Search results for '2014 interviewed Cleveland cocktail bar founder choice restaurant close 2015'

what cities like cleveland can learn from memphis
The City of Memphis is on the rise thanks to a growing startup community, investments in bike lanes, a burgeoning arts district and people moving back to the city. Through it all, the city has listened to its residents and embraced "lean urbanism." Cleveland should take heed.
cleveland selected as one of nation's most underrated food cities
Thrillist, the digital magazine for men, recently published a feature on the "The 7 most underrated food cities in America." Writer Dan Gentile included Cleveland in the listing.
 
"What makes a great food city isn't necessarily Michelin stars or food trucks per capita," he writes. "While NYC, LA, and Chicago have always shined brightest, and upstarts like Austin and Portland might be the kings of meals on wheels, there are a ton of cities out there where tradition and innovation mix into unique melting pots... full of melting food."
 
To compile the list, the writer reached out to community experts to state why their cities are considered underrated, and what spots you should be sure to try when you visit. For the Cleveland entry, that honor fell to Sam McNulty of Market Garden Brewery.
 
"Cleveland has been punching very far above its weight in the food and craft beer scene in recent years," McNulty states. "Having traveled all over the world and been a food and beer tourist on most continents, I am still thrilled when the plane touches down here in Cleveland, and I'm back in this Mecca of local food and local beer."
 
"Forbes magazine just wrote a piece about Cleveland being the new Brooklyn. And while they meant it as a compliment, we're actually much more a new Cleveland with our own authentic and edgy flavor."
 
Read the rest right here.

csu math corps helps high school students discover their greatness
The students in the Math Corps at CSU program are not just there to sharpen their math skills. For the third summer, a group of middle school and high school students will come to the CSU campus from Cleveland schools for a four-week program that not only teaches math through mentoring, but also provides a nurturing, supportive environment.

The Math Corps at CSU is a spinoff of a program at Wayne State University in Detroit, which has since 1990 offered a combined academic enrichment and mentoring program to Detroit Public Schools students. Since 1995, more than 95 percent of Detroit’s Math Corps students have graduated from high school and 80 percent have gone on to college.
Organizers in Cleveland looked to Detroit when launching a similar program here. Beyond strong mathematical foundations, the Math Corps provides a safe, caring environment in which children are able to recognize and nurture excellence.
 
“It’s really about a way of seeing kids and a way of seeing math,” explains Dionissi Aliprantis, associate director of the Math Corps. “It’s about helping kids realize their greatness. All kids have greatness in them. We use math as a way to bring it out of them.”
 
The seventh and eighth graders learn from high school teaching assistants (TAs), who have been through the program. There also are six college instructors. The participants are divided into teams of 10 middle school students at the same grade level, one college student who serves as team leader, and five TAs. Students emerge loving math, loving themselves and knowing how to respect others.
 
“There’s a lot you can learn from math: hard work, the courage to fail and it’s kind of fun,” says Aliprantis. “We do all that in the context of a caring community. We have high expectations and we tell them we actually care about each other and take care of each other.”
 
While the program is open to all Cleveland area middle and high school students, organizers see the Math Corps as a way to support struggling Cleveland public schools. “It’s about creating this community,” says Math Corps co-founder and instructor Francisca Richter. “You have to have commitment, a sense of responsibility and the drive to want to learn. We hope to reach out to more children.”
 
This year the Math Corps will accept 40 incoming seventh graders to attend the camp from July 14 to Aug. 7, as well as 20 eighth graders and 30 high school teaching assistants. Applications are due by Friday, April 11.

 
Sources: Dionissi Aliprantis and Francisca Richter
Writer: Karin Connelly
 
small projects, big impact: how ventures small in scale can reap big rewards
Sometimes a single effort makes a thousand-fold difference. The theory holds true across the North Coast: From one small business that transformed Cleveland's image on the international stage to a silent flock of gleaming blue birds, the 216 is home to projects that while small in scale reap big rewards.
gordon square developer begins marketing harborview townhomes
Developer Mike DeCesare had far greater success with the Waverly Station Townhomes than he'd originally envisioned. Anticipating that it would take three to four years to sell and build the units, he was surprised to find that he was able to sell all 22 units in about two years. Now he's getting ready to launch his next development, the seven-unit Harborview Townhomes at W. 54th and Herman Avenue, which offer lake and downtown views.

The developer, who has made the Gordon Square neighborhood his home and has developed several projects there in the past decade, says this project builds upon his previous work, and the location, design and views are strong selling points.

"They're larger units with higher end finishes and considerably different views," says DeCesare. "They've got some amazing views of downtown and the lake and what I call the 'Inner Harbor,' the area around Wendy Park and the salt mines."

Most of the units are two bedrooms, but a couple of them offer three. All seven units have fourth floor roof decks -- perfect for watching fireworks or Lake Erie sunsets. There also are attached two-car garages and compact backyards.

The units start at $269,900 and top out at $350,000. Bamboo hardwood flooring, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances come standard, according to the website. Green features include a 92-percent efficient furnace and sustainable exterior materials. At present, two of the seven units already are reserved.

DeCesare has not yet received final approvals from the City of Cleveland, but he is confident that the project will be well-received. He has eschewed bank financing, preferring to work with private investors who are committed to the neighborhood. He plans to break ground this year and have the first units occupied by December.

"The fact that we have two in reservation is incredibly encouraging to us," he says.

No city subsidy has been invested in the project, but the units are eligible for 15-year, 100-percent tax abatements on improved value (they pay taxes on the land).


Source: Mike DeCesare
Writer: Lee Chilcote
the jake, er, progressive field chosen as one of best ballparks for craft beer fans
In a Daily Mail feature titled, "Best Baseball Stadiums for Craft Beer Around the Country," Cleveland's Progressive Field makes the grade.
 
"As the weather warms up, there’s not much we’d rather do than spend a Saturday at the ballpark," writes Clare Goggin Sivits. "Going to a game is always thrilling, from the rush you feel the first moment you walk through the tunnel and that emerald green field opens up before you to the memories brought back from games you experienced years ago. Even for the casual sports fan, baseball is the perfect excuse to chow down on a hot dog, nibble some nachos, and wash it all down with a beer… or three."
 
Sadly, most parks charge way too much for beer that is way below our standards. Some parks, though, buck trend by offering up great craft beer choices.
 
"Granted, you should probably have to have a reason aside from beer to actually go to these places -- say, you want to see a baseball game? But if you end up at one of these ballparks, you can count on finding a good pint of beer instead of the lame beer options you’d have to settle for elsewhere."
 
 #13: Progressive Field, Cleveland
 
Home Team: Cleveland Indians
 
"The Indians can boast a new partnership with the likes of the New Belgium Brewing Company (makers of the amazing Fat Tire), and Great Lakes Brewing Co (who can boast the killer Great Lakes Eliot Ness). This season is looking up -- the stadium lowered its (previously pretty exorbitant) concession stand prices last year, and also offers ultra-cheap PBRs, just in case."
 
Read the rest right here.

q and a with the guys behind brews + prose
Meet Michael Croley, Jeff Draeger, Dave Lucas and Matthew Stipe, founders of Brews + Prose at Market Garden Brewery, a monthly literary series featuring readings by established and emerging authors in one of Cleveland’s most popular places to eat and drink.
melt bar & grilled among '21 best sando shops in usa'
Thrillist, the digital magazine for men, recently published a feature on the "The 21 Best Sandwich Shops in America." Writer Adam Lapetina included Melt Bar & Grilled in the listing.

"The perfect sandwich is hard to find," Lapetina writes. "But when you do find it, you have to pay homage. From superior ingredients to the freshest-baked bread and sauces that make you say, "Dammit, I kind of want to drink that!", the ideal sammie has to strike a delicate balance, and the people who make them have hit upon something way more important than just a portable meal."

In his entry for Melt, Lapetina writes:

"Cleveland’s got its fair share of interesting people, but not all of them open tattoo-friendly, punk-rock-playing alternative grilled cheese joints, like Matt Fish did when he first founded Melt Bar & Grilled in 2006. Offering patrons who get a Melt tattoo 25% off for life is only the second of his selling points -- the first is grilling up insane grilled cheese sandwiches that keep Ohioans coming back time and time again. The Parmageddon, for example, rocks potato & onion pierogi, sauerkraut, sharp cheddar, and sauteed onions and is every bit as face-melting as its name would suggest."
 
Read the rest here.

if you build it: area advocates work to get cameras rolling on cleveland film industry
Watching Cleveland getting rocked for two hours in Captain America is great, but when the rush fades and reality creeps in, we're left with no guarantee Hollywood is ever going to return. A group of area stakeholders is advocating for changes that would attract more film projects, or even a prestige TV drama, to the North Coast.
state of downtown is strong, but greater connectivity between amenities is needed, say leaders
Downtown Cleveland was named one of the top cities for millenials to live by The Atlantic, with more than 1,000 new housing units coming online, and major projects like Flats East helping to reenergize formerly moribund parts of downtown. These are just a few of the successes listed in Downtown Cleveland Alliance's 2013 annual report, and touted at this week's State of Downtown forum at the City Club.

Yet more needs to be done to connect downtown's assets, including public realm improvements, pedestrian- and bike-friendly amenities, and especially lakefront connections. These were the messages conveyed by leaders at the forum.

"We're no longer in the 'big box' phase," said Joe Marinucci, President and CEO of DCA. "Now our challenge is, how we can incrementally connect the investments."

Marinucci pointed to Perk Park, a revamped green space at East 12th and Chester, as an example of a successful strategy for creating public improvements.

Now DCA has launched Step Up Downtown, an initiative to engage residents and stakeholders in envisioning the future of downtown. With abundant plans in place, the goal is to prioritize which enhancements to focus on first, garner feedback from residents, and drill down to the implementation phase.

"This initiative recognizes that we've made a lot of investments downtown, but in many ways haven't connected the investments as well as we should," said Marinucci. "We need to make the public realm as attractive as the destinations."

Attendees posed questions about connecting to the waterfront, making downtown accessible to all income levels, and prioritizing educational opportunities for families.

Marinucci cited lakefront development plans, the incorporation of affordable housing into downtown projects and DCA's work with Campus International School and the Cleveland Municipal School District as signs of progress.


Source: Joe Marinucci
By Lee Chilcote
no 'mistake' about it: cleveland launches new rebranding effort
Northeast Ohio's convention and visitors bureau wants to change the conversation about Cleveland. The multifaceted branding enterprise is designed to bridge a communications gap that ideally will be crossed by millions of business and leisure visitors over the next few years.
latest report shows that cle is gaining, not losing, jobs
Despite the disheartening news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monthly jobs reports, the latest news is that Cleveland actually is gaining jobs and moving forward.

The BLS’ monthly jobs report shows that Cleveland lost 2,100 jobs since May 2012, more than any other metropolitan area in the country. However, the latest BLS report, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), released last week, shows that Cleveland in fact gained 7,669 jobs in the third quarter of 2013. While this report takes a little longer to come out than the monthly report, it is much more accurate. Cleveland had an average of 992,570 employed between May and September of 2013.
 
The difference, says Team NEO CEO Tom Waltermire, is that the monthly Current Employment Statistics (CES) report is based on data from only six percent of the country’s business community, while the QCEW is based on data from 98 percent of businesses.
 
“The CES data is very premature and should never have been released,” says Waltermire. “The numbers are so preliminary they’re inaccurate. What it means for Cleveland is we have been subjected to nine months of regular and increasingly inflammatory headlines that report we’re the worst big city region from a jobs perspective. That is not the case.”
 
The latest QCEW report marks the 13th consecutive quarter of year-over-year job growth in Northeast Ohio.
 
Team NEO is now working to reverse the impressions created by the monthly reports. The organization has teamed up with Cleveland State’s Levin College of Urban Affairs and the Cleveland Federal Reserve to better analyze the data. Team NEO also is working with the Greater Cleveland Partnership in lobbying Ohio’s congressional representatives about the way employment data is released.
 
“People should think of the economy in Cleveland as gradually growing,” says Waltermire. “Every month has shown a higher number of jobs than the year before. We’re on a winning streak here.”

 
Source: Tom Waltermire
Writer: Karin Connelly
humble wine bar on eater's list of '21 hottest pizza places'
Eater, an online repository for the nation's restaurant news, published its latest listing of "The 21 Hottest Pizza Places Across the US Right Now." Humble Wine Bar in Lakewood made the cut.
 
"Here are the 21 hottest pizza restaurants in the country. Please note these are not necessarily pizzerias, but rather restaurants that serve pizza and have opened in the past year or so. By and large, these restaurants were recommended by local Eater editors, in addition to Eater National's Heatmap correspondents."
 
Humble Wine Bar
 
Cleveland Scene dining editor Douglas Trattner wrote in his November Eater Heatmap: "On the heels of his successful gastropub Deagan's, Dan Deagan added this urban wine bar to his portfolio. Gleaming white subway tile, warm woods, concrete floors, and a 500-bottle mahogany wine cellar offer an update to the classic mold. The fare is limited to meat and cheese boards, finger-friendly starters, and thin-crust pizzas, which exit the blistering stone oven hot and crisp."
 
Check out America's best pies here.

brewnuts selected as winner of tremont storefront incubator program, will open in april
It's self-evident that there's a craft beer explosion in Cleveland, with several new breweries set to open this year alone. Now the beer boom is also spurring offshoot businesses, such as the playful, delicious Brewnuts. According to the company's Facebook page, it combines two of Cleveland's favorite things into "one epic treat: a craft beer based donut."

Brewnuts, which has been steadily growing for the past year and has occupied space at Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen, is expanding into a storefront on Professor Avenue in Tremont. The firm was recently selected to participate in the competitive Tremont Storefront Incubator Program. Owners Shelley Fasulko and John Pippin will test the waters for a new retail location while enjoying three months of free rent and seven months of reduced rent. After that time period, they'll hopefully make the leap to a permanent storefront in the city.

In a release, Tremont West Development Corporation, which owns and manages the space, stated that the Brewnuts application was "very strong" and will add vibrancy and a new type of business to the neighborhood. The hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, with morning pick-ups available during the week and evening hours that cater to hungry Tremont bar-hoppers and local residents.

"We chose Brewnuts because they were the applicant that could most effectively use the space, and the one that had the most potential to move on to a bricks-and-mortar space," says Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West. "It's a good fit within Tremont, because of the food businesses that are here."

The company creates delicious donuts that reflect the season. Currently "on tap" are the Doughboy, a cinnamon roll style 'nut made with Wells Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale; the Symon, a chocolate peanut butter donut made with Willoughby Brewing Company's Peanut Butter Coffee Porter; and the Bernie, a lager-based donut made with Great Lakes Brewing Company's Dortmunder Gold.

Tremont West Development Corporation collaborated with the Hispanic Business Center to select Brewnuts to participate in the Storefront Incubator Program. Brewnuts plans to open its shop at 2406 Professor on Tuesday, April 29th.


Source: Tremont West Development Corporation
Writer: Lee Chilcote
#thisiscle promo video goes viral in 3- 2- 1...
On Wednesday, Positively Cleveland, the convention and visitors bureau for Cleveland, announced a new destination brand, presented new plans for its destination development initiatives, unveiled a local social media movement and highlighted a series of organizational accomplishments.
 
But without question, the most buzzed about element of the package was the following video, "A Cleveland Anthem," which promotes the theme: "Cleveland doesn’t follow anyone’s rules – it makes its own."