Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. Moves and Opens Second Location

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know we're big fans of Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. in our neighborhood. Well, they've had some big changes recently that I wanted to share with you.

First, they moved their Old Brooklyn retail location off of Pearl Road and opened up in the same building as their production facility on Broadview Road. 

The retail space in the shop is a little smaller, but you'll still find all of your favorite cheese and charcuterie board accoutrements and familiar local products. Try their award-winning mustard!

And, of course, the quality cheeses you've grown to expect.

They are still offering a small menu of Sandwiches, and have brought back the Snack Cones ($6).

The second piece of big news is that another retail location has opened up on the east side. You can now find Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. in the Van Aken Market Hall in Shaker Heights. Don't snooze on this gem if you live on that side of town and haven't visited their west side location before!

Finally, if you're limiting your errands and don't want to stop in to the physical locations, you can order and schedule delivery through Mercato if you fall within their service area.

Our small businesses need us more than ever. Shop local whenever you can, and it's great that Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. now has more than one option to do so. 

Old Brooklyn Cheese Co.

4464 Broadview Road

Cleveland, OH 44109 

(216)860-4000

3441 Tuttle Road, Suite 101

Shaker Heights, OH 44122

New Year's Eve Events in Cleveland

The holidays are rushing in this year, and New Year's Eve will be here before we know it. The end of a decade.

If you're still looking for something to do in the Greater Cleveland area, here are some restaurant events to choose from.

Sawyer's Restaurant (Van Aken District, Shaker Heights)
Six-course ($90) or Eleven-course ($150) Tasting Menu
Featuring celebratory + aphrodisiac classics including wagyu, oysters, lobster, caviar, truffles, + ‘sexy pasta’ (vegan option available). Complimentary champagne sabering at midnight. Reservations starting at 5PM.

Table 45 (Cleveland)
Four-course Prix Fixe Dinner ($75)
Upgrade your experience and stay overnight at the Intercontinental Hotel Cleveland.

Flying Fig (Ohio City)
Party Like It's 1999 ($150)
Join the Flying Fig to celebrate 20 years of service with an eight-course tasting menu of popular dishes of the past. Live music, champagne toast, and gratuity included.

The Black Pig (Ohio City)
Special à la carte menu offered for that evening only.

100th Bomb Group (Cleveland)
Roaring 20s Party: $80 per person / $90 at the door
To celebrate the holiday, 100th Bomb Group is throwing a Roaring 20s NYE party from 8PM to 1AM featuring: Live DJ Gary Pearl, Hor d’Oeuvres, Grand Dinner Buffet, Open Bar, and Balloon Drop. $300 package includes 2 tickets plus one-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Lago East Bank (Downtown)
7th Annual New Year's Eve Cirque du Soirée: The Greatest Show ($150 - $300)
Lavish food, drinks, entertainment and dancing including: Dynamic Carving Stations, Show Stopping Antipasti, Mouth Watering Seafood Display, Delicious Hot Buffet, Luscious Dessert Display, Premium Bar, and Champagne Toast at Midnight. Late night admission or VIP Package with hotel stay available.


How will you be ringing in the New Year? You can catch Mr. H and I at The Black Pig, per tradition. If you're aware of other great events happening around town, leave them in the comments.

Don't forget to help me with my blog's "New Year's resolution" of the To Dine Challenge! Submit your restaurant suggestions for places I should dine in 2020, and I'll publish the final list of 10 on January 1st.

Michael's Genuine Food + Drink

Situated in the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, Michael's Genuine Food + Drink had been on my list to check out since it opened. The restaurant concept comes from James Beard Award-winning chef/owner Michael Schwartz of Miami.

The dining room is casual, with booths and tables positioned for a view of the wood-fired oven. There's also a good-sized bar, and you can enjoy 1/2 off snacks, cocktails, wine by the glass, and beer during their Happy Hour on Monday - Friday from 4-6PM.

We popped in for a large lunch, because dinner wasn't going to be until very late that evening. We shared three smaller plates from their snacks and appetizers sections, and split a lunch-portion salad.

That started with an order of Classic Deviled Eggs ($6). Can't go wrong there.

We also shared the Wood Roasted Octopus ($19) with crema, smoked chile, radish, and cilantro. The flavors of this dish were overall very good, but it ended up a real "miss" for us because it was over-roasted and the texture became tough and it tasted too bitter. Also, for the price, the portion was very small. It cut down to four bite-sized pieces.

They offer two sizes for each of their salads, which is a nice option. We shared the smaller portion of the Butter Lettuce ($8) with orange, hazelnut, avocado, and shallot-hazelnut vinaigrette. It was a simple and refreshing salad that I'd eat again, but I kept thinking that it was missing a little something. I personally would add crumbled goat cheese, and more orange and avocado.

So far, the meal had been pleasant but nothing had "wowed us" quite yet. Well the best was saved for last. We ended with the Crispy Pork Belly ($15) with kimchi, crushed peanuts, and cilantro. The portion was pretty generous for an appetizer, the flavors and textures were great, and I'd get this again and again.

There was a whole lot more on the menu that I'd like to try. Including daily oysters and specials. The menu is labeled for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

Pop in for a meal, then stop in at any of the great shops at the Van Aken District, and top off the experience with ice cream from Mitchell's. I just love dining destinations where you can walk around and make a whole excursion out of it.

Michael's Genuine Food + Drink

3427 Tuttle Road
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
(216) 230-8022

Van Aken Market Hall

The Van Aken District is just exploding on the east side. Local business favorites like Cleveland Clothing Co., Mitchell's Ice Cream, and Room Service have opened locations, and shoppers can also enjoy additional boutiques like Whiskey Grade and Luster. The restaurants have also flocked, and I personally look forward to trying Michael's Genuine Food & Drink (now open) and the soon-to-open Jonathon Sawyer spot.

In the heart of it all is the Van Aken Market Hall.

In addition to the sit-down restaurants, the area now offers a 21,000-square foot food hall. It's a great place to gather, with a little something for everyone. We recently met our friends and their two young children there for dinner on a Friday. There is plenty of room for the kids to run around, a couple of food stands to choose from, and Craft Collective where the adults can grab an alcoholic beverage.

We sample a bit of everything, including the Mac and Cheese with Focaccia Bread Crumbs ($8) from Scorpacciata Pasta Co. (one of my little friends' personally favorites)...

...and their Carbonara ($14) with black pepper fettuccine, Ohio pancetta, yolks, and arugula.

We've always enjoyed the poutine and cased meats from Banter on the west side, so we just had to dig in to a couple of the Sliders, which you order individually.

They did not disappoint. That's a jalapeño popper on top of that beef slider pictured above! An order of poutine graced the table too.

A couple of takeaways from our experience...

1.  I am falling in love with a Food Hall concept. It's great for groups or families, because everyone gets to choose what they want or you can mix-and-match a couple of small things from more than one place to make a meal.
2.  When the garage doors on the Van Aken Market Hall can be open in the warmer months, the flow and vibe will be really cool.
3.  Ohio City Galley has the logistics and atmosphere figured out much better. First, the positioning of the restaurant stands and designated seating areas are more clear and cohesive. Second, their liquor license includes the entire space so you're not limited to where you can enjoy an adult beverage (Craft Collective space only here).
4. The food was all solid and no real complaints, but the food quality and flavor are better at Ohio City Galley. 
5. Timing. The food flies out at Ohio City Galley, but the waits were around 45 minutes at Van Aken Market Hall (after you waited in line for quite a bit) on what seemed like a steady but not slammed night. 
6. Mitchell's Ice Cream is right across the street, and made for a perfect end-of-the-meal treat!

What are your thoughts on food halls? If you've been to both, which do you prefer?

Van Aken Market Hall

3441 Tuttle Road
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
(216) 491-8800