Last week, Sarah Halko opened the doors to Aria Wine Bar (12304 Mayfield Rd.) in Little Italy. Since taking over the space a few months ago, which had been home to two prior wine bars, the owner has transformed the room into a warm, cozy and inviting place to explore wines from around the world.

“From the beginning, I wanted Aria to feel like a place you stumble upon and never want to leave,” says Halko. “A place where time slows, conversations linger, and every visit feels a little magical. My goal wasn’t simply to open a wine bar, but to create a space where people gather, celebrate, reconnect, unwind, and feel like they’ve found their place. My hope is that Aria becomes that for our community.”

Halko aimed to assemble a one-of-a-kind selection of wines that is designed to expand one’s appreciation of varietals. The list leans heavily into Italy, showcasing producers from across the country, but also distinctive wines from other storied wine-growing regions.

“Every bottle has been chosen not only for its quality, but for the story it tells and the place it represents,” she adds.

In addition to the wines, Aria offers a menu of classic cocktails, beer and a concise roster of small plates designed to pair with the beverages.

“I tell everyone in the neighborhood that I’ll happily be your waiting room,” she says. “Send them to me to grab a drink and I’ll send them right back to you for dinner.”

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Great Lakes Brewing has joined 13 other beverage manufacturers and sellers in suing the state under the belief that its weed laws unconstitutionally bar them from sourcing and selling THC drinks.

When Senate Bill 56 went into effect on March 20, it created a new ecosystem for any business interested in selling anything tied to marijuana or hemp. Although lawmakers intended to put the kibosh on shady smoke shops selling Delta-8 and Delta-9, those offering THC drinks argued that the state’s hyper-vigilance has uprooted what is already heavily self-regulated.

In other words, as the federal suit filed in late July argues, beverage sellers like Great Lakes could be reprimanded—that is, receive a felony-level hemp trafficking charge—if they’re caught and prosecuted for importing out-of-state hemp or marijuana products to brew their intoxicating seltzers.

“In effect, the State of Ohio, through the enactment of Senate Bill 56, has banned from market-participation all companies that produce federally legal hemp products,” the July 30 complaint reads, “yet do not have a complete physical presence (from cultivation through sale) in Ohio.”

Along with Great Lakes, the plaintiffs suing the state include Fifty West Brewing, Athens Beverage, Seventh Son Brewing, Rhinegeist, Wellness of Willoughby, Delta Beverages, Crescent Canna, Cheech and Chong’s Beverages, Torch Drinks, Uncle Arnie’s, Mile High Cure, Hometown Hero and Lifted Liquids.

All of these beverage makers and sellers stopped selling their THC drinks five months ago under the fear they could be criminally prosecuted. Senate Bill 56 formalized a wave of trepidation, amplified by Gov. Mike DeWine, around the fear that children had potentially unfettered access to intoxicating hemp products designed to look like candy—as, last October’s press conference showed, Nerds, Gushers or Sour Patch Kids.

Great Lakes immediately pulled its Float Shoppe THC seltzer off the shelfs and taps. Great Lakes CEO Christopher Brown went as far as joining Save Ohio Bevs, a grassroots campaign to convince the state it was doing more harm to small businesses than preventing bad. 

And, in Great Lakes’ case, throwing them a much-needed financial gain during a trying time for the alcohol industry in general.

“Everything THC was like whipped cream on a sundae,” Brown told Scene in April. “It was all to profit.”

The lawsuit, Brown told Crain’s Cleveland, is a last-ditch effort stemming from that campaign.

“We have six-figure-digits of inventory sitting in another state we are sitting on because of this line-item veto,” Brown told Crain’s, referring to S.B. 56. “All we ever wanted was the opportunity to go through regulation and make this the same as anything else in the alcohol category.”

Under current Ohio law, only licensed dispensaries, distributers and growers can manufacture or sell intoxicating hemp or weed products—joints, gummies, tinctures, seltzers, and so on. All beverage makers listed in the July complaint deal with some sort of out-of-state entity, which they argue is necessary for keeping costs reasonable and turning a profit.

What the beverage sellers want is mostly to ensure the state won’t prosecute them at the felony level for doing what they did before March 20.

In court filings, the state argued against the timing of the suit, stating the beverage makers waiting four months to file didn’t constitute an “emergency.” The state also argued it would be more fitting to hear the results of a suit filed last October, Titan Logistics Group LLC v. Tischler, before a decision is made on this one.

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Natalia Alcazar will open the second location of her popular Dahlia Coffee (4855 Broadview Rd., 216-415-5354) in Old Brooklyn on Sunday, August 16th. The café joins the original shop (2085 W. 114th St., 216-302-7785) in the Cudell neighborhood on Cleveland’s west side.

The spacious building was briefly home to Rebel Reserve. The extra square footage will allow Alcazar to expand her offerings, offer more seating, and partner with even more small, local businesses.

“We’re going to try really, really hard to use people in the neighborhood and buy from their businesses,” she states. “We want to do more made-to-order breakfast options, like breakfast sandwiches and burritos, lunch sandwiches. The new space will be able to give us the ability to do that because of the layout.”

Alcazar is also looking forward to hosting more community-based events such paint nights with local artists, latte art competitions, or pop-up vendor markets such as Ghost Market in her attached parking lot. She also plans on keeping later hours given the residential nature of the neighborhood.

There will be few changes to her coffee program, she adds.

“I focus more on Central American coffee because I’m Mexican,” says Alcazar. “I roast beans from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. I tend to roast a little darker – not super, super dark. I roast to medium or dark roast, but the quality of the coffee and tasting notes are still there.”

Alcazar says that there will be no significant changes to her original Cudell coffee shop.

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The post Dahlia Coffee to Open in Old Brooklyn on Sunday, Aug. 16 appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

It’s been three months since Shaun and JoLyn Yasaki of Noble Beast Brewing announced that they were expanding into the former Bookhouse Brewing site in Ohio City. On Friday, August 14th they will open the doors to Anthology Cask House (1526 W. 25th St., 216-237-0986), a sanctuary for lovers of fine European beers, English ales and rare gems from around the world.

The stars of the show are bound to be the cask ales, which are brewed onsite by Yasaki and brewer Logan Buckley-Neff and dispensed with care, patience and a little dose of ceremony.

“This has been such a learning curve: figuring out how to build it, figuring out how to brew it, condition it, serve it,” Yasaki explains. “But it’s fun because it’s all so new and exciting.”

Unlike conventional draft beer, which is pushed from keg to tap by carbon dioxide, cask ale is drawn by hand using an old-fashioned beer engine. Firkins of naturally-carbonated ale sit in a dedicated cooler set at “cellar temperature,” roughly 55 degrees. Each pint requires a series of pulls to fill the glass. Those brews flow through a graceful swan-like neck and, at the end, a sparkler, which creates a dense, creamy head.

“Every brewery had one of these 15 years ago, and they’ve all been ripped out,” Yasaki laments.

On opening day, those four engines will dispense an English golden ale, English bitter, dry stout and a funky Belgian lambic.

The other 16 taps are dedicated to imported beers from England, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic. Only a few hail from the United States. The styles represented include helles, pils, bitter, amber, dark ale, Kolsch, saison, cider and radler.

A display cooler is stocked with a compelling selection of European imports sold by the can or bottle. While guests can peruse the printed list, it’s fun to shop the cooler and examine the labels.

“I haven’t had most of these and I can’t wait to try them,” says Yasaki. “That’s what got me excited about craft beer 20 years ago. There was so much exploration, trying new things… That’s kind of gone by the wayside.”

“There’s been such a shift over the past 10, 15 years or so towards hyper-local, which is wonderful, but we wanted to bring that back,” adds JoLyn.

Those beers are properly served in style-appropriate glassware, such as an aged Belgian lambic slowly decanted from a wicker basket to prevent the transfer of sediment.

“That’s part of the experience,” says GM Jeff Draeger. “A lot of people haven’t seen most of these beers – or haven’t seen them for a while – so we want to give them the proper experience. That gives the staff the opportunity to explain the glassware, the pour, why we’re doing things a certain way.”

Guests will notice an enhanced beverage program, with more wines, spirits and cocktails, including a robust NA selection.

Anthology chef James Redford has worked with Little Cloud chef David Rutherford to create a menu just for the pub. Items such as meat and cheese boards, English onion soup, braised beef sandwiches and beef pasties can be ordered and enjoyed right from one’s table. Weekend food service will start at 11 a.m.

There has been a gentle remodel of the former Bookhouse space that swapped the literature-themed décor for more of an English pub vibe. There are now TVs throughout, but you wouldn’t know it unless the framed images were switched from art mode to live action. The patio has been opened up and refreshed with new furniture, lighting and plantings.

With Anthology Cask House, the Yasakis are keeping a little bit of Cleveland brewing history alive in Ohio City.

“This was the site of Baehr Brewing from 1866, so 170 years of brewing history in this spot right here,” says Shaun.

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Gia and James Patch haven’t sat still much since opening Gigi’s on Fairmount (3477 Fairmount Blvd.) 12 years ago.

After quickly building a devoted following, the pair expanded next door with Gigi’s After Dark in 2014 and five years later expanded again into a corner property with Gigi’s Blu, which added seating and a private event space.

This month, they debuted their newest addition in The James at Gigi’s.

The intimate lounge is a “quaint, kind of cozy little place,” with Great Gatsby vibes, James said.

Savory and seasonal cocktails are joined by amaros, spritzes, apertivos, a tidy wine list and nightcap elixirs. A small menu of snacks is also available.

The new real estate also provides some much-needed space for the kitchen crew.

This latest expansion brings the total number of indoor seats up to 120 – a far cry from the diminutive 45-seat wine bar that opened in 2013 — with 60 more seats outside on a sidewalk patio.

The James at Gigi’s is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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Plans for an Urban Meyer’s Pint House outpost in the former Winking Lizard space downtown are no more.

Brent Zimmerman, the founder of Saucy Brew Works, which purchased Urban Meyer’s Pint House in April 2024, made the announcement earlier this week, citing financial concerns.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision for our team,” he said in a statement. “From the very beginning, we believed in this project and the opportunity to become part of downtown Cleveland. We worked alongside an incredible group of partners and explored every avenue to bring this vision to life. In the end, we had to make the responsible business decision based on the project’s overall financial outlook. While we’re disappointed we won’t be opening our doors in Cleveland, we’re incredibly grateful for the support, collaboration, and encouragement we received throughout this journey. We sincerely appreciate everyone who believed in this project, and we remain optimistic about what the future holds.”

The original Urban Meyer’s Pint House opened in Columbus nine years ago.

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Mark LaGrange, the longtime owner of Edison’s Pub in Tremont, has taken back possession of the bar from Hangry Brands, he says.

“I closed the bar yesterday morning,” he explains. “I went and changed the locks.”

Late last year, Hangry Brands announced that it had purchased Edison’s Pub (2373 Professor St.), which has been a neighborhood staple for roughly 40 years. But now, less than a year later, the bar is back in the hands of its previous owner.

“We took it back because I had a security agreement and he didn’t make payments to me,” says LaGrange.

Reached for comment, Hangry Brands responded with the following statement:

“We’re not going to get into the specific deal terms, those stay between the parties. What we can tell you is that ownership has returned to the prior owner and Edison’s continues in its historic format.”

Yes and no, says LaGrange. Presently, Edison’s Pub remains closed as the owner scrambles to reclaim possession of all the things necessary to restart and run the business. He no longer has access to the POS system, the social media feeds and the Google listing. Even the website is dead, he adds.

“I’m dead determined to save Edisons Pub,” LaGrange says. “The neighborhood’s pushing for me, the employees are pushing for me.”

If all goes as hoped, the bar could reopen by the weekend.

For their part, Hangry states that the outcome was a tactical one, according to the prepared statement.

“Our decision on Edison’s Pub reflects our strategic growth plan of continued consolidation on our efforts on the downtown Cleveland Gateway and Playhouse Square areas. Returning the establishment to its previous owner was an opportunity to ensure the community can continue to preserve a historic institution in its historic format.”

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Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent and OutKast are coming to the Flats East Bank this summer.

Well, at least their music.

Come July, Barflyy will join Good Night John Boy and Decades as the Flats’ third retro bar and dance club. Instead of mining the ’70s or ’80s, the bar will be playing early 2000s pop and dance hits. Movie and TV show posters will mix with Ohio college logos to wallpaper the former Inferno space.

That’s how Barflyy is setting itself apart from its neighbors, general manager Brittany Garner told Scene.

“The difference is that we’re bringing college life back to the Flats,” she said. “I really just think it’s the energy that brings more liveliness. It’s just more fun. It’s upbeat. It’s relaxed. It’s not so serious.”

Nostalgia vibes are now big for millennials and Gen Zers hunting experiences instead of generic bars or clubs.

The Flats East Bank has seen seismic change in recent memory. Inferno, Margaritaville, Punch Bowl Social and Beerhead all closed in the past year as the riverside entertainment neighborhood continues to evolve and rebound from a summer marred by a deadly shooting following a Browns home game last September. Meanwhile, a renovated Shooters and Lost on the River have debuted.

Barflyy’s ownership, which opened a location in downtown Kent in 2018, eyed the former Inferno location shortly after it went on the market last year. Long lines at Barflyy Kent’s spot signaled there was demand to expand, Garner said.

They’ve converted Inferno’s old VIP area into a raised dance floor, updated the cabanas outside, lathered the bar in college logos and put drinks on the menu that are more inflation-friendly than your average $16 cocktail.

“We plan on being a little cheaper than everyone else,” Garner said. “It’s going to be exactly what I think this area needs.”

Garner told Scene Barflyy could open up as early as the end of June or in early July, depending on how a health inspection goes this week. 

On Monday, Garner and other workers were painting or prepping the cabana space. Next door, construction workers were renovating the patio of the former Rum Runners, which Barflyy also owns. Garner didn’t say what they have planned for that space.

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“Friends have been pestering me for years about opening my own wine bar,” says Sarah Halko, a level-two sommelier. “I love wine and I love this industry.”

Come July, Halko will do just that when she opens the doors to Aria Wine Bar (12304 Mayfield Rd.) in Little Italy. The relatively new space in the La Collina building has been home to two wine bars in its brief existence. Halko plans to be a part of the community for much longer, she says.

“I sat on the idea for years because I hadn’t found a space that I felt resonated or had great energy,” she explains. “I wanted to be part of a really nice community and I felt that what Little Italy has is something that I would love to be a part of.”

Halko is giving the space a refresh in anticipation of a mid-July opening. She is working with an importer to assemble a one-of-a-kind selection of wines that is designed to expand one’s appreciation of varietals.

“The menu is really, really stunning, featuring predominantly Italian wines, but also some good global representation as well,” Halko adds. “I’m going to keep it really tight and curated. I want to expose people to the things that you would never buy anywhere else.”

Rather than be a destination for a meal, Halko wants to be that place where people come before and after dinner on the restaurant-rich strip.

“I tell everyone in the neighborhood that I’ll happily be your waiting room,” she says. “Send them to me to grab a drink and I’ll send them right back to you for dinner.”

On offer will be small plates and shareables like meat and cheese boards, peppers in oil (a nod to Halko’s Youngstown roots), and other wine-friendly fare.

The owner also intends to host a full calendar of events such as wine tastings, poetry slams, author readings, art openings and more.

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A whole bunch on the docket this week so let’s get to it.

• First off, if you haven’t made time to watch Doug Trattner’s interview with Stefan Was, start there. In the first episode of our new “Back of the House” series, the two chat about Porco’s formation, the cocktail industry, Was’s sobriety journey and navigating that while working in the hospitality industry, how Ben’s Friends has helped, and more.
• Shaun and JoLyn Yasaki are not only expanding with the new biergarten on Lorain, they’ve recently taken over the former Bookhouse Brewing space where they’ll open Anthology Cask House, where European beers, poured the old-fashioned way, will star. A partnership with Little Cloud next door will make sure everyone is fed, too.
• Hola Tacos in Lakewood has a new owner, and is back open.
• Scene dining editor Doug Trattner reviewed Rosy, which he deemed a culinary thrill ride where change is half the fun.
• Dahlia Coffee is expanding to Old Brooklyn.
• Matt Fish is back in the restaurant game with the impending opening of Proof Public House in Ohio City.
• Downtown Cleveland’s daily food truck series is back for all your lunch needs Monday through Friday. Here’s where to catch the grub every day.
• Unless you’ve been down in Broadview Heights recently, you probably don’t know about Jossi’s Bakery. They’re about to get a whole new set of fans as the owners recently announced a new shop is coming to Tremont.
• High Key on Lee is set to take over the former Voodoo Brewing spot in Cleveland Heights.

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The post Last Week in Cleveland Food News: Chatting With Stefan Was, Shaun Yasaki’s Next Move and More appeared first on Cleveland Scene.