Just a few months ago, Give Box CLE was an idea. Now, six of the Little Free Library-style boxes are painted and ready to be installed throughout Cleveland’s East Side neighborhoods—but instead of books, they offer non-perishable goods, personal care items, toiletries, and other daily necessities.

When the bowling and bocce balls start rolling this weekend at the new Pinstripes at Pinecrest, it will also mark a homecoming for owner Dale Schwartz as he opens the doors to his 10^th location. Memories of bowling at the iconic Pepper Lanes—now replaced with Eton Chagrin—helped spawn the idea to create his classic bowling, bocce, and bistro chains across the country, and Schwartz is thrilled to return to his roots.

It's Young Professionals Week here in Cleveland, and what better time than to highlight rising stars who are helping to put Cleveland on the map? Introducing FreshWater's first-ever #Fresh10, a group of talented professionals under 34 years old all making their mark on The Land—and beyond. Find out who made the list here.

A new generation of farmers is taking shape, both in Cleveland and around the country. According to the latest Census of Agriculture, the number of farmers under 35 years old is increasing for only the second time in the last century. Meet four young Clevelanders who are venturing outside the city limits to pursue new agricultural adventures: Carl Harp Nursery, Bellwether Farm, and Frayed Knot Farm.

For the fifth year in a row, the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland West Park Corps is waging war on food deserts in the West Park neighborhood by partnering with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank for its first Free Produce Giveaway of the summer. The West Park branch of the Salvation Army will give away 24,000 pounds of fresh produce on Friday, June 15, at its offices (12645 Lorain Ave.) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Some people may instantly think of Seattle—the birthplace of Starbucks—when they discuss leaders of the national coffee scene. Others might point to trendy newcomers like Portland or major metropolitan cities like New York and San Francisco. But there’s a potent coffee scene percolating right here in Cleveland, with new java stops cropping up almost as quickly as breweries and restaurants.

Fraternal twins Rachel and Sarah Gross always dreamed of going into business together. “From the time we were young, we always planned business ideas,” recalls Rachel. “Our first idea was to open a snack shop on the [Brainard] circle near our house.” Last December, their long-held dream came true when they took ownership of Bialy's, a beloved bagel shop in University Heights.

It’s planting season in Northeast Ohio, and Tim Smith of Community Greenhouse Partners (CGP) is ready to help people get their gardens started with more than 1,000 heirloom tomato plants.

Almost 50,000 people are expected at the annual Cleveland Asian Festival this weekend—offering great exposure to growing small businesses that operate a booth during the two-day celebration of everything AsiaTown has to offer. 

Sporting a shirt that says “Shiitake Happens,” it’s clear that Steve Solomon has a lot to say about mushrooms—and he visited Cowell & Hubbard on Monday to do just that. As a culinary strategist for the Mushroom Council, Solomon is helping to lead the charge behind the Blended Burger Project, a James Beard Foundation contest that advocates a new type of burger melding ground meat and chopped mushrooms.

Cookie-cutter Caesar salads and boxed turkey sandwiches? Not on Chris Hawk’s watch. As the new Executive Chef at Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC), Hawk foregoes stereotypical fare in favor of fresh, carefully sourced ingredients and a fully housemade menu.

Since opening Melt’s first location in Lakewood 12 years ago, Matt Fish has turned the grilled cheese business into a thriving franchise with 12 Ohio locations. This spring, Fish decided it was time to renovate the original location—shutting the restaurant down and pulling off a major transformation in just one month. The Lakewood Melt will celebrate its grand re-opening this Friday, May 4.

After a decade in their space on Starkweather Avenue, Joshua and Amanda Montague—the husband-wife team behind Lilly Handmade Chocolates—will be closing up shop in their Tremont confectionery and cocktail bar on May 25. In July, the couple will reopen in a cozy space at 2032 W. Schaaf Rd. in the South Hills sector of Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

Imagine feeding 500 of your neighbors—and then doubling that number a year later. Melissa Khoury and Penny Barend of Saucisson, a Slavic Village-based artisanal cured meat and sausage shop, have taken the lead on making the neighborhood’s Village Feast one to remember.

Cleveland Restaurant Week may be winding down, but there's still plenty of time to get your culinary kicks in the 216. Check out our list of the top five bites to bookmark for optimal enjoyment.

Alex Wittenberg loves a good cup of coffee. So much so, he envisions a world where Cleveland’s coffee shop patrons share their love by buying their neighbor—whether it’s a friend, the next guy in line, or even an unknown stranger—a cup of joe. To that end, Wittenberg, along with co-founders Sebastian Thimmig, Adam Fishburn, and Edward Liu, have created CoffeeQ, an online app that allows users to do just that.

Following in the footsteps of FirstEnergy Stadium, the Cleveland Indians, and JACK Cleveland Casino, the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland has implemented a large-scale food waste recycling system known as Grind2Energy—becoming the first and only convention center in the country to do so.

Now entering its second year of operations, Bloom Bakery is looking to take things to the next level—adding wholesale and corporate catering to the business. To help raise the $25,000 necessary to kickstart their goals, Bloom Bakery is currently running a 40-day "Sweet Treats and Second Chances" crowdfunding campaign on Crowdrise. And that's where the pastry lovers of The Land come in: an anonymous donor has donated $1,000 and promised another $1,000 if it can be matched by the end of this week. Click here to help Bloom Bakery expand and continue to create job opportunities through Towards Employment.

For the first time in Cleveland, two local female chefs have been named semifinalists for the James Beard Awards. Chef Karen Small, owner of The Flying Fig, and chef Jill Vedaa, co-owner of Salt, are two of 20 chefs in the Great Lakes division, having made it to the semifinals from 20,000 entries in 21 categories. Read more about how Vedaa and Small attained this culinary honor here.

In coastal big cities like New York and Los Angeles, poke places can be found on almost every block, but here in Cleveland, notsomuch. That’s about to change, starting with 2nd and High Poke House + Bar—the new incarnation of downtown's 2^nd and High Social House.