Good morning, Cleveland! This is The 216 Scoop: Pumpkin spice has officially taken over the city. Coffee, pastries, candles, probably someone's toothpaste by now. At this rate, Lake Erie will be pumpkin-flavored by Thanksgiving 🎃☕🥐
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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:
Voters trade $5,000 Checks for Revenge: Blue Tsunami in Deep-Red Ohio
It's the Great Pumpkin Spice Craze – and Cleveland is Painting the Town Orange
No More Cheapskates: MLB Would Require Guardians to Boost Payroll More than $100 Million
Get Out of the House: A Barber, a Baker, Emo Phillips and Brahms
A New Flavor for Old Chinatown: Mestizo Kitchen Unveils ‘Mexipino’ Cuisine
John Petkovic & Jude Perez
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IN THE NEWS
Voters trade $5,000 Checks for Revenge: Blue Tsunami in Deep-Red Ohio
Illustration by John Petkovic
Anger cuts both ways.
Donald Trump won a stunning victory in 2024 by positioning himself as an outsider who could harness voter anger against a broken system.
Once he became the system, they directed their anger at him – with a blue tsunami that hands Democrats the House and Senate.
Amy Acton, Sherrod Brown and Brian Poindexter all won key races in a statewide rout in Ohio — a state that went so red in ’24 that it looked like it was never going back.
At rallies, Trump celebrated data centers, the Iran War, tariffs. Even high oil prices: “We’re making a freaking fortune.”
Voters didn’t just reject his issues and policies. They saw him as out of touch and dismissive of their struggles.
Let them eat semiconductor chips.
Acton’s victory is one of the more remarkable in years:
An outsider who never ran for office, she lacked backers and donors – and her only associations with the public were COVID, lockdowns, masks.
No other Democrat even tried to run for governor.
After all, Trump carried Ohio in ’24 by 11 percent, making it a red-or-dead state.
Vivek Ramaswamy touted his entrepreneurial acumen and experience in private equity and the hedge fund world.
But this is a K-shaped economy, where disparity of wealth gets more distorted every month.
53% of Americans view billionaires as a threat to democracy. 71% want them to have a smaller role in politics..
This was a rebellion against war, high prices and mortgage rates, tech bros and Trump.
Voters won’t be getting their $5,000 checks. But they got their revenge.
It's the Great Pumpkin Spice Craze – and Cleveland is Painting the Town Orange
Orange everywhere.
Cheerios, bagels, pancakes, coffee, cream cheese, maple syrup, yogurt, coffee – even bisque, pretzels, hummus, ravioli and moonshine.
Pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice. More pumpkin spice.
What began as a practical kitchen shortcut for pie has become a cultural phenomenon.
“It signals the changing of the season and a reminds people of their childhood eating pumpkin pie with the family,” says Sam McNulty, co-owner of Market Garden Brewery.
The Ohio City bar-restaurant has tapped into it with two brews, Franklin Castle and Giant Pumpkin.
The flavor goes back to 2000 BC, when cinnamon started making the rounds on Asian trading routes.
The modern era started in 2003, when Starbucks rolled out its Pumpkin Spice Latte – which is still a top-seller 425 million cups later.
Cleveland bars and restaurants have gone bonkers over the flavor – from Shooters (Pumpkin Chai Coolada) to Masthead (Pumpkin Spice Latte Ale) to Dahlia Coffee (Pumpkin Spice Horchata).
Some come with a pinch of pumpkin. Some with none at all.
Pumpkin spice, you see, is primarily a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a dash of clove or ginger and all spice.
"It’s more to do with the spices than the pumpkin," says McNulty. “It’s about the taste, nostalgia and the arrival of fall.”
🎃 Where do you stand on pumpkin spice?
No More Cheapskates: MLB Would Require Guardians to Boost Payroll More than $100 Million
MLB Labor Relations Department
For years, Guardians fans have pleaded and howled for Larry Dolan to spend money on free agents.
Finally, they might get their wish.
Major League Baseball owners have proposed a new salary cap that would force big spenders like the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees to shed money and the lowest-salary teams to increase payrolls to a minimum of $180.2 million.
Which would force Dolan to step up to the plate:
The Guards – ranked 30th in 2026 payroll -- would have to increase spending by more than $100 million.
It would mean signing free agents and keeping players they traded away because of their contracts – such as Francisco Lindor and Corey Kluber.
In the future, that could mean Cade Smith, Gavin Williams and Steven Kwan.
Owners argue the changes would improve a competitive balance.
However, three of the four teams that went furthest in the playoffs (Guards, Rays, Brewers) were all in the bottom tier of spenders.
Negotiations continue with the threat of a lockout if no agreement is reached by the December deadline.
⚾ Would you support a salary cap with a payroll floor?
The 216 Rundown
Get Out of the House: A Barber, a Baker, Emo Phillips and Brahms.
WEDNESDAY
Sweeney Todd: The English barber avenges a judge who wronged him in the Great Lakes Theatre production of the classic play. 7:30 p.m. Hanna Theatre. (Through Nov. 8.) Info.
The Great Grog Bake Off: Bring on the cheese. The eighth installment of the Grog Shop’s cooking competition features chefs being creative with, yes, cheese. 8 p.m. Info.
THURSDAY
Emo Phillips: The comic legend has been called the best joke writer in the U.S.A. and has performed 7,000 stand-up shows. 7 p.m. Hilarities. Info.
Brahms’s Requiem: The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus perform the German composer’s classic work about the death of his mother. 7:30 p.m. Severance Hall. Info.
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NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
A New Flavor for Old Chinatown: Mestizo Kitchen Unveils “Mexipino” Cuisine
One of Cleveland’s most cinematic -- and long forgotten – streets is getting a new flavor.
Here comes Mestizo Kitchen to the heart of old Chinatown on Rockwell Avenue.
The eatery rolls out a menu very different for the neighborhood: A mix of Mexican and Filipino cuisines that owners Jessie Mendoza and Armando Llamas call “Mexipino.”
“Mestizo Kitchen is bringing together the rich traditions, bold flavors, and best-loved dishes of the Philippines and Mexico—all under one roof,” they said.
It includes some rarities in the food scene: Bibingka (Filipino Rice Cake), a sweet and savory Christmas delight.
The eatery is in the old Sichuan Hot Pot – which closed in May.
VINTAGE CLEVELAND
For most of the '60s and '70s, Chinese eateries lined the old Chinatown on Rockwell between East 21st and East 24th streets. It was the epicenter of the Chinese community, which experienced rapid growth beginning in the 1950s -- coinciding with a wave of immigrants escaping communism.
Cleveland Memory Project
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WEATHER
Wednesday, November 4
68 °F 🌡️ 55 °F | 🌧️💨 (Rain, Windy) | 99% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 21 mph S (≈ 18 knots)
Thursday, November 5
62 °F 🌡️ 51 °F | ⛅ (Partly Cloudy) | 6% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 16 mph SW (≈ 14 knots)
Friday, November 6
54 °F 🌡️ 44 °F | ⛅➡️🌧️ (PM Light Rain) | 63% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 15 mph W (≈ 13 knots)
Please note that weather conditions can change rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, consider checking a reliable local weather service.
Live Shows in the 216
Top Shows on Wednesday, November 4
20 Years of Nekrogoblikon w/ Aborted — House of Blues, 6 PM
Big Ass Truck I.E. w/ Chamber, Mugshot, Surfaced, Lie In Wait — Mahall's, 6 PM
Hunter Flynn w/ Logan Mac — Beachland Tavern, 7 PM
Metalcore Wednesday w/ Angelo — Foundry Concert Club, 6 PM
WesGhost w/ Eurotripp — Beachland Ballroom, 7 PM
Top Shows on Thursday, November 5
Arch Enemy & The Black Dahlia Murder w/ Septicflesh, Crypta, Thrown Into Exile — Agora Theatre, 5 PM
George Clanton w/ Ryan Hemsworth — The Roxy at Mahall's, 7 PM
Ho99o9 & N8NOFACE w/ Slay Squad — Mahall's, 7 PM
Karina Eleni — Beachland Tavern, 7 PM
Super Pop Party: A Night of Indie Pop w/ Mitchel Madek, Girl Cologne, Nicholas Lee — Grog Shop, 7 PM
Top Shows on Friday, November 6
Anime Pop Night: The Ghibli Fall Festival — Foundry Concert Club, 9 PM
Baddiecore Dance Club: A Modern Heavy, Goth and Emo Night — Mahall's, 10 PM
DEVOtional 2026 — Beachland Tavern, 6 PM
Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials — Music Box, 6 PM
REPRISE: Recreating Iconic Phish Shows — Beachland Ballroom, 7 PM
Westside Live ft Jaxx Axyl — Grog Shop, 7 PM
Zack Fox (DJ Set) — Agora Theatre, 8 PM
The 216 Sports Area
Upcoming Games
Browns
Away vs. Saints, 1 PM November 8 (Sunday)
Cavaliers
Away vs. Thunder, 8 PM November 4 (Wednesday)
Home vs. 76ers, 7:30 PM November 6 (Friday)
Home vs. Knicks, 8 PM November 7 (Saturday)
Thanks for reading The 216 Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who calls every brewery a “second home.”
