Pro-LeBron flash mob breaks out at Tower City

In the middle of Tower City at the peak of lunchtime, kids from elementary to high school showed off their moves with spins and kicks. Boys and girls rocking out to the Footloose soundtrack song “Holding Out For a Hero” draw a better crowd than a video of Tim Misny and Gov. Strickland singing to the tune of “We Are the World.” And they might have a better chance at winning over LeBron.

The 200-plus kids are from the Akron and Cleveland Boys and Girls Clubs — organizations LeBron is involved with. Their surprise dance event, a take-off on the phenomenon of “flash mobs,” was organized by Fans For LeBron, a committee of Greater Clevelanders who think the town’s best chance of convincing the Cavs star to re-sign is to support his favorite causes. Their “More Than A Player” billboards and website aim to convince James’ fans to come out for his King For Kids Bike-a-thon August 7 in downtown Akron.

The kids woke up early this morning to learn the choreography from Tracey and Jonathan Webb of Shaker Dance Academy.

“LeBron is a nice person, and I love him to death,” says 16-year-old dancer Phylecia Nixon, who says she watches him play all the time.

Going to Extremes

As eaters, most of us have a split personality. We’re comfortable consuming hamburgers, despite the reality-which we rarely consider- that what we’re putting in our mouths is dead cow- ground up muscle meat, to be exact from the steer’s chest, shoulder, and stomach. The lovely pink slices on a ham sandwich are sourced from the pig’s rear end, and American carnivores are okay with that. But start talking about plates of parts or critters not commonly consumed here, though they are popular fare in other places, and the majority gets seriously squeamish and downright disgusted. It makes no sense and a pair of professional local cooks- brothers Lanny and David Chin who chef together at an eastside restaurant- have decided to offer some behavioral therapy to all who are brave enough to face their crazy contradictions.

On Monday June 21st the guys, aka Food Warriors, are preparing and serving some snacks that will push your eating envelope…and maybe your panic button: hissing cockroaches, superworms, antelope spareribs, wild boar bacon and other unusual edibles are on the menu. Liquid courage will be available for purchase. Food and fun start at &pm at the Velvet Dog in the Warehouse District 7:00 pm. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. For presale tickets email kim@ClearCutPromotions.com or go to Paypal, account name Info@Foodwarriors.com. Be sure to include your name and email address. They hope it will be the first in a series of events they’re calling Fearless.

If you’ve watched Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods) or Tony Bourdain (No Reservations) on the Travel Channel and wondered what it would be like to eat they way they do-this is your chance to find out. But Lanny and David want attendees to look beyond the gross out factor and discover how other cultures define good eats. I'll be out of town for this one but I definitely plan to get my fearless on next time around.

Note: this a side project and totally their own idea, and has nothing to do with the place where they work.

Five Reasons to Eat Out

My in-box is fat with all kinds of good news from the restaurant world. Read on, then make plans and reservations.

“The Patios of Larchmere” is a neighborhood promotion that starts today, June 9th, and continues through Sunday, June 13 . The street is packed with interesting places to eat breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Menu 6, Felice, Vine and Bean, Flying Cranes, Larchmere Tavern and Acadmey Tavern, all with outdoor seating, are offering menu specials and deals for the next five days plus a chance to enter a raffle and win a $250 Larchmere Shopping Spree. I love this street and its unique mix of businesses and shops. If you don’t know it- this week is the perfect time to visit and explore.

More dining in the sun and under the stars at Chinato. The East 4th Street spot has just added sidewalk seating. For ideas about what to order, check out my review in this month’s Cleveland Magazine.

There’s also an addition to the downtown dining scene: Zinc Bistro, Bar and Bakery just opened. For now, the French inspired café created by Chef Tom Quick, is only serving dinner, but hours and options expand next month.

Chef Michael Annandono and his crew at Michaelangelo’s will be working harder beginning this week. The outstanding Little Italy restaurant has begun doing lunches Tuesday through Friday. When I heard a friend was getting married, I immediately booked a table for mid-day just us girls celebration.

The folks at Moxie, The Restaurant want to know what people think of their new small, medium and large plate menu. (For the record- I think it’s wonderful). You get a reward for sharing- your thoughts that is, not your food. Go there, eat, then send them a message at moxietherestaurant@gmail.com with your feedback- praise, critiques, favorite dishes, and suggestions all welcome. Be sure to include your name, complete mailing address, email. You’ll automatically be entered in a weekly drawing for a $100 Moxie gift card. There’s also a monthly drawing for wine dinner for two. This is one of those can’t lose propositions so you definitely want to take a shot. At the very least you’ll get to enjoy Chef Jonathan Bennett’s great cooking.

North Royalton's Anamika Veeramani wins National Spelling Bee

Before she spelled "juvia" and "stromuhr" to win the National Spelling Bee Friday evening, Anamika Veeramani talked to us about being a big-time speller (she made it to the last 11 competitors in last year's competition - our picture to the left is from then). She'll be appearing on Regis and Kelly and Jimmy Kimmel this week, but first, check out our September 2009 issue Q&A with her.

Salt Smarts

Salt has been making headlines lately, and not for its positive culinary qualities. Linked to a variety of health problems, it’s taking the place of sugar and fat as the new dietary demon. But this is not a simple black and white issue. We need salt to survive, and chefs know that it is invaluable seasoning that enhances flavor. It is over consumption that’s the real the issue, along with the unconscionable amounts used by manufacturers of processed and packaged foods. Stop eating that stuff and there’s nothing to worry about.

Another important fact to understand is that not all salt is the same. That became clear to me last week at a short salt seminar given by Candace Berthold to our local Les Dames D’Escoffier International chapter. She’s the proprietor of The Olive and the Grape, a gourmet store specializing in oils, vinegars, seasonings and sea salts, with locations in Mentor, Tower City, and the Westside Market. I learned- and tasted- a few things during her fascinating presentation.


It’s the sodium in salt and not the salt itself that is what should give us cause for concern. Common table salt is uber-refined and lacks most of the natural trace elements that are essential for our well-being. Ounce for ounce, she explained, sea salt has less much less sodium and more nutrients. A little goes a long way, and each variety has a distinctive character.

Like wine, salt reflects both the place it comes from (terroir) and the way its harvested and handled.


We sampled salts from Portugal, Italy, France, Greece, and Hawaii; salts flavored with herbs, espresso, merlot, and smoke; and salts colored snowy white, black, pink, and green. Coarsely ground or flaked, they’re meant to be spooned, crumbled and sprinkled never shaken.



I was surprised by how many kinds are available- Berthold stocks 54 at last count- and the differences between them. Until now I’ve been satisfied with my box of Morton’s Kosher, but no longer. I’m ready to become a student of salt, stocking my cupboard with a selection so I can experiment. It promises to be a long, and delicious, study.

Chefs on Exhibit

There’s nothing new about our local chefs showing up to help other organizations. They are the backbone of benefits, generous contributors to every kind of charity gig, and the reason that many are willing to purchase tickets and attend these events. But it’s the food rather than the inspired, conceptual thinking behind it that usually gets all the attention. But it was quite a different story last Saturday night in the galleries at the Palate/Palette fundraiser for MOCA Cleveland.

The artistry of five chefs was the centerpiece of the evening rather than the backdrop. Each had chosen one of the five senses to express and fashioned a unique presentation environment for their dishes. Instead of just grazing mindlessly, we encountered intentionally designed sensory worlds that awakened and heightened perceptions, challenged assumptions, and engaged the mind in the act of eating. All the chefs seemed thrilled with the opportunity and clearly had fun with it. “Creating experiences and stimulating the senses is what we do,” Brandt Evans told me. “It’s wonderful to see that being celebrated.”

I was totally taken with the idea and wowed by the execution. Here’s a brief chef by chef recap of their food-meets-art offerings.

Brandt Evans, Blue Canyon, Sight:
Knowing that we eat with our eyes first, Evans hung big food photos behind his table, cuing up anticipation by adding a word to each image: luminosity; lush: stimulating. Big glass vessels willed with asparagus, limes, and basil decorated he staging area. So we were primed and ready for his scallop ceviche with lime and ginger. There was a kind of visual trick to it- the burst of flavor, full of exciting unexpected elements, was so much more than the sum of what could be seen.

Karen Small, The Flying Fig, Smell:
We entered a small windowless dimly lit room with seating for 20, 25 people at tables arranged in a squared-off u-shape. Each place was set with two small cups: in one a ricotta dumpling with onions, chives, and scallions; in the other slivers of grass fed beef short ribs and mushrooms. As we watched, steaming broth was poured on top- smoked pork for the meat, something gingery for the dumpling. Small urges us to inhale deeply before we open our mouth or pick up a spoon. It is a revelation- so much information coming in through the nose.

Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Touch:
We filed in eight at a time, sat down, removed our shoes, and stepped up to the bar, as instructed, positioning ourselves on a marble square. Heat flowed up through the soles of our feet as Sawyer passed us a bowl of warm miso based broth. We cupped it in our hands and drank. Then we moved to the other side and stood on icy cold stones to sip chilled ramp vichyssoise. For both, Sawyer told us to close our eyes. It was like kissing- blocking out visual impressions intensified what the body felt.

Sergio Abramof, Sergio’s and Sarava, Sound:
He’s got a passion for percussion, so Abramof brought some drumming pals in to create beats to back up his Brazilian shrimp and rice. But instead of their usual selection of instruments, these pros pounded out rhythms using kitchen equipment: whisks, spoons, pots, strainers, skillets. It was impossible to hold still. Sergio was swaying and sautéing, people waiting to snag a plate looked like an impromptu conga line. The dish had a mouth music of its own- together they made a dance party.

Doug Katz, fire food and drink, Taste:
His chocolate truffles were the good bye gift. Four were packed in a clear box divided into sections with a paper insert featuring a different photo to accompany the list of primary ingredients and character descriptions for each bite. It was fun, clever, inventive. Like what the best chefs do. The candies were equally original- bittersweet chocolate peppercorn; white chocolate tarragon; milk chocolate rhubarb; and my personal favorite unsweetened chocolate laced with sea salt.

The event looked like a financial success. There was a nice sized crowd that paid $250 per ticket and big bucks were bid for original artwork during the live auction. But staying true to its mission of exploring contemporary culture, looking beyond the conventional and acceptable, and showcasing originality, MOCA is to be commended for also using their fundraiser as a vehicle for raising awareness of the exceptional talent in our culinary community.

Is Cleveland coddling LeBron?

Are we coddling LeBron James, trying too hard to get him to re-sign with the Cavs? Jim Rome thinks so. The radio host says the city's embarrassed itself with the new "Please Stay, LeBron" video -- and ruined our chance to keep the NBA MVP.



Rome's rant:

Look, Cleveland; I’m not here to pile on. I’m on your side. I want the guy to be there. ... But dropping some crazy, cheesy, embarrassing video with a few politicians, a weatherman and a Real Worlder begging him to stay is going to push him over the edge. And if he hadn’t decided already, he has now; he’s gone.

LeBron is like the hottest girl in the school; if you’re to have any shot, you have to step to her with confidence and swagger and own it. You roll up on her like that, all beaten down, and begging and she will crush you.

Lebron's biographer, Buzz Bissinger, says LeBron is "too loved," "too coddled," and "too easily forgiven" in Cleveland. In an op-ed in today's New York Times, he argues that LeBron needs to leave for New York to grow. He points to the debacle that was Game 5 against the Celtics:

In missing 11 of the 14 shots he took, he simply looked as if he had given up, astounding not only for James but for any professional athlete competing at the level of the playoffs. It was inexcusable, whatever the circumstance.

In a place like New York, the tabloids would have screamed “LeBomb James!” In Cleveland, there were a few boos, but they amounted to nothing compared to the desperation of the fans to keep him for next season and beyond. In such an atmosphere, human nature inevitably takes over: you stop constantly pushing yourself because there is no real incentive...

No one in Cleveland talks like this. We assume LeBron wants a championship as badly as the city does, and we figure that's motivation enough. Does LeBron need someone to challenge him? A tougher coach? An entire city?

Or an owner? I wonder what Dan Gilbert will say to LeBron as free-agent negotiations near: Only what LeBron wants to hear, or some version of his challenge to the team after Game 5?

Our entire franchise has done everything in its power to put all of our players and its coaching staff in the best possible position to execute when it counts. And to deliver to the highly supportive fans of Cleveland a proud, intense, impassioned all-out drive to achieve a championship. The last two home playoff losses and the manner in which we lost these games does not come close to being anywhere near the high expectations all of us have of our organization. Our fans and supporters deserve more.