The crew at Never Say Dive (4497 Broadview Rd.) in Old Brooklyn is always looking for ways to spice things up on Monday nights to give diners a special reason to visit. Previous dinner series have been devoted to vegan food and ramen. Since June, resident prep cook Thu Tran has been hosting Cold Noodle Night.

“It seemed like something fun to try,” she explains.

On Monday nights, Tran offers a special menu starring three cold vermicelli noodle bowls, three banh mi sandwiches, and few appetizers. She describes the food as “Cleveland Vietnamese,” adding that she’s far from a traditionalist when it comes to recipes. Her banh mi sandwiches, for example, arrive on airy hoagie rolls from Michael’s Bakery across the street.

Tran’s take on the Vietnamese fish cake is made with fresh fish from Kate’s at the West Side Market and then smashed on the griddle the way you’d make a smash burger. They are available as the main protein in one of the banh mis and one of the noodle bowls. Other noodle bowls star grilled chicken marinated in a ginger-lemongrass sauce and a vegetarian crispy spring roll filled with tofu, mushroom and carrot. The other two sandwiches are filled with chicken and pate or tofu along with slaw, cucumbers and mayo.

Starters include shrimp chips, sesame chips, vegetable spring rolls and fish sauce-glazed chicken wings.

The recurring element – and really, the raison d’être for Cold Noodle Night – are the fresh herbs found across the board.

“The herbs all come from my backyard,” says Tran. “My dad is a big gardener and he grows all of these herbs. This pop-up has been a nice way to utilize all of that.”

The herbs, adds Tran, are picked fresh the day of service. But the herbs – or lack of them – will also signal the end of the road for Cold Noodle Night.

“The gravy train is coming to an end,” she warns. “If we had to buy all of these herbs it would probably $200 per week.”

Tran says that the noodle nights will continue for the next three Monday nights. After that, who knows.

“We might do pho night in the winter,” says Tran.

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The post Cold Noodle Monday Night Runs Through August at Never Say Dive appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

Earlier this summer, Sirjoon Elassal announced that he was taking over the day-to-day responsibilities at Falafel Café from his mother, who has been running the popular Lebanese restaurant for nearly 30 years. After 18 years at its previous location in University Circle, and another six at its present location at Uptown, Mae Elassal was ready to move on.

“Mom said, the lease is ending, I’m tired, I’m over it,” Sirjoon told me.

Elassal, who grew up in the family business and later received his master’s degree in organizational psychology with a focus on hospitality, decided to intervene.

“I’ve been in the industry my whole life,” he says. “I’m pretty equipped to take this restaurant over. And not in the way of just taking it over.”

Since temporarily closing the restaurant, Elassal has redesigned the space, brought back a Middle Eastern retail foods section and trimmed the menu of gratuitous items such gyros, burgers and cheese phillies.

“I’m decolonizing the restaurant, bringing back the Lebanese authenticity,” Elassal explains.

Falafel Café (11454 Uptown Ave., 216-381-1591) reopened this past weekend, continuing a tradition that his parents started in 1998 when they opened their first shop in South Euclid.

“I wanted to get away from the family restaurant for so long and then I got over myself,” he says. “The restaurant is such a great opportunity, not only to flex culinary stuff but also to have community, to work with other businesses. I’m in such a fortunate position.”

In this current chapter of Falafel Café, mom has transitioned from owner-operator to “Historian of Falafel.”

“She is super excited,” says Elassal. “She has wanted this for us for a long time. The hope is to let her go and enjoy herself and enjoy the world and let the restaurant be the restaurant.”

The website is currently being updated to reflect the changes, the owner states.

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The post Falafel Café Has Reopened at Uptown in University Circle appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

Northeast Ohio’s smelliest food fair returns to Shaker Square on Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30, when the Cleveland Garlic Festival celebrates its 17th year. All proceeds benefit the North Union Farmers Market, a nonprofit that supports local farms and healthy food access through its network of certified producer-only markets across the region.

“This is the Midwest’s ground zero for all things garlic—think urban county fair meets foodie paradise,” says Emma Visnic, Director of Marketing & Outreach for North Union Farmers Market. “The Cleveland Garlic Festival is as much about community as it is about food.”

This year’s festivities run noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors can look forward to garlic-themed prepared foods, cooking demos and competitions, farm-fresh garlic for purchase, live music and kid-friendly entertainment.

Garlic lovers can sample festival favorites like garlic fries, garlic shrimp and garlic ice cream. Less adventurous eaters can order food from vendors such as Cousins Maine Lobster, Piccolo Authentic Italian, Frankie Lynn Hotdog, Rooster Kitchen, La Campagna, Zanzibar, The Pierogi Lady and many more. Joining those prepared foods are vendors selling handmade pasta, fermented foods, artisan cheeses, fresh produce, baked goods, craft beverages, wine, donuts, lemonade and sweet treats.

For home cooks and gardeners, the Garlic Festival offers a dizzying selection of local garlic growers selling every imaginable variety for cooking and planting.

Watch local chefs compete head to head in the popular Garlic Grill-Off.

Now in its second year, the pitch competition by Les Dames d’Escoffier CLE showcases the next generation of women entrepreneurs in food, beverage, hospitality and agriculture.

Discount presale tickets are available now through the festival website. Admission at the gate will also be available.

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The post Cleveland Garlic Festival Returns to Shaker Square August 29–30 appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

Pure Green, a superfood juice bar founded in New York City, will be opening up a location on Public Square in the next few months.

The opening, in the former Joe Maxx Coffee space in Hotel Cleveland, is a big win for the square, which has struggled to attract and maintain retail in the past decade, even after its nationally-renowned makeover in 2016.

A chic-designed seller of juices and shots, Pure Green’s Public Square spot is the company’s third in Ohio. Two locations are operating currently in and around Columbus. The company calls itself “one of the fastest growing cold-pressed juice and smoothie companies in the United States.”

Austin Love, a broker for Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO who helped facilitate the deal, said Pure Green felt immediately like the right fit for Downtown’s present atmosphere and its near future, minding the array of apartments and growing entertainment districts.

“We had high standards for what we wanted to be there,” he told Scene. “We think it fit Public Square, fit the branding for Hotel Cleveland and it fit Downtown overall.”

Hotel Cleveland underwent a $80 million renovation in 2024, with a total refresh of its banquet rooms and dazzling cocktail bar, Maker. But the renovation has since struggled to fill its retail spaces, which have sat dusty and vacant. Only Boost Mobile occupies one of four street-level spots.

According to its site, Pure Green sells 13 juices and six shots, from those with beets, watermelon, to grape, coconut and charcoal. Smoothies, toasts, açai bowls and steel-cut oatmeal are on the menu, too.

Pure Green has not announced an opening date.

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The post Pure Green to Open Off Public Square appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

Wings, like everything else in this world, have gotten more expensive. Which is all the more reason to get excited about and take advantage of Cleveland Wing Week, which starts Sunday, August 17 and runs through Saturday, August 23.

For seven days, more than two dozen of Cleveland’s best restaurants are offering up wing deals starting at just $10, a price point we can all get behind during these inflationary times.

Make your plan at ClevelandWingWeek.com and the Cleveland Wing Week app and chart your course through all the seasoned, sauced and dry-rubbed action.

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The post Cleveland Wing Week Returns August 17th appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

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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The post Aria Wine Bar Now Open in Little Italy appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

In a bid to bring more grocery options downtown, the city will play host to the North Union Farmers Market throughout the rest of the summer.

From September 1 to October 6, the popular market will set up shop on Mall B, every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the city said in a press release.

Earlier this summer, Downtown Cleveland, Inc., began hosting its own Public Square Farmers Market every Thursday at 5 p.m.

North Union’s arrival comes just as Heinen’s closed its doors at East 9th and Euclid, leaving downtown without a full-service grocery store for the first time in more than a decade.

“This market is about bringing fresh food directly into the heart of the city,” Harriette Watford Lowenthal, Board President of the NUFM, wrote in a statement, “and creating another convenient way for Cleveland residents, downtown employees, and visitors to connect with local farmers and food producers.”

Local farmers, food producers and small businesses will make up the vendor base, though Lowenthal didn’t specify how many. Bands and chefs will be hanging out, as well.

Matt Cole, Cleveland’s HR director, said the intention is to test how North Union works in the downtown atmosphere. If it goes well, the city could expand it, he said, “into a longer-running market in 2027.”

The post North Union Farmers Market Coming to Downtown’s Mall B appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

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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The post Great Lakes Brewing Joins Suit Against Ohio in Fight Over THC Drinks appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

Benny’s Pizza, a Virginia-based pizza chain with dozens of locations in multiple states, is the latest corporate operation to plant roots in Ohio City. This week the company announced its plan to open a new location on West 25th Street, in a portion of the former Family Dollar space that was previously subdivided.

Founded in 2011 near the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, the restaurant is known for its massive 28-inch New York-style pies and slices. There are approximately 35 locations spread across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan and Pennsylvania. The Ohio City location looks to be the first in the state.

Rather than branding every store as “Benny’s Pizza,” each location is given its own unique name, such as Benny DiCarta’s, Benny Pazerelli’s and Benny Mazzetto’s. The Cleveland spot will be called Benny Lorenzo’s.

The impending opening marks another shift in a neighborhood long known for its fiercely independent personality. Benny’s joins other outsized newcomers including Chipotle.

Attempts to reach a company representative for comment have not been successful.

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The post Benny’s Pizza, a Virginia-Based Pizza Chain, is Heading to Ohio City appeared first on Cleveland Scene.

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.