery and will run through March 13, 2022.

The exhibition, which interprets current sociological and psychological aspects of motherhood, aims its focus on work created in the past two decades.

It asks questions about how the nuclear family and the concept of matriarchy have evolved over the past 20 years. Moreover, the exhibition challenges the changing definitions of family and gender, the histories and afterlives of slavery, the legacies of migration and the preservation of matrilineal Indigenous cultures, according to CMA. “Picturing Motherhood Now examines contemporary interpretations of motherhood against the backdrop of the CMA’s encyclopedic collections,” said William M. Griswold, director of the CMA. “Visitors to this compelling exhibition will understand how these artists challenge traditional representations of motherhood and how they diverge from historical treatments of the theme.”

The exhibition is segmented into four themes: Missing Pictures, featuring artwork focused on aspects of motherhood that have been absent from traditional images of the subject; Making and Matrilineage, preserving matrilineal and Indigenous artistic traditions that are passed down from one generation of women to the

next; Mother Tongue, examining how language and narrative are the primary mediums to animate strong female protagonists; and Kinships, celebrating unconventional ideas of motherhood and family.

“The subject of motherhood touches every human life — and its representation has been a major theme throughout the history of art,” said Emily Liebert, curator of contemporary art. “Images of motherhood reflect the eras and cultures in which they were created, and the art of the present is no exception. The artists whose work is in Picturing Motherhood Now cast new light on our own time.”

The concept of motherhood is an ever-evolving interpretation of the role the matriarchy plays in human development and encompasses some of our first memories. As it stands, everyone has a mother or comes from one rather, therefore the topic is as universal as it gets. Everyone can relate and everyone will have their own unique interpretation of the work projected onto them from our experience with our own mother’s by comparison and at times, possibly in contrast to the piece which the viewer is interpreting.

“This presentation also includes exciting newly commissioned work as well, including new work by artists Wendy Red Star, Carmen Winant and M. Carmen Lane,” said Nadiah Rivera Fellah, associate curator of contemporary art.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene November 3-16, 2021 | clevescene.com |

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EAT

A BETTER KIND OF BUFFET

Photo by Doug Trattner

For South Indian and thalis, Annapurna in Parma is worth the trip and time

By Douglas Trattner IF YOU OBSESS OVER FOOD and travel Instagram like I do, then you’ve probably seen people enjoying Indian thalis, those large circular platters containing myriad smaller vessels filled with a dizzying array of food. Like a personal tabletop buffet, the thali offers diners variety in place of monotony, with all the components of a full meal neatly arranged on a sparkling stainless disc.

Unfortunately, it’s easier to find thalis on social media than it is in Cleveland because almost none of our Indian restaurants offer them. Annapurna in Parma does, presenting two different versions of the popular South Indian meal.

When asked why thalis are such a rarity in Greater Cleveland, owner Hemant Amin bluntly responds, “Because this is too hard.”

He added that thalis take time to prepare in the kitchen and time to enjoy in the dining room, time that many modern diners simply elect to spend elsewhere. For many local Indian food fans, it’s the all-

you-can-eat lunch buffet, quick takeout, or bust. Scour the numerous Google reviews of this five-yearold restaurant and you’ll observe a common thread: the food is exciting and delicious but the service is slow.

Annapurna contain fundamental and unwavering elements like curries, flatbread, rice, pickles, salad, chutneys, raita and dessert. Within this framework are dishes that are fermented, deep-fried, steamed,

ANNAPURNA INDIAN FOOD 7464 RIDGE RD., PARMA 440-253-8311 ANNAPURNAOHIO.WIXSITE.COM/ANNAPURNA

With only two people in the kitchen, there’s no getting around it.

Amin opened Annapurna to showcase homestyle South Indian foods. Made to order from scratch, the food here tastes fresh and compelling, not one dimensional.

Dishes are packed with the flavors of ginger, garlic, tamarind, turmeric, curry, mustard seeds, cardamom, cumin and cloves. Nearly every bite nails that delicate balance of sweet and sour, salty and bitter, spicy and pungent.

Like all thalis, the two served at

boiled and stir-fried, which reveal the kitchen’s range. What you won’t find is meat of any sort as the restaurant is 100-percent vegetarian.

The Gujarati ($19.99) and Punjabi ($19.99) thalis offer diners an exciting variety of foods that change with the seasons. The former features a starter snack, yogurt soup, lentil soup, a variety of vegetable curries, flatbreads like papadum and roti, pickles, chutney and raita, and a sweet dessert. The latter swaps the roti for buttery naan and mixes up the snacks and

curries. Either way you go, the reward is a bountiful selection of lovingly prepared foods.

If you don’t go the thali route, maybe start with a crispy-fried samosa or pakora. The flying saucershaped idli ($5.49) served here are appropriately light, airy and melt-inyour-mouth. They are served with sambar and chutney for dipping.

Diners can make a feast of the chaat alone, street-food style foods at which Annapurna excels. The pani puri ($5.99) are predictably crispy, savory and tart, especially when doused with the mint water. I tried my first bite of khaman ($4.99) here and I am completely hooked.

A chickpea-based batter is steamed and cut into spongy, light-as-air wedges. Served on an old-school lunch tray, the pav bhaji ($7.99) is a savory vegetable curry that gets spooned, Sloppy Joe-style, onto a soft hamburger bun. If a riot of colors, flavors and textures sounds tempting, order the bhel puri ($5.99).

This rowdy jumble of puffed rice, crispy sev, fresh cilantro, tangy tamarind and vibrant chutney is simultaneously sweet, sour and spicy.

Annapurna’s lengthy menu lists more familiar Indian dishes like masala dosa, aloo gobi, saag paneer and vegetable biryani. But there also are sections for Punjabi, Gujarati and Indochinese specialties, such as the rightly popular gobi Manchurian ($9.99), deep-fried cauliflower tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce.

In addition to the well-known chana masala, the restaurant makes kala chana ($9.99), an earthy, creamy curry starring black chickpeas, a smaller and firmer variety. Included in the price is a pair of perfectly puffed puri.

Annapurna is a boon to home cooks thanks to the adjacent Indian foods grocery. The market stocks fresh produce as well as a complete inventory of pantry staples like spices, flours, grains and snacks.

This is where you come when you need to score a small bag of puffed rice or an 11-pound chunk of jaggery. I picked up a bag of black chickpeas and a spice mix to attempt kala chana at home.

The market seems to bleed into the dining room, where boxes are stacked here and there in the large informal space. A display cooler that stocks a selection of housemade desserts is seeing increased activity in light of seasonal Diwali celebrations.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

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long-time dream of mine,” adds Friedlander. “The idea is to create a space that celebrates exceptional food, high-end service, and compelling cocktails while honoring and modernizing upscale dining.”

EAT

Forward Hospitality Partners With Country Music Star Chase Rice to Open Live-Music Venue Welcome to the Farm in Flats East Bank

Courtesy Primo

BITES

Primo brings West African food to the heart of downtown Cleveland

By Douglas Trattner FOR THE PAST YEAR, THE former 2nd and High space has been undergoing a pretty extensive makeover. Two weeks ago, the doors opened to the public for the first time in approximately two years when Primo African Quisine (2123 E. 2nd St., 216-400-6207) debuted. The restaurant is a showcase for West African foods, making it a rarity in Northeast Ohio.

“This is the first West African restaurant downtown,” says coowner Prince Marouane. “There are a lot of Africans in Cleveland and before, most of them have been going to Columbus to get some African food.”

Marouane says he and his partners were attracted to the property because its location. While tucked away on a back alley, the restaurant is steps from Progressive Field, Rocket Mortgage Field House, Jack Casino and East 4th Street.

“This is a prime location, and people want to try something different,” he adds.

Marouane, who hails from Benin in West Africa, says that the goal is to faithfully recreate the foods of his homeland.

“We try and stay authentic to our dishes,” he explains. “We aren’t

trying to compete with American food. Even if some dishes look American, our seasonings are completely different.”

He points out dishes like Nigerian egusi soup, thickened with melon seeds, and peanut soup. Thiep, “the national dish of Senegal,” consists of fish, rice and vegetables. The seasoned red snapper already is a popular menu item, he notes, and there’s a street food version of spaghetti called diallo that comes topped with an omelet. Of course, there’s plenty of waakye, jollof rice and fufu.

The restaurant seats 85 guests and has a full bar and wine list. For now, Primo is dinner-only, but plans call for adding lunch service down the road.

Brad Friedlander’s Cut151 Revives the Supper Club Spirit in Beachwood Cut151, which is being described as a supper club, will make its debut on Thursday, November 4.

The restaurant is owned by Brad Friedlander and is located adjacent to Blu, in the former Red/Rosso space at 3355 Richmond Rd. in

Beachwood.

Cut151 marks the return not just of the space or supper club concept, but of chef Donna Chriszt, who has played more of a behind-the-scenes role lately. Chriszt burst onto the Cleveland food scene back in the mid-1990s, when she was tapped as executive chef of Marlin by owner Marlin Kaplan. She went on to open Jeso, her own spot, before embarking on a long, fruitful culinary career.

“The chance to create a new restaurant with a supportive crew that possesses such considerable experience, depth of palate, and knowledge was a once-in-a-career opportunity,” says Chriszt. “Building this community from the ground up, alongside long-time restauranteur Brad Friedlander and his team is the perfect scenario.”

Cut151 is being billed as a modern take on the supper club concept.

The star of the show will be the spice-rubbed prime rib, which will be sold in 12-, 16- and 22-ounce portions along with natural jus and creamy horseradish. The prime rib will be joined on the menu by a few steaks, veal and lamb chops, shrimp scampi pasta, potato-crusted cod, twin lobster tails and a few other selections. To start, there are oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, prime rib tartare, salmon crab cakes and wedge and Caesar salads. All of the above can be paired with sides such as onion rings, rosti potatoes, creamed spinach and asparagus with béarnaise.

“Cut151 Supper Club is a

Forward Hospitality Group has announced a partnership with country music star Chase Rice to open Welcome to the Farm, an entertainment venue that will debut in the Flats East Bank. The 5,250-square-foot space, which will be located in the same building as Smokey’s BBQ and Saloon and is expected to open in December, features a center stage, capacity for 280 people, and garage doors that open up to a patio on the banks of the Cuyahoga River.

The venue will join other Forward Hospitality Group properties in the neighborhood such as Good Night John Boy and FWD and will become part of a diverse portfolio that also includes Garden City, Kindred Spirit, Bell & Flower, 3 Palms and SeeSaw. “We’ve been working on this for a while and I’m excited to finally let everyone in on the secret,” says Rice, whose late father grew up in Grove City. “Not only is Ohio special to me as an artist and because of my dad’s connection to the area, but Cleveland itself is also a really inspiring city as a musician. It’s awesome to know that we’ll be just a mile down the road from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which is home to people like The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana, Tom Petty and so many more who have all had a huge impact on my career.”

With more than 2 million albums sold, Rice has established himself as a rising star in the country music scene. Before he was a performer, the Nashville-based singer was a college football athlete, NASCAR pit crew member and “Survivor: Nicaragua” contestant. With his latest release, the autobiographical “If I Were Rock & Roll,” Rice shows off his expanded musical range.

In a video that the multi-Platinum entertainer shared, Rice says, “We’re bringing a little bit of my farm in Tennessee to Cleveland, Ohio. My dad’s from Grove City, so Ohio has always been a very special place to me.”

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

November 3-16, 2021 | clevescene.com |

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| clevescene.com | November 3-16, 2021

Ohio’s CAAMP. Elli Lauren

MUSIC HAPPY CAAMPER CAAMP’s Evan Westfall talks about band’s roots in the Buckeye State

By Halle Weber “WHAT INITIALLY INSPIRED the CAAMP sound was Ohio — everything about it,” says Evan Westfall, in a recent phone interview.

Westfall plays banjo, electric guitar, drums, and percussion, and he provides harmony vocals for the Ohio-made folk band that’s set to perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Agora.

Westfall knew he wanted to be a musician when he first saw School of Rock as a child. He learned his first few chords from his middle school music teacher, and from there, he continued to challenge himself.

Westfall and lead singer/guitarist/ drummer Taylor Meier—the founding members of CAAMP— became friends their sophomore year at Upper Arlington High School in suburban Columbus.

The initial seeds for the band’s Lumineers-style music were planted when they bonded over the Remember the Titans soundtrack in class and began going to each other’s houses to play music after school.

In 2012, the pair were split up when Meier moved southeast to Athens, OH to study at Ohio University while Westfall stayed in the Columbus area and attended community college.

For three years, they kept in touch, sending ideas back and forth until Westfall decided to make the move to Athens, so that the pair could prioritize their music. Meier had been playing regular open mic gigs at the popular Athens bar/ restaurant Casa Neuva, and Westfall was eager to join him.

“I wasn’t really doing anything at the time. I didn’t want to do school; I wanted to do music. So, I ended up moving down there for what would have been our senior year of college.

And we wrote and recorded the first CAAMP album that year,” says Westfall.

Westfall had been listening to the Ray LaMontagne folk CDs that Meier

had been burning him, and he began to compose musical arrangements in that realm, while Meier honed in on the lyrical aspect of the band’s work.

“It was just fun for me to go out of my comfort zone and pick up the banjo,” says Westfall, who notes that he grew up listening to music more along the lines of the Ramones. “I still can’t believe I play the banjo; I never thought that’d be a thing for me.”

Meier wrote the concepts for two songs that the pair felt captured

day. We’d play all of our songs. We’d sit across from each other up in Taylor’s attic and smoke American Spirits in his room and drink Coors light and it was so fun.”

When Westfall first moved to Athens in May of 2015, the pair drew up a “contract” and signed it.

The contract stated that by the time Westfall had been in Athens for a year (May of 2016) the “wheels would be turning,” and Caamp would be well on its way to becoming a band that was taken seriously, the kind

CAAMP, MADI DIAZ 8 P.M. SATURDAY, NOV. 13, AGORA THEATRE 5000 EUCLID AVE., 216-881-2221.

TICKETS: $30-$50, AGORACLEVELAND.COM.

the sort of storytelling they were striving for — “Vagabond,” which now has 71 million streams on Spotify, and “Ohio,” a fan-favorite that tells the story of growing up and coming of age in Ohio. The duo then built the remainder of CAAMP’s self-titled debut record off the vibe of those two tracks.

“We were just kind of amusing ourselves at that point, seeing if we could do this; make a good album.

And then we’d play an open mic and we’d get our three songs a night...

We’d kinda see how the crowd reacted to certain songs to decide which songs we wanted to put on the album and which songs we wanted to leave out,” says Westfall. “We just hit the open mic hard every week, all year. And then, we’d practice every

that could be a full-time job.

“Tay[lor] and I always were confident in what we were doing,” says Westfall. “We knew it was gonna work; we just didn’t know when.”

The pair put in the blood, sweat, and tears and found themselves making good on that pact. They’ve been growing CAAMP ever since.

During lockdown, the members of the now-four-piece band found themselves writing and recording CAAMP’s yet-to-be-released third full-length album and finally getting time to focus on their solo projects.

Westfall states that it was a very creative year for all of them and promises CAAMP’s latest cozy cabin music will be released in 2022.

“I like to write the sort of songs

that evoke those nostalgic feelings,” says Westfall. “When I hear our music, I think of Athens, and that year, starting out, not knowing what we were doing, but just doing it, and not caring what anyone else thought. So, I hope people have those same sort of feelings with our music — thinking about where they were when they first heard it, and where they were in their lives at that point, and just looking back and having good memories.”

Now that the band is back on tour, Westfall can see fans connecting with the songs again, which has been an invaluable experience for him. This feeling is amplified when the band gets to play “By and By,” the title track from its 2019 sophomore album that captures the melancholy of rolling on through life’s challenges.

Westfall notes that in the past, shows have been blurred in his mind as soon as he steps backstage.

Sometimes, he focuses so hard on doing his job that he can’t soak it all in. On this tour, Westfall has been taking out his in-ear monitor during “By and By” to allow himself a moment of gratitude.

“It’s bigger than us at this point,” says Westfall. “I tear up every once in a while, when we start playing that song and hearing the crowd. It’s crazy to think that your songs can... touch that many people. It’s a pretty surreal feeling.”

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

November 3-16, 2021 | clevescene.com |

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SAVAGE LOVE FEMALE TROUBLE

By Dan Savage Hey, Dan: I want to correct you on something you’ve said repeatedly: a man can “hide” his bisexual orientation. I disagree. I felt my boyfriend was gay or bi immediately, but he flatly denied it. But it was so obvious! He sucked at sex, he never initiated, and he was clueless about female anatomy! I was forced to hunt for proof, which I discovered after nine months. Then I mercilessly outed him to friends, humiliated him to his face, and finally confronted him with the proof of his profile on a gay hookup app. I enjoyed every wicked minute exposing his lies and telling everyone the truth because he used and exploited me in a fake relationship.

I was wrong about a couple of things.

First, I thought if I asked him if he was gay, he would confess and come clean with me. Wrong, he never did.

Second, if he was gay, he wouldn’t hide that fact because gays won the LGBT rights fight. Wrong. I am a fag hag but only because I like feeling superior and enjoy what I get out of my friendships with gay men. But I’m not interested in fruit juice.

Furious And Vengeful Ex You are a terrible person, I don’t want you reading my column, and I hope your gay friends come to see you for the toxic person you are and cut you out of their lives — unless they’re just as awful as you are, in which case they deserve you.

To be clear, FAVE, what your ex did was wrong. I have always taken a dim view of closeted gay men who date straight women to throw people off the scent of cock on their lips (assuming your ex was gay and not bi). But if this dude sucked at sex (when he had it with you), never initiated sex (at least not with you), and couldn’t find your clit if you gave him a flashlight (and probably not even then), why waste nine months on him? You could’ve and should’ve dumped him the first time the sex was awful, FAVE, or when you first suspected it wasn’t you (or your kind) that he wanted to have sex with.

And the record, FAVE, anyone can hide their sexual orientation, not just bi men. But many bisexuals don’t come out because they fear being mercilessly outed by angry, bitter, vindictive partners. Again, I don’t

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I want, whenever I want, and — let’s be honest — farting at home whenever I gosh darn need to.) I have a lot of dear friends who are married, and they are family. I accept that I may be single (but not alone!) for the rest of my life, and that’s fine too. But it comes down to this: I need physical intimacy.

I’m okay with my life, but I’m not okay never having a sexual partner again. I really, really, really like sex. I want to be with a person I know well enough to get comfortable. But I live in a place where online meetups are either fleeting or scary. And I’m overweight and lack confidence and don’t exactly have all the boys coming to my yard. Give me some guidance, Dan. She Isn’t Necessarily Getting Laid, Eh?

have much sympathy for closeted gay men who lie to and mislead women. But if your ex-boyfriend was bi, not gay, and you two hadn’t made a monogamous commitment to each other, he had every right to fuck other people — including other people with penises.

Hey, Dan: I have a question for you about pubic hair. I’m a straight female in my forties and began dating someone new recently.

We’ve only been dating for about a month and this person keeps making requests that I shave or trim my pubic hair. I haven’t known this person long enough to feel comfortable making changes to my body on their account. Am I unusual in this area? Is it standard practice now to get rid of pubic hair? I honestly couldn’t care less about my partners’ hair, so long as they’re hygienic. This email may be boring, but I was curious about your thoughts on this topic.

Lover Interrogates My Pubes Some people get rid of their pubic hair to please themselves, LIMP, and some people get rid of their pubic hair to please their partners. You’re not obligated to shave just because the man you’re dating asked you to, LIMP, but unless he’s pressuring you or pouting about it, I don’t think he’s being an asshole. If he asked nicely and you said no and he dropped it, LIMP, that means your new boyfriend can take “no” for an answer and isn’t that a nice thing to know about him? That said, I don’t think trimming your pubic hair to please even a new partner amounts to “changing your body.” It’s not like getting a tattoo or removing a limb — if you don’t like how a trim looks or feels, LIMP, you can stop trimming and, in a few weeks, your natural habitat will be fully restored.

Hey, Dan: I’m a woman in a committed relationship with a man and we’ve just started exploring ABDL. I’m the sub, he’s the Dom. I was wondering if it would be ok for me to change his diapers. I want to show him I’m willing to clean him and take care of him too, but I feel like subs

| clevescene.com | November 3-16, 2021

Online meetups feel fleeting because most online meetups, like most offline meetups, are fleeting. They’re chance encounters, like striking up a conversation with a stranger in a bar, and like most chance encounters, they typically go nowhere. Occasionally an online meet-up is scary in the dude-givesoff-serial-killer-vibe sense, but most are scary in the making-yourselfvulnerable-and-risking-rejection sense — and there’s no avoiding that kind of scary, SINGLE, only building up your tolerance for it.

And finally, SINGLE, and somewhat controversially… if you’re content with your life as it is, and if you value being able to fart whenever you need to, there are married men out there who aren’t getting any at home, SINGLE, and not all of them are assholes. Some are loving, decent guys in loving, low-conflict marriages who’ve decided to stay married for loving, decent reasons.

An ongoing connection with a loving, decent woman who doesn’t want more than they can give could obviously make one of these guys very happy, SINGLE, and it might make you a little happier too.

JOE NEWTON

aren’t really supposed to take on those roles. And to be a good sub, I really want to know my place. I trust your opinion on these things.

Pensively Approaching Diapered Dom It’s fine with me if you change your boyfriend’s diapers, PADD, but you’re going to have to check with him.

Not all “Adult Baby/Diaper Lover” play involves power exchange, but when people combine ABDL with D/s, it’s typically the sub who wears the diapers (and has them changed) and the Dom who does the diapering and changing. But if your Dom is into wearing diapers, PADD, he’s already blurring those boundaries — so, I don’t see why you can’t at least offer to change his. If having his diapers changed by his sub would make him feel less dominant, he can continue to change his own damn diapers.

Hey, Dan: I’m a single cis woman in my mid-40s. I’ve never wanted kids, but I did think at some point, I’d get married or have a long-term partnership. That hasn’t happened.

Which is fine. I’m content with my life, I make good money, I own my own home, and I love and appreciate all of the great things that come with being single. (Doing whatever

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

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