Best of the WEST

from Cleveland Magazine - August 2023

Best of the WEST

Three To Try

Gymnastics Center: Little Stars Gymnastics

Taking turns, following directions, building confidence — these may not be the first skills that come to mind when thinking of gymnastics, but they’re part of the deal at Little Stars Gymnastics, a recreational gymnastics studio in Middleburg Heights.

“Gymnastics teaches kids to believe in themselves,” says Sophia Porter, owner. “If a student can’t do a cartwheel today, we show them the technique, and, like a lot of things in life, it’s about repetition. Once they get that cartwheel, the smiles are well worth it.”

Students will also sharpen abilities traditionally associated with gymnastics such as coordination, strength, flexibility, concentration and balance.

A lifelong gymnast and retired firefighter, Porter opened the gymnastics studio in 2003, in part because of how much the sport helped her as a child.

“Growing up, I had low self-esteem, and gymnastics got me out of that bubble to have confidence in myself,” Porter says. “It’s important to have children start gymnastics at a young age.”

Classes are 45 minutes long, take place once a week and include children 18 months to 10 years old. Sessions range from four weeks in the summertime to seven weeks during the school year. Co-ed and broken up by age groups, classes are small, with two safety-certified instructors per class.

The studio also offers open gym and holiday events and birthday parties.

6876 Pearl Road, Middleburg Heights, 216-410-7637, littlestarsgymnastics.com

Seafood: Salmon Dave’s

There’s something here for every pescetarian who appreciates a grandly presented display of premium-grade picks from the ocean. The Chilled Seafood Tower is essentially a raw bar delivered to your table. “It’s great for sharing, and it’s a little bit of everything for your guests,” says General Manager Carolyn Miller.

Taking apart the tower, you land on six Blue Point oysters, a half-dozen Gulf shrimp, Ahi tuna poke and blue crab cocktail with avocado and Dijon mustard aioli served with saltines for spreading.

“Our Blue Point oysters are the star of the Chesapeake Bay, and the Ahi tuna is top-level sashimi trade, served raw,” Miller describes.

With a generous side of mignonette and Bloody Mary cocktail sauce, the dish begs for dipping.

19015 Old Lake Road, Rocky River, 440-331-2739, salmondaves.com

Best Wings:Boss ChickNBeer

It comes across like the beginning of an old joke…”A guy walked into a restaurant…,” but Heather Doeberling, co-owner with Emily Moes of Boss ChickNBeer, will says she would not be serving their mainstay wings had it not been for a regular customer who told her he’d eat at her restaurant seven days a week if they were always on her menu.

Doeberling was up for the challenge — mediocre wings could not be part of the plan. “The wings have to be really well seasoned,” she says. “They shouldn’t need sauce. Sauce should be like the icing on the cake.”

Boss ChickNBeer began selling wings on a Wednesday. It sold 40 pounds. The following week it sold 80 pounds. By the third week, it sold 120 pounds.

Now she faced a problem: She was cooking on a tiny fryer. “I was selling out increasingly earlier. People were calling at 11 a.m. to order them for dinner. We knew we were onto something.”

While she won’t reveal her secret recipe, Doeberling acknowledges that the wings are brined in a special recipe for 12 hours, baked and seasoned and flash fried when ordered. “It takes 24 hours for us to get the wings ready for someone’s plate.”

Sauces are all made from scratch and include buffalo jalapeno with caramelized garlic, lemon dill ranch or gold (as in Nashville or Carolina gold, but Boss’ is Cleveland gold) with “a little heat, a little sweet and Cleveland Stadium Mustard.”

27321 Wolf Road, Bay Village, 440-455-9686; 120 Front St., Berea, 440-532-7660; 7305 Broadview Road, Seven Hills, 216-264-8165; bosschicknbeer.com

Jeweler: Kleinhenz Jewelers

Jewelry is personal. “When choosing that gift to commemorate a special occasion, it’s important to ensure the recipient has that connection and wants to wear the piece proudly,” says Ken Kleinhenz, owner, adding that for centuries, jewelry has served as a cherished token to honor all kinds of celebratory events in life.

“At Kleinhenz, we strive to remain on trend and not trendy,” he adds. After all, jewelry gifts should be timeless — even something to pass on to next generations. Not sure what to select from the enticing cases of baubles? Here are his suggestions.

Anniversary: Putting aside the Hallmark list of gifts for every year (5th is wood, 10th is tin, 20th is china), you can’t go wrong with diamonds — earrings, a tennis bracelet, necklace, ring. “Diamonds are always the answer,” he quips.

Birthday: Yellow gold reigns and a layered look is appealing. Think stackables. And gemstones with vibrant color stand out — the most popular are ruby, emerald and sapphire. Why not treat yourself? “We are seeing lots of self purchases — people choosing their own jewelry and celebrating themselves,” Kleinhenz says.