📰 Where pierogis meet stadium nachos

Good morning, Cleveland! This is The 216 Scoop: Chili didn’t make the cut, but Leela did—and she’s adorable 🌶️➡️🐼

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Fall is here and it’s time for the staples that define Cleveland Cuisine.

To honor the season, we’re starting a series on Cleveland culinary favorites. Many were brought over from the Old World. Even more are unique hybrids by pioneers that gave new life to classics.

“The weather gets colder, we have football games and holidays – and we all start eating like Clevelanders,” says Lidia Trempe, aka Cleveland’s pierogi queen and owner of Rudy’s Strudel and Bakery in Parma. “We’re like bears stocking up on comfort foods heading into hibernation.”

Each entry will focus on a specific food. The 216 Scoop will then compile and publish them as the Story of Cleveland Cuisine – a guide to foods, their origins and places that serve them.

The East Side was a hub for European immigrants and a magnet for upwardly mobile Black American.

Welcome to Mount Pleasant, where Virgil Whitmore crossed his Texas roots with the tastes of the neighborhood to create Cleveland’s most iconic sandwich.

Let’s see, take a Polish sausage, pop it into a bun, top it with fries, coleslaw and a special sauce – and embrace the mess.

The Polish Boy was born, 1942.

“He brought Texas flavor to the neighborhood,” says grandson Virgil Whitmore III, who owns Whitmore’s Bar-B-Q in Warrensville Heights with his brother, Vince. “And ended up started a new whole approach to food with the Polish Boy.”

Open since 1980, Whitmore’s sells 500 to 1,000 of them a week. Now is high-season for the sandwich.

“It’s hard to eat substantial meals when it’s hot,” says Whitmore. “Then it gets colder and you’re looking for something to stick to your ribs — and you come to see me.”

You can also go to the Virgil Sr.’s original location – Mt Pleasant Bar-B-Q. Owned and operated by the Whitmore family, it has retained the classic look and menu since 1942.

B&M Bar-B-Que: Started in1958 on East 79^th and Hough, B&M has turned generations on to Southern-tinged barbecue. Info.

Hot Dog Diner and Burger: The family-owned eatery boasts fun takes on classics – from Polish Boys to pierogi. Info.

The Rib Cage: The Jumbo Polish Boy and Girl are beasts in the house where the sauce is the boss. Info.

Seti’s: The PB of Cleveland's first food truck has drawn raves from Michael Symon, Rachel Ray and foodie cults. Info.

Lady Luck MTS Bar & Grille: Can’t beat the prices. Fun bartenders and crowd. Good times. Info.

Mabel's BBQ: The Polish Girl takes the sandwich a step further by adding pulled pork on top. Info.

A twisted cretin yanked his head out of his body and here I was sucking on a blood bag as if nothing happened.

Egads, check out the gallery of macabre freaks at Carnevil — the just-opened Halloween pop-up bar at Amici’s in North Royalton.

The vodka-cranberry, aka Bozo’s Blood Bag, comes in, yes, a blood bag. The Killer Klown Shot (raspberry vodka, blue curacao, lemonade) is served in a syringe.

The mutant at the kissing, er, I mean, ‘killing booth’ looks like he had one too many of those. A lobotomized freak in a rocking chair hanging from the ceiling was having a swinging time.

Ditto for the non-mutant chowing on Halloween-themed treats. BTW, the detached hand hanging from the ceiling by a chain is a classy touch. More info.

Sparks: The madcap iconoclasts from L.A. defy genre. OK, rock – but a take on it that reinvents rhythm, melody and delivery of it. 8 p.m. Monday at the Agora. Info.

Brian Jonestown Massacre: The S.F. psych-rockers scored a local cult playing the Grog Shop. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Grog brings the band to Globe Iron.  Info.

Waxahatchee: The Alabama outfit would be lauded as straight country in another time. Its 2024 breakthrough, ‘Tiger Blood,” is twangy and timeless. 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Roxy. Info.

👉 View Listing on Zillow

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has welcomed a new sloth bear and giraffe and, most recently, a red panda.

Meet Leela, the daughter of Poppy and dad, Willie – the Zoo announced in a gender-name reveal.

The name was chosen by the mother, who was given the choice of three bowls of food. Just when it looked like she’d pick “Chili,” she opted for Leela. Watch video here.

Red pandas are endangered in the wild. There have been a number of births of late in zoos across the country.

Leela was born in July, weighing in at no more than a stick of butter. No date on when she makes her public debut.

John D. Rockefeller family home. Purchased in 1868 for $40,000, the mansion was torn down in 1938, per his will.

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

79 °F 🌡️ 64 °F | ☀️ | 1% | 💨 NE ≈ 5 mph (≈ 4 knots)

79 °F 🌡️ 64 °F | ☀️ | 0% | 💨 NNE ≈ 6 mph (≈ 5 knots)

79 °F 🌡️ 66 °F | ⛅ | 1% | 💨 NE ≈ 5 mph (≈ 4 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. Green Bay Packers, 1:00pm September 21 (Sunday)

Away vs. Tigers, 6:40pm Tuesday

Away vs. Tigers, 6:40pm Wednesday

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