THE RACCOON DIARIES MAY 28 > CLEVELAND'S WEEKLY FOODIE NEWSLETTER
Each week, savor handpicked food gems from five buzzing cities, served with a side of cheeky humor and vibrant stories that make your taste buds dance.
Jamie the Raccoon
5/28/20268 min read
WHAZZZUPPPP Foodies!!!
It's Jamie the Raccoon, mask on, paws washed (kind of), snout deep in the freshest food news The Land has to offer this week! I've been dumpster-diving from Ohio City to Tremont to Rocky River and I found SO MUCH GOOD STUFF. Buckle your bibs, loosen those pants, and let's get into it — deals FIRST because that's how we roll.
DEALS AND STEALS — BEST GRABS IN CLEVELAND
STEAK Tremont — The Best Fixed Price Deal in the City
If you haven't been to STEAK at 2179 W. 11th Street in Tremont yet, what are you doing with your life? The prix fixe is $30 and it gets you an 8-oz Certified Angus Beef Coulotte steak, a salad, house-made rolls, and endless hand-cut fries. Vegan? They have a $30 cauliflower steak prix fixe too. Bonus: there's a Ferris wheel of Mitchell's Ice Cream and 24K-wrapped steaks because apparently Cleveland is extra and we love it. Open Monday through Sunday from 4 p.m. They're also opening a Chagrin Falls location this year. Call 216-331-2724 or book at steakcle.com.
Great Lakes Brewing Company — Happy Hour Every Weekday, Bar Only
The OG Ohio City brewery at 2516 Market Ave runs happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the bar. On top of that, every Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m., you get half off bottles of wine. Wednesday happy hour (4 to 7 p.m.) also gets you a house Caesar salad and fries combo for $15, dine-in only. If you're heading to a Guardians game, GLBC runs all-day game day specials: $4 Cold Rush cans, $20 Rally Drum Lemon Shandy pitchers, and $12 Polish Boy loaded fries. They also run a free gameday shuttle from the brewpub to the ballpark for all home games, free with any purchase. Follow the brewpub on Instagram at @glbcbrewpub for weekly tap specials and food deals. Phone: 216-771-4404.
Barrio — Tacos and Margaritas, Happy Hour Across Multiple Locations
Barrio runs happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. at all seating, not just the bar, and they have locations in Tremont, Downtown Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and Willoughby. The deals include $2 off all tacos and $2 off all margaritas. Note: deals may not apply on game and event days at certain locations. Always worth calling ahead to confirm. This is hands-down one of the best bang-for-your-buck happy hours in the city for anyone who loves tacos, which should be everyone.
Downtown Food Truck Series — 70+ Trucks, Free Live Music, All Lunch Hour
This is running RIGHT NOW, every weekday through September 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. More than 70 local food trucks rotate through five downtown locations with live music every single day. Here's the daily schedule straight from Downtown Cleveland Inc.:
Monday — Fort Huntington Park, W. 3rd and Lakeside Ave Tuesday — Public Square, Ontario and Rockwell Wednesday — Ralph J. Perk Plaza, E. 12th and Chester Thursday — One Cleveland Center Plaza, E. 9th and St. Clair Friday — Willard Park, E. 9th and Lakeside
Standout trucks in the rotation include Hatfield's Goode Grub, Squash the Beef, and Thai It Up. Two trucks with a mission also roll through: Metro45 Café, a Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry social enterprise that provides job training for people facing workforce barriers, and Executive Grille on the Go, staffed by CMSD high school students in the Culinary Arts Program. Free to attend. Bring cash and an appetite.
Farmers Markets — Fresh Local Produce
Multiple North Union Farmers Markets are currently open. Here's where to go this week:
Shaker Square — Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, through December 19 Crocker Park, Westlake — Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through December 19 Cleveland Clinic — Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., started June 3 University Hospitals — Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., June 4 through October 15 City of Lakewood — Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., starts June 10 Chagrin Falls — Sundays, 9 a.m. to noon, FIRST WEEKEND June 7 through October 25 Legacy Village — Sundays, 9 a.m. to noon, starts June 14 Van Aken District, Shaker Heights — Thursdays, 4 to 7 p.m., starts June 11
Great Lakes Brewing Brewmaster's Stash — First Thursday of Every Month
Every first Thursday of the month, GLBC taps a limited small-batch beer at the brewpub — the "Brewmaster's Stash." It goes on when they open and sells until it's gone. No crowlers or growlers, only onsite. The next one is Thursday, June 5. Get there early.
EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES
Public Square Farmers Market — LAUNCHING THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 11
Brand new this summer: every Thursday from June 11 through August 27, 4 to 7 p.m., Downtown Cleveland's Public Square gets a weekly farmers market. Fresh seasonal produce, handmade goods, a pop-up bar, and live music. It's part of Public Square's 10th anniversary celebration. Completely free to attend. Bring your tote bags. downtowncleveland.com for details.
Last Call Trivia at Great Lakes Brewing Brewpub — Every Thursday 7 to 9 p.m.
Teams of up to five people. Every single Thursday night. Free to enter. This is one of the best cheap nights out in Cleveland — good beer, good food, and you get to feel smart. 2516 Market Ave, Ohio City.
Korean Cooking Class — Bibimbap and Fresh Kimchi
A hands-on Korean cooking class is happening this month in Cleveland, covering Bibimbap and Geotjeori (fresh kimchi from scratch). Perfect for a date night, a solo food adventure, or a group of friends who are tired of eating out and want to actually learn something. Check Eventbrite Cleveland for the exact date and tickets.
A Night at Cheese School — June 2026
Cleveland's cheese education event is back this month. Learn to taste, pair, and properly appreciate cheese in a guided setting. Check Eventbrite Cleveland for the date, location, and tickets. Jamie the Raccoon has been training for this his whole life.
Cooking with Chef Wells — Seafood Explosion
Chef Wells is running a seafood-focused cooking class this month at Cornucopia Place in Cleveland. Hands-on, skill-building, and you get to eat what you make. Check Eventbrite Cleveland for the date and tickets.
NEW OPENINGS — FRESH
SPOTS AND WHAT'S COMING
Rocky River Brewing Co. — Coming Back in Early June
The beloved brewpub at 21290 Center Ridge Road in Rocky River suffered a devastating roof fire in June 2025 that caused $3 million in damages and shut the doors for almost a full year. Owner Gary Cintron used the entire closure to rebuild and improve essentially everything — floors, ceilings, furniture, bathrooms, TVs, sound system, beer lines, beer tower, all of it. His biggest new hire is brewer Vaughn Stewart, who ran Bookhouse Brewing in Ohio City for seven years before closing it late last year. Rocky River Brewing has been open since 1998 and is the last surviving brewpub from the original late-90s Cleveland craft beer era. Doors are expected to reopen in early June 2026. Follow @rockyriverbrewco on Instagram (4,650 followers) for the exact date. 21290 Center Ridge Rd, Rocky River, 440-895-2739.
FrankieLynn Hotdogs — Old Brooklyn Gets a Proper Dog House
Owner Rachel Ventura launched the FrankieLynn cart in 2022 with the motto "hot dogs for everyone" and has been selling grilled-to-order dogs loaded with locally sourced toppings all over Cleveland ever since. She and her husband and business partner Lloyd Foust have now signed a space at 2023 Broadview Road in their own Old Brooklyn neighborhood. Opening before the end of 2026. The dogs are made from J & J Czuchraj Meats, with Cleveland Ketchup, Pop Mustards, and The Home Pantry hot pepper jam. The new brick-and-mortar will add salads, sandwiches, seasonal nightly specials, and possibly burgers and soups in winter. Bread comes from Leavened Bakery. A handful of seats, fast-pickup focused, plus a small retail section for Cleveland makers and occasionally hosted events. Follow @frankielynncle on Instagram.
ROSY — Open and Already Essential
Chef Vinnie Cimino and business partner Andrew Watts opened ROSY at 2912 Church Ave. in Ohio City's Hingetown neighborhood on February 26, 2026 — in the former Alea space. It's a 50-seat live-fire bistro. The menu is hyper-seasonal with at least 80 per cent of ingredients sourced from within 200 miles of Cleveland. No printed menus — the day's dishes are chalked on a board above the open kitchen and pulled when the kitchen runs out. A communal prix-fixe starts with flatbread and seven rotating dips and spreads. On Mondays only, they make 25 burgers. The lamb pasticada over polenta and the salata plate with house-made focaccia are two dishes people are raving about. Follow @rosy.restaurant on Instagram.
Anthology Cask House — Ohio City, Coming This Summer
Noble Beast Brewing owners Shaun and JoLyn Yasaki announced in early May 2026 that they're taking over the former Bookhouse Brewing space at 1526 W. 25th Street in Ohio City. Anthology Cask House will be a standalone pub and brewery exclusively pouring European beers — Belgian lambics, English cask ales pulled from a beer engine the old-school way, and a rotating selection of imported drafts. It will NOT serve Noble Beast beers. Food comes from a partnership with neighboring Little Cloud kitchen, with Noble Beast chef James Redford and Little Cloud creating a new menu together. The building has been a brewery since 1866. Opening expected in the coming months — summer 2026. Follow @noble_beast_brewing on Instagram (18k followers). 1526 W. 25th St, Ohio City.
Matt Fish — Proof Public House Opening in Ohio City
Matt Fish, a well-known Cleveland restaurateur, is opening Proof Public House in Ohio City. No firm opening date confirmed yet, but it has been announced. Watch this one closely.
Funshi Conveyor Belt Sushi — Now Open in Beachwood
Funshi has opened its doors in Beachwood, bringing the spin-and-grab conveyor belt sushi experience to the east side. Great for families, groups, kids, sushi obsessives, and anyone who likes watching food go in circles. Check their socials for hours and location details.
ON JAMIE'S RADAR — COMING SOON
EVOO — Modern Greek is Coming to Legacy Village
EVOO is opening at Legacy Village in the former California Pizza Kitchen space. It's a modern Greek-Mediterranean concept with healthy options, vegan-friendly dishes, and fresh bold flavors in an upscale setting. ETA 2026. Cleveland has been waiting for a proper elevated Greek restaurant and this looks like it.
Noble Beast Biergarten — Lorain Avenue and W. 38th Ave
Shaun Yasaki confirmed this is coming later this year alongside Anthology Cask House. An outdoor biergarten on Lorain Avenue. That is exactly what that stretch of road needs in the summer.
STEAK Chagrin Falls — Second Location on the Way
Hangry Brands, the team behind STEAK Tremont, has signed the former Burntwood Tavern space at 504 E. Washington St. in Chagrin Falls. The new location seats 90, will include a private dining room called The Meating Room, and will feature a separate seasonal outdoor concept called SUSHI — a Tokyo-style patio serving sushi, cocktails, wine, and canned beverages. No firm opening date confirmed yet for 2026.
June 15 — James Beard Awards, Chicago
Best Chef: Great Lakes. Vinnie Cimino. Cordelia. Cleveland. Mark June 15 on your calendar and raise a glass at Cordelia or ROSY that night. The Land needs this one.
That's a wrap from Jamie the Raccoon!
Tip your servers, support your local spots, bring cash to the farmers markets, and for the love of all things edible — go eat a great meal this week. Cleveland's food scene is on fire right now (Rocky River Brewing excluded, that one was not the good kind of fire).
Got a tip? A deal? A new opening? A chef making moves? Send it in and Jamie will dig it up.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is for general informational purposes only. The racoon diaries makes no representations or warranties of any kind regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of any information published herein. Pricing, hours, deals, and event details are subject to change without notice. The racoon diaries is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any business, brand, or venue mentioned herein. Readers should independently verify all information before acting upon it. All content is the property of The racoon diaries and may not be reproduced without written permission. © The racoon diaries 2026. All rights reserved.
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