📰 A Cultural Phenomenon Born in Cleveland

Good morning, Cleveland! This is The 216 Scoop: The old Bookhouse spot sat quiet for a while, and now it's back with a bar's worth of whiskey and a new name. Anthology Cask House opens Friday 📚🥃🎉

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John Petkovic & Jude Perez

It was shot on a shoe-string budget, financed with donations and credit cards. There was no red-carpet premiere, anywhere.

And the idea that a low-rent, drug dealer flick could pack a theater was a pipe dream.

Except in Cleveland.

Crowds lined up for “Super Fly” when it opened at the Scrumpy Dump Theater on Euclid and East 105^th in August, 1972.

They came to see their friends from the ‘hood appear on the screen.

Made for $150,000, the crime drama stunned Hollywood grossing $30 million and knocking ‘The Godfather’ out of the top box-office slot.

‘Super Fly’ and Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack became a cultural phenomenon that changed the course of Black and indie cinema.

 It created a new kind of anti-hero and inspired everything from fashion to hip-hop to ‘The Wire.’

To Clevelanders, it was a home movie.

‘Super Fly’ made O’Neal a superstar. But the role typecast the actor, and left him lost in Hollywood.

I once interview O’Neal, who died in 2004. ‘Super Fly’ was the only subject he wouldn’t discuss.   

"Ron received a lot of negative attention from people who only saw the drugs," his wife Audrey O'Neal once told me.

"He saw it as a film about a man who wants to get out of that life and legitimize himself."

‘Super Fly’ has been legitimized: In 2002, the Library of Congress inducted it into the National Film Registry.

There was once a time when being a vegan was akin to practicing witchcraft in 17^th century Salem. Ok, not quite.

But times have changed.

“Just 15 years ago, it was hard to find vegan and even vegetarian offerings,” says Matt Fish. “Not anymore.”

The former Melt owner has just opened Proof Public House – a punk bar and eclectic eatery with a menu that appeals to an array of palettes and diets.

We’ve come a long way… Plant-based eating has gone from the margins to the mainstream.

“There’s been a Renaissance in the last 10 years with entrepreneurs starting vegan businesses, vegan chefs, events and markets thriving, and mainstream spots showcasing vegan and vegetarian options,” says Jen ClevesVeegs, the nom de plume for the operator of Instagram account, ClevesVeegs.

It’s nothing like the early-1970s, when hippie co-op Genesis 1:29 and Tommy’s were the only games in town.

The 1971 best-seller, “Diet for a Small Planet,” propelled the meatless cause by advocating environmental vegetarianism.

But it was a slow-go, with offerings defaulting to pasta and salad until the 2010s.

Over the last decade, interest in plant-based cuisine has doubled, with Americans identifying as vegan rising to 6%.

“People are increasingly conscious of the environment, health, living animal-free,” says Akin Affrica, who operates The Vegan Club and is bringing the fast-growing Slutty Vegan chain to the area.

“Perceptions are changing with all ages and races, and we’re seeing it in how they eat.”

On Tuesday, 216 Insider will explore the rise of plant-based dining and provide a guide to Cleveland spots.

Mashing metal, grinding machines. Insane tractor pulls. Gigantic elephant ears. Wild carnival rides.

Roll out the Cuyahoga County Fair -- Tuesday through Sunday at Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds.

The demolition derby is no doubt the star of the show… Just listen to the howls of ‘Autogeddon, Autogeddon’ from the grandstand pleading for more mayhem.

But don’t forget the critters.

They crow, bleat and wiggle their ears. They’re also star-studded entertainers.

The 129^th edition, expected to draw 200,000 people, features more of everything, old and new.

Yes, pig and horse races, canine stunts, ribbon contests for bunnies and roosters and human tricks like jugglers, fire breathers and bands — to go with ‘mega rides,’ wrestling and fireworks. Info.

MONDAY

Foo Fighters: Warren native Dave Grohl left Ohio before he turned four. He continued returning to visit family and still calls it his formative place. Welcome back. Huntington Bank Field. 5:30 p.m. Info.

TUESDAY

Chance the Rapper: He’s on tour to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of his Grammy-winning album, ‘Coloring Book.’ House of Blues, 7 p.m. Info.

Courtney Barnett: The Aussie singer-songwriter moved to L.A. from his Melbourne you hear the lazy desert twang in the guitars and vocals of her new album, ‘Creature of Habit.’ 7 p.m. Agora. Info.

👉 View Listing on Zillow

Shaun and JoLyn Yasaki excelled with Noble Beast by making it casual and cool – and serving beer without making you feel like you’re drinking in some beer class.

Easier said than done, and explains why Noble has held strong amid the ups and downs in craft-beer land.

On Friday, they’ll unveil their latest project, Anthology Cask House, in the old Bookhouse space. It rolls out Belgian ales, imported European drafts, its own hand-pulled cask beer and a full kitchen.

“Everything has either been re-worked, re-imagined, or deep cleaned at this point,” the Yasakis announced.

Euclid and East 105^th, 1970. Decades before the Cleveland Clinic took over, it was the domain of Winston Willis. The entrepreneur opened businesses like Winston’s Place Fine Dining, Scrumpy Dump, Pussycat CineX, Psychedelic Shack. That didn’t fit well with the hospital’s expansionist visions. By 1975, Willis was convicted of failing to pay income taxes – the first of several lawsuits and raids that brought down his empire.  His properties were torn down in the ‘80s to make way for the Clinic’s William O. Walker Center.

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80 °F 🌡️ 70 °F | ☁️➡️☀️ (AM Clouds, PM Sun) | 40% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 15 mph WSW (≈ 13 knots)

78 °F 🌡️ 67 °F | ⛈️➡️⛅ (AM Thunderstorms) | 50% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 8 mph WNW (≈ 7 knots)

79 °F 🌡️ 70 °F | ⛈️ (Scattered Thunderstorms) | 60% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 10 mph W (≈ 9 knots)

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

Away vs. Tigers, 6:40 PM August 11 (Tuesday)

Away vs. Tigers, 6:40 PM August 12 (Wednesday)

Away vs. Tigers, 1:10 PM August 13 (Thursday)

Home vs. Padres, 7:10 PM August 14 (Friday)

Home vs. Padres, 7:10 PM August 15 (Saturday)

Home vs. Padres, 1:40 PM August 16 (Sunday)

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