🇮🇹 Cleveland Gets Italian

Good morning, Cleveland! This is The 216 Scoop: Malley’s has chocolate. Great Lakes has beer. Heinen’s has, well, pretty much everything else. Now they’ve combined forces for a new Cleveland creation 🍫🍺🏪

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John Petkovic & Jude Perez

Doug Katz has fond memories of popping open a can of spaghetti as a kid.

The Beard-nominated chef hasn’t partaken in the chowdown in years. But it came to mind while touring the historic Rose Building on East Ninth and Euclid.

“I was scouting for a new restaurant when I found out that Ettore Boiardi once had a restaurant there,” says Katz. “It inspired me to do an Italian place and call it Ettore.”

You might know Ettore Boiardi as canned-food maestro Chef Boyardee.

After a stint at the Plaza in New York, he hit Cleveland to open Il Giardino d’Italia, in 1924.

It exposed countless Clevelanders to Italian cuisine – and his sauce was so beloved that customers wanted to take it home.

Ka-ching!

He started bottling it – which led to his iconic canned-food empire.

“People don’t realize how important he was in popularizing Italian food,” says Katz, who owns Zhug, Amba and Kiln.

Italian ranks among the most popular cuisines in the country.

But industrial and chain versions of it oversimplified the regional differences to a handful of familiar, sauce-heavy formats.

“Italian has been bastardized,” says Katz. “It’s such a rich, diverse cuisine – and starts with the bread and cheese, the wine and olives.”

Katz imagines Ettore as an enoteca -- casual wine bar that will serve local wines and shareable dishes that represent Italy’s regional cuisines. It will open in early 2028.

There will be lots of booing – and it will be directed at the hated Steelers when they hit Huntington Bank Field.

Browns fans are inching toward Believeland and will go bonkers if the team goes 3-1 after Thursday’s 8:15 p.m. matchup.

Dozens of bars will give them a chance to congregate before, during and after the game. Here are some all-stars:

Three icons, one beer.

Malley’s Chocolates, Great Lakes Brewing, and Heinen’s have reunited for a second limited-edition beer… That might not taste like a beer to many.

Raise a glass to Perfect Twist Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Amber Lager.

It draws inspiration from Malley’s popular Snuggles, a sweet-and-salty chocolate-covered pretzel treat with peanut butter.

The amber lager clocks in at 6.2% ABV.

Brewers describe it as combining the smooth malt character of an amber lager with layers of chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzel flavors, balanced with a touch of salt.

Mmm, sounds like a breakfast cereal for morning drinkers with a sweet tooth.

Perfect Twist is sold exclusively at Heinen’s locations, with limited quantities at Great Lakes brewpub and gift shop.

WEDNESDAY

Dale Watson: The country icon from Texas has released more than 30 albums and is always hitting the road. 8 p.m., Beachland Ballroom. Info.

Luna: The dream-pop outfit brings its minimalist blend of jangly guitars and Velvety spoken-word-style vocals to the Grog Shop. 8 p.m. Info.

THURSDAY

Big Jay Oakerson: He’s Rated R and coming for your funny bone. The comedy star with the laid-back style and dirty delivery hits Hilarities. 7 p.m. (Also 7 & 9:45 Friday.) Info.

Sex Pistols: The punk legends – minus Johnny Rotten – hit the Agora to perform their 1977 banger ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ in its entirety. 7:30 p.m. Info.

West Clinton Historic Haunts: The one-hour walking tour features tales of scary and villainous histories of Gordon Square. 6:30 p.m. (Also Friday & Saturday. Info.

👉 View Listing on Zillow

No muffler?  No catalytic converter?

No worries, if Gov. Mike DeWine is successful in putting an end to the E-Check vehicle emissions testing program in Northeast Ohio.

The move to end E-Check comes after the U.S. EPA re-designated the region as meeting the federal ozone standard in June.

"Decades of work to reduce pollution have finally paid off to the extent that we no longer believe E-Check is needed to maintain federal air quality standards in Northeast Ohio," says DeWine. 

On Oct 10, 1976, Browns defensive end Joe ‘Turkey’ Jones drove the Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw into the Cleveland Municipal Stadium turf, head-first. Bradshaw was taken to the hospital. Jones got a 15-year penalty and $3,000 fine for unnecessary roughness.

Ooh and don’t forget! Tag @The216Scoop on Facebook & @scoopcle on Instagram to get your photos in the Scoop!

77 °F 🌡️ 68 °F | ☁️ (Mostly Cloudy) | 10% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 11 mph SSW (≈ 10 knots)

80 °F 🌡️ 66 °F | ☁️ (Cloudy) | 21% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 12 mph SW (≈ 10 knots)

69 °F 🌡️ 55 °F | 🌧️ (Rain) | 93% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 13 mph N (≈ 11 knots)

_{Please note that weather conditions can change rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, consider checking a reliable local weather service.}

Home vs. HOU/CWS, TBD October 3 (Saturday) — ALDS Game 1

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