Russo Brothers' Sister to Launch New Education Nonprofit

The Russo Brothers are coming back to Cleveland. Don’t worry, West Side commuters, it’s not to close down any streets. It’s to host a fundraiser for their youngest sister Angela Russo-Otstot’s new nonprofit preschool and support center, The New Foundation for Children, which uses a fresh curriculum based on the latest research in early childhood education.

Angela Russo-Otstot

“For all the great things about Cleveland ... one of our most challenging areas has always been education, especially urban education,” Anthony Russo says. “To find new and innovative ways to better our schooling experience, that’s a really noble way to spend your time and energy.”

On Nov. 22 at Michaelangelo's in Little Italy, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Russo-Otstot will present her vision and help raise money for to develop a preschool curriculum that requires parental involvement and can be open-sourced to classrooms across the region. New Foundation plans to open a support center for parents and teachers in spring 2015 and its first school in fall 2015. We asked Russo-Otstot to teach us what the nonprofit is all about.

Q. Why did you get involved?

A. Like many parents, I started out being concerned about where my son was developmentally. Is he going to be able to read by kindergarten? Soon, it became apparent the things I was truly concerned with were character-based. I wanted my son to be motivated, to develop a deeper understanding of other people’s feelings and to communicate his feelings better. An assistant to a teacher at my son’s Montessori school had this wonderful idea to start this new school and form a curriculum that focused on building up characteristics, such as perseverance, independence, understanding of others.

Q. How is this different from other high-quality preschools?

A. This type of early childhood education is very expensive to implement. We believe we have a more cost-effective, sustainable solution. And we will use all of our profits to basically gift this cost-effective curriculum to schools throughout Cleveland. We will give them the materials and train their teachers on our methodology and provide them with continued education. The more support centers we open, the more classrooms we can gift. We want to make this curriculum accessible to everyone.

Q. What does your curriculum aim to achieve?

A. Children develop 90 percent of their brain by the age of 5. This period is very critical for setting the stage for the rest of their life. We hope to equip them with the tools they need to face any sort of challenges that life throws at them, whether it’s economic or personal. A child who doesn’t have those tools mastered may not be able to thrive in certain situations. And we want to equip the parents with the tools to help their children throughout their life.

If you're interested in attending, call 216-30-CHILD for more info.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Coffee Bar

Photo by Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

It makes me really happy to see a long shuttered piece of real estate return to use and come alive again, especially in my own neighborhood. Theresa's Italian Restaurant closed about 20 years ago and the space has been an empty eyesore ever since. Now the corner of Murray Hill and Edgehill is bright with lights, energy and a classy caffeinated buzz, courtesy of Kim Jenkins — founder, brewer-in-chief and true bean counter of Rising Star Coffee Roasters. After extensive renovations that left the place looking likes it's been there for years, he recently opened this second outpost. Like the original location in Hingetown, on the edge of Ohio City, only the best is good enough to pour.

Photo by Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

But there's more seating here, at tables and a long U-shaped bar. The look is post-industrial — exposed brick is paired with natural wood and some bold splashes of red and green paint, accented with vintage restaurant chairs. In the basement, identical signs on the men's and ladies' rooms read, "Please use the restroom that you identify closest with."

Photo by Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

If you're drinking-in rather than getting it to-go, coffee is presented on a little bamboo tray accompanied by a shot of sparkling water. There's pastries from Zoss the Swiss Baker, a bowl of local apples for sale and friendly, knowledgeable folk behind the counter. Coffee choices, with wine list-like descriptions, and various preparation methods require thoughtful decision making.
 
At 7 p.m. Nov. 6, the Little Italy location is hosting TNT (Thursday Night Throwdown): Dia de Muertos Edition. The featured event is a friendly competition among local baristas, but everybody's welcome to dress up, socialize and enjoy some top shelf java.

Unforgettable Feast

More than a month ago, my best friend and I ate at Valerio's Ristorante in Little Italy. It was such a lovely experience in every way that I have thought about it again each time I drive past the Mayfield Road spot.
 
It was a weeknight and late, so there were only a few other people still dining. The memory of our meal makes my mouth water. We had two brilliant salads-simple and perfect, the main ingredient playing the starring role: one nothing more than slivers of raw fennel in just the right amount of balsamic vinaigrette, and the other thinly sliced crimini mushrooms with garlic, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Then we shared huge bowl of cioppino, a feast of scallops, mussels, cod, shrimp and clams in a tomato broth so flavorful that determinedly and without embarrassment we used shells and the over-sized serving spoon to get up every last drop.

We continued to sit, talking and laughing and sipping wine after the bill came. We didn't feel bad because no one was waiting for a table. Suddenly a plate of tiramisu was set before us, with the message, "It's on the house." It was sent over by owner and chef Valerio Iorio and delivered by his wife, Stella, who also baked this light and lovely version of the classic dessert.

Maybe he was trying to build some good will with a couple of customers he'd never seen before. Maybe the night was drawing to a close and he knew he wasn't going to sell that piece of cake. But we chose to think he saw us as kindred spirits, that he appreciated our ability to spend a leisurely evening Italian style, savoring good food, fine drink and the joys of companionship and conversation.

And we were right. We stopped to thank him and Stella on our way out the door and he confirmed that he did it just because our pleasure gave him pleasure. Happily it was not because he knew I am a food writer. Though he and I had met before, it was a long time ago and he didn't recognize me until I introduced myself. Our goodbyes included much heartfelt hand squeezing and hugging among the four of us. Compliments flowed back and forth, and my friend and I gave him our promise to return soon. It's a promise I am eager to keep.

Good Food, Good Story

   A friend took me to Maxi's in Little Italy last week. She's a regular there. I'd never been- and can't really say why. But now that I have, I know I'll be back.
   The small space has a nice intimate feel and an adult, city sense to it. There are a few tables tucked down front near the window where neon lights cast a warm red glow on a dark cold night.  More tables, but not a lot of them, line the wall opposite the long bar which stretches almost the length of the of narrow room that ends at the kitchen. Apparently there's some more seating upstairs.
   I got a very nice Montepulciano by the glass. On her recommendation, we split an order of calamari. It was really outstanding- sauteed in olive oil rather than fried, lightly dusted with flour instead of the usual thick breading. It was a delicate flavorful preparation that rendered the flesh wonderfully tender. We each had appetizer portions of mussels, another of my friend's favorites, that were huge. They we also tender and equally delicious. The accompanying light garlic wine and butter broth was so good we slurped it up with spoons and sopped up the rest with bread.We also shared a plate of escarole with garlic and Parmesan, served at my companion's request, without the usual tomato sauce, and this dish  too was a winner. The rest of the menu's a mix of northern Italian staples- pasta, veal and chicken, and pizzas.
   It was quiet when we first arrived around 7, 7:30 but the bar quickly filled up with eaters and drinkers and there ended up being a nice sized crowd for a Monday evening. They gave the place a nice, neighborhood hang out energy. The kitchen is open late which. makes this a great destination for those in need of food after a show, a concert, or a movie in the Heights or down in University Circle.
  I was introduced to the chef and owner Ramazan Ameti, known to his friends as Fatmir. He recounted some of the details of his life since coming to the United States from Albania eight years ago. It's a genuine, inspiring  and only-in-America rags to riches story. Speaking virtually no English, he earned a living as a dishwasher, often working multiple jobs. That's what he started out doing at Maxi's. His boss was Gilbert Brenot. Soon Ameti was doing prep and learning to cook. He and Brenot became partners and eventually, Ameti, who has spent most of the past few years working 120 hour weeks, bought him out and took over. (Made me feel like a slug and an underachiever listening to him recount this saga). He 's clearly a very hands-on kind of an owner, though he recently has brought in and trained another chef to help him. Even so, he's still almost always at the restaurant. Stop in and see him. He's an interesting person to talk with. Tell him I sent you.

Summer Eats

Michael Annandono, chef/owner of Michaelangelo’s in Little Italy, emailed me a copy of his new summer menu a couple of weeks ago, with the comment, “I think this is one of my best.” After visiting the restaurant and sampling a variety of the dishes on it, I have to agree.

It reads as though it were created just for me, and I's like to try everything. So instead of struggling with making choices- this was the end of a long, hot day full of decisions- the husband and I put ourselves in the chef’s hands. He was happy to oblige, selecting his favorites and assembling what proved to be a truly phenomenal meal.

We started with paper thin slices of air cured beef topped with a round of burrata, a solid shell of fresh mozzarella with a soft cheese and cream center, and a spoonful of eggplant caponata. Our other app was tonno crudo, a mound of yellow fin tuna tartare served with a fried soft boiled egg, the yolk still runny, and a heavenly truffle balsamic. And speaking of heavenly, the cioppino special was among the finest versions of this seafood stew I’ve ever had, a zesty broth (and toasted bread smeared with pesto to dip in it, densely populated with in-shell mussels and clams, scallops, and prawn split lengthwise.

Mini-orders of pasta gave us the chance to enjoy two kinds of ravioli; one filled with asparagus and presented with bits of lump crab and saffron cream, and the other featuring veal and truffles, sautéed mushrooms and Fontina cheese. We shared an outstanding fish course- pan seared Lane Snapper, a type unfamiliar to me with firm sweet tasting flesh, seasoned with fennel pollen, and plated with a little wheel of cracked pepper polenta and a truffled cauliflower puree that I could eat every day for the rest of my life and never tire of.

Edging dangerously close to full and thinking of quitting, the look and aroma of the grilled lamb loin chops kept us in the game. Meat on these little guys was really tender and the dried cherry vinaigrette provided a wonderful accent. Loved the cannellini beans, escarole with shaved grand cru pecorino accompaniments. Nice list wine list here but we agreed that if there was a bottle we’d inevitably consume it all and pay the price the next morning when the alarm went off early, so we drank modestly- only a glass each. I took my time with a Sangiovese, a versatile Italian red that works well with many different things, and my last sip followed the final forkful of meat.

A couple of scoops of blood orange gelato- they make a different flavor every day- and we were done. The white tablecloth ambiance, smooth service, and wonderful food had turned an ordinary Thursday night into a very special occasion- and that’s exactly what a good restaurant and a skilled chef should do. There are many reasons for us to go back , among them the desire to taste more of this menu. High on my must try list are the organic salmon carpaccio with Castelvetrano olives and chardonnay grappa; grilled rack of wild boar ribs, fennel salad and blood orange balsamic glaze; and Annandono’s handmade ricotta and veal stuffed cannelloni with guanciale and mascarpone cream. All I can say is that this is one chef who knows how to give a girl what she wants.

March Madness

I haven’t been to Mia Bella on Mayfield Road in a while. Had dinner there with a friend last week and am happy to report that it’s just as nice as when I reviewed it in 2010. Responding to the weather rather than the calendar, staff had set-up tables on the sidewalk and we enjoyed a lovely leisurely al fresco meal. Of course, the restaurant can’t take credit for the unseasonably warm night or the energy of all the people out and about in the neighborhood but the good food definitely added to the ambiance that kept us in our seats for three hours.

We shared- and enjoyed- a fresh buffalo mozzarella appetizer with prosciutto and roasted red peppers, and no doubt it will be even better when local tomatoes are available. I had a generously sized arugula salad dotted with orange and zucchini slices in a balsamic vinaigrette along with lamb kafteds, technically a starter but plenty in combination with everything else. Most of the menu leans Italian but this delicious dish of meatballs in yogurt cucumber and mint sauce reflects the chef’s Albanian roots and broader Mediterranean palate. My companion went with the last portion of the night’s special, lobster ravioli, and she looked very happy with her choice.

Nobody hurried us- of course it was a Wednesday and there were plenty of empty tables. If that were not the case, I’d have ordered more drinks or moved on to another venue-always try to be sensitive about that. For a catch-up evening of conversation, the setting and the meal was perfect.

You could wait until the next summery day to visit- but that might not come again until June. Or you could go sooner, sit inside, get a pizza or a plate of pasta

Sweet Discovery

Walking along Mayfield Road in Little Italy one recent evening I spied a sign I’d never seen before. It pointed down an alleyway, behind La Lanterna Gallery, to a dessert cafe. Of course, I had to go check it out. I’m glad I did. It’s an adorable little spot that opened in mid August, a new add-on to the two year old shop up front that sells all kinds of enticing non-essentials: jewelry, wearable art, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, prints, decorative housewares and gifts.

There’s a pretty enclosed courtyard outfitted with tables, statuary, and plantings. If we get any more mild weather this is a fine place to enjoy it. Before you snag a seat, head inside, where there are a couple more tables, to buy your espresso, biscotti, slice of cake or swirl of soft serve.

My personal recommendation is the pesche. Two cookie mounds are hollowed out and filled with vanilla custard, then dipped in peach schnapps and vermouth and dusted with sugar. This Italian treat, often served at weddings, delivers some mighty blissful bites.

The Cafe's open until 10 PM weekdays, 11:30 PM on Friday and Saturday. Just the thing when you’re not ready to go home but don’t want to head for a bar. Click here for a 20% off coupon .

The Art of Exercise

Exercise is boring if you ask me. So I like to combine my efforts with food and culture.
That’s why my favorite weekend workout includes things like gelato and sculpture.
Here’s the routine. One a nice, sunny Saturday the husband and I suit up in t-shirts, jeans, and walking shoes. We hike from Cleveland Heights to University Circle, a round trip of about five miles. Sometimes we go through Lakeview Cemetery; otherwise we take the Mayfield Road route. There are hills to climb on the way home insuring some cardiovascular benefits. Our destination, now that it’s open once again, is usually the Cleveland Museum of Art . The renovated galleries are spectacular. The gorgeous colors on the walls and an abundance of natural light make the pieces pop. Familiar works are seen as if for the first time- very exciting. I was entranced by the 19th century marble Terpsichore, Muse of Choral Song and Dance in the Neoclassical Gallery. She looked as if she might step down from her pedestal and kick up her heels at any moment.
Back to the exercise plan. Our start time corresponds with lunch, so we stop at Presti’s Bakery for stromboli and a slice of pizza. Thus fortified we continue our exertions. We head home between 3 and 4 PM, the coffee-break hour. At this point there are serious decisions to be made- should we go to Corbo’s Bakery and Cafe for cappuccino and cannoli or Anthony’s for gelato? We have done it both ways and found each equally satisfying. Arriving home me and my guy feel righteous and pleased with ourselves. The cars stayed in the driveway. Leg muscles were engaged, and we burned calories (thus balancing those we consumed) rather than fossil fuel. Local businesses were supported. Our minds were expanded. But most important of all as far as I’m concerned- I enjoyed myself and that means this is one exercise regimen I’m likely to continue.