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🍸10 vodka drinks to cure winter blues❄️

🍸10 vodka drinks to cure winter blues❄️

February 24, 2025

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Good morning, Cleveland! This is The 216 Scoop. Did you know Lake Erie is only 30 miles wide at its narrowest point? Of course, we’re not suggesting you try walking to Canada — even if Lake Erie is a block of ice…🌞🚶‍♂️❄️

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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:

Look out below: That Lake Erie ice might be water
The LeBron drama is now Cleveland theater
Pickleball players rejoice! Here's your new home.
Stay warm: 10 vodka drinks to cure the winter blues
Red Downtown named best steakhouse in Ohio

John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Victor Takakura

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IN THE NEWS

Look out below: That Lake Erie ice might be water

Photos courtesy National Weather Service, NASA, I’m from Cleveland Instagram

Just when you think you’re strolling on ice, you might find yourself walking on water. And you could be in trouble – that is, unless you’re Jesus.

More than 95% of Lake Erie’s surface is covered with ice – the most it has seen since 2015. And like the alluring call of the sea siren, the freezing of the lake summons walkers.

On Saturday, there were dozens of adventurers strolling around on the ice off the coast of Edgewater Beach.

Don’t do it, says the National Weather Service. The government agency warns that high winds and weak spots make the lake a dangerous proposition.

“Areas of ice could break off from the shore and leave you stranded,” according to the NWS.

Multiple fishermen have fallen through the ice around Put-In-Bay, forcing the U.S. Coast Guard to save them.

Meanwhile, the Lakewood Fire Department is conducting training for ice rescue scenarios.

“You don’t know how thick the ice is, how fast the water is moving underneath it,” said assistant fire chief Mick Tanasijevic. “It’s really dangerous.”

News that the surface is almost fully frozen has long emboldened adventurer, going back to 1912, when Walter Lick of Pennsylvania walked across Lake Erie in 13 hours.

After all, Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes and is the first to freeze. But the end of February usually marks the peak in the ice season for the lake.

Rain followed by freezing rain, snow storms and high winds can cover up soft spots on the lake.

“You are strongly advised to stay off the ice,” the NWS has advised. “Just because the ice may look thick enough to walk on, that does not mean it is thick enough to support weight or multiple people.”

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The LeBron drama is now Cleveland theater

Photos via NBA and Sports Illustrated

Yes, LeBron is a drama queen. Clevelanders got to see that first-hand. It consumed them in a rocky relationship that brought the despair of defeat and euphoria of victory, the sense of kinship and feeling of betrayal.

Clevelander native and playwright Rajiv Joseph lived through it as a Cavs fan and, in 2017, started jotting down his feelings about LeBron’s time in and effect on Cleveland.

What a drama that was! So it’s no surprise that Joseph would end up turning his feelings and notes into a… play.

Enter “King James.”

The buddy comedy chronicles the friendship of two Cleveland men – a bartender and a writer -- and the emotional rollercoaster they ride with LeBron at the controls.

It premiered at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, in 2022, and played a numbers of cities, including San Francisco (home of the Warriors, which the Cavs defeated in 2016.)

And, now, to paraphrase LeBron, circa 2014: It’s coming home.

The Cleveland Playhouse production opens it’s a in the Outcalt Theater on Saturday. (The Saturday through March 5 showings are previews; the opens officially March 6) For tickets and info, go here.

Pickleball players rejoice! You have a new home

Photo courtesy Cleveland Pickleball Center

Cleveland is poised to land a WNBA franchise and now… the Cleveland Pickleball Center.

The complex, the city’s first permanent indoor pickleball facility, is located in a 1940s-era building at 12400 Crossburn Avenue, in the West Side neighborhood of Belleaire-Puritas,

The facility is about more than creating a 10-court facility for players of the rapidly growing sport. It’s about bringing new life to neighborhood eyesore that was long written-off for dead.

For more than 30 years, the warehouse sat empty and was covered in debris and overgrown foliage, according to a Cleveland City Council press release.

“There was no roof, There were trees growing through it from ground. There was garbage everywhere and it was a homeless encampment for people at one time,” said Cleveland City Council member Brian Kazy.

Developer Robert Euerle received a $100,000 economic assistance grant from the city to help finance the estimated $1 million building renovations

The goal is to make host pickleball tournaments and events and create an area hub for pickleball in the 35,000-square-foot space.

The complex comes with a credo, “Play. Drink. Be Social” -- not to mention a bar that serves craft beers and non-alcoholic beverages. It’s accepting memberships now.

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The 216 Rundown

Photos by John Petkovic

Stay warm: 10 vodka drinks to cure the winter blues

Lake Erie is an ice cube. The grass is snowy white. And days of licking soft serve in front of an ice cream stand seems like a long-gone memory.

Thank god for vodka. It’s the inverse of ice cream in the summer. And because it’s odorless and colorless, vodka makes for an easy-going companion in dozens of drinks.

It also keeps you warm in the winter – which is what inspired Alex Snyder to open Restaurant Europa, 30519 Pinetree Road, Pepper Pike. He’s from Siberia, where the average winter temperature is -13 degrees and once hit -90, in 1933.

Europa is the Czar of vodka bars and boasts the always-fun Vodka Room – a freezer where you con don coats and hats while to shots. It also rolls out a wide-range of house-infused vodka and dozens of brands from Russia.

A shot of cinnamon vodka will warm your organs. The Tsar – a mix of Russian Standard, caviar and olives – is one of the top drinks in town..

Here are nine more that make for stellar and unique winter elixirs:

Lebowski at Society Lounge, 2063 East Fourth St., Cleveland: A rich and indulgent take on the White Russian.

Into the Woods at the Speakeasy at Quintana's, 2200 South Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights: This joint looks and feels like a speakeasy. You have to be buzzed in through a "secret door" that's in a bookcase. And it boasts quite a drink: Rosemary-infused vodka, St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur, lemon juice, soda.

Stoli Doli at Capital Grille, 25389 Cedar Road, Lyndhurst: A pineapple-infused martini that tastes like Siberia crossed with Polynesia.

Caipiroska at Batuqui, 12706 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland: Love Caipirinha are great, but it’s this vodka-and-passion-fruit version of the classic Brazilian elixir hits the spot when it’s cold outside.

The Pier W at Pier W, 12700 Lake Avenue, Lakewood: This longtime fave consists of vodka, champagne and Chambord.

Tavern VIP Martini at Burntwood Tavern, 8188 Brecksville Road, Brecksville: Snazzy -- with Sobieski vodka, olive juice and blue-cheese-stuffed olives.

Grapefruit Mule at Sarita, 14523 Madison Ave, Lakewood: Tito’s, grapefruit, lime and ginger beer make for a punchy, puckering take on a classic.

Tiramisu Espresso Martini at Fairmount Cocktail Bar, 2448 Fairmount Boulevard, Cleveland Heights: This one contains nuts and it is over-the-top nuts! Vanilla vodka, espresso liqueur, tiramisu whipped cream, cocoa powder, ladyfinger.

Pink River Dolphin at Amazonia, 1640 Hopkins Avenue, Lakewood: A totally extravagant cocktail featuring: hibiscus-infused Tito's, Luxardo liqueur, yuzu, rose water, kaffir lime leaf, house-made pink dragonfruit syrup, vanilla bean, egg white, cream, Jamaican No. 2 Bitters, soda.

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NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Courtesy Red Downtown

Red named best steakhouse in Ohio

Red the Steakhouse modernized the downtown steakhouse experience when it opened on Prospect Avenue in 2013. It banked on creating a chic experience for steak lovers – without cutting corners or worrying about price – and remains the go-to steakhouse downtown.

Make that all of Ohio, according to a survey by LoveFood. The popular site has named Red Downtown the best steakhouse in Ohio.

What makes Red Downtown No.1?

According to LoveFood: “Tasteful interiors and incredible food… The surf and turf here is said to be America's best, and there's a big menu of certified Angus beef to get stuck into. Not only that, but there's a great selection of sides, including Parmesan tater tots, green beans with pancetta and pine nuts, and mac ’n’ cheese.”

FYI: In recent years, Red has expanded its menu to include some fine seafood and non-meat items.

The 216 Trivia

1️⃣ What year did the Cleveland Cavaliers win their first NBA Championship?

East Fourth Street, 1976

East Fourth was once the place in town for actors and vaudevillians to get their drink on. Once the theater vibe faded, the street took on a different feel. By the 1980s, Otto Moser and the Rathskeller were the only reminders of its heyday. This is how the street looked during a post-work traffic jam in 1976.

Photo courtesy Joseph E. Cole, Cleveland Press Collection

Ooh and don’t forget! Tag @The216Scoop & @The216ScoopOfficial to get your photos in the Scoop!

Extra Sprinkles

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Say goodbye to bulky layers and hello to seriously warm, seriously stylish outerwear. If you’re ready to upgrade your winter wardrobe with gear that actually works, shop Columbia TurboDown now and make freezing temps a non-issue! 🏔️🔥

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