DC Velocity - NA 2010

That’s right. Cleveland delivers big city bustle without big city attitude. Take Chef Michael Symon, for example. The Food Network’s newest “Iron Chef America” is a culinary star on the rise. After besting six of his peers on national television, this celebrity chef has become renowned as much for his outgoing personality as for his spectacular beef-cheek pierogi or short ribs. Although the list of his popular Cleveland restaurants continues to grow (Lola, Lolita, Bar Symon, and The B Spot), Symon hasn’t lost his sense of fun, and his quirky trademark laugh regularly resonates throughout his eateries.

While Symon might be one of the more visible of Cleveland’s chefs nationally, he’s certainly not the only contributor to the city’s growing reputation among “foodies.” Since impossible reservation lists and culinary snobbery are not an issue in Cleveland, why not make every meal an experience while you’re in town? Grab a plate of pasticcio

Did you know?
A little Cleveland trivia:

▪ Radio deejay Alan Freed coined and popularized the term “rock and roll,” hosting the first-ever rock concert—The Moondog Coronation Ball—in March 1952 in Cleveland.

▪ In addition to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Plus (Greater Cleveland) is home to several other halls of fame, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, and the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame.

▪ The old iron- and glass-enclosed Arcade downtown opened on Memorial Day in 1890. Built for the hefty sum of $867,000, the beautiful structure has been compared to the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele in Milan, Italy. Stop in (and try a little dessert at The Chocolate Bar); you’ll be amazed.

▪ Superman was created in Cleveland. The comic book superhero was invented in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, then students at Cleveland’s Glenville High School. Publisher Harry Donnenfeld paid $135 for their Superman strips, which first appeared in the premier issue of Action Comics.

▪ The 708-foot Terminal Tower was completed in 1927 and, believe it or not, was the tallest building in the world outside New York City until 1967. ▪ Chef Boyardee was a Clevelander! Hector Boiardi

with radicchio at chef and restaurateur Zack Bruell’s Italian eatery, Chinato, in the city’s happening East Fourth Street entertainment district. Savor the flavors of Chef Sergio Abramof’s Brazilian-tinged pan-seared gulf shrimp at the hip, but cozy, SARAVA in Shaker Square. Step into Ohio’s first green-certified restaurant, The Greenhouse Tavern, a farm-to-table restaurant that earned Chef Jonathon Sawyer a spot on Bon Appetit’s list of the top 10 new restaurants in America. Sample Ohio goat cheese before trying some of Chef Pete Joyce’s pan-roasted Great Lakes walleye at the Bistro on Lincoln Park in Tremont; share a margarita and guacamole at Chef Eric Williams’ mod Mex triumph, Momocho; or order up grilled Ohio ribeye from Chef Matt Mathlage of Ohio City’s Light Bistro.

Even before these innovative restaurateurs arrived on the scene, Cleveland’s rich ethnic heritage made it a great dining destination. From the pastries and pastas of Little Italy to the

owned a dine-in and carry-out Italian restaurant here that evolved into the convenience foods line children love.

▪ Industrialist John D. Rockefeller accrued his legendary wealth while living in Cleveland. He’s buried here in Lake View Cemetery, and superstitious visitors still leave dimes on his grave in hopes that it will one day bring them riches.

▪ PlayhouseSquare is the second-largest performing arts center in the nation. Consisting of five former vaudeville theaters restored to their original glory, PlayhouseSquare brings more than half a million visitors to Cleveland annually for its Broadway series alone.