Cleveland Magazine - October 2023

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I am so glad I saw a Dr. Duggan ad in a Cleveland Magazine! About 6 months after starting treatments my throbbing/itchy/bulging veins in both legs are gone! My legs look fantastic. I don’t have to wear cover-up makeup anymore. Dr. Duggan and her staff are a wonderful..fun.. caring.. team. I have been to other vascular doctors and Dr. Duggan is definitely the best doctor in Cleveland. I will continue to spread good words of Dr. Duggan ....and the great job she did for me!

I’ve been bothered by networks of broken veins and anterior leg cramps in both legs for many years and have been treated at other facilities with little success in appearance or reduction of cramps. Came to Dr. Duggan to give treatment one last chance. She and Dr. John thoroughly evaluated my legs and after laser treatment and multiple deftly administered vein injections, both legs look amazingly better and no longer wake me at night with cramping. They were lovely and personable and great at what they do! I’m grateful to Dr. Duggan for the excellent results and wish I had come years sooner.

I saw Dr. Duggan for varicose veins more than five years ago. When it became necessary to see a doctor again, I returned to Dr. Duggan because I was so satisfied with the outcomes. I didn’t seek treatment for cosmetic reasons but because of leg pain, heaviness, cramps, tiredness and restlessness. Procedures are relatively painless, quick, and effective. Dr. Duggan explains everything. She is skilled, professional, and caring. SHE actually calls you after a procedure to check on you. Her husband, also involved in certain procedures, is excellent too. The office (including support staff and doctors) has a positive vibe that enhances the treatment experience. Outcomes + office environment = optimum satisfaction.

I have been seeing Dr. Duggan since August and I would like to advise what a wonderful doctor she is. She is professional and very knowledgeable. I was apprehensive at first because let’s face it, going to a doctor can be intimidating. But Dr. Duggan put me at ease right off the bat and explained step by step the procedure she would be performing on my varicose veins. Since the procedures, I have had no more pain in my legs. She is AWESOME! I highly recommend her.

From a friendly office staff, on time appointment and caring and knowledgeable professional, Dr. Duggan exceeded my expectations for my cardiovascular health concerns. Unlike other offices, Dr. Duggan was able to perform all procedures in one central location, making the logistical experience of my procedure seamless. In addition to this, I was treated with the utmost professional health care and have had no issues in recovery...I would highly recommend Dr. Duggan to others in the Cleveland area.

I went 20 years in daily pain in both my legs due to varicose veins. I did not want to have the inpatient hospital surgery with the lengthy recovery. I finally was seen by Dr. Duggan. She told me about a procedure called, Endovenous Laser Ablation, that would be done in her office to both my greater and lesser saphenous veins. I was truly amazed. No down time and no cutting open. It was a blessing and I am now pain free. Dr. Duggan is a great doctor who really knows what she is talking about. I felt that I received excellent attentive care delivered at the highest standard. She is professional, focused on the task at hand, but she also took the time to put me at ease and keep me well-informed every step of the way. Plus she made me feel like her friend and not her patient. I strongly recommend Dr. Duggan!

ON THE COVER

40 BEST OF CLEVELAND This year's reader- and editor-voted picks celebrate all that makes the Land special, from restaurants and boutiques to bombastic local personalities. Edited by Annie Nickoloff

Cover Photo by Casey Rearick

Assisted by Sarah Harp

FEATURED

62 CONNECTING A CITY The Cleveland Foundation's new headquarters hopes to act as a community cornerstone and idea factory. By Dillon Stewart

8 FROM THE EDITOR

10 CONVERSATION

LAY OF THE LAND

15 THRITY UMRIGAR The critically acclaimed local author celebrates her 10th book release.

16 NEW APPROACH Coordinator Jim Schwartz brings a tough, new attitude to a Browns defense that has underperformed.

22 MONEY FOR THE PEOPLE Will Cleveland pass a participatory budget, which gives a new group of citizens control of how 2% of the city's money gets used?

FOOD & DRINK

27 ABUNDANTLY CLEAR With her expat husband detained in China, Liu Fang turns to dumplings and a modern approach to Chinese cuisine to cope and prosper.

30 HEALTHY KNOWLEDGE Chef Jeremy Umansky helps readers better understand what's behind terms on grocery labels.

32 DINING GUIDE The best spots to eat, drink and relax around Mentor, from bar fare to upscale dining.

HOME & GARDEN

107 A CREEK CALLED HOME This couple's dream home is immersed in natural beauty on the edge of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

SPECIAL SECTIONS

68 GUIDE TO EDUCATION Lettuce club? Triple threats? Delve into the diverse world of cocurricular, after-school activities.

ANNUAL BENEFIT & RECOGNITION DINNER

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RECOGNIZING

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An elegant evening celebrating our vision with dinner, fellowship, auctions and awards. For more information or to purchase tickets visit thelcadaway.org or call Joe Matuscak 440.989.4919

Special Advertising and Promotional Sections

10.23

97

Find out how experts and city programs can help break the barriers to home ownership.

111 DISTINCTIVE HOMES

AKRON CLEVELAND ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Denise Polverine publisher

Dillon Stewart editor

managing editor Ron Ledgard

senior editor Annie Nickoloff

associate editor Anthony Elder

associate digital editor Abigail Kussow

editor - at - large Colleen Smitek

contributing writers Vince Guerrieri, Allison Jack, Kate Bigam Kaput, Brittany Moseley, Marla Ridenour, Lynne Thompson, Jeremy Umansky

editorial interns Brie Camp, Grace Clarke, Sophie Farrar, Christina Rufo, Haley Strnad, Clara Wicinski, Alaina Williams

art director Erin Stinard

associate art director Abigail Archer

contributing artists Anna Kim, Daniel Lozada, Casey Rearick, David Wilson illustration intern Aaliyah Bell editorial@clevelandmagazine.com

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Me? Tutor?

Living Your Best CLE

PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME what we do. Sure, we tell stories about Northeast Ohio. But how do we choose what to cover? What’s our mission?

Of course, I explain our immersive people profiles, thought-provoking reporting, engaging photography and sharp, reader-focused design.

But if they still don’t get it, I simply say: “Cleveland Magazine celebrates the Best of Cleveland.”

I’m not a professional educator. We have tutors from all walks of life - retirees, college students, hairdressers, real estate agents, lawyers, & yes, a few teachers. Seeds provides tutor training and ongoing professional development.

I probably don’t have time. The time commitment is minimal. A 2-hour tutoring session is just 1% of your entire week!

Plus, you tutor when and as often as you’d like.

Every day, we set out to better understand all the things that make Cleveland unique, interesting and, well, Cleveland. You’ll find all that and more when you flip to this year’s Best of Cleveland editor’s and reader’s picks (and when you join us at the party on Oct. 12 at the Great Lakes Science Center).

But despite all the fun stuff you’ll find in Best of Cleveland, we don’t shy away from constructive conversations on ways the best location in the nation can get better. Our participatory budgeting story on page 22 is an example of that.

The late PBS NewsHour anchor and editor Jim Lehrer said that “journalism is about caring where the fire engines are going.” Respectfully, we believe journalism, at least the type we do, is also about celebrating the people who are brave enough to get on those trucks and examining better ways to get them home safely.

So what’s our mission? Whether it’s finding the best parks or restaurants, getting more knowledgeable and involved, or feeling inspired by the people in your community, our mission is to help you live your Best of Cleveland every single day.

Dillon Stewart, editor stewart@clevelandmagazine.com

I would, but...

From maker wares to tasty treats, dig in to Best of Cleveland on

Appreciating Youth Sports

With youth sports taking up a great deal of time, energy and money, Clevelanders voiced both support and criticism following our September cover story.

From the readers:

@outdoorsdietitian: Rest days, sleep, and good nutrition matter so much! Agree with Taylor, these kids need sleep! More training isn’t going to help when your body is over it! @kishia.townsend: Youth sports used to be for fun only, now it’s about monetization not recreation ��

@kaisamonne: �� �� �� �� ��

@mdubbggt: Can’t talk youth sports in Cleveland and not bring up Richmond

15 THINGS TO DO THIS HALLOWEEN IN CLEVELAND

The ghosts and ghouls are on the prowl. Join them at these spooky and exciting local events. Read at clevelandmagazine.com/halloween2023

HOW CLEVELANDERS CAN TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST COVID-19 THIS FALL

Should Clevelanders be masking up? We asked doctors from the Cleveland Clinic to break down the needto-knows on how to stay healthy this season. Read at clevelandmagazine.com/fallcovid

The Cleveland Magazine editors divulge their go-to spooky season traditions.

Associate Editor

Anthony Elder: Many of the drive-in movie theaters bring back horror classics around Halloween. Seeing oldies like Dracula on the silver screen has become a tradition.

Senior Editor Annie Nickoloff: The autumn brings my family together for trick-or-treating and apple picking at A B Phillips & Sons in Berlin Heights, where my family has picked apples for longer than I’ve been alive!

Editor Dillon Stewart: The Browns stomping the Cincinnati Bengals last year made for one of the best Halloweens ever. It was like we dressed up as a good football team for once.

THE LAND

T R A V E L

HELL IS REAL, RECLAIMED

16

THE KEY TO THE BROWNS’ DEFENSE

20

BIG WINNERS: ARTS PRIZE

22

PEOPLE’S BUDGET ON THE BALLOT

BEFORE HELL IS REAL WAS A SOCCER RIVALRY, it was — and remains — an ominous billboard on Interstate 71 between Columbus and Cincinnati. Then it was on Twitter, 2016. When it was announced that the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati would meet for the first time in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, fans realized the new rivalry needed a name. As longtime Crew fan Morgan Hughes explained, Columbus didn’t really have a rival until Cincinnati moved from the United Soccer League to the Major League Soccer. So when it came time to choose a name for the matchup between the Crew and Cincinnati, Hughes, along with Cincy soccer fans Mike Burkel and Steven Williams, took to Twitter to share ideas. As fate would have it, Hughes and Burkel had the same one: the Hell is Real Cup.

“As soon as we said that offhand, it took off, and it literally has not been called anything else,” Hughes says. Hughes has spent years driving to soccer matches and football games in the Midwest. And religious billboards are a constant on those drives.

Indeed, the sign has become a strange, yet ever-present symbol for Ohio. It’s emblazoned on T-shirts, soccer banners, scarves and a few body parts. In 2018, Hughes and three friends launched Supporter Supply Co. The small business specializes in gear for sports fans in a variety of cities and, of course, sells Hell is Real merch.

Cleveland graphic designer Aaron Sechrist put his own spin on the saying in 2022. Inspired by a friend’s tattoo, he designed a “Hell is Real Cool” shirt.

“Religious nonsense to me has always served as an alley oop for parody and for good, interesting design,” says Sechrist. “What’s interesting about the Hell is Real sign, besides just the mysteriousness of it and ominousness of it, is it is one of the few Ohio-centric landmarks that exist. It’s not something that Cleveland really owns or Columbus or Cincinnati owns. It just falls smack dab in the middle of the state, for lack of better geographical knowledge.”

Lyra Purugganan’s Hell is Realinspired design includes a person

wearing thighhigh boots, with devil horns and a tail, plus a goat with an Ohio tattoo. The Hell is Real sign is in the background, with “Hot Ohioan Summer” around the design. Purugganan, who uses they/ them pronouns, attended high school and college in Columbus and is now getting their MFA at UC Santa Barbara.

“I think as a person of color in Ohio, a queer person of color, that rhetoric is always so used against queer people,” Purugganan says regarding the sign. “Just thinking about how Ohio is so steeped in a lot of Christian values and turning that against itself is really interesting to me.”

Although Hell is Real has many forms, the beauty of it is its ubiquity. Neither Purugganan nor Sechrist were aware of the soccer rivalry when they created their designs, solidifying its status as an unofficial state symbol.

“If you’ve traveled to or from Cincinnati or to and from Columbus, depending on where you live, you know that sign,” Hughes says. “It’s [at] a point where you go, ‘All right, I’m officially on my way. I’ve passed the Hell is Real sign.’”

The rear of the Hell is Real signs, located in central Ohio, feature the Ten Commandments.

PHOTO BY ANDREW HODOWANEC

Novels In

Cleveland author Thrity Umrigar reflects on her latest release, The Museum of Failures

Thrity Umrigar is always spinning another story. The accomplished author and journalist, while already working on future writing projects, took a moment to reflect on her latest novel The Museum of Failures with Cleveland Magazine. This novel — Umrigar’s 10th — tells a story of a strained mother and son’s relationship, suddenly shifted by long-kept family secrets, with details informed by elements of her own background as an Indian immigrant. It follows Umrigar’s previously acclaimed novel Honor, which snagged the debut Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection in 2022, and a string of books which includes The Space Between Us and The Weight of Heaven. We caught up with Umrigar to hear more about her latest.

Q: What’s it like to publish your 10th novel?

A: I don’t think of it as any kind of a milestone. I just think of it as my latest book. I’m always looking ahead. But I’m very happy. I’m very lucky. I know what changes have taken place in the industry, and I just feel thrilled that I can have a career with this new publisher, who I switched to last year when Honor came out.

Q: The title is a phrase Remy, the main character, uses to reference Bombay. Where did that come from?

A: That’s where I cheated a little bit. I had literally come across this article about the original Museum of Failure. The concept of this museum in Sweden was, simply, a place where they exhibited failed products, failed concepts, failed ideas. I just thought it was a really cool concept, because usually, we celebrate success. But success only stems from failure.

Q: What’s something you hope readers will take with them when they read this book?

A: One is simply to realize the corroding effects of family secrets. Just like nations, I believe, must confront the ugliness of their past in order to emerge into hopefully a better, more compassionate, more humane society — I think that kind of selfinventory has to be done by the family unit, also. The larger thing for me is I truly want people to be more compassionate toward those newcomers who are coming into this country. Even people who come here legally, as I did, with every possible opportunity and privilege, it’s hard to leave behind everything that you knew, all the people that you’ve loved in your life.

Q: Do you have any other projects coming up?

A: Well, let me put it this way. I will most certainly write an 11th novel. Whether it’ll be published, it’s too soon to tell.

Thrity Umrigar’s latest novel, The Museum of Failures, published by Algonquin Books, arrived on Sept. 26.

All in the Details

A gruff exterior for Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz can’t hide his passion for the small things that go into producing a winning culture.

JEFF FISHER SPENT 22 YEARS as an NFL head coach, and one conversation with Jim Schwartz still resonates.

It happened in January 2009 when Schwartz walked into Fisher’s Tennessee Titans office to tell his boss that he had just been hired to direct the Detroit Lions.

In the moment, Schwartz thought back to his days as a scout with the Browns from 1993-95, starting as an unpaid intern and rising to a meager $20,000 salary. Schwartz scrounged for food and outfitted his little-used apartment from the dumpster (plus a couch gifted from a dissatisfied customer’s return to Dante Lavelli Furniture store).

Fisher brought in Schwartz in 1999 and says he received some grief when he promoted the unproven 35-year-old to defensive coordinator in 2001.

“He was extremely emotional and excited,” Fisher says of Schwartz discussing his big break with the Lions. “He referenced the first time he walked into my office, he had come from a place where he was making dry-cleaning runs and airport runs. I gave him this opportunity. He didn’t fast-track like they do now. It was amazing in his mind where he had come from. It was one of the favorite moments of my coaching career, that conversation I had with him.”

With Schwartz in his first season as Browns defensive coordinator, Fisher believes Schwartz cherishes his journey that began under coach Bill Belichick, who

called Fisher to recommend his former gopher in Cleveland. Among Schwartz’s seven NFL stops (two in Tennessee), he was 29-51 with the Lions, including a 10-6 campaign and a wild card playoff berth in 2011, and won a Super Bowl as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator in 2018. He spent the past two seasons as a senior defensive assistant under Titans coach Mike Vrabel.

Jim Schwartz, the Browns' new defensive coordiinator, brings enthusiasm for the little things to his role.

“Our philosophy was always, ‘No task is too good or should you be above,’” says Fisher. “They used to have soda machines in the hallway. If you put a quarter in there and the thing doesn’t come out, you don’t say, ‘Dang Oiler Coke machine.’ Fix it. Jim saw that.”

Hired by Browns coach Kevin Stefanski in January, Schwartz, 57, is taxed with fixing a defense led by four-time Pro Bowler Myles Garrett that failed to communicate in three years under

former coordinator Joe Woods. Those watching from a distance believe Schwartz has the right demeanor to transform an underachieving unit.

“I think Jim Schwartz is probably a guy that was a missing factor. How many games did the Cleveland Browns lose a year ago when you saw guys running wide open into the secondary?” former Steelers coach Bill Cowher says in an “NFL on CBS” media session on Aug. 29. “He brings a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. He’s kind of got that way about him. They’re going to play fast, they’re going to play loose, they’re going to play with a lot of confidence. I think Jim Schwartz was a very, very big pickup for Kevin Stefanski. They needed a little bit of a swagger on the defensive side of the ball.”

Dave McGinnis, who worked five years under Schwartz with the Titans, has no doubt Schwartz will succeed in

his crucial role.

“The guy is brilliant, and his organizational skills are second to none,” McGinnis, now the Titans’ radio analyst, says by phone. “His install days were impeccable. Breaking down film with him, putting game plans together with him and his attention to detail, his preparation, that’s what made us really special. I was his eyes in the press box. His sideline adjustments are immaculate.”

McGinnis came to the Titans in 2004 off a 57-game stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He was ready to take over the job usually given to a quality control coach, that of drawing cards for each segment of practice so the offensive scout team would give the defense the correct look.

“I thought I was really good at it. It has to be precise,” McGinnis says. “I asked (Schwartz), ‘What cards do you

want me to draw for practice?’ He said, ‘Coach Mac, I draw every card for every practice. I’m not bragging, but when you see my cards, they’re Rembrandts.’ You don’t know the time it takes to do that. They’ve got to be color-coded. The first time I saw the set of cards, I went, ‘I can’t touch that. That’s a Rembrandt. I look like a street painter.’”

Fisher and McGinnis acknowledge that the intense, demanding Schwartz can rub people the wrong way.

“People may say he may seem like he’s over and above some people. He doesn’t have a whole lot of time for a whole lot of nonsense,” McGinnis says.

On May 31 at minicamp, Schwartz took the podium wearing sunglasses even though the interview was held on a shaded patio. He strode away when finished, offering no chance for conversation. Schwartz has spoken expansively when made available by the Browns

but declined a one-on-one interview.

“He’s got this cold demeanor about him, a persona like ‘I’m a badass, don’t mess with me.’ But behind it there’s a lot of soft spots,” said Browns safety Rodney McLeod, who played under Schwartz for five seasons in Philadelphia, including the championship year.

McLeod knows Schwartz’s story well. One of nine children of Jim Sr., a police officer in Baltimore County, Maryland, for 32 years, and mother, Pat, neither of whom attended college, Schwartz earned a degree in economics from Georgetown University.

As for Schwartz’s attention to detail, McLeod says, “That’s that Georgetown in him.”

McGinnis says of a Browns defense that has lacked discipline, “They are getting ready to get a dose of it.”

McLeod added “the connection piece” is crucial to Schwartz’s motiva-

tional skills.

“Getting to know his guys, what makes not only us as individuals tick, but us as a collective,” McLeod says. “When you have a coach who’s had so much success as Jim, when he comes in you feel his dominant presence, I feel like it’s easy to really win over a room."

Washington Commanders General Manager Martin Mayhew, who hired Schwartz in Detroit, described Schwartz as “super sharp, hard-working” and “great at situational football.”

“I think it was encouraging guys to be their best selves. Being demanding of them and getting them to play their absolute best," Mayhew says. "You’ve got to know where we came from. We’d been beaten down for several years and we worked our way down, 0-16, it wasn’t good before that, either. He had to instill that confidence in themselves. He was able to do that.”

The prospect of Schwartz coaching Garrett, a revamped line with Za’Darius Smith on the opposite end and a secondary that includes Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward excites Schwartz’s former peers.

“When he left here, I texted him and says, ‘Congrats, brother. Great move by Cleveland.’ It will be. Just sit and watch,” McGinnis says.

Asked if he can imagine what Schwartz can do with a unit led by Garrett, Fisher says, “No. The message to the great fan base there is just stay tuned. They’re going to knock some quarterbacks down, and they’re going to get the ball back.”

If McGinnis and Fisher are right and the Browns defense wreaks havoc under Schwartz, he could earn his second chance as an NFL head coach. Mayhew says, “I hope he does. He deserves one.”

State of the Arts

From authors and painters to a bassoon virtuoso, this year’s Cleveland Arts Prize winners share their inspiration.

AT THIS POINT, the Cleveland Arts Prize is an institution. Established in 1960 by the Women’s City Club, it is the nation’s oldest municipal arts award. More importantly,

it’s a platform for celebrating Northeast Ohio’s exceptional creatives. Get to know this year’s winners ahead of the award ceremony on Oct. 26 at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Stephanie Ginese

Emerging Artist, Literature

Family, community and culture inspired her poetry book Unto Dogs in 2022. Now working on more poems and short stories, Ginese says practice is key for aspiring artists. “Really nerd it up,” Ginese says. “Just really dive into whatever it is you’re trying to learn and do and execute.”

Atefeh Farajolahzadeh

Emerging Artist, Visual Art

Inspired by everyday life, the multimedia artist, who is currently researching for a documentary, is fascinated by how everything grows out of an idea. “Sometimes [inspiration] comes from personal everyday experiences,” says Farajolahzadeh.

Dana Jessen

Mid-Career, Music

A “bassoon virtuoso,” per the Chicago Reader , the associate professor at Oberlin Conservatory of Music specializes in improvisation. “My artistic practice doesn’t neatly fit into categorization,” says Jessen. “So, recognizing my practice was really humbling, and it validated my practice.”

Dr. Jacinda Walker

Mid-Career, Design

The only Black arts prize winner this year — a personal achievement for Walker — opened the Experiential Learning Center on Euclid Avenue, where she shares her craft with young artists. “Working with young people reminds me of the why,” says Walker. “We feed off of each other.”

Stephanie Ginese Atefeh Farajolahzadeh

Dana Jessen

Dr. Jacinda Walker

Joseph and Nancy Keithley

Barbara Robinson Prize

Honored for Advancement of the Arts, the Keithleys recently donated Transformer Station, their Ohio City art gallery, to the Cleveland Museum of Art, and established an institute of art history at Case Western Reserve University. “I think one of the corollaries to be continued would be to see the Museum of Art strengthened on a continual basis,” says Joseph.

Susan Braham Koletsky

Robert P. Bergman Prize

The former museum director of The Temple Museum of Jewish Art, Religion and Culture at The Temple-Tifereth Israel was honored to win this coveted award for her work at Cleveland’s second-oldest Jewish congregation. “[The Bergman Prize] is especially precious to people who work in museums,” says Koletsky, “because it’s really all about stewardship, and taking care of the objects and making sure that the objects we have are cared for in an excellent way; stored, conserved, exhibited and shared with the community.”

Richard S. Rogers

Martha Joseph Prize

Rogers, who created Curated Storefront in 2016 and calls his love of art his “third career,” is being honored for distinguished service to the arts for highlighting more than 150 regional artists and bringing more than 100 exhibits to underutilized Akron buildings over five years. “If our street edges aren’t interesting, the city’s not going to be an interesting place for people to work and play and live,” he says.

Janet Macoska

Lifetime Achievement, Visual Art

Fans of this photographer’s work know the artist is one of the most accomplished documenters of American rock ‘n’ roll, photographing some of its biggest names, from Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie to Joan Jett and Tina Turner. “I was grateful because it’s something, after 50 years of doing photography, to have people tell you that you’re appreciated and that volume of work is appreciated,” says Macoska.

Joseph andi Nancy Keithleyi

Susan Braham Koletskyi

Janet Macoskai

Richard J. Rogersi

Budget Buzz

A People’s Budget is on the ballot. Supporters say it’d up civic involvement; opposers fear budgetary woes.

issue on the ballot. And they’re confident about moving the city again: this time, at the polls.

Organizer Molly Martin takes the microphone and tests it while standing in front of a homemade “People’s Budget” banner. She’s affable and at ease in front of the crew of volunteers, many of whom she knows by name. She amps up the crowd and receives applause after mentioning Issue 1’s failure just a week prior — and then she celebrates PB CLE’s own early win.

“In 45 days, you got 10,000 signatures and we qualified for the ballot without needing a cure period,” she says. “How amazing is that?”

The team cheers. Martin smiles.

“We have 87 more days,” she says. “It took a lot of grassroots power to get us here, and it’s going to take a lot of grassroots power for us to win in November.”

THE PB PROPOSAL

A people’s budget — participatory budgeting — isn’t a new concept.

The idea’s roots trace back to the late ’80s in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and it later caught on in parts of other countries including Spain, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Iceland and India. In the United States, PB has taken a few forms in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Grand Rapids, Seattle and more.

The people behind Cleveland’s possible People’s Budget gather, in August, to plan.

Some arrive already wearing their green-and-blue “People’s Budget” T-shirts; others wear matching stickers. They take pamphlets, they chat, and they sit on ThirdSpace Action Lab’s handful of couches and chairs and wait to hear more about what comes next.

A vote is approaching. It’s one of a few items on Cleveland’s Nov. 7 ballot, joining statewide issues like abortion access and marijuana legalization. PB CLE’s proposed amendment to Cleveland’s constitution would bring about $14 million (equal to 2% of the city’s annual operating budget) to the new group’s control, using it for initiatives voted on by Cleveland residents.

Here at PB CLE’s kickoff event, there are less than 100 days to rally support, and it all starts in this room.

Folks are excited, buzzing.

This room of people had moved Cleveland once before, pushing to place this

Cleveland’s PB push didn’t start until April 2021, when a grassroots group came together to address the city’s $512 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Initially pitched as a $5.5 million pilot program, City Council voted down the proposal in January. The group returned in May to collect signatures to put its idea on the ballot.

This time, it pushed for more money. This time, it aimed to pull that money from Cleveland’s budget.

Participatory budgeting looks different wherever it exists. Cleveland’s proposal asks for roughly $14 million; meanwhile, Los Angeles’ PB program gets $8.5 million, Seattle gets $30 million and Grand Rapids gets $2 million.

BY ANNIE NICKOLOFF ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA KIM

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Laurentia Vineyard and Winery is located within the Grand River Valley. We are ideally situated upon 48 acres of estate vineyards which cultivate our abundant varietals. Laurentia’s award winning wines, such as our Double Gold Stoltz Block ® Cabernet, may be perfectly paired with a variety of boards, shared plates, and artisan flatbreads. From vineyard to barrel, come experience Laurentia’s expansive patios and tasting room.

Old Firehouse Winery

Enjoy lunch or drinks in an Igloo!

Old Firehouse features seven igloos right on the Lake Erie shore. Your own personal igloo awaits; available November to April by online reservations, each igloo hosts up to eight guests. Firehouse features wines made right on premises and is open 7 days a week year-round. Live music weekends during the fall, Christmas season and spring.

The Winerie

6413 Hayes Avenue Sandusky, OH 419-502-1290

thewinerie.com

Come sip and relax while we wine and dine you with our full dining menu, Friday night dinner specials, large selection of 100% estate grown and produced wines, full bar, and live music on select nights. Follow us at facebook.com/thewinerie for our latest hours and updates.

9050 West Old Lincoln Way Wooster, OH 330-804-9463

lincolnwayvineyards.com

Come sit in the tasting room, on the patio, picnic area or our event space, relax and enjoy our wine, hard cider, fruit-based wine slushies and more. Check out our website or like us on Facebook to see our year-round food truck and entertainment schedule.

Stonegait Winery

4275 Bates Rd Madison, OH 44057-9548 440-307-9571

www.stonegaitwinery.com

Stonegait Winery is a family owned winery. Featuring Estate and American wines all crafted onsite. We offer a full menu showcasing our wood fired pizza’s, appetizers, sandwiches and more. Along with our large wine selection, we have beers on tap, bourbons and specialty drinks. We invite you in to enjoy our beautiful patio and relaxing atmosphere.

The Winery at Spring Hill

111 West Main Street Marblehead, OH 419-967-5344

thewineryatspringhill.com

In both the Grand River Valley and Lake Erie wine growing regions, we are an upscale country winery with a friendly, relaxing atmosphere. We offer our dry Vinifera wines and sweet Labrusca and fruit wines, hard ciders, craft beers, and cocktails. Enjoy food from our kitchen on our patio or in front of our two indoor fireplaces.

“I do think it is very much like a democratic experiment, and something that has to be adapted to the needs of the city,” Martin says, “which is why we’re really pushing for funding and the administration of the process so that it can be done equitably — that folks who get to participate in the process are folks that represent the neighborhoods we’re trying to touch.”

PB CLE’s budget would ramp up for a few years until it reached its ultimate multimillion-dollar pool. A steering committee would work to ensure funds are used for “equitable civic engagement, resident leadership development, and robust resident decision-making and deliberation,” according to PB CLE’s proposed charter amendment.

An administrative budget would cover elections operations and community engagement, and also a full-time position to lead the committee — plus $5,000 compensations for each of the remaining 10 committee members. Then, the rest of PB CLE’s budget would be for the people to decide.

Aleena Starks, a steering committee member, supports some of the ideas already proposed by community members. The list includes things like mental health units, after-school programs, parks and senior services, Starks says.

“This is a direct opportunity for people that are normally excluded from the electoral process to find a way in,” Starks says.

PB OPPOSITION

Many members of Cleveland City Council, including president Blaine Griffin, oppose the effort. Griffin says that PB CLE would be a “shadow government” and that having politically inexperienced, unelected leaders in charge of budgeting could lead to corruption. He also says that accommodating PB would lead to budget cuts to other key Cleveland services.

“I also have concerns that the people who have more time and are from more affluent communities that have the ability to contribute to this kind of process will benefit, whereas people that

are in the margins of society, and people who have to work two jobs and people that are not in the loop, don’t have an opportunity to participate,” he says. “It can lead to even more inequity.”

Martin pointed out sections of PB CLE’s proposed charter that touch on equitable engagement and funding allocations and also noted that, while the steering committee would have open applications, members would be appointed by City Council and the Mayor’s office. She sees collaboration between PB, the community, the mayor’s office and city council as crucial.

“There are lots of different tools in the democracy toolbox. PB is about creating new ways for people to have a say, where they’re voting on projects and not people,” Martin says. “A lot of people feel some mistrust in the government. This is a way to try and build that trust.”

Misinformation has shrouded PB CLE’s messaging, Starks says. “PB CLE has been really clear about the opportunities of this campaign and what we plan to do and the purpose of that,” she says. “Voters are apathetic enough, and don’t need any more misinformation guiding them around how to best advocate for their own communities.”

THE VISION

At the PB CLE kickoff event, supporters strategize and share donation links with their circles of friends. In breakout groups, some plan gettogethers; others coordinate canvassing routes and call lists. A slideshow shares the team’s strategy, point by point: its road to hopeful victory.

Before the night winds down and the campaign kicks into high-gear, before folks, including many young people, start knocking on doors, before they

Mayor Justin Bibb, who, at first, supported a pilot PB program funded by ARPA dollars, now opposes the current PB CLE proposal, which would instead use money from Cleveland’s budget. City council’s Kris Harsh wrote a scathing editorial in cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer where he says that PB promoters wish “to guarantee themselves a paycheck on the public dime without having to justify their worth or be held accountable to the taxpayers.”

Local union federations, like North Shore Federation of Labor and Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, are also against it.

head to the polls themselves, the organizers paint a vision for what they want PB CLE to do — what, in some ways, this room of people has already done.

“I get so excited about young people brought into this process because that means that they can grow up in a world where they’re getting involved in city government; and they’re getting involved in spaces where decisions about their lives are getting made; and their first experience with democracy is about having direct power on how those decisions get made,” Martin says. “That’s what People’s Budget is about.”

“PB is about creating new ways for people to have a say, where they’re voting on projects and not people.”

— MOLLY MARTIN, PB CLE ORGANIZER

DRINK

ABUNDANTLY CLEAR

30

DECIPHERING FOOD LABELS

32

LIU FANG, THE CHINESE-BORN CHEF behind Abundance Culinary in Cleveland Heights, never expected to live in the U.S. — and even when she moved here in early 2020, she certainly didn’t do so with intentions of opening a restaurant. She only started cooking dumplings and steaming buns from her Wickliffe home as a coping mechanism, an effort to ease her worried mind while her husband, Carl Setzer, a Chardon native, was being held in a government-run detention facility back in Beijing. “I tried to be awake whenever he was available to text,” she says. “I would stay awake by making buns and dumplings, both to feed the children and to help with my anxiety.”

In February 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic already looming large, Liu Fang had taken one of the last flights out of China with Setzer and their 10-year-old son. Setzer hadn’t lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades, but the couple hoped that Liu Fang, then pregnant with their second child, would have better access to quality prenatal care in Ohio than in an already-lockeddown Beijing. It was a deeply stressful time, and they left behind a vibrant life in China that included friends, family and a flourishing brewery they’d built from the ground up.

The couple thought they’d eventually move back. But in December 2020, shortly after the birth of their daughter, Setzer made a short trip back to Beijing to tend to business affairs — and tested positive for COVID-19 on the border of Shanghai. He was thrust into a nightmare scenario, detained for more than a month in a windowless medical facility and allotted just 800 calories’ worth

of food each day. He could only communicate with his wife via text.

Back in Wickliffe, Liu Fang was a new immigrant raising two young children alone. Endlessly worried about Setzer’s health and safety, she turned to cooking to soothe her nerves.

When he finally returned to the U.S., traumatized and grateful to be reunited with his family, the couple decided to leave their old lives behind and commit fully to a future in Cleveland.

“We needed to try to make something out of what we had, and we wanted to turn to a mindset of abundance, rather than scarcity,” Liu Fang says. “We started looking at how we could make Chinese foods and flavors with the abundant resources of this area.”

At the time, northern Chinese cuisine didn’t yet exist in Northeast Ohio — or anywhere in the U.S., really. While dishes like kung pao chicken, sweetand-sour pork and wonton soup are delicious, they’re actually not representative of the modern diversity and depth

of contemporary Chinese cuisine.

“This type of food comes from southeast China and doesn’t actually represent the largest cuisine culture in the country,” Setzer says. “It’s just the one that had the closest connection to the American immigration pipeline.”

It wasn’t until 1961 that north and south China weren’t even easily accessible to one another, so now cuisines from the two regions differ greatly. Only southern Chinese food traveled across the world, though, as immigrants opened restaurants here and then promptly stopped updating their repertoire — sort of like if you traveled abroad and discovered that the only American-style foods available were beef stroganoff, Watergate salad and other staples of the 1970s.

“The wave of Shanghai- and Cantonese-style food that is still popular here is one that most Chinese citizens have grown out of, thanks to a booming economy, culinary education and better logistics,” says Liu Fang, who grew up on Shandong province in northern China. “When I came to America and found that Chinese food here still tastes the same as from 34 years ago, I wondered: What more can we do?”

Throughout Northeast Ohio, they found hospitality from strangers who were eager to assist. A few well-timed connections (and Setzer’s outgoing personality) helped Liu Fang land catering jobs at fundraisers for Refugee Response and then-mayoral candidate Justin Bibb. They also started making regular treks to the West Side to eat at Larder Delicatessen and Bakery, where they befriended chef Jeremy Umansky.

Larder was closed for two days each week, which gave them an idea: Could they borrow the space to try selling Liu Fang’s buns and other Chinese dishes?

“Hearing their story and how they

Locked in government detention for more than a month, Carl Setzer could only text his wife, Liu Fang.

were trying to rebuild here, we were open to hosting them indefinitely,” says Umansky, a James Beard nominee with a bit of a cult following. “It gave them time to get themselves out there, to build an audience and to make sure it was what they wanted to do here.”

It was. Liu Fang’s Sunday popup, aptly named Abundance, became an immediate hit. She sometimes sold up to 4,000 dumplings in a day, with a line that spilled down the block.

Soon, Abundance expanded to Mondays, and its menu expanded, too, staying true to Liu Fang’s Chinese roots while also incorporating local flavors.

In April, after a wildly successful residency at Larder, Abundance said goodbye to the popup life and moved into a home of its own. Chef Douglas Katz, owner of Amba and Zhug, offered them rental space in his diner in Cleveland Heights, also partially occupied by Rising Star Coffee Roasters.

When you walk through the doors of Abundance’s and Rising Star’s shared diner space, it’s at first an almost jarringly peculiar combo: a kitschy, 1950s-era American diner serving up authentic, elegant Chinese food alongside minimalist, modern coffee. Once you’ve settled in, though, you realize how charmingly Cleveland it all is.

Liu Fang has adapted to cooking Chinese food in a kitchen outfitted with distinctly Western equipment, one

with limited space and no woks. She’s also overcome a major initial challenge: lack of access to Sichuan peppercorn, a cornerstone of Chinese cuisine and an ingredient she couldn’t go without.

For decades, it was illegal to import to America because it carries a bacteria called citrus canker, which scars the peels of oranges.

The ban was lifted in 2004, but the way it’s stored and shipped changes its flavor and renders it more dried spice than fresh produce. Liu Fang, not content to use a subpar ingredient, took the initiative to create an alternative.

In their brewery days, they had partnered with Chinese farmers to change the way peppercorns were packaged and shipped, which enabled them to use it in their beers. In Ohio, Liu Fang reached out to those same farmers, who agreed to ship to her directly.

“Now she literally has the best source of Sichuan peppercorns in the world,” Umansky says. “That’s the kind of quality standard she’s set for her food.”

That level of excellence means that Abundance’s food is unparalleled. Now, she’s introducing local diners to a style of Chinese cuisine that previously hasn’t existed in Northeast Ohio — or anywhere in the U.S.

“One of the most exciting things for me is when people say they didn’t know that Chinese food could taste or look this way,” says Liu Fang, proud yet ever humble.

Abundance Culinary’s modern take on northern Chinese cuisine is a time-appropriate alternative to the’ outdated dishes we’re used to in the U.S.

About the Author

Jeremy Umansky is the James Beardrecognized co-author of Koji Alchemy and chef and co-owner of Larder Delicatessen and Bakery. Don’t miss his musings on cooking in his seasonal column for Cleveland Magazine

Buyer Beware

Chef, I need some help at the grocery store! What’s the difference between organic and natural? There are so many label terms that I’m not even sure what I’m eating anymore! Can you help me sort out what these terms mean and what some of them are?

– Francine, Shaker Heights

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, there was a time when most of our foods were made from fresh, whole ingredients.

You knew what went into them by simply looking at them. They were enjoyed at peak ripeness and nutritional content or processed in a way that would keep them edible. Over time, we realized that if people on the East Coast wanted to eat the same things as people on the West Coast, and vice versa, we needed to stabilize the food for transport and storage. Combine that with Wild West food marketing, and shop-

pers face a bewildering array of terms, claims and suggestions from food manufacturers.

Today, the term “natural,” at least according to the USDA and FDA, means something totally different. According to the USDA, “natural” simply means “a product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and (that) is only minimally processed.” That’s it. It does not mean that a food is better for you. Frito-Lay can slap “natural” on a bag of potato chips, but they’re still potato chips. Pay close attention to how

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For decades, Swagelok Company has been a proud member of the Northeast Ohio community.

Our high-quality products manufactured locally perform in the toughest applications around the globe—from up in space, to the bottom of the ocean. For over 75 years, our parts have gone into laboratories, facilities, and vehicles that keep our world in motion.

many labels of snack and junk foods are screaming about how natural they are.

“Organic,” on the other hand, is a highly regulated designation.

“If you see the USDA organic seal,” the organization says, “the product ... has 95% or more organic content. Organic production emphasizes natural processes and ingredients.”

Organic food should be fresh and full of life. It shouldn't damage the environment, and it should be free of the chemicals that we put on food that is “conventionally grown,” aka, grown with loads and loads of petrol and other chemicals.

Yet, the USDA gives the organic distinction to agriculture that has been treated with plenty of chemicals, including bacillus thuringiensis copper, hydrogen peroxide, nondetergent insecticidal soaps, oils and minerals. Copper, as an example, is deemed hazardous by the EPA, OSHA

and many state health departments.

I’ve personally applied bacillus thuringiensis and copper to plants being grown to USDA standards on an audited organic farm, and let me tell you, you don’t want to do that without a full-body covering and some sort of respiratory protection.

Yes, your organic food is covered in pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. They’re just not as bad for you and for the environment as the ones we put on other foods. Why are these chemicals allowed in something that should be pure and unadulterated?

None of us can obtain perfection.

I’ve enjoyed enough Cool Ranch Doritos for a lifetime. Still, I suggest buying as many whole, fresh, minimally processed ingredients directly from a farmer as possible. In today’s hectic world, don’t lose sight of the control you have over your health. Don’t be fooled by some faceless corporation saying you don’t have time to cook a pot of rice, roast a chicken breast and cut up a salad in less than 30 minutes. Not every meal has to be “restaurant quality” all the time! Fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats and seafood are already convenient.

Seriously, just pick up an apple and bite.

CHEF WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Tag a photo of a few curious labels from your next grocery haul with #AskChefCLE or send a photo to conversation @clevelandmagazine.com , where you can also ask me a question about cooking.

Dining Guide

BEST RESTAURANTS IN MENTOR/MENTOR-ON-THE-LAKE

CAMPOLA’S ITALIAN BISTRO

WHY WE LOVE IT: Regulars visit this family-style restaurant and patio with a traditional scratch kitchen multiple nights a week. “The ambiance is almost like you’re at a friend’s house having dinner,” says owner Nikki Campola of the 15-year-old restaurant with lots of charm. TRY THIS: The Penne Florentine ($20) is crafted with homemade garlic oil sauce, fresh sausage, spinach and Parmesan cheese with roasted pine nuts. 7224 Center St., Mentor, campolas.com, 440-290-8676

BLUE FIN HIBACHI AND SUSHI BAR

WHY WE LOVE IT: At this casual Asian fusion hibachi and sushi bar, you’ll discover the tasty aforementioned staples, along with soup, salad, tempura sushi and a bento box lunch menu in a simple upbeat ambiance. TRY THIS: A sushi lunch ($17) with four pieces of nigiri, one maki roll and four pieces of sashimi. 8820 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-290-7383, facebook.com/bluefinmentor

BILLY'S A CAPPELLI MARTINI BAR

WHY WE LOVE IT: Known for specialty martinis, this cocktail lounge on Route 306 offers more than 50 apps, salads, burgers and entrees that are perfect drinking companions. TRY THIS: Snack on Billy's Brie ($12), a simple presentation of baked cheese, cranberry, drizzled raspberries, crostini, French baguette and apples. 7338 Industrial Park, Mentor, 440585-8815, billysacappellimartinibar.com

CRAB

KING PHOLICIOUS RESTAURANT

WHY WE LOVE IT: Finally, Lake County locals have a great option for fresh seafood and Vietnamese fusion. “When I was a kid, I had a dream to open a restaurant,” says owner Sky Lam, whose grandparents inspired many of the homestyle recipes. “My whole family worked in the nail salon industry for a long time, and I wanted to start something new.” TRY THIS: Despite many classic Vietnamese dishes being offered, pho ($15.95) reigns supreme here. “The soup takes 12 hours a day to get the juices from bone marrow,” Lam says. 8900 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-290-0691, crabkingmentor8900.com

DYNAMITE

DAWGS

WHY WE LOVE IT: Since opening in 2020, this simple, fair-inspired joint has developed a following around its Brats, hand-cut fries (loaded or regular), desserts (think deep-fried Oreos) and, of course, hot dogs. TRY THIS: The signature Dynamite Dawg ($6) is topped with Coney chili sauce, nacho cheese, diced onion and grilled bacon. 6312 Center St. Suite A, Mentor, 440-2900286, dynamitedawgs.com

The Spot on Lakeshore

ISSHO NI POKE BAR

WHY WE LOVE IT: This small, bright, locally owned spot whips up sushi burritos, bubble tea and other Hawaiian-Japanese fusion cuisine — and best yet, has a build your own poke bowl option. TRY THIS: Create your own poke bowl with one protein ($13.50) and pile on unlimited toppings. 9570 Mentor Ave. #L, Mentor, 440-754-8204, isshonipokebar.com

HAPPY MOOSE BAR & GRILL

WHY WE LOVE IT: Who doesn't love a nofrills, familiar sports bar? This bright, friendly pub with wooden decor on Route 306 and Route 2 features the usual suspects: wings, burgers and other bar food. With ample bar and table seating and tons of TVs, you can almost always find a seat for the big game at this chill place to relax with friends. Looking to throw a party? The covered, 70-seat patio can be rented for events.

TRY THIS: Dive into the homemade Buffalo chicken dip ($10.99), served with tortilla chips. 7693 Reynolds Road, Mentor, 440-953-9464, happymoosebarandgrill.com/mentor

THE HOOLEY PUB & KITCHEN

WHY WE LOVE IT: Though it has four other Northeast Ohio locations, this fun pub is headquartered in Mentor. In addition to Irish-leaning fare, pizza, wings, 20 specialty cocktails and 20 craft beers on tap, the gastropub has made its name on being a community gathering space for trivia, live performances and games. TRY THIS: Many diners can't bring themselves to use the phrase "boneless wings." Luckily, you don't have to when ordering hand-cut Hooley Hunks ($14) with spicy, creamy firecracker ranch. 7861 Reynolds Road, Mentor, 440-942-6611, 1funpub.com

KIKO’S KITCHEN

WHY WE LOVE IT: Since turning her food truck into a brick-and-mortar spot this year, owner Sonya Davis has created a casual fusion concept inspired by her upbringing. “I have a passion for feeding people," she says. TRY THIS: The Yakiniku fries ($11.29), topped with shredded cheese, Yakiniku meat, yum yum sauce, teriyaki, green onions and sesame seeds, are the best of both her worlds.

9179 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-290-7022, kikos-kitchen.square.site

LONGO'S PIZZA

WHY WE LOVE IT: The family run spot has been Mentor's independent pizza choice for 54 years, opening in 1969. TRY

THIS: The menu of gluten-free pizza, chicken Parmesan, pasta and other delicious items are godsends for those with dietary restrictions. 8907 Mentor Ave., 440-974-8282; 7314 Lakeshore Blvd., 440-946-8222, longospizza.com

MAKI MENTOR

WHY WE LOVE IT: In addition to savory Asian fusion such as hibachi, sushi and noodles, this relaxed, modern joint whips up fruity bubble tea in every color of the rainbow.

TRY THIS: The salmon hibachi dinner ($19.50) is grilled and served with veggies and rice.

9582 Diamond Center Drive, Mentor, 440853-8685, facebook.com/makimentor

MAMA ROBERTO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

WHY WE LOVE IT: The 20-year family-run spot touts its “original Cleveland-style pizza” and other Italian dishes, such as veal and seafood. TRY THIS: Opt for a classic chicken marsala ($21) with mushroom marsala wine sauce and a side of pasta. 8658 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-205-8890, mamarobertos.com

MANHATTAN DELI

WHY WE LOVE IT: Since 1987, Tim and Siham Shaker have offered a taste of New York City with their menu of Jewish deli, fresh-baked bagel with schmear and diner classics. TRY THIS: The Uptowner ($16.95) stacks corned beef and pastrami. Dip it in some matzo ball soup ($7.50). 8900 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-974-0055, manhattandelimentor.com

PASTINA RUSTIC ITALIAN KITCHEN

WHY WE LOVE IT: This modern take on farm-to-table Italian fare focused on locally sourced scratch-made dishes is run by a local family. TRY THIS: Combine health and flavor with the grilled Atlantic salmon ($27) served with herb risotto and orange-fennel salad. 9354 Mentor Ave. # 1, Mentor, 440-255-3117, pastinarusticitalian.com

THE SPOT ON LAKESHORE

WHY WE LOVE IT: With Eastern European influence from the chef’s background and the community, “it’s our uniqueness,” that makes The Spot on Lakeshore stand out, says Zachary Bond, chef and owner of the comfort food haven that recently added dinner. “You’re going to find things on the menu that you’re not going to find anywhere else. To go along with (the) uniqueness of our restaurant, we use the restaurant as a creative platform for local artists and local musicians.” TRY THIS: The chef’s standout dish is the pastrami salmon ($11). You heard that right: house-cured pastrami rubbed salmon, on an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and herb vinaigrette on top, says Bond. You also probably don’t want to miss dishes like the short rib hash, french toast and tiramisu pancakes with vanilla mascarpone. “Breakfast and lunch are a big hit in the community,” Bond says. It’s no shock that The Spot on Lakeshore is unveiling a dinner menu. 7272 Lakeshore Blvd., Mentor, 440-510-8504, thespotonlakeshore.com

MARKET STREET FAMILY RESTAURANT

WHY WE LOVE IT: Find breakfast staples and classic American dishes at this updated family-style restaurant. The large menu of sandwiches, pasta, salads, omelets and other

delights satisfy any type of craving. TRY THIS: Start with the fresh, housemade tabbouleh ($5.99) before moving on to a burger, breakfast, seafood and almost anything else. 8450 Market St., Mentor, 440-255-4962, marketstreetmentor.takeout7.com/ourmenu

MALLEY'S CHOCOLATES

WHY WE LOVE IT: The Mentor location, one of four that serve ice cream, carries that classic parlor decor with old-school booths and '50s-style bar seating. Families enjoy ice cream before taking home treats like truffles, chocolate bars and candies. TRY THIS: Drench your selection from 25 flavors in house-made hot fudge. 8920 Mentor Ave. B, Mentor, Mentor, 440-974-1440, malleys.com

MELT BAR & GRILLED

WHY WE LOVE IT: East siders remember the days of driving to Lakewood for these epic grilled cheese sandwiches. That all changed in 2012, when Melt opened a huge, 140-seat bar and restaurant with kitchy decor like lightup snowmen and classic beer signs.

TRY THIS: The Dude Abides ($19.75) is a fan favorite with homemade meatball, basil marinara, fried mozarella and other cheeses. 7289 Mentor Ave., Mentor 440-530-3770, meltbarandgrilled.com

NINJA JAPANESE

Invested in Ohio.

1,680

WHY WE LOVE IT: This Mentor-on-theLake spot serves some of Northeast Ohio's best sushi. TRY THIS: The Mentor Lake Special ($27) is a seafood lovers' dream with tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, salmon and yellowtail on top. 7873 Munson Road, Mentor-On-The-Lake, 440-853-8685, ninjainmentor.com

1,285

3,270

Invested in Ohio.

1,680 towers/ macro site s

70 65 643 79%

1,350 small cell nodes on air

1,130

97% estimated population coverage of 11,839,300

3,395 fiber miles

641 zoning and permitting jurisdictions

Crown Castle at a Glance

80 resident employees 410 government, school and public safety customers

1,250 buildings connected by our fiber

15565 NEO Parkway, Cleveland Ohio 44128

Kevin Krayzel

Data Infrastructure Specialist

Mobile 440.885.2999

kevin.krayzel@crowncastle.com

Michael Kirincic

Business Development Manager

Fiber Solutions

216.798.5817

michael.kirincic@crowncastle.com

• 40,000 + towers

• 120,000 nodes on air or under contract

• ~ 85,000 route miles of fiber

• More than 25 years experience owning and operating network assets

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70 government, school and public safety customers

Our nationwide portfolio of communications infrastructure connects cities and communities to essential data, technology and wireless service —bringing information, ideas and innovations to the people and businesses that need them.

The pathway to possible.

THE INDIAN KITCHEN

WHY WE LOVE IT: For authentic Indian flavors with some innovative twists, this classy eatery packs big flavor into biryani, momos, curries, naan and all your Indian favorites. TRY THIS: If you've had your fill of tandoori chicken and goat biryani, try the chicken saag ($16.95), a boneless chicken breast tossed in traditional creamy Indian spinach sauce. 9552 Mentor Ave., Mentor 440-701-8293, theindiankitchenmentor.com

THAI ORCHID

WHY WE LOVE IT: Don't let the strip mall fool you. Inside you'll find solid curry, rice and noodle dishes as well as seasonal specials. TRY THIS: Add shrimp to the sweet massaman curry ($14.50).

7502 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-942-6752, facebook.com/thaiorchidkitchen

TJ’S ON THE AVENUE

WHY WE LOVE IT: Owner Cameron Pulling says, “We have a lot of dishes we created in-house that the community is very fond of, like the Chicken Madison.” The Pulling family has been cooking up homemade Italian dishes and daily made pasta, bread and sauces since 1992. Some staff members have been there for more than 30 years. TRY THIS: “Chicken Madison ($18.29) is my go-to dish to recommend,” says Pulling. Breaded chicken sauteed with fresh mushrooms and a white wine sauce, topped with melted provolone and cheddar, finished freshly cut scallions. 7485 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-953-5959, tjsontheavenue.com

TRIOS ITALIAN GRILLE & CATERING

WHY WE LOVE IT: Three families came together to whip up a modern concept focusing on traditional Italian favorites. Their combined heritage and travels inspired the fresh menu of pasta, pizza, calzones, strombolis and specialty dishes. TRY THIS: Choose from the carnivore ($11) calzone or stromboli packed with all the meats: pepperoni, sausage, soppressata, pepperoncini, ricotta and provolone cheese. 7537 Mentor Ave. #23, Mentor, 440-571-5306, triositaliangrille.com

WESTLAKE

YOURS TRULY

WHY WE LOVE IT: This beloved spot is part of a local chain purveying comforting American fare in a friendly homey atmosphere. Stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner for a three-egg omelet, fire-grilled burger, Monte Cristo or a signature cocktail. TRY THIS: Who doesn’t love a place with an all-day breakfast? We love the Killit Skillet (11.95) with two eggs, bacon, sausage, golden hash browns with onion, green pepper, mixed cheese and toasted ciabatta. 7280 Center St., Mentor, 440-255-3003, ytr.com/mentor

ZAPPITELLI’S

WHY WE LOVE IT: For 36 years and counting, this self-described Old World Italian restaurant whips up all the flavors of Italy through family recipes. Stop by for good old-fashioned mom-and-pop traditional dishes, including homemade pizza, pasta, subs and specialty dishes made with the fan-favorite sauce. TRY THIS: You can’t beat potato gnocchi ($17) made from scratch. 9570 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440352-1185, zappitellismentor.com

WANT MORE?

Avon/Avon Lake clevelandmagazine.com/avonfood

Lakewood clevelandmagazine.com/lakewoodfood

Chagrin Falls clevelandmagazine.com/chagrinfallsfood

Check out more recommendations at clevelandmagazine.com/food-drink

Edited by Annie Nickoloff

STORIES BY BRIE CAMP, ANTHONY ELDER, ALLISON JACK, ABIGAIL KUSSOW, ANNIE NICKOLOFF, DILLON STEWART, HALEY STRNAD, LYNNE THOMPSON, CLARA WICINSKI, ALAINA WILLIAMS

Messy Aprons & Co.

Melissa Simon grew up baking, learning the art of making cheesecakes from her grandmother. Originally, she rented a small kitchen and took orders as they came in. Then, she opened her Strongsville brick-andmortar store in 2022, offering various sizes. Six-inch cheesecakes ($37) are offered in at least five flavors, with 9-inch cakes ($62) offered in more than 15 flavors. Want just a bite? Order up an individual slice ($9.99), cups ($5), or mini cheesecakes ($3.50). messyaprons.com

BEST SECOND ACT

Chef Rocco Whalen’s Fahrenheit

In July, chef Rocco Whalen pulled all the stops with an expansive long-awaited reboot of award-winning Fahrenheit, this time in Public Square. With room for 700 diners, the opulent flagship boasts a larger-than-life meat and seafood focused vision, showcasing a menu of 75% new dishes. With a 15,000-square-foot, two-story rehaul, including a swanky roof with Downtown views, a first-floor patio and an oversized quartz chef’s table, both the design and the menu stand out, also thanks to CEO Alexis Dankovich Whalen, the chef’s wife. Whalen’s first venue, the original Fahrenheit, closed last year after 21 years in Tremont, a reign that helped make Cleveland a foodie town. After 10 years of vacancy, the former John Q Steakhouse building has also been given new life. Showcasing the original refurbished wooden bar, the restaurant pays tribute to the history of the landmark building. “I’m a historic guy when it comes to Cleveland,” Whalen says. “We’re taking the space from 1958 and taking elements from the past to the future.” chefroccowhalen.com

READER PICK

Mendel’s

Kansas City BBQ

This barbecue spot is 100% kosher, as the namesake owner, Mendel Segal, adheres to a strict kosher diet. The demands for both kosher food and barbecue are always high, Segal says — so why not put them together? Mendel even took over Progressive Field’s former Kosher Dogs stand, offering hot dogs and more to Cleveland’s baseball fans. “We try to stay true to what we do and offer authentic, good barbecue using good ingredients,” says Segal. “The food speaks for itself.”

mendelskcbbq.com

BEST KOSHER BARBECUE

After steeping for 10 years, The Tea Lab continues to impress. The Lakewood business was voted the top tea shop in Northeast Ohio by Cleveland Magazine readers.

BITES  SIPS  FLAVORS

Cassie Trainer

For cocktail master Cassie Trainer, crafting drinks is about more than catching a buzz. Fans of her beverages have seen everything from bouncing bubbles of smoke atop their glasses to s’mores drinks where patrons get to roast their own marshmallows. “I dream up different themes in my day-to-day life,” Trainer says. “I have a dream or a weird [thought], like, ‘I wonder if I can turn that into a cocktail?’” After working at Mahall’s 20 Lanes for almost nine years, the mixologist recently launched her own cocktail experience company, Moon Bunny Libations, which caters to weddings, corporate events, personal celebrations, bar pop-ups and beyond. Interested customers can reach her via email or Instagram for a fantastical alcoholic adventure. instagram.com/fancifulfawn, moonbunnylibations@gmail.com

BEST HOUSE-MADE SELTZER

Doinks Burger Joint

Partners Peter Brown and Bon Rossavong wouldn’t have made their pandemic pop-up permanent in July if they felt like their decadent OG Burger couldn’t smash the competition. But in a burger-saturated food scene, they bubbled up even more excitement with an in-house hard seltzer program. The Waterloo eatery features four flavors: transfusion (raspberry, ginger and vodka), margarita (lime, simple syrup and tequila), a penicillin (lemon, ginger and honey with whiskey) and the Thaiinspired coconut pandan with vodka ($7 each). “We do all of our syrups in-house and combine that with vodka,” says Brown. “Then, we throw it in a keg and carbonate it with beer gas.” A few months in, even beer devotees are falling for this unique spin on the boozy trend. instagram.com/doinksburgerjoint

BottleHouse Brewery

Community-focused BottleHouse Brewery has impressed with award-winning meads, craft beers, sours and ciders for 11 years. Hungry? The brand’s two main locations also serve up great food. Cleveland Heights brewery offers Saroj & Carlos Indian soul food, and Lakewood is home to Eugene Kitchen burgers. The Craft Collective location at Van Aken District Market Hall in Shaker Heights allows guests to savor eats from local vendors while sipping their favorite BottleHouse beverages. bottlehouse.co

READER PICK

When it comes to vegan food, Cleveland Vegan is a go-to. (With a name like that, how could it not be?) The shop was also voted the top gluten-free restaurant this year.

Since early July, Verbena Shoppe, Cafe & Dry Bar has been catering to Clevelanders who choose not to drink alcohol in a sleek new Ohio City space, refreshing what was formerly Cleveland Tea Revival. But the spot, one of Cleveland’s first NA cocktail bars, isn’t missing out on any flavor or fun. The dry bar’s menu of curated, freshly made cocktails ($9-$11) suits any season — just with no alcohol included. verbenafreespirited.com

BEST MEAD

BEST PACKAGED SNACK

Whoa Dough

Cookie dough, on-thego. Whoa Dough is more than a simple sweet; it’s also a bite that’s friendly to diners with dietary restrictions. Each of the local brand’s bars are vegan, gluten-free, nonGMO and kosher — and come in mouthwatering flavors like brownie batter, oatmeal cookie and sugar cookie dough ($9.99 per pack).

Whoa, indeed.

whoadough.com

Birch Cafe

Humphrey’s Popcorn Ball

A brand with Cleveland history, Humphrey’s has been selling its popcorn products since the family-owned company also ran Euclid Beach Park more than a century ago. While we can no longer visit the long-lost beachfront amusement park, we can still munch on this beloved sweetand-salty popcorn ball when hunger strikes ($28.95 per pack). humphreycompany.com

Birch Cafe in Highland Heights has been serving up some of the best vegan fare in the Land since December 2019. The seasonal reuben ($12.99) — made from seitan corned beef (sourced from Chicago’s Feed Your Head Foods), Schwebel’s classic rye bread, Violife cheese and house-made Thousand Island dressing — makes customers flock until they’re gone. Owner Roxanne O’Brien Troke says they aim to keep the cafe approachable with both its menu and overall vibe. “We say it’s good food that happens to be vegan, so when someone says it tastes vegan, I feel like I’m doing something wrong,” they say. “We try to be inclusive and welcoming, especially for the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s really important for us to be a safe space.” birchcafecle.com

READER PICK

Ol’ reliable Great Lakes Brewing Co. was voted the No. 1 Cleveland brewery this year, followed by Fat Head’s Brewery and Noble Beast Brewing Co.

BEST VEGAN REUBEN

BEST DINING POP-UP

Pinoy Fine Foods

Filipino food and Polynesian cocktails are a match made in Tiki heaven. “The food just goes hand in hand,” Pinoy Fine Foods owner Melvin Reyes says. “A lot of Tiki pioneers were Filipinos.” That’s why, after years of rotating pop-ups, the kitchen at Porco Lounge & Tiki Bar has found a permanent occupant in Pinoy Fine Foods. Inspired by the food they grew up on, Pinoy’s partners — including Reyes’ brother, Mitch, and cousin, Victor — source unique ingredients like banana ketchup and special cooking wines online and from AsiaTown’s grocery stores. While the bestsellers are accessible Filipino-inspired sliders and tacos, Reyes’ aunt has hand-rolled more than 10,000 lumpia Shanghai ($9), a crispy pork egg roll, since Pinoy’s opening. The tofu sisig ($10) — a sizzling plate of tofu, veggies, sauce and rice — is among the most traditional Filipino food in Northeast Ohio, and more items like this are on the way when the fall menu drops. “The Midwest is still a desert for Filipino food,” he says. “Helping introduce our culture into a community where, honestly, it’s lacking, like here in Cleveland, is one of the biggest drivers for us.” pinoyfinefoods.com

BEST PIEROGI PIZZA

Pizza216

The pierogi pizza ($12.75-$23.25) has become somewhat of a local delicacy in Northeast Ohio. At Downtown’s Pizza216, it’s served in a topping-forward format: whipped mashed potatoes are paired with green onions, caramelized onions, ricotta and cheddar, with a swirl of sour cream on top.

pizza216menu.com

Dina’s Pizza & Pub

This beloved Old Brooklyn bar and restaurant run by namesake Dina Walsh slings up the standards of a pizza shop (Hawaiian, deluxe, meat-lovers, etc.) — with a menu standout that enamors Clevelanders. The restaurant’s pierogi pizza ($12.70-$25.60), topped with potato and cheese-filled pierogies and grilled onions, atop a fluffy crust, is best enjoyed dunked into a side of sour cream.

dinaspizzaandpub.com

READER PICK

Clevelanders

When Kayla Dial got laid off in 2020 during the pandemic, she decided it was her moment to create her own business from the ground up. The Black-owned restaurant Kafela (pronounced “cafe L.A.”) transports guests to Los Angeles, rocking a pink, plant-filled, chic aesthetic on St. Clair Avenue. “The cafe was always a dream of something I wanted to do, but I didn’t have the time,” Dial says. Utilizing a building space her parents owned (she was living upstairs at the time), she started with coffee and ice cream and branched out little by little to an all-day menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner. “Everything just came together: the plants, the coffee, the food. I picked L.A. because they really care about what they eat and what they’re drinking,” Dial says. “Every time I go there it’s just good vibes. Cleveland gets really depressing and dark in the wintertime, so I wanted to bring the good vibes here.” thekafela.com

BEST MOFONGO Quisqueya La Bella

BEST MUSTARD

Old Brooklyn Mustard Co.

Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. owner Michael Januska has always had a passion for cheese, but mustard is his second love. “I think we’re the only company in the United States that is actually smoking a [mustard] seed,” Januska says. Januska prefers to use clear glass jars so customers can see the sheer amount of seeds packed into each bottle ($5.99-$7.50). Because of that crucial recipe element, expect big flavors with every bite. “The mustard’s chemical reaction doesn’t happen until you break the seed open. So when you’re chewing it you get an instant explosion in your mouth,” Januska says. oldbrooklyncheesecompany.com

Clevelanders from all over town flock to Quisqueya La Bella for authentic mofongo and other flavorful Dominican dishes. “What is different from other places is we make it from scratch. We get the plantains fresh, peel and fry. Everything is made from scratch,” manager Veronica Zapata says. The casual restaurant aesthetic celebrates the city and culture through photos and murals. Pro tip: Order the mofongo with shrimp (with garlic or tomato sauce), the most popular dish ($17).

quisqueya-latin-cuisine.business.site

BEST WEST COAST VIBES Kafela

dig the ramen from Xinji Noodle Bar , voting it the best ramen restaurant in the city. Here, you can try tonkatsu, spicy miso, wonton ramen and more.

READER PICK

Gordon Square’s Il Rione , known for its Speck Pie, was voted the top pizza shop in Northeast Ohio — beating Angelo’s Pizza, Cent’s Pizza and Ohio Pie Co.

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD ART PRINTS

Lund Studio

Akron artist Jon Lund has had a career in the art and design industry for years, illustrating and designing for the U.S. Open and the World Series. At Lund Studio, Lund creates unique posters and prints ($115) that represent iconic landmarks and cities across Northeast Ohio, from the West Side Market to the Cuyahoga River. Lund says that customers “love how I highlight ordinary places from the area and show how they are extraordinary.” lund.studio

Late Nite Records

Last spring, Allen Wagner took a 25-year-long passion project and a collection of nearly 25,000 rare records to the local stage to support a revival of curious vinyl collectors in Cleveland. His shop, open only during the evening hours, creates pockets of opportunity for fellow music enthusiasts, night owls and daytime professionals to flip through the racks and meditate over their favorite genres. “I feel like each record shop has their own little niche they’re known for, but I’m really just trying to welcome anybody who’s open to being surprised by what they’re seeing on the shelves, especially the weirder or hard-to-find stuff,” he says. Look to the shop’s social media for parties, events and its current stock. facebook.com/late niterecordscleveland

BEST LATE NIGHT SHOPPING

BEST INDIE PUBLISHER Grieveland

When Brendan Joyce and Kevin Latimer launched their independent publishing company Grieveland in 2020, it was a labor of love — a love for poetry. With a shared background in self-publishing and press production, they knew that they had a chance to create something wholly unique. “Kevin and I released our books first as pilots,” Joyce says, “because we’d much rather screw up our own work than someone else’s.” Fortunately, both publications ($20) were met with rave reviews. To date, Grieveland has been positively featured by outlets such as Vogue, VICE, LitHub and The Kenyon Review. They have published several works from fellow poets, such as How To Be A Good Girl: A Miscellany by Jamie Hood and We Are Owed ($10), a debut collection from legendary slam poet Ariana Brown. grieveland.com

READER PICK

With three locations in Northeast Ohio packed with everything a cyclist could need, the friendly Century Cycles brand was voted the

READER PICK

GV Art + Design makes T-shirts fit for anyone who wants to show off their Cleveland pride. The brand topped out the reader vote for Best Cleveland T-Shirt.

Based in Lakewood, Wild Northland makes and sells unique pennants and flags featuring Cleveland, Cuyahoga Valley and many other national parks. Each flag ($38) is hand-sewn and painted to represent a range of places any Clevelander would recognize — plus out-of-state attractions and locations. The brand’s pennants make for one-of-a-kind gifts for anyone wanting to show some hometown pride; one of their Cleveland pennants showcases a Cavs-colored Terminal Tower in maroon and mustard yellow. wildnorthland.com

BEST SOAP STEM Handmade Soap

We don’t want to be lathering up with toxic chemicals if we can help it. Luckily, STEM Handmade Soap agrees. With two successful storefronts in Lakewood and Shaker Heights, owners Steve Meka and David Willett have shaken up the full-body skincare industry with their line of all-natural products. “Bar soap ($6) is where it started and bar soaps continue to be our top bestsellers any day of the week, month and year,” Meka says. “They’re closely followed by our body butters ($16) and foaming hand soap ($8).” Although their line of offerings includes all things from shower steamers ($24) to aromatherapy candles ($20), that soap loyalty from patrons is what makes STEM the proudest. stemsoaps.com

BEST CLEVELAND PENNANTS

No. 1 bike shop in the area.

BEST ROLLER SKATE SHOP

Next Level Skate Shop

Lindsay Chapman founded Ohio’s only dedicated roller skate shop in 2014 in Columbus, later moving it to the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. As president of Burning River Roller Derby, Chapman has helped lead Ohio’s skating scene for almost 20 years and brings a passion for the rough-and-tumble sport to her shop. “I love the competition and camaraderie that come with the sport,” Chapman says. “I also appreciate the way it embraces all body types for the unique advantages each person brings.” nextlevelskateshop.com

BEST MARKET City Goods

Located in Ohio City, City Goods works to help small businesses promote their products and encourage community. Hangar-style buildings house shops selling their goods, and in the summer, outdoor booths also sell handmade items, vintage clothing, art and food. Don’t forget to stop by The Hangar, City Goods’ cocktail bar. There you’ll find local beers, wines and craft cocktails, making it the perfect place to sip, shop and socialize. citygoodscle.com

BEST CANDLES

1820 Candle Co.

BEST DOG RESCUE

Muttley Crue

The vast majority of dogs at Cleveland’s city kennel are pit bulls. The all-volunteer organization Muttley Crue has stepped in to assist with finding homes for the dog breed, which is plagued with stereotypes of aggressive behavior. “We really need rescues around the area that focus on pit bulls, because those are the ones that are in most need,” Muttley Crue President Nikki Lavdas says. Specifically, Muttley Crue helps find temporary foster homes for dogs that have medical or behavioral issues, rehabilitating them until they can find permanent homes. Lavdas took ownership of the organization a few years ago, giving new management to the organization that’s helped local pups since 2008. “Rescue is really hard, so people come and go, and I was lucky enough to be in a good position at the time,” Lavdas says. “I knew exactly how the rescue world worked, and I took it over, and we have a lot of new and awesome volunteers to help.” muttleycruerescue.com

This family-owned shop in East Palestine, Ohio, crafts vegetable wax candles ($15-$36) with balanced scents suited for every home. A locally focused highlight is the shop’s Rust Belt line, with fragrances fit for Midwest living rooms. 1820co.com

BEST LUXURY LAPTOP BAG

Capsoul Collective (The Capsoul Pack)

Capsoul Collective owner and lead designer Marissa Wilson knows you’re desperately hunting for a bag like this.

“We want to give a new meaning to what a business traveler looks like,” she says while sharing pre-production ideas for the compact Capsoul Pack ($249) inspired by classic business briefcases. capsoulco.com

My Cuzin Vintage

My Cuzin Vintage (a play on the 1992 movie My Cousin Vinny) features a large selection of vintage clothing, hats, shoes and accessories, many of which feature Cleveland pride with past Browns and Indians logos on shirts and jackets. Plus, concert lovers can find merch from past tours, like Kiss and Beastie Boys. Owner Derek Hoffman opened the store in 2021. “I love this store,” he says. “I love what we’ve built, because we have such a range of customers.” mycuzinvintagecle.com

The Finished Finger

One visit to this Lyndhurst establishment explains why it continues to have robust business 43 years after sisters Diane and Marilyn Fuhrman first opened it in neighboring Mayfield Heights. The place is attractively light, bright and clean. (This says something: A state cosmetology board inspector scheduled biweekly manicures there for 37 years.) Better than the ambiance is the service. Marilyn attributes the blissful peace to the practice of seeing clients by appointment only. “We book the right amount of time based on what services customers are coming in for,” she says. facebook.com/finishedfinger

BEST SHOPPING EVENT

The Real Black

Friday’s Black Business Expo

Cleveland’s Black businesses are showcased at The Real Black Friday’s regular Black Business Expo events, which have taken over Tower City, Public Square and Edgewater Beach, along with area churches and high schools. But founder LaRese Purnell sees beyond the hundreds of local businesses, the thousands of attendees and the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent, at each iteration. “This is deeper than just an event,” he says. “It’s about impacting a community and creating some sustainability and longevity. That’s why I love doing the work that I do.” The celebratory event puts an emphasis on Cleveland’s Black entrepreneurs, offering broad exposure to their concepts. It all goes back to improving the city. “Our neighborhoods are stronger and safer, our communities are stronger and safer, our families are building wealth because their businesses are doing well,” Purnell says. “I always want to make sure I lift up the greatness that our city possesses.” facebook.com/trbfcle

READER PICK

The smooth, healthfocused products from Ginger + Honey won over readers, who voted the skin care line the top Cleveland Handmade brand this year.

BEST JEWELRY

Best Ceramic Earrings: Small Pond Ceramics

Designer Hope Hickman brings a unique flair to earrings, pairing peculiar shapes with alluring colors. Small Pond also offers recognizable designs like hearts, flowers and even gummy bears ($35+). instagram.com/smallpondceramics

Best Custom Rings: Stephanie Lee Paynter

Stephanie Lee Paynter, a local jewelry designer and metalsmith, designs a ring for every finger ($62+). Her wearable art combines high-end metal and trending styles to create one-of-a-kind pieces, all inspired by her love of art and the city of Cleveland. stephanieleepaynter.com

Best Beaded Bracelet: On the Lookout

Erica Young and her team carefully hand-make each bracelet ($60+) piece by piece. Young got her start at summer camp and after 20 years in the making, these little radiant creations have come to life in a big way. on-the-lookout.com

BEST TROPICAL PLANT STORE

Urban Planting Cleveland

Whether you’re looking for a small plant to keep by your bedside or a leafy tree to enhance a living room, Urban Planting Cleveland has you covered. “In here we have a lot of bigger plants and the demands are always shifting, but keeping up with them is the fun part,” owner Elio Calabrese says. Its stock is replenished from Florida every week — and store owners work with customers to find the perfect plants for their homes. “It’s finding the right plants for the right spot in the house,” Calabrese says. urbanplantingcleveland.com

BEST NEW APARTMENTS

Tinnerman Lofts

A historic stove factory-turnedapartment-building, Ohio City’s Tinnerman Lofts is infused with local arts: it incorporates paintings, photographs and sculpture on every level. Coupled with a large green space, neighboring restaurant Cha and bocce courts, Tinnerman might be an arts-lover’s dream. “We’ve had some success with utilizing the arts, which we enjoy ourselves, and which we try to incorporate into the building in a major way to make the properties feel more like a home and less like an institutional property,” says Neil Viny, president and principal owner of Dalad Group, which runs Tinnerman. tinnermanlofts.com

BEST INDIE ROCK BAND

The Vindys

Indie blues-rock band The Vindys, led by singer Jackie Popovec, originates from the welcoming and down-to-earth Youngstown music scene, with a fan base that stretches across all of Ohio — and beyond. With a namesake that nods to The Vindicator newspaper and blended sounds reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, the band takes any opportunity to create a diverse coast-to-coast community. Popovec hopes that by staying in the Youngstown area primarily, and then reaching outward, the band has a chance to build something important in its hometown. “When people bash ‘dying’ steel towns and the Rust Belt, I always look at it, like, out of the ashes can come something really cool, and you see it in Pittsburgh where they’ve revived the city around entertainment,” she says. “I’d like to see that build up within Cleveland and Youngstown. I know we can do it.” Be sure to check out the band’s 2021 album Bugs and look out for its hometown show planned for Oct. 14 at Westside Bowl. thevindys.com

Asian Lantern Festival

Every summer, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo comes alive at night with the new-ish Asian Lantern Festival. Cultural food options and acrobatic performances are a part of the event, but the main draw is its picture-worthy, massive light displays, including a dragon, walk-through tunnels, towering lanterns and a range of glowing creatures. (Tickets $22-$70.) clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo

READER PICK

Pop singer Siena Bella , known for her powerful vocal skill, was voted the No. 1 music artist this year. Check out her latest singles, including 2023’s “are you still here.”

BEST LIGHT DISPLAY

SIGHTS  SOUNDS  FUN

BEST DEALS

Guardians Ballpark Pass

For $49 per month, 2023 Ballpark Passholders were guaranteed standing room only tickets to all regular season games. (Fingers crossed the deal continues into 2024.) mlb. com/guardians/tickets/ ballpark-pass

Frontier’s GoWild! Passes

With Frontier soundly stationed at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, local travelers can explore the world with this unique offering: Frontier’s GoWild! Passes give passengers, for $149-$1,999, all-you-can-fly deals for a month, a season or a year. flyfrontier.com/ deals/gowild-pass

Blossom Music Center ticket deals

With this summer’s $25 ticket week and $199 lawn pass deals, fans were able to see legends such as The Cure and country star Shania Twain on the cheap. Both deals typically return each spring — and sell out quickly. livenation.com

BEST BOARD GAME STORE

Superscript Comics & Games

Tucked in the Madison Avenue shopping district in Lakewood, Superscript Comics and Games opened in the depths of the pandemic in July 2020. A veritable nerdy paradise, the shop has it all: trading cards and board games, collectible figures, shelves upon shelves of comics, models for games like Warhammer 40,000 and various other bits and bobbles that will have you perusing for hours. The hobbyist oasis expanded last November, adding another room of graphic novel shelving, tables and even more board games. Events including weekly trading card tournaments, tabletop role play meetups, board game socials and even comics workshops make the space shine. While some specialty shops might feel unwelcoming at times, Superscript prides itself on an open and inviting atmosphere.“It’s hyper-diverse, especially being in the Lakewood area,” says employee Sean Michael Clark. “We totally go as far as we can to make sure that people feel safe and welcome in our environment.” superscriptohio.com

BEST RETRO SOUL BAND

Art Blakey and The Day-Nites

Legendary Cleveland soul singer Art Blakey first established himself as a member of The Hesitations in the ‘60s. Now, fronting a new soul band, he’s singing those decades-old songs once again. “I’ve been a part of this city itself since 1941. I’ve seen this city then, in the middle of now, and right now,” Blakey reflects. “Boy, what a difference.” The crew consists of Blakey, plus some Cleveland music standbys: Bob Basone, Tom Fallon, Nick Fritsch and Matt Garrett. “Cleveland has these hidden gems, these lost treasures, and every once in a while, we’re lucky enough to still get to see them and find them and experience them,” Fritsch says. The group plans to play sporadic shows and record some music in the near future. facebook.com/thedaynitesband

BEST BARBERSHOP QUARTET

Fashionably Late

The Cleveland Heights quartet (Grant Heineman, William Aiken, Gerald Shazor and Michael Garrett) is highly ranked in the competitive barbershop world. “It’s the only music I’ve ever studied where the majority of people involved are so clearly doing it purely for the love of the art and not themselves or their ego,” Heineman says. instagram.com/ fashionablylateqt

BEST

Jesty Beatz

You may not realize you’ve heard Cleveland producer Darrel Greene (aka Jesty Beatz), but odds are you have. He’s done everything from NFL commercials to his project Holy Mattress Money, whose viral tracks include “Blue Hundreds” and “Crash into You,” each garnering millions of streams on Spotify alone. Of course, he’s worked with locals, like pop artists Clemont and Chayla Hope, as well. “Cleveland has very deep pockets of great musicians,” Greene says, “and I feel like now more than ever, people are willing to collaborate more freely.” facebook.com/jestybeatzmusic

READER PICK

E-V has been behind Cleveland’s turntables for years — and, once again, he drew in enough reader votes to be crowned Cleveland’s best DJ this year.

BEST CLEVELAND RUNWAY

Fashion Talks

Fashion Talks has dazzled viewers for its dedication to fostering diversity within the industry. Founder Aimon Ali and her team dreamed of lifting Cleveland’s style status to the level seen in New York or Los Angeles, and judging by recent shows, they might soon achieve that goal. fashiontalkss.com

BEST LATIN FUSION BAND

The Labra Brothers

The Labra Brothers are the only people having more fun than you at a Labra Brothers show. Whether you’ve seen them rocking out at a wedding, opening for Los Lobos at Music Box Supper Club or warming the crowd up with an energetic performance at Brite Winter festival in the Flats, the Youngstown-based family band, led by singer and guitarist Adrian Labra, surely laid down a funky fusion of Latin, rock and soul grooves over uplifting, modern tales of life in Steeltown, U.S.A. thelabrabrothers.com

Funny Bus

While bus tours are nothing new, the Cleveland Funny Bus blends together a city tour with comedy, making the experience all the more memorable. Is there anything nicer than touring your beloved city while enjoying jokes with a drink in hand? “I think one of our interesting aspects is that we have three different comedians on the Funny Bus and they have three very different shows,” owner Dean Schnurr says. “You can see one of our comics and then get on a week later and see another comic and it’s like two different shows, which is great.” The Funny Bus does both public and private tours, with tickets at $29 each. It also hosts specialty tours: in October, its tours are Halloweeninspired, focusing on Cleveland’s frights. For December, the tours are “lights and laughs” themed, featuring some of the more festive areas of Cleveland. funnybus.net/cleveland

BEST DELTA 8 PRODUCTS

Clean Remedies

For six years now, this woman-owned and USDA-certified organic business has taken pride in helping people find balanced bliss in a demanding world. Business founder and CEO Merideth Farrow says she believes that CBD and Delta 8 are not only “a natural alternative to big pharma” but also bring accessible and reliable relief to people who need it.

cleanremedies.com

We at Cleveland Magazine appreciate a good pun, so when Cuyahoga Community College picked a triceratops as its mascot, we were all for it. Chosen in an online poll, Stomp, Tri-C’s 7-foot tall blue triceratops, instantly became a beloved Cleveland character.

tri-c.edu/about/mascot

BEST COLLEGE

BEST SHOP CATS

Rhonda

Blue Arrow Records’ tortoiseshell lady Rhonda often suns herself in the front window and greets shoppers with a purr. bluearrowrecords.com

BEST BILLBOARD

Tim Misny

If you’ve lived in Northeast Ohio long enough, you know exactly what Tim Misny does: He makes them pay! You might also be familiar with the personal injury lawyer’s bald head, suit, pointing finger and imposing stare, with a furrowed brow and one raised eyebrow. The top half of Misny’s face became a part of his latest marketing ploy in Northeast Ohio when it was presented on billboards without any words or context: just Misny’s hard stare. “I think the reason it works, and it’s working remarkably well, beyond my wildest expectations — the reason why, is everything I do is organic in nature. I am who I am,” Misny says. “I was born here, I was raised here, I’m raising my family here. I love Ohio. I love what I do for a living. I think, organically, that translates.” misnylaw.com

Winston

Superman, Batman and Winston the resident orange tabby are all heroes at Carol & John’s Comic Book Shop. cnjcomics.com

BEST MURALIST

Starbeing

Alice

Sister to Otis, Alice has quickly earned fans in Larchmere literary oasis Loganberry Books. loganberrybooks.com

Even if you don’t know his name, you know the dazzling artwork of Isaiah Williams, known as Starbeing. With around 40 murals painted in the city, Starbeing is literally all over Cleveland. You might notice his homage to ghouls in the Haunted House Restaurant — or perhaps you’ve skated past his largest piece wrapping a Cleveland Metroparks building in the Flats. The artist has always had an interest in art mediums that stray away from canvas, but murals tapped into the necessary and beautiful concept of community art, he says. “I feel like when you add color, an image to that, as well, you can use art to bring a community closer together,” Williams says. starbeing.co

Lady Caroline

The Nautica Queen was a beloved part of Cleveland’s cruise options for more than 30 years — and now, it’s been succeeded by Lady Caroline, a newer, larger cruise boat that hosts a variety of cruises along with private special events. The 120-foot-long, 15,000-square-foot vessel holds four decks for up to 300 visitors at a time. It arrived in the Cuyahoga River in May and started its leisure cruises in June. ladycaroline.com

BEST ONGOING CITY TRAFFIC DEVELOPMENT

Public Square Bollards

Finally, an eyesore will be removed from Downtown, hopefully by the end of the year. Approved by the Cleveland City Planning Commission in May, a $3.5 million plan to replace the concrete barriers in Public Square with sleek-looking stainless steel bollards is moving forward.

VS

Smart Meters

BEST BATHROOM

Stone Mad Pub

Stone Mad Pub’s men’s restroom is a work of art. No, really. It’s like a museum piece, with abstract illustrations of the wilderness, complete with depictions of horseback riders and open fields. “The bathrooms are amazing and we’re proud of that because it’s not usually a point of interest for bars and restaurants,” bartender Jimmy Sherry says. stonemadpub.com

READER PICK

WKYC meteorologist Betsy Kling has a lot of fans. After sharing Cleveland’s unpredictable weather updates for 20 years, readers voted her No. 1 meteorologist.

Anyone who’s ever struggled to find some quarters to park around the city likely rejoiced last year when Cleveland announced its intentions to replace coin meters with smart parking meters that can accept credit cards or payments online. In March, the city pushed those plans forward when it proposed Flowbird and ParkMobile as companies to manage the new parking system, with a price tag of $5 million on the project.

BEST LAKE ERIE CRUISE

FOOD & DRINK

BAKERY

1. Blackbird Baking Co.

2. Luna Bakery & Cafe

3. Leavened

BREWERY

1. Great Lakes Brewing Co.

2. Fat Head’s Brewery

3. Noble Beast Brewing Co.

BRUNCH

1. Lago East Bank

2. Pier W

3. Cordelia

BURGERS

1. Heck’s

2. Cordelia

3. Gunselman’s Tavern

CHOCOLATE

1. Malley’s Chocolates

2. Sweet Designs Chocolatier

3. Mitchell’s Fine Chocolates

COCKTAILS

1. Sora

2. LBM

3. Velvet Tango Room

DOUGHNUTS

1. Brewnuts

2. Goldie’s Donuts & Bakery

3. The Vegan Doughnut Company

GLUTEN-FREE

1. Cleveland Vegan

2. TownHall

3. Sage Karma Kitchen

HAPPY HOUR

1. Lago East Bank

2. Burntwood Tavern

3. (tie) All Saints Public House

3. (tie) The Centro at the 9

HOT DOG

1. Happy Dog Cleveland

2. Scooter’s Dawg House

3. Mason’s Creamery

ICE CREAM

1. Mitchell’s Homemade

2. Mason’s Creamery

3. Honey Hut

INDEPENDENT COFFEE

1. Rising Star Coffee Roasters

2. Lekko

3. Phoenix Coffee Co.

JUICE

1. Beet Jar Juicebar & Takeaway

2. Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar

3. Restore Cold Pressed PATIO

1. Lago East Bank

2. All Saints Public House

3. Collision Bend Brewing Co.

PIZZA

1. Il Rione Pizzeria

2. Angelo’s Pizza

3. (tie) Cent’s Pizza + Goods

3. (tie) Ohio Pie Co.

RAMEN

1. Xinji Noodle Bar

2. Mason’s Creamery

3. Ninja City Kitchen & Bar

SANDWICH

1. Herb’n Twine Sandwich Co.

2. Larder Delicatessen & Bakery

3. Slyman’s Restaurant & Deli

SMALL PLATES/TAPAS

1. Salt+

2. Amba

3. Zhug

SNACK

1. Mason’s Creamery

2. Campbell’s Sweets Factory

3. (tie) Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop

3. (tie) Terranean Za’atar Pita Chips

SOUL FOOD

1. Zanzibar Soul Fusion

2. Angie’s Soul Food

3. Marsha’s Soul Food Cafe

STEAK

1. Red the Steakhouse

2. Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar

3. Strip Steakhouse

SUSHI

1. Sora

2. Ginko Restaurant

3. Pacific East Japanese Restaurant

TACOS

1. Barrio Tacos

2. La Plaza Taqueria

3. Condado Tacos

TEA

1. The Tea Lab

2. Storehouse Tea Co.

3. Algebra Tea House

VEGAN

1. Cleveland Vegan

2. Boaz Fresh Lebanese

3. (tie) Cloak & Dagger

3. (tie) Sage Karma Kitchen

WINE SELECTION

1. Lago East Bank

2. Flight Cleveland

3. Cordelia

WINGS

1. Winking Lizard Tavern

2. Around the Corner Saloon & Cafe

3. Buckeye Beer Engine

HOT SPOTS

ASIATOWN HOT SPOT

1. Li Wah

2. Sichuan Hot Pot

3. LJ Shanghai

CLARK-FULTON HOT SPOT

1. Bella Luna

2. Johnny’s Bar on Fulton

3. Dunlap’s Corner Bar

DOWNTOWN HOT SPOT

1. Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar

2. Cordelia

3. Blue Point Grille

GORDON SQUARE HOT SPOT

1. Astoria Cafe & Market

2. Luxe Kitchen & Lounge

3. Superelectric Pinball Parlor

LITTLE ITALY HOT SPOT

1. Trattoria Roman Garden

2. Mia Bella Restaurant

3. La Dolce Vita

OHIO CITY HOT SPOT

1. Amba

2. TownHall

3. West Side Market

SHAKER SQUARE HOT SPOT

1. EDWINS Restaurant

2. Zanzibar Soul Fusion

3. Sasa

SUBURBAN HOT SPOT (EAST SIDE)

1. JoJo’s Bar

2. 17 River Grille

3. Van Aken District

SUBURBAN HOT SPOT (SOUTH SIDE)

1. Michael Angelo’s Winery

2. Delmonico’s Steakhouse

3. The Boneyard

SUBURBAN HOT SPOT (WEST SIDE)

1. Wine Bar Rocky River

2. Market

3. Crocker Park

THE FLATS HOT SPOT

1. Lago East Bank

2. FWD Day + Nightclub

3. Collision Bend Brewing Co.

TREMONT HOT SPOT

1. Cloak & Dagger

2. Bourbon Street Barrel Room

3. Fat Cats

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE HOT SPOT

1. Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art

2. L’Albatros Brasserie

3. Cleveland Museum of Art

ENTERTAINMENT

ART GALLERY/STUDIO

1. 78th Street Studios

2. Cleveland Museum of Art

3. SPACES

ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX

1. MGM Northfield Park

2. Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

3. (tie) Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

3. (tie) Top Golf

LIVE MUSIC CLUB

1. Music Box Supper Club

2. BOP STOP at the Music Settlement

3. Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

PERSONALITIES

ANCHOR (FEMALE)

1. Stefani Shaefer

2. Natalie Herbick

3. Danita Harris

ANCHOR (MALE)

1. Russ Mitchell

2. Wayne Dawson

3. Todd Meany

BROWNS PLAYER

Nick Chubb

CAVS PLAYER

Donovan Mitchell

GUARDIANS PLAYER

Jose Ramirez

MASCOT

1. Slider

2. Brownie the Elf

3. Cleveland Guardians Hot Dogs

COMEDIAN

1. Mike Polk Jr.

2. Elliot Jarrous

3. Mary Santora

DJ

1. E-V

2. Mattitude

3. Jesse Howells

METEOROLOGIST

1. Betsy Kling

2. Mark Johnson

3. Mackenzie Bart

MORNING NEWS

1. Fox 8 News in the Morning

2. 3News’ Go!

3. New Day Cleveland

MUSIC ARTIST

1. Siena Bella

2. Emma Nicholas

3. Apostle Jones

PODCAST

1. Orange and Brown Talk

2. CLE Foodcast

3. The Guiltless Podcast

SPORTS ANCHOR

1. Jim Donovan

2. Derek Forrest

3. Ken Carmen

SPORTS ANNOUNCER

1. Jim Donovan

2. Tom Hamilton

3. Will Burge

TIKTOK ACCOUNT

1. @foodincleveland

2. @cravecle

3. @thingsivebeeneating

SHOPPING

BIKE SHOP

1. Century Cycles

2. Eddy’s Bike Shop

3. Blazing Saddle Cycle

BOUTIQUE SHOP (EAST)

1. (tie) Knuth’s

1. (tie) BRuSH Boutique

2. (tie) Nola True

2. (tie) SLFMKR

BOUTIQUE SHOP (WEST)

1. Banyan Tree

2. Whimsy Willow

3. Estella Boutique

BUTCHER SHOP

1. Ohio City Provisions

2. Saucisson

3. K&K Portage Market

CLEVELAND

HANDMADE

1. Ginger and Honey

2. Fount

3. Anne Cate

3. The Cleveland Candle Co.

CLEVELAND T-SHIRT

1. GV Art + Design

2. CLE Clothing Co.

3. iLTHY

INDEPENDENT GYM (EAST)

1. The Sweat Box

2. NuLife Fitness Camp

3. One to One Fitness

INDEPENDENT GYM (WEST)

1. Cycle Fly

2. Tremont Athletic Club

3. The Workshop: Dance + Fitness

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING/ BOULDERING

1. Shaker Rocks

2. Climb Cleveland

3. Cleveland Rocks Climbing

SHOE STORE

1. Second Sole

2. My Cuzin Vintage

3. Arthur’s Shoe Tree

SPA (EAST)

1. Woodhouse Day Spa

2. Spa Walden

3. (tie) Mario’s International Spa & Hotel

3. (tie) Quintana’s Barber & Dream Spa

SPA (WEST)

1. Sacred Hour

2. Spa West

3. Woodhouse Day Spa

TATTOO STUDIO

1. Voodoo Monkey

2. Green Light Tattoos and Art Gallery

3. Lakewood Electric Tattoos

WINE SHOP

1. Rozi’s Wine House

2. The Wine Spot

3. Flight Cleveland

YOGA STUDIO

1. Cultivate Yoga

2. Inner Bliss Yoga Studio

3. The Studio Cleveland

n the early 1970s, Playhouse Square — one of Cleveland’s most vital and well-known assets — almost fell victim to a city-planning trend called “urban renewal.”

Basically, the tactic, which involves razing blighted areas and starting anew, was designed to confront America’s aging cities. In some cases, such as Atlanta’s BeltLine district, this helped lower crime and make the land cheaper to develop. In other cases, it led to displacement, urban sprawl and historic assets being sacrificed, replaced with the dreaded surface lot.

Had it not been for the Cleveland Foundation, Playhouse Square would have likely experienced that unsightly fate. The organization, which claims to have been the first to use a priorityinvestment loan, PRI, purchased the two buildings housing the neighborhood’s most popular theaters and, over the next 50 years, subsidized the growth of the Playhouse Square District. Part of that commitment included setting up its headquarters in the Hanna Building, across the street.

“All 11 theaters were boarded up. Marquees were coming down. They were weeks away from demolition,” Cleveland Foundation President and CEO Lillian Kuri says. “It was as important to stop the demolition as it was to change the conversation. We would have been the city that demolished the second-largest theater district outside of New

York. It would have been a tragedy.”

Now, the Cleveland Foundation has its sights set on another 30- to 50-year project: helping to revitalize the near-East Side of Cleveland and connect Downtown to University Circle.

“These East Side neighborhoods have been historically redlined. They have seen very little investment; they’ve not seen the renaissance that West Side neighborhoods have,” says Kuri, who took over as the first full-time female head of the Cleveland Foundation this summer after spending 18 years with the organization. “We’re planting a flag here and saying we’re going to work with the community over the next 30 years to also change the conversation about how important Central and Fairfax are and how many incredible leaders and residents and institutions are already here.”

trying to make change not just here but across the city.”

In talks of the community organization’s goals to revitalize East Side neighborhoods and connect University Circle and the Cleveland Clinic to Downtown, mentions of Ohio City and Tremont come up as examples of West Side neighborhoods that have received the type of investment and prosperity that the East Side has lacked. Yet, comparisons to these areas, which evermore sit in the shadows of costly luxury apartments, stoke fear of gentrification in some MidTown residents — specifically, fear of being priced out of their homes. This is especially true for residents who live near the Cleveland Clinic, a $30 billion healthcare system with a 20-plus-block campus that many critics say hasn’t done enough to support the health and well-being of the community that surrounds it.

In July, when Cleveland Foundation officially opened its doors to the community, Kuri had already been giving tours to community members, politicians and local leaders for months.

“I personally have given more than 300 tours,” says Kuri. “This is (a chance) for me to tell the story, to engage people and to find opportunities for anybody to participate. The future of the Cleveland Foundation is inextricably linked to the collaboration with the community and with this next generation of leadership and community leaders

“Our goal, and the way we’re looking at what success means, is that in five to 10 years, we’ve actually made the lives of existing residents better,” says Kuri, “and that we have created opportunities for people to both participate in and also benefit directly from what we’re doing.”

At 55,000 square feet, the size of the new headquarters on East 66th Street and Euclid Avenue is almost equivalent to the former offices, but now, only one-third of the footprint is dedicated to standalone offices. The rest features meeting centers; activity rooms with street access, including late at night; and open, shared workspace.

Many visitors will first interact with the space

On the left, a group of Clevelanders visits the Memphis Slim Collaboration, a nonprofit gathering place focused on culture and music in Memphis’ Soulsville neighborhood. The 2022 trip, which included 30 local residents, helped mold the forthcoming phases of the project.

through Susanna’s Cafe, which sits street-side and is open to the public daily. HELP Harvest, which offers job training for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are hoping to enter the workforce, operates the coffee shop and eatery. It’s a stark difference to the Foundation’s former home in the Hanna Building, which one leader of the organization sarcastically dubbed “the Ivory Tower.”

The striking, modern venue was built using mass timber, a more environmentally friendly approach that was also seen recently in the mixed-use Intro Building on West 25th Street in Ohio City. Thus, much of the building’s surfaces and facade resembles natural maple wood.

The heartbeat of the building is the Rawson Community Stair, named after Barbara Hass Rawson, who served as the Cleveland Foundation’s interim CEO (putting an asterisk in Kuri’s designation as the organization’s first female leader). Books that hang from the ceiling recognize former winners of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, a national award by the Cleveland Foundation that honors works that have “made important contributions to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the diversity of human cultures.” More than just a space to post up and work, the Foundation hopes to host movies and other community events there. Much of the building will be available to rent for events by 2024.

One of Kuri’s favorite spaces is the main hallway, an art gallery that will feature rotating exhibits. The first is a series of 15-foot portraits by Amber Ford and stories by Shelli Reeves of various community members.

“It feels like you’re walking with the leaders and the residents of the community,” she says. “One of our big goals was to make sure we did something that everybody would see themselves in.”

The project cost more than $20 million but, like its initial investment into Playhouse Square, was funded by a PRI, which basically means that it took a loan from its endowment, which it will pay back during the next 20 years, rather than asking for new donations or grant money that could take away from other projects. After all, community is at the forefront of the new space, the organization says. Kuri hopes it can be a model for other organizations here and across the country.

“We’re not coming here to wipe this clean and save the day,” Kuri says. “We’re coming here to work with the community and help everybody rise up.”

We’re not stopping investing in Downtown. We are hand in hand to make sure that Downtown is successful. There is no question that a thriving core is required for any region. Physically we’ve moved but resource-wise we haven’t changed a bit.

With (the riverfront plan from) Bedrock and what’s going on with the lakefront and the Browns, these kinds of major catalytic developments are as big as when (the) Gateway (District) was built. There is a big moment for transformation and continued growth there.

Every day we’re finding new partnership opportunities — here and in other neighborhoods. We’re investing really heavily in the Hispanic neighborhood in Clark-Fulton (La Villa Hispana), in Woodhill and in Glenville. We will meet with anyone and find any way we can help.

What makes people want to come back to the office? The answer is you create an unbelievable environment that is beautiful and intentional about creating innovation. Then people have a reason to actually want to be there with the flexibility that came from the pandemic. I think there are lessons about what we did.

Construction is well underway on the corner lot across East 66th Street from the Cleveland Foundation Headquarters. By January 2025, the Cleveland Foundation expects to open phase two of its project, the MidTown Collaborative Center. The 95,000-square-foot economic development center will house nine tenants, including JumpStart, Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Population Health Research, University Hospitals Diabetes Research and Wellness Center, Cleveland Institute of Arts’ Interactive Media Lab and the SBA lender ECDI.

Yet, a neighborhood can’t thrive off of office spaces alone.

In November 2022, Kuri and 30 Hough residents visited the Memphis Slim Collaboratory in Soulsville, a neighborhood made famous by the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Over dinners, tours and performances, the group of Clevelanders bonded, while also learning how the museum and the Collaboratory, a music-focused gathering space and nonprofit, have worked together to engage, support and educate the community through culture and music. Much like Memphis with Soulsville, the Cleveland Foundation says it wants MidTown to celebrate and elevate a Black neighborhood with a rich history — rather than exploit and replace it. “We’re both approaching it

the same way,” Kuri says.

In fact, it was on that trip that community members suggested adding a little fun to the project.

“We want to keep the ground floors super active,” says Kuri. “We’ve done enough to create the sense that you’d want to come here on a Thursday night and hang out.”

When it opens in January 2025, the Collaboration Center will feature a music venue, a restaurant (Pearl’s Kitchen from Cleveland native Tiwanna Scott-Williams) and a brewery (Black Frog Brewery, based in Holland, Ohio — which will bring Northeast Ohio its first Black-owned brewery). The project’s final phase is creating a park that winds through future entertainment venues, the Cleveland Foundation HQ (which features retractable walls that open to the park) and through the historic Dunham’s Tavern property before connecting to Chateau Hough Winery. Kuri says creating this nightlife district will attract further investment.

“You need that sense of arrival,” she says. “All these amazing entrepreneurs are not visible if you just pass by on Chester or Euclid or Carnegie.”

It may only be six months in on a 30-year plan, but Kuri already feels that sense of arrival every time she walks into the new building and sees a community member grabbing coffee or a neighborhood organization using its boardrooms.

“Like the Cleveland Foundation (itself),” she says, “we hope this (building) can be a living organism and a platform for change.”

The spacious, airy lobby shows off the mass timber that made the structure a more environmentally friendly project. Operated by HOPE Harvest, Susanna’s Cafe not only provides job training to those with developmental disabilities but also access to fresh, local food in a community that lacks it.

KNUTH’S

30619 Pinetree Road Pepper Pike, Ohio 44124 216-831-1116 knuths.com

Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am - 6 pm

Cleveland’s best boutique. Bringing the best from LA and New York to the North Coast since 1960.

PIER W

12700 Lake Ave. Lakewood, Ohio 44107 216-228-2250 pierw.com

Pier W features a critically acclaimed menu emphasizing fresh seafood and an award-winning wine list. Also known for its extensive brunch, Pier W remains a city favorite for the best dining with a panoramic view of Cleveland.

WKYC STUDIOS

1333 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44114 216-344-3364 wkyc.com

NBC television affiliate proudly serving Northeast Ohio for 75 years

CLUBS BUILD CHARACTER

Schools use the experience of being in a club or creating a partnership for more participation in activities and to help grow well-rounded individuals.

BY VINCE GUERRIERI

FORGING HIS OWN PATH TO SUCCESS.

All-School Family Open House

Sunday, October 15

Families of boys entering Kindergarten through Grade 12 can register today!

MERIT SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Each year, the Jarvis Scholar Program awards ten fully-funded, four-year merit scholarships to students entering the ninth grade. The application for fall 2024 admission is now open.

www.us.edu

750 minutes of specialized instruction in reading, writing, and vocabulary per week. Compared to 45-90 minutes of instruction in traditional IEP programs.

375 minutes of specialized instruction in math fluency, reasoning, and calculation per week. Compared to 30-60 minutes of instruction in traditional IEP programs.

75% Of middle & high schoolers play a sport

20+ Signed collegiate athletes

90% of students qualify for the Ohio Department of Education’s Jon Peterson Scholarship.

Average award: $11,000/year

Over 20 Million

In college scholarships awarded 2019 – 2023

10 Varsity athletic teams

9 Conference championship wins

National experts in evidence-based instruction of students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and executive dysfunction for more than 50 years.

ver heard of a lettuce club?

It’s a club with a singular goal at its meetings: to see who can eat a head of lettuce the fastest.

And Shaker Heights High School has one.

“I feel like a lettuce club is ridiculous, but that’s kind of the point,” says principal Eric Juli. “If I said every club had to have academic value, I feel like we’d lose a lot of opportunities for students to connect with each other and find out about themselves.”

That, he says, is the real value of extracurricular clubs at school: to give students a chance to figure out who they are and find their people, a component of social education as important as the academic education that they get in the classroom. In fact, many schools refer to clubs not as extracurricular, something outside of the school day, but co-curricular, an important complement.

“I think a lot of people think of clubs as extra, but people come to school needing something different,” Juli says. “I don’t think they’re an addon. I think they’re a valuable thing because they can get a kid to come to school tomorrow.”

There are always going to be certain clubs in high school. Student council remains a mainstay. There will always be foreign language clubs. But there are some clubs that come and go — a

“I don’t think they’re an add-on. I think they’re a valuable thing because they can get a kid to come to school tomorrow.”

- Eric Juli

PRINCIPAL, SHAKER HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL

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consequence of the transient nature of many schools. A group of students may come to high school interested in starting a club. They’ll take part and graduate and the club can fall dormant. Juli also noted that following the outbreak of COVID-19, which led many schools to go virtual for all or part of the following school year and severely limited nonclassroom activities, many clubs had to effectively start again from scratch.

In many school districts, the formation of a school club is limited only by the students’ imagination — and whether or not they can find an advisor. (Juli says the only requirement for the Lettuce Club adviser is that they know the Heimlich maneuver.)

“Students can propose a club at any time,” says Kate Ebert, the director of student life at Magnificat High School in Rocky River. “We have to stay up with the times and engage these students.”

Ebert notes that some clubs rise and fall based on broader pop culture trends. The school’s Adventurer’s Guild Dungeons & Dragons Club was influenced by characters playing the game on Stranger Things,

and chess club saw increased interest following The Queen’s Gambit, another Netflix show.

Cameron Cutler, in his seventh year as an adviser for the chess team at John Marshall High School in Cleveland, says The Queen’s Gambit provided a boost in interest there too — as did COVID-19.

“Everyone was home and a lot of people seemed to pick the game up,” he says. “There’s been a huge bump in chess.com mem bership and the U.S. Chess Federation membership.

OPEN HOUSE

Meet Ruffing’s exceptional faculty, talk with our Head of School, explore our beautiful and spacious classrooms, and discover for yourself why so many of your friends, neighbors, and colleagues have fallen in love with Ruffing and made it the school of choice for their children.

Register today: Visit ruffingmontessori.net

Admissions Open House Saturday, November 11

12 noon to 2 PM

18 months to 8th grade

“We have to stay up with the times and engage these students.”

- Kate Ebert  DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE, MAGNIFICAT HIGH SCHOOL

“The game’s more accessible than it’s ever been. You used to need a board and someone to play with. Now you can pick up an iPhone and play with someone anywhere in the world.”

That was actually one of the reasons he fell away from the game as a child, Cutler says. He didn’t have anyone to play with. But he had played the game — which made him an ideal candidate when a student was looking for an adviser for the team.

“I was a new teacher, and I wanted to get involved in something,” Cutler says. “I knew all the rules and some really, really basic strategies, and I think that put me above any other teacher.”

The team started with one regular member. Then two. Now they’re up to 10, and garnering recognition. The team’s played with Cleveland Guardians players (Steven Kwan has made chess a hobby since his time in the minor leagues) and finished in the

“I feel like there are so many things that students don’t take advantage of because they don’t know it exists or they feel intimidated.”

- Cameron Cutler CHESS TEAM ADVISOR, JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL

top 10 at the high school national tournament in April.

With a track record like that, Cutler says some students might be intimidated to join, but he tries to assuage their concerns. At the very least, he says, he would like to see students join some club.

“A lot of students show up at 8 (o’clock) and leave at 3,” he says. “I feel like there are so many things that students don’t take advantage of because they don’t know it exists or they feel intimidated.”

There are some students who leave at 3 p.m. because they have to. They might have to run to an afterschool job, or are limited in their transportation options. (Conversely, Juli notes, there are some parents who see the value in after-school activities since they might keep

ISTOCK PHOTO

children from being home alone.)

Holy Name High School in Parma started Triple Threat Club Experience Days to reach those kids who might be unable to stay after school. Once a quarter, clubs meet for an hour during the school day, offering students an opportunity to participate. (The name comes from Holy Name’s mission of wanting students to be a triple threat, becoming well-rounded in mind, body and spirit.)

“Kids are excited,” says Kate McCall, the director of communications at Holy Name. “They ask when the next one will be. And the teachers have been very supportive. They see the value in it.”

McCall notes that in some instances, club activities might be as enriching for the teacher as they are for the

ISTOCK PHOTO

students. The school’s cooking club adviser is the assistant principal, and a French teacher is the adviser for the craft club.

At Magnificat, the theology teacher advises one of the school’s newest clubs: the criminology club.

“The student who actually had the idea was in my advisory,” Kate Minerd says. “I said, ‘Oh my gosh, I love that idea.’ She said, ‘Good, because I’m looking for a moderator.’”

The club does listen to true crime podcasts. But for its first full year, there are a lot of plans, including a potential murder mystery scavenger hunt in the school, gathering information on potential related careers and even looking at some cold cases in the Cleveland area. “

“We’re not just looking at crimes,” Minerd says. “We’re looking at social

justice.”Clubs aren’t just a high school activity either. Joe Niemantsverdriet, the principal at Harding Middle School in Lakewood, says not only does the school offer a variety of clubs, but many are different from high school activities because middle school students have different interests than those in high school.

Harding has a dodgeball club and last year formed a Shrek Club. “We just had a lot of students who were interested in Shrek,” Niemantsverdriet says. There’s also the Help To Others (known as the H2O) Club, which works in partnership with the city of Lakewood. Students have turned the morning announcements into a news program broadcast on the school’s TV system, sharing updates on lunch, theme weeks, sports

“It gives another opportunity for students to connect to the school and community.”

- Joe Niemantsverdriet PRINCIPAL, HARDING MIDDLE SCHOOL

and weather. (They’ve even come up with a name for it, the Walk-Home Weather.)

“It gives another opportunity for students to connect to the school and community,” says Niemantsverdriet. “It lets kids find their own connections. It’s an opportunity for connection that meets their

interests — and they feel a sense of ownership.”

Clubs provide an opportunity for students to get to know each other in a social setting — and sometimes, give them an opportunity to do things they might not have the opportunity to do ever again. Peter Zaremba became a teacher after a

successful career as a music performer. He knows being a professional musician might not be an opportunity open to everyone. But as the director of the Normandy High School band, he’s determined to make sure his students not only get the chance to perform in front of an audience but make the most of it.

ISTOCK PHOTO

“It’s a special moment in their lives that won’t happen again, so I try to make it as exciting as I can,” he says. “I don’t want you to just know the notes and where to stand. We practice hard so we can enjoy what we do on the field. Performing is supposed to be fun. We shoot for excellence.”

And even if his students don’t play another note, the exposure to music will yield dividends in the years to come. That’s the value that a lot of students, teachers and administrators see in clubs. They help students figure out the next chapter in their lives, and they learn something along the way.

And they’re usually fun, too.

“I’ve never talked to a kid who joined a club and regretted it,” Cutler says.

"The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn."

Maria Montessori

Authentic Montessori in the heart of Little Italy. Students utilize the culturally-rich University Circle area to enhance their classroom experience. PreK-Grade 8

“It lets kids find their own connections. It’s an opportunity for connection that meets their interests — and they feel a sense of ownership.”

- Joe Niemantsverdriet

PRINCIPAL, HARDING MIDDLE SCHOOL

TOP DENTISTS

The 2023 TopDentists resource is your guide to more than 300 of the best dentists and specialists in Northeast Ohio.

THIS LIST IS EXCERPTED from the 2023 edition of topDentists, a database which includes listings for more than 300 dentists and specialists in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area. The Cleveland area list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at usatopdentists.com. For more information call 706-364-0853; write PO BOX 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email help@usatopdentists.com or visit usatopdentists.com.

METHODOLOGY:

topDentists, LLC has over 70 years of experience compiling peer-review referral guides in the legal, dental and medical fields. Using this experience along with the input of dentists across the United States, we have created a methodology that has been refined and improved over previous superlative guides. topDentists lists dentists and specialists who have been chosen through an exhaustive survey in which thousands of the nation’s dental professionals confidentially evaluate their professional peers. No payment is required to be selected nor is payment accepted in exchange for selection.

The nomination pool for topDentists consists of dentists and specialists that are members of the American Dental Association and local dental societies. General dentists were asked to vote on nominees that are listed as specialists. Specialists are asked to vote only on nominees that are listed as General Dentists. Voting practitioners are also given an opportunity to offer more detailed comments on nominees and to provide additional nominations.

Endodontics

Tera Bonar 3690 Orange Place, Suite 455, Beachwood 516-360-0090 beachwoodendo.com

Joseph Charnas 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 225, Mayfield Heights 440-605-0456 cleendo.com

Terence R. Dentkos 16626 Pearl Road, Strongsville 440-268-8445 dentkosendo.com

James A. DeVengencie 25111 Country Club Blvd., Suite 201, North Olmsted 440-686-3636 endolimited.com

Anas Fatayer 30400 Detroit Road, Suite 209, Westlake 440-808-9990 apexrct.com

James B. Flynn 13550 Falling Water Road, Suite 104, Strongsville 440-878-0455 northcoastendodontics.com

Mark C. Gorman 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 453, Lyndhurst 440-446-1300 northcoastendodontics.com

Voting professionals are provided the following criterion for determining if a nominee should be listed: years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients and physical results. All votes and comments are solicited with a guarantee of confidentiality.

Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board. Then letters of congratulations are sent to all the listed dentists.

Of course there are many fine dentists who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of dentistry in Ohio. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow dentists. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and that these lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate and useful list of dentists available anywhere.

DISCLAIMER:

This list is excerpted from the 2023 topDentists database, which includes listings for over 300 dentists and specialists in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area. For more information call 706-364-0853 or write PO Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903 or email help@usatopdentists.com or visit usatopdentists.com. TopDentists, LLC has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Copyright 2010-2023 by topDentists, LLC, Augusta, GA. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without permission of topDentists, LLC. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.

R. Rubin Gutarts 5574 Pearl Road, Parma 440-842-4111 clevelandendo.com

Joong H. Hahn 1000 West Wallings Road, Suite B, Broadview Heights 440-546-1116 southwestspecialists.com

David J. Harris, Jr. 3869 Darrow Road, Suite 209, Stow 330-688-3800 acendodontics.com

Joseph J. Jurcak 13550 Falling Water Road, Suite 104, Strongsville 440-878-0455 northcoastendodontics.com

Igor Kantorovich 14701 Detroit Ave., Suite 274, Lakewood 216-226-0200 lakewoodendo.com

Steven J. Katz 3690 Orange Place, Suite 455, Beachwood 216-360-0090 beachwoodendo.com

A. Christopher Kayafas 3075 Smith Road, Suite 201, Fairlawn 330-666-0400 akronendo.com

James G. Kotapish, Jr. 3075 Smith Road, Suite 201, Akron 330-666-0400 akronendo.com

Matthew Kotapish 3075 Smith Road, Suite 201, Fairlawn 330-660-0400 akronendo.com

Philip L. Michaelson 8258 East Washington St., Suite B, Chagrin Falls 440-708-2850 drphilipmichaelson.com

André K. Mickel 3609 Park East, Suite 407, Beachwood 216-831-3636 mickelendodontics.com

Stephen H. Moore 939 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-7571 fallsendo.com

Gregory S. Myers 6175 Som Center Road, Suite 150, Solon 440-248-3747 drmyersendo.com

Andrea V. Nunney 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 225, Mayfield Heights 440-605-0456 cleendo.com

Lisa C. Petrov 5505 Detroit Road, Suite C, Sheffield Village 440-366-5530 petrovendodontics.com

Ryan Romero 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 453, Lyndhurst 440-446-1300 northcoastendodontics.com

Christopher Thompson 13550 Falling Water Road, Suite 104, Strongsville 440-878-0455 northcoastendodontics.com

Peyman Vaziri 7055 Engle Road, Suite 304, Middleburg Heights 440-243-7221 parkwayendodontics.com

Vinson Vig 1000 West Wallings Road, Suite B, Broadview Heights 440-546-1116 swendoperio.com

Jeremy Wilde 6151 Wilson Mills Road, Suite 304, Highland Heights 216-261-6464 highlandheightsendo.com

Ronald M. Wolf 3611 Darrow Road, Stow 330-686-0080 summit-endo.com

Anthony Zovko 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 453, Lyndhurst 440-446-1300 northcoastendodontics.com

General Dentistry

Marie A. Albano 14701 Detroit Ave., Suite 720, Lakewood 216-529-7181 mariealbanodds.com

Kathryn J. Apotsos 8200 Avery Road, Broadview Heights 440-526-4866 averydentalgroup.com

G. Michael Appel 540 White Pond Drive, Suite C, Akron 330-869-9090 mikeappeldds.com

Lynn M. Aprile 19111 Detroit Ave., Suite 204, Rocky River 440-331-7864

Scott W. Arndt 33650 Center Ridge Road, North Ridgeville 440-327-9006 centerridgedental.com

Hussein M. Assaf 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 216-368-6759 case.edu

Mica Bartels 425 North Main St., Munroe Falls 330-688-4942 munroefallsfamilydentistry.com

Barjesh K. Bath-Walters 4780 Clague Road, North Olmsted 440-777-2757 ohdentalcare.com

Stephen Beetstra 305 West 12th Ave., Columbus 614-688-3763

Walter R. Below 30400 Detroit St., Suite 380, Westlake 440-871-1155 drbelow.com

Richard F. Bis 4597 Ridge Road, Brooklyn 216-398-4446

Jeffrey Budrys 7423 Mentor Ave., Mentor 440-951-1318 budrysdental.com

Leah M. Butler 16000 Pearl Road, Suite 217, Strongsville 330-238-4456 leahbutlerdds.com

Marie A. Calabrese 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 123, Mayfield Heights 440-646-0477 completesmilecare.com

Dean Carmichael 6132 West Creek Road, Independence 216-524-8481 rocksidefamilydentalcare.com

Jeffrey S. Castel 4597 Ridge Road, Brooklyn 216-398-8428 jeffcasteldds.com

Richard A. Cavolo 5432 Wilson Mills Road, Cleveland 440-473-5850

Christopher G. Chapman 28040 Center Ridge Road, Westlake 440-835-2600 smilewestshore.com

M. Joseph Chrzanowski 782 East 185th St., Cleveland 216-692-2010

Nicole Cochran 15901 Hillard Road, Lakewood 216-226-3800 drnikicochran.com

Stephen D. Cooke 25117 Detroit Road, Suite 230, Westlake 440-892-4600 drstephencooke.com

Todd Coy 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 216-444-6907 clevelandclinic.org

William R. Davidson 9365 Olde Eight Road, Northfield 330-467-6066 tomorrowsdentistry.com

Andrew Deak 10247 Dewhurst Road, Suite 100, Elyria 833-866-8448 deakmedicaldentistry.com

Robert J. Demboski 525 North Cleveland Massillon Road, Suite 105, Akron 330-666-6111 demboskidentistry.com

Megan B. DeSimone 26777 Lorain Road, Suite 514, North Olmsted 440-734-7373

Jennifer DiPiero 1376 North Portage Path, Akron 330-867-9494 dipierofamilydental.com

Jason A. Doerschuk 3817 West 160th St., Cleveland 216-671-6707 doerschukdental.com

Jennifer Psota Dougherty 2255 Columbia Road, Westlake 440-835-0011 westlakefamilydentalcare.com

Thomas J. Drockton 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 222, Mayfield Heights 216-752-8888 ldprofessionals.com

Bronlynn Eberhardt 1655 West Market St., Suite 540, Akron 330-836-5585 eberhardtdentistry.com

Kyle S. Eberhardt 1655 West Market St., Suite 540, Akron 330-836-5585 eberhardtdentistry.com

Lisa Elias 443 Pearl Road, Brunswick 330-273-7300 drlisaelias.com

Michael Evan 425 North Main St., Munroe Falls 330-688-4942 munroefallsfamilydentistry.com

Jerome L. Faist 3755 Orange Place, Suite 515, Beachwood 216-464-2448 bestdentalteam.com

William L. Farr 21851 Center Ridge Road, Suite 506, Rocky River 440-331-3211 rockyriverdental.com

Candice L. Fehring 6100 South Broadway, Suite 300, Lorain 440-233-8521 loraincosmeticdentist.com

Ian A. Fehring 29473 Lorain Road, North Olmsted 440-777-4444 dependabledental.net

Darell Fisher 6255 Old Royalton Road, Suite 2, Brecksville 440-546-7266

David J. Francati 660 Dover Center Road, Suite 3, Bay Village 440-899-7950 baydentaloffice.com

Margaret Richards Frankel 5885 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 140, Mayfield Heights 440-442-4477 richardsfrankeldentistry.com

Brian D. Gallagher 17001 Albers Ave., Cleveland 216-502-4462 westparksmiles.com

Michael E. Gallagher 17001 Albers Ave., Cleveland 216-502-4462 westparksmiles.com

Juan J. Galvan 8440 Westport Drive, Mentor 440-266-7200 galvandental.net

Nancy W. Garlisi 34840 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills 440-516-0605 michaelokundds.com

Sam Glick 160 West Garfield Road, Suite E, Aurora 330-954-1000 clevelandsmilecenter.com

Cary N. Goldstein 29134 Euclid Ave., Wickliffe 440-943-3003 wickliffecosmeticdentist.com

Nick D. Gravino 560 Dover Center Road, Suite A, Bay Village 440-871-7040 nickgravinodds.com

Bruce D. Grbach 9203 Mentor Ave., Mentor 440-255-3165 dentalwellnesscenter.net

Seth Greenfield 9510 Diamond Center Drive, Mentor 440-357-1222 erieviewdental.com

Mark S. Grucella 620 Ridgewood Drive, Akron 330-733-7911 akronbestdentist.com

Betty A. Haberkamp 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 216-444-4388 clevelandclinic.org/ staff/15061-betty-haberkamp

Edward A. Hadaway 20015 Frazier Drive, Rocky River 440-552-5142

Carrie Hansen 7057 West 130th St., Suite 104, Parma Heights 440-887-0550 drcarriehansendds.com

George Haritonovich 26777 Lorain Road, Suite 417, North Olmsted 440-979-7292 drsharitonovichandhester.com

Christopher J. Harter 18224 Detroit Ave., Suite 274, Cleveland 216-279-3660 harterdentistry.net

Jill M. Harter 18224 Detroit Ave., Suite 274, Cleveland 216-279-3660 harterdentistry.net

John P. Heffernan, Jr. 1832 Pear Road, Brunswick 330-460-3016 advanceddentistrybrunswick.com

Anthony J. Heibili 20150 Center Ridge Road, Rocky River 440-331-8585 drheibili.com

John Heimke 21851 Center Ridge Road, Suite 302, Rocky River 888-255-3588 everyonelovesmysmile.com

Keith A. Hoover 39 Milford Drive, Hudson 330-650-0360 drshooverandyanda.com

Emma Hudepohl 812 East 185th St., Cleveland 216-418-9900 kozandds.com

Scott J. Hudepohl 812 East 185th St., Cleveland 216-481-9900 kozandds.com

Thomas R. Hughes 1480 Center Road Suite D, Avon 440-937-2273 avondentalcare.com

Grant Hunsicker 150 West Ave., Suite 101, Tallmadge 330-633-5133 hunsickerfamilydental.com

Mark A. Iacobelli 8030 Corporate Circle, North Royalton 440-845-7300 IacobelliDDS.com

Mark Iati 3506 Darrow Road, Stow 330-688-6456 stowdental.com

Denver D. Jenkins, Jr. 17117 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 216-221-0300 lakewooddentalgroup.com

Karyn A. Kahn 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 216-444-3265 clevelandclinic.org/staff/3489karyn-kahn

John H. Kelly 853 Westpoint Parkway, Suite 740, Westlake 440-871-9944

Christine Kepley 9769 Valley View Road, Macedonia 330-510-3969 meritdental.com/ locations/ohio-dental-centers/ macedonia-oh

Linda K. Kerata 15424 East Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights 440-888-6707 drkeratadds.com

Michael A. Kimberly 1852 Merriman Road, Akron 330-867-8354 valleydentalgroupakron.com

Parag S. Kirpekar 6789 Ridge Road, Suite 201, Parma 440-884-7710 paragkirpekardds.com

Joanna R. Kleckner 2080 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls 330-923-5287 joannaklecknerdds.com

Matthew D. Kogan 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 404, Lyndhurst 440-646-1133 kogandmd.com

Neil J. Kogan 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 404, Lyndhurst 440-646-1133 kogandmd.com

Louis W. Konstan 11 South Cleveland Ave., Mogadore 330-628-3017 mogadoredentist.com

Elizabeth A. Kozan 812 East 185th St., Cleveland 216-481-9900 kozandds.com

Melissa A. Kronholz 8247 Columbia Road, Olmsted Falls 216-235-1500 olmstedfallsdentist.com

Thomas J. Kronholz 8247 Columbia Road, Olmsted Falls 440-235-1500 olmstedfallsdentist.com

Glenn J. Kuemerle 33398 Walker Road, Suite A, Avon Lake 440-933-4486 avonlakedentistry.com

Kenneth J. Kurz 8371 Pearl Road, Strongsville 440-234-5520

Jeffrey W. Laubmeier 14583 Madison Ave., Lakewood 216-226-3084 jwldentistry.com

William F. Lavigna 6009 Landerhaven Drive, Suite E, Mayfield Heights 440-720-0544 landerhavendental.com

Thomas G. Leatherman 6100 South Broadway, Suite 300, Lorain 440-233-8521 loraincosmeticdentist.com

Joseph R. Leon 6009 Landerhaven Drive, Suite E, Mayfield Heights 440-720-0544 landerhavendental.com

Ira G. Levinsky 5596 Mayfield Road, Suite 4, Lyndhurst 440-442-8220

T. J. Liller 27476 Detroit Road, Suite 205, Westlake 440-250-8898 lillerdentalGroup.com

Gregory A. Lis 100 East Elm St., Kent 330-673-0121 mykentdentist.com

Angela K. Marino 63 Graham Road, Suite 3, Cuyahoga Falls 330-752-1300 drmarinoassociates.com

Michael Marotta 28040 Center Ridge Road, Westlake 440-835-2600 smilewestshore.com

Steven P. Marsh 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 540, Lyndhurst 440-461-1003 clevelandsmiles.com

Christopher J. Martin 337 East Main St., Kent 330-673-9745 martindentalcare.com

Kelly McClintock 8401 Chagrin Road, Suite 11, Chagrin Falls 440-543-5020 dentistryatwinbury.com

Gregory T. McCune 8865 Brecksville Road, Brecksville 440-526-2123 mccunedental.com

Katherine L. McNeeley 550 North Abbe Road, Elyria 440-365-0230 mcneeleyandshubafamilydental. com

Sean A. McNeeley 550 North Abbe Road, Elyria 440-365-0230 mcneeleyandshubafamilydental. com

James W. Moodt 24700 Center Ridge Road, Suite 19, Westlake 440-871-7979 jameswmoodtdmd.com

William E. Morisak 3515 Manchester Road, Suite 7, Akron 330-644-6397

Brian Morningstar 660 Dover Center Road, Bay Village 440-899-7950 baydentaloffice.com

Michael E. Murphy 525 North Cleveland-Massillon Road, Suite 106, Akron 330-666-1855

Christopher T. Nassif 4647 Ridge Road, Brooklyn 216-351-6600 drnassifassociates.com

William D. Nelson 7575 Fredle Drive, Suite 101, Painesville 440-357-7575 wdndds.com

William R. Nemeth 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 223, Mayfield Heights 440-473-3836

Derek T. Nevar 6555 Wilson Mills Road, Suite 100, Mayfield Village 216-731-4700 nevardental.com

Kent N. Nicklas 633 West Bagley Road, Suite 1, Berea 440-234-4646

Michael L. Okun 34840 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills 440-516-0605 michaelokundds.com

Michael E. O’Leary 13425 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 216-226-2344 olearydentistry.com

Michael S. Pap 18611 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 216-221-2210 wfamilydental.com

Maria Papich-Forsyth 555 Graham Road, Suite 100, Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-1417 cuyahogafallsdentalarts.com

Donald G. Patacca 1600 East Royalton Road, Broadview Heights 440-546-0330 pataccadds.com

David R. Patton 33001 Solon Road, Suite 201, Solon 440-248-2035 drpattondds.com

Thomas J. Pesarchick 8307 Windham St., Garrettsville 330-527-3368

Heather J. Petroff 9000 Town Centre, Suite A, Broadview Heights 440-838-4480 hjpetroffdds.com

Lisa M. Petti 29090 Euclid Ave., Wickliffe 440-943-0266 pettidentistry.com

James R. Potocnik 3690 Orange Place, Suite 550, Beachwood 216-464-0500

Julie A. Pruneski 690 Cooper Foster Park Road, Lorain 440-282-2023 whisperingpinesdental.com

Samuel N. Pupino 539 White Pond Drive, Suite B, Akron 330-836-0485

John S. Pyke III 33399 Walker Road, Suite D, Avon Lake 440-933-2549 avonlakedental.com

Chandice Richards 9659 Old Johnnycake Ridge Road, Mentor 440-358-0495 mentorohiodentist.com

W. Tyler Rogus 1852 Merriman Road, Akron 330-867-8354 valleydentalgroupakron.com

Scott L. Rose 6200 Som Center Road, Suite B-10, Solon 440-542-1200 goodhealth.dental

Paul J. Rosenblitt 526 Superior Ave. East, Suite 109, Cleveland 216-781-2444 rosenblittdental.com

Chris S. Ruggiero 531 East Smith Road, Medina 330-725-0455

Rick Rzepka 25200 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 230, Beachwood 216-641-9090 drrzepka.com

Swetha Sajja 620 Ridgewood Crossing, Akron 330-773-7911 akronbestdentist.com

Stephen L. Sala 8030 Corporate Circle, North Royalton 440-845-7300 iacobellidds.com

Jason A. Schermer 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 121, Mayfield Heights 440-483-1003 exceptionalsmiles.com

Shawn Schlessel 3690 Orange Place, Suite 180, Beachwood 216-595-1710 cfad.net

Thomas E. Schmidt 7029 Royalton Road, North Royalton 440-582-3466 schmidtfamilydentistry.com

William A. Schmidt 7029 Royalton Road, North Royalton 440-582-3466 schmidtfamilydentistry.com

Robert E. Schneider 20620 North Park Blvd., Suite 220, Shaker Heights 216-321-2545 fairmountcircledentistry.com

Paul L. Schwartz 36388 Detroit Road, Avon 440-934-9090 paulschwartzdds.com

Thomas D. Semans 2660 West Market St., Suite 200, Fairlawn 330-867-4461 semansfamilydentistry.com

Natasha Sheridan 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 123, Mayfield Heights 440-646-0477 completesmilecare.com

Megan A. Shiga 525 East Washington St., Chagrin Falls 440-247-9220 chagrindentist.com

L. Don Shumaker 1701 East 12th St., Suite 502, Cleveland 216-621-1953 whitesmilecleveland.com

Christine B. Sikora 23755 Lorain Road, North Olmsted 440-779-8730 drsikora.com

William W. Sikora 23755 Lorain Road, North Olmsted 440-779-8730 drsikora.com

David G. Silk 6200 Som Center Road, Suite D-10, Solon 440-248-6699 davidsilkdds.com

Gerald Sisko 60 Metric Drive, Tallmadge 330-633-9510 tallmadgedentist.com

Michael E. Skerl 1611 South Green Road, Suite 157, South Euclid 216-381-6521 drskerl.com

Peter N. Stamatis 355 Mill Ave., Suite A, Amherst 440-988-4464

Michael A. Stefan 330 Stow Avenue, Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-5575 barsanstefandental.com

Carl J. Stefaniak 6533 Brecksville Road, Suite A, Independence 216-524-7275

Thomas J. Steffas 8200 Avery Road, Broadview Heights 440-526-4866 averydentalgroup.com

Bryan Stephens 60 North Miller Road, Fairlawn 330-867-7741 bryanstephensdds.com

Michelle S. Taylor 9795 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg 330-227-6009 twinsburgsmiles.com

Samuel E. Taylor 9795 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg 330-227-6009 twinsburgsmiles.com

Chris Bill Theodorou 14783 Pearl Road, Strongsville 440-238-1300 dentiststrongsville.com

Kurt R. Thomas 2211 Crocker Road, Suite 110, Westlake 440-777-5757 clevelandsmilecenter.com

Thomas M. Touhey 20390 Lorain Road, Fairview Park 440-895-1627 touheyfamilydental.com

Grant B. Turner 585 White Pond Drive, Suite B, Akron 330-836-9870

Megan Ursick 865 SOM Center Road, Mayfield Village 440-442-4100 meganursickdds.com

Paul R. Vecchio 1288 North Abbe Road, Suite C, Elyria 440-365-9580 vecchiodds.com

Craig E. Vinkovich 6675 Royalton Road, North Royalton 440-237-3223 vinkovichdentistry.com

Mark P. Vogley 8401 Chagrin Road, Suite 11, Chagrin Falls 440-543-5020 dentistryatwinbury.com

Steven B. Walters 4780 Clague Road, North Olmsted 440-607-4308 ohdentalcare.com

Ryan M. Walton 508 East Exchange St., Akron 330-434-3485 akronsmile.com

Sherry L. Waters 660 Dover Center Road, Bay Village 440-899-7950 baydentaloffice.com

Emily Weitz 6449 Wilson Mills Road, Mayfield Village 440-449-0069 emilyweitzdds.com

Todd W. Westhafer 667 West Turkeyfoot Lake Road, Akron 330-644-9511 westhaferdds.com

Christopher C. Whitmyer 3609 Park East Drive, Suite 501 North, Beachwood 216-292-5990 eowdental.com

Scott S. Whitney 7000 Town Center Drive, Suite 100, Broadview Heights 440-838-5550 whitneydentistry.com

Charles L. Wilson 6009 Landerhaven Drive, Suite E, Mayfield Heights 440-720-0544

Kenneth J. Wolnik II 6363 York Road, Suite 202, Parma Heights 440-888-5055 drwolnik.com

April A. Yanda 39 Milford Drive, Hudson 330-650-0360 drshooverandyanda.com

Jeffrey A. Young 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 660, Lyndhurst 440-461-8200 wholelifedentistry.com

Robert A. Zavodny 2950 West Market St., Suite N-O, Fairlawn 330-836-9511 razavodnydds.com

Philip J. Znidarsic 98 West Aurora Road, Northfield 330-467-6466 nordoniadental.com

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Dominick C. Adornato III 1129 East Aurora Road, Suite 101, Macedonia 330-468-1188 drdominickadornatoiii.com

David C. Ash 789 White Pond Drive, Suite B, Akron 330-867-8347 jawandfacialsurgery.com

W. Stephen Barnes II 57 Graham Road, Cuyahoga Falls 330-929-2808 fallsoralsurgery.com

Dale A. Baur 9601 Chester Ave., Cleveland 216-368-3102 uhhospitals.org/find-a-doctor/baurdale-14984

William S. Blood 4350 Crocker Road, Suite 100, Westlake 440-871-3131 northcoastjawcenter.com

Carl R. Choi 4230 State Route 306, Suite 350, Willoughby 440-946-2247 greatlakesjawandimplantsurgery center.com

Ihor J. Danko 660 Dover Center Road, Suite 127, Bay Village 440-899-9280 cleoms.com

Troy A. Frazee 7232 Pearl Road, Middleburg Heights 440-845-0555 westernreserveoms.com

Eric S. Fried 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 125, Mayfield Heights 440-461-6390 alperin-fried.com

Allen K. Herpy 6770 Mayfield Road, Suite 420, Mayfield Heights 440-460-2820 chagrinvalleyoms.com

Michael J. Hoffman 57 Graham Road, Cuyahoga Falls 330-929-2808 fallsoralsurgery.com

Michael P. Horan 5155 Buehlers Drive, Suite 107, Medina 330-952-2015 frontierdentalohio.com

Ashoo Khanuja 6701 Rockside Road, Suite 209, Independence 216-328-1234 drkhanujaddsmd.com

Robert Klein 539 White Pond Drive, Suite C, Akron 330-836-2882 akronoralsurgerygroup.com

Jeffrey W. Kosman 5319 Meadows Lane Court, Sheffield Village 440-934-2626 cleoms.com

Donald P. Lewis, Jr. 7207 Hopkins Road, Mentor 440-255-3700 ohsurgery.com

Edward T. Marshall, Jr. 3075 Smith Road, Suite 102, Akron 330-670-0050 dredwardmarshall.com

John R. Mascaro 4230 State Route 306, Suite 350, Willoughby 440-946-2247 greatlakesjawandimplantsurgery center.com

Edward J. McDonnell 554 White Pond Drive, Suite B, Akron 330-836-2882 akronoralsurgerygroup.com

Matthew D. Pavlick 1551 South Water St., Kent 330-678-6564 pavlickandreppas.com

Gregory A. Plona 4350 Crocker Road, Suite 100, Westlake 440-871-3131 northcoastjawcenter.com

Raymond Plona III 4350 Crocker Road, Suite 100, Westlake 440-871-3131 northcoastjawcenter.com

Matthew A. Popper 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 125, Mayfield Heights 440-461-6390 alperin-fried.com

Faisal Quereshy 3591 Reserve Commons Drive, Suite 300, Medina 330-721-2323 visagefacialsurgery.com

Serafim N. Reppas 1551 South Water St., Kent 330-678-6564 pavlickandreppas.com

Keith Schneider 6151 Wilson Mills Road, Suite 110, Highland Heights 440-771-7070 ohsurgery.com

Daniel M. Schwartz 3690 Orange Place, Suite 111, Beachwood 216-464-1200 schwartzoms.com

Gary R. Schween 5002 Foote Road, Medina 330-725-8449 medinaoralsurgeons.com

Michael C. Shapiro 28871 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, Westlake 440-871-2201 cleoms.com

R. Neil Sundheimer 4181 Holiday St. Northwest, Canton 330-493-1605 jawandfacialsurgery.com

Erik D. Warren 550 Leavitt Road, Amherst 440-988-3400 cleoms.com

Oral Medicine

Andres Pinto 9601 Chester Ave., Cleveland 440-623-7632 uhhospitals.org

Oral Pathology

Ivan Stojanov 2124 Cornell Road, Cleveland 216-368-0853 uhhospitals.org

Orthodontics

John W. Ballrick 28885 Center Ridge Road, Suite 203, Westlake 440-835-6113 ballrickorthodontics.com

Stephen J. Belli 1551 South Water St., Kent 330-673-6411 bellistreitsmiles.com

Philip D. Bomeli 33695 Bainbridge Road, Suite 101, Solon 440-349-5885 solonorthodontics.com

Charles P. Canepa 20024 Detroit Road, Rocky River 440-331-1464 canepaortho.com

Carl Dietrich III 1690 West Exchange St., Akron 330-864-2101 dietrichfamilyorthodontics.com

Celia E. Fenell 4568 Mayfield Road, Suite 203, South Euclid 216-291-9473 geaugasmiles.com

Felix Gen 5827 Mayfield Road, Mayfield Heights 440-442-3525 brace4success.com

Gary Golovan 28790 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 250, Beachwood 216-591-1916 golovanortho.com

Maria C. Haas 3500 West Market St., Suite 1, Akron 330-576-4017 smilesforme.com

Kevin J. Hallgarth 46 East Streetsboro St., Hudson 330-650-1119

Michael A. Jack 822 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls 330-929-2853 mjackortho.com

George R. Kast 16580 Pearl Road, Strongsville 440-878-3384 kastorthodontics.com

Ronald P. Kolodziej 4597 Ridge Road, Brooklyn 216-741-1070 clevelandsmilestylers.com

Kenneth H. Lawrence 8857 Mentor Ave., Mentor 440-974-2040 drlawrence.com

Alex Mellion 41 Baker Blvd., Akron 330-867-2410 mellionortho.com

Joseph T. Mellion 41 Baker Blvd., Akron 330-867-2410 mellionortho.com

Zachary J. Mellion 41 Baker Blvd., Akron 330-867-2410 mellionortho.com

Craig Minich 8401 Chagrin Road, Suite 12, Chagrin Falls 440-708-0993 minichorthodontics.com

Paul S. Murphy 881 East Exchange St., Akron 330-208-1100 akronsmilesbright.com

Casey O’Conor 35836 Center Ridge Road, North Ridgeville 440-327-9036 droconor.com

Samuel Papandreas 14200 Ridge Road, North Royalton 440-582-8585 drpapandreas.com

Stephan H. Parker 6519 Wilson Mills Road, Suite 100, Mayfield Village 440-442-4800 parkerbraces.com

Rebecca Petts 28885 Center Ridge Road, Suite 203, Westlake 440-331-5450 ballrickorthodontics.com

Sharon R. Schmahl 1186 Bell St., Chagrin Falls 440-338-5667 leaportho.com

Andrew W. Skorobatckyj 7444 State Road, Parma 440-842-8015 skororthodontics.com

George A. Souris 26777 Lorain Road, Suite 214, North Olmsted 440-734-1146 bracesbysouris.com

Manish Valiathan 8600 Alexandria Drive, Suite B, Macedonia 330-467-2763 summitspecialists.com

Ira H. Weiss 3755 Orangle Place, Suite 100-A, Orange Village 216-292-6340 weissandtorortho.com

Reid Wenger 75 North Chillicothe Road, Aurora 330-995-9944 bracesbywenger.com

Ryan T. Wenger 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 224, Mayfield Heights 440-442-0916 wengerortho.com

John White 9365 Olde Eight Road, Northfield Center 330-468-0607 smilesbywhite.com

Pediatric Dentistry

Laura Adelman 9964 Vail Drive, Suite 1, Twinsburg 330-425-1885 greatbeginningspd.com

Therese M. Bonamer 13477 Prospect Road, Suite 102, Strongsville 440-572-5437 bonamerdds.com

Jennifer Bryk-Hechko 8801 Brecksville Road, Suite 5, Brecksville 440-838-5445 brecksvillekids.com

Surabhi Chhibber 660 Dover Center Road, Suite 17, Bay Village 440-892-5556 bayvillagepeds.com

Carolyn B. Crowell 36855 American Way, Suite C, Avon 440-934-0149 drcrowell.com

Jack Gerstenmaier 3094 West Market St., Suite 260, Akron 330-867-5688 gerstenmaierdds.com

Daniel M. Gindi 8600 Alexandria Drive, Suite B, Macedonia 330-467-2763 summitspecialists.com

Sonja A. Jarmoszuk 21590 Center Ridge Road, Suite B, Rocky River 440-333-4623 pediatricdentistrockyriver.com

Diana A. Kyrkos 660 Dover Center Road, Suite 17, Bay Village 440-892-5556 bayvillagepeds.com

Gregory C. Mertes 5655 Hudson Drive, Suite 300, Hudson 330-655-5437 mertesdental.com

Milton Ntragatakis 1824 Pearl Road, Brunswick 330-220-6363 brunswickkidds.com

Adam Pollock 1707 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls 330-929-3091 dradampollockdds.com

Frank G. Radis 85 North Chillicothe Road, Aurora 330-562-2700 pediatricdentistryofaurora.com

Rockland A. Ray 26777 Lorain Road, Suite 600, North Olmsted 440-471-4187 rocklandraydds.com

Rebecca Robbins 1220 Som Center Road, Suite B, Mayfield Heights 440-442-5437 drrobbinspedo.com

Rachel Rosen 9964 Vail Drive, Suite 1, Twinsburg 330-425-1885 greatbeginningspd.com

Julie Rudgers-Croft 725 West Streetsboro St., Hudson 234-602-2555 explorerdentistry.com

Minda S. Rudnick 3641 Lander Road, Pepper Pike 216-464-7654

Jane A. Silk 6200 Som Center Road, Suite D-11, Solon 440-248-1995 janesilkdds.com

Rajesh Vij 3523 Commercial Drive, Fairlawn 330-668-9977 dentist4kidz.com

Periodontics

Richard J. Bobulsky 7057 West 130th St., Suite 203, Parma Heights 440-885-4200 bobulskyperiodonticsimplants.com

Thomas Bodnar 21851 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, Rocky River 440-331-3044 bodnarperiodontics.com

Marcus A. Castro 3690 Orange Place, Suite 395, Beachwood 216-464-3456 drcastro.com

Christopher A. Connors 38530 Chester Road, Suite 100, Avon 440-471-4711 westshoreperiodontics.com

Rebecca B. Davis 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 450, Cleveland 440-461-3400 clevelandperio.com

“Ultrathin”

Miguel DeFina 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 450, Cleveland 440-461-3400 clevelandperio.com

Roger A. Hess 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 450, Cleveland 440-461-3400 clevelandperio.com

Roger S. Karp 6789 Ridge Road, Suite 206, Parma 440-842-4090 cleveland-dentalimplants.com

Joseph A. Koberlein 3869 Darrow Road, Suite 201, Stow 330-688-9922 josephakoberleinddsms.com

Hui-Jin Lee 1000 West Wallings Road, Suite B, Broadview Heights 440-546-1116 southwestspecialists.com

Matthew J. Lemke 6505 Rockside Road, Suite 310, Independence 216-642-9111 morgandentalimplants.com

Joseph Locaffaro 727 Graham Road, Suite 1, Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-5551

Michael H. Morgan 6505 Rockside Road, Suite 310, Independence 216-642-9111 morgandentalimplants.com

Mark S. Obernesser 484 South Miller Road, Suite 200, Fairlawn 330-867-3320 akronperio.com

Luis Pires 33 Baker Blvd., Suite 201, Fairlawn 330-836-9341 fairlawnperio.com

Sasha B. Ross 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 216-444-6907 clevelandclinic.org

Scott D. Sazima 26032 Detroit Ave., Suite 8, Westlake 440-835-4600 westlakeperio.com

David M. Sorboro 26777 Lorain Road, Suite 706, North Olmsted 440-979-0055 sorboroperio.com

Jason M. Streem 29001 Cedar Road, Suite 450, Cleveland 440-461-3400 clevelandperio.com

Clifford “Kip” Thomas 14050 Madison Ave., Lakewood 216-221-5595 lakewoodperiodontics.com

Morris F. Wasylenki 414 West Cook Road, Mansfield 419-756-4540

Gary E. Woznicki 26300 Euclid Ave., Suite 424, Euclid 216-731-7555 garywoznickidds.com

Everett Wu 26410 Center Ridge Road, Westlake 440-331-6116 highpointperio.com

Prosthodontics

Anthony Deliberato 24600 Detroit Road, Suite 200, Westlake 440-808-9809

Salvatore J. Esposito 3609 Park East Drive, Suite 501 North, Beachwood 216-292-5990 eowdental.com

M. Ali Kanawati 31099 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100, Pepper Pike 216-245-0115 clearchoice.com/locations/ dental-implants-cleveland

Sanjay Karunagaran 5155 Buehlers Drive, Suite 107, Medina 330-952-2015 frontierdentalohio.com

Kathryn M. Shroyer 25101 Detroit Road, Suite 410, Westlake 440-835-4848 westlakeprosthodontics.com

Michel G. Venot 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 216-368-3290 case.edu/dental

Clark C. White III 5825 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 226, Mayfield Heights 440-461-0994 ccwdds.com

A Smile Makeover Can Dramatically Enhance Your Appearance and Change Your Life

You’ll look younger, healthier and more attractive You will feel more confident and have more self esteem because you know you’re looking great.

Any Smile Can Be Enhanced

Crooked, overlapped teeth can be straightened

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Voted

have more self-esteem because you know you’re looking great.

Any Smile Can Be Enhanced

• Crooked, overlapped teeth can be straightened

• Gaps can be closed

• “Gummy” smiles can be recontoured

• Stained, discolored teeth can be whitened

• Chipped, broken and worn teeth can be repaired

SURABHI CHHIBBER, BDS DIANA A. KYRKOS, DDS BAY PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

660 Dover Center Road. Suite #17, Bay Village 440-892-5556, bayvillagepeds.com, appts@bayvillagepeds.com

SPECIALTY: Pediatric Dentistry, Behavior Management

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Personal: Yoga, rowing, hiking. Professional: Minimally invasive dentistry, LASER dentistry, Tethered Oral Tissue Management, Sedation & General Anesthesia, Myofunctional Therapy

WHAT SETS THEM APART: A patient and playful demeanor puts anxious kids at ease, providing a safe space for children to express and overcome their fears.

EDUCATION: Dr. Chibber: Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery from Mahe, India. Advanced Education in General Dentistry from University of Connecticut Health Center. Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Maryland. Dr. Kyrkos: Baldwin Wallace College, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospital Residency

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: AAPD Fellow, OAPD, ADA, Diplomate in American Board of Pediatric Dentistry

TECHNOLOGIES: SOLEA LASER, state of the art equipment

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Greater Cleveland Dental Society, Karen P. Nakon Breast Cancer Foundation, Village Project, Prayers from Maria, Dean Paras Memorial for Neuroendocrine Cancer, Bay Arts & Bay Days, Island Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary (ISHAS), St. John’s Heart Chase

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: To remain one of the premier dental practices in Ohio through ongoing state of the art training, personalized and dedicated patient care, and most importantly, emphasis on a child-friendly dental experience.

BARJESH K. BATH-WALTERS, DDS STEVEN B. WALTERS, DDS, FAGD

ADVANCED DENTAL CARE & AESTHETICS

4780 Clague Road, North Olmsted 440-777-2757, ohdentalcare.com, info@ohdentalcare.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Sedation dentistry, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, digital dentistry, Invisalign, dental sleep medicine

WHAT SETS THEM APART: Having the 3rd generation of dentists in their practice: Dr. Kiren Walters, Dr. Sam Stevens, and Dr. Alicia Irizarry. The ability to use IV sedation, and the latest technologies, to treat the multitude of problems that arise from avoidance caused by fear and anxiety.

EDUCATION: Dr. Walters: University of Michigan; Dr. Bath-Walters: CWRU. Both doctors gained advanced training by completing residencies at Metro Hospital, and Dr. Walters has held his IV sedation license since 2006

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Cleveland Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Dental Society of Anesthesiology, International Implant Association, West Shore Study Club

TECHNOLOGIES: CEREC (same-day crowns), digital impressions, on-site 3-D printer, digital X-rays, CBCT (Cone beam computerized tomography), intraoral cameras, CariVu (used for accurate early decay diagnosis)

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The doctors treat patients at Medworks free dental clinics and provide care for patients in need through the ODA Dental OPTIONS program.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: Helping patients regain and maintain their health, confidence and quality of life by regaining the desire to smile.

MEGAN A. SHIGA, DDS DENTISTRY OF CHAGRIN

525 E. Washington St., Chagrin Falls 440-247-9220, chagrindentist.com

drmeganshiga@yahoo.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Cosmetic and comprehensive restorative dentistry

WHAT SETS HER APART: Dr. Shiga truly enjoys all aspects of dentistry and loves coming into the office every day. She values her patients’ oral health first and foremost and strives to always provide impeccable care coupled with a fair and personable approach.

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science, John Carroll University; Doctor of Dental Surgery, The Ohio State University

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, Greater Cleveland Dental Society

TECHNOLOGIES: Primescan intraoral scanner and CEREC milling unit, 3D Cone Beam CT, CariVu transilluminating camera, digital radiographs, VELscope device to screen for oral cancer, intraoral cameras and nitrous oxide

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Dr. Shiga volunteers for Medworks, Give Kids a Smile Day and by educating various children’s classrooms.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF HER WORK: Changing a patient’s life by improving their oral and systemic health in addition to building a positive long-lasting relationship.

PHILOSOPHY: The goal at Dentistry of Chagrin is to serve and protect the patient’s interests and to provide the highest quality oral health care to them.

DR. NIKI COCHRAN CLE SMILES BY DR. NIKI

15901 Hilliard Road, Lakewood 216-226-3800, drnikicochran.com

SPECIALTY: Cosmetic and family dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Veneers, Smile Design, Whitening, 6 Month Smiles and Bonding

WHAT SETS HER APART: E xperience, continued education, technology and painless delivery

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science from John Carroll University; Doctor of Dental Surgery from The Ohio State University; Las Vegas Institute for Cosmetic Dentistry; Spears Institute for Restorative Dentistry

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: American Academy of Facial Esthetics, American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, Greater Cleveland Dental Society, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

TECHNOLOGIES: It is at Dr. Niki’s core to deliver amazing results by using superior materials and products with artistic ability and knowledge to exceed a patient’s expectations.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Dr. Niki coaches youth volleyball and basketball teams and helps with the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: Helping people improve their smiles and health. Also, to help rid them of pain to increase their quality of life and have them smiling everyday.

MISSION STATMENT: Our mission statement is to provide excellent dentistry in a professional, understanding and caring environment. We hope to help patients achieve optimal lifetime oral health through prevention, education and treatment. We hope to motivate patients to choose excellence and enjoy the long-term benefits of that decision.

MARGARET FRANKEL, DMD RICHARDS FRANKEL DENTISTRY

5885 Landerbrook Drive Suite 140 Mayfield Heights, OH 44124 440-442-4477, richardsfrankeldentistry.com

SPECIALTY: Comprehensive, Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, as well as Sleep and Airway Dentistry.

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Outside of the office, Dr. Frankel enjoys figure skating, ballet, spending time with family, lecturing and attending continuing education courses.

WHAT SETS HER APART: Richards Frankel Dentistry provides world-class care by focusing on preventative and regenerative care with a focus on total health.

EDUCATION: B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, Harvard University Post Baccalaureate, Case School of Dental Medicine, DMD.

TECHNOLOGIES: Dr. Frankel utilizes Digital Smile design, Digital Impressions and Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT).

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of General Dentistry and Spear Education, the Pankey Institute, Ohio Dental Association, American Dental Association.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Dr. Frankel works with charitable organization including Medworks and Medwish International

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF HER WORK: Transforming smiles and improving patients’ oral and overall health and happiness!

MISSION STATEMENT: Richards Frankel Dentistry: dentistry designed for health and wellbeing.

CANDICE L. FEHRING, DDS AND THOMAS G. LEATHERMAN, DDS

TEAM LEATHERMAN CARE DENTISTRY

6100 South Broadway Ave., Suite 300, Lorain 440-233-8521, loraincosmeticdentist.com

SPECIALTY : General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Cosmetic and family dentistry, including oral surgery and endodontics

WHAT SETS THEM APART: Gentle care, technology and compassion

EDUCATION: Dr. Leatherman: Miami University (BS) and Case Western Reserve University (DDS); Dr. Fehring: University of Dayton (BS) and The Ohio State University (DDS)

TECHNOLOGIES: CEREC (CAD/CAM same-day crowns), soft tissue laser, CBCT 3D digital X-rays, digital records

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION: Both doctors are members of the Lorain County Dental Society, Ohio Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the Westshore study club, Spear Education Study Club and CEREC Doctors.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF THEIR WORK: Helping patients feel comfortable and confident about their smiles and coming to the dentist.

VISION: To create a quality-driven, high-tech practice where providers and support staff can deliver quality care to patients in a friendly, safe and fun environment.

MISSION: Team Leatherman Care strives to deliver the utmost care and instruction to its patients so they can enjoy a lifetime of good oral health and well-being.

ANGELA K. MARINO DDS DR. MARINO & ASSOCIATES

381 Darrow Road, Akron 330-752-1300, drmarinoassociates.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Facial esthetics

WHAT SETS HER APART: Locally owned and family operated, our unique state-ofthe-art facilities have over 30 years of experience delivering a wide range of quality services conveniently and at an affordable price.

EDUCATION: Capital University, summa cum laude, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Metro Health Medical Center General Practice residency, DentaSpa Comprehensive Advanced Training in Botox and dermal fillers

TECHNOLOGIES: 3D cone beam imaging, full-mouth rehabilitation utilizing implants and chrome technology, digital radiography, BOTOX, dermal fillers and SkinMedica

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: International Academy of Facial Esthetics, The Ohio State University President’s Club for Philanthropic Leadership, American Association of Women Dentists

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Fill This House, a local nonprofit that assists youth aging out of foster care by providing basic furnishings to start their adult life.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: The reward and privilege of being a part of restoring and treating the whole face to recapture a patient’s youthful appearance while bringing them a renewed sense of confidence.

MISSION STATEMENT: Our practice delivers state-of-the-art dentistry at an affordable price because we believe everyone deserves quality dental care. Our team includes a board-certified oral surgeon, orthodontist and general dentists that keep current with the latest technologies including implant placement and restoration.

CHRISTOPHER NASSIF, DDS

DR. NASSIF & ASSOCIATES

4647 Ridge Road, Brooklyn 216-400-9050 drnassifassociates.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Dental implant placement and restoration

WHAT SETS HIM APART: For nearly three decades, Dr. Nassif’s award-winning offices have been serving the Greater Cleveland area by providing all dental services conveniently under one roof, making their treatments simple and affordable.

EDUCATION: The Ohio State University, Loyola University of Chicago College of Dentistry, Evanston Hospital GPR, Thommen Implant Placement Certification

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Thommen Implant Placement continuing education course sponsor

TECHNOLOGIES: 3D cone beam, digital X-rays, Invisalign, CEREC, BOTOX, dermal fillers, PDO Smooth & Lifting Threads, Sculptra, collagen biostimulation

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Dr. Nassif is a dedicated bi-monthly local soup kitchen volunteer. He also hosts a holiday collection drive through his offices and sponsors a fundraiser for Stella Maris.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: Dr. Nassif enjoys being able to transform a patient’s smile affordably using dental implants to provide a long-term predictable solution that renews their self-confidence.

MATT SHIFFLER

HEATHER J. PETROFF, DDS HEATHER J. PETROFF, DDS

9000 Town Centre, Suite A, Broadview Hts. 440-838-4480, hjpetroffdds.com, info@hjpetroffdds.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Laser, implant and family dentistry

WHAT SETS HER APART: An ongoing commitment to helping patients by using the most efficient technology including all-digital X-rays, intraoral cameras, VELscope cancer screenings and the high-tech Solea laser that replaces the traditional dental drill.

EDUCATION: Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Academy of General Dentistry, Cleveland Dental Society

TECHNOLOGIES: Solea hard and soft tissue laser, VELscope oral cancer screening, digital radiology

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Dr. Petroff and her husband are known throughout the community as owners of a popular indoor cycling and group training facility.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: Dr. Petroff enjoys getting to know generations of patients while using knowledge and technology to care for their oral health. Dr. Petroff is family oriented and understands the apprehensions her patients may associate with dental visits.

PHILOSOPHY: Dr. Petroff places great emphasis on overall health and truly getting to know her patients. She makes them feel comfortable about dental care through her warm personality, gentle touch and extensive experience.

DAVID R. PATTON, DDS DENTAL CARE OF SOLON

6384 SOM Center Road, Solon 440-248-2035, dentalcareofsolon.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Sports and Cosmetic

WHAT SETS HIM APART: Dr. Patton wants his patients to be comfortable with everyone in the office and the procedure. He takes the time to explain steps in detail both before and during the procedure to help reduce anxiety.

EDUCATION: Bowling Green State University (BS), The Ohio State University College of Dentistry (DDS), Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (residency)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry; Academy of General Dentistry; American Dental Association; Ohio Dental Association; Greater Cleveland Dental Society

TECHNOLOGIES: VELscope Vx screening system, all-digital X-rays, scanner

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Several medical mission trips

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF HIS WORK: Working with all of the people. Through the years, many of Dr. Patton’s patients have come to feel like family. Marriages, births, watching children grow, suffering with loss. Dr. Patton has been a part of their lives.

MISSION STATEMENT: Dr. Patton considers the patient relationship to be critical to the care he provides. His staff takes the time to get to know patients and the care they need.

JOHN S. PYKE, III, DDS JOHN PYKE DENTISTRY

33399 Walker Road, Suite D, Avon Lake, Ohio 44012 440-933-2549, avonlakedental.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Cosmetic and Advanced Restorative Dentistry

WHAT SETS HIM APART: Dr. Pyke employs advanced training, technology and an exceptional team.

EDUCATION: University of Michigan (BS), The Ohio State College of Dentistry (DDS)

TECHNOLOGIES: Digital x-rays, Digital Impressions/ Records

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, American Equilibration Society, Dawson Academy, American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Dr. Pyke is an active parent in Avon Lake City Schools activities and athletics.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF HIS WORK: Helping people achieve optimum oral health and confident smiles.

MISSION STATEMENT: Dr. Pyke and his team provide extraordinary care while providing excellent dentistry.

DR. RICK RZEPKA RZEPKA DENTAL

25200 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 230, Beachwood 216.641.9090. drrzepka.com

SPECIALTY: Family, Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: General dentistry, pediatrics, comprehensive restorable dentistry, cosmetic, implants, crown and bridge, root canals, dental extractions, snore appliances as well as dentures and partials. Dr. Rzepka also enjoys flying airplanes, scuba diving, skiing, skydiving, fishing, target shooting, photography and 3D printing.

WHAT SETS YOU APART: Dr. Rzepka uses the most advanced technologies including low-noise drills, impression-free impressions with 3D scanning and Digital Panorex.

EDUCATION: The Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine

TECHNOLOGIES: CBCT CAT Scanning, low-radiation digital x-rays, implants, sleep apnea devices and night guards

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Implant Lecturer, President of Hillcrest Dental Study Club

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Solon Citizens Police Academy, Instructor at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine for 22 years

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: Make a patient feel comfortable with his/her dental experience so she/he can smile with confidence!

MISSION STATEMENT OR PHILOSOPHY: Dedicated to excellence for over 30 years, Rzepka Dental is happy to “cater to cowards” with progressive methods and a caring approach.

CHRISTINE B. SIKORA, DDS AND WILLIAM W. SIKORA, DDS

SIKORA FAMILY DENTISTRY

23755 Lorain Road, North Olmsted 440-779-8730, drsikora.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: General dentistry, pediatrics, cosmetic, crown and bridge, Invisalign restoring dental implants, root canals, dental extractions, snore appliances as well as dentures and partials

WHAT SETS THEM APART: Delivering painless dentistry and working very hard to make sure patients are comfortable and enjoy a positive experience.

EDUCATION: Christine Sikora: Shawnee State University, registered dental hygienist; The Ohio State University, doctorate of dental surgery; William Sikora: John Carroll University, bachelor’s in biology and chemistry; The Ohio State University, doctor of dental surgery

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, Greater Cleveland Dental Association

TECHNOLOGIES: Digital impressions, Digital radiographs, Intraoral imaging, and all the cutting-edge restorative materials

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Several medical mission trips

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: Developing close relationships with their patients by restoring their trust and personal confidence and by decreasing their fear. Improving one’s health through dentistry.

MISSION STATEMENT: Providing quality dentistry in a comfortable environment. We treat the whole person not just the teeth.

CHRIS BILL THEODOROU, DMD

STRONGSVILLE DENTAL & LASER AESTHETICS

14783 Pearl Road, Strongsville 440-238-1300, dentiststrongsville.com, strongsvilledentalassoc@yahoo.com

SPECIALTY: General Dentistry

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Laser dentistry, sleep apnea/snoring dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, IV sedation pain-free dental options, Lumineers, Whitening for Life, Botox and aesthetic laser treatments, Invisalign

WHAT SETS HIM APART: Strongsville Dental & Laser Aesthetics’ modern office includes a full complement of state-of-the-art equipment offering unparalleled precision and less invasive treatments. The Surgically Clean Air™ technology offers the safest, healthiest dental environment for patients. The team is highly trained and experienced and the office’s therapy dogs, Laser and Mercury, offer the most unique warmth and stress-free dental experience.

EDUCATION: Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Class of 1994; Lumineer Certification, 2007; IV Sedation Residency, Duquesne University, Mylan School of Pharmacy, 2012; Dental Sleep Medicine Residency, Tufts University, 2015; Botox Training for Health Care Professionals, American Academy of Facial Esthetics, 2018

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, Greater Cleveland Dental Society, American Academy of Facial Esthetics and the Dental Organization of Conscious Sedation, Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs

TECHNOLOGIES: Fotona’s LightWalker laser, Surgically Clean Air™ technology

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Strongsville Dental & Laser Aesthetics sponsors local youth sports teams, Providence House and various Christian charities.

MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR WORK: Seeing a patient transition from a place of pain or deflated self-esteem — all conditions resulting from compromised oral health or aesthetics that we address daily — to one of healing, wellness and confidence.

MISSION STATEMENT: “The Level of Advanced Care You Deserve”

CHARLES AND IAN CANEPA ORTHODONTIC CARE

CHARLES AND IAN CANEPA ANEPA ORTHODONTICS

20024 Detroit Road, Rocky River 440-331-1464, canepaortho.com

150 Cooper Foster Park E., Lorain 440-233-8546, canepaortho.com

At Canepa Orthodontics, we provide treatment solutions to address your concerns and suit your lifestyle. Specializing in innovative treatment for all ages, it’s never too early or late for us to help patients achieve beautiful and confident smiles.

Together, Doctors Charles and Ian Canepa deliver orthodontic care, either traditional braces or clear aligners, in both the Rocky River and Lorain/Amherst areas. Contact our Rocky River or Lorain office to schedule a complimentary consultation and find the best personalized care for your orthodontic needs.

SAM GLICK, DMD GENERAL DENTISTRY

SAM GLICK, DMD CLEVELAND SMILE

528 Portage Trail

CENTER

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clevelandsmilecenter.com

Cleveland Smile Center is a familyowned dental practice with 4 convenient office locations in Aurora, Cuyahoga Falls, Oakwood Village, and Westlake. As founder and CEO, Dr. Sam Glick has built a world-class dental practice using state-of-the-art technology. The Cleveland Smile Center Team strives to provide care to the community of Northeast Ohio.

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In addition to his training in general dentistry, Dr. Glick has a special interest in cosmetic procedures, orthodontics and oral surgery including dental implantology. Dr. Glick is currently pursuing a fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry, a selective and prestigious honor reflective of his commitment to ongoing continuing education.

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The Path to HOME OWNERSHIP

How REALTORS® Champion the American Dream

How toBUY A HOUSE

Local experts share tips to help demystify and overcome the barriers to buying a home.

By Jill Sell

When he was young, Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS® (ACAR) Trea-

surer Drew Gaebelein, a REALTOR® with eXp Realty in Westlake, visited his grandmother every Sunday. She lived in Euclid, “three houses from Lake Erie,” recalls Gaebelein.

“We would just have fun playing on the beach by the lake and I thought it was normal for every kid to have that wonderful opportunity,” says Gaebelein.

“Recently I had a client who gave me a list of things she wanted in a house and

community. Euclid fit her budget. Euclid has a lot going for it. It’s a big city with great housing — bungalows, Craftsman-style homes — built with incredible materials. There are also parks and new access to the lake with a new pier and a lakefront walkway,” says Gaebelein.

The City of Euclid also provides opportunities to make homebuying in the community more affordable and convenient for individuals and families. The Euclid Development Corporation (EDCOR) offers a first-time homebuyer down payment assistance loan program for eligible

owner-occupant purchases. In addition, EDCOR administers a low interest home improvement loan program. Programs like those help hopeful homebuyers -— firsttime buyers as well as second or third-time buyers — get the keys to their new home.

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP?

A number of barriers exist that can create roadblocks for potential homebuyers, including credit and financial issues. In a recent survey, 47% of millennials considered high interest rates to be obstacles to

homeownership. For others, the high price of homes these days also seems like a brick wall. (First-time buyers currently make up make up 26% of all homebuyers — a decrease from 34% in 2022, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), of which ACAR is an affiliate.)

Obstacles also include the current low inventory of existing homes on the market, according to Gaebelein. In addition, not enough new construction is being completed by builders valiantly trying to keep up with the housing demand, but who are hampered by lack of skilled workers, some vital materials shortages and high costs.

But one barrier in particular looms large for many buyers — the lack of a sufficient down payment. According to NAR, about three-fourths of all potential homebuyers say they are planning to save for a down payment and most say it will take between six months and three years to save. But millennials are worried. Four in 10 people in that age group said they didn’t think they could save enough for a down payment.

ACAR is working with communities, lenders and homebuyers to ensure that barrier is lessened.

“The percentage of a down payment isn’t necessarily higher than it has been in the past. But the value of homes has gone up, so the amount of money has increased,” says ACAR Board Member Jeannet Wright, a REALTOR® with FASS Real Estate Services in Cleveland, who says that down payment percentage (depending on the loan type) can usually range from 3 to 3 ½% of the purchase price.

ACAR recently commissioned the Akron Housing Affordability Study, a spotlight on the largest city in Summit County, but which is also a reflection of what is happening in many other cities. The study was created by Anderson Economic Group, a research and consulting firm in Chicago.

According to ACAR's Vice President of Government Affairs Jamie McMillen, “the study suggests that down payments and closing costs may be a contributing factor to why less than 12% of households earning $30,000 or less are homeowners, despite being 40% of the city’s population.”

“The more barriers associated with homeownership that can be eliminated the better,” emphasizes ACAR President-Elect Mark Vittardi, a REALTOR® with Century 21 DePiero and Associates in Parma. “And the way we do that is through our association’s leadership.

“That way if a city or town has a real estate issue, it can look to ACAR to get the information they need before they make a decision that might have a negative effect.”

THERE IS DOWN PAYMENT HELP OUT THERE

Ohio REALTORS®’ 2023 President-Elect.

Ali Whitley is a REALTOR® and director of education and training for RE/MAX Crossroads Properties in Fairlawn. Whitley sees more initiatives at the local, state and national levels.

“Sometimes people come out of school with serious college debt. They have excellent earning potential, but they haven’t had the opportunity to build up that down payment yet,” says Whitley. “Down payment assistance would be the perfect opportunity for them. It would be fantastic if all communities had some sort of down payment assistance.”

In addition to a down payment, Wright reminds homebuyers that they are generally responsible for closing costs (about

3 to 6% of the loan amount), home inspections, appraisals and insurance. She also debunks the misconception that a 20% down payment is mandatory to buy a home. It can be a lot less if government programs, community economic-development assistance and/or lenders’ programs are utilized by eligible applicants, she says. Some loans, including several from the VA and USDA, require no down payment.

Wright also says more buyers should tap into overlooked personal resources that may be underutilized for down payment funds. Those can include significant funds from income tax returns or money saved that once was earmarked for a car payment.

HOMEOWNERSHIP PROVIDES BENEFITS FOR HOMEOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES

Numerous studies over the past decades have suggested that people reap many benefits as homeowners — financially, socially, emotionally and health wise. Homeowners can build strong credit histories and wealth over time and benefit from tax incentives.

Communities also benefit from homeowners who are more civically engaged and who make more property improvements. Neighborhoods of homeowners have a lower crime rate than those of renters because there are more ties to the area and more incentive to deter crime.

“Homeowners put down roots. They stay in communities longer than renters,” according to Whitley. “Homeowners are able

“ The more barriers associated with homeownership that can be eliminated the better.

—Mark Vittardi

DREW GAEBELEIN MARK VITTARDI JEANNET WRIGHT ALI WHITLEY

—Ali Whitley

to start increasing equity and building a life in their community that benefits their community in many ways. Communities that offer homebuyer education and some financial assistance can have an advantage attracting homebuyers.”

WHAT HOMEBUYERS WANT

We want many different things in our neighborhoods, but most of us want walkability. The Community and Transportation Preference Survey is a NAR national poll every three years. The 2023 survey showed that 70% of those surveyed in America’s 50 largest metropolitan areas say “being within an easy walk of other places and things, such as shops and parks, is very/somewhat important.” Also, 85% gave a thumbs up to sidewalks.

Whitley says communities need to promote their assets and work with REALTORS® to get that information to potential homebuyers. Amenities that many buyers want, including good schools, access to public transportation, major vehicle routes and good city services, also encourage residents to remain in their communities when it’s time to be moveup buyers.

Sometimes outdated zoning regulations or unenlightened zoning boards also can be barriers to homeownership. That can especially be true when it comes to affordable housing or non-conventional housing, including the transformation of shipping containers into homes, as well as allowing houseboats, tiny house, earthbermed houses or barndominiums.

“One example is that we are seeing some communities where zoning laws don’t allow for high density housing,” says Gaebelein. “There is a community in Northeast Ohio with an issue on the ballot to ban townhomes. Townhomes are standard entry-level housing in our country.”

IT'S STILL A SELLER’S MARKET

Understanding the homebuying process and “demystifying” it goes a long way to helping homebuyers overcome real or perceived barriers. Legal and financial concerns, and, even in some cases, discrimination, can be complex issues that require professional expertise.

“The biggest misconception for consumers is that they don’t need REALTOR® representation. And I think that falls squarely on us as REALTORS® to educate the consumer about the benefits they have working with us,” says Vittardi.

“Buyers need to have their own advocate,” says Whitley. “Hiring a buyer’s agent to make sure they have someone in their corner will help them throughout the whole process.”

Whitley notes that the state of homebuying is “a seller’s market,” with transactions favoring the seller, not necessarily the buyer. Most real estate professionals and housing economists say it will be seller’s market vs. a buyer’s market for several years.

“So that means there are multiple buyers looking at one particular house. And when that happens, we have all kinds of competition. If a buyer is just waiting to see something online, it may be too late,” warns Whitley. “It’s much better together with a REALTOR® who is searching for properties they can afford and will be interested in. We can often get our buyers over to a house before we are in a multiple offer situation.”

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM

Barriers to homebuying for some consumers are real, but not universal and not insurmountable, according to Wright. She cites reports that show new construction is increasing, “if ever so slightly, but still increasing,” providing more homes on the market. The REALTOR® also points to the on-going and innovative conversions of buildings that were former warehouses,

factories, schools and churches into single-family or multi-family units.

And although this trend also can have a slight negative connotation, Wright says the competition to buy a house may be lessened because “some buyers are getting out of the market.”

“These former buyers may face some new financial changes or problems that cause them to drop out. Or sometimes they are just fatigued after looking for a house for so long,” Wright says.

And as more communities get on the bandwagon to provide down payment assistance and other financial help to home buyers, ACAR members have reason to celebrate their buyers’ success stories.

COMMUNITIES SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO HELP CREATE MORE HOMEOWNERS

Homeownership is the American dream and key to building community pride, engagement and generational wealth. However, saving for a down payment may be a barrier to homeownership for some. ACAR encourages our local governments to consider implementing a local down payment assistance program or other homebuyer incentive to support homeownership. If you agree, join our efforts by completing the form below. Your contact information will be protected and not shared publicly.

“ Buyers need to have their own advocate. Hiring a buyer’s agent to make sure they have someone in their corner will help them throughout the whole process.

WE'RE HERE FOR EVERY STEP ON

Good luck with your journey. Below you will find some resources to assist you in your search.

Overcoming HOMEBUYING OBSTACLES

ACAR REALTORS® can help potential homeowners find programs and incentives from many different sources to help with the home buying process. Here is a sampling:

AKRON

Akron’s Community Reinvestment Area Residential Tax Abatement Program allows homeowners to pay taxes solely on the pre-improvement assessed value of the residential property for 15 years after improvements are completed. New construction of single-family homes or multi-family investor-owned properties are eligible. So are existing single-family and multiple family housing rehabilitation projects with a minimum cost of $5,000. After 15 years, the property is taxed at its total post-improvement assessed value. Properties must meet zoning requirements.

Major improvements that may qualify for a homeowner’s tax abatement include: new construction, additions, new additional bathroom, new or enlargement of a garage, and the remodel of basement or attic into living space.

According the City of Akron, tax abatement has impact because new home construction and renovation increases the value of surrounding properties and fills vacant lots. New construction creates population growth and demand for small businesses, schools and community services.

Information: City of Akron Tax Abatement, Department of Planning and Urban Development, 330-375-2090, akronohio.gov.

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS

The City of Cleveland Heights offers its Down Payment Assistance Loan Program for eligible owner-occupant homes. The program provides up to $10,000 down payment assistance for a single-family home with a maximum sales price not exceeding $166,000. A $10,000 down payment assistance loan is also available for

a two-family home with a maximum sales price that does not exceed $213,000.

All applicants must meet HUD Gross Income Limits. In addition, applicants must:

• Receive certification of completion of pre-purchase and home maintenance counseling from a HUD-approved agency

• Contribute a minimum 3.5% of the sales price toward the home purchase

• Receive approval and first mortgage commitment for the purchase of the house from a mortgage lender.

Applications are available on the web at clevelandheights.com and hrrc-ch.org.

Eligible properties must be occupied by the seller or vacant for a minimum of 90 days. The property will be inspected for health and safety code violations and defective paint.

In addition, several new home developments in the community feature tax abatement. New construction can be found in these neighborhoods: Bluestone — 79 loft flats and 31 cluster homes, 7-year, 100% tax abatement and special financing available; 500 Severance Place — 39 luxury condo flats, 7-year, 100% tax abatement; lease purchase option available; and Kenilworth Mews — 17 townhomes at the top of Cedar Hill.

Information: City of Cleveland Heights/ Home Repair Resource Center, 216-381-6100, clevelandheights.com

EUCLID

The Euclid Development Corporation (EDCOR) Down Payment Assistance Program helps first-time homebuyers purchase a single-family home, an attached single-family home or a condominium. The purchase price of an existing home may not be greater than $166,000 or $269,000 for a newly constructed home. The loan is deferred, interest free and half is forgiven after five years of owner occupancy.

Loan amount is based upon household income — 17% of the purchase price with a maximum of $10,000. Funding is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Additional requirements include:

• Completion of HUD-approved pre-purchase and home maintenance counseling

• Contribution of 3.5% of the purchase price for a down payment

• Approval and first mortgage commitment for the purchase of a house from a mortgage lender

• Federal income limitations for household size

• No more than 30% of a homebuyer’s gross monthly income can go to monthly payments for principal, interest, taxes and insurance.

EDCOR also offers a Low Interest Home Improvement Program. This program, made available with HUD funding, provides a 3% low-interest, home-improvement loan to income-eligible residents unable to afford conventional loans for home improvement. EDCOR will also assist with wiring, HVAC and plumbing corrections and updates, structural issues, foundations and driveways and more.

Information: cityofeuclid.com

NEWBURGH HEIGHTS

The Student Loan Assistance Grant Program allows homebuyers in Newburgh Heights to obtain grants for 50% of student loan debt, up to $50,000. Grants are

awarded in two installments. The first is given upon 10 years of residency in a qualifying home. The residence must be a single-family home sold for $50,000 or more, If all requirements are met, the grantees receive 80% of their award amount. After 15 years of residency, the balance is paid as a second installment.

The student debt, incurred upon the completion of a bachelor’s or more advanced degree, must be completed within 10 years prior to applying. Additional requirements include proof of student loan, being current on student loan obligations and being current with all taxes associated with the property.

The Student Loan Assistance Grant Program, established in 2019, is funded by local income taxes and administered by the Newburgh Heights Community Improvement Corporation.

Information: Housing and Building Department, 216-641-2716, newburgh-oh.gov/home/ student-loan-assistance-program

OHIO HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

Since 1983, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) has provided more than 150,000 Ohio homebuyers with more than $11 billion in affordable mortgage loans. The OHFA is not a direct mortgage lender, but purchases qualified mortgages originated through its private sector lending partner. (Participating Ohio lenders include: First Ohio Home Finance, US Bank Home Mortgage, First Federal Lakewood, Portage Community Bank, CrossCountry Mortgage and more in 600 plus locations.)

Ohioans are eligible for an OHFA firsttime homebuyer program if: they have not owned their primary residence in the past three years; they are a honorably discharged veteran; purchase a house in a target area.

Grants for Grads provides grants to borrowers who have graduated within the past 48 months with an associate’s bachelor’s master’s, doctorate or other post-graduate degree from an accredited school. Additional requirements are also necessary, including income and purchase price limits.

The OHFA Ohio Heroes program is geared toward homebuyers who are veterans, active duty military members or members of reserve components, including surviving spouses; police; firefighters; EMTS and paramedics; physicians and nurses; and K-12 teachers, administrators and counselors.

Information: 614-466-7970, ohiohome.org

Inside The Numbers

The National Association of REALTORS® 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers analyzed the demographics, preferences and experiences of buyers and sellers across America.

10 Weeks

Buyers typically searched for 10 weeks and looked at a median of five homes, and viewed four homes only online. The number of weeks searching for a home grew from eight weeks seen in the 2020 and 2021 reports.

86% • 10% 6% • 17%

86% of buyers recently purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker, and 10% purchased directly through the previous owner.

The typical downpayment for firsttime buyers was 6%, while the typical downpayment for repeat buyers was 17%.

47% • 38% • 22%

For 47% of buyers, the source of the downpayment came from their savings. 38% of repeat buyers cited using the proceeds from the sale of a primary residence, while 22% of first-time buyers used a gift or loan from friends or family for the downpayment.

26%

For first-time home buyers, 26% said saving for a downpayment was the most difficult step in the process.

88%

Buyers continue to see purchasing a home as a good financial investment. 88% reported they view a home purchase as a good investment.

Quartz | Quartzite | Granite | Tile Marble | Soapstone | Porcelain Slab

GARDEN HOME &

Allison and Justin Smith with Schill Architecture mix house and nature to perfection with this Bath Township home.

Intersection of Nature

This 10,000-square-foot home in Bath feels like it’s a part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The 7.8-acre lot in Bath was so breathtakingly beautiful that it immediately ended Allison and Justin Smith’s quest to buy an existing home. A creek ran through the back of the leafy plot, spilling into a reservoir, then a waterfall, before winding past the property line. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park, with its hiking and biking paths, was a mere five-minute drive away.

“My happy place is where the woods meet the water,” says Allison, owner and founder of Gem & Clay Interiors in Bath. “So this was perfect.”

Allison Smith began working with Schill Architecture in Westlake on designing a 10,000-square-foot home that showcased the property’s stunning natural beauty and honored the area’s history — she notes that the lot is right next to an 1830s flour mill. The five-bedroom, seven-bath stoneand-stucco structure, which she describes as “eclectic French country,” comfortably accommodates a workfrom-home couple with two daughters and a lot of hobbies. “We wanted rooms for everything,” Smith says. It also serves as a venue for large gatherings.

“That house feels like it’s part of the [Cuyahoga] Valley,” she says of the result. “It’s so a part of nature.”

The great room is a prime example of the location’s influence on the house’s interior design. Smith points out the

white oak floor, a feature finished on site that extends into the dining room, kitchen and first-floor owner’s suite, and fieldstone fireplace (“We did an over-grout treatment on it to make it look more old-world,” she says.) She warmed the cathedral-ceilinged room by painting the walls with SherwinWilliams’ Homburg Gray.

Smith furnished the space by mixing old and new midcentury-modern pieces. Her favorite is a vintage Danish chair, purchased from Main Street Modern in Canton, stationed by the

fireplace. “It is so comfortable, and the wood on it is so beautiful,” she raves. “The curve on the arm just is so ergonomic. They don’t make furniture like that anymore.”

The sleek gold-leaf pendant fixture, designed by Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort, hung over the custom cherry dining table for 12 is an example of the modern Italian-style lighting that, along

The house on the edge of Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a dream come true for the Smith family of four.

with the more extensive use of stone and stucco, endows the house with a European flair. Rustic stone frames a built-in buffet painted the same black as the VintageView-brand wine racks flanking it.

Vintage botanical-print wallpaper defines the space over the buffet’s white oak top, and Smith added visual interest to the cabinetry with a bottom row of spaces housing old wine crates used to store napkins, tablecloths and glassware.

Contractors painted the island and cabinetry in the scullery — “the dirty kitchen,” as the architect called it — Benjamin Moore’s Midnight, a move that, together with staining the tongueand-groove-paneled ceiling the same dark walnut used on the doors, kept the otherwise all-white kitchen from looking cold and sterile.

The owner’s suite features a stucco

fireplace, a sitting area and a view of the aforementioned waterfall. Smith created a restful oasis with finishes that provide subtle visual interest. SherwinWilliams’ Lattice morphs from light gray to blue to green with the light, just like the paint in the great room.

Mosaic tiles laid in a herringbone pattern on the shower ceiling sparkle in light filtering through the window below. And frosted-glass leaf “petals” add texture to a fixture over the Signature Hardware-brand freestanding air tub.

The house also boasts separate offices for Allison and Justin, owner of digital marketing agency OuterBox in Copley, as well as a wine cellar, art studio where she draws and paints, a recording studio where he pursues his love of music, and a golf simulator that helps him fine-tune his game.

Two powder rooms, a laundry room with a station where guests can wrap

Designed with a herringbone pattern, the shower room features a window that brings nature’s touch inside the home.

last-minute birthday and holiday gifts, and a paved driveway reinforced with gravel on both sides to accommodate diagonal parking without damaging the lawn make it possible for the Smiths to host up to 175 people.

The great room brings attention to fireplace with large windows that again bring nature to the doorstep.

A fireplace-warmed playroom off the great and dining rooms for 7-yearold daughter Adelyn, she adds, will be converted into a sunroom when she outgrows it.

“It’s not your typical playroom — it has a fireplace in it, window seats and a swing chair in it,” Allison explains. “It’s going to be a nice place to hang out. And it provides extra space to expand into if we want to host Thanksgiving or some other event.”

TONY HUGHES

Distinctive Homes

RESULTS. GUARANTEED. LOU BARBEE | 440-899-0000

WESTLAKE | $200K

Finished. Polished. Move-in ready. Wonderful home in Westlake offering home ownership in one of Cleveland’s finest suburbs at an entry level price. Tastefully and stylishly updated throughout. SO fresh! 2 bedroom plus unfinished 2nd floor with room for a 3rd. Huge 60x300 lot. Rare opportunity. 2 car garage.

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OLMSTED FALLS | $349.9K

Turn-of-the-century haven on nearly an acre. Completely redone. Meticulous design and finishing. A beautifully orchestrated blend of classic early craftsmanship and modern luxury. 1st or 2nd floor master. Serene rural lifestyle with all modern conveniences. Bonus: 50x50 barn w/4 car gar & RV friendly door.

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VERMILION | $325K

Mariners Cove in Vermilion. End unit ranch condo w/open floor plan, vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. “Galley” kitchen, dining area, laundry space and powder room. One floor living with private master suite and office. Patio & balcony overlook the pond. Walkout LLevel w/ fam rm, fplc & guest suite.

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LAKEWOOD

Another excellent opportunity. Do you love Lakewood? Here’s your chance. 3 bedroom vintage 1908 colonial and all the expensive (un-sexy) things have already been done. Updates include new driveway, garage, furnace, central air, siding, roof and windows. You’ll only need to bring your decorating ideas.

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BAY VILLAGE | $3K/MONTH

Cashelmara. Not ready to buy yet? Consider this stunning 2 bedroom/2.5 bath 2-story penthouse unit with panoramic Lake Erie views. Tastefully furnished (just bring your suitcase). No maintenance living. Updated throughout. All mansion amenities. Moments to park, I-90 and amenities. 15 min. to downtown.

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PARMA | $220K

Pride of ownership. Brick ranch on ½ acre cul-de-sac lot. Open concept floor plan. Family room w/ wbfplc. Hardwood floors. 3BR/3Ba. Private master. Lower level w/ ½ bath, bar, rec room plus 4th bedroom—office-theater-game room. Sunroom with views of its “park-like” yard and 3-tier deck. Attached 2-car gar.

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BRUNSWICK

Meticulously maintained colonial on peaceful cul-de-sac near Pumpkin Ridge Park. 6 bedr/4 baths. So much NEW: kitchen, baths, windows and more. Family rm w/wbfplc. Great master. Finished walk-out LLevel rec room w/bath, 2 bedr & private patio. Large deck Octagonal gazebo. Garden. Move-in ready!

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LAKEWOOD

| $850K

Rare LAKEFRONT opportunity. Exquisite views. Mid-century ranch on amazing property. Vaulted great room. Very private location at the end of the most secluded part of Edgewater. Soild. Brick. Hillside deck. Breakwall. Not in the Coastal Erosion Area. Close to Lakewood Park. Lake Erie access!

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Look Back

OCT. 20, 1944, was an unseasonably warm Friday in Cleveland. But at 2:40 p.m., it turned into hell on earth for the city’s East Side.

An explosion rocked residents as far east as Shaker Heights. Flames went hundreds of feet into the air, visible from Geauga County, immolating birds in midflight as the air temperature reached as high as 3,000 degrees. Tires flattened on nearby streets, melted by heated asphalt, and manhole covers blew into the air.

World War II was still raging, so initial thoughts were sabotage. But the cause turned out to be at the largest and newest of four storage tanks at the East Ohio Gas Co. facility, at the end of East 61st Street just north of St. Clair Avenue.

The tank, containing 100 million cubic feet of liquefied natural gas, started to leak. Some residents reported seeing a haze as the liquid turned back into gas,

which expanded throughout the city’s St. Clair-Norwood neighborhood, a haven for Slovenian immigrants. The gas ignited, setting the entire neighborhood on fire. Twenty minutes later, another storage tank blew, adding to the conflagration.

Fire departments from throughout Cuyahoga County were called to respond, but the blaze burned until the next day. The final tally was one of the most awful in Cleveland history: 130 dead, including 73 employees of East Ohio Gas. In fact, 61 of the dead were so badly disfigured that they couldn’t be identified.

East Ohio Gas (now part of Dominion Energy) paid out millions in settlements and began storing gas underground. The neighborhood was rebuilt, thanks in no small part to efforts by local businessman Anton Grdina. Today, the area where the gas tanks once stood is a park named for him.