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N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2021
(Clockwise from top): Playground in Memorial Park; a quiet residential street; gelato at Dolce at The Strand
KELLY POWELL
Ohio-made libations. The spot’s Sazerac cocktail will transport you to the bayou, as will its New Orleans-style cuisine. Although Wadsworth Brewing Co. and Valley Cafe opened in 2017 and 2015, respectively, the owners of each have both already expanded their downtown footprint. Wadsworth Brewing Co. opened its UnWined cocktail and wine bar right next door, while Valley Cafe owners BJ and Nicole Mikoda looked across the street for their new project: Dolce at the Strand, a gelato, dessert and cocktail spot housed in a former movie theater. Serving inventive gelatos made using Italian equipment, Dolce has become a happening hangout thanks in part to its patio bocce ball courts. “We really became intrigued with what we were a part of in the revitalization of downtown,” says Nicole. “We asked ourselves, ‘What else could we do to make downtown Wadsworth a destination?’ We wanted to give people more than one thing to do.” That sentiment — creating a downtown that residents and visitors alike want to explore — is echoed by Patrick. “We want to give people as many reasons as possible to come downtown and have something unique to see,” she says. “People choose Wadsworth because it’s close to other cities and the good schools, but then it’s just kind of icing on the cake that we have this vibrant downtown that’s on the rise.”
