Local Food Economy

Freshtoberfest empowers CLE youth to rock the turntables—and the chef's table
Fresh beats and even fresher bites are the name of the game at Freshtoberfest—where Cleveland youth battle it out hip-hop style for culinary domination. This year marked the third annual installment of the event, which was held at Tri-C's Hospitality Management Center last Friday. Meshing hip-hop and horticulture, the "youth garden battle" competition teamed nine youth gardens with eight local chefs to design a dish inspired by their own ingredients. Learn more about this funky fresh fest here.
Cleveland's first Latino Restaurant Week kicks off
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Cleveland is celebrating its first-ever Latino Restaurant Week (October 8-15) with five Latino-owned restaurants on board. Participating eateries include Sangria, Barroco Arrepa Bar, El Torito Taqueria Bar & Grille, Luchita's, and Campus Grille, with menu selections spanning from Portuguese to Mexican to Spanish to Colombian cuisine and beyond. Lunch offerings are $15, while three-course meals are $30—not including beverage, taxes, or tips. See all the delicious details and plan your food fiesta here.
West side story: The West Side Market enters a new era at 94 percent occupancy
Cleveland’s most notable food institution is enjoying a renaissance. In mid-September, the West Side Market welcomed eight new retailers, bringing the market to 94 percent occupancy.
Have a slice and read a good book at the new home of Visible Voice and Crust Pizza Kitchen

While some people may see a morbid link to it, the fact that the Komorowski building at 2258 Professor Ave. in Tremont used to be a funeral home has never creeped out the building’s new owner Dave Ferrante.

“From the moment I bought it, I never experienced any negative feelings,” he says. “It has a peaceful feel to it. And the positive part is I got 26 parking spots.”

Ferrante bought the building last year to re-open Visible Voice Books, which had closed three years ago. Read about Visible Voice's re-opening in a new location with Crust Pizza here.

Toast of the town: Tech-savvy Saucy Brew Works takes home a "Toasty" award

A kitchen window, lined with handwritten paper order tickets, might be one of the first images that comes to mind when one is asked to visualize a restaurant, but—like virtually every other industry—the food service business is going increasingly paperless. Slim and agile touchscreen tablets have replaced clunky countertop computers as the point-of-service (POS) system of choice, and many are relying on technology for other aspects of service, from reservation management to food delivery.

Nowhere in Cleveland may this embrace of technology be more evident than Saucy Brew Works. The Ohio City brewery and pizzeria recently was one of three national "Toasty Award" winners named by Toast, the mobile, cloud-based POS system it uses to manage its day-to-day operations. Saucy Brew Works took home top honors in the "Masters of Technology" category.

Say cheese: Melt's Matt Fish appears on "Pickler & Ben"
Melt Bar & Grilled seems to be on a much-deserved roll. Not only has the restaurant recently been named to the Inc. 5000 list and opened its 10th location, but chef Matt Fish also made an appearance today on the new daytime talk show "Pickler & Ben" (which airs locally on WEWS, as well as CMT). Fish showed former "American Idol" contestant Kellie Pickler and media personality Ben Aaron how to make Melt's patented Cleveland Cheesesteak in all its gooey glory. See the cheesy goodness here.
Ohio City BBQ will soon bring a touch of Memphis to Cleveland
For weeks, curious and hungry pedestrians have been popping into the new Ohio City BBQ, only to be turned away by owner Nav Singh, who assures the Memphis-style barbeque joint will be opening any day now in the former Ohio City Tattoo space at 3829 Lorain Ave.

Find out when Ohio City BBQ will open and what the menu holds in store here.
Same-day grocery delivery service Instacart hits the 216
While we could all use a transformative trip to the Heinen's Rotunda every now and then, most grocery shopping trips aren't always the ideal use of one's time. Enter Instacart, a popular same-day grocery delivery service that is set to expand to Cleveland in early September. More than 764,000 households in 71 local zip codes will have access to the service, which allows reluctant grocery shoppers to place orders online or via mobile app from Heinen's, Costco, CVS, and more for delivery. The expansion will also create 100 new jobs for Instacart shoppers, who fulfill and deliver the orders.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible demand in the Cleveland area,” explains Andrew Nodes, Instacart's Vice President of Retail Accounts. “We work with a variety of local retailers to provide the freshest, highest quality groceries to our customers. Expansion into Cleveland gives us an opportunity to expand service in the Ohio market. We’re also excited to build a world-class shopper community, where we can offer fun and flexible income earning opportunities for our shoppers, who ultimately deliver this amazing service to the community.”

First time users can enter the code HICLEVELAND at checkout until 11/1 to get $25 off orders of $35 or more, plus a free first-time delivery.
Old Brooklyn winery offers wine, truth and bocce in its vineyard offerings
The first incarnation of Vino Veritas was a successful restaurant and wine bar in the heart of Little Italy—even ranking on the 2015 Cleveland Hot List as a top wine bar. But by 2016, owner Anthony Nunes Insana had set his sights on a bigger picture for his wines, which he had been making in the basement of his Little Italy establishment.

Opportunity presented itself when Insana stumbled upon Rising Harvest Farms, a 2.3-acre plot of land in Old Brooklyn. "I found the property by myself, driving around," Insana says. "I started talking to Rising Harvest Farms and they wanted out." Insana swiftly started making plans for Vino Veritas Cellars, securing a one-year lease for the land from Cuyahoga Land Bank last September. In February, Insana made it official by signing a 25-year lease to buy the former Rising Harvest property, and he had the land re-zoned as a vineyard and winery.
 
With its grand opening last Thursday, Aug. 3, Vino Veritas Cellars officially became Cleveland’s first fully functional, federally bonded winery and vineyard. Learn more about it here.
13 reasons why Travelocity is "obsessed" with Cleveland
Record-breaking amounts of visitors have made their way to Cleveland in recent years, and Travelocity has taken notice—ticking off 13 reasons why it's "obsessed" with Cleveland. (Just 13? We've got at least seven more to add.) Usual suspects like Public Square, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame lead the list, along with tasty trips to the West Side Market and that oozing-with-charm popcorn shop in Chagrin Falls. See which other attractions made the list here.
 
Raise a glass to the seven local recipients of Wine Spectator's 2017 Restaurant Awards
Wondering where to sip in style? The new class of Wine Spectator's 2017 Restaurant Awards recipients might be a great place to start. The magazine's annual awards celebrate the world's best wine lists, and seven Cleveland restaurants made the discerning cut. Among the local honorees are Lola, Bold Food & Drink, Dante, Pier W, L'Albatros, Edwin's Restaurant, and Morton's, the Steakhouse. The full list of winners can be viewed here.
 
New book tells Cleveland's story, one resident at a time
Cleveland's gleaming development projects garner enough ink to fill one of the new condos going up downtown. However, it's the people living in the neighborhoods surrounding these headline-grabbing ventures who are the subject of a new book released by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress.

Read about it here
Side dish: Fun and funky bakeries offer up sweet themes
Cleveland is home to confectionary pleasures of all sizes, shapes and flavors, meaning area bakery owners need to get creative in how they brand their businesses.

Check out Cleveland's fresh selection of uniquely themed bakeries here
Chef-owned City Diner to offer up fresh homemade classics in Old Brooklyn
Ed “Chef Ed” Michalski has opened more than 40 restaurants in his career, but when he opens the doors to The City Diner in the next few weeks, it will be the first time the food service veteran does so as the owner.

“I just want to make sure everything is perfect,” Michalski says. “When guests walk in for the first time, I want to knock their socks off. You never get a second chance.”
 
Michalski cites his roles as executive chef at places like Horseshoe Casino and Progressive Field as “very proud moments,” but when he saw the former Expressway Diner building at 5109 Memphis Ave. in Old Brooklyn, he says he knew he had to buy the building and go into business for himself.

Read more about what Chef Ed has planned for the City Diner here. (Hint: bananas foster stuffed French toast.)
Hidden Cleveland: ice cream secrets
Is there an east/west divide when it comes to summer's top treat? What's the mystery behind a legendary local malt? Does a secret ice cream menu lurk in Ohio City? Fresh Water's got all the insider 411 on cool faves in the 216.
 
Seeking new eats: Heinen’s is on the prowl for the next big sensation
For the past 15 years Jeff Heinen and his brother Tom, co-owners of the popular Heinen’s grocery store chain, have focused heavily on carrying locally-grown produce in their 19 Ohio stores.
 
“As a company, for the last 15 years we’ve really worked with increasing fervor at purchasing locally, and now 70 percent of our produce is local in the summer,” Jeff Heinen explains.
 
Then, about seven years ago, Heinen started noticing an increase in local packaged food producers. So the chain began focusing on supporting those food entrepreneurs by carrying their products. Now the Heinen's team is welcoming new purveyors with its upcoming third annual Shark Bank competition.

Read about how to get involved and how to taste the competitors' products here.
Side dish: a smokin' list of BBQ joints outside downtown
Michael Symon's Mabel's BBQ has smoked up plenty of press since the much anticipated meat emporium opened its doors on East Fourth Street last year. Mabel's may be Cleveland's go-to barbecue joint at the moment, but the city boasts a growing list of savory options for folks seeking to satisfy their carnivorous cravings. Fresh Water is happy to deliver the deliciousness with these BBQ hot spots at points across the 216.

Get the smokin' list — including the 411 on Proper Sloppers and chicken cupcakes here
 
Business — not usual: All Culinary Services
A new food truck concept is rolling through Cleveland this summer, one that emphasizes lickety-split service, child-friendly meals, and locally sourced favorites while a single proprietor keeps watch.
 
That man is Jason Lawenda, who recently launched his Food Buggy retro concession trailer as part of All Culinary Services, a small events catering company. The buggy — an Airstream trailer that resembles an oversized sleep pod from a science fiction movie — transports fare prepared by local food artisans as well as the owner.

Read what he's dishing up and where you can find it here.
Five things you don't know about ... Citizen Pie
Hop onto any social thread discussing Cleveland's best pizza and you're likely to see Battery Park's CHA on the list. Scotti's Italian Eatery on East 185th surely has it's fans. Others swear by Crust.

But the one place you're sure to find, the one that's been white-hot since opening its doors a little more than a year ago on Waterloo Road in Collinwood, is Citizen Pie, wherein locals cannot get enough of the authentic Neapolitan pizzas served up in the tiny 875-square-foot space that sits opposite the Beachland Ballroom.
 
Now as construction rumbles on at Citizen's second location in Ohio City, we thought we'd uncover a few fast facts about this unique Cleveland biz that you may not know.

Discover them here.
Offbeat eats: six of the best local ethnic eateries
Iraqi kebobs, duck blood soup and hard to find Latino spirits — that's just for starters in this under-the-radar roundup of some the best (and little known) noshing in the 216.