REWIND: 1979
Scene
UPFRONT
AFTER ONE YEAR OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY’S DOWNTOWN SAFETY PATROL UNIT, IS THE CITY CENTER SAFER?
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, near the end of July, seven Cuyahoga County Sheriff Department deputies and their sergeant sat around a conference room table on the sixth floor of the Justice Center to discuss, and prepare themselves to address, the state of downtown crime.
It was 6 p.m. roll call, a Friday. The deputies had by then geared up—with tasers loaded—and had, in nearby office cubicles, Kevlar and patrol rifles sitting prepped for the hours ahead. There were Red Bulls popped open on the table; the room had the faintest smell of sweat and body spray.
The subject at hand was guns. Officer Jamieson Ritter, the Cleveland cop who was killed while serving a warrant, was just buried two weeks before, and tension seemed to underlie the roll call.
And gun crime was still top of mind in the city center -- in May, two men got into a confrontation at the club Medusa on St. Clair, when one took out a gun and started shooting. (One died the following day.)
These deputies and their sergeant, officer of the Cuyahoga County Downtown Safety Patrol, were called a year previous as a response, both in Mayor Bibb’s and Sheriff Harold Pretel’s mind, to escalating concerns for gun violence in the center of the county.
Last July, gun crimes were up. CPD officers were thin. Then, in the early morning hours of July 8, 2023, 26-year-old Jaylon Jennings shot nine club-goers in front of Rumor on West 6th. (With dozens of CPD officers present.) Downtown seemed unsafe. “We had officers assigned here,” then Chief Wayne Drummond said at a press conference. “Yet this individual still decided to use that weapon.” Two weeks later, Pretel announced eight county deputies would be hired, at the cost of $1.1 million.
But is Downtown actually safer since? The answer is somewhere in the malleable stew of perception and reality. So far this year, DSP deputies have taken 127 guns off Downtown streets, made 125 drug-related arrests and handed out 373 traffic citations.
Citywide, the numbers are better.
On Wednesday, Mayor Bibb joined CPD Deputy Chief Ali Pillow and a dozen other city officials at CPD’s Third District building to announce that, across all of Cleveland, crime went down 13 percent this summer compared to 2023. (Save for rapes, arson and burglaries.)
Yet, in city data analyzed by Scene, the remainder is a lot more complex: though the number of crimes reported in Ward 3—which includes Downtown—are down this past winter with the DSP patrolling, crimes reported actually went up earlier this spring. (The county doesn’t keep an open data portal.) Which Sgt. Dan Comerford told Scene is an expected byproduct of their patrolling.
“If we’re out there making more arrests and having more interactions, it’s going to look like crime is going up,” he said. He pointed to guns confiscated as a caveat. “Without us being there, realistically that’s 127 guns in the hands of felons. Every bullet out of someone’s gun could be someone else’s life.”
That overriding sense is one the deputies are keenly aware of.
At that roll call in July, Comerford played two body cam videos detailing calls gone horribly awry: a glock pulled out in front of Home Depot; a deranged man with a warrant rising from his basement with an AR-15. The Medusa confrontation still seemed fresh.
A “shooting could be for anything,” Deputy Cody Hutchinson said at roll. “Sometimes it’s the silliest thing you could ever imagine.”
“It could just be two rival areas beefing,” Jim DeCredico, the DSP’s K-9 handler whose right arm is a sleeve of tattoos, said.
“You know, I feel like 95 percent of the time, alcohol or drugs are involved,” Deputy Isen Vajusi added. “It’s like, whatever it is, the decision making isn’t there.”
Comerford, who’s 46 and speaks often with his hands tucked into his kevlar, agreed. “All of crime, and crime prevention, comes down to changing the hearts of persons,” he said. “They’re having a dispute with someone? Their heart then goes into
that violence.”
After tasers were checked, and K-9 dog Felix’s nose was warmed, Scene joined Hutchinson, who the guys appropriately call Hutch, on his patrol. Like all of his fellow deputies, Hutch opted to join the DSP following an email from the county last July.
A bulky stoic who transferred from CPD’s Fifth District, Hutch’s policing philosophy seems connected to leader Comerford’s.
“People don’t want to come here, because they’re in fear of something,” Hutch, 28, said pulling onto Euclid. With his Chief Wahoo tattoo and black sunglasses. “They’re in fear they’re gonna get harmed, robbed, caught in the crossfire.”
His mind reverts to the Warehouse District shooting. “It’s disheartening,” he said, driving past an array of couples in front of the Ohio Theater. “As much as we try and do, though, it’s not possible for us to prevent everything.”
After a line of seemingly rote calls—a man biking in the wrong direction, a couple stopped for expired plates—Hutch signaled a black Audi
by Mark
Photo
Oprea
heading south on East 9th. He ran the plates after the SUV lane-changed without signaling. The front tint, Hutch suspects, is illegal. “They have a warrant out for terroristic threats,” Hutch said, turning on his lights. “We’re gonna stop.”
“Wait, what?”
“Terroristic threats,” Hutch repeated.
In front of Progressive Field, six deputies convened with Hutch behind the Audi. The driver, a 26-year-old Black man, is in his mother’s car. DeCredico brought in Felix, who sniffed and indicated something worth attention. The man is detained. “So I’m getting locked up?” the man cried from DeCredico’s car.
“You’re being detained right now, man,” Hutch said.
“Hey, Sarge!” DeCredico shouted to Comerford, who was standing watch. The Audi had been torn apart. DeCredico held up the tied-up end of a baggie.
“See what I told you?” Comerford told Scene. “Law enforcement is the fine line between safety and chaos.”
At precisely 2:38 in the morning on July 8, 2023, 26-year-old Jaylon Jennings walked out of Rumor, a club on West 6th, and began shooting at a crowd in front of the parking lot across the street. Nine were hit, mostly in the arms and legs. All survived. After a day-long manhunt, and a $50,000 reward, Jennings was found. In August, he was sentenced to 16 to 21 years in prison.
Downtown’s most alarming mass shooting in decades led to an apparent wake-up call at the county level. City Hall had yet to debut its RISE Plan—a means to fix its officer shortage with higher starting pay and other incentives—which meant county officers were needed, as Pretel told Scene in June at the FBI’s new Crime Gun Intelligence Center, to “keep the temperature down.”
“We need to keep the pressure on,” Pretel added, “so that negative elements will not feel comfortable engaging in disorder downtown.”
Yet negative elements popped up. In April, two men shot at each other in front of the Frozen Daiquiri Bar off Bolivar. In March, 36-year-old Juan Ruiz Lopez died on Public Square from numerous gunshot wounds at four in the morning. In April, a Corner Alley bartender’s hand was grazed by the bullet fired by a man irritated in conversation. (At one in the afternoon.) And in May, the asphalt under the GE Chandelier was lit aflame by teenagers who drifted in cars for minutes around it before police eventually arrived.
In between, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, witnessed the
Guardians top their division, saw the Total Solar Eclipse, watched debut films at CIFF, sang, dance, ate, scootered, biked, parked, drank— without any police contact whatsoever.
Which brings up a sort of gray area, both for crime and police. Though Downtown has one of the lowest crime counts among Cleveland’s neighborhoods, it’s host to the county’s highest amount of foot traffic. Which paves way to a lingering perception: crime happens to people out walking, so crime is going to happen to me.
In interviews with ten business owners, suburbanites and Downtown residents, many were both well aware of the tiny likelihood of them becoming a statistic yet still hyper aware of the people around them. And most, if not all, made one suggestion to help remedy their anxiety: more police out walking the beat.
“When my GPS took me here today, I was kind of, like, ‘Crap, we’re going downtown.’ I got a little nervous,” Nicole Falbo, 37, told Scene as she watched her two children play in Public Square’s splash pad. “I mean, I would say, if there was a police officer somewhere here, I would feel safer. Maybe just one or two. A patrol car even!”
Over on St. Clair, Tyler Frolo, a 24-year-old bellhop at the Marriott, was on a cigarette break. “Usually they’re in their cars, or on their bicycles. Presence alone makes people feel safer,” he said. “Just having them around is a little bit of a deterrent for people who may want to do something they’re not supposed to.”
The perceived lack of police presence roiled Eddie Taylor, who was serving slice pizza at Jake’s off Public Square. Homeless readily come in and disturb customers, he said, or sell drugs out on the corner. He said that the “aggressiveness” of those disturbing the peace has lead him to consider moving his business out of Downtown altogether. (As did the Dollar Bank next to him.)
Unless, of course, Taylor said, he sees more cops. “At first, they would be around, lurking, doing circles on Public Square,” Taylor said, about the DSP. “You know, showing their face more.” “But now,” he added, “I don’t see them.”
When asked about DSP’s foot patrol policies, Comerford said that it’s better to allocate the few officers he has with fast mobility options. “Foot patrol is good for small areas,” he said. “But when you’re dealing with an area like Downtown Cleveland, you need vehicles to be more effective.”
Pressed with the concerns of Downtowners, Mayor Bibb himself recalled his own “safety walk” in August with
Chief Dorothy Todd, and seemed to feel that the DSP could be used to at least calm the anxieties of those walking the sidewalks.
“Across all five police districts, I’ve given the command to make sure that we are aggressive around quality of life enforcement,” he told Scene at the Third District on Wednesday. “Those nuisance issues, those things are leading indicators to violent crime in many parts of our city—I know that’s a priority for the chief and the safety director and priority for me as well, too.”
But, the observer may ask, where’s the line between too few and too many police?
Over-policing, and police that engage in use of force, has been top of mind for Cleveland since long before the city entered into a Consent Decree with the DOJ.
It’s another grey area that’s given local activists pause. Especially after Comerford’s predecessor, Sgt. Timothy Coyne, was seen tasing and punching 46-year-old Kevin Kinds, who is Black, on a call outside the Justice Center. (An internal investigation found Coyne in the clear; Hinds’ charges were dropped.) “As long as you have folks that could do things outside of the requirements of the Decree,” Kareem Henton, the vice president of Black Lives Matter Cleveland told Scene, “I’m not going to feel safe, and I don’t think anyone else should either.”
Comerford maintained the goodwill of his deputies—he loves to use the phrase “constitutional policing”—yet is still unsure of the right police threshold. “Some might say, ‘Holy shit! It’s like an army out there!’ Or, ‘Oh wow, is this a bad area?’” Comerford said.
“Or, if there are too few: it’s not enough,” Comerford added. He chuckled at the thought of criticism. “I mean, that right there, that’s the bane of our existence.”
In early September, Scene asked Comerford if he would walk the beat downtown, both as a fitting followup as summer crime began to dip into fall and as a direct response to the ongoing demands for visibility. Comerford agreed. “Sure,” he said. “Whatever you need from me.”
On September 12, around 8 p.m., Comerford met with Scene on Public Square outfitted in full kevlar. A ghost tour was concluding next to a group of four out after office work. A faint crowd roar was heard from Progressive Field. Two CPD officers sat in their cars on Superior.
As Comerford walked east on Euclid, he narrated a kind of background to his policing philosophy. He wrestled in high school, became a corrections officer in Grafton at 18, a Put-in-Bay cop at 21. He joined the county in 2001. When asked if he takes his nieces and
nephews downtown, if he himself finds it safe, Comerford deferred to his job as if he were in sales. “Do you go to the office on your day off?” he said. “This is work.”
Through the hour, Comerford circled Downtown with a cop’s eye for concern. (“That guy’s just standing there, doing his own thing,” he said about a man smoking on Euclid. “But that could be something else. We just don’t know.”) Diners on Prospect looked askance, others stopped Comerford to ask for directions to the Marble Room. “It’s 12th and Euclid,” Comerford said. “Wait—sixth and Euclid. Right?”
The whole normalcy of the matter—a cop walking a downtown beat— seemed to rile Comerford. “That’s kind of the sad part: the media can put out this big, bad narrative of law enforcement being, you know, big, bad mean guys.”
“What should we say instead?”
“We’re just here to help. And we’re gonna go after bad actors.”
At that, Comerford’s radio went off. “Calling all units,” a woman’s voice said. “I have a GSW in need. Twelve and Chester. Description unknown of who shot him.”
“Thirty-six to units over at 12th,” Comerford said. “We got First Aid started on that male?”
“Yes,” the voice said.
Comerford drove with Scene to the corner of Perk Plaza, where five other deputies were combing the park with flashlights out. Hutch and Deputy Isen Vajusi were already rolling out crime scene tape. There was yet another confrontation; a man in a gray hoodie had shot a homeless person. He took off.
“He was a known aggressor,” a woman carrying Heinen’s bags told Scene on 12th, about the victim. “And you know what? Somebody finally got his ass.”
By 9:15 p.m., a lieutenant and two detectives were called to help survey, look for a bullet casing, check cameras. Two hours pass without a lead or clear footage.
Did Deputy DeCredico stop the victim’s bleeding in time? (He did.) How far did the shooter get on foot? Was he using a revolver or a pocket .38? (“They got some information,” Comerford later said. “It’s not clear just yet.”) Questions overwhelmed the five deputies as they continued to scan for casings. At one point, Deputy Isen Vajusi, who was tasked with keeping the crime log, stopped for a reality check.
“It’s the U.S. man,” he told Scene. “The only country in the world where this happens like this.” – Mark Oprea
FEATURE
SEA-SATIONAL
Chef Johanes Jonathan is creating dazzling excellence and adventure at Issho Ni’s omakase nights
By Douglas Trattner
Course No. 1
Ara with dashi ponzu, Japanese lime and mint flowers
The first time I heard about Issho Ni was when a friend raved about the ramen at this strip-mall sushi restaurant in Willoughby. Always eager to sample – and spread the word about – great food, I visited back in 2020. Indeed, the ramen was so exceptional that I penned an article in Scene urging others to make the trip. That story was published three days before Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the shutdown of all bars and restaurants.
That tonkotsu, miso and shoyu ramen are still worthy of a visit, but these days, the buzz is all about the sushi, specifically the omakase dinners. Held a couple evenings a month for the past two years, these intimate and exclusive meals are drawing raves from sushi aficionados throughout the region.
“To my experience there’s nothing like this in Cleveland,” says frequent attendee Paul Sequeira. “Both the quality of the sushi – which is really, really high – but also the inventiveness and genuine love for what they’re doing.”
Held on Tuesdays, the 20-course dinners cost $200 per person and sell out weeks – and even months – in advance. To keep the dinners personal and interactive, the owners open it up to just 12 guests, who sit up close at the wraparound sushi bar.
Course No. 2
Ebi shinjo katsu: flash-fried sweet shrimp cake with lime and ginkgo nut I meet Johanes Jonathan at the United Airlines Cargo facility at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport at 11 a.m. on a Friday. The owner of Issho Ni is there to retrieve his delivery: a large, insulated box loaded with 150 pounds of fish and seafood that left Japan one day prior. On his head is a baseball cap that reads “Ohio Native,” an ironic fashion statement for the Jakarta-born chef. Most Cleveland restaurants rely on a local fish wholesaler for their seafood needs. These suppliers regularly import product from New York, Boston, L.A. and even Japan. But that system isn’t good enough for
Jonathan.
“It doesn’t meet my expectations,” he explains while waiting for the steward to retrieve his box from cold storage. “For what I spend a month [the local supplier] can accommodate us and get fish from Japan, but the quality and selection is not there.”
Instead, Jonathan and his partners at Issho Ni rely on friendly associates at Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, who not only hand-select the finestquality specimens, but also have comprehensive knowledge of the aquatic ecosystems so they can source and suggest rare, seasonal fishes.
“We want people to experience different kinds of fish, not only the salmon, tuna and yellowtail,” Jonathan explains.
Course No. 3
Skipjack tuna with tataki sauce and minced chives
I experience a moment of dread when I pull up to Issho Ni at the allotted time to find an empty parking
lot, darkened restaurant windows and a locked front door. The setting isn’t exactly reassuring thanks to nearby businesses like CheckSmart, Gold-nMerchant and Discount Tobacco. But sure enough, at 6 p.m. sharp, luxury cars begin pulling in, the doors open, and a loose gaggle of people files into the restaurant.
Behind the counter, Jonathan, Ryan Endrian and Chef Kwan labor quietly at separate work stations. One is grinding a knobby root of fresh wasabi against a sharkskin paddle. Another is reducing a stack of chives down to a cloud of pea-green filigree. And the third is sliding a two-footlong blade through a large filet of fish. The refrigerated seafood cases that normally sit on top of the sushi bar have been removed to open up the sightlines and to ease the transfer of food between chef and diner.
At first, the silence is a bit unnerving, with those in attendance fidgeting in our seats and exchanging skittish small talk. I’ve been to my
share of solemn, serious sushi bars – helmed by a quiet but domineering itamae – and I was wondering if that would be the vibe here. But as the last two diners arrived and settled into their chairs, Jonathan – with a surprising measure of theatricality –announces, “Sit back, relax and enjoy the show!”
Course No. 4
Palate cleanser: dashi tomato cherry bomb
Jonathan was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. After graduating from high school, at the tender age of 18, he hopped on a direct flight to Los Angeles with $1,000 in his pocket. He had no familial or personal connections, no work permit, and the level of English-language skills that come from a three-month English as a Second Language study program.
“It was very hard for me to find a job, so I had a dream that someday I would open up a restaurant so I can help other people that are in the same
Johanes Jonathan (center) and his team
Photo by Doug Trattner
situation as me,” he says.
His first job was part-time only, bussing tables at a Chinese restaurant in Beverly Hills. He would go on to work at 30 different restaurants in 25 states. His goal was to cover as much ground as possible, finding work at restaurants that specialized in various cuisines, and working every station in those restaurants. In a relatively short amount of time, Jonathan hopped from bus boy to server to kitchen manager to hibachi chef to sushi chef and others.
“I wanted to work in every station in every restaurant and to know how all the restaurateurs manage the restaurant,” he explains.
Course No. 5
Kasugo, or baby sea bream
“Eat it right away,” Jonathan tells me – and every diner – as he sets down the first pieces of nigiri.
Up until this point in the meal, the courses have been otsumami, or small plates, served in bowls with sauce, which require chopsticks. But for the nigiri portion of the omakase, the chefs set down a single piece of sushi in front of each diner. A ceramic plate – called the geta – sits on the raised wooden ledge that rings the sushi bar. While the natural tendency is to want to move the plate down to counter level, the chef tells us simply to take the sushi and leave the plate.
“The geta is for the sushi chef,” Kwan explains.
Also, we are instructed to use our fingers – not chopsticks – for this portion of the meal. The consistency of the rice, or shari, beneath the fish is so delicate, so ethereal that it would fall apart if gripped by chopsticks. For the same reason, it is strongly suggested that we pop the whole piece into our mouths as opposed to taking bites. That’s not difficult to do because the rice-to-fish ratio is designed for such enjoyment.
If you’re hoping to stir a mound of pale-green wasabi into a shallow dish of soy sauce, you’ve come to the wrong sushi bar. Even during regular hours of service, those items do not exist on tabletops. Any appropriate garnish or sauce – typically a light mixture of soy, sake and mirin - is applied to the fish by the chefs.
“To change the sushi scene starts with the foundation,” Jonathan asserts. “A lot of people dip the rice into the soy sauce. I don’t understand how you can enjoy this. That’s why we brush each fish with the sauce – so you can taste the original flavor.”
Course No. 6
Summer-season albacore belly from Oregon
Five years after landing in Los
Angeles, Jonathan met his wife Nutrian. The couple moved to San Marcos, Texas, where they opened their first restaurant. From there, they travelled to Denver, where they operated an Asian fusion food truck. The brutal weather and inconsistent business schedule encouraged Jonathan to do something bold. He searched LoopNet, the commercial real estate website, for available restaurant leases and sent applications to three separate landlords: two in Colorado, one in Ohio.
“I told my wife, whoever replies to us first, that’s the one,” he recalls.
A landlord of a vacant storefront in Willoughby was the first to respond. He asked Jonathan if he wanted to come check out the property.
“I said no, just send me the keys,” he explains. “I never saw anything. I’ve never been to Ohio. All I knew was that there was a Japanese restaurant nearby that was here for 16 years at that time.”
In September of 2019, Jonathan and his wife opened Issho Ni, which translates to “togetherness.” For two months, the new owners operated the hibachi tables in the second dining room – Jonathan’s prior teppanyaki experience came in handy – but they soon extinguished the tabletop grills to focus their attention on ramen and sushi.
Course No. 7
22-day dry-aged otoro, or bluefin tuna belly
“This is the wagyu of the sea!” says Jonathan.
Endrian also immigrated to Los Angeles from Indonesia at a young age. After Covid upended restaurant life out west, he reached out to Jonathan, who he had met a few years prior, to see if he knew of anyone in need of a sushi chef. He did – and he invited Endrian to make the crosscountry journey to Ohio to work with him at Issho Ni. Late last year, Kwan also joined the team, bringing with him a level of discipline, skill and knowledge that comes from studying under a Michelin-starred master sushi chef.
“Me and all my partners worked in high-end restaurants,” Kwan says. “Not many sushi chefs know how to handle and process the fish. We know
by Doug Trattner
how to prepare the fish.”
There’s more to sushi than buying, cleaning and slicing fish, he explains. For example, most of the fish is aged at least four days prior to serving – a practice at odds with the notion of “fresh fish.” The otoro, or bluefin tuna belly, is aged for 22 days at near-freezing temperatures to allow the muscles to relax and some of the moisture to dissipate. Other fishes are lightly cured with salt or vinegar.
“I always tell my customers that fresh fish isn’t always the best; it depends on your purpose,” says Endrian. “If it’s white fish for sashimi, then yes, the fresher the better because the texture is more bouncy and chewy. But certain kinds of fish, when it’s super-fresh, it is superchewy.”
by Doug Trattner
Photo
Photo
Course No. 8
Steamed kinki, or channel rockfish, from Japan
“This is one of my favorite fish, all the time!” Jonathan announces with delight.
As he does with every course, the owner describes the fish we are about to enjoy with genuine enthusiasm. This one – called kinki – is one of the most desirable fishes out there, he explains, owing to its fatty, juicy flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s also one of the most expensive fish because of its dwindling numbers.
Looking around the dining room, empty save for the dozen guests murmuring with delight, it’s easy to forget that at all other times, this is a strip-mall restaurant serving seaweed salads, ramen bowls and affordable sushi lunch combos. Can the chefs maintain the same level of excitement when twisting California rolls for unadventurous diners?
“For me, as a head chef, I think everything is equally important,” says Endrian. “We have a variety of customers. Some come here only for ramen. Some come here only to eat sushi rolls or even the lunch special. That’s how we survived in the first place; that’s how Jo survived before I came.”
Just as one must learn to walk before he or she can run, many Issho Ni customers have progressed from eating only cooked foods and California rolls to enjoying lightly seared nigiri. Others make the leap to raw sashimi and sushi. And still others are so eager to sample new items that they reserve a spot at an upcoming omakase.
“We don’t push them,” says Endrian. “We persuade them.”
Course No. 9
Anago, or saltwater eel, from Nagasaki with anago reduction
“You have to know where the best eel is coming from,” says Kwan. “The best eel comes from Nagasaki.”
Amy Viny, a self-described Japanophile, has enjoyed sushi –and omakase experiences – in San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and even Japan. But like many diners, her first visit to Issho Ni was for the ramen. After striking up a conversation with Jonathan and the crew, she learned about the special sushi dinners.
“I went first for a bowl of ramen – which I would say is world-class –and we found out about the omakase dinner,” she explains. “They are wonderful at explaining the courses, talking about the preparation, talking about the ingredients. They
are like the most knowledgeable folks about fish that I think I’ve ever encountered.”
Viny agrees that the $200 per person price tag makes this a “special occasion” type of meal –well, as special as a former Japanese steakhouse in the shadow of a KFC can be.
“If you’ve seen their place in Willoughby, it doesn’t look like the kind of place you’re going to go and drop a couple hundred bucks on a meal,” Viny admits.
But soon, Jonathan, Endrian and Kwan will have a restaurant befitting their passion, skill and dedication. Come winter, the team will open a two-level restaurant in Ohio City, located in the renovated VFW building on Fulton that was briefly home to Cha Pizza. On the main floor will be a casual eatery called Issho Ni Izakaya, while the second floor will be home to Sushi Kuwahata, an even more intimate omakase destination.
Course No. 10
Bafun uni from Rishiri Island in Hokkaido, Japan
“Rishiri Island grows the best kelp, and so that’s where the best uni comes from,” Jonathan explains.
Over the past few months, Endrian has been hosting pop-up dinners at area bars and restaurants. Dubbed Kyuu-juu Japanese Pop Ups, the events have been held at places like LBM, Cent’s Pizza, Never Say Dive and La Cave du Vin. These dinners are designed to spread the word about the new izakaya restaurant coming to Ohio City. Unlike the ever-changing sushi offerings at Issho Ni, these events tend to stick with a core menu of contemporary Japanese small plates.
“The purpose of the pop-ups is to try out our izakaya menus,” Endrian explains. “We want to see that if we keep it the same menu, will it work, will the customers come back. We prove that many people come back.”
In contrast to the intimate and
lavish sushi bar upstairs, Issho Ni Izakaya will be a high-energy restaurant serving creative foods alongside plenty of beer and sake.
“It’s a bar: good food, good drink and a good vibe. That’s izakaya,” says Endrian.
The 50-seat restaurant will serve small plates, grilled skewers and interactive dishes that might involve tabletop cooking.
“For our opening day, we’re going to cut a whole bluefin tuna and auction off all the parts,” says Jonathan, adding that those parts will then be prepared immediately and served.
Course No. 11
Salt-cured shinko, or baby kohada
“This is the most expensive fish in the market,” Jonathan tells us. The shiny, glistening filets are so small that it takes four of them to cover the rice below.
With Sushi Kuwahata, the team from Issho Ni hope to place Cleveland on the map for high-end sushi alongside cities like L.A., New York and Chicago. Unlike the restaurant in Willoughby, the second-level sushi bar in Ohio City will be purpose-built around the omakase experience. There will be just eight seats, and the 22-course dinners will cost $350 per person. There will be one seating per evening, five nights a week.
“I want to change the sushi scene in Cleveland,” says Jonathan. “We are aiming for a Michelin star. That’s what I dream of.”
Diners can expect to find a world-class omakase experience that features rare, exotic and seasonal fish. Unlike the contemporary style that is presented in Willoughby, the new omakase will be more along the lines of a Tokyo-style omakase, which leans on tradition and technique over creativity.
“The good sushi eaters have been flying all the time to have omakase – to L.A. or New York or sometimes abroad,” says Kwan. “When we open, they won’t need to fly anymore.”
When Sushi Kuwahata opens this winter, the team will stop hosting the special omakase dinners in Willoughby.
Course No.
12
Dessert: silky sesame pudding with gold leaf
If you’re hesitant to believe that an omakase restaurant with New York City prices has a place in Cleveland, I’d direct your attention to a shabby strip mall in Willoughby. For nearly two years, the weekly or bi-weekly omakase dinners have been selling out as quickly as they’re announced. Granted, they are not held nightly, but the stylish new urban setting should entice a different, larger, demographic.
“I think their location in Willoughby is an amazing counterpoint to those arguments,” says Paul Sequeira, who needs two hands to count how many times he’s gladly handed over $200. “When I bring friends to an omakase at Issho Ni, and we meet in the parking lot next to a KFC, they always ask me if we’re in the right place. What the restaurant in Willoughby doesn’t have is the glamor of Ohio City. I think that’s where the Ohio City experience will justify getting dressed up for a spectacular dinner.”
The word omakase translates to “I leave it up to you,” a practice that transfers total control of the meal to the sushi chef. Who better to decide what dishes to select, prepare and serve – and in what order – than those skillful practitioners. In the hands of a master chef, a 20-course tasting menu is a pleasant journey from start to finish, with a defined beginning, middle and climax. It’s not surprising, then, that the process is often compared to a symphony.
“Sometimes, they can go up and down, up and down – that’s not harmony,” says Jonathan. “If you are a good composer, you can make harmony from start to finish every time. That’s how you can tell who a good composer is.”
If you ask the owner about his chances of success in Ohio City, he too will direct your attention to a shabby little strip mall out east.
“It might be hard, but we tried two years ago to introduce omakase to Cleveland and it sold out every time,” Jonathan says. “I am an immigrant, so I have nothing to lose. Most owners only operate their restaurants to get money. That’s not who I am. I wanted to become a restaurateur because I want to create a product; I want to create memories.”
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner
Photo by Doug Trattner
GET OUT Everything to do in Cleveland for the next two weeks
WED 09/25
Guardians vs. Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians relive the Battle for Ohio tonight at 6:40 at Progressive Field. The Reds have struggled to win this season despite having one of baseball’s most exciting players in speedster Elly De La Cruz. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.
The Life and Music of George Michael
This “concert-style show” captures the music of British singer George Michael with staging and lighting while telling his story through early music hits from his band Wham! as well as his solo career. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
Pride & Prejudice
Based on a Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice centers on the outspoken Elizabeth Bennet, a woman who shows no interest in marriage until she meets the handsome, enigmatic Mr. Darcy. Cleveland Play House presents this rendition of the play at the Allen Theatre. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30, and performances continue through Sept. 29. 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
THU
09/26
Bronfman Plays Rachmaninoff
Pianist Yefim Bronfman guests with the Cleveland Orchestra for this special performance of pieces by Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff. The concert begins at 7:30 tonight at Mandel Concert Hall, where concerts continue through Sunday.
11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.
FRI 09/27
Cesear’s Forum presents Lanford Wilson’s Ludlow Fair & the Madness of Lady Bright Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson wrote the two oneact plays set in the 1960s that’ll be performed tonight at 8 at Kennedy’s Cabaret, where performances continue through Sunday.
1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
Guardians vs. Houston Astros
The Guardians bring their regular season to a close with a three-game series against the playoffbound Houston Astros. Tonight’s game begins at 7:10 at Progressive Field. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.
IngenuityFest 2024: Era of Ascent
This annual event that takes place in the 100,000-square foot expansion of IngenuityLabs will feature a mix of hands-on activities for all ages, music and dance performances and innovative and immersive exhibits that “explore the human fascination with flight from scientific, artistic, historical and technological perspectives.” The event kicks off today and continues through Sunday.
5401 Hamilton Ave., 216-589-9444, ingenuitycleveland.org.
SAT 09/28
Broadway in Love
Real-life
Broadway married couple
Libby Servais (Glinda from Wicked) and Stephan Stubbins (Mary Poppins) perform songs from Wicked, Beautiful, The Sound of Music, Jersey Boys, 9 to 5, My Fair Lady, Frozen and The Phantom of the Opera tonight at 7 at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights.
14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3000, cainpark.com.
Festival of Laughs
Comedians Sommore, Lavell Crawford, Tony Roberts, Tony Rock and Don DC Curry share the bill on this comedy tour that comes to the State Theatre tonight at 8.
1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
Performers and community organizations from Northeast Ohio will commemorate the richness of Hispanic culture and highlight Latin and Hispanic music, dance, and art during this special event that takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at the Rock Hall. Admission is free.
1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com.
SUN 09/29
Albany Road
Cleveland International Film Festival has partnered with Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival to co-host the Ohio premiere screening of this film starring Renée Elise Goldsberry and Lynn Whitfield. A moderated Q&A will follow the screening featuring Whitfield and filmmakers Christine Swanson and Michael Swanson. The event takes place at 1 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre.
1390 West 65th St., 216-651-7295, clevelandcinemas.com.
MON 09/30
Memorial Monday
Every Monday through Sept. 30, Fort Huntington Park hosts food tracks and live music between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for this special event. Admission is free, but the food will cost you. West 3rd St. and West Lakeside Ave., downtowncleveland.com.
TUE 10/01
CDFF’s 15th Annual Opening Night
There will be wine and hor d’oeuvres from Chagrin area restaurants as the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival kicks off its 15th annual festival. A VIP reception begins at 5:30 p.m., and the National Geographic film Blink screens at 7 p.m.
77 E Washington St., Chagrin Falls, chagrinfilmfest.org.
WED 10/02
John Early: The Album Tour
Actor, comedian, writer and producer John Early comes to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights tonight as he brings his tour in support of his new album, Now More Than Ever, to town. The album features four brand new cover songs from Early and his live band
The annual IngenuityFest returns. See Friday, Sept. 27.|Robert Muller
The Lemon Squares, along with an exclusive, album-only set from Early’s beloved alter ego, Vicky with a ‘V.’ The show starts at 8 p.m.
2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.
THU 10/03
Harding Conducts Schumann
Daniel Harding conducts the Cleveland Orchestra tonight as it takes on pieces by Haydn, Walker and R. Schumann. The concert begins at 8 at Mandel Concert Hall, where performances continue through Saturday. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.
Ohio Mart
This annual event showcases more than 140 exhibitors working in a variety of media, including sculpture, garden art, paintings, clothing, woodwork, pottery, home décor and jewelry. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, where it continues through Sunday.
714 North Portage Path, Akron, 330836-5533, stanhywet.org.
Strictly Gershwin
Tulsa Ballet, Cleveland Ballet and Cleveland Pops will all team up for this tribute to the music of George and Ira Gershwin. The performance takes place tonight at 7:30 at the State Theatre, where performances continue through Sunday.
1519 Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
FRI 10/04
GlamGore: Haunted Hoedown
Produced, marketed, and hosted by local celeb Anhedonia Delight, GlamGore has established itself as a “successful and empowering presence” in the Cleveland drag scene and beyond. Tonight’s Wild West-themed show at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights features Pepper Bupphet, Leia Way LeStat, Ryder Slowly and Snot Rockette. Doors open at 8. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A group of would-be actors engage in “a joyful celebration of love lost, transformed and restored” in Shakespeare’s classic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Great Lakes Theater production of the play opens tonight at 7:30 at the Hanna Theatre, where it continues through Oct. 27. 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
SAT 10/05
Matt Fraser: America’s Top Psychic Medium
The man who bills himself as “America’s top psychic medium” performs tonight at 8 at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.
SUN 10/06
Witch Perfect
The live singing parody of the Disney film Hocus Pocus comes to the Agora Theatre. The show features performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race. It begins at 5 p.m.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
MON 10/07
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert
The cult classic from Muppets creator Jim Henson screens tonight at 6 at the Agora. A live band will perform the soundtrack in sync with David Bowie’s original vocals, playing the songs and the score composed by Bowie and Trevor Jones. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
TUE 10/08
A Beautiful Noise
This musical charts how Neil Diamond, a guy who identifies as a “kid from Brooklyn,” became an international superstar thanks to hit songs such as “Sweet Caroline” and “America.”
Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through Oct. 27. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls
Cavs superstar Donovan Mitchell is likely to rest tonight as the Cavs take on their division rivals in a pre-season game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Consider it a good opportunity to see the bench players, including Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson, in action. The game begins at 7 p.m. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.
DECADENCE DAYS
At Oliva, a Tuscan-style steakhouse asks you to take an adventure
By Vince Grzegorek
AS
FAR AS DINING CYCLES GO, Clevelanders have weathered the pandemic years and the slew of taco, pizza and fast-casual options that went with it. On the other side of that Styrofoam divide, we’ve in the past two years been blessed with a trend of openings that lean toward fine and finer dining. And if it feels like steak is at the center of that trend, you wouldn’t be mistaken. No fewer than a half dozen new restaurants slinging all manner of beef have debuted since early 2023, running the gamut from traditional steakhouses to bistro-style outposts to neighborhood taverns and novel takes on the concept.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Oliva, the Italian-style steakhouse that opened its doors early this summer in the Warehouse District downtown, stands out amongst the fray. After all, owner Lola Jacaj (formerly Sema) lays claim to one of the most sterling pedigrees on the Northeast Ohio dining scene with longtime Flats staple Casa La Luna (formerly Luca Italian Cuisine) and newish hit Acqua di Dea (formerly Acqua di Luca).
Jacaj, who worked in this very space many years ago, has turned the former Osteria spot on St. Clair into a subterranean gem. Work over the course of a year updated the space into a sleek and modern setting, buzzy yet comfortable and not overcrowded – despite adding far more seating than its predecessor. A lengthy bar, with a giant and colorful flower painting gracing the back wall, greets visitors on the right while winelined shelves border a cozy fireplace in the dining room. A newly opened kitchen provides plenty of energetic ambience.
The goal from the start was something more than an Italian steakhouse simply serving prime cuts. “My vision is to do a nose-totail restaurant, where we use every part of the cow, not just steaks,” Jacaj told Scene last year. And here, executive chef Micheal White has done just that, using beef neck in the polpette di guancia ($18), beef
cheek in the ravioli ($20), beef rib in the pasta au gratin ($20), and brisket in the pasta sfoglia ripiena ($16).
To kick the night off, Oliva offers a concise list of classic cocktails, housemade specialties, a short bottled beer list, and a robust offering of wines, served by the glass or bottle and covering (naturally) a healthy selection of Italian vintages as well as American pours. Our Paper Planes ($14) were exceptional, and a mocktail Bellini (priced appropriately at $6) was light and refreshing.
As we settled into the meal, which starts with a fresh baked loaf alongside housemade butter and a dipping sauce replete with garlic and herbs, a bottle of Cherry Pie ($120) pinot noir was recommended to accompany the multi-course adventure.
Jacaj envisions diners making their way through the menu, pacing course after course from appetizers, small pasta plates, salads, sides, entrees and steaks. And while there’s certainly plenty of space to carve out a meal for one or two amongst the menu, it truly is built as a sharing experience and one that would reward repeat visits. (Given the breadth, it would take three, four or even five nights to sample one’s way through.)
We gobbled our way through the bocconcini di manzo ($18) – filet cuts rolled around ricotta and fried breadcrumbs, charred spinach and chili pepper, all atop a sweet paprika sauce. You’d do well to also order a portion of the gamberetti ($20), featuring four plump, large shrimp bathed in a white wine and olive oil sauce resplendent in its lightness. But for all the meat on the menu, the standout starter proved to be the timpano ($16). A delicate yet rich salad of veggies, goat cheese, tomatoes, raisins and pine nuts is wrapped in picture-perfect encasement of overlapped, roasted eggplant. If you’ve already run out of bread by its arrival, ask for more to sop up the goodness.
Pastas at Oliva are hardly main-
course affairs, crafted instead in small-plate sizes readily built for nibbling and snacking. It’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed a gnocchi ($18) as much as the one offered here. The potato and beet version, gilded with a gorgonzola dolce cream sauce, is as pillowy as one would hope and, served with just 10 or 12 bites an order, perfectly portioned to avoid the heaviness that often comes with the dish. A sachetti ($18) featured lovely stuffed pastas filled with four cheeses in a refreshing tomato basil sauce aside fresh-cut mozzarella. While the chitara ($20) came by server and fan recommendation, and while the group enjoyed the first few bites, the pasta (a large portion of spaghetti) and sauce (veal shoulder, mushrooms, blueberries) proved less interesting and more out-of-context compared to the rest of the meal the further we dug in.
It might be traditional to offer salads to begin a meal, or between appetizers and pastas, but at Oliva, it’s suggested you dig into to some lighter bites at this point of the adventure. After the richness that came before, may we implore you to follow suit, especially with the siciliano ($10), which the kitchen will helpfully split into individual plates. Featuring shaved fennel, olives, fried capers, orange, pomegranate, pine nuts and caciocavallo cheese in a light lemon juice and olive oil dressing, it was much more than a bright break in the courses -- a star in its own right.
Oliva is an Italian steakhouse but offers a small menu of mains that includes a salt-crusted Bronzino, a braised guinea fowl, and a stunning lobster tail. Coming in at $70, the latter is presented in every bit of its glory, perhaps the largest version you can picture. Fantailed and doused in buffalo butter and covered in shaved black truffles, the dish is
every bit as decadent and rich as the ingredients suggest. Again, sharing and pairing is an optimal suggestion. In this case, few better bites of surf to accompany your turf exist.
Oliva, like its ilk, offers a range of steaks cut for individual enjoyment (starting at $55 for a 16 oz. ribeye) or for larger parties. Given the setting, it was hard to pass on the bisteca alla Fiorentina ($120), a cut with both a filet and a strip. At something approaching 40 oz., cut for sharing by the kitchen, it was a centerpiece that left the table in something like a trance. Delicate, perfectly seared, crusted with salt and pepper, few even reached for the side of chianti butter ($18). And any complaints that the sauce list leaned toward the rich and heavy (foie gras, $18; more truffle shavings, $15; gorgonzola dolce cream, $5), were forgotten in the minutes it took to leave the platter empty.
Sides, while offered, seem to be superfluous to a party given the extravagance and quantity of what came before, though if you were making a smaller meal and skipping some of the courses, you’d do worse than grabbing a patata al forno ($12). A whole baked potato arrives sliced beneath a creamy sauce of mascarpone, crème fresche, and parmigiano Reggiano, because who says no to that.
And as if three standout restaurants in a few square miles wasn’t enough, Lola Jacaj isn’t done. She’s already laid claim to the former Hanabi spot on West 6th around the corner and has plans to open Juliet, a French restaurant, there. “I’m hoping it will be like a nice European corner to go to,” she told Scene.
We wouldn’t bet against her.
vgrzegorek@clevescene.com t@vincethepolack
Photo by Vince Grzegorek
BITES
Now Open: Masa & Agave Cantina at the Westin Cleveland Downtown
By Douglas Trattner
EVER SINCE URBAN FARMER restaurant closed, there’s been a hospitality gap at the Westin Cleveland Downtown (777 St. Clair Ave. NE). Now, thanks to the arrival of Masa & Agave, the hotel once again has a signature bar and restaurant.
Operated by Apicii, a hospitality group that operates bars, restaurants and clubs nationwide, the regionallyinspired Mexican eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
The menu draws inspiration from masa and agave, two pillars of Mexican cuisine since the Aztec times.
“Every dish is a celebration of Mexico’s vibrant cultural history, featuring regional Mexican ingredients from essential cheeses to chilis like the smoky pasilla de Oaxaca, showcased in Mexico Citystyle tacos, enchiladas, elotes and guacamole,” states a spokesperson.
Diners can look forward to starters like chips and salsa, guacamole, tuna tostadas and queso fundido starring Chihuahua cheese. There is a menu of Mexico City-style tacos and Chef Specialties such as chicken mole, enchiladas suizas and pepita-crusted salmon with pineapple salsa verde.
An impressive design feature of the dining room is a wall of lockers that houses a massive collection of agave spirits, numbering around 200. Those spirits show up in cocktails, flights and more. The Spicy Mezcal Paloma, for example, combines tequila, mezcal, grapefruit soda and a fire tincture.
Opening Soon: Cozumel Mexican Restaurant in Cleveland Heights
When Cozumel Mexican Restaurant (2196 Lee Rd.) opens any day now in the former Mojo property on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, it will be location number nine for the popular local restaurant chain.
Partners Ramon Aguirre, Jaime Delapaz and Martin Soto opened their first store in Broadview Heights back
Photo
in 2001. They have gone on to open seven more locations, with the newest one landing in Parma earlier this year. The Cleveland Heights location boasts a more contemporary design more in line with the Parma shop than many of the earlier stores.
“We are going with a more modern vibe, but we still want to keep the Mexican identity, which we will do with the artwork,” says Andres Aguirre.
When diners enter the property, they will find a completely refreshed interior with new flooring, booths, banquettes, tables, chairs and bar. A short wall has been constructed between the lounge and dining room, creating a nice buffer between the 16-seat bar and the main space. There is room for about 150 diners indoors and another 24 on the patio, although that number will likely rise down the road.
Cozumel offers approachable, affordable and delicious Mexican and Tex-Mex-style foods. The menus are nearly identical from place to place, with a wide assortment of appetizers, quesadillas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and combination platters. Larger plates such as carne asada, crab and shrimp stuffed chimichangas, and camarones al mojo de ajo (garlic shrimp) are also on offer. There’s a full bar with beer, wine, margaritas and top-shelf spirits. With all of their restaurants west and south of the area, management saw an opportunity to expand the brand in an underserved market. There are no full-service Mexican restaurants in the immediate area except for Barrio, which offers a limited menu. Aguirre is confident that the brand’s reputation and
consistency will serve them well.
“We’ve been doing this for so long that we have a product that we know people enjoy and that works,” he notes. “The neighborhood is getting younger and younger, there’s great walkability and it’s superdiverse, which we feel will help us be successful.”
When it opens next week, Cozumel will bring with it a new lunch option for the neighborhood, opening daily at 11 a.m.
Abundance Culinary Chef Liu Fang Lands on National Chefs to Watch List
Chef Liu Fang and Carl Setzer have quickly gained fans after turning an occasional pop-up series serving dumplings and noodles at Larder into a full-scale brick-andmortar restaurant in the former diner car in Cleveland Heights.
And Fang’s reputation has spread far beyond Cleveland.
Plate Magazine this month released its tenth annual Chefs to Watch list, celebrating 15 up-andcomers on the culinary scene across America, and Fang landed one of the coveted spots.
“Thanks to Plate Magazine for seeing something special in what we are doing here at Abundance Culinary,” Fang said in a statement posted to social media. “Sometimes the grind of growing a restaurant concept can put you in a place where you doubt yourself and wonder if you are doing the right thing. I hope that my food continues to speak for itself and that more and more people are intrigued enough to try it. It’s a pure delight to get lost in my menus and rediscover myself everyday through
the flavors of my youth, my culture and my future.”
Those flavors of her youth, culture and future have been on full display as Abudance seeks to carve out a new space for Asian dining in Cleveland. Liu, who was born and raised in China, met Setzer, who was born and raised in Northeast Ohio, in China in 2004. Together, they founded the first craft brewery in Beijing and quickly expanded, opening additional bars and brewpubs in the region. Covid drove the pair to Cleveland, where they have lived for the past three years.
“Chinese-American food has had the same flavors for the past 20, 30 years and there’s a love for it,” she told Scene last year. “But I think it’s time for a change. It so happens that Carl and I were in China running a food and beverage business while China had its big economic development. Being able to bring a concept like craft beer to China using Chinese ingredients, we want to do something similar here but reversed: to bring elevated and modern Chinese flavor to a market where there is an abundance of almost everything, raw materialwise, talent-wise and curiosity from the public.”
Plate concurs that Fang has achieved just that: “The menu at her restaurant, Abundance Culinary, is a love letter to her home country and built from her desire to share its flavors with her new home in the Midwest. It also nods to its Cleveland.”
Courtesy
MUSIC
ALL ABOUT THAT OLD SCHOOL SOUND
Meghan Trainor brings first tour in 7 years to Blossom
By Jeff Niesel
AS SHE PREPS FOR A FALL tour that will mark her first tour in seven years and bring her to Blossom on Friday, Sept. 27, singersongwriter Meghan Trainor is busy updating her TikTok account, a necessary evil in today’s world.
“I do TikTok myself, and it’s very stressful. I’m not very good at it,” she admits via phone from Los Angeles where she was about to start tour rehearsals. “I’m definitely nervous about the tour, but I have to remind myself that I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been even after two kids. I learned to work out and eat correctly. I know how to take vitamins and not get sick anymore. That was my biggest fear. I also know how to take care of my voice now.”
She’s particularly excited about the new show’s production values.
“I finally got to see what the show will look like, and it’s unbelievable,” she enthusiastically says. “There is a lift that I haven’t used, and I will have to buckle myself in. I will look like a real superstar. I’m telling you.”
Trainor hasn’t been idle during the past few years. She kicked off 2023 by joining the judging panel of Australian Idol. She also released Takin’ It Back (Deluxe), which features three new songs including the new single “Mother.” To celebrate the holiday season, Trainor teamed up with talk show host Jimmy Fallon to release the collaboration, “Wrap Me Up,” and she made her literary debut with Dear Future Mama, a humorous guide to pregnancy and motherhood (she had just given birth to her second child with husband Daryl Sabara.
Handling the stress of keeping her career moving forward and having a family hasn’t been easy.
“Oh, therapy is a wonderful thing once a week and anti-depressants are my best friends,” she says when
about how she’s balanced her various commitments. “I have therapy once a week. Having a good supportive family and supportive team is key to success. I meet a lot of people in this career who say that I’m so lucky to have a good family and team. They’re my angels. I keep them close.”
Her new album, Timeless, features some undeniably great pop tunes, ranging from the doo-wop anthem “Been Like This” to the bass-heavy banger “To the Moon.”
“Well, I wanted to outdo myself and do the old-school pop thing with a modern sound but at another level,” she says of her approach on the new album. “I wanted it to bring it back to old school and show you the beauty of it but then be like, ‘We in the club. Did you see that coming?’ Every time, I’m on stage, I want to dance my ass off and be the pop star I always wanted to be. I have six beautiful dancers who will hold my hand, and my younger brother is doing all the music, so it’ll be a big family affair.”
Working out of a studio in her home (she literally had to crawl down the stairs to get to the basement to record because she was recovering from her pregnancy), she began writing new tunes right after giving birth.
“It was 11 days after my second
C-section,” she says. “I first wrote ‘Forget How To Love’ because I saw so much hate online, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community. The song is about how we need to hate less in general and be nicer to everyone. Everyone is being so loud online. Nothing was going to stop me from getting down to that studio.”
“Been Like This” and “Love on Hold” find her working her idol T-Pain and embracing hip-hop.
“T-Pain is my hero and has been my hero since middle school,” she says. “He can really rhyme and make the background vocals as important at the lead. He taught me so much. I got to play him this new album and tell him he inspired a lot of it. He thought that was crazy.”
The Amy Winehouse-like “I Wanna Thank Me” serves as a tribute to actress Niecy Nash.
“That was one of the last songs I wrote for the album,” Trainor says of the tune. “I saw the viral clip. I asked for inspiration and I got with my writer J Kash, who did my songs ‘Me Too’ and ‘No.’ He does these confident bangers. We wrote it in 45 minutes
and had the best day ever. I sent it to [Nash] that day, and she sent me a video of her sobbing when listening to it. She came over and sang on it with her daughter and her wife. It was the best day I’ll ever have.”
Trainor says that when she got signed as a songwriter, she assumed that meant that people were telling her in a nice way that didn’t have what it takes to sing her own songs.
“My favorite thing is writing for other artists,” she says. “I have so many plaques in my house for songs I wrote for Rascal Flatts and J. Lo. I’m really proud of those accomplishments.”
And while many high-profile musicians don’t want to talk politics, Trainor unabashedly promotes equality and tolerance without invoking partisanship.
“It’s all about voting and equality for everyone,” she says. “It’s all about love. We simply need to spread more love than hate.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
MEGHAN TRAINOR, PAUL RUSSELL, RYAN TRAINOR. 6:30 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 27, BLOSSOM, 1145 W. STEELS CORNERS RD., CUYAHOGA FALLS, 330–920–8040. TICKETS: $35.30+, LIVENATION.COM.
Meghan Trainor.|Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
LIVEWIRE Real music in the real world
THU 09/26
The Airborne Toxic Event Frontman and band leader Mikel Jollett brings the Airborne Toxic Event back to House of Blues tonight. The group’s tour supports a new album, Glory, as well as Jollett’s memoir, Hollywood Park. Glory features moody numbers such as “Our Own Thunder” and “The Walk,” righteous rockers that aspire to U2-like grandeur. The show begins at 7. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.
FRI 09/27
The Black Crowes
Since the battling brothers in the Black Crowes reunited in 2019, they’ve played more than150 shows in 20 countries worldwide. The Robinson Brothers and longtime bassist Sven Pipien headed to the studio with producer Jay Joyce in early 2023 to cut their new long player, Happiness Bastards. They bring their Happiness Bastards Tour (the Reprise) to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.
An Evening with the String Cheese Incident
For the past three decades, String Cheese Incident has cultivated a live show that “continually pushes into unexpected terrain,” as it’s put in a press release. The Colorado-bred sixpiece place everything from bluegrass to dubstep and psychedelia. The group performs tonight at 7 at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights. 14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3000, cainpark.com.
$uicideboy$: Grey Day Tour 2024
This raunchy hip-hop duo out of the Big Easy hip-hop group performs tonight at 6:30 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The show comes in the wake of the band’s latest effort, New World Depression, songs with references to drugs and death and destruction that are become singa-longs at this show thanks to the gang-style vocals and the group’s relentless energy.
1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.
SAT 09/28
Burton Cummings
On tour to support his new solo album, A Few Good Moments, the lead singer and principal songwriter of the Guess Who brings his long-time backing band to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. The show begins at 8 p.m. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.
Social Distortion
Singer-guitarist Mike Ness brings his punk band Social Distortion back to House of Blues at 7 tonight and tomorrow night. Ness might be in his 60s now, but Social Distortion tunes such as “Ball and Chain,” “Story of My Life” and “I Was Wrong” remain classic punk anthems that bristle with youthful energy. And, of course, the band’s cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” remains the definitive take on the Cash track.
308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.
Twenty One Pilots:
The Clancy World Tour
A Grammy-Award winning band with Ohio roots, Twenty One Pilots have been one of the most successful rock acts of the past decade. The group’s breakout LP, Blurryface, became the first album to reportedly notch a RIAA Gold or Platinum certification for every one of its songs. Led by the single “Overcompensate,” the band’s new
Versatile singer-songwriter Post Malone comes to Blossom. See: Tuesday, Oct. 1.|Adam DeGross
album embraces an even wider range of musical styles than previous efforts. Tonight at 7, the group returns to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.
Under the Rug Happiness Is Easy, the latest offering from this indie group, features contributions from co-writers like Sam Hollander (Panic! At the Disco, Weezer) and Mason Jenning. Expect to hear songs from it when the band plays tonight at 8 at the Beachland Tavern.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
The War and Treaty
The War and Treaty have had a terrific year that started with their first ever Grammy nominations for Best American Roots Song and for the all-genre Best New Artist. They followed nominations from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association and CMT Music Awards. A terrific live act that draws from country, soul and R&B, the group performs tonight at 8 at the Beachland Ballroom. The Kentucky Gentlemen open.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
SUN 09/29
Air Supply
The light rock act celebrated its 49th anniversary last year and has played over 5300 concerts throughout that time period. It still performs about 130 concerts each year around the world. A highlight of their career came when they performed for Prince Charles and Princess Diana and had dinner with them. A movie biopic is slated for release in summer 2025. The group plays tonight at 7:30 at the State Theatre.
1519 Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
Iris DeMent
The talented singer-songwriter addresses climate change, the pandemic and social injustice on her new record, Workin’ On a World. She performs tonight at 6:30 at the Kent Stage. Singer-songwriter Ana Egge opens.
175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.
TUE 10/01
Post Malone
You never know what you’re gonna get with Post Malone. The indie artist
has now embraced country music, and he and country star Morgan Wallen have released their new radio friendly single “I Had Some Help,” which will appear on a forthcoming Post Malone LP. The versatile indie singersongwriter performs tonight at 8 at Blossom.
1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.
THU 10/03
Uz Jsme Doma
The art rock band out of Prague returns to the Beachland Tavern.
The group’s roots date all way back to the 1980s, and frontman Miroslav Wanek has somehow kept the group together (with a few different lineups) going all this time. Expect to hear Zappa-inspired music that embraces unconventional rhythms and beats. The show begins at 8 p.m. Da Land Brass Band opens.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
FRI 10/04
My Morning Jacket
To date, this terrific Kentucky-based band has released nine studio albums that provide a showcase for eccentric singer-songwriter Jim James. On their most recent release, 2021’s My Morning Jacket, they tried to capture the intensity of their live shows and songs such as the bluesy “Never in the Real World” feature gritty guitars and synthesizer swells. The group performs tonight at 8 at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights.
14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3000, cainpark.com.
TUE 10/08
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers Spirit Trail 25th Anniversary Tour
The singer-songwriter brings his tour marking the 25th anniversary of his 1998 album Spirit Trail, a collection of roots-y tunes that enables him to show off his piano playing, to the Goodyear Theater in Akron. The show begins at 7:30 p.m., and every ticket holder will receive a copy of the Spirit Trail: 25th Anniversary Edition three-CD box set at the show.
1201 East Market St., Akron, 330-6597118, goodyeartheater.com. scene@clevescene.com
SAVAGE LOVE
VICE GRIPS
By Dan Savage
I’m a gay man in his early 30s who’s into sex stripped down to its most basic elements: tops come in, fuck me, come and go. I’ve moved to a new city. One guy in his midtwenties came over and we had awkward-butpassionate sex like that. We chatted a little afterwards. I went to his apartment to see him a week later, and we did it again. It was hot; we have chemistry. Turns out, he’s also new in town. He’s from a conservative part of the country and says I’m the second man he’s ever had sex with. He’s got a lot of things I look for in romantic partners: smart, cute, soft-spoken, driven, and into his job. The bad part is that he’s in management training for a problematic fast-food company, and while he’s fairly apolitical, he says he will “probably” vote for Trump.
While there are certainly plenty of gay conservatives, I feel like he’s someone who hasn’t seriously given a lot of thought to politics outside of his strong belief in free enterprise. This isn’t someone who thinks a lot about intersectionality, or who has interrogated the way capitalism exploits. He wants to be a good boss. You said once not to fuck Republicans, because they should go fuck themselves. But I feel like there might be something here I can draw out of him. At the very least, his desire for kinky gay sex might make him willing to hear me out about my sharply divergent politics. But I don’t want to entertain someone who just wants his cake (my ass) and the license to eat it (his abhorrent politics), too. But the sex is good, and I like the idea of fixing him. What to do?
Aroused Slut Sees Ultimate Potential
For decades, ASSUP, I have urged sane gay men not to fuck gay Republicans — gay Republicans can go fuck themselves — but in 2015 I singled out one gay Republican in particular that I didn’t want other gay men fucking: Tim Miller, former campaign staffer for John McCain, former spokesman for the Republican National Committee, and at the time of my tweet, communications director for Jeb Bush. Seeing as Tim is no longer a Republican (but still a gay man), and seeing as my position on fucking gay Republicans hasn’t changed (just say no), I thought Tim might be able to offer you an unbiased answer. Despite my having urged other gay men not to suck Tim’s dick (without effect, it seems), Tim graciously agreed to weigh in. His response follows…
Yo ASSUP.
As a former Republican who Dan once tried to cockblock on account of his political views — unsuccessfully, I might add (very unsuccessfully) — I appreciate where your head is. Your instinct is downright humanitarian. It’s in line with the message
Barack Obama delivered at the DNC convention. No, not the dick joke, the part where he said, “Everyone deserves a chance, and even when we don’t agree with each other, we can find a way to live with each other.” And here you are giving this hate chicken middle manager a chance to live in you! It’s a beautiful instinct really. Who knows, with your vice grip on his dick, maybe this young gay conservative might blossom into a coconut-pilled podcast host who eviscerates any MAGA moron that dares cross his path like yours truly.
On the other hand...
It’s 2024, not 2014. Donald Trump attempted an insurrection. He’s currently advancing a racist conspiracy about black immigrants abducting and eating house pets. He is a worthless shart stain with no redeeming qualities or virtues and that’s been abundantly clear to anyone with a brain for at least nine years now. Being for Trump at this point... it’s not exactly the same as just mindlessly supporting Tom Tillis. It’s an act of active malice or supreme stupidity.
So, like you, ASSUP, I’m torn. Not a great quality in an advice columnist but unfortunately for you Dan passed your question off to a substitute.
I guess my ruling comes down to a practical calculation. If he lives in a swing state, hold your hole hostage until he pledges to support Kamala. We can’t fuck around with so much on the line. If he doesn’t live in a swing state, well, give it a few more whirls, at least until he reveals himself to be intentionally awful. Who knows what could happen, right? After all, we are the ones we’ve been waiting for, maybe your hole has the change he seeks. Tim Miller
I wanna thank Tim — both for responding to your question and for eviscerating MAGA morons five days a week on The Bulwark’s flagship daily podcast — and I wanna officially lift my fagwa against his dick: gay men everywhere can suck Tim’s dick without incurring my wrath.
I also wanna expand a bit on something Tim said: can your hole — can anyone’s hole change a person? While I think some people are too far gone for hole (or pole) to save (you can’t fuck the Nazi out of someone), some people don’t ever think critically about political beliefs instilled in them by rightwing families or churches until challenged by someone they’ve just fucked and wanna fuck again. The combination of sexual attraction, limerence, and oxytocin — the “love hormone” that floods our systems during really good sex — can open a person up in surprising ways. While it took the nomination of Donald Trump for Tim Miller to see the GOP for what it was (and Tim has gone on to do amazing and important work in the fight against Trump and Trumpism), for other former gay Republicans it was something a guy said during their refractory period — that magical moment when both minds and asses gape open — that made the difference.
So, you have my blessing, ASSUP, to keep fucking this guy. But to assuage your guilt (and avoid my wrath), you should gently
draw this man out about his politics (and his fast-food preferences) after he unloads in you. (There’s no better time to get someone to, um, interrogate the way capitalism exploits.) If thinking a little more deeply about his vote is the price he has to pay to keep unloading in you — if he knows he’s going to have to defend the indefensible when he sees you again — he may wind up voting for Kamala Harris along with you and me and Tim and all the other gay men out there with their heads screwed on straight.
You’ve got a little less than six weeks to fix this guy, ASSUP, so we’re gonna need you to douche daily and spend as much time in this man’s apartment — and on this man’s dick — as you can between now and November 5th. Your country is counting on you.
Tim Miller is the author of Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. Follow him on Twitter @timodc and Threads @timmillergram.
I’m a woman in my early forties, in what has always been an ethically non-monogamous marriage, with two middle-school kids. It’s my ex-friend’s/lover’s birthday today. My husband met her on Tinder, and we connected over the fact that we both survived a relationship with the same manipulative, controlling, abusive asshole. Our relationships with him — without our knowledge — were overlapping. He’s a “Dom” only in that he was willing to use BDSM to mindfuck us both, constantly bending the concept of consent. He lied to both of us and deceived every step of the way. Top-level Dark Triad dude. My relationship with him almost broke my family apart. My ex-friend said she has also hit the lowest point in her life because of him. Over the last three years, we helped each other heal while developing a small fun supporting tribe. Our kids become friends, we spent all our weekends together, went on camping trips, helped each other with house repairs. It was idyllic. Sex became a part of our relationship on her initiative. I made it clear that I didn’t want sex to be the main focus of our relationship. She agreed, but it soon became clear that she needed more from us — me and my husband both — than we could deliver. My focus was on the kids, hers and ours, and I always opted for activities that involved our families, while she preferred adult fun.
Then one day she told me she got back with the asshole. I was in shock. I felt betrayed. I could only tell her I couldn’t be in her life if he was her life too, and to get back to me when he was out of the picture.
I haven’t heard from her in two months. Our kids miss their friends. I also feel bad for her, and I feel a need to help, but I need to maintain my boundaries. My husband cares too, but he’s extremely busy with his startup, so doesn’t really have the bandwidth. How should I navigate this? Should I reach out for the sake of all kids? I’m incredibly lonely and I miss her.
Mothers Experiencing Sensitive Situation
I think you should reach out to your friend let’s not slap the ex-friend label on
her quite yet — for your kids’ sake, MESS, but also for your own.
You were extremely close until about two months ago, MESS, when your friend made a choice that dredged up painful memories and struck at the foundation of your initial connection: you bonded over being jerked around by the same terrible man at the same terrible time and now she’s seeing him again But you miss your friend, MESS, and your kids miss their friends. So, again, for your sake and theirs, I think you should reach out to her.
Maintaining our boundaries is important, MESS, but sometimes we need to revisit and revise our boundaries. You don’t have to pretend to approve of what your friend is doing — you can and should express your disapproval when you first meet up to talk and you don’t have to let Mr. Dark Triad back into your life. But hearing from your friend about why she let him back into her life might give you clarity about what to do next. If she’s back in Mr. Dark Triad thrall and makes excuses for him, you won’t want your friend back in your life the way she was before. But if you completely cut her off — if you refuse to even let your kids get together — you’ll be doing Mr. Dark Triad a favor, MESS, as you would be isolating your friend and there’s nothing an abuser wants more than to isolate his victim.
But it’s possible she isn’t in this thrall. A friend of mine once dated a guy who was a pathological liar. (He was in the CIA, he wrote for the Washington Post, his father owned the Dallas Cowboys.) My friend was in love with this guy and they were about to move in with each other when my friend came to his senses and dumped him. I was mystified six months later when they got back together. I felt better after talking to my friend: he wasn’t serious about this guy anymore — he was no longer in his thrall — and he was now able to take from him what he wanted (the sex was amazing) without taking him or anything he said seriously, as he no longer regarded him as a potential life partner. He didn’t have to pretend to believe his lies anymore and, more importantly, he didn’t have to defend his lies to his friends.
Now that your friend knows she can’t believe anything this man tells her — now that she knows he’s a manipulative asshole he may not have the vice-grip hold on her that he once did. If she’s able to enjoy the dick (and the D/s) without being made crazy by his lies, getting together with this guy may not be putting her sanity at risk the same way it once did, even if it is — at the moment — putting your friendship at risk.
Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage. love!
Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage. Love
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OCTOBER 17, 2024
GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER