Former Reddstone chef Josh Kabat and his fiance and business partner, Kiaran Daily, have opened Cleveland Pickle, a gourmet downtown sandwich shop. The venue specializes in eclectic sandwiches made from fresh, often local ingredients. Many of the sandwiches are also creatively named after local Cleveland landmarks.

For instance, the Terminal is a savory and sweet sandwich featuring black forest ham, brie, spinach, roasted tomato pesto and apricot jam. The Payne Avenue panini is a twist on the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, with a touch of chipotle for extra zest.

"Everyone loves sandwiches, and these are sandwiches that people have never seen before," says Kabat. "We use all top of the line ingredients, similar to what you'd find in a fine dining restaurant. Kiaran and I wanted to take our experiences working in chef-driven restaurants as well as bars and bring it all together."

Kabat and Daily make pickles out of their home, adding fresh, delicious chunks of pickle to many of their signature sandwiches. "Love is what sets us apart," says Kabat. "We pour our blood, sweat and tears into this meticulous process."

Cleveland Pickle joins a host of new restaurants and eateries that have opened on Euclid Avenue, including Hodge's, Colossal Cupcakes, Nexus Cafe and Potbelly.

Cleveland Pickle is open Monday to Friday from 9 am until 4 pm. After Memorial Day, the owners plan to stay open Saturdays and until 8 pm during the week.


Source: Josh Kabat
Writer: Lee Chilcote

One of the most widely read Fresh Water features was a story on Ohio's burgeoning craft distillery trend. But it wasn't all good news: As it stood at the time of publication, only one permit was allowed in each of Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton counties. What's more, those few permit holders could distill but not sell their wares on-site. A new law eliminates the restrictions on the number of permits while enabling holders to sell their products directly to consumers.

You know the old saying: Once you start allowing chickens in your neighborhood, any four-legged creature can walk right in off the street.

Well, there goes the neighborhood!

Despite cries of fowl play, it appears that the City of Cleveland Heights is poised to allow residents to raise up to four chickens in their backyards. A group called Hens in Lakewood is lobbying their city to allow chicken-rearing too, yet the group is battling resistance from other residents and skeptical city council members.

The City of Cleveland Heights, once the pristine province of those fleeing the city for greener (yet livestock-free) pastures, may soon return to its roots. A century ago, many small farms flourished here. Although the proposed changes will not allow market gardening (where gardeners sell their wares), they will allow residents to raise their own eggs.

In a few weeks, the Cleveland Heights Planning Commission will consider new, sustainable zoning code recommendations that include allowing up to four chickens. If the board accepts the Planning Department's recommendations, the city will become one of the first suburbs in Northeast Ohio to allow chickens.

"We received a lot of phone calls about this issue, but the pro-chicken people were more vocal," says Karen Knittel, a City Planner with the City of Cleveland Heights. "Concerns were raised around chickens not being well-kept and attracting rats. We're easing into this to make sure people don't disturb their neighbors."

The proposals require chicken coops to be at least 10 feet from a resident's property line, and would-be chicken keepers will have to apply for a conditional use permit from the city that can be revoked if health or safety issues arise.

Despite the widespread flaps about backyard chickens, Jaime Bouvier, a Visiting Legal Writing Professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University, says that genuine problems are actually quite uncommon.

"In cities across the country, backyard chickens are always very contentious," she says. "Yet the issue causes more concern than warranted. Typically, there aren't huge amounts of people that do it, and it doesn't get out of control."

Bouvier has written extensively about the legal issues surrounding backyard chickens and aggregated model practices around the country. She has organized an Urban Agriculture Symposium that takes place at CSU this Friday.


Source: Karen Knittell, Jaime Bouvier
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Turning commuters, suburbanites and Joe and Jane Doe into "choice riders" -- those who choose public transit over driving -- has been an ongoing battle for mid-size transportation systems across the country, and Cleveland is no exception. Locally, that task falls on the shoulders of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority, which is taking significant steps to cultivate a new generation of riders.

Developers of the long-awaited Flats East Bank development broke ground in the worst economy in generations by hook or crook, breaking the project into phases and layering public-private financing together in a deal that was dizzyingly complex.

This week, they're singing a different tune as they celebrate new leases from five high-profile restaurant tenants, including well-known Akron restaurateur Ken Stewart and national country music venue chain Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.

Four new restaurants will open as part of Phase I, which is expected to be complete in 2013. I Love This Bar and Grill will open as part of Phase II, which the developers hope to break ground on next year if they can assemble financing.

Ken Stewart's, well-known for steak and seafood, will add a new name to the downtown restaurant scene. Lago will move its successful Tremont location to a new, larger space in the Flats East Bank. Flip Side is a gourmet burger bar with two locations in Hudson and Columbus, while Dos Tequilas will be a high-end, urban taqueria.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill will add a new element to the downtown music scene. The developers hope the venue, a barbeque joint that will be shaped like a guitar, will tap into an unmet demand for live country music in Cleveland.

"We had interested operators from the beginning, but we took our time to select those that were most exciting," says Randy Ruttenberg with Fairmount Properties. "We're currently working on the capital stack for Phase II, which will feature around 150 residential units, waterfront retail and entertainment."


Source: Randy Ruttenberg
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Imagine eating chef-made meals from food grown right around the corner. That’s the dream Brian Doyle had when he created Sow Food last year, which is a catering business built around locally-grown food.
 
”Last year my wife Jennifer and I wanted to create a business that was full-circle,” Doyle explains. “We wanted to add a farming component to our catering business because we were interested in adding food in areas considered food deserts.”
 
Doyle found a plot of land on W. 47th Street and Lorain Avenue in the Cleveland area using the land bank. There, he has created a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model that combines local farming with catering.
 
Members buy a share in the farm in exchange for gourmet meals prepared by chef Doyle. During the growing season -- June through September -- members get three meals for two people each week. The cost is $1,520 for 16 weeks of food presented in re-usable containers. Subscribers pick up their meals each week at the farm.
 
Doyle creates the meals from the farm produce while supplementing it with other locally grown meats and cheeses. “We try to feature other local producers of value added goods,” he says. “You’ll never find a national brand item in our bag.”
 
Last year, Sow Food had 10 customers. This year, the company already has 10 customers signed up. Doyle hopes to get to 30 customers, but will cap it at 50. “We’re thinking in small increments of growth,” he says.
 
Sow Food has two full-time employees and two seasonal employees. If they reach their targeted growth, Doyle plans to hire an additional full-time employee and two part-time employees.
 
Sow Food sub-leased kitchen space from a couple restaurants. This year, Doyle is hoping to find a permanent space.
 

Source: Brian Doyle
Writer: Karin Connelly

Later this month, a pop up store for visitors will open inside of an historic railroad car in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The store, called Trail Mix, will be housed on a spur track along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in the town of Peninsula. It will feature snacks, refreshments, books, souvenirs and other items.

Then, later this year, Trail Mix will move into its permanent location at 1600 West Mill Street, adjacent to the Winking Lizard and the tracks where visitors hop aboard the Scenic Railroad. Peninsula has become a hub for visitors to the 33,000 acre national park, which draws more than three million visitors annually and is considered to be one of the most popular national parks in the country.

The store will be operated by the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help educate the general public about the park, protect and conserve its national resources, market the park to visitors, and promote the activities and amenities that exist within the park.

"This is an opportunity for us to really introduce people to all the wonderful things that exist within the 33,000 acres of the park," says Janice Matteucci, Chief Operations Officer for the Conservancy. "We're also partnering with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad so that people can buy their tickets here."

The new, 3,000 square foot store will provide a larger storefront space for both organizations and add to the retail offerings in downtown Peninsula. Trail Mix will have outdoor seating and serve local foods such as cookies baked at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center and Mitchell's Ice Cream.


Source: Janice Matteucci
Writer: Lee Chilcote

When Costas Mavromichaelis opened Constantino's Market in downtown Cleveland, he knew that he was an urban pioneer. Downtown residents and businesses had been crying out for a small, full-service grocery store for years, yet no entrepreneur had been willing to take the plunge.

Eight years later, Constantino's Market on W. 9th Street is still going strong, and Mavromichaelis is hoping for another shot in the arm when the Horseshoe Casino opens this year and the Medical Mart and Convention Center open next year. The growing demand for downtown apartments also bodes well, he says.

The entrepreneur is now set to open a 16,000-square-foot branch of Constantino's in University Circle. City leaders contacted him after failing to secure leases from Dave's Market or Heinen's. Mavromichaelis says that the urban market isn't an easy or simple place to do business, but that he's addressing unmet demand.

"This is an important and developing area of Cleveland, and the density of and demand for housing because of the university and hospitals make it attractive," he says. "There's been a lack of shopping amenities in University Circle, but that's changing, and the Uptown project will make the area even more attractive."

Mavromichaelis says the new Constantino's will be very similar to the downtown store, and will be geared towards young professionals, students, small families and empty nesters. It will offer a full selection of groceries as well as a salad and hot foods bar, prepared foods, pizza and an impressive wine selection.

To make the deal work, the developer, MRN Ltd., leased the space to Case Western Reserve University, who in turn subleased it to Mavromichaelis. Uptown is a large, new retail and apartment development along Euclid Avenue in University Circle. The new Constantino's will be located at E. 115th and Euclid.

Mavromichaelis has also recruited his daughter and son-in-law, Anna Mavromichaelis and Andrew Revy, to move from Chicago to Cleveland to work in the business. His daughter has helped him to run the business and open new locations, while Revy will soon manage the University Circle location.

"My daughter was working as an accountant in Chicago, but she grew up in the business, coming to the Clifton store from the time she was seven or eight years old," says Mavromichaelis. "I guess she never got it out of her system."


Source: Costas Mavromichaelis
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Moving counter to the assertion that Print is Dead!, two local optimists have just launched a new print magazine. Edible Cleveland is a new print quarterly that focuses on the local food scene -- not just restaurants and chefs, but also farmers, history, tradition and lore. FW's Erin O'Brien brakes bread with publishers Noelle Celeste and Jon Benedict.

A trio of local entrepreneurs have recently opened Peace, Love and Little Donuts, a hippie-themed, gourmet donut shop in Kamm's Corners. The purple walls of the 40-seat venue are lined with Cleveland concert posters from the 60s through the 80s.

Now, donuts get a bad rap in today's health-conscious foodie scene. Yet founder Patrick Campbell says he's got that covered. The hot, fresh donuts are made right in the shop, and the coffee comes from Caruso's in Brecksville. And even if they're not exactly healthy, well, who can resist a maple and bacon donut?

Peace, Love and Little Donuts offers three different types of donuts. The "groovy" donuts are plain or sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon. "Far out" donuts are frosted with chocolate, maple syrup or other goodies. "And the Funkadelic is where it gets really interesting," explains Campbell, who also owns P.J. McIntyre's Pub. "We've got a strawberry cheesecake, samoa and s'mores donut."

Peace, Love and Little Donuts also boasts a state-of-the-art espresso and latte machine that reportedly cost $10,000. "Coffee is the new pint," quips Campbell.

Campbell and his partners, Pete Campbell and James Crawford, first discovered the donut franchise on a visit to Pittsburgh last year. They were walking around the popular neighborhood The Strip and were overcome by a delicious odor.

"We just followed the smell," says Campbell. "And lo and behold, we found this small, 300 square foot, unique coffee shop. They were making fresh donuts right there in front of you, and there was a line out the door."


Source: Patrick Campbell
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Having birthed 25-plus new businesses within the past few years, Ohio City is on a roll. Leaders here hope to continue that progress this year as they launch the second round of the Small Business Development Grant Competition, an initiative that aided at least five new retail businesses in 2011.

The competition, which is being managed by Ohio City Inc. and funded by Charter One Growing Communities, offers grants of $5,000 to $20,000 to retail businesses that open or expand in the Market District along W. 25th or Lorain. Entrepreneurs can use the funds for rent payments of no more than one year, purchase of equipment for business operations or interior build out.

Community leaders are focusing solely on retail ventures this year, having overseen a boom of new restaurants and small boutique shops in 2011.

"The Charter One Growing Communities initiative has catalyzed tremendous growth in the Market District," said Eric Wobser, Director of Ohio City Inc., in a release. "We are very excited to launch year two of the competition."

Applicants can download the RFP from OCI's website and submit it along with a short essay and business plan. They'd better hurry, though -- according to Wobser, there are only five vacant storefronts remaining in the Market District.

Community leaders are also hoping that the Market District's considerable momentum will spill over onto Lorain Ave. Within the past two years, the down-on-its-heels main street that has begun to flicker with new life. OCI has created a community planning effort, Launch Lorain, to chart its future.


Source: Eric Wobser
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The founders of a Cleveland technology startup company have joined together with the Cleveland chapter of Kids Against Hunger to present "Celebrating Sustainability and Entrepreneurship," an event aimed at promoting sustainable social enterprises. All event proceeds will go towards providing nutritious meals to local families in need.

"The Cleveland chapter of Kids Against Hunger was founded by a Case Western Reserve University freshman named Aditya Rengaswamy," says Michael Giammo with Lorktech, a company that was founded by CWRU graduates. Lorktech is developing an electronic shelf label that does not require a battery for use in stores. "We're very excited about sustainability and entrepreneurship, so we said, 'Why not use the energy of our startup company to spark this charity event?'"

The event takes place on Monday, April 2nd at Thwing Ballroom on the CWRU campus. Each ticket costs $40 and purchases 200 meals for kids, Giammo says.

Speakers include Jenita McGowan, Chief of Sustainability for the City of Cleveland; Cathy Belk, Chief Relationship Officer at Jumpstart; Ian Charnas, Operations Manager at think[box]; Stephanie Corbett, Sustainability Manager at CWRU; and representatives of Lorktech and Kids Against Hunger.

"We wanted to create a company-wide culture of social entrepreneurship," says Giammo of Lorktech's decision to spearhead the event. "It's part of our business model."


Source: Michael Giammo
Writer: Lee Chilcote

East, west, north and south: The culinary choices bestowed upon Cleveland foodies are dizzying, to say the least. But everybody has his or her favorite -- that one dish that inflates them with joy while feeding the heart, body and soul. Fresh Water contributor Erin O'Brien caught up with a crop of Cleveland movers and shakers and asked each of them to dish up the skinny on their top local nosh in their own home-cooked words.

A recent visit to PlayhouseSquare for "dinner and a show" confirmed that the neighborhood is on a roll. The combination of unseasonably warm weather, a hot new restaurant opening, and a world-class whodunit resulted in a string of sold-out shows filled with well-fed theatergoers.