Cleveland Magazine - February 2023

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Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center is closer than ever with 18 locations throughout Northeast Ohio, making it easier than ever for you to get the nationally renowned orthopaedic care you deserve. Crystal Clinic is ranked in the Top 1% of the 6,093 hospitals in the nation and is #1 in Ohio for major orthopaedic and joint replacement surgery — which means you can trust our expert team of physicians and specialists to deliver the absolute highest level of care using the very latest technologies.

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Whether you visit our state-of the-art hospital or one of our clinic locations across the region, you can expect a five-star patient experience focused on you. At Crystal Clinic, we are committed to providing you with exceptional care and are dedicated to helping you get back – stronger than ever – to the activities you enjoy most.

To schedule an appointment, please call 888-556-7575 or visit CrystalClinic.com

Crystal Clinic is a physician-owned hospital system

February 2023

volume 52 / issue 2

ON THE COVER

36 101 DISHES TO DIE FOR No matter your budget, taste or craving, this menu of Cleveland classics has what you need to plan your next meal — or even your last.

By Kate Bigam Kaput, Annie Nickoloff, Dillon Stewart

Photographed by Megann Galehouse

Food Styling by Dustin Hileman

Set Styling by Magan McLaughlin

FEATURED

54 ON TRACK On a 24-hour Amtrak trip from Boston, through Cleveland, to Chicago, we reflect on the future of rail in the region.

Written by Annie Nickoloff, Edited by Ken Prendergast and Ron Ledgard

8 FROM THE EDITOR

10 CONVERSATION

LAY OF THE LAND

13 THE MONDAY PROGRAM Each week, Cleveland's hip-hop artists gather at Corey Grand's studio to craft impromptu tracks.

16 UNLOCKING NEW WORLDS Montre has its sights set on transforming Cleveland by unlocking the AR-Verse with its new app.

18 TIKTOK IN THE CITY Whether you're looking for trendy thrifted clothes, ways to explore Downtown or just a local laugh, these accounts cover all things CLE.

FORAGE & FEAST

22 BOOM'S PIZZA Chef Ben Bebenroth is on track to open five restaurants in five years.

24 DINING GUIDE Check out these 25 spots for a taste of Cleveland's Black-owned restaurants.

GRIT & GLAMOUR

29 HEART ON FIRE We give glass blowing a try at Chagrin Falls' Glass Asylum.

34 HISTORY AND LUXURY The $15 million Ravencrest Estate is a total bargain.

128 LOOK BACK In 1937, the Karamu House begins its storied history in Cleveland.

SPECIAL SECTIONS

63 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE

Journey Wonder FULL SM on the world’s best places, to the world’s best places. Wake up to a new view every morning. Dine in a new restaurant every evening. Rise or rest to rejuvenate. This is Relaxed Luxury SM .

And with a total of seven award-winning ships in Europe, you’ll find the perfect sailing for an unforgettable vacation.

CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR OR VISIT CELEBRITY.COM

Scan QR code for Europe Cruises

©2023 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

2176STaylorRoad,ClevelandHeights,44118 (216)772-2603–www.evo.supplies

Wendy LaForce Zambo

Howard Hanna 2100 Center Road, Suite E, Avon wendylaforcezambo@howardhanna.com wendyzambo@oh.rr.com / 440-361-0606

Mega Million Dollar Producer, Wendy LaForce Zambo has over 43 years of experience in real estate. She has become a top professional who specializes in the luxury/waterfront market. She listens and has the insight to strategize a winning path to success for her clients’ dreams, while at the same time, being able to adapt to the current market challenges. Her joy has always come from her “very special clients,” thousands of which have become her dear friends. She says she loves seeing “happy” in their future. Her motto says it best, “Always Moving You Forward.” Wendy is in the top 5% nationally as part of the National Sales Excellence Team.

Wendy LaForce Zambo*

Denise Polverine publisher

Dillon Stewart editor

managing editor Ron Ledgard

senior editor Annie Nickoloff

associate editors Anthony Elder, Gracie Wilson editorial assistant Becky Boban

editor - at - large Colleen Smitek

contributing writers Kristen Hampshire, Allison Jack, Kate Bigam Kaput, Ken Prendergast, Lynne Thompson

art director Erin Stinard

associate art director Abigail Archer

contributing artists Ethan Bowman, Megann Galehouse, Dustin Hileman, Michael McElroy, Magan McLaughlin, Casey Rearick editorial@clevelandmagazine.com

advertising

vice president Paul Klein senior account managers Sarah Desmond, Tiffany Myroniak account manager Julie Bialowas events and audience marketing manager Jennifer Roberts adsales@clevelandmagazine.com

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managing editor Jennifer Bowen Sima

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My friends and I ate their pizza after every high school football game. As a delivery driver, the chefs would give me send backs (sorry, Mr. Longo), introducing me to eggplant Parmesan and bolognese. Yet, every time I see that brown box with the stout, happy Italian man on it, I’m 9 years old again, sliding into a green leather booth and hitting B4 on the tableside jukebox to cue up Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” for the first of many listens. And on my plate: Longo’s chicken tenders, extra honey mustard sauce.

Just like on the jukebox, I knew what I wanted. Juicy, fist-sized tenders, customarily dunked

Mr. Longo — I still can’t quite call him by his first name, Joe — is the second generation owner. Tearing apart the chicken, he'd show me the white, stringy difference between it and my thenbeloved McDonald’s. Later, when I worked for him, he’d even let me stir the dressings’ ingredients in a gigantic vat that never seemed to be enough. (Hint: The secret is mayo.) Every time I trek back to my parents' house, a brown box is waiting for me. My folks never forget the sauce.

Think about your favorite restaurant. More than ambiance or specials, you're likely picturing that one reliable, beloved dish. Exploring a menu is great. But some meals just keep us coming back. Become synonymous with the restaurant. Earn mythic status.

If nothing comes to mind, this month’s feature — "101 Dishes to Die For" — is for you. No matter your taste or budget, we think you’ll find a delectable appetizer, cocktail, snack or dessert that might just write a chapter in your Cleveland story.

After all, why do these dishes keep us coming back? Why do we crave them? I think it’s because they taste like home.

Dillon Stewart, editor stewart@clevelandmagazine.com

Allie LaForce and Joe Smith Welcome a Miracle

In our August cover package, writer Lynn Thompson followed Allie LaForce and Joe Smith's long journey to not only have a child but have one free of the gene for Huntington’s Disease, which runs in Smith's family. Baby Jacob arrived Nov. 10 at Akron General Hospital. Read more at clevelandmagazine.com/allieandjoe.

Vermilion-native Allie LaForce is a sideline reporter for NBA on TNT, MLB on TBS and the NCAA March Madness tournament. She and her husband, MLB pitcher Joe Smith, welcomed their first child, Jacob Michael, on Nov. 10 at 1:51 a.m. Smith’s maternal grandmother and mother died of Huntington's Disease, a fatal genetic disorder that causes a progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. Smith now has a 50% chance of developing the disease. If he does develop it, any children he and LaForce conceive naturally would have a 50% chance of developing it, too. So, Jacob was conceived via in-vitro fertilization with

On the Cover:

@aleidiaquez comments on

Instagram: “Such great people that make Cleveland proud!!”

preimplantation genetic testing. The 6-pound, 15-ounce boy was born at Cleveland Clinic's Akron General Hospital, a location chosen so LaForce’s sister, AuBree, a family medicine resident there, could deliver him. The couple named Jacob after the place where they first met in 2011: the Cleveland Guardians’ home ballpark, then known as Jacobs Field. At the time, LaForce was a Fox 8 sports reporter and Smith was with the then-Cleveland Indians. “Jacob wasn’t even in our final few favorite names,” LaForce says. “But I asked Joe what he thought when he saw him. He said, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Me, too!’”

@rsoeder comments:

“Nic, nice to see you named one of the most interesting people. You’re in good company.”

Instagram user

@b_ridget1011

comments: “Way to go @councilwomanmauer!"

LAUREN TAMIR INSPIRES THROUGH CLOTHING

Through her brand HNTRESS, Lauren Tamir is taking back her life and empowering women through fashion. clevelandmagazine.com/hntress

SKRTIC’S PICS

Meet your neighbors and the faces behind some of Cleveland’s favorite haunts through the curious camera lens of the Cleveland Public Library’s chief of special projects and collections. clevelandmagazine.com/ skrticspics

Silver Spoon Voting

Our annual foodie event, which supports the Arthritis Foundation, returns in 2023 to celebrate Cleveland's best restaurants. Cast your vote for the city's best bites by Feb. 15 at clevelandmagazine.com/ silverspooncle to see your favorites in May's Best Restaurants issue.

Come experience a summer of fun, adventure and learning for kids 24 months - Grade 12!

We are excited to announce 17 new camps for 2023 and more space in all our programs to accommodate more campers! We hope to see you this Summer at Laurel! For information and to register, visit LaurelSchool

Live #dtCLE - Downtown Living Tours

Sip, snack, and see what it’s like to live in Downtown Cleveland! Participants will be led on a guided tour of five Downtown residences, featuring a variety of residential communities. Along the way, experience the amenities, conveniences, food, and beverages that over 20,000 people already enjoy by calling Downtown Cleveland home.

Bright Nights

Cozy neighborhood pop-ups with winter lights, music, fire and fun! Warm up around cozy outdoor fire pits at various locations Downtown this winter. Enjoy fun music, tasty cocktails, roasted marshmallows and more! There will be four pop-ups during January and February, each taking place on Saturday evenings from 5-8pm. Grab your friends, family, and neighbors, and stop by for some festive fire pit fun!

Ice Fest

On Saturday, February 11th, enjoy a day of free family fun with the return of Ice Fest at North Coast Harbor. There will be live ice carvings, over 25 ice sculpture displays, crafts, hot cocoa, fire pits, and more - all culminating with an outdoor ice bar, a fire and ice tower, and fire performers! The festivities begin at 11am and run til 6pm.

Faceoff on the Lake

Faceoff on the Lake will be played on Feb. 18, when The Ohio State Buckeyes host the Michigan Wolverines in the first-ever hockey game at FirstEnergy stadium.

Brite Winter

A typical February evening on the West Bank of the Flats is pretty quiet. Not so during Brite Winter. Brite Winter marries fire, participatory art, food, music, and games to build community while helping us embrace the cold winter months.

Snow Days Pop-Ups

Snow Day Pop-Ups will spontaneously take place on Mall B Downtown when we receive enough snow accumulations, and will include fun winter activities like tubing, sledding, roasting marshmallows, making snowmen, and more! We will post on Facebook and Instagram the day of, so follow Downtown Cleveland Alliance on social media to find out when the next snow day will be!

THE LAND

MUSICAL MONDAYS

CLEVELAND'S TIKTOK SCENE

WE’RE IN THE STUDIO with The Monday Program — and by studio, we mean a small side room in producer Corey Grand’s upstairs apartment in Cleveland's Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood — and by The Monday Program, we mean the local collective of producers, musicians and artists that meets on a weekly basis. It's more than a jam group; The Monday Program's musicians have created a new collaborative format in the city, all while hosting shows throughout the year. Sitting on the floor and leaning against the back wall, Grand taps beats and samples out of his MIDI controller, finding the groovy heartbeat of a new track. Cassius G and Dorian Walker man the computers at a desk near the window, recording the developing music. Sitting near the doorway, Sted Lee types out verses on his phone, quietly rehearsing his lyrics to the rhythm, and Marcus Alan Ward, on a bench to the side, rips out colorful guitar solos. Here, songs are spun quickly.

Within the span of 45 minutes, they have gone from one sampled beat, to an entire thumping, original track.

Depending on who’s free, The Monday Program brings a crew of music makers to Grand’s apartment every week.

“We’ve had weeks where it’s just me and Dorian, and we’ve had weeks where it’s so packed in the studio and people are outside kicking it in the living room area,” Grand says.

Originally formed by Grand, Walker (aka Walker OG) and Mario Hernandez (aka Unknownphrazes) in 2019, the sessions started on Mondays because it was the only day the musicians consistently had off of work.

Now, three years later, the work those musicians put into the collective has paid off, with a string of music releases both under The Monday Program title and through participants' individual musical projects.

As a loose club of rotating music-makers, The Monday Program’s song credits include Chelsea Pastel, Broken Keys, Chelsea Trullie, 2ssaint, Tezo and Eli Tha Don, along with the group’s core members.

Collaboration is a key to the project, says Grand.

The Monday Program brings together local hip-hop musicians for collaboration and performances.

“I want to make our creative scene a little bit smaller in terms of us knowing each other and being able to help each other,” Grand says. “I think that’s very important for a community to grow and strive.”

The crew sometimes hosts live, open-to-thepublic songwriting sessions, performs at local venues and even put on the debut TMP Fest in 2021. Grand hopes to host three or four songwriting sessions this year, and he also aims to bring back TMP Fest again. Plus, he’s got shows slated for Columbus and in Cleveland, at venues like Crobar and the Winchester Music Tavern.

But first, The Monday Program plans to release a new album, West$ide Market 2, following 2021's West$ide Market. The sequel was mixed at Chicago's Classick Studios in early 2022.

For Grand, now 34, The Monday Program represents a culmination of the work he’s put into Cleveland’s hip-hop and DJ scene for 15

years. At 19, he had just joined the military and decided to pursue music.

“I got a really good refund check after I first joined when I got my income tax,” Grand says. “I took all my money that I had and went and bought this setup: two turntables, a mixer. A real, legit, professional DJ setup.”

After two and a half years of military service, Grand found a mentor in Cleveland’s DJ K NYCE, who introduced him to the local scene. While DJing, he also became interested in production and started releasing his own beats. That led directly into The Monday Program sessions.

“Our tag is: inspire to create. As long as we keep doing that and building and evolving and just creating, I think we’ll be able to uplift Cleveland. I think we’ll be able to uplift our community. I think we’ll be able to make it better,” Grand says. “I think we can at least start inspiring people to work with each other, and inspiring us to not be scared to be creative and to be ourselves.”

That’s why Grand opens his home to Cleveland’s music scene every week. Every Monday.

CHELSEA PASTEL: ELLEN GOBEILLE / STED LEE, MARCUS ALAN WARD, COREY GRAND & WALKER OG: RODERICK JACKSON

The Art of Winter

Brite Winter provides a safe, creative environment for Clevelanders to learn from and build its fantastical, interactive art installations.

In the dead of winter, around February, you will find Wonderland in the cold, dreary Cleveland Flats.

A giant slot machine, bright and whirring, beckons you to play. Then, you stumble onto a train through time, hunting for clues as you make your way out. From there, you find yourself in an odd recreation of your grandfather's basement bar, settings changing like a scene from the movie Everything

Everywhere

All at Once

That magic all around you is Brite Winter — an annual festival dedicated to music, arts and community for the past 14 years. The celebration returns Feb. 25 at the West Bank of the Flats.

“We were just looking for a way to get involved in the community and looked around and said, ‘Like, what’s Cleveland need?’” says

founder Emily Hornack. “At the time, there was very, very little going on between New Year’s and St. Patrick’s Day. Winter in those really, really cold climates — like Minnesota and North Dakota, Canada — it’s something to be celebrated and people look forward to it. We thought, well, let’s see if we can figure out how to do that for Cleveland.”

Brite Winter became just the cold-season activity Hornack dreamed of — dozens of local bands and artists like Grumpy Plum or Oregon Space Trail of Doom coming together for a cold, crisp Cleveland bash. Music stages weave between towering sculptures and interactive art.

But, the real magic sparked when the event partnered with Ingenuity Cleveland around the 2016-17 season.

That pivotal collaboration introduced

community workshops into the planning and construction phases of the festival, effectively turning Brite Winter into weeks of interaction for interested Clevelanders.

“Those workshops are open to anybody, any skill level — the opportunity to walk right in, learn a new technique, be handed a tool that maybe you’ve never used before and help create a tiny piece of a great big vision,” says Ingenuity’s artistic director Emily Appelbaum. “[That’s] something that’s really attractive to Cleveland artists, especially in those cold, dark months, where maybe people are longing for a little bit of community and warmth.”

Event themes since Ingenuity came on board have included last year’s slot machine-spinning “Lucky 13,” or the industrious “By Land, By Sea, By Air.” Starting in late fall, the team brings the themes to life bit by bit before constructing the pieces at the Flats — rain or shine. A core team of around 20 people returns every year, and that number can double or triple when workshops begin in late January and February.

For local artist Amanda Nyx, whose handiwork marked two projects, the train through time and grandpa's basement bar, volunteering for Brite Winter felt life-changing. She’s been back most years since 2019.

“The more I did with art, the more I loved it — the more I realized I’m very capable,” she says. “Ingenuity really helped show me that anybody can show up and learn. There’s nobody out there that I don’t think can be an artist of some kind. And that really inspired me to keep trying to do more stuff, and to keep coming back.”

BY ANTHONY ELDER

A health condition prevents Nyx from attending the event in person every year, but the stories she hears lets her know that their work has an impact. Clevelanders “ooh” and “aah” as they find clues on time-traveling locomotives or meander through Crystal Cave.

Volunteers collaborate with Ingenuity's core team of artists to turn Brite Winter into a wonderland.

When people wander into Brite Winter this February, Hornack will look for those faces of recognition, joy and intrigue as Cleveland comes together to celebrate the cold.

“Those moments where you have people who don’t know each other, who are constructing something together and are proud of it afterward,” she says. “I think those moments are really powerful for creating connections to each other and to our community that have nothing to do with, you know, our family of origin or politics or what street we live on.”

Upload the Future

Cleveland-based Montre Augmentaverse co-founders and University of Akron alumni pioneer augmented reality's future with a cutting-edge app.

WALKING IN THE FLATS one afternoon in 2035, one stops to activate a link visible through augmented reality glasses. The link could lead to a d. a. levy poem, Cleveland Magazine article or video from last night’s Music Box Supper Club show, but it’s powered by Montre Augmentaverse, the Cleveland-grown augmented reality app that's bringing media-sharing to the next tier.

This is the vision of Montre co-founders Ike Dawson, Cambron Jones and Stephen Prewitt. While waiting for Apple to release its rumored AR eyewear, the company plans to integrate digital real estate, avatars adorned by an online retail registry and multiplayer AR games within the augmentaverse.

Best illustrated in 2016 with Pokemon Go, AR transposes digital items onto the physical world. Montre is the first AR app that allows users to share non-preset objects, including audio, within a 150-squarefoot radius.

Dawson, Jones and Prewitt first met at the University of Akron 15 years ago, bonding over Jay-Z albums and video games. Interested in virtual reality but deterred by its cumbersome headsets, Jones began to dabble in AR, eventually programming an AR drawing app.

On a Saturday in April 2021, the University of Akron '06 alumni crowded a table in the student center, trying to fit in with the young blood. Jones pitched the app to Dawson and Prewitt and its evolution began. The trio put $800 into the project. In August 2021, Montre launched in Apple’s app store.

According to Fortune Business Insights, AR is estimated to be worth $97.7 billion by 2028. By 2030, Grand View Research predicts $597.5 billion. Jones doesn’t scoff at the projections, especially after the explosion of social media. Augmentaverse remains a fluid concept — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is actively defining the Metaverse. Montre’s largest challenge is explaining its revolutionary app.

“We can’t say, ‘Oh, it’s like Instagram’ or ‘It’s like Facebook,’ because it’s not,” Jones says.

“If people have a hard time understanding what you’re doing, that means that it hasn’t been done yet. People only understand what has already been done.”

Montre’s namesake — meaning “watch” or “show” in French — alludes to this point.

While an Android version of the app is an overdue, smaller step for the next year, Jones is most excited to launch digital real estate.

The most turbulent, albeit fascinating, aspect of the augmentaverse, digital real estate charges a user for control of a cyber area. Montre users could upload as they please, but the owner of the digital space would have the power to monitor undesired content. (Think Pepsi buying a city block and deleting Coca-Cola ads from its Pepsicontrolled area.) Jones envisions rates for the digital spaces could be set based on popularity or time of day.

Without fees or gatekeepers, Dawson says he hopes the name Montre will one day be synonymous with free expression. Montre's AR art shows at Re:Bar in November 2021 and FutureLAND in October 2022 proved, with Montre, artists can host shows virtually anywhere.

But until 2035, we’ll just have montre

Montre's largest challenge is explaining its revolutionary app, especially to a tech-hesitant Midwest.

Cleveland’s Hilarious Secret

Three Cleveland comics are expanding local comedy through their “nomadic comedy club," Secret Society Comedy.

Comedian Gheramy Demery recalls life before the secret. Things felt a bit boring, unfulfilled.

He’d quit booze just a couple of years before, and that meant going straight home after comedy events. With his wife working late as a bartender, he often found himself alone in front of the TV. Demery needed something to do.

“I just was kind of bummed out,” he says. “I didn’t want to watch TV … what good am I doing if I’m not trying to further myself or become a better comic?"

In a town where most entertainment creeps to a halt after 11 p.m. — and a malaise Demery couldn’t stand — an idea struck in the form of Secret Society Comedy. The weekly, latenight show provides a joke-fueled haven for comics and anyone else in need of something to do as the city dozes off.

But wait, there’s a twist: The venue changes every week, keeping establishments like XYZ the Tavern open well past closing. This, says event’s co-founder David Horning, lends itself to the air of secrecy and an easier commitment for the venues.

After its start in January 2022 at Heart of Gold, Secret Society finished the year with more than 50 shows across 22 Northeast Ohio venues, each garnering anywhere from around 10 to more than 100 guests. For founders Demery, Horning and Bryan Sternik, a newfound

sense of community and unique performance opportunity keeps the ball rolling.

“I’m thrilled with the way it evolved,” Horning says. “We kind of leaned into and expanded this ‘nomad’ comedy club.”

For that very reason, the founders gained traction outside of the usual comedy haunts, mainly Downtown and a peppering of spots on the east and west sides. Now, Secret Society Comedy takes local artists a bit further, to venues like ThornCreek Winery & Gardens in Aurora, where the trio filled 125 seats. The loose, after-show nature of the society’s weekly meeting provides local comedians the chance to grow, utilizing the lax vibe to work out new material. The environment emulates the trial-and-error ethos of nightly comedy clubs in cities like New York City and Los Angeles, famous establishments like Comedy Cellar and The Comedy Store, respectively.

“It’s not original to those cities, but it’s

original to Cleveland,” Horning says. “We wanted to bring big-city comedy to Cleveland.”

Despite the year of success, Demery recalls the difficulty he faced prior to takeoff. “Everyone told me it wouldn’t work — called it a pipe dream,” he says with a laugh. “I’m not even convinced [David] thought it was a good idea when he agreed.”

Secret Society's founders knew their latenight comedy show would be a hard sell — they consider Hilarities 4th Street Theatre one of the greatest comedy houses in the nation and acknowledge Cleveland’s early bedtime — but the idea persisted and eventually thrived, and won’t go quiet until “comics stop showing up,” Horning says. “This is building that community, it’s building that society part of Secret Society. We want people to feel like they’re in on something together … kind of getting in on a secret together. And the secret is that Cleveland has a killer comedy scene.”

David Horning (above) and cofounders Gheramy Demery, Bryan Sternik (left) performing at Mahall's 20 Lanes.

TikTok in the City

The social media app is a popular pick for Northeast Ohio creatives.

TIKTOK IS A PLACE OF DANCE MOVES, stunts, comedy and storytelling. If you scroll through enough videos (which is not hard to do), you might also come across a bit of Cleveland, too. Northeast Ohio is a home to plenty of the social media platform’s creators — and they’re making videos on every topic imaginable. Since 2018, TikTok has been available for download in the United States, and it’s boomed in recent

years, regularly rated as the number one social media app with more than one billion downloads. We dug around on TikTok to find some local content creators worth following for music, travel, Cleveland sports and even roller skating. Also, be sure to follow us (@clevelandmag) for videos about ways to spend your time in the city. Here are eight local TikTok channels you should check out. (All follower counts as of Jan. 10.)

@GAMEBOYJONES

FOLLOWERS: 328,000

LOCATION: Kent

AUSTIN JONES (aka GameboyJones) finds inspiration from his favorite games and pop culture, and he promotes his original music and collaborations on TikTok. Some of his mixes have gone viral, including his song about My Hero Academia characters (used in more than 13,000 videos). Beyond TikTok, you can also find him on Instagram, YouTube and other sites.

“Growth is very fast once you get a hit on here, and it really helped grow my music career more,” Jones says. “I’m lucky because a lot of fan bases on TikTok don’t stick around to the people they follow, but a lot of them moved over to other platforms with me."

@WANDERLUSTINOHIO

FOLLOWERS: 78,500

LOCATION: Cleveland

MADY STONER joined TikTok in 2020, using the platform to share videos of her travels around the state of Ohio. She quickly gained followers for showing the highlights and hidden gems of the state, often encouraging people to get outside — all while defending Cleveland against its haters.

“It always confuses me when I get a ton of comments bashing Ohio or making jokes about it. But hey, any comments boost my posts,” Stoner says. “But in all seriousness, the intent of my page was to show people you don’t have to go on these extravagant vacations or trips to have an adventure and get out there and explore.”

@HANNAH_UNLOST

FOLLOWERS: 54,100

LOCATION: Cleveland

HANNAH HINES, a recent Cleveland resident, has been getting to know the city and its suburbs real-time on her TikTok channel. Her trips hunting for vintage finds and checking out new restaurants and businesses have amassed quite a following, with millions of views on her videos.

“I thought it would be fun to bring people along on the adventure but I did not have any expectations,” Hines says. “It’s the local impact and community building I really appreciate. There are a lot of stereotypes people have about Cleveland or Ohio, and I love proving people wrong because there is so much beauty here.”

@BRANDONTHEDM

FOLLOWERS: 343,300

LOCATION: Youngstown

BRANDON THARP drew headlines this past year when he hosted an in-person Dungeons & Dragons game with several Cleveland Browns players. The Youngstown-based dungeon master also regularly posts about D&D culture, his D&D campaigns and his design company The Cantrip Cast.

“It’s been kind of surreal to see the type of audience I was able to grow, that has supported not just myself but also my business,” Tharp says. “[We can] continue doing adventures and completing tasks that we never would have thought would be possible, when I first started doing this stuff a few years ago.”

@SIRYACHT FOLLOWERS: 471,800 LOCATION: Cleveland

JOEY KINSLEY, or SirYacht, provides antics you’d only find in Cleveland, including, but not limited to, drinking a hot chocolate every time a team scored a touchdown at a recent Browns game, spending 24 hours on a raft in Lake Erie or showcasing the “weirdest” Ohio towns. Kinsley creates a slew of sketches and homages that’ll hit home for Ohioans.

“I think people appreciate when they’re represented,” he says. “When they feel like ‘Oh my god, like, they’re talking about me. They’re talking about my town,’ like Chardon, Ohio.”

While the content creator stays incredibly active on TikTok, you can find him nearly anywhere, from YouTube to Instagram, even his podcast named "Hard Knots" (formerly, the “Sir Yacht Show").

Since achieving fame, Kinsley finds it funny the way people regularly don't know his real name.

" I never really even hear my name anymore" he says. "I don't have my real name on social media like I used to, people come up and are like 'So, should we call you Sir?'"

@ITSREBECCAMAXWELL

FOLLOWERS: 46,000 LOCATION: Cleveland

REBECCA MAXWELL’S three most-viewed TikToks exemplify Cleveland well: outfits curated for Browns games made from her own DIY Etsy pieces, memes poking fun at the local bar scene and a November wine and cheese party that could have you hibernating until June. Perhaps you showed up for the quirky Cleveland gear, courtesy of her business Two One Thrift, but you’ll stay for that sense of humor only found in a Rust Belt city. According to Maxwell, she resisted joining the app, and especially posting to it, for a while. Caving in helped connect her to the city and bolstered her already extroverted nature.

“Just start, because you don’t know how comfortable you’re gonna get,” she says. “Now, you know, that part of my personality is coming out and that’s what people want to see. And that’s how you really grow, is [by] showing your true personality.”

An added bonus for Maxwell comes in the form of patrons recognizing her while she bartends, an instant connection to people.

@TEMPTESTNICOLE FOLLOWERS: 213,100 LOCATION: Cleveland

TEMPTEST NICOLE HALL spends much of her free time skating at Greater Cleveland rinks when she's not working at her full time job as a flight attendant. Hall started skating in 2016 and hasn't slowed down since, gaining new skills, tricks and moves while gliding across the rink floor. You can see it all on her TikTok and Instagram channels, highlighting her versatile moves, which include the unique “Cleveland Style” of roller skating, incorporating twists, swaying, jumps and drops.

“If you were to describe Cleveland Freestyle, I swear, it’s like artistic skating with swag,” Hall says.

Her videos have amassed millions of views, making her one of the city’s biggest skating stars. Recently, Hall's even been recognized in public, thanks to her strong TikTok following.

“I went to the Steelyard Walmart a couple of months ago, and I was getting a cheap watch for training,” Hall says. “This lady looked at me and was like, ‘Oh my god, I know you. Aren’t you on TikTok? Don’t you roller skate?’”

@LANEYINTHELAND FOLLOWERS: 107,000 LOCATION: Akron

LANEY HENDERSHOT may as well be a hired guide with TikTok videos focused on Ohio shopping, dining, nightlife and more. You can skip the guidebooks thanks to her videos; like a condensed vlog, travel with Hendershot to Easton for a boutique spree, to Cordelia in downtown Cleveland for brunch or, simply, to Hendershot’s couch, where she dishes about Tim Misny’s infamous new billboards.

“When people think about Ohio or like, Cleveland, they think about it being the ‘mistake on the lake,’ or they think about the fact that 50 years ago, we had a river catch on fire,” Hendershot says. “They’re very out-of-date stereotypes that have stuck around. And what TikTok [does], because it’s so visual, it’s so quick … you can really capture people’s attention within a couple of seconds. It’s so important to highlight what our city has to offer.”

On an app where many users take negative shots at Ohio, Hendershot serves as one of The Land's loudest champions.

FEAST

FORAGE &

22

INSIDE BEN BEBENROTH'S EXPANSION PLAN FOR BOOM'S PIZZA

24

DINING GUIDE: CLEVELAND'S BLACK-OWNED RESTAURANTS

Boom's Pizza

Modern Accounting

Boom’s Pizza opened in January, putting former Spice Kitchen & Bar chef Ben Bebenroth on track to open five restaurants in the next five years.

or that claim farm-to-table practices.

He told stories on the plate, and those tales were delicious. But they were not always efficient or profitable.

“Running a sustainable food business was the least sustainable thing I’ve ever done,” he says. “It was 90 hours a week to lose $90,000 a year.”

After the restaurant closed, Bebenroth’s focus turned to Spice Catering Co. Though events slowed down, the business survived thanks to partnerships with dozens of wedding venues, including next-door neighbor Gordon Green, and innovative outdoor and virtual events that called for boxed lunches. Plus, the margins are much better in catering since there is no food waste: You know exactly how much product you need.

Bebenroth also ramped up work at Spice Acres, his 13-acre farm in Brecksville. Meanwhile, his Spice Field Kitchen, a hands-on farm tour and food-prep class with a 501(c)(3) designation in Cleveland became incredibly of the moment with supply chain uncertainties and a trend toward sowing your own garden, literally and metaphorically. Over the past three years, Bebenroth’s crew has even extolled the virtues of gardening, agriculture and nutrition to more than 5,000 local students through partnerships with eight schools.

“We’re trying to create an environment where kids are open to trying vegetables and fruits and connecting them with the source of nutrition, which is healthy soil,” he says. “A lot of these kids just don’t have access to this stuff, and then that’s how we end up with all these really high rates of dietary-related diseases in the region.”

owner

Chef and restaurateur Ben Bebenroth could see the restaurant industry’s future — and it looked bleak.

This was February 2020, and though a pandemic was consuming Asia and even Europe, most Americans hadn’t even heard of it. But Bebenroth, a former Marine, was getting dispatches from family members in the military and living in other countries. As he prepared for the worst, his employees thought he’d become some sort of doomsday prepper.

“They were feeding me information from all over the world,” says Bebenroth. “Way before we had any idea of what was going to happen in the United States, I was preparing my team for this level of disruption.”

On March 16, 2020, mere hours into the pandemic shutdown, Bebenroth closed his acclaimed Gordon Square restaurant Spice Kitchen & Bar, which had opened eight years earlier. It was the first major Cleveland restaurant taken by the pandemic, though certainly not the last. You missed out if you didn’t get a taste of his creative, hyperlocal and often-foraged dishes. Luckily, you can still see his restaurant’s influence on menus across Cleveland — especially any that focus on using vegetables in innovative ways

But in the background, Bebenroth was working on a new project, one that carries on the tradition of Spice but is hopefully much kinder to the bottom line. The kind of business that offers quality and scalability, not artistry at the expense of profitability. That’s how he settled on pizza.

says.

Trade publication PMQ Pizza Magazine’s annual Pizza Power Report found that pizza restaurants barely saw a dip from October 2019 to September 2020. The following fiscal year, sales for independent pizzerias went up by more than half a percentage, as did the total number of independent pizzerias. Pizza is a $46.9 billion business and makes up 9.5% of restaurant sales. Take that and add in a busy corner of Lakewood, which sees 20,000 passing cars a day and sits near 250,000 high-income residents within five miles, says Bebenroth, and you've got a recipe for profit.

Yep, the foraging farmer chef is thinking a little

“Pizza is the largest food group ever bought out of the home," Boom's Pizza

Ben Bebenroth

differently now.

“If you want to make a big impact in food, you have to sell what sells,” he says. “Pizza is the largest food group ever bought out of the home. And man, I love pizza.”

Opened in January in Lakewood, Boom’s Pizza turns that beloved grab-a-pie culture on its head. The 40-seat pizzeria occupies the former Campbell’s Sweets Factory, which sits on the corner of Detroit Avenue and Warren Road next to the flagship Melt Bar & Grilled. That’s not an accident. Bebenroth sees chef Matt Fish’s local-grown grilled cheese chain and its 11 locations as inspiration. And while he gives boutique spots like Cent’s Pizza & Goods and Citizen Pie their props, Bebenroth is thinking more along the lines of regional chains like the 24-location Dewey’s Pizza, which is famous for its “people-focused approach,” he says.

“Five stores in five years; that’s the goal,” says Bebenroth. “Once we have five running profitably (in Northeast Ohio), we can get to Columbus. Then that will be the jumping-off point where we can go further if we want to.”

The concept is built around a fairly concise menu of 12 pies, two salads, 30 beers, 10 wines and Klondike bars for dessert. The pizzas range from a traditional cheese pizza to a sausage with

oven-roasted banana peppers and a ‘za with kale and dates. A dedication to entirely American ingredients means Bianco DiNapoli Organic Tomatoes, California olive oil and pepperoni from Ezzo Sausage Co. in Columbus.

“It’s a simple pizza joint where you can just grab a bottle of wine and sit and eat, or grab a six-pack for the road and head home,” Bebenroth says. “We found that 60% of pizza sales (nationally) are delco (delivery and carry-out), so we’ve got 15-minute spots on the side of the building for pickup and DoorDash.”

A good crust is the truest signifier of greatness in the pizza world, which is why Bebenroth and business partner Jonathon Bennett (who formerly led kitchens such as Moxie and Red, the Steakhouse) spent two years developing theirs. Boom’s dough is crispy with an aerated crust thanks to slow, cold fermentation. Once that process is through, Boom’s dough can wait another three days before it’s tossed in the oven. Most pizzerias’ dough must be cooked the same day. Innovations like this make Bennett a “mad scientist,” Bebenroth says.

“JB always reminds me that we need to make sure the customer can taste the effort,” says Bebenroth. “Spice was very prideful and good for the local economy and environment, but the customer couldn’t necessarily taste all that.”

Born of hard times, as its motto goes, Boom’s Pizza was named after Bebenroth’s grandfather, Carl. Bebenroth might’ve faced the pandemic, but the real “Boom” fought in World War II, survived the Great Depression and somehow

raised four kids, with his wife, Rita, as a union electrician in an 800-square-foot house in Parma. Yet, Boom saved enough money in his lifetime to surprise his family with a large investment portfolio when he died. That smarter-not-harder approach is fueling Bebenroth’s next chapter.

“Now’s the time in my life to build wealth,” he says. “Not necessarily because I like money but so I can do more good.”

But despite all the boardroom talk, the artist must be there somewhere. Right?

“I’ve kind of transitioned from being this super ingredient-driven, uber-creative, ‘what can we find in the woods and ferment, and then tell a 15-minute story about’ person. That’s a really ego-driven place to be. I feel like it’s wrong to expect an employee base to succeed in an environment that the customer doesn’t necessarily want to be a part of,” he says. “Time is the new currency. Our clientele is almost allergic to longform dining. They don’t want to hear a f—ing story. They don’t want to wait 10 minutes for the waiter to quit tripping over their notebook so they can order a cocktail. They want a quick bite. There aren’t enough anniversaries and birthdays in this city. But pizza night happens every night.”

So yes, these days, the man who once described his approach to Cleveland Magazine as a balance between “creativity and catastrophe,” is talking much more about demographics and scalability than tweezers and garnishes.

And he thinks more restaurateurs should follow in his footsteps. He’s desperate to see the industry innovate, especially in the face of challenges like global food shortages caused by climate change and conflict.

“The dust has not settled,” he says. “We need to lean into local sourcing and start innovating around these topics.”

Don’t forget, he’s been prophetic before.

After opening in January in Lakewood, Boom’s Pizza has turned the beloved grab-a-pie culture on its head.

Dining Guide

A TASTE OF CLEVELAND'S BLACK-OWNED RESTAURANTS

ARCHIE'S HOUGH BAKERY

WHY WE LOVE IT: Archie Garner Sr. and his team at this nationally known bakery have been making cakes, cookies, brownies and other goodies since he took over the business in 1994. “The brand and the product is what keeps people coming back,” Garner says. TRY THIS: Locals order the white almond cake ($42.99) for family celebrations, Garner says. 3365 Richmond Road, Beachwood, 216-481-4188, archieshoughbakeries.com

ANGIE’S SOUL CAFE

WHY WE LOVE IT: After getting her start in soul food cooking in 1970s Cleveland, chef Angie Jeter in 1986 opened the first of several scratch soul-food kitchens that now span 25 years and three generations. TRY THIS: The fried chicken sandwich (white meat $9; dark $8.50) with fresh fries is a tasty staple. 7815 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, 216-426-8891, angiessoulcafe.com

BECKHAM’S B&M BAR B QUE

222 COLD BREW SPECIALTY DRINKS & CEREAL BAR

WHY WE LOVE IT: We feel like a kid ready for Saturday morning again at this self-proclaimed hidden gem dishing up 100 varieties of Insta-worthy cereal, candy and cookie-infused milkshakes and other delights. TRY THIS: “Our cookies & cream milkshake ($7) is our No. 1 seller as far as our milkshakes,” says owner Robyn Fossen, who says her culinary background has helped her launch the business 768 E. 222nd St., Euclid, 216-635-8210, facebook.com/222coldbrew

ACADEMY TAVERN ON LARCHMERE

WHY WE LOVE IT: “We are one of the oldest drinking establishments in Northeast Ohio, serving cocktails after Prohibition in 1939,” says owner Christopher Butler, who preserved original building features of this casual hotspot. TRY THIS: The Academy Burger ($13) featuring bacon, Academy Sauce, Swiss cheese and American cheese sauce with fresh-cut fries is a highlight. 12800 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland, 216-229-1171, academytaverncle.com

WHY WE LOVE IT: Tasty authentic barbecue and from-scratch Southern cuisine crafted from family recipes are two reasons why this long-running (since 1958) restaurant and its second location are must-visits. TRY THIS: The two wings, two ribs and fries ($11.99) meal can’t be beat. 21921 Miles Road, North Randall; 23840 Broadway Ave., Cleveland, gotribsbbq.com

BRATENAHL KITCHEN

WHY WE LOVE IT: The storefront of this authentic Caribbean takeout spot in Collinwood may be small, but the cuisine packs big flavor. TRY THIS: Take home the spicy chicken curry ($12). 14002 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland, 216-383-1874, bratenahlkitchentogo.com

Habesha Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant

THE CRISPY CHICK

WHY WE LOVE IT: This female-owned business focuses on chicken cooked up with wholesome locally sourced ingredients served with delectable homemade sauces and seasonings. TRY THIS: The Mega Meal ($14.50) with six chicken strips, fresh-cut fries, coleslaw, two sauces, garlic butter toasts and a large drink. 5618 Woodland Ave., Cleveland, 216-331-4700, thecrispychick.com

FAWAKY BURST JUICE & SMOOTHIE CAFE

WHY WE LOVE IT: Clevelanders in the know quench their thirst (and hunger) with a flavorful lineup of juices, smoothies and halal food from Fawaky cafes. TRY THIS: The PB & J protein smoothie ($6) feels both indulgent and healthy, complete with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas and almond milk.

1750 Ansel Road, Cleveland; 7021 Kinsman Road, Cleveland, 216-438-3289, fawakyburst.com

FILTER

WHY WE LOVE IT: “Filter is an Instagramable moment and place. It feels like something Cleveland hasn’t had in a long time,” says owner and creator Kyler Smith of the experiential American and seafood restaurant that opened in March. TRY THIS: Customers have been lining up for the blackened honey chipotle salmon ($30) with fried rice and mango salsa, says Smith. 740 W. Superior Ave., Cleveland, 216-4155481, filterexperience.com

THE FOUR BISTRO AND WINE BAR

WHY WE LOVE IT: Delicious comfort food (like savory Cajun grits or the chicken wing dinner) makes this casual restaurant and watering hole a must-visit. TRY THIS: The Alfredo pasta with shrimp ($16) is a customer favorite. 4450 Mayfield Road, South Euclid, 216-860-0364, instagram.com/the4bistro

GOODFELLAS BBQ

WHY WE LOVE IT: Darryl Rugley’s team excels at mouthwatering soul food, barbecue and seafood. TRY THIS: Devour the rib dinner ($22) with two sides of your choice (like the mac and cheese, baked beans or coleslaw). 5156 Wilson Mills Road, Richmond Heights, 440-421-9640, instagram.com/ goodfellasbbq

HABESHA ETHIOPIAN AND ERITREAN RESTAURANT

WHY WE LOVE IT: Locals enjoy the tasty authentic Ethiopian eats in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in Cleveland's Kamm's Corners neighborhood. TRY THIS: Spice lovers dig the awaze tibs ($17), strips of beef sauteed in seasoned butter, red peppers and onions in awaze paste. 16860 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216-400-6539, habeshacle.com

IRIE JAMAICAN KITCHEN

WHY WE LOVE IT: Cleveland's favorite fast-casual, build-your-own Jamaican spot is growing into a mini empire. “Irie is for everybody. I see a lot of lovely different people coming together and loving the food and vibe,” says chef and owner Omar McKay. TRY THIS: The three eateries serve up delicious bowls of best-selling jerk chicken ($8.99). 4162 Pearl Road, Old Brooklyn, 216-291-7488; 621 E. 185th St., Euclid, 216-350-6112; 837 W. Market St., Akron, 330-3339020, iriejakitchen.com

KIM’S WINGS

WHY WE LOVE IT: Since 1975, Kim and family have been serving up savory ribs, shrimp, fish, Polish Boys, homestyle sides and wings at three locations beloved by their neighborhoods. Each dish showcases the restaurant's signature sauce, a ketchup- and vinegar-based barbecue sauce. TRY THIS: Grab five wings ($8) with homestyle backyard barbecue sauce. 14909 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland; 22382 Lakeshore Blvd., Euclid; 12459 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights

PRIMO AFRICAN CUISINE

WHY WE LOVE IT: Serving up African cuisine in a modern lavish ambiance, Primo’s thoughtfully prepared seafood, steaks and cocktails are sure to impress. TRY THIS: The carre d’agneau ($45) is tender and tasty (grilled lamb chops rubbed in spices). 2123 E Second St., Cleveland, primoquisine.com

SOUTHERN CAFE

WHY WE LOVE IT: Chef Tony Fortner’s innovative twists on traditional soul food excels at this unassuming Lakewood eatery. TRY THIS: Who can say no to buttermilk fried chicken and red velvet waffles ($17) served with creamy low-country grits and three wings? 11817 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-801-4535, southerncafeohio.com

THE ROAMING BISCUIT

WHY WE LOVE IT: Formerly CLE Biscuitheads pop-up, the Roaming Biscuit creates the same biscuits, sammies and other baked goods at its Tyler Village location. “We love what we do and have fun while doing it,” says owner Shawnda Moye. TRY THIS: The star menu item is the smoked brisket, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich ($9.50), says Moye. 3615 Superior Ave., Cleveland, theroamingbiscuit.com

SAUCE THE CITY

WHY WE LOVE IT: Chef Victor Searcy Jr., aka “Chef Vick,” developed his own signature line of sauces as a student at Kent State University and grew the business through local markets, fairs and festivals before opening the restaurant with showstopping juicy chicken sandwiches. TRY THIS: Test your own heat index with the Cleveland Hot Chicken Sandwich ($14.95) made with Kooling Sauce Chicken, tossed in house hot sauce, topped with house kale slaw and sprinkled with Sauce Fire Seasoning. 14480 Cedar Road, University Heights, 216-331-2624, saucethecitycleveland.com

TASTE OF JAMACIA

WHY WE LOVE IT: No frills — just tasty, spicy, authentic Jamaican eats produced with fresh ingredients. TRY THIS: Enjoy the much-loved oxtail stew ($20, large) coupled with two sides of choice, rice and vegetable. 5104 Mayfield Road, Lyndhurst, 440-565-7230, tasteofjamaica5104.com

UJERK CARIBBEAN EATERY

WHY WE LOVE IT: UJerk offers fresh Caribbean cuisine that is spicy, modern and flavorful. TRY THIS: The jerk chicken sandwich ($15) features a juicy, boneless Jamaican seasoned chicken thigh. 850 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-6750022, ujerknation.com

THE VEGAN DOUGHNUT CO.

WHY WE LOVE IT: When sisters Kharisma and Kyra Mayo ventured into veganism and noticed a lack of local vegan doughnut options, they couldn't have imagined that they would eventually perfect their own recipe. Yet in 2018, the sisters opened the first all-vegan doughnut shop in Ohio. Today, at its Madison avenue location, the bakery flaunts tasty creations that even carnivores wait in line for. TRY THIS: Reminisce on cafeteria days with the Strawberry Shortcake doughnut ($3.25), a yeast doughnut topped with strawberry crunch, strawberry icing and fresh strawberries. 14811 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, thevegandoughnutco.com

WHITMORE’S BAR-B-QUE

WHY WE LOVE IT: Chef Vance Whitmore and his family have been barbecuing since 1942. TRY THIS: Go for the juicy, flavorful full slab rib dinner ($35). 20209 Harvard Ave., Warrensville Heights, 216-752-3960, facebook.com/whitmoresbbq

ZANZIBAR SOUL FUSION

WHY WE LOVE IT: With a vibrant history dating to 1985, this trio of casual traditional soul food hotspots cooks up delectable Southern cuisine. TRY THIS: Start with the grilled shrimp and grits ($11.50), accompanied by onion and peppers marinated in Creole sauce, served on a bed of creamy grits. Multiple locations, zanzibarohio.com

ZOMA ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT

WHY WE LOVE IT: Stop by Zoma for appetizing authentic Ethiopian fare in a cute African-inspired atmosphere. TRY THIS: Save room for some sweet baklava ($5). 2240 Lee Road, Cleveland, 216-465-3239, zomacleveland.com

WANT MORE?

Check out more recommendations at clevelandmagazine.com/food-drink

GLAMOUR

GRIT &

32

VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE

34

WE T R I E D IT

HEART ON FIRE

INSIDE RAVENCREST

A SIGH OF HAPPINESS passed through my lips as I pulled into the parking lot of M Italian. But I wasn’t here for a meal. I round the corner and open the wide, wooden double doors, turning my back to patrons sipping wine and eating pasta in favor of the room of giant furnaces and roaring flames just to the right. The Glass Asylum appears in front of me and, though I should have expected this, it’s way too warm inside to be wearing my parka. The heat hits my face immediately as glass-blown light fixtures in funky patterns dance above my head. It feels overwhelming at first, but in the very best way. A few women sit at a low top table, planning the color, pattern and design of their custom-made creations under the watchful eye of the studio's experts. The last thing I expect is a greeting from the shop dog, Millie, reminding me fondly of my childhood dog of the same name. Yes, this is going to be a good day.

Opened in 2017 by Marine Corps veteran and self-taught glass artist Christopher Crimaldi, the studio attached to M Italian on Chagrin Falls’ bustling Orange Street is alight with colorful glass creations and eager first-timers who wait to cross the yellow safety line into the space where the magic happens (after putting on safety goggles, of course).

Cleveland Magazine associate art director Abigail Archer and I are welcomed by employee Kailee Barile and introduced to the options of what we can make. Archer chooses a whiskey tumbler ($80) the color of a rainbow, sprinkled with a confetti-style appearance. I opt for a red and pink swirled heart-shaped ring holder ($75) in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Once we make our selections, we are ushered to a high top beneath an elaborate glass chandelier and provided sparkling water to sip while listening to the all-important safety speech from Dean Wehrenberg and Dominic Bender, the glass masters who would carry us through the day.

“Ninety-nine percent of people have no idea

how it works or how it starts,” says Wehrenberg, who began glass blowing in college as part of his art major. “You see them connect the dots and their faces light up.”

Once I pass the yellow line and stand in front of a multi-thousand-degree furnace, I watch, mystified, as melted glass appears on the rod Bender holds. Suddenly, the ball is in my court. I hold onto the rod and swirl in my chosen pink,

red and white color all while Archer cheers me on from the safety of our table.

Much of the furnace-facing work is done by skilled artisans as a means to ensure safety, but that doesn’t mean the day lacks hands-on experience.

I am directed to a bench where Wehrenberg shows me how to use the block, a C-shaped bowl coated in water and affixed to a wooden handle

that, with enough force and pressure, helps round out and smooth the glass. I begin to push up on the block as I twist the glass on the rod, a multitask that seemed a lot simpler before I was holding something molten.

Bender takes the rod and goes back to the furnace to melt the glass again, the material needing to be reshaped every few minutes to ensure it doesn't crack and is easy to manipulate.

When he returns, I am equipped with a cherry wood paddle that looks like it’s seen its fair share of flames and I wonder what I am getting myself into. The safety tips from my elementary school fire prevention week work their way into my mind.

I kneel down on the ground as Bender spins the rod containing my swirling glob of glass and instructs me to push the paddle up against it.

“Push so hard it’s like you’re trying to push me off the bench,” he instructs. It’s not like I hadn’t played with fire before (growing up with a firefighter for a dad ensures that) but this was different. Here, the flames were building something, not destroying it.

After Archer and I played like the fire bend-

ers in Avatar: The Last Airbender, we were told our creations would be ready to pick up in three days (which feels like an eternity when you just built something from melted silica base and a 2,100-degree fire).

By the time we leave, the warmth inside feels comfortable, and I dread going back into the cold. So I stop to chat with studio manager Jodie Jacobson while she tells me about the people who come in wide-eyed and eager to try the art, as well as the custom lighting side of the business where people can order fixtures for their homes much like the ones above my head or next door in the restaurant.

With a lovely new place to keep my rings, I leave feeling happy to have tried something new that also somehow seemed to have roots in my childhood and already anxious to go back and create more home decor.

WHEN YOU GO

The Glass Asylum 22 W. Orange St., Chagrin Falls, 440-394-8483 theglassasylum.com

Love Language

Looking for a Valentine's Day present for your S.O.? Try these local gifts and experiences.

ROMANTIC SPIRIT BATH SALTS: CHAGRIN VALLEY SOAP & SALVE CO.

$15.50

Good for the skin and soul, this organic, vegan blend of Himalayan pink salt, French gray sea salt and patchouli essential oil combines to make the “Love and Comfort” scent that soothes the skin and creates an air of romance. chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.co

ROSES & BERRIES BOX: ZUZU CHOCOLATES

$100

Let your partner unwrap the gift of delicacy with a luxurious ribbon-wrapped, 8-inch-wide, 6-and-a-half-inch-deep treat box to reveal two layers. On the first layer, find a garden of a dozen red roses. Underneath, enjoy a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries. The latter can be substituted with truffles, assorted chocolates or chocolate-covered grapes. sites.google.com/zuzuchocolates.com/choc/home

INDOOR LUXURY PICNIC: PLEASANT PICNIC STARTS AT $220

Sar’de Steele is a florist by trade who can create a bountiful, luxury bouquet for your beau and also plan the perfect picnic for two featuring decorations, charcuterie boards, games, music and more. You can customize the experience any way you like, and you don’t have to worry about set up or tear down; Steele has you covered. pleasantpicnic.simplybook.me

ENGRAVED COORDINATES BRACELET: LAKE ERIE METAL WORKS

$13.99

For those who want to commemorate an important time and place — maybe a first date or anniversary — or if long distance is your circumstance this Valentine’s Day, try out these aluminum bracelets customized with the coordinates of your significant other’s location to carry a piece of them with you wherever you go. lem.works

COUPLES JOURNEY: WALDEN STARTS AROUND

$944.98-$1,044.98

What could be better than a day of being pampered side by side with your date? Build your own spa day in a private suite that features a fireplace, soaking tub, massage beds and time spent together without the rush. yourwalden.com

CITY MAP: WHEREABOUTS SHOP

$15-$50

With more than 50 cities to choose from (and Lake Erie’s islands), select a piece from local art teacher Katie Ford who recreates local maps with a decorative flair to commemorate the significant places in your relationship. Coming in a variety of colors and styles, they make the perfect accent to any home. whereaboutsshop.com

LITERARY LOVERS: VISIBLE VOICE BOOKS

$60

We’ve all got a book lover in our lives, so if that person happens to be your date, make their literary dreams come true by reserving a table at the bookstore to enjoy shopping, $5 of instore credit per person, a charcuterie board for two and a bottle of wine. visiblevoicebooks.com

GOLD STRING DIAMOND HEART

NECKLACE: GENA PAGE DESIGNS

$78

Jewelry is a classic gift for Valentine’s Day, and you can’t go wrong with it, especially with a creation from a local maker. This dainty piece features a diamond pave heart charm affixed to a gold-filled chain, making it a lovely accent to your date's outfit. genapagedesigns.com

OHIO LOVE TEE: CLEVELAND CLOTHING CO.

$28

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about romance. Show off your love for The Land and the Buckeye State on Valentine’s Day (even if the bitter cold makes us wish we were someplace warmer). This tee from the fan-favorite Cleveland Clothing Co. lets you wear your heart for home right on your chest. clevelandclothingco.com

CUSTOM LIGHTED SIGN: CAMPBELL SIGNS AND APPAREL PRICES VARY

Custom signs have been gaining popularity as they add a touch of personalization to the home, and this East Liverpool shop will make you a lighted sign any way you like as a statement-maker for your basement, kitchen, family room and more. campbellsa.com

History and Luxury

The $15 million Ravencrest estate in Hunting Valley is steeped with historic design and rustic flair.

Everyone has their dream home in mind. Maybe it has a big yard with plenty of room for the kids and the dogs. Maybe it has kitchen fit for a master chef or an indoor pool. The Ravencrest estate in Hunting Valley has all of these with a “bargain” of a price tag, listed at $15 million dollars.

“It’s a lot of money, but for what you’re getting, it’s the bargain of the century,” says Howard Hanna's Adam Kaufman, the property's listing agent.

This English country manor is certainly

luxurious in outward appearance from its stone exterior to its manicured lawns. While the inside oozes the same feel, it also comes off as homey and down to earth.

“That all-natural stone and timber with a Virginia slate roof are just warm and inviting,” says Kaufman.

Exposed stone and vaulted ceilings with wooden beams give it an Old-English sense of style. Picture windows invite natural light that glistens against the wooden flooring and cabinetry throughout, bringing in a bit of country to

this haven outside the city.

The home, built in 2009, is more than 35,000-square-feet and sits on just above 155 acres of land, which alone would be equivalent to the asking price of the house. That’s what gives it the “bargain” price tag, Kaufman says.

What takes up all that space? According to the estate’s website, it’s six bedrooms, 12.5 bathrooms and an eight-car garage. But that just scratches the surface.

“It has a movie theater, a wine cellar that rivals any wine cellar, a gym that rivals any gym, an indoor pool, indoor sports court, two-story rock-climbing wall, you name it,” says Kaufman. “It has a Clive Christian kitchen — which is the most expensive kitchen you can buy — two carriage houses that are separate living quarters, an outdoor pool, a pool house [and] a tennis court.”

This opulent home was built by Cleveland real estate magnate Scott Wolstein, CEO of the real estate firm, The Wolstein Group. The house

came on the market in November after his death in May and is currently under contract.

“He wanted a really magnificent estate and spent many years designing and was the brainchild behind this house and executing it,” says Kaufman.

The house isn’t just the peak of luxury for humans, though. In fact, there is an entire dedicated space just for dogs.

“It includes a dog shower [and] a TV at eye height for a dog,” says Kaufman. “They can go in and out as they wish. It’s all tiled. It’s a whole indoor kennel.”

Some might say this house, with all its vast luxuries (we can’t forget about the aquarium built into the kitchen space) doesn’t fit into the attitude of Cleveland, which is grit and hustle, but the local roots that branched out to create this house make it a mainstay of the Hunting Valley suburb and the city at large.

“This house will rival most houses in the country. As far as Cleveland goes, it’s the ultimate house, given that Scott was born and raised in Cleveland,” says Kaufman. “The thing that is exceptional about this house is that it’s a 35,000-square-foot house that still has incredible warmth and charm.”

The late Scott Wolstein's estate is for sale and includes a long list of luxuries from a dog room to 12.5 bathrooms.

101 CLEVELAND DISHES TO DIE FOR

SCAN TO VIEW AND SAVE OUR MENU ONLINE

By Annie Nickoloff, Kate Bigam Kaput and Dillon Stewart

Photographed by Megann Galehouse

Food Styling by Dustin Hileman

Set Styling by Magan McLaughlin

Cleveland is a city of flavors. Classics from longtime restaurants and flashy new fare are both big parts of Northeast Ohio’s ever-changing dining offerings. If you’ve ever wondered what to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner, consider this the ultimate menu of bites to try out in the city and its surrounding suburbs. Don’t expect to see any national chains here; these are tried-and-true Cleveland staples, reflecting the city’s unique melting pot of cuisine. page 37

Menu

Superior Pho's Banh Mi

Maxi’s Frog Legs

Salt's White Bean Puree

SNACKS & INGREDIENTS

MARCELLED POTATO CHIPS

BALLREICH · $1.19+ ballreich.com

DICHOTOMY POPCORN

CAMPBELL’S SWEETS · $9+ campbellssweets.com

GARLIC DILL

CLEVELAND PICKLE · $6.99 thepickleco.com

CITRUS GARLIC BLEND $4 · ADUN SPICE CO.

In the Yoruba language, “adun” means “flavor” — and you’d better believe that Ramat Wiley, owner and spiceblender-in-chief at Adun Spice Co., knows a thing or two about flavor. Her popular Citrus Garlic spice is one of many that she hand-mixes and sells in her Van Aken shop. Part of its splendor is in its simplicity: toothsome roasted garlic and onion meet the acidity of lemon peel and lemon juice powder, rounded out with a little bit of heat from black pepper and red chili flakes.

“Citrus Garlic is the perfect spice blend for just about everything,” Wiley says. “It’s bright, balanced, delicious and flavorful, and it releases the full potential of any dish you add it to.”

So what’s it for? Well, anything. Use it to season salmon or give pizazz to potatoes, sprinkle it over salad or garnish your garden-fresh veggies. Adun Spice Co. is not likely to lead you astray. 3441 Tuttle Road, #103, Shaker Heights, adunspiceco.com

Starters

Starters

NOTSO FRIES

Yours Truly · $7.10-$10.30

Since 1981, Yours Truly has been a cozy respite for simple breakfasts and lunches — with one exception. Silver dollar-sized cottage fries absolutely smothered in gooey melted cheese and smoked bacon, Notso Fries’ fame has nearly eclipsed that of its humble home. For many, that oblong plate of decadence is a longtime family tradition — though we get it if you keep it all for yourself. “They’re a uniquely shareable dish to satisfy your comfort

food craving,” says Yours Truly spokesperson Coleen Piteo. If the craving strikes when you can’t get into one of Yours Truly’s nine locations for a sit-down meal, you can enjoy your Notso Fries from the comfort of home, thanks to the joys of modern technology. In fact, a ranking by UberEats recently revealed Notso Fries to be the most popular delivery dish in Northeast Ohio. Notso common indeed! Multiple locations, ytr.com

BISCUITS · $4.50 THE ROAMING BISCUIT

Since starting her biscuit-based pop-up in 2019, head biscuit baker Shawnda Moye has evolved her menu offerings and her business name (originally CLE Biscuitheads). But one truth remains: These biscuits are the bomb. “They’re biscuits that would make your grandma proud,” says Moye. Honestly, Grandma will understand if you prefer Moye’s biscuits to hers, given how fresh and freaking good these are. There’s the Humble ($4.50), classic and buttery, and the Cinny ($4.50), lightly iced and cozy. If you go the sandwich route, options include thick bacon, smoked ham and juicy brisket. Moye and her crew have established a home base at The Bake Shop & Café in Tyler Village. True to her roots, though, Moye still hosts pop-ups around town, ensuring that the best biscuit of your life is never far from reach. 3615 Superior Ave., theroamingbiscuit.com

WONDER BREAD

CENT’S PIZZA + GOODS · $6

There are those who skip the crust and those who wouldn’t dare. This puffy, domed wood-fired bread dish, which is elevated by house-cured butter ($2) or creamy Stracciatella ($10), is designed for the latter. 5010 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, centspizza.com

SOURDOUGH LEAVENED · $5.25 FOR PLAIN, $6.50 FOR FLAVORS

Scratch-made on a daily basis, this Cleveland bakery’s sourdough has a nice, crunchy dark crust, with a chewy, soft interior. 1633 Auburn Ave., Suite 1, Cleveland, leavenedcle.com

GARLIC NAAN

INDIA GARDEN · $3.95

Flavorful, pillowy and perfectly paired with any entree, the flatbread appetizer is made fresh, per order, in a tandoor oven. 18405 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, indiagardencleveland.com

Classic & Modern

WHITE BEAN PUREE SALT

· $13

This small plate topped with a salty olive kick, one constant on chef Jill Vedaa's seasonally shifting menu, warms the soul. 17625 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, saltcleveland.com

STROMBOLI

PRESTI’S BAKERY · $4

Cheesy, packed with pepperoni, sausage or vegetables and dunked into a cup of marinara – a must – this savory turnover makes for a filling lunch. 12101 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, prestisbakery.com

MARE

ACQUA DI LUCA · $90

Mahogany clams, tender mussels, fresh calamari, shrimp, scallops, Alaskan king crab and whole lobster swim in a white wine broth and offers a taste of the sea’s best offerings. 500 W. St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, acquadiluca.com

FROG LEGS · MAXI'S BISTRO · $16

This simple, traditional dish sauteed in butter, garlic and parsley tastes just like a chicken wing. 12113 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, maxisbistro.com

MATZO BALL SOUP

CORKY AND LENNY’S · $5.95-$7.95

This straightforward chicken broth-bathed matzo meatball has warmed our bones since 1956. 27091 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere, corkyandlennys.com

SOUP DUMPLINGS

LJ SHANGHAI · $7

The AsiaTown eatery’s most popular dish is its authentic soup dumpling: a nugget of pork enveloped in tangy broth, best eaten as fresh as possible. 3142 Superior Ave., Cleveland, ljshanghaicle.com

MATZO BALL SOUP

LARDER DELICATESSEN AND BAKERY’S · $6.50

The Hingetown deli’s new-school take includes a deep purple veggie-based broth with house-made matzo ball and dill. 1455 W. 29th St., Cleveland, larderdb.com

Starters

page 39

Cloak and Dagger's Rabbit's Foot

THREE WINES TO TRY

RABBIT’S FOOT $15 · CLOAK AND DAGGER CRIMSON

At Cloak and Dagger, the only constant is change — and the Rabbit’s Foot. Though the swanky Tremont cocktail lounge releases new menus regularly, this particular drink has been a staple since the start. “We think the flavors are very accessible, but the combination is so balanced in all areas,” says owner Cory Hajde. It’s as pretty as it is strong, bright pink and frothy with a base of Espolòn Tequila Blanco and aromatic bitters. Pineapple and lemon lend a citrusy brightness, while ginger agave and cayenne offer a bit of a kick. And like everything else on the menu, it’s also vegan, with aquafaba serving as a stand-in for egg whites. The Rabbit’s Foot originated with Book One: The Tales of Life and Death, and it’s safe to say that this is one drink with a deservedly long life.

2399 West 11th St., Cleveland, cloakanddaggercle.com

COCKTAIL WHEEL EXPERIENCE

THE SPOTTED OWL · $17

In your feels? Find a cocktail fit for any mood or vibe, expertly crafted with fine flavors at this Tremont bar. 710 Jefferson Ave., Cleveland, spottedowlbar.com

SPIKED SLUSHIES

FUNHOUSE · $5-$7

Fruity icy beverages, spiked with your favorite booze. It’s your childhood, reimagined, at this quirky bar. 1539 W. 117th St., Cleveland, funhousecleveland.com

BLOODY MARY

THE SOUTH SIDE · $7

Crafted with spicy house-made bloody mary mix, these brunchfavorite beverages are available with various toppings, including cucumber, bacon and grilled cheese. Or, order the “Mother Mary” ($25) for a 27-ounce drink topped with every garnish imaginable, including pierogi, jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks and a hard boiled egg. 2207 W. 11th St., Cleveland, southsidecleveland.com

HOUGH WINERY · $20

Based out of Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, this winery crafts eight varieties, including Crimson — a red infused with blackberry and raspberry. 1650 E. 66th St., Cleveland, chateauhough.com

MURRAY HILL PINOT GRIGIO

CLE URBAN WINERY · $25

This light white wine carries citrusy notes, reflecting Little Italy’s history with a label that bears Murray Hill’s brick street. It’s won multiple Ohio Wine Competition medals, including a gold medal in 2019. 2180 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, cleurbanwinery.com

VIDAL BLANC ICE WINE

DEBONNE VINEYARD · $40

Picked after grapes freeze on the vine at this Madison vineyard, expect peak sweetness with hints of honey and apricot in this regional specialty. 7840 Doty Road, Madison, debonne.com

ALBINO STOUT

THE BUTCHER AND THE BREWER · $7.50

We’re OK with being tricked when it’s by this blonde, creamy and sweet white stout that made us reconsider the typically scary and dark beer genre. 2043 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, butcherandthebrewer.com

HELLHOUND

LBM · $13

This fruity gin cocktail has depth and texture, using aquafaba to thicken a guava and pineapple syrup mix. 12301 Madison Ave., Lakewood, lbmbar.com

ZOMBIE COCKTAIL

PORCO LOUNGE & TIKI ROOM · $18

We beg to differ with Porco’s menu description of its zombie cocktail, calling it “not fit for the living.” No: it’s just fit for an exceptional night of drinking at this bar. 2527 W. 25th St., Cleveland, porcolounge.com

ZOMBIE'S KEY INGREDIENT: LIME-STEEPED SPICED RUM.

BARREL-AGED CHRISTMAS ALE

GREAT LAKES BREWING CO. · $24.99

The recipe of ginger, cinnamon and honey ignited a holiday beer phenomenon three decades ago. 2516 Market Ave., Cleveland, greatlakesbrewing.com

MIRACLE

AVON BREWING CO. · $24.99

Mathias Huck brewed this winter warmer with caramel notes and malty hops in 2017. 37040 Detroit Road, Avon, avonbrewingcompany.com

Soho's Chicken + Waffles

CHICKEN + WAFFLES

SOHO CHICKEN + WHISKEY · $17-$19.50

Drizzled with Ohio maple syrup, these crispy bites of chicken are delectable atop waffles that give a hint of rosemary. Vegetarian? Try the tofu option. 1889 W. 25th St., Cleveland, sohocleveland.com

EGG SANDWICHES

MARTHA ON THE FLY · $8-$14

The square egg patty sandwich takes the best parts of your breakfast quick fix and elevates them with house-made pork sausage, baloney or vegan sausage and sunshine sauce. 2173 Professor Ave., Cleveland, marthaonthefly.com

BAGEL WITH SCHMEAR

CLEVELAND BAGEL CO. · $4

Dan Herbst and Geoff Hardman’s boiled and hand-rolled Cleveland-style bagels are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and topped with specialty cream cheeses. 4201 Detroit Ave.; 7501 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, clebagelco.com

THREE CLASSICS TO TRY

GRUMPY’S CAFE

It’s worth the wait at this Tremont standby. Try anything off the menu for a hearty breakfast or brunch, especially the huevos rancheros ($14), cinnamon apple walnut French toast ($13) or fluffy Belgian waffles ($10). 2621 W. 14th St., Cleveland, grumpyscafe.com

THE INN ON COVENTRY

Straightforward breakfast platters, served at approachable price points: The Inn on Coventry has been a Coventry breakfast staple for good reason for more than 40 years. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland, 216-371-1811

LUCKY'S CAFE

Want to go to Lucky's for brunch on the weekend? Be ready to wait in line. This Tremont staple is well-loved for its inventive takes on candied bacon ($6.50), skillets ($16.95) and breakfast burritos ($16.75). 777 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, luckyscafe.com

Beverages

LOCALLY SOURCED

STRAWBERRY MILK $6.49 · HARTZLER FAMILY DAIRY

Nothing brings us back to childhood more than Hartzler Family Dairy’s beloved strawberry milk. One sip of the rich, farm-fresh strawberry sweetness brings us back to the childhood cafeteria. Though it’s been in production since the 1950s, in recent years it’s catapulted to cult-favorite status, as social media has spread the word about this creamy concoction. “We’re committed to sourcing our milk from local farms, which not only helps to support the local community but also ensures that the milk is fresh and full of essential nutrients,” says third-generation owner Jace Hartzler. All of Hartzler’s milk undergoes a low-temperature vat pasteurization process, which preserves the milk’s natural flavors and its natural nutrients for a fresh, authentic taste. It’s also bottled in glass, which isn’t just a marketing ploy to tap into old-timey nostalgia. It’s a more environmentally friendly option that ensures no chemicals can leach through and contaminate the product inside, as with plastic. Enjoy it with breakfast, lunch or dinner — or simply pour a glass for dessert. 5454 Cleveland Road, Wooster, hartzlerdairy.com

CINNAMON TOAST LATTE

MILK + HONEY · $5

Munch on a bit of cereal with this uniquely sweet latte, featuring vanilla syrup and two shots of espresso. 1100 Superior Ave., Ste. 110, Cleveland, milkandhoneycle.com

MANGO LASSI

INDIAN FLAME · $6.49

This creamy fruit drink is an essential beverage when ordering some of this Indian restaurant's spicier entrees. 11607 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-791-5555

COFFEE

RISING STAR COFFEE ROASTERS · $3

Lattes can be great, but so is plain black coffee, especially when brewed with this brand’s expertly roasted beans. Various locations, risingstarcoffee.com

Heart of Gold's Smash Burger

Bright Side's Sunnyside Pizza

Swensons' Galley Boy

SUNNYSIDE PIZZA · BRIGHT SIDE · $19

When Sam McNulty’s Bar Cento/Bier Markt rebranded, fans of the runny eggs and pancetta pizza rejoiced when they saw it on the new menu. 1948 W. 25th St., brightsidecle.com

MARGHERITA DOP · VERO · $22

Neapolitan pies are carefully crafted by pizzamaker Marc-Aurele Buholzer at Cleveland Heights’ Vero. It’s first-come, first-served at this spot. 12421 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, verocleveland.com

HOUSE SPECIAL PIZZA

ANGELO’S PIZZA · $19.95-$29.55

One bite of the house special gives a taste of homemade meatballs and sausage, paired with mushrooms, onions and provolone. 13715 Madison Ave., Lakewood, angeloslakewood.com

SPECK PIE · IL RIONE · $19-$24

Pistachio and hot honey add a splash of flavor to this white pizza topped with speck and lemony ricotta, served at a beloved Gordon Square pizzeria. 1303 W. 65th St., Cleveland, ilrionepizzeria.com

PICKLE PIZZA · $13-$23 OHIO PIE CO.

We subscribe to the belief that anything belongs on a pizza — even our favorite snacks. We must not be alone, considering this playful pickle and potato chip-laden pie has earned a loyal following among customers of owner Nick Robson’s shops. It’s not even on the menu, but if you ask for it by name, it’s all yours. A cream cheese-based white sauce starts it off. Then, the ‘za is loaded up with a blend of cheeses and dozens of briny dill pickles. When the pie is done baking, crushed-up pickle potato chips are sprinkled on top for a crunchy texture and salty flavor. Like all of Ohio Pie Co.’s pizzas, this one comes on a sturdy, crispy crust that’s somehow neither thick or thin, with bubbly, melted cheese that reaches to the outer edges of the pie. “It started as a joke three and a half years ago to make a good, well-thought-out version of what was usually a simple novelty pizza,” says owner Nick Robson. 1315 Pearl Road, Brunswick; 19565 Detroit Road, Rocky River, ohiopieco.com

SINCE

Burgers SAUCES

GALLEY BOY · SWENSONS DRIVE-IN · $4.50

This olive-topped burger slathered in barbecue and tartar sauce is a local delicacy. Various locations, swensonsdriveins.com

BLACK & BLEU

GUNSELMAN’S TAVERN · $13

Cajun dry rub, spicy bleu cheese butter, onion straws and steak sauce turn up the heat. 21490 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, gunselmans.com

ROMANBURGER

MR. HERO · $7

Atop multiple patties, this cross between a burger and a sub sandwich is stacked with salami, Swiss cheese, Italian meats and the chain's special sauce. Various locations, mrhero.com

Classic & Modern

BIG GUY

STEVENSON’S · $8.95-$11.95

Since the 1920s, this 200th Street staple has planted its flag as one of the city’s best, centered around American cheese and special sauce. 800 E. 200th St., Euclid, stevensonsbarandburgers.com

SMASH BURGER · HEART OF GOLD · $15

On a Good Co. bun, two beef patties join maggi mayo, pickles, onions and American cheese. 4133 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, heartofgoldcle.com

PEANUT BUTTER BEAR

Bearden's · $8.34

How often can you say you’re eating something that’s been on a menu for three quarters of a decade? This burger is a true classic, one that’s been a staple since the oldschool Rocky River restaurant opened in 1948.

It’s still made just as it was then — a fresh (never frozen) 4-ounce steak burger layered with creamy, melted peanut butter and sweet pickles, sandwiched between a toasted bun.

“It’s been around for 75 years, and it doesn't need to be messed with,” says proud owner Jim

Griffiths. “It’s something that's been popular and enjoyed for decades.” And Bearden’s itself is just as popular and enjoyable as it’s ever been, too. It’s the rare but real all-American diner, with its sparkling black-and-white tiling and bright teal, vinyl booths radiating wholesome nostalgia. Eating this burger, in this time capsule of a spot, is just about the closest you can get to time-traveling to the 1950s. 19985 Lake Road, Rocky River, beardens.com

Burgers

page 45

ZHUG · ZHUG (FREE WITH ENTREES)

Just a little bit of this zesty green hot sauce gives an explosion of flavor. It's so central to Zhug's menu, the restaurant is named after it. 12413 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, zhugcle.com

HOT SAUCE

KILLIK HOT SAUCE CO. · $10

These unique, zippy hot sauces have skyrocketed in popularity. They’re created through the process of fermentation, making them spicy without being too salty. Available at various locations, killikhsc.com

SIGNATURE SPICE RUBS

BRONCO’S WESTERN BBQ · $10

Available in-store, these spice rubs are packed with flavor and showcase exactly how Bronco’s co-owner Gary Carrino has consistently won rib cook-offs around the country. 3765 Ridge Road, Cleveland, broncoswesternbbq.com

HOT SAUCE · ALADDIN’S EATERY · $0.75-$6.95

You can order it on the side, but we recommend getting a container of this iconic hot sauce to take home. Citrus and a perfect splash of spice pack a punch to any of the restaurant’s LebaneseAmerican fare. Various locations, aladdins.com

BALLPARK MUSTARD

BERTMAN’S ORIGINAL · $5.79

Play ball! A true, longtime staple of Cleveland baseball, Bertman’s is a spicy must for any Guardians game. Available in most local grocery stores, bertmanballparkmustard.com

CLEVELAND CAVIAR · OLD BROOKLYN

CHEESE CO. · $7.50

Mustards are on tap at this award-winning cheese shop, originally known for its cave-aged goudas. Tangy, spicy, zesty — the Cleveland Caviar is like a perfect mix of ketchup and mustard, enhanced by applewood smoked mustard seeds. 4464 Broadview Road, Cleveland, oldbrooklyncheesecompany.com

FERMENTED GARLIC ITALIAN DRESSING · CLEVELAND KITCHEN · $4.99

The dressing, at just 40 calories per serving, is at home on about anything, from chicken salad to chicken wings. Like all of Cleveland Kitchen’s dressings, its base is fermented veggies (namely cabbage), which lends a rich, umami flavor and all the benefits of prebiotics. 7501 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, clevelandkitchen.com

THREE SUSHI SPOTS TO TRY

PACIFIC EAST

Freshly made sushi, sashimi and other Japanese delicacies don’t get much better than this Coventry restaurant. 1763 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, pacificeastcoventry88.com

GINKO

Specializing in nigiri, chef Dante Boccuzzi’s basement sushi bar delivers a transformative experience. 2247 Professor Ave., Cleveland, danteboccuzzi.com

NINJA SUSHI

A top-notch sushi and hibachi joint, offering a wide range of rolls. 7873 Munson Road, Mentor-On-The-Lake, ninjainmentor.com

Small Plates

FROMAGE

A LA CARTE

LE PETIT TRIANGLE CAFE · $6-$8

Pick from a prime collection of cheeses, paired with nuts, fruits, crackers and bread, for the ultimate charcuterie board. 1881 Fulton Road, Cleveland, lepetittriangle.com

CHICKEN WINGS

BOSS CHICKNBEER · $12

Super-crispy, these chicken wings can be smothered in “boss sauces” made in-house. Various locations, bosschicknbeer.com

SHAWARMA SALAD

SITTOO'S · $9.95

A crisp Lebanese salad topped with seasoned beef or chicken is packed with citrusy, fresh flavor. Various locations, mysittoos.com

CHICKEN SALAD

E. 81ST ST. DELI · $10-$15

Thank TikTok for this salad’s meteoric rise in popularity. This layered creation has impressed Clevelanders — and even visitors from outside the state — for the past year. 8033 Superior Ave., Cleveland, 216-860-0559

Classic & Modern

JOHNNY’S HOT DOG · $2.50

A vestige of the old-school West Side Market, this is one of Cleveland’s oldest hot dog stands. 1979 W. 25th St., Cleveland, 216-664-3387

HAPPY DOG

$7.50-$8.50

Top your dog with dozens of toppings including, yes, Froot Loops, at this Detroit-Shoreway venue. 5801 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, happydogcleveland.com

DIM SUM SELECTIONS

Li Wah · $4.95+ Per Piece

You don’t need to endure a long, long plane ride to enjoy the culinary wonders of Southern China. Since 1991, Li Wah has set the standard for Cantonese cooking in Cleveland’s Asiatown. The restaurant’s dim sum draws diners from as far as Columbus and Pittsburgh. If you’re new to dim sum, think of it like Chinese brunch. “In China and Hong Kong, they don’t serve cereal, bacon and eggs for brunch,” says owner Ed Hom. “They serve dumplings that are steamed,

baked and fried, and you pick directly off of the carts as they wheel by your table.” He recommends that newbies try ha kau (shrimp dumplings) ($5.50), sui mei (shrimp and pork dumplings) ($5.50) and sticky rice, along with anything else that strikes your fancy. And more adventurous diners will love delicacies like braised chicken feet, spicy beef tripe and jellyfish served cold. 2999 Payne Ave. #102, Cleveland, liwahrestaurant.com

BANH MI

SUPERIOR PHO · $6.95

The classic sandwich is luxurious yet comforting with pate, mayo and roast pork and topped with jalapenos, cucumbers and pickled veggies. 3030 Superior Ave., Cleveland, superiorpho.com

PIEROGI · LITTLE POLISH DINER $10-$13 FOR A DOZEN

You know these buttery pierogi, served on platters with sauerkraut and kielbasa, are the real deal. 5772 Ridge Road, Parma, 440-842-8212

PIEROGI · JUKEBOX · 3 FOR $7.50

Hingetown's hipness collides with the classic Polish dish, offering dynamic, vegan-friendly flavors like buffalo chickpea and sweet potato black bean. 1404 W. 29th St., Cleveland, jukeboxcle.com

Small Plates

page 46

La Plaza's Tacos

AL PASTOR TACOS · LA PLAZA · $4

Here, find Mexican-style tacos topped with your choice of cilantro, salsa and more at the toppings bar. Simple, but so delicious. Various locations, plazataqueria.com

BUILD-YOUR-OWN TACOS · BARRIO TACOS · $4+

A big advantage of a build-your-own taco is slapping some queso or guacamole into a double-walled shell. Various locations, barrio-tacos.com

BRATWURST SANDWICH FRANK’S BRATWURST · $3.50-$4

For more than 50 years, we haven’t visited the West Side Market without choosing between a soft or hard roll, brown or yellow mustard, sauerkraut or plain. G-3, 1979 W. 25th St., Cleveland, 216-344-2180

BRAVOCADO SANDWICH

BEET JAR · $10

Everyone knows that a good sandwich need not include meat. But Beet Jar, Hingetown’s little smoothie shop, continues to prove just how mind-blowing the vegan sandwich experience can be. 1432 W. 29th St., Cleveland, beetjar.com

E. 81ST Deli's Chicken Salad

CHICKEN TENDERS $10.50-$14.50 · THE CRISPY CHICK

Senayt Fekadu, who opened The Crispy Chick in late 2019, has intentionally kept her menu small so that she can focus on doing one thing really, really well — and that thing, of course, is chicken. Originally from Eritrea, Fekadu herself prefers her food on the hot side, so it took her 17 tries before she landed on a recipe that was right for the masses. Spiced, but not spicy, it’s prepped with garlic and black pepper then soaked in buttermilk overnight, and it’s always made fresh to order. “I want The Crispy Chick to be like the Chik-Fil-A of our inner-city neighborhood,” she says, “high-quality not only in food but in customer service.” 5618 Woodland Ave., Cleveland, thecrispychick.com

Small Plates

Mabel BBQ's Polish Girl

Mallorca's Paella

Entrees

TOMAHAWK STEAK

Move over, Fred Flintstone. Bone-in steak has come a long way since the Stone Ages, and Marble Room is serving up a Tomahawk that will have you feeling utterly primal. “It looks like a caveman piece of meat,” says executive chef Brandon Veres. “It’s really a spectacle.”

Marble Room · $135 PAELLA

Sourced from Allen Brothers, a 130-year-old meat purveyor out of Chicago, this high-class cut boasts more than 2.5 pounds of USDA prime ribeye beef on a long, French-trimmed bone. Also known as a cowboy steak, the Tomahawk is cooked to be eaten as-is and truly needs no enhancement — but if you’re

feeling extra-indulgent, it pairs well with just about any of Marble Room’s scratch-made sauces and butters. Veres recommends the peppercorn demi-glace, cooked in 100-pound batches for 14 to 16 hours. He’s seen some diners eat a whole Tomahawk themselves, while others order it as a swanky appetizer to split among their party. Got a pup waiting at home? Ask for a literal doggie bag so you can take that giant rib bone home as a treat for your favorite good puppy. 623 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, marbleroomcle.com

CROWD FAVORITE

MALLORCA · $28 FOR LUNCH, $48 FOR DINNER

Pour some sangria and gawk at this hearty and gorgeous spread of yellow saffron rice, brightred lobster, shrimps, clams, mussels, chicken and chorizo at Downtown’s 26-year-old Spanish restaurant. 1390 W. Ninth St., mallorcacle.com

FILLING FLAVORS

POLISH GIRL · MABEL’S BBQ · $17

Michael Symon’s take on our most famous dish is kielbasa with vinegar-based barbecue sauce, coleslaw and pulled pork. 2050 E. Fourth Street, Cleveland, mabelsbbq.com

BURRITOS · OHIO CITY BURRITO · $9-10

Who needs Chipotle when we have Ohio City Burrito? Take your pick from fillings like chicken tinga, veggies, shrimp, chorizo and carnitas, then pile on toppings from there. Various locations, ohiocityburrito.com

SEAFOOD SAUSAGE

EDWIN’S LEADERSHIP AND RESTAURANT INSTITUTE · $16

It doesn’t get more decadently French than this rich blend of lobster, white fish, scallops, shrimp and pine nuts swimming in a pool of shallot beurre blanc sauce, perfect for bread dipping. 13101 Shaker Square, Cleveland, edwinsrestaurant.org

CHICKEN PICCATA

GUARINO'S RESTAURANT · $20-$28

Cleveland's oldest restaurant has served Italian dishes like its standout lemony chicken piccata, loaded with capers and roasted red peppers, for more than a century. 12309 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, guarinoscleveland.com

THREE EASTERN EUROPEAN CLASSICS TO TRY

WEINER SCHNITZEL

DAS SCHNITZEL HAUS · $18-$22

This Parma standby showcases crispy, seasoned veal and pork. 5728 Pearl Road, Parma, dshrestaurant.com

FISH FRY

PROSPERITY SOCIAL CLUB · $18

Hand-dipped in beer batter, this crispy haddock is best served paired with a brew at this Tremont pub. 1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, prosperitysocialclub.com

CEVAPCICI

· DUBROVNIK

GARDEN · $15.75

A traditional Croatian sausage blend of beef, pork and veal, served with potatoes. 34900 Lakeshore Blvd., Eastlake, dubrovnikgardens.croatianlodge.com

Mason's Creamery's Ramen

Melt's Parmageddon

CORNED BEEF SLYMAN'S RESTAURANT · $17.49

Since 1964, Slyman’s has been slinging up massive corned beef sandwiches. Order it on rye, and top it with mustard or horseradish for a little zing. 6901 Rockside Road, Independence, slymanstavern.com

Entrees

THREE CORNED BEEFS TO TRY

REUBEN CLASSIC JOE’S DELI · $16.25

This family-run company has been serving Rocky River on St. Patrick’s Day since 1994. 19215 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River, myjoesdeli.com

REUBEN WRAP EXPRESS DELI · $12.50

Pro-tip: skip the Downtown crowds on St. Paddy's Day and try this unconventional take at this convenience store, which opened in 1998. 5185 Smith Road, Brook Park, express-deli.com

PARMAGEDDON

Melt Bar and Grilled · $16

When chef Matt Fish first conceived of Melt’s menu back in 2006, he hoped to create a sandwich that would pay homage to Northeast Ohio itself. And what better centerpiece than the humble but hearty pierogi? “I wanted to create a sandwich that looked, tasted and smelled like Cleveland, a sandwich that represented Cleveland and all its beauty, flavors and diversity,” Fish says. Enter the Parmageddon, a stout sammy stuffed with four potato and onion pierogi and everybody’s favorite accoutrement, sauteed onions. But instead of going the traditional sauerkraut route,

Fish opted to finish the Parmageddon with a slightly more accessible adaptation; his special vodka kraut is made with brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and a custom blend of spices like caraway seeds, chili powder and ground coriander. Oh, and don’t forget the sharp cheddar to top it all off! The result is the ultimate Cleveland comfort food, like the city itself in sandwich form. This seasonal special isn’t always on the menu, but if you can snag it, you’re in for a feast — and then probably a nap. Multiple locations, meltbarandgrilled.com

RAMEN $14-$16 · MASON'S CREAMERY

Hey, Guy Fieri, we loved Mason’s Creamery first. The big Guy made his visit to the Ohio City ice-cream-and-noodles stand last winter, fawning over the seasonal ramen — something Clevelanders have been doing since 2018, when owners Jesse Mason and Helen Qin first decided to make the summer-to-winter switch. Now, it’s a highly anticipated annual affair. “Our ramen is unique because we make it all from scratch, from the broth to the marinated soy egg and everything in between,” Mason says. “It’s based on the many ramen shops we used to eat at when we lived in Los Angeles and many hours of recipe testing.” All that handmade love takes time and effort, so everything on the small, curated menu is made in small batches. Choose from pork, chicken or veggie options, each made with spring onions, pickled radish, corn and dried seaweed — not to mention that soft, jammy egg on top. And whichever you choose, you can customize it to your liking, including going gluten-free or asking for extra spice. 4401 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, masonscreamery.com

SEASONAL AROUND THE GLOBE

BIBIMBAP · SEOUL GARDEN · $15

A rice base is topped with ground beef, a variety of veggies, kimchi and, most important, a fried egg at this small-but-mighty Korean restaurant. 5270 Pearl Road, Parma, 216-661-5990

VEGGIE COMBO · ZOMA · $18.99

Ethiopian food is especially vegetarian-friendly, and that’s certainly true at Zoma. Pinch a bit of bubbly injera bread around spiced lentils, kale, sauteed cabbage or green beans and carrots for a warm, filling meal. 2240 Lee Road, Cleveland, zomacleveland.com

GYRO · GREEK VILLAGE GRILLE · $8.75

Greek Village Grille makes gyros the classic way, shaving off thin slices of lamb from rotating columns to land in a pita slathered in tzatziki sauce with onion and tomato. 14019 Madison Ave., Lakewood, greekvillagegrille.com

Entrees page 51

ZOMA: BARNEY TAXEL

Corbo's Bakery's Cannoli

Rood Food's Baklava Pie

MILKSHAKE · TOMMY’S RESTAURANT · $5.99

We recommend the sweet, decadent black cherry flavor, but you can't go wrong. 1824 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, tommyscoventry.com

Desserts

PĄCZKI Rudy's Strudel · $2.25+

This year, Parma’s preeminent pączki place celebrates 75 years of churning out countless Eastern European goodies. And on Pączki Day (Feb. 21), owner Lidia Trempe and her team will be hard at work creating hundreds of the popular Polish pastry in no fewer than 30 flavors. “Pączki” translates to “package,” and indeed, Rudy’s Strudel is delivering packages of doughy goodness stuffed with just about every filling imaginable. Each batch, which starts with 100 pounds of dough, is individually shaped, fried and filled with traditional flavors like prune, poppyseed and rose petal jelly. “These are old-school family recipes that we're so honored to be

able to share with the community,” says Trempe, whose parents bought the bakery in 1978. Since taking over, she’s made some modern additions to the flavor list, including marshmallow, pineapple and even a Hurricane-flavored filling inspired by the classic New Orleans cocktail (created in partnership with Porco Lounge and Tiki Room). If savory’s more your style, indulge in options like The Clevelander, stuffed with sauerkraut and kielbasa, or The Westparker, which features corned beef and cabbage. Whichever one(s) you choose, you might just say that Rudy’s is the whole package. 5580 Ridge Road, Parma, rudysstrudel.com

CANNOLI · CORBO'S BAKERY · $2-$4.50

Sweetened ricotta cheese fills hard dough shells, some with a chocolate dipping, at this traditional bakery. A perfect dessert for a night out in Little Italy. 12210 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, corbosbakery.net

BUBBLE TEA · KOKO BAKERY · $5.75-$6.75

Punch a straw into this sweet beverage, filled with plenty of chewy boba and served in a ton of fruity flavors. 3710 Payne Ave., Ste. 102, Cleveland; 1767 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, kokobakerycleveland.com

BAKLAVA PIE · ROOD FOOD · $7.75-$34

Baklava spices pair with a sweet honey custard and nuts, in this popular Rood Food specialty. It's available for order by the slice in the shop, or by whole pie orders to take home. 17001 Madison Ave., Lakewood, rfpie.com

30+ SIGNATURE FLAVORS OF HANDMADE MACARONS!

MACARONS · KELSEY ELIZABETH SWEETS BOUTIQUE

· $2.50-$3

Chewy and crunchy cookies; these French macarons come in sweet options like birthday cake, Neapolitan and strawberry milkshake. Various locations, kelseyelizabethcakes.com

PRETZEL CRUNCH BARS

MALLEY’S CHOCOLATES · $1.65

Salty and sweet, a nostalgic pair. With a history dating back to 1935, the Northeast Ohio institution packs a salty pretzel into each creamy milk chocolate bite. Various locations, malleys.com

THREE ICE CREAM SPOTS TO TRY

HONEY

HUT ICE CREAM

Nothing defines summer like a scoop of inseason ice cream from Honey Hut. The local shops have been making locally beloved sweet frozen treats since 1974. Various locations, gohoneyhut.com

MITCHELL’S HOMEMADE

Don’t skip the seasonal flavors like campfire s’mores. And don't forget the delightful bing cherry chocolate chunk and the vegan peanut butter chocolate pretzel yogurt. Various locations, mitchellshomemade.com

Desserts

page 53

EAST COAST CUSTARD

Take one lick of a cone, concrete or loaded-up sundae from East Coast Custard, and you’ll taste the creamy difference. The custard cakes and cookies are worth a try, too. Various locations, eastcoastcustard.com

BY Annie Nickoloff

ILLUSTRATED BY Ethan Bowman

ON TRACK

We spent 24 hours on an Amtrak train to better understand the importance of passenger rail.

The 1,000-mile-long journey on the Lake Shore Limited line showed us how potential passenger rail expansions could soon transform travel in Ohio.

STANDING IN BOSTON’S SOUTH STATION,

I check the screens at the end of our track for the 10th time, waiting for an update. The passengers next to me look nervous. The train is already 15 minutes late.

I’m here for work — for this train — for a story. If something goes screwy, so does the story.

On this outdoor platform, I start to get cold. I shove my hands into my coat pockets and wander over to a guy with a guitar strapped to his back. I ask him if he’s waiting for the Amtrak, too. We make small talk. He’s headed to Albany, New York. I’m headed to Chicago. He got a ticket for cheap. I did, too. I tell him about the story concept: 24 hours on an Amtrak train.

“24 hours,” he mumbles. “That won’t be hard to do on an Amtrak.” He looks back down at his phone.

The Lake Shore Limited line is, technically, just about 22 hours long. Weirdly, yes, I’m hoping we’ll run a couple of hours late, hitting some kind of delay on the 1,017 miles we’re about to travel, making it a true 24-hour experience.

An Amtrak employee waves us over to a different platform. We all move, a mini-stampede, hustling to the open doors. Some folks turn left, filtering into business class. I turn right, into the coach section (my ticket was $120), and snag a coveted window seat. I check the time, 1:05 p.m., make a note, start the clock.

This whole thing serves as an opportunity for me to get to know a bit more about Amtrak, our country’s national passenger rail system, in a moment of major transformation. Last November, President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dedicated billions of dollars to Amtrak, marking its largest investment since its inception 50 years ago. Those funds mean more rides, better times, new destinations, faster trains and eco-friendly attitudes have entered the national conversation following a decades-long dwindle.

In Northeast Ohio, those funds could reshape the service’s meager offerings to the region. Amtrak and Ohio’s government have, over time, cut back sharply on the service to Cleveland, a city that was once a hub for intercity rail travel.

Nowadays, the Lake Shore Limited is one of two (two!) Amtrak lines that run through Cleveland, and only one of three that run through Ohio. Clevelanders get a double-whammy effect: Those two trains only arrive in overnight hours, typically between 3 and 6 a.m. daily.

Still, plenty of Northeast Ohioans make use of the trains, and more might soon line up for tickets. Proposals for Ohio’s Amtrak expansions include a massive undertaking, revisiting a previously planned line connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton.

Travel in Ohio might soon make a shift from car-centric to transit-oriented.

Having not taken an Amtrak train, I wanted to better understand its dynamic and its existing service to Clevelanders. I’m no stranger to the city’s RTA system or to taking cheap-ticket Megabuses and Greyhounds to destinations. I’ve taken trains in other cities and countries on trips before. But not Amtrak.

So, in late November, just before Thanksgiving, I boarded one of the two lines that runs through Cleveland to check it out.

To be clear: This is one sliver of what Amtrak offers nationally and what it could soon offer locally. Long-distance trains are funded and operated differently than state-sponsored lines that measure less than 750 miles. Plus, faster locomotives make journeys quick and more convenient in other parts of the country.

But as an introduction to the world of Amtrak, the Lake Shore Limited felt like a good place to start. Maybe I went a little overboard, I thought, sitting in my seat. After spending a couple of days in Boston with my pals Matt and Ellen, now I had just 22-ish hours, six states and 21 more stations — including that late-night stop in Cleveland — remaining. Once we arrived in Chicago, I’d meet up with friends Sarah and Claire, spend Thanksgiving with my partner, Mike, and his family, and then head home.

With me, I had two bags stuffed with enough clothes to get me through the week, along with notebooks, my laptop, headphones, toiletries and snacks. I’d downloaded a few shows and playlists; for the meme, I first queued up “Love Train” by the O’Jays. I was as prepared as I could be.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous (and not just because of occasional experiences with motion sickness). I was about to spend a full day on one train, specifically in coach, where mystery neighbors await, where two bathrooms are available for dozens of people in a car. This wasn’t one of those fancy overnight cabs with beds and private bathrooms and included meals. And I was alone.

A good omen: Initially, I'm seated by myself, with an empty seat next to me to stretch into.

A conductor checked my ticket, and scribbled “CHI” on a paper slip above my seat. Our train crept out of the station, slowly, into the afternoon sun.

ABOVE: The Lake Shore Limited traverses 1,017 miles of the United States, running between Boston or New York City and Chicago every day. It's one of two Amtrak lines that service Northeast Ohio.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Even in the coach section, Amtrak seats are spacious and recline further back than a plane or bus seat. In this older train model, things are generally clean (in the first few hours, anyway). Despite all the coming and going and shifting clientele of our train’s passenger base, folks are courteous — the one exception being a scraggly bearded man in a sweatsuit, who held a full-volume conversation for a good three hours in the back of the car (on speaker phone, to boot).

I watch a changing Massachusetts landscape out the window, viewing Boston’s city skyline and then admiring the straggling fall leaves in Worcester. A woman in a pantsuit in the seat across from me works studiously at a Rubik’s Cube. Most people tap their phones. A few nap, awkwardly lumped across multiple seats.

Our first series of slowdowns arrives in the first hour, causing us to arrive 90 minutes late to Springfield, Massachusetts. We’re held up by freighters using the same train tracks (the culprit in most of Amtrak’s major slowdowns, especially on its long-distance lines).

At Springfield, the car fills up. A woman named Connie sits next to me, on her way to visit her sister in Albany for Thanksgiving.

Connie offers to watch my bags so I could more easily maneuver the neighboring dining car for a bite to eat. There, I order a Diet Coke and a cold ham and cheese sandwich (meh) for dinner ($12, including a $2 tip). Hanging out in the cafe car, with just two other passengers, is uneventful. I eat my meal and head back to my seat, where I nod off for a few minutes in eastern New York.

Then, we reach Albany, which is where we stay for another 90 minutes. Workers explain that our train’s engine is being replaced but don't explain what is wrong. “We do apologize for this unnecessary delay” crackles repeatedly over the intercom system.

Neighbors groan. I’m secretly grateful. The 24-hour earmark is a sure thing now. But as the minutes tick by, I start to wonder how many more hours would be thrown in, too.

I take the chance to quickly brush my teeth in the tiny restroom, which, at this point in the journey, stinks. The toilet is badly clogged. Do people know how to flush?

Bathrooms aside, I pick up on a bigger negative to Amtrak travel: While trains are dependable, their schedules can be unpredictable. Stopping and pausing and creeping are all part of the journey; you can’t necessarily board a long-distance Amtrak expecting to get somewhere quickly. You just have to be along for the ride.

In 2021, the Lake Shore Limited ran on-time only 55.1% of the time, according to an Amtrak report. That’s worse off than other lines that use tracks owned by Amtrak, like those in the Northeastern United States (with 80% and higher on-time performance). But it’s still far better than the Capitol Limited (a line from Washington, D.C., through Cleveland, to Chicago), which ran on time only 28.7% of the time. In 2021, freight trains caused delays of almost 900,000 minutes for passengers, according to a report.

Freight-related delays are so bad that a bill, the Rail Passenger Fairness Act, was introduced to Congress in 2021. The bill would allow Amtrak to bring civil action to assert its preference over freight while sharing tracks.

So, yeah. Long-distance Amtraks aren’t a great mode of travel for time-sensitive journeys.

The Albany slowdown would have made another version of myself — a version who wasn’t working on a big story about a train with famously big delays — anxious. But all you can do in a situation like this is wait. And wait. And wait

“Are we there yet?” can only be met with: “We’ll get there when we get there.”

Ahead was Buffalo, a city that had been hit with historic snowfall just days before the journey, accumulating more than 6 feet in parts of the city. I close my eyes, quieting those thoughts and images of a blustery nightmare, and remind myself that I have extra time before I need to be in Chicago. That the trip is the point. That we’ll get there when we get there

Before long, we take off. Soon after that, snowflakes swirl outside. At a stop in Schenectady, New York, a thin blanket of snow surrounds the platform signage. The train lights dim. Conversations quiet.

The first third of the trip is done, and I’m comfy in my seat, using my puffy winter coat as a blanket, feeling sleepy, watching the wintry scene gleam outside as the train chugs along.

Despite the frightening weather ahead, I find myself nodding off, groggy and half-

ABOVE: Amtrak's longdistance trains typically include coach, business and sleeper cars, along with a cafe car where passengers can order meals. Fifteen long-distance trains cover more than 18,000 miles of the country.

awake and watching the changing New York scenery for the next few stations. Each time the train slows and stops, I send a text to Mike to track the timing, and promptly go back to sleep.

I’m sure I’ll wake up when the train makes its stops — sure that I’ll be awake when we eventually arrive in Cleveland.

ASLEEP IN OHIO

The train lurches to a halt and sunshine is pouring into the window. Oh no. A new passenger is seated next to me, apparently someone who boarded in western New York or Pennsylvania. No, no, no…

I yank my phone out of the seat pocket in front of me. It’s 7 a.m. Outside, I see familiar suburban sprawl — somewhere on the West Side, I think. The train is halted, slowed down by another freighter.

Google Maps reveals our location: Berea.

I missed Cleveland, and I missed it by half an hour.

How I managed to sleep so soundly for the past few hours, and through just two stops (Erie and Cleveland), is beyond me. The last thing I remember, from early, early this morning, is gazing out the window as snow fell in the surrounding landscape, especially in Buffalo, where we passed by mountainous snowdrifts.

I remember feeling, in those earlymorning moments, unconcerned, cozy and, mostly, exhausted. I remember the train attendees tapping on sleeping guests who had to disembark instead of announcing arrivals over the intercom. How considerate, I think, frowning.

My last series of notes, texted to Mike for status updates, are on my phone:

Utica 11:30 p.m.

Syracuse 12:40 a.m.

Rochester 2:14 a.m.

Buffalo 3:37 a.m.

I type my next message: Slept thru Cleveland ������

I’m kicking myself over the fact that this whole story was centered around Cleveland and Amtrak and, when we reached Cleveland, I was peacefully snoozing, leaning against the window.

But when I checked out Cleveland’s Lakefront Station a few weeks later, I learned that I didn’t miss much.

Largely unchanged from when it opened in 1977, the building, located at 200 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, was bleak at 12:30 a.m. on a December Saturday night. Just two passengers walked into the station, carting in a few suitcases with them and waiting for their ride. Three vending machines sold snacks in the back of the room; one had its labels covered in duct tape, and another had a handwritten “out of order” sign taped to its front. Vintage Amtrak posters lined the otherwise drab walls.

It stood apart from the massive hubs in Chicago and Boston, full of travelers, eateries and shops, all built into their sleek metropolitan designs.

But even this used to be a more exciting place. A photo from Lakefront Station’s dedication, shared on an Amtrak history archive, features hundreds of smiling people in a room full of activity. And before that, some passenger rail companies operated in Terminal Tower, in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Back in the late 1800s and in much of the 1900s — the heyday of rail — the city was serviced by five railroads, bringing in between 50 and 60 trains every day, says Stu Nicholson, the executive director of All Aboard Ohio, a nonprofit passenger rail and public transit advocacy group.

“Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland was a busy place,” Nicholson says. “Essentially look at all the points on a compass, and you could go in that direction.”

(Well, except North — Lake Erie. But you get the idea.)

Many factors went into Ohio’s passenger rail systems’ downward spiral, but the biggest culprit was, by far, personal vehicles. The nation’s development of interstate highways in the 1950s and a growing availability of cars made passenger rail less convenient and a bit more obsolete for travelers at the time.

But people still take Amtrak. On this early Monday morning, I’m surrounded by them.

In Berea, our train starts moving again, slowly, through the suburb and further west. I get out of my seat and head to the dining car, groggy, and get in line behind a mother and her two children. They giggle as the train turns, sending them into a lean against the wall next to the deli counter. I order a coffee and plop into a booth, unable to hide my grumpiness. I watch the scene change as we pull up to Elyria and a handful of passengers board. I take a few notes, doodle in my notebook and send an update to my coworkers.

I begin to wrap my mind around the big Amtrak problem for Northeast Ohioans: The only time Clevelanders can use this service is at the time of day when a human being is most likely to be asleep. It’s the biggest deterrent to actually taking passenger rail.

“The joke that one of our members came up with several years ago is that in order to ride Amtrak in Ohio, you have to be a vampire,” Nicholson says. “Yet, people do ride — and they ride in surprising numbers.”

In 2021, Cleveland saw the highest Amtrak ridership in Ohio, with 32,263 passengers boarding trains over the course of the year, according to an Amtrak report. Toledo came in second place with 28,045 passengers, and Cincinnati was third with 7,164. (In 2019, before the pandemic affected ridership, Cleveland saw 49,195 passengers, falling just behind Toledo’s 50,192 passengers.)

Cleveland’s passengers board overnight on either the Lake Shore Limited or Capitol Limited lines, which depart Lakefront Station during its nightly hours: midnight to 7 a.m. ... Woof.

“People should be able to base their decision on riding a train on the actuality of a train being there in the daytime. A morning train. A late morning train. An early afternoon, an afternoon and a night train,” Nicholson tells me. “It’s been shown that the more frequent service you have on any rail corridor, the more people will ride, because they’ve got more options.”

More options could soon be available for Ohioans. In 2021, Amtrak proposed its “Amtrak Connects US” vision, which includes proposals for 39 new routes, 25 enhanced routes and 160 new stops across the country. The plan claims to serve 20 million potential new riders. The Amtrak Connects US project places heavy emphasis on Ohio, proposing a 3C+D line to connect Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. The corridor would initially offer three daily round trips that would take place in five and a half hours. (By car, with no stops, the same trip would take roughly four hours and 15 minutes.)

Notably, the line would restore service to Columbus and Dayton, which haven’t had Amtrak rail service since 1979. In Cleveland, the proposed plan would also add three daily round trips to Detroit and one daily round trip to New York City. A new station at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has also been mentioned, along with additional connections to RTA and improvements to the existing Lakefront Station near Downtown.

“It makes sense to take existing infrastructure and improve it. It makes sense to find ways for people to travel that have less of a carbon footprint. It makes sense to give people who need to travel another way to travel,” says Marc Magliari, Amtrak’s senior media relations manager. “People want options.”

In many ways, the entire dynamic of moving around the state of Ohio — and other parts of the country — could soon change, if Amtrak’s vision comes to fruition. “We believe we’re at the start of a new era,” Magliari says. The key word is “start.” Cleveland and the state of Ohio have a long way to go before any new service is determined, and after that, at least a few years before trains could hit new tracks. On the federal level, funding for trains has long taken a backseat to cars. But that tide might change: President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law, enacted in November 2021, is pumping an unprecedented $66 billion in funding for rail, with $22 billion specifically earmarked for Amtrak.

Meaning: Trains might soon make a big comeback not just in Ohio, but across the country.

As the caffeine kicks in, I start to feel a little less grumpy about the whole asleep-in-Cleveland situation. I watch familiar neighborhoods roll by. There’s Amherst, my hometown. Then, the boat-lined docks of

Vermilion. In Sandusky, we zip across a thin, rocky isle, surrounded by Lake Erie's choppy water and bobbing ducks. We pull up to Toledo, a popular stop with dozens of comings and goings. My neighbor departs.

“I need a cigarette,” the guy in front of me mumbles, shoving a hat down over his gray curls before shuffling into the wintry air for a brisk break.

Our last Ohio stop: Bryan, 10:38 a.m. Goodbye, Ohio. A few hours remain.

STOPS AND STARTS

This isn’t the first time the state has been primed for an Amtrak expansion. About 13 years ago, Ohio was prepared to build the 3C+D corridor. Nicholson, at that time a public information officer for the Ohio Rail Development Commission, helped secure a $400 million federal grant to start the service by the end of 2012. That never happened.

Ted Strickland, the last Democrat to serve as the state’s governor, supported the project, lauding the potential jobs and industrial progress it could bring.

When he was succeeded by John Kasich in 2010, the new governor squashed the plans, believing the line would be too expensive with a $17 million annual subsidy required. Since the line wouldn’t be highspeed, Kasich worried it wouldn’t gain enough ridership compared to car travel. Even when an impact study opened up additional funds to push forward higher speed trains, the money was still largely forfeited. (Kasich has, in recent years, thrown support behind other high-speed rail proposals like the Hyperloop.)

So, the 3C+D line didn’t get built in 2012 as originally planned.

“It’s too bad,” Nicholson says, “because if we had, we wouldn’t even be talking about reviving service in the 3C+D corridor. We’d be talking about expanding it.”

That $400 million didn’t just go away. Those funds and funds from other states that dipped out of the initiative went to California, Michigan, New York and Illinois — states that approved their passenger rail expansions, according to Magliari.

Despite Ohio’s fraught recent history with Amtrak, advocates and the company are more hopeful this time around.

“It’s amazing what a whole lot of federal money on the table will do to help you gain support for this,” Nicholson says. “That’s the difference-maker.”

Yet, cost remains a sticking point. Initially, federal funding for operations starts at 90% for the first year, then steps down

from there, leaving more of the tab to the state as time goes on, says Magliari.

Unlike the long-distance train that I took (which is fully federally funded), most of Ohio’s proposed improvements and expansions would consist of shorter, state-sponsored trips — meaning they’d require operating agreements with freight-owned tracks, along with buy-in from participating states to cover costs.

Those costs will be determined from the Federal Railroad Administration’s corridor identification and development program, which will accept proposals until late March.

A 2022 Columbus Dispatch article estimates costs at $17 to $20 million annually, split between Amtrak and Ohio. (Some perspective: $78 million of Ohio taxpayer money was dedicated to transportation in 2020, through the state’s General Revenue Fund.)

Amtrak receives federal funds, but so do other modes of transportation, Magliari says.

“I think, hopefully, we’ve finally gotten past this idea that the roads are paid for with gas taxes when they’re not. Certainly, maintaining them isn’t, and in a lot of cases, building them isn’t, removing the snow from them isn’t, rebuilding them isn’t," Magliari says.

“So the suggestion that Amtrak gets a subsidy and nothing else does, I think we’ve finally outgrown that argument.”

He adds: “There is a public good in enabling people to have mobility in this country and to do so in a way that makes business sense, policy sense and service sense. All of this is done in lots of parts of the country now, and more parts of the country soon.”

That being said, Amtrak’s not an organization that booms with earnings. While it’s technically a for-profit company, it exists somewhere between that and a government entity. The president appoints Amtrak’s board of directors, which is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Though it’s not a public authority, the company is backed by the federal government, a majority stockholder.

Throw in President Biden — dubbed “Amtrak Joe” for his cheerleading attitude toward the service and history of ridership — and the Infrastructure Law’s timing comes into focus.

Where once Amtrak expansions might have existed as a partisan issue, now it might not be quite so black-and-white. Here in Ohio, the Amtrak expansion has already gained support on both party lines. Notably, it drew support from the Columbus Partnership and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, which both see a potential boon for the state’s economy. Amtrak has also worked with many of the state’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations, where many leaders have supported the work, Magliari says.

Cleveland’s MPO, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, is leading the effort to get additional east-west service corridors recognized by applying for the

ABOVE: Chicago's Union Station, built in 1925, is a major hub of transportation for the city. Cleveland's Lakefront Station, built in 1977, currently offers limited services only during late night hours.

Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor ID program.

"The new proposal for Amtrak has Cleveland as both an origin and a destination in and of itself, as opposed to service that goes through Cleveland,” says Grace Gallucci, NOACA's executive director. “It gives us economic opportunity that we didn’t have before. It really connects us to these other places and connects them to us in ways that haven’t been done probably for over a century.”

This past fall, a handful of Ohio mayors — including mayors of all four cities on the 3C+D line — wrote letters of intent to the FRA to press the issue. The letters, coordinated by the Ohio Mayor's Alliance, mark a collective effort to push governor Mike DeWine toward a decision.

Where does that decision lean? As it so often does, it will depend on money.

DeWine launched a feasibility study with the Ohio Rail Development Commission to assess the cost and efficacy of the 3C+D line last May. DeWine's press secretary Dan Tierney says travel times, costs and Amtrak's potential impact on Ohio's freight system are all considerations.

Any expanded service, station improvements or new routes depends on the study’s results. We should know those results, Nicholson says, by spring.

ONE DAY ON A TRAIN

We enter Indiana: a state that I have spent years driving or taking intercity buses through, on my way to Chicago to visit Mike’s family. Bland, endless, rolling farmland and little to enjoy other than a few rest stops serving Hardee’s and gas station hot dogs. I know it’s unfair, but when I think of traveling through Indiana, I just think ugh.

Here, a pair of passengers board and break out their laptops, headphones on, focused on their screens. The train’s wifi is spotty but workable. It allows these two the opportunity to type away and me a bit of time to scroll through TikTok and Instagram.

Work, social media, even moviewatching: all things that you couldn’t (or shouldn’t) do while driving a car.

Another thing you couldn’t do while driving a car? Drink. I notice, on my walks to the dining car, a selection of reasonably priced alcoholic beverages on the menu.

Dreams of an Amtrak ride down to Columbus to catch a concert, sipping a spiked seltzer or two while en route, sound glorious.

I consider ordering a glass of wine but decide against it, still nervous about the possibility of motion sickness. Instead, I opt for a refill of my water bottle, for free, from a spigot near the restrooms.

We stop in Waterloo, Indiana, a tiny station in a rural area. A few folks roll their suitcases on board in the morning sunlight.

This city, along with the previous stop in Bryan, are both towns located far from airports. They’re also two towns not serviced by Greyhound or Megabus. (While mentioning Megabus, let’s also mention that the bus doesn’t even service Ohio anymore, having cut its stops in the state in 2020.)

Watching a few folks hurriedly hustle onto the train, I could see how people in tiny towns like Waterloo, with a population of just 2,000, could rely on Amtrak to get around. The same can be said for smaller and mid-sized cities like Elyria, Sandusky, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Utica, New York.

Chicago is fast-approaching. We breeze through Indiana, reaching Elkhart around noon, then hit South Bend at 12:20 p.m. About an hour and a time zone change later, we reach the 24-hour mark of the trip somewhere in Indiana, at 12:05 p.m. Central Time (1:05 p.m. Eastern Standard).

My back hurts. By now, I’m avoiding our train car’s restroom, which has become increasingly filthy as the hours wear on. My hair is a mess, tied up in a bun. I spend much of the next hour dreaming of a long shower and a good nap.

But, I’m okay. Half an hour later, the sprawling Chicago skyline reveals itself in the distance. I gather my things, packing away my cell phone charger, headphones, water bottle and what’s left of my snacks. I text my friend Sarah, letting her know I’d be at the station soon.

The skyline grows as we roll through neighborhoods, past Guaranteed Rate Field, approaching Union Station. We roll in.

The train slows with a screech, finally stopping at about 1:15 p.m. in the dark, busy belly of Union Station. It’s been 25 hours since we departed. We're three hours late.

Passengers shuffle off the train, an Amtrak worker warning us of the wet, slippery platform, helping us step down. A brisk walk down the platform and through Union Station helps stretch my legs. I hustle past queues of passengers lined up to board their journeys, then I step outside and get my first breath of fresh air in more than a day. Soon, Sarah swings by to pick me up in her car.

“How was it?” she asks, navigating the busy downtown streets.

“It was… good,” I respond.

This trip, which started as a weird story idea, also became a practice in slowing down. I allowed the journey to take as long as it needed to, paying attention to the people and moments around me.

Unlike what I’d predicted before the trip, I wasn’t the only person who took the Amtrak train from Boston to the end of the line in Chicago. One other passenger in the car also stayed on for the full ride, and a handful of other neighbors boarded for Chicago in western Massachusetts, experiencing more than 20 hours on the train. Most of the train’s employees also became familiar faces for the duration of the trip.

The train slows with a screech, finally stopping at about 1:15 p.m. in the dark, busy belly of Union Station. It’s been 25 hours since we departed. We're three hours late.

Taking the entire Lake Shore Limited line, start to finish, allowed me to see the swirling communities that formed and broke around me, a choppy sea of comings and goings, a microcosm of East Coast and Midwest travel.

There was the kind Amtrak worker who tried her best to answer every passenger’s question about every delay; there was the pair of friends donning eye masks and leaning on each other to sleep through much of the night; there was the college kid who shared, unprompted, that he’d been trying to get home to the snowed-in Buffalo for the past five days, and who finally reached his family that night.

It turns out that the stranger I met at the beginning of the trip was right: it’s not hard to spend a lot of time on an Amtrak train. For me, at least, that wasn’t so bad.

And it could get better, I think. It could get better

BEST. SUMMER. EVER.

Hathaway

SCAN FOR CAMPS

WRITTEN

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

Design sewing patterns and make something new to wear. Create stop-motion flip books and bring inanimate objects to life.

Learn about Asian arts and culture by exploring the biology of pandas and traditional silk printing. Dig into science fiction, or make an escape room. Visit a trampoline park and find out, gravity works.

Pssst. That’s STEM, and in the summer, it doesn’t feel like schoolwork.

The warm-weather months off school are an ideal time to introduce a child to STEM concepts, “because we don’t call it STEM,” quips Rhonda Rickelman, Gilmour Academy’s director of auxiliary programming. “You can let kids try something they have an interest in or something you think they might like, and the camps are short.”

In some ways, camps “sneak in” STEM because kids are out of the typical classroom.

There’s no test and no pressure. It’s just fun.

“Camps open the door for science, tech, engineering and art simply by presenting it in different ways,” adds Andrea DiSalvo, director of Summer at Laurel School. For instance, a sewing and cooking camp includes math, art and science, “but it is under the umbrella of exciting activities and kids don’t know they are actually learning those concepts. They see the opportunity as fun rather than learning.”

This can be especially important for kids who might begrudge math and think they’re just not good at science. “STEM summer camps allow information to be presented in a very different way that may enable a child to easily grasp the concept,” DiSalvo explains.

Sometimes, warming up to STEM is all about the delivery. And what better way to supersize STEM fun than to expose a hesitant child to science, engineering and math in disguise?

“It’s always a great time for STEM, but by going to a fun summer camp, kids are not getting graded like they typically are during the school year,” says Scott Vollmer, vice president of education and exhibits at Great Lakes Science Center. “At a summer camp, you have an opportunity to spread your wings and build confidence.”

That’s STEM?

A love for animals can be an inroad to STEM concepts. Magnificat High School offers its Little Vet School summer program for first through third graders. “They learn some anatomy through play activities, and it captures a natural interest and fascination in animals, introducing biology and medicine that can spark an interest,” says Teresa Messmore, director of communications at Magnificat, who assists with summer programming.

STEM doesn’t have to be about robots, drones or coding — though these are soughtafter programs that introduce students to exciting applications for their interests. And there are a plethora of programs throughout the region including CodeMonkey, Black Rocket and others.

What can intrigue kids who do not necessarily demonstrate an interest in STEM? Basically, it’s everywhere and all about asking questions (what kid doesn’t want to ask, “Why, why, why?”) and fostering curiosity.

Legos are STEM. When young children dabble at a water table or build a tower of blocks, that’s STEM. And these play-based activities are often slipped into general day camps.

Summer is a prime time to unlock an interest in STEM by trying out programs that naturally spark wonder and exploration outside of the classroom.

“We offer a smattering of activities and enrichment — everything from putting celery in colored water to see what happens as we are learning about plants to team-building activities, like how can we put our arms together and untwist ourselves?” Rickelman says.

Camps at Magnificat can bridge language arts and STEM, such as its writing and pop culture exploration program, or a science fiction camp where kids watch a movie, talk about the ideas and explore them with a hands-on craft.

At Great Lakes Science Center, Camp Curiosity runs 11 weeks and covers a different subject in each session: chemistry, space, paleontology, sea life, sports, robots, Legos, Minecraft and so on. This gives kids a chance to try something new. “There are experiences and surprises, and you see when they get hands-on with mixing solutions, it opens up a world of STEM and makes it accessible,” Vollmer says.

STEM at Every Age

The cool thing about STEM is that it welcomes every age group and all types of learning styles because it’s highly experiential, creative, col-

laborative and inclusive. Everyone on a team contributes. There’s no one right way to solve a problem.

By spanning STEM across subjects and involving different ways to explore and engage in topics, “we find our girls having a better understanding of the world around them, more confidence in their own skills and a better understanding of themselves and their own interests,” DiSalvo says.

“It has to be age appropriate,” Rickelman adds. For instance, a Mouse Trap-inspired activity for 5- and 6-year-olds looks different than a similar-themed camp for middle-schoolers that might involve building a trap kids can move through or creating a sort of escape room.

DiSalvo shares how STEM for younger campers ages 2 to 6 is interactive and presented in mini lessons. “That might include visits from Cleveland Museum of Natural History speakers [or] having toys available that are specifically for building and art that focuses on experimentation such as mixing paint colors with our hands or doing gravity art.”

For older students, camps might center on a

specific topic like the All-Girls Robotics Camp or Urban Adventure/City Science camp.

And as campers grow up, their memorable STEM experiences can translate into career interests. “There is an age where girls can fall off in terms of interest in science and math, and we know that putting them in an all-girls environment will statistically nurture and grow their interest in STEM fields,” Messmore says, noting that about 40% of the Class of 2022 indicated they were pursuing a STEM field in college.

Beyond Summer

Resetting the idea that there is a right and wrong way to do things is one critical skill kids can discover through STEM learning. “Some kids lean toward perfectionism and that is not how life works,” Messmore says. “We learn by doing, we learn by making mistakes, we learn by not having something go the way we saw it, breaking it down and having the creativity, problemsolving skills and perseverance to try again.”

During summer in a relaxed camp setting that is not staged in a classroom, students can be

more open to accepting challenges and working together with kids they don’t see every day.

“Collaboration is key,” Vollmer emphasizes. “You introduce your child to different cultures, kids of different ages, and when you do that, there is obviously a positive social

impact. And overall, camps give kids opportunities to openly discuss what they think a solution to a problem is, to share that and listen to peers, and gain different perspectives and views from different communities. That is a critical life lesson.”

To be sure, camps that explore STEM are so much more than what the four-letter word implies.

“They are building leadership skills and participating in friendshipbuilding activities, health and wellness, too,” Messmore says. Magnificat also introduces campers to STEM careers by inviting in speakers from a range of fields.

“When we can make those connections for students and they learn about opportunities they might not have heard about, there can

definitely be a lot of ‘aha’ moments,” Messmore continues. Some of the school’s STEM presenters have included a speech language pathologist, chief nursing officer, veterinarian and biomedical engineering professor.

Sometimes, a summer STEM experience can bring together kids with similar interests—and who knows where they might take it from there. DiSalvo shares how a group of girls from their robotics camp continued on to a middle school team, naming themselves The Science Sisters. They competed at the state Lego League Robotics Tournament. “The camp inspired a newfound interest that they then fostered well beyond the summer months,” she says.

Vollmer says the discovery and energy kids experience at STEM camps is tangible. “You hear them have this joy and grow this confidence, and they weren’t expecting it,” he says, relating that his own son fostered a love for STEM through camps and now attends a STEM-based school. “Finding any outlet for your child to gain that confidence will pay rewards in the future.”

REGISTER NOW FOR GET THE EDGE 2023

REGISTER NOW FOR GET THE EDGE 2023

St. Edward High School’s Summer Enrichment Program for Boys

St. Edward High School’s Summer Enrichment Program for Boys

Entering 7th & 8th Grade

Entering 7th & 8th Grade

Monday, June 12, 2023Friday, June 30, 2023

Monday, June 12, 2023Friday, June 30, 2023

Daily from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at St. Edward High School

Daily from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at St. Edward High School

Early Bird Cost (by March 1): $250

Early Bird Cost (by March 1): $250

REGISTER AT SEHS.NET/GTE OR SCAN THE QR CODE

REGISTER AT SEHS.NET/GTE OR SCAN THE QR CODE

Screens don’t grow on trees (thank goodness), and an overwhelming advantage to outdoor camps and nature-based summer programs is getting kids away from devices. But there’s so much more than learning to put down the phone that kids gain from time outdoors.

“It fosters curiosity and cooperative learning, problem solving — and there are mental

5 Reasons to Explore Nature and Experience Camp

health benefits and improved cognition in what we learn by spending time outside,” says Mary Rouse, director of outdoor experiences for Cleveland Metroparks. “And outdoor camps promote a connection with the natural world.”

Here are five reasons to encourage children to take to the outdoors this summer — and throughout the year.

1. Ignite curiosity.

Rather than outdoor education, Cleveland Metroparks naturalists call it “interpretation,” Rouse explains. “It’s about helping people better understand the world around them, not just, ‘That’s an American robin,’ or, ‘That’s a blue heron.’ It’s asking questions like, ‘Why do you think that bird is here with the really long legs?’

so they understand the whole environment.”

And because nature is always changing, there’s always something new to explore.

“If kids can get out in an active environment that relates to a topic, it opens up a whole different world in their learning abilities and imagination and sparks a sense of curiosity that they don’t necessarily get in the classroom,” says Lauren Schmidt, camp manager at Shaker Lakes.

“The outdoors hits all of their senses,” she continues. “They are hearing different sounds they don’t hear in school. They are seeing it, and they can experiment with different ways to move their bodies or manipulate the environment around them in a safe way. They can test their boundaries and find out what they can do, which builds confidence.”

Summer Ruffing It!

Summer Camps

JUNE 20-JULY 28

Offering camps for 3-year-olds through rising 8th graders. For more information and to register, visit ruffingmontessori.net.

2. Try something new.

From learning how to cook over a fire to identifying creatures, mountain-biking and stand-up paddleboarding, outdoor camps give campers of all ages different ways to appreciate active

time in the fresh air. “We have a number of sailing programs, fly fishing, junior scientist camp and wilderness skills camps, along with connecting art and nature for kids who are into the artistic, creative piece,” Rouse says, advising parents to involve their children in selecting programs. “Let them pick some camps and also stretch them a little bit.”

3. Take a breath of fresh air.

“Being outdoors has a therapeutic effect,” says Olivia Mackey, camp director for Camp Christopher in Akron. She is also a licensed clinical mental health counselor. “There is so much in kids’ worlds with social media and technology, that having them disconnect from that is powerful — and they are forming bonds. Camp can be like a bubble away from society — a little slice of heaven where they can focus on being with each other and being present. And they can feel welcome and a part of the camp community no matter what else is going on in life.”

4. Build confidence and leadership skills.

Outdoor programs can include ropes courses, climbing walls and skill-building exercises like canoeing or archery that give kids healthy challenges. “It can help kids become better leaders,” says Courtney Nicolai, executive director at Hiram House Camp. “You might have a child who is reserved during the school year, and you see them come out of their shell over the summer when they are asked to pair up with another camper to accomplish a task. An overnight camp can give children a sense of responsibility. They build self-confidence and take away life skills.”

5. Grow environmental awareness.

“Experiencing the natural world inspires people to make changes — small changes in their everyday lives to live in a more sustainable way, to appreciate the environment for what it is, and to really come to a place of respect and love for the outdoors,” Rouse says.

1, 000HOU R S OUTSIDE

An initiative that attempts to match nature time with screen time, the 1,000 Hours Outside global movement is for any child or adult. The challenge provides printable trackers and ideas, and you can join a community of others taking on the challenge at 1000hoursoutside.com

The Summer Enrichment Program has served the greater Cleveland community since 1968, accounting for more than 50 years of academic, social, cultural and athletic enrichment opportunities for young men who are entering the eighth grade.

The Summer Enrichment Program has served the greater Cleveland community since 1968, accounting for more than 50 years of academic, social, cultural and athletic enrichment opportunities for young men who are entering the eighth grade.

Join us June 12 - 30, 2023

Join us June 12 - 30, 2023

Why Camp Counselors Have the Ultimate Resume-Building Job Counselors Are Key

Ray Flannery, 23, has spent summertime at Camp Christopher in Akron since he can remember.

"Camp challenges you to grow in ways you didn’t know you could,” he says. It’s an integral part of the warm-weather months he spends between school years. “It’s an experience unlike any other, it’s jam-packed with memories and you get to work alongside people who teach you a lot.”

Flannery’s passion for camp started before he was old enough for day camp, and his family went together for a week. He eventually spent

seven summers as an overnighter — horseback riding, swimming, completing challenge courses, hiking, canoeing and more. And for the last four years, he has worked as a member of the staff.

“There is a role for everyone at camp and so many jobs to fill,” he points out, relating that some counselors specialize in areas like running the challenge course, teaching swimming lessons or guiding campers on horseback rides.

Mariana Gomez, 21, never camped as a child, but she’s going into her third summer working at Hiram House Camp. “I was sitting

in my dorm late at night thinking about where to work in the summer, and I had just worked at restaurants like Chipotle,” she says.

Instead, she figured spending time outside and “not being stuck in a building” would be refreshing, “especially after the COVID year,” adds Gomez, who is a junior at Franciscan University. “I felt a need to get out there.”

Her experience working at camp is seeding an interest in teaching down the road.

Courtney Nicolai, Hiram House Camp’s executive director, points out that when “camp counselor” is on a resume, “it says the individ-

ual has the ability to multi-task, has extreme patience, is very creative and can think outside of the box."

Certainly, working as a counselor at an overnight or day camp can lay the groundwork for careers — and not necessarily teaching, but environmental studies, behavioral health, nursing and more.

"This is a wonderful opportunity because they are working with children from different backgrounds, and what better life experience than to spend 10 weeks getting to know them and figuring out yourself as well?” Nicolai says.

In fact, Hiram House Camp was Nicolai’s first job at age 16. “It’s fun for us here to watch the evolution of our staff throughout the summer,” she says. And when it comes to some of the benefits students gain in this role, “They grow more confident, and they demonstrate an ability to be a really strong role model.”

Setting an Example

Camp counselors are like that really cool older brother or sister. “Counselors might not even know it at the time, but the campers really

look up to them and want to be like them when they are older, especially if they do not have that in their home life,” says Olivia Mackey, camp director at Camp Christopher. “They look forward to that feeling we foster here.”

As a counselor, you have an opportunity to make a kid’s day — lots of kids, as a matter of fact. And you have fun while doing it.

“They think it’s really fun that their counselor is playing in the mud or singing camp songs,” Gomez says, relating how her job at Hiram House Camp pushed her to really dive into the role and participate with heart. “That was the biggest part of being a role model for me — and that takes getting over yourself and embracing your inner kid.”

For Flannery, he learned

COURTESY HIRAM HOUSE CAMP

how to be a role model as a counselor and supervisor. “Working on staff connected me with so many peers who share the love for camp and want to make sure they impart that love for camp in the next generation,” he says.

Persisting & Growing Self-Awareness

Especially at an overnight camp, counselors are “on” around the clock. If a camper wakes up after a bad dream, you’re the go-to calming source. If a camper trips on a tree root and skins a knee, you’re the director of Band-Aids and a compassionate friend.

“Especially by the middle of the week, kids are tired, and you have to keep your energy up,” Gomez says. “That was one of the things I didn’t really realize was going to be hard for me. The kids look up to you so much. They can tell if you are tired and if you don’t want to do something, they won’t be interested either. But if you can keep up your energy, they’ll see. ‘My counselor is excited about this, I’ll try it, too.’”

Gomez learned when she needed to take a break or recenter herself. “I recognized the signals, ‘O.K., I’m getting worn out, I need to reserve my energy and ask for help,’” she relates.

As more of an introvert, she had to push herself to put it all out there — belt out the camp songs, storm the rock wall, get silly with the kids. “Being a counselor definitely took some learning in the beginning,” she says. “At first, I thought, ‘These kids are so outgoing, I’m not sure if I am giving them enough,’ but I tried not to let my tendencies to be more quiet and reserved get in the way.”

Plus, there was plenty of training, Gomez adds. The week before children start arriving is pre-camp. “We learned skills like behavior management and how to learn the group dynamics, learning to mediate,” she says.

At camp, you meet people where they are, Flannery says. “It takes collaboration and mental fortitude,” he adds, noting that facilitating team-building exercises like the ropes course and challenge games allowed him to show campers that they can accomplish difficult and daunting tasks, too.

Exploring Careers

While in college at John Carroll University, Flannery interned at Catholic Charities, which oversees Camp Christopher. He worked in migration refugee services, an opportunity he learned about as a camp

counselor. “We were able to send refugees to camp this past summer, which was super cool for me to see those two worlds collide,” he relates.

“The leadership skills and ability to work with different people is a universal skill and you learn that from working at camp because of the diversity of life experiences you will encounter,” he says. “You find pathways through camp.”

In fact, Mackey has a counseling and behavioral health background that is important and relevant in her role as camp director. Flannery comments, “You see how those skills contribute to a career path that might not seem likely.”

Flannery is pursuing a master’s in public health at the University of Maryland, and the leadership skills he continues to acquire as a camp counselor are already paying off. Plus, the ability to work with others and the relationships that grow out of a camp counselor experience are priceless. “People are so similar and also so different," he says, "but we share a love for camp.”

can do summer camp like this! Curate your

Only

curiosity at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and give them a summer they’ll never forget. Learn more at cmnh.org/summercamps.

Camp Gilmour

34001 Cedar Road, Gates Mills gilmour.org/campus-life/camp-programs

Camp Gilmour offers preschool (ages 3-5), day (ages 5-12), sports and experiential camps. June 5-August 4. Daily theme-based math and reading (academic) enrichment for day campers.

Hawken Summer Programs

5000 Clubside Road, Lyndhurst summer.hawken.edu

Hawken Summer Programs offer a wide variety of camps and academic classes for boys and girls ages 4-18. Programs run between June and August. For more information, contact summerprograms@hawken. edu, 440-423-2940, or visit summer. hawken.edu.

Laurel School

1 Lyman Circle, Shaker Heights laurelschool.org/summer

Summer at Laurel offers fun, adventure, and learning for kids 24 months-Grade 12! Seventeen new camps for 2023 and more space in all programs for more campers! Visit laurelschool.org/summer or contact summer@laurelschool.org.

Saint Ignatius High School

1911 W. 30th St., Cleveland ignatius.edu/SEP

The Summer Enrichment Program is the perfect opportunity for boys entering the eighth grade to meet future classmates, work together in the classroom and on the field, and learn from Saint Ignatius teachers and coaches.

Hathaway Brown

19600 N Park Blvd., Shaker Heights hb.edu

Hathaway Brown offers camps for boys and girls, toddlers through college. Register for academic, athletics, adventure and specialty camps to have the best summer ever.

Lake Ridge Academy

37501 Center Ridge Road, North Ridgeville lakeridgeacademy.org/school-life/ summer-programs

Soak up the summer fun at Lake Ridge Academy! Come experience our dynamic summer program to learn, create, and explore while having fun with friends!

Ruffing Summer Break Camp

3380 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights ruffingmontessori.net

Summer Ruffing It! is a six-week day camp that promotes academic, athletic, and artistic enrichment. Campers will work with educators in student-centered groups.

St. Edward High School

13500 Detroit Ave., Lakewood sehs.net/gte

Join us at St. Edward High School this summer for Get the Edge! The 2023 Summer Enrichment Program is for boys entering seventh and eighth grades. This three-week camp offers the best of academics and recreation and is designed to help young men expand their intellectual curiosity in an engaging, team-oriented environment.

ST. EDWARD HIGH SCHOOL

LAUREL SCHOOL

SAINT IGNATIUS HIGH SCHOOL

RUFFING MONTESSORI SCHOOL

LAKE RIDGE ACADEMY SUMMER PROGRAMS

HAWKEN SUMMER PROGRAMS

HATHAWAY BROWN

GILMOUR ACADEMY

Join the Fight

Go Red advocates share why this heart health campaign is important.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer of women. It claims more women’s lives than all forms of cancer combined. Losing one woman to cardiovascular disease is one too many. That’s why American Heart Month and Go Red for Women are critical.

Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative and is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of all women.

Women experience unique stages through their lives which affect both overall health and cardiovascular health. Unique risk factors specific to women are:

• Pregnancy — Pregnancy can lead to cardiovascular conditions (including peripartum cardiomyopathy, stroke, heart attack) as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes (gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes) that can increase a woman’s risk for CVD later in life. Therefore, it’s vital that women are healthy before, during and after their pregnancy, both for themselves and their baby.

• Menopause — While menopause does not cause cardiovascular disease, a woman’s CVD risk is higher following menopause, making it vital for women to take charge of their health in the years leading up to and during menopause.

Women, especially Black and Hispanic women, are disproportionally impacted by heart disease and stroke and research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women. Yet younger generations of women — Gen Z and Millennials — are less likely to be aware of their greatest health threat, including knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes. That’s why it’s important for all women to get their heart in the game by taking charge of their heart health and encouraging others to do the same.

Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented with education and healthy lifestyle changes, which is why this year’s theme, “Get Your Heart in the Game” is so critical. Throughout February, American Heart Month, I encourage you to take action, and advocate for your health.

VALERIE HILLOW GATES Executive Director and Market Vice President American Heart Association

2023 Go Red for Women CO-CHAIRS

Be the One in Your Family to Learn CPR Today. #HeartMonth

We’re asking women to keep the rhythm going by learning the lifesaving skill of CPR. This aligns with the theme of the 2023 Go Red for Women® Experience, Get your Heart in the Game. It offers more ways for you to keep your hearts pumping and be the beat for the things that matter most to you and your family!

Good health is a journey, not a destination.

Wherever you are, you can take small actions that can make a big difference and have lasting health benefits.

#ClevelandGoesRed heart.org/clevelandgored

Shelly Cayette Chief Commercial Officer & Executive Vice President Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock Entertainment Group

Alberta Lee Senior Vice President, People & Culture Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock Entertainment Group

See what they’re saying about Go Red for Women

The Cleveland Cavaliers are proud to support and host the 2023 Go Red for Women experience in Cleveland and advocate for better health for all women. We stand with the American Heart Association in championing health equity and access to care for all. Through the Go Red for Women movement, we hope to empower women to take charge of their health and well-being by getting their heart in the game!

Since younger generations of women, including Gen Z and Millennials, are less likely to be aware of heart disease being their #1 health threat, I am proud to help raise awareness with the younger generation. I am passionate about the American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red for Girls program and have created a scholarship to help raise awareness and to fuel the future careers of young girls and women who are interested in pursuing the STEM fields.

Lorraine Dodero Executive Trustee, The Sam J. Frankino Foundation

Go Red is not just about wearing red or sharing heart-health facts. It’s about all women standing together with the American Heart Association to make a difference. We know that Black and Hispanic women are disproportionately impacted by heart disease and stroke, and research shows that heart attacks are also on the rise in younger women. That is why University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute has championed this cause as a presenting sponsor. It is important to us that all women take charge, advocate for their own health, and encourage others to do the same.”

Yulanka Castro-Dominguez, MD Medical Chair, Go Red for Women Interventional Cardiologist, University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute

The heart of our community is our greatest asset.

When people work together, anything is possible. That’s why we support organizations that improve the lives of our neighbors. We’re lucky to have the American Heart Association to advance the health and well-being of all of us.

KeyBank is proud to support Go Red For Women 2023 and all the innovative work you do to make a difference in our community.

Visit key.com/ia.

For every care in the community.

We proudly support Go Red For Women and their mission to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke in women.

clevelandclinic.org

GET YOUR HEART IN

ROW 1

Jennifer Baus

The NRP Group

Tom Hablitzel

Sherwin-Williams

Jan Hablitzel

Community Advocate

Cathy O’Malley Kearney KeyBank

Stacey Mazzurco, BSN, RN University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Alberta Lee, SPHR

Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock Entertainment Group

Shelly Cayette

Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock Entertainment Group

Monica Robins WKYC

Brittany Stepp, MHI DispatchHealth

Yulanka CastroDominguez, MD University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Mehdi H. Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Lorraine Frankino-Dodero

The Sam J. Frankino Foundation

Dawn Clark

American Heart Association

ROW 2

Shelley Webber

American Heart Association

Tanaja Jacobson

American Heart Association

Michael W Morrison, BS, CST, CTP, CSFA University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Nicole McKinneyJohnson, MBA

The AKA Team

Renee Tramble Richard, Esq.

Cuyahoga Community College

Julie Krebs

Virtual Brand Advisors

Kelsey Gray, MD University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Gary Zrimec University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Jan Fitts

Community Advocate

John Fitts

Community Advocate

Eric Hess University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Julie Gotschall

American Heart Association

Christina Treu

American Heart Association

ROW 3

Jim Chones

Cleveland Cavaliers

Lisa Wheeler-Cooper

American Heart Association

Valissa Turner Howard

Greater Cleveland Food Bank

Jan Jones

Community Advocate

Sam Prewitt

Radio One

Courtney Gousman

News 5 Cleveland

Fred M DeGrandis

Honorary Lifetime MemberAHA Board of Trustees

THE GAME

Janine Arruda, MD, FAAP, FACC University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital

Orysia Zrimec

Community Advocate

Karen Woller Huntington National Bank

ROW 4

Tracy Carloss News 5 Cleveland

Megan Canfield PwC LLP

Tiffany Myroniak

Cleveland Magazine

Lindsay Buckingham WKYC

Sara Rahmani, MS-HSM University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute

Danielle Hughes Nordson Corporation

Mary Hayat Dealer Tire

Jeff Zemito

Lakeview Wealth Management

Dr. Barbara J Harris

Dr. Barbara J Harris Foundation

ROW 5

Phyllis Nsiah-Kumi, MD, MPH

Cleveland Military Entrance Processing Station

Maia Belay

Fox 8 News

Denise Polverine-Manoloff

Cleveland Magazine

Marien Kaifesh

Community Advocate

Lilian Reyes Cindric, CPA

Nottingham Spirk

Carol Bell

University Hospitals Harrington

Heart & Vascular Institute

Amanda Gibson

Parker Hannifin

Jackie Ritter

Olympic Steel Inc.

Earth Lyons Hunter International

ROW 6

April Trzop

Metro Life Flight

Katie Adkins, M.A.Ed.

Baldwin Wallace University

Tess Boutros

Cleveland Cavaliers

Susan Skalba, PT, DPT

University Hospitals Parma Medical Center

Meg Murray

Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock

Entertainment Group

Tamra Moroski

Marketing AI Institute

Erika Arslanian

The NRP Group

Meredith R. Fergus, JD

WTW

Meera Kondapaneni, MD

MetroHealth Medical Center

Liz Durham Community Advocate

ROW 7

Austin Carr

Cleveland Cavaliers

Denise McGee

Bellwether Enterprise

Charles Modlin, MD, MBA

MetroHealth

Campy Russell

Cleveland Cavaliers

Tiffani Tucker

19 News

Rustom Khouri III

Carnegie Management & Development Corp.

Rob Durham

HKM Direct Market Communications

Love Your Heart

Remember these pointers to help protect your and others’ heart health.

Be the Beat

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the world. Each year, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States. Almost three out of four of those happen at home.

If you’re called on to do CPR, you will likely be saving the life of someone you love. The members of our community need us. Our children need

us. Our neighbors need us. Our co-workers need us.

The American Heart Association recognizes this need and has a plan to help. You can be the difference by learning CPR to save a life. The American Heart Association is committed to being the leader in resuscitation science, education and training.

This February during American Heart Month, the American Heart Association

is specifically focused on learning the life-saving skill of CPR, and we want every family and home to have someone who knows CPR. With the help of local supporters, we can help more of our community be prepared when called on for an emergency.

TWO STEPS TO SAVE A LIFE

Health Equity

The American Heart Association’s 2024 Impact Goal calls for identifying and removing barriers to health care access and quality. We’re taking bold actions to remove barriers to health, including the social determinants of health, structural racism and rural health inequities. One of our commitments includes addressing health equity in the workplace. Inequity, discrimination and bias have no place in the workplace. Yet, they remain and have been proven to take a heavy toll on the health and wellbeing of employees, organizations and their communities.

Working toward health equity is the right thing to do for all organizations. Healthy employees are more productive and health care costs are reduced as a result. The health of the workforce will improve if more employers commit to actions that build equity.

Visit heart.org/workplaceequity to learn more.

Life’s Essential 8

Maintaining cardiovascular health, or CVH, can help you enjoy a longer, healthier life. Better CVH also has been associated with decreased risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia and other major health problems.

The American Heart Association has updated key measures scientifically proven to determine cardiovascular health. Called Life’s Essential 8, they are:

• Healthy diet

• Controlled blood pressure

• Not smoking or vaping

• Healthy levels of cholesterol and lipids

• Physical activity

• Healthy blood sugar levels

• Adequate sleep

• Healthy weight

Factors outside Life’s Essential 8 greatly influence your cardiovascular health. Mental health and the conditions in which you are born and live also play an important role. Put another way, high CVH isn’t just about what you do to get healthy. Historical, environmental and systemic problems can limit or enhance your ability to effectively pursue Life’s Essential 8.

Learn more at heart.org/lifes8.

Embracing the

GREAT OUTDOORS

Plans are underway to improve the city’s park and enhance connections in the community and beyond.

Parks are the lifeblood of a community, providing residents and visitors with opportunities to enhance their physical and mental health and well-being. Solon recognizes that and is in the process of updating its community park to make it a destination for people of all ages to gather.

“The outdoors does so much for you that you can’t get inside,” says Mayor Ed Kraus. “We want to provide that in a nice, beautiful setting with new amenities where the community can come together with friends and family and be out in the fresh air.”

With COVID-19 providing a reminder of the park’s importance to the community, Solon decided it was time to start thinking about some much-needed changes. Last year, the city began evaluating the status of the park and areas of improvement, as well as conducting surveys and focus groups to get the community’s feedback on potential changes. Now, the city is in the envisioning stage, creating a written plan for the park’s future.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we saw the park experience an uptick in usage — people trying to be outdoors and be active,” says Rich Parker, director of the parks and recreation department. “As much as the community values the park, it was looking a little tired. It’s time to give it some much needed attention.”

Parker says most of 2023 will be spent designing the new facets of the park, with a lot of the construction taking place in 2024.

“It’s about creating a park that we can all use,” Kraus adds. “Some cities have small neighborhood parks. What I like about having one main park is that it’s where you meet the community — it’s a destination for celebrating our diversity and including everyone.”

A NEW CONNECTION

The city also is working with the Cleveland Metroparks to install a trail that connects Solon to Chagrin Falls.

“This goes back to years ago when we developed Solon Connects to make the city more bikeable and walkable. We’re planning a city for the people,” Kraus says. “Originally, we were going to execute the Solon to Chagrin Falls trail ourselves, but we didn’t know how. So, we called the Metroparks, and they offered to install it for us.”

By Rachel Hagenbaugh

In partnership with the city of Solon, the Metroparks plans to break ground on the project this year, once all engineering is complete and permitting is secured.

“The Solon to Chagrin Falls trail will provide a meaningful, all ages and abilities trail connection between the communities that has been desired for decades,” says Sean McDermott, chief planning and design officer for the Cleveland Metroparks. “Aside from the incredible mental and physical health benefits of being active outdoors, trails provide an alternative to using a vehicle for transportation, increase employee retention, increase property values and support connections among users and community members.”

The Metroparks also is pursuing the acquisition of more than 149 acres of Solon’s former Hawthorne Valley Country Club property, with plans to restore it as a natural, scenic area that will serve as a habitat for plants and wildlife, while providing public access. A large fishing pond on the property will offer anglers new fishing opportunities for bluegill and largemouth bass.

“The more park space you have, it really adds to the overall quality of life,” Kraus says. “That’s how communities should be measured — your green space and your park space. That’s for the environment, and that’s the best thing you can do for the community.”

PARK PLANS

The city’s vision for the park includes:

Playground enhancements with new, state-of-theart equipment and adaptive features

Tearing down the old barn and building a new facility with bathrooms and a concession area

Adding several pickleball courts

Installing turf to sports fields

Improving the parking lot

Workforce MOBILITY

By Jill Sell

Solon’s industrial parks are known for their attractive landscaping and well-manicured, vast areas of lawn. Traveling on a long driveway past these picturesque views is pleasant for those in vehicles, but employees who use public transit often find their bus stops too far from their company’s entrance, particularly during Northeast Ohio’s cold, dark winter months.

A new 18-month pilot program, RTA ConnectWorks, is a public/ private partnership between the City of Solon, Greater Cleveland RTA and SHARE Mobility, a technology company that solves complex transportation problems. RTA secured a $300,000 state grant to initiate the program. The Ohio Department of Transportation contributed to the funding. In place at the end of 2022, the program eliminates rider inconvenience and addresses more complicated issues of workforce mobility.

Major bus lines funnel into the Southgate Transit Center in Maple Heights. Now riders wishing to go to Solon can then board SHARE Mobility’s smaller, 14-passenger buses or vans that take them right to the door of their employer (and back) in one of the community’s industrial or retail areas.

Providing this last mile service helps Solon employers expand the areas from which they recruit and helps retain employees, according to Michael Martens, SHARE Mobility’s chief revenue officer. The opportunity also

helps with the problem of spatial mismatch — when jobs are located in one area, but hourly workers live in another. Public transport helps to reduce vehicle emissions, too, and can save a commuter time, money and aggravation, he says.

“Solon has been a suburb based on autos and highways,” says Maribeth Feke, RTA’s director of programing and planning. “Public transit isn’t usually something that is normally on the public’s radar screen, but Solon’s mayor and his administration have stepped up to the plate and have been very forward about getting transit amenities like shelters and moving routes. They are making sure their employees and residents have good access to transit.”

At Swagelok, our people-focused culture and no-layoff philosophy have created a sense of stability, connectivity, and pride for 75 years. A re ection of the hard work and dedication of our associates, Swagelok is repeatedly recognized as a top place to work in Northeast Ohio. We’re hiring—see our available opportunities at jobs.swagelok.com.

Clarity in Your Community.

Low Cost • Convenient • Hospital-Grade Imaging

When you need medical imaging or diagnostics, you don’t want to deal with long waits to get in, surprisingly high prices, or delayed results. With same and next-day appointments, we provide patients and providers with clarity, fast. Our hospital-grade medical imaging provides results read by qualified radiologists within 24 hours, so you and your doctor can focus on the next step in your journey to health. With a check-in process that gets you from our parking lot to your appointment with no wait, an easy concierge pre-authorization process, and low transparent pricing, we’re able to provide a clearly distinct experience for patients and their medical providers. Ask your physician to refer you to Lumina the next time you need an MRI or CT scan.

Igniting INNOVATION

Get the scoop on the city’s partnership with the Cuyahoga County Public Library to bring an innovation center to Solon in 2024. By

Plans are underway to expand the Solon Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) with an innovation center. With a focus on manufacturing and the trades, the space will provide an avenue for the city’s businesses to connect with the community and attract skilled workers.

“The city was looking to establish a maker’s space and small business incubator. We came to them as a possible partner, and they loved the idea,” says Tracy Strobel, CEO of the CCPL. “Libraries today emphasize lifelong learning and supporting people as they keep up with the changes around them, whether that’s changes in the skills they need to be successful in the workforce or be good consumers.”

The innovation center, slated to break ground this summer and open in

Rachel Hagenbaugh

spring 2024, will include machines capable of 3D printing, laser engraving, wide-format printing and embroidery, as well as laptops with the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and other software that will help people create prototypes and program machinery. Plans also include study and meeting rooms as well as space for companies to develop or showcase their products and available jobs.

“We have more than 900 companies in Solon, many of which need workers. We want to do our part to fill those jobs in the city. It not only helps the companies and workers, but it also makes Northeast Ohio a more vibrant place to live, work and play,” says Mayor Ed Kraus. “The business technology and focus on manufacturing is something that will serve us decades into the future and will help us continue to attract great talent.”

Bradley Stone features an extensive array of stone and tile for floors, walls and countertops

Bradley Stone features an extensive array of stone and tile for floors, walls and countertops

Excellence for EVERY STUDENT

Discover how Solon’s schools ensure student success.

By Rachel Hagenbaugh

Meeting the needs of every student, every day — that’s the foundation for success at Solon Schools, which, for the seventh year, tested better than any other district in Ohio, according to the performance index component of the 2022 Ohio school report cards.

“It’s not just a measure of how well the district is performing, but how many kids are performing and at what level,” says Superintendent Fred Bolden.

Bolden attributes the district’s success to a variety of factors, including the pyramid of strategies, which assesses the strengths and weaknesses of struggling students and creates personalized programs to ensure their success; a dedication to balancing academics, arts and athletics; and quality teachers and strong family support.

The district also prides itself on preparing students for life after graduation. That means presenting them with opportunities to discover their interests and explore various career opportunities.

“It’s not just about being book smart. It’s also about working and collaborating with people, and the only way to achieve that is through practice,” Bolden says.

Students have access to more than 60 clubs, some of which take trips to give them hands-on experiences. Prior to graduation, students participate in a senior project where they engage in on-site shadowing.

Tamara Strom, the district’s director of communications, says Solon Schools partners with a variety of industries, including manufacturing, health care and local universities, to provide learning opportunities.

“The No. 1 ranking goes beyond just the narrow definition of the academic No. 1,” Strom says. “From drama, band and show choir to athletics, speech and debate teams and much more, everybody works to put those supports in place so our kids can excel and be involved in so many things. That’s what that No. 1 ranking is all about — it’s all encompassing.”

Choose NOPEC: the safe choice for Solon residents.

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To learn more, call (855) 667-3201 or visit nopec.org.

A Bright FUTURE

Kichler Lighting brightens up Solon. By Jill Sell

The City of Solon’s Grantwood Golf Course is going to be a little brighter this spring. When Kichler Lighting recently decided to move its local headquarters to Solon from Independence, it wanted to express its willingness to be a good corporate neighbor. The company develops indoor and outdoor decorative lighting fixtures, as well as ceiling fans, downlights, landscape lighting and more. The public golf course was a perfect benefactor.

“I try to run pretty lean at Grantwood to be efficient,” says Rich Parker, Solon’s parks and recreation director. “So, the opportunity to freshen up the place is appreciated. Kichler donated $25,623 worth of lighting and design services.”

Wall lanterns for the clubhouse, integrated low-energy LED lights and path lights are among the donated lighting.

Monique Spearing, Kichler marketing communications manager, says the move to Solon allowed the company to have modern office space, as well as an area for quality testing and certification. The company also wanted to relocate to a vibrant, convenient community with great amenities. In addition, the rise of remote and hybrid work options played a part in moving to the smaller 41,236-square-foot building.

Kichler donated $25,623 worth of lighting and design services.

— Rich Parker Solon parks and recreation director

Breaking NEW GROUND

Big changes are underway that will bring new housing, dining, green space and more to Solon.

The look and attitude of Solon’s downtown retail trade area is about to dramatically change — and for the better. The redevelopment of 8.5 acres along Aurora Road, a project expected to break ground this year, will bring housing, restaurants, shopping, lodging and all-important green gathering space to the area. Think shoppers relaxing in a parklike setting, meeting coworkers at a brewpub after work or enjoying an outdoor art show in the summer.

Angee Shaker, director of economic development for the city, calls the project “transformational” and “mind blowing.” And, while all aspects of the development are welcomed, the new housing (209 apartment homes in two separate buildings) particularly falls neatly into the city’s current plans.

“Our big economic projects in the next one to five years are focused on increasing the diversity of our housing stock,” Shaker says. “We have a wonderful mix of single-family homes and duplexes, from starter homes to houses for growing families to luxury homes, but we need more options for young workers and empty-nesters.”

THE DISTRICT IN SOLON

With a working title of The District in Solon, this major project is being led by RHM Real Estate Group and a team of experts put together by RHM’s founder and CEO John Joyce. The team includes Steve

By Jill Sell

Passov, Passov Real Estate Group; Bobby Krueger, Krueger Group; and Doug Leohr and Tim Courtad, Pride One Construction. In addition, Norr, an international architecture and engineering firm, has been chosen for the project.

Along with the apartment homes, 20,300 square feet of in-line and freestanding retail will be created. Also proposed is a 14,000-square-foot innovative food hall and an approximately 100-key high-end hotel.

“Most importantly, this project will have ample green space and gathering areas for residents and neighbors in its center,” says Joyce. “There will be a 1.5-acre, heavily landscaped boulevard entry with areas of seating. We’ll be able to do small concerts and different festivals, invite food trucks, maybe hold a farmers market. It will be a vibrant gathering place and a backyard for every resident in Solon.”

According to Shaker, the proposed project will be a game-changer for the City of Solon. “Most of the area is made up of a vacant car dealership and is an eyesore for the community. Soon, it will be a beautiful destination area,” she says.

In addition, the District’s proposed hotel, according to Spark Hotels President Amit Patel and company COO Bhavesh Lad, will be “an upscale, lifestyle hotel catering to corporate and leisure guests who come through Solon.” Hotel plans include ample meeting space, a fitness room, a bar and a

large, enhanced lobby area customized to reflect the tastes and needs of the Solon community.

“Solon is a spectacular community with beautiful homes, a wonderful group of elected officials, a top-notch school district and a close relationship between residents and business, but it lacked a central downtown area in the heart of the city,” Joyce says. “This project will change that and also be a catalyst for further economic development.”

HAWTHORNE GOLF ESTATES

It was an emotional day when the 90-year-old Hawthorne Valley Country Club closed permanently in 2018. Not only were longtime members saddened, but many Solon residents worried that a community green space would be lost forever.

But sometimes things just fall into place, like a hole in one. The creation of Hawthorne Golf Estates, with its proposed 102 attached single-family homes on 32 acres, will bring much desired 50-and-over housing to Solon. In addition, the purchase of an adjacent 149 acres by Cleveland Metroparks for its South Chagrin Reservation will ensure continued land preservation.

“This is a wonderful and unique opportunity for residents who have lived in the community for many years and who want to stay there. They want to move out of their houses into smaller homes that require less upkeep and have all the landscaping and groundwork taken care of,” says Larry Apple, project manager for Hawthorne Golf Estates. “They will have a brand-new house in a brand-new community. That’s hard to find in a city that is already built up.”

Homes will have at least 1,500 square feet of living space plus two-car garages. Most will have first floor primary bedrooms. Sales are expected to begin in fall 2023, with the first homes completed in 2024.

SOLON COMMUNITY LIVING

Solon Community Living is scheduled to break ground on a new project midyear that, when completed, will become an extraordinary residential community for adults with developmental disabilities and caregivers. The pocket neighborhood will consist of six homes with ADA-compliant suites for 14 people. Six caregiver suites will be available on second floors. In addition, there will be a clubhouse that will allow for socialization, a teaching kitchen, library/sensory area and outdoor terrace.

“With the pocket neighborhood concept, the homes all face the green, allowing for socialization and extra safety,” says Ara Bagdasarian, who, with his wife, Leslie, founded Solon Community Living, a nonprofit organization, in 2015 to create quality, accessible housing opportunities. “Our location is also very important,” he adds, noting that it’s walkable to the Solon Community Recreation Center, Solon Community Park, library and shopping. “As a community, Solon has many different amenities.”

WOMEN IN Business

By Rachel Hagenbaugh

TARA COLOPY THIRD ESTIMATE CORP.

Tara Colopy wants to break the stigma of a male-dominated trade industry. She’s leading by example as the majority owner of Third Estimate Corp., a roofing, siding, window and gutter company her husband, Steve, started in 1996.

“My daughters get to look up to me as a woman in business, and it gives me so much pride,” she says, adding that her staff is 90% female managed. “Having so many females in management and a female owner have given us the ability to have that touch — to make roofing sexy.”

She laughs, explaining that oftentimes, people view exterior home improvements as afterthoughts — a facet of the industry Colopy is determined to transform by transcending in-home sales to give people a destination to browse high-quality products and envision ways to create beautiful outdoor spaces.

“You design your bedroom and pick your wallpaper, carpet and furniture and make it a space that feels good,” she says. “Nothing should separate that from the exterior of the home. That’s where a homeowner’s pride starts.”

During the past year, Colopy is proud to say the company has experienced tremendous growth that allowed her to expand and move the company’s headquarters to Solon.

“We love the city of Solon and heard it was a very supportive business community,” she says. To give back to the city, Colopy provides lunch from a local restaurant to her employees every Thursday. “My husband and I are huge believers in keeping things local,” she says. thethirdestimate.com, Instagram: @the_third_estimate

LAURA ZAVADIL MEGA BARRE SOLON

As a former professional dancer, Laura Zavadil has always had a passion for movement. Seeking an alternative to traditional gym workouts, she discovered Pilates and barre.

“I was looking for something that was low impact and had the longevity for me to do it for a long time,” she says. “It’s a different type of workout that can resonate with people of all body types.”

Tara Colopy

Meet six entrepreneurs whose passions are enhancing the quality of life for those who live, work and play in Solon and beyond.

Laura Zavadil

She started teaching classes to her friends and, in 2013, opened her first studio in Youngstown.

“People loved it,” she says, adding that when it came time to expand, she knew she’d find success in Solon. “I felt the community could benefit from these classes a lot. People in Solon value their health and dedicating time to exercising.”

Mega Barre Solon, which opened in September 2022, offers about 22 classes per week in barre, power yoga and circuit, as well as box step (modern day step aerobics) and bounce (featuring a mini trampoline). Classes can be modified for any age or fitness level.

“Movement is what matters most. It’s what gets our mood increased and endorphins going so we can live happier and healthier lifestyles, both personally and professionally,” she says. “It’s a special feeling to be able to be that change in people’s lives.”

megabarresolon.com, Instagram: @megabarresolon

BIANCA CUNNINGHAM HIGHBROW LLC

Bianca Cunningham comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Her grandfather, mother and sister have all owned their own companies. When Cunningham was in high school, she funded a college tour trip with money she raised selling various goods.

“I remember as a teenager going door to door selling balloons, chocolate, candy — whatever I could get my hands on — and people would buy it because of me, my personality and customer service,” she says. “Entrepreneurship is in my blood.”

With a passion for fashion, Cunningham’s first dream was to become a makeup artist for the stars. During cosmetology school, she discovered eyebrow waxing and fell in love with it.

“With the art of eyebrow waxing, it is so important to know what you’re doing. You need to have knowledge about facial structure, brow

Bianca Cunningham

hairs and the direction of growth and the correct shapes and skin types,” she says, noting it’s also important to consider what products someone is already using. “What I do can instantly change a person’s mood, and that is why I truly love what I do.”

Cunningham has been a licensed advanced esthetician for more than 25 years. In July 2022, she opened HighBrow LLC, a brow boutique, in Solon. Her business offers eyebrow, facial and underarm waxing, tinting, eyebrow lamination, lash lifts and two training classes. She also sells specialty items, including makeup and clothing.

“When I wanted to open my business, I knew I wanted to be in Solon. It’s just a beautiful place to be,” she says, adding that she loves being her own boss. “It’s a joy to be a great example for my kids and show them how to work hard toward your goals.”

highbrow216.glossgenius.com, Instagram: @highbrow_cle_

CHYANNE PERRY SPA LAVENDER

Chyanne Perry always knew she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. She considered becoming a surgeon before realizing it would take too much time away from her family. Her mother, who had arthritis, suggested Perry consider becoming a massage therapist.

“The science aspect of it was very interesting to me,” she says. “Massage is very beneficial for stress relief, anxiety and muscular and neurological issues. It’s good for people who have a hard time calming down, as well as athletes and people who have issues sitting for long periods of time.”

Perry has been a massage therapist for 14 years. In 2016, she opened Spa Lavender in Solon and six years later, moved to a location in the city’s core.

“It’s been amazing having my business in Solon. The community is awesome,” she says. “They’re very supportive and resourceful.”

Chyanne Perry

In addition to massages, Perry also offers facials, foot/back scrubs, waxing and eyelash extension services. Those looking for an extra dose of relaxation can add a lavender or CBD enhancement or hot stone treatment to their services. “Lavender is very unique and interesting — it’s been known to increase relaxation, help people who have cardiovascular issues, is a natural bug repellent, good for air quality and can help with a lot of skin conditions if used properly,” she says. spalavendermassage.com, Instagram: @spalavender440

TONJA HARVEY PROSTYLEZ HAIR & BARBER SALON

Everything beauty under one roof — that’s the goal of ProStylez Hair Salon, which Tonja Harvey opened in Solon in January 2020. From massage therapists, hair stylists and barbers to nail technicians, cosmetologists, estheticians and hair braiders, about 10 specialists rent space from Harvey.

“We’re trying to make it a one-stop shop for the entire family — men, women and children,” Harvey says. “Seeing customers come in one way and leaving a different way — refreshed with a new attitude — is extremely rewarding.”

Harvey, a licensed cosmetologist, trichologist and cranial prosthesis specialist, has been in business for more than 30 years and previously owned a business in Cleveland. It’s been a longtime dream of hers to open a business in Solon, where she’s lived for more than 25 years.

“I love how it’s thriving and multicultural and the diversity in the community,” she says.

In addition to renting space to herself and managing the business (which also includes a clothing and beauty supply boutique), Harvey runs an internship program that helps teach financial literacy, professional integrity and other techniques students don’t learn in cosmetology school.

Tonja Harvey

“When students get out of school, they try to open a business with no experience working in the real world,” she says. “It looks easy, but it’s not. Through the internship program, we shift their mentality and teach them how to run a business professionally.” prostylehairsaloninc.com, Instagram: @ProstylezHybridSuites

VICTORIA KILPATRICK CORE ELITE WELLNESS FIT CRYO

At Core Elite Wellness Fit Cryo, it’s all about taking a proactive approach to caring for the body. That means keeping inflammation low, circulation high and cellular health functioning optimally.

When the business first opened, its primary focus was whole body cryotherapy, a technique that involves briefly exposing the body to subzero temperatures. “However, we now represent a full Med Spa, overseen by a medical director and staffed by a very qualified registered nurse,” says Victoria Kilpatrick, owner.

Core Elite Wellness Fit Cryo offers an entire range of services, including True whole body and targeted cryotherapy, red light therapy, infrared sauna, facials, medical peeling, Cryo T-shock, RF microneedling, CoolSculpting and FDA-approved EMSculpt/EMSculpt Neo. Additional treatments, such as IV infusions, IM injections and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, are now considered standard.

“We fully embrace traditional medicine and will not hesitate to advise our clients to seek further guidance within the health care system,” Kilpatrick adds. “The trend toward personalized health has become

our primary focus, too.”

Solon has turned out to be a perfect location for the business, as well. “We love the East Side and what the area has to offer,” Kilpatrick says. “We just fell in love with Solon. It’s a very supportive community.” cryotherapyhealthcare.com, Instagram: @coreelitecryo

Victoria Kilpatrick

FEB. 3–12, 2023

CLEVELAND’S I-X CENTER

THANK YOU

BEFORE YOU HEAD TO THE SHOW FLOOR, use this show guide to map out your visit to ensure you don’t miss a thing. Whether you start with the classic movie-themed Garden Showcase or head to the JDM Modular Home or Weaver Backyard Oasis to envision your next home project, there is something for everyone. So, what are you waiting for? More than 400 vendors are ready to be explored and home and garden experts are ready to answer your questions and inspire you.

SHOW LOCATION

SHOW DATES & TIMES

THEME DAY - HERO DAY

Friday, Feb. 3 and Friday, Feb. 10 All active military personnel, veterans, fire, police, health care workers and first responders receive FREE admission with a valid ID at the box office.

TICKET INFORMATION

(Minimum 20) Children (ages 6 to 12 years)

Group

TOP ROW: Cathy Berthold, Kelsey Christopher and Rosanna Hrabnicky BOTTOM ROW: Rese Pardue and Maddie Rice

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JDM Structures Custom Builders

Millersburg, 877-536-2276, jdmcustombuilders.com/modular

Welcome to the Hudson, JDM Structures Custom Builders' 2023 Modular Home. As you step inside the front door, you'll love the warm, inviting atmosphere of the Hudson. The bright, open floor plan maximizes the home's 1,285 square feet of living space, creating a spacious and comfortable feeling throughout. The kitchen is a practical and comfortable space, featuring a generous dining island that provides extra storage and counter space, as well as a charming dining spot for two. The master bedroom and bathroom suite are luxurious and spacious, with a generous walk-in closet, double vanity and soaking tub. The main floor also includes a second bedroom, full bathroom and first-floor laundry, making it easy to live and move about comfortably.

This beautiful home is perfectly suited for narrow lake lots or small city building lots. The attached garage adds convenience and security, as well as extra storage space. A well-designed pergola creates an outdoor living space that’s perfect for enjoying the seasons, whether it be a summer barbecue or watching the autumn sun slip below the horizon.

Whether you are looking for a home that can grow with your family or a lowmaintenance space to downsize into as you retire, the Hudson can be tailored to suit your needs. With the flexibility to fine-tune the floor plan and layout, you can create the perfect living space for your current and future needs.

Modular homes like the Hudson showcase cutting-edge solutions for the

housing market, offering new levels of innovation, efficiency and affordability. Constructed in a climate-controlled factory environment, modular homes are engineered to meet and exceed the same building codes as conventionally built custom homes. This construction process provides an unbeatable combination of flexibility and value. With a wide range of floor plans available, you can be sure to find the perfect fit for your needs.

JDM is a family-owned business with a decades-long reputation for

excellence in craftsmanship, reliability and innovation. JDM's team is highly experienced and dedicated to helping you build the home of your dreams. From cabins to custom structures, JDM can work with you to design and build an efficient, affordable and exciting home for your family. Let them help you turn your vision into a reality. JDM pride itself on delivering a remarkable customer experience from start to finish and looks forward to working with you to create the home of your dreams.

Weaver Barns Backyard Oasis

Sponsored by WOIO-TV

Weaver Barns

Sugarcreek, 330-852-2103, weaverbarns.com

Specializing in quality and design, Weaver Barns will feature its Willow Creek Garage and Timber Ridge Pool House, along with an assortment of sheds, pavilions, garages and cabins. You will love the versatility these structures have to offer. Do you want to create your own outdoor oasis? Step into this feature to see how you can make your dreams and ideas become a reality.

Constructed from only the finest material on the market, Weaver Barns offers customers a unique, timeless experience into the Amish traditions. Its professional barn design and construction team offers customers a huge a selection of different Amish sheds and barns, including wood sheds, garages, cabins, timber lodges and custom designed structures.

TOP 5 REASONS TO ATTEND THE SHOW

The Great Big Home + Garden Show is a vibrant marketplace where you can shop for home-related products and services, experience stunning displays to help inspire your next home project, connect with industry experts and enjoy informative presentations from renowned local and international home professionals.

Whether you have a specific project in mind or are looking for some inspiration, the show’s local home professionals have you covered. With more than 400 vendors to explore and several unique feature displays to enjoy, this is a valuable event for all homeowners. Here, we highlight the top five reasons to attend the show.

1. ONE-STOP SHOPPING

The show is the perfect destination for a busy person. One-stop shopping

means you can find everything you need to refresh your space and transform your home from the inside out, all under one roof.

2. SHOW DEALS

Great Big Home + Garden Show exhibitors often have “show deals” on their products and services. These offers tend to be exclusive and can be just the savings you need to jump-start your next indoor or outdoor renovation.

3. QUALITY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

The show features the highest quality of exhibitors, so get ready to browse exceptional products and meet skilled individuals who can help you execute your home or garden project or idea.

4. INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

Sometimes, even DIYers need a little help. Whether you’re looking for quick advice from a stage

presentation or project assistance from an exhibitor, the show is your source for home improvement inspiration and expert advice.

5. FUN FOR EVERYONE

The show is not just about tiles and sofas. It also features numerous activities for every member of your family. With play sets for active kids, entertaining TV personalities and much more, the Great Big Home + Garden Show is vibrantly designed with fun in mind.

Cabana X is a new tech-enhanced, customizable structure that’ll make an excellent addition to your outdoor living space. With Klassic’s one-day installation, enjoying your own versatile cabana has

never been easier. Get adjustable louvers, panels and curtains that control sun exposure, protect you from the elements, enhance privacy and power up outdoor electronics all in one smart structure.

STOP BY BOOTH 1950 TO SEE THE NEW CABANA X

DON'T MISS !

Mont Bistro

Mont Surfaces by Mont Granite Inc., Solon, 440-287-0101, montsurfaces.com

If you need to relax and rejuvenate during the show, head over to the chic, design-inspired Mont Bistro. Take a break from the show without missing out on the action — Mont Bistro is located in the middle of the show floor and offers ample beverage options and light snacks.

Gone with the Wind #SelfieStation

As you enter the show, have fun posing in front of this re-creation of Scarlett O’Hara’s famous red dress worn in “Gone with the Wind!” Masterfully created out of flowers, it is designed by Jeremy Rettger and Studio Floral (studiofloral. com). Tag us in your photos on Instagram (@ohiohomeshows).

MAIN STAGE APPEARANCES

Joe Mazza

Sponsored by Absolute Roofing & Construction Inc. LEVERAGING 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE in the construction business and a sixth sense for safety, Joe Mazza hosts the HGTV series “Home Inspector Joe.” As a licensed home inspector, Mazza is driven to keep his clients from buying risky, unsafe properties — and buyers need every edge they can get in today’s hot seller’s market. He got his start as a construction worker and safety inspector for high-rise buildings in New York City. Burning the candle at both ends, he picked up weekend construction projects for extra income while he established his home inspection business, which he now runs

Matt Fox

A SHOW FAVORITE, Matt Fox returns as this year’s main stage emcee, where he will delight show visitors with his quick wit, home improvement knowledge and special educational presentations. Fox is best known for creating and co-hosting the first and longest-running show to air on HGTV, “Room by Room,” as well as hosting and producing the public television series, “Around the House with Matt and Shari.” Learn more about Fox by visiting his website at mattandshari.com.

GARDEN SHOWCASE

Sponsored by WKYC-TV, WDOK-FM and WQAL-FM

items, educational toys and glittering mineral samples.

Year-round, Maple Ridge Garden Center in Lake County offers a great selection of hardy landscape plants, bonsai supplies, Japanese maple trees and dwarf conifers for local gardeners.

Falling Waters Ohio LLC

Sheffield Village, 440-752-2058, fallingwatersohio.com

GARDEN THEME: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”

Be on the lookout for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in this western-style garden featuring assorted pines, fir trees, cypress and other dwarf conifers. The two outlaws could be laying low in their “hole in the wall” hideout with rustic stone patio, fire pit and cedar fencing or sitting by the large stone water feature reminiscing about the time they tried to elude capture by jumping into a rushing river.

EXPERIENCE THE BEST IN FILM as you explore eight classic movie-themed gardens created by some of Northeast Ohio’s top landscapers. From “The Secret Garden” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” to “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” each garden will leave you inspired to transform your own backyard into your favorite movie.

SHOWCASE GARDENS CREATED BY:

Brothers Grimm Landscape & Design Co.

Akron, 330-882-4639, brothersgrimmlandscape.com

GARDEN THEME: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”

Join Ferris and his friends poolside as they enjoy a day away from school finding adventure in this garden featuring a built-in pool, outdoor kitchen, pavilion, custom pavers and in true Ferris style, some unexpected surprises.

Brothers Grimm Landscape & Design Co. has been serving the Greater Cleveland and Akron areas for over 20 years. It is the leader in outdoor living design and installation. With a focus on creativity and architecture, Brothers Grimm provide clients with an experience that is second to none. As one of the first to incorporate swimming pools into the outdoor experience, Brothers Grimm has paved the way for the next level in outdoor design.

CK Stonescapes

Fairport Harbor, 440-363-5505, ckstonescapes.com

GARDEN THEME: “The Secret Garden”

Explore the hidden treasures of this Secret Garden as you wander its beautiful outdoor

living area with a fireplace, kitchen, bar and retractable canopies. As you unlock the garden’s secrets, enjoy the pergola and beautiful colors and scent of tulips, hydrangeas and azaleas.

CK Stonescapes has over 25 years of experience in the landscaping industry. A multitalented organization, it provides landscape construction and landscape maintenance services to residential and commercial customers. The team adds a fresh new attitude, youthful vigor and a dedication to professionalism that is seen in all of its work.

Maple Ridge Nursery and Garden Center

Concord, 440-354-1525, mapleridgegarden.com

GARDEN THEME: “Niagara”

Enjoy this display that recalls the classic 1953 movie “Niagara” starring Marilyn Monroe. Explore a water feature surrounded by rocks and ferns, then peruse a variety of unusual plants and gifts. Bonsai plants and supplies will be available for purchase along with handmade

Falling Waters Ohio is a design and installation landscaping company specializing in creative water features and artistic stone placement. It can provide you with a variety of hardscape materials for creating well-designed walkways, patios and outdoor entertainment areas.

Natural Falls Construction

Copley, 330-968-8958, naturalfallsconstruction.com

GARDEN THEME: “Unforgiven”

Former outlaw William Munny takes on one last job with the help of his friends in this “Unforgiven”-themed garden. The Rocky Mountains provide a picturesque backdrop for Munny as he plots his next move. Will he leap over waterfalls, run across creek beds or try to go unnoticed by his enemies on the bridge?

Natural Falls Construction is a custom homebuilder and landscaping company with over 30 years of experience in construction, carpentry and landscaping. From kitchens, bathrooms and additions to patios, decks and even waterfalls, Natural Falls Construction’s team of experts can assist you in making your dreams of creating a beautiful home a reality.

“How could I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?”

Ferris Bueller

and door brand by homeowners*

NEW CONSTRUCTION

There are so many choices to make when you're building a new home. The team at Pella works with you and your builder to find the right mix of style and functionality to make your home the envy of the neighborhood.

RESIDENTIAL REPLACEMENT

Replacement windows provide homeowners with many benefits, including enhanced curb appeal, improved energy efficiency and better noise reduction. Discover the wide variety of Pella wood, fiberglass and vinyl replacement window options available for your home.

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Whether you're an architect, contractor, property manager or developer, Pella Commercial is standing by with expertise, capabilities and experience to make your window or door projects run smoothly. Let us show you how we act as an extension of your team to support you every step of the way.

Pella is the most preferred window

Ohio Landscape Association

Broadview Heights, ohiolandscapers.org

GARDEN THEME: No Theme

Designed and installed by members of the Ohio Landscape Association (OLA), this year’s garden highlights many options for the ultimate outdoor living experience. The garden incorporates two large patios, a pergola, a fire pit and, of course, a variety of colorful plants, trees and perennials.

OLA is a nonprofit trade association for landscape contractors and their suppliers, with members from across the state. Visit OLA’s website for landscape tips or to find a landscape professional in your area.

Kimmell's Premier Landscape Ltd.

Wooster, 330-464-7652, kimmells.com

GARDEN THEME: “Friday the 13th”

Keep your eyes peeled and be careful entering Camp Crystal Lake. The garden features assorted evergreens, winter interest shrubs and low-growing colorful plants. Be careful walking the paths past the archery range, water feature, fire pit area and other places Jason might be hiding.

Kimmell’s Premier Landscape Ltd. is a landscape design company specializing in new and renovated landscapes, custom

designed outdoor living spaces and much more. Kimmell’s can transform your backyard into your own paradise with a variety of hardscape and plant materials from which to choose with help from the well-trained staff.

Trinity Outdoor Solutions

Westlake, 440-476-9135, trinityoutdoorsolutions.com

GARDEN THEME: “Braveheart”

Take in the beauty of Scotland’s rolling countryside, glens and forests as you walk

The relaxation starts well before construction.

through the lush landscape of this “Braveheart”-themed garden inspired by Scottish warrior William Wallace and his fight to free his homeland.

Trinity Outdoor Solutions knows that you want to enjoy your home to its fullest. It can help you create the patio, pool or outdoor dining space of your dreams. Don’t be disappointed with a backyard that isn’t living up to its potential. Instead, experience the joy of outdoor living and live life to its fullest on any given day.

With more than 30 years of experience building custom outdoor living spaces, you can be sure the team at Klassic Custom Decks can provide an outstanding experience every step of the way.

From the latest in design, trends and structures to our unwavering commitment to outstanding craftsmanship and service, Klassic makes the deck-building process enjoyable from the very first conversation.

ADDITIONAL GARDEN FEATURES

MULBERRY CREEK

HERB FARM

Huron, 419-433-6126, mulberrycreek.com

In need of some new plants to spruce up your home this spring? Stop by Mulberry Creek Herb Farm in the Garden Showcase for a variety of houseplants, succulents, micro-houseplants and bonsai plants. Pottery also will be available for purchase.

CARVINGS BY CHRIS

Perry, 440-567-6290

After 34 years fabricating and carving natural stone, Chris is applying his experience to a new medium with new tools — logs and a big ole chainsaw. Come watch as Chris turns an ordinary log into an extraordinary piece of art during his live demonstrations.

PANDY’S GARDEN CENTER

Elyria, 440-324-4314, pandysgardencenter.com

YOUR GARDEN SPECIALIST

yourgardenspecialist.com

Your Garden Specialist offers the latest in spring bulbs. Stop by to purchase their premium quality, top size Dutch bulbs, lilies and bare root perennials. Each is grown and shipped directly from its farms and packing facilities in Holland and make a great addition to any garden.

PLAYMOR SWING SETS

Millersburg, 330-674-3900, playmorswingsets.com

Family-owned and made in the U.S. for more than 30 years, PlayMor Swing Sets is a company that offers high-quality, option-friendly, outdoor play sets designed to promote creativity and fun while helping you to spend more time as a family. With a variety of models and accessories from which to choose, you are sure to find the perfect play set.

Are you into plants? Be sure to stroll through this display of indoor plants you can purchase and take home when you leave the show. Since 1961, Pandy’s Garden Center, a family-owned business, has been growing plants at its 14-acre nursery in Elyria. Its quality is second to none, and prices cannot be beat. Hand pick indoor or outdoor plants, trees and shrubs. If you want low maintenance, unique, native, plants for pollinators, annuals, perennials, Japanese maples or trees, Pandy’s selection is amazing.

SHOW MAP & EXHIBITOR LIST 2023

THE MAIN STAGE

Designed by Array Design Studio

Array Design Studio 2499 Professor Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113 lauramineff.com

Array Design Studio offers more than 20 years of experience in lifestyle consultation, building and designing concepts for individuals and commercial projects. Through the Universal Design Method created by Laura Mineff, design goes beyond functionality. It invites a sense of enjoyment into your home, work and social environments. Array Design Studio offers services from residential and commercial designing and building to space planning, material selection, CAD designs and furnishings selections. Mineff and the Quint Living Group team are excited to share with you their selfsustainable, human-centered, community development where you will experience a living lifestyle of adventure and magic. Visit booth 1358 for more information.

EXHIBITOR LIST 2023

Quartz | Quartzite | Granite | Tile Marble | Soapstone | Porcelain Slab

THANK YOU

SHOW SPONSORS 2023

Absolute Roofing and Construction Inc.

Absolute Roofing and Construction Inc. is Northeast Ohio’s most trusted roofing company. Starting in March 1987 with 35-plus years of operation, Absolute Roofing and Construction Inc. is committed to excellence in craftsmanship and customer service. From all types of roofing, including shingles, flat , slate and tile and siding to historic restoration, it is truly a full-service company. Absolute Roofing and Construction Inc. has been a firstplace winner of the prestigious NARI Contractor of the Year Award for 16 years in a row, named one of the top 100 roofing contractors in the nation in 2012 and 2014 by RoofingContractorMagazine and also named a BIG 50 company by RemodelingMagazine. The company has three full-time HAAG Engineering-certified roof inspectors on staff to meet your storm damage and insurance claim needs. Come see how we can help you with all of your roofing needs. Visit absoluteroofing.com or stop by booth #655 to learn more.

Bath R Us

Enjoy a new and customizable shower/tub with Bath R Us. We provide high-quality showers/tubs that last a lifetime. You can choose from many different wall colors, patterns and fixture options to create your dream shower/tub. Our team is great to work with, and we are recognized as a member of the BBB with an A rating. Come check out our booth to learn more about how we can help. Visit bathrus.com.

wide range of styles and price points, all providing the warmth and beauty of natural wood without the costly, time-consuming maintenance. At Fiberon, we believe that decks are meant to be enjoyed, not maintained. Our composite PE and PVC decking won’t warp, rot or splinter, so the look you love today will be there tomorrow. Wood decking simply can’t compare. For more information, visit fiberondecking.com.

NJM Insurance

Your insurance should speak for itself, not rely on a jingle or a mascot. With NJM, you can protect your biggest investments — like your home, car or business — with confidence. Policyholders have trusted NJM since 1913 to deliver the highest levels of service and satisfaction. In 2021, J.D. Power ranked NJM No. 1 for customer satisfaction among auto insurers in the Mid-Atlantic region. See what makes NJM stand out and get a quote at njm.com.

Petitti Garden Centers

Carrier Carrier is a world leader in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration solutions. Built on Willis Carrier’s invention of modern air conditioning in 1902, Carrier is a world leader in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration solutions. We constantly build upon our history of proven innovation with new products and services that improve global comfort and efficiency. We’re here to help you create your ideal home environment. Please visit the following Carrier dealers at the show: All Weather Heating & Cooling (#735), Gene’s Refrigeration, Heating & Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical (#2915) and Shagovac Heating & Cooling (#644).Visit carrier.com/residential/en/us.

Dollar Bank

Dollar Bank is an independent community bank, and that means we can focus on what we do best — empowering the people and communities we serve to do the things they hold dearest. For more than 167 years, we’ve grown to become a large, full service, regional bank renowned for providing the highest quality banking solutions and services to individuals and businesses. Our customers simply know us for this: understanding their goals and providing the solutions that get them there. For more information, please visit booth #611 or dollarbank.com.

Fiberon

Founded in 1997, Fiberon is a leading U.S. manufacturer of wood-alternative decking, railing and cladding distributed worldwide. Fiberon also provides products like lighting and outdoor furniture for a complete outdoor experience. Fiberon products are available in a

Petitti Garden Centers, family-owned and operated since 1971, is Northeast Ohio’s premier garden center organization, offering nine retail locations to serve garden enthusiasts and homeowners in the Cleveland, Akron-Canton and Youngstown areas. Petitti Garden Centers grows 98% of its plant material at Petittiowned farms in Lake County and greenhouse facilities in Columbia Station, making it possible to guarantee the highest quality and most compelling selection of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs and houseplants. Visit Petitti Garden Centers seven days a week to explore gorgeous flowers, be inspired and receive expert advice. Subscribe to the Petitti Garden Centers channel on YouTube for topic-specific videos. You can also visit petittigardencenter.com for printable gardening guides and more.

Universal Windows Direct

Universal Windows Direct is Cleveland’s top source of quality replacement windows, vinyl siding, entry doors, roofing, gutter protection and attic insulation. Established in 2002 by William Barr and Michael Strmac, UWD holds an A+ rating with the BBB, No. 10 spot on Qualified Remodeler Top 500, No. 7 on Remodeling 550 and is an Angie’s List Super Service Award recipient. The company is one of cleveland. com’s Top Workplaces in Northeast Ohio and a proud sponsor of the Cleveland Browns. Universal Windows Direct is committed to offering outstanding products at an incredible value, and satisfied recurring and referral customers are the main component to its success. Visit the company online at universalwindowsdirect.com.

Westminster Technologies

Westminster AV is Ohio’s leading supplier of event technology support and audio-visual services. We provide services for virtual, hybrid and in-person events, expos, trainings, fundraisers and more. You’ll get access to the newest, cutting-edge AV event technologies with more than 50 years of experience in event management. Whatever your needs, we have you covered. Learn more at westminsterav.com or call 216-325-6960.

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF THE GREAT BIG HOME + GARDEN SHOW

A WISE MASCOT ONCE SAID... SAID...

NOTHING RELEVANT TO INSURANCE.

Mascots are great at getting your attention, but at NJM, we don’t need them. We’d rather people notice us for our five-star rating with Trustpilot. Or the fact that over 95%* of policyholders are so happy with NJM that they continue to trust us for their auto coverage needs. So, the next time you’re at a ball game, grab a picture with that mascot. But when shopping for home and auto insurance, look beyond the gimmicks, and focus on what matters.

Distinctive Homes

RESULTS. GUARANTEED. LOU BARBEE | 440-899-0000

LAKEWOOD | $1.5M

Breathtaking views. This NE and NW 2-story combined corner unit offers over 5000 sq. ft. of sophisticated style. Massive great room. Floor to ceiling windows. Amazing balcony on 2 levels. 3 full bedroom suites including private guest suite.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

LAKEWOOD |

$1.5M

Flawlessly done inside and out. Spectacular master with gas fireplace, office, exceptional walk-in closet with built-ins. Sensational master bath with steam shower, jacuzzi, double sinks, and much more. Simply beyond description. 4 prime garage spaces with EV charger.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

CLEVELAND | $700K | SOLD

Exceptional Northwest corner unit with walls of windows and breathtaking panoramic Lake Erie views. Light maple flooring. Open floor plan. Fresh, tasteful minimalist decor. 2 garage spaces. Outstanding amenities. 24-hr concierge and more.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

BROOKPARK | $185K

Pristine all brick ranch. 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths. Hardwood floors throughout. Updated eat-in kitchen and baths. All appliances. Newer roof and more. Lovely covered patio and fenced yard. Finished lower level rec room with fireplace. Excellent storage. 2 car garage.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

BRATENAHL | $775K

Outstanding free-standing cluster home just steps from Shoreby Club and Lake Erie. The 2-story entry opens to the great room. Open. Bright. High volume ceilings. Elegant dining room. Home office. Kitchen and dinette open to a spacious “hearth room.” All redone.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

BRATENAHL | $775K

One floor living. 1st floor master with walk-in tub and jacuzzi. Private brick courtyard.  2nd floor loft overlooks the great room. 2 generous guest rooms. Over 4000 sq. ft. above grade plus 2400 sq. ft. in finished lower level with rec. room, bar, full bedroom suite.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS

Spacious brick colonial with 1st and 2nd floor master suites. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac lot. 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. Over 3000 sq. ft. plus a finished lower-level recreation room. Nearly half an acre. Heavily wooded. Convenient location. 2 car attached garage.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

WESTLAKE

Outstanding new construction with no detail left undone. Offering 3500 sq. ft. of one floor living plus fabulous lower level. Unparalleled quality. If you appreciate perfection and work from home, this is it!. Simply stunning. Deep wooded lot. 2 car attached garage.

RE/MAX REG | LOU BARBEE (440) 899-0000

IN A BASEMENT on Central Avenue and East 38th Street, Alvin Malcom and his young companion, Preston Harris, occupy a metal craft shop on Feb. 16, 1937, at the Playhouse Settlement. As early as 1934, the Settlement’s metal shop classes saw an enrollment of about 90 students, ranging from 12 to 20 years old. By then, the Settlement and its theater had adopted an unofficial Swahili name, Karamu.

In 1915, the Second Presbyterian Church handpicked Russell and Rowena Woodham Jelliffe, a white couple from Chicago, to operate the Settlement out of two houses. It acted as a racially integrated community center for Cleveland’s growing, industry-bound Black, Slavic and Italian neighborhoods. Friday night dances, sporting events and artisan shops — like Malcom and Harris’ — all took place at the Settlement.

The year five young Settlement attendees had their art featured in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s 21st Annual Exhibition of Work by Cleveland

Artists and Craftsmen was the year 50-foot-tall flames licked the Karamu Theater’s roof at 3801 Central Ave.

The theater had been a refurbished saloon. It was acquired after funding for a new building fell short. On the night of Oct. 22, a fire started in the basement near the furnace, incinerating the daycare center with the art department. It only took an hour to quench the blaze, but the 120-seat theater was wrecked.

The theater’s nationally known Gilpin Players’ production of I Gotta Home seemed axed. That was, until The Play House offered the actors use of its Brooks Theater in November.

The show went on. In 1945, the Jelliffes took up shovels, breaking ground for Karamu House’s new location on the corner of East 89th Street and Quincy Avenue, where it sits today. The Karamu legacy continues this year with a production of Red Summer, starting Feb. 24.

MARCH 24-26

MARCH 24-26

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From kitchens to baths, windows, flooring and more! This is the place to find great deals, new ideas, and practical advice with hundreds of trusted local experts to make your dream home a reality.

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Explore the uniquely designed UFO Futuro House and discover an independent housing solution that offers a truly self-sufficient off-grid lifestyle.

Explore the uniquely designed UFO Futuro House and discover an independent housing solution that offers a truly self-sufficient off-grid lifestyle.

Reimagine what home means to you with inspiration from the Tiny Home Village by Tiny Home Living. Get endless possibilities and flexibility for a new home office, studio, or guest bedroom.

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Whether you visit our state-of the-art hospital or one of our clinic locations across the region, you can expect a five-star patient experience focused on you. At Crystal Clinic, we are committed to providing you with exceptional care and are dedicated to helping you get back – stronger than ever – to the activities you enjoy most.

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