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🍩Ultimate Paczki Day at Rudy’s 🎉
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Good morning, Cleveland! Welcome to The 216 Scoop—where paczkis are plentiful, taxes are questionable, and Mardi Gras is an all-out event. Plus, a sneak peek at CIFF and a taste of Italy, right in CLE! 🍩💸 🍝
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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:
Ultimate Cleveland Experience: Paczki Day at Rudy’s
Ciao, Capriccio’s: New eatery opens today; promises trip to rural Italy
Cigarette tax revenues plummet by millions. Solution? Raise taxes even more.
Mardi Gras Guide: Places to party on Fat Tuesday
CIFF announces schedule, opening night & changes to reflect rise of streaming
John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Victor Takakura
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IN THE NEWS
Ultimate Cleveland Experience: Paczki Day at Rudy’s
Photos courtesy Rudy’s Strudel
For decades, Rudy’s Strudel was a homey neighborhood bakery that loyal patrons visited for pastries and pierogi. That is, until owner Lidia Trempe came up an idea: Turn paczki into a pop phenomenon and make Rudy’s its mecca.
The pop phenomenon turns into the ultimate Cleveland experience when Rudy’s rolls out its annual Paczki Day Party.
The Mardi Gras celebration starts at 5 a.m. Tuesday. But lines of paczki pilgrims will form outside much earlier to get taste of the food, music and milieu at Rudy’s, 5580 Ridge Road, Parma.
The blow-out features a balloon drop and confetti, live music by polka band Tom Mroczka and the Music Box and an array of colorful characters, like The Mummy and The Monkey.
Of course, central to it all is, PACZKI. The Polish deep-fried and filled pre-Lenten doughnuts (pronounced PUNCH-ki) have become a cult delight on Mardi Gras.
Last year, Rudy’s sold 127,000 of them. This year’s edition features a wide range of themed paczki, including tributes to International Women’s Day and legendary Cleveland TV personality, Superhost.
Rudy’s even has the original Superhost phone booth on display for the occasion – to go with rows of TVs playing clips of Big Chuck Schodowski, the Cleveland legend who passed away last month.
Once the bakery runs out of paczki and the last polka ends, the bash takes a different turn. At 1 p.m., Bob Nastanovich (drummer in Pavement) and Michael Stutz (co-owner of The Current Year Records) take over with DJ sets.
Rudy’s will also serve pierogi and a Cajun-inspired menu to go with a “Paczki Beer” by Immigrant Son Brewery.
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Ciao, Capriccio’s: New eatery opens today; promises trip to rural Italy
Photos courtesy Capriccio’s
Brad Friedlander has been in the center of the foodie scene since opening his first restaurant, Lopez, in Cleveland Heights, in 1980. The restaurateur has opened more than a dozen eateries since then.
His latest concept hits the ground running today…
Ciao, Capriccio’s. Located in the former home of Fisher’s American Tavern, 28020 Miles Road, Solon, the Italian restaurant sets out to transport guests “to the vibrant streets of rural Italy.”
It rolls out a wide-ranging menu of Italian cuisine – soups, salads, small plates, pizzas, pastas and classic entrees. It goes especially deep with house-made pastas: fusilli lunghi col buco, linguine, capellini, mezzi rigatoni, cavatelli, bucatini, and cheese ravoli.
Capriccio’s is a joint venture between Freidlander and Michael DuBois, and is part of their Cleveland Restaurant Management Group, which owns 17 restaurants in the area.
The group is strategic when it comes to restaurants: develop concepts that fill a niche and a need and pair them with older, iconic spaces that have an emotional connection with a neighborhood.
Capriccio’s required a makeover of the Fisher’s space to transform it into a more rustic, homey Italian excursion. It features table, booth and bar seating. For hours and a menu, go here.
Cigarette tax revenues plummet by millions. Solution? Raise taxes even more.
Photos courtesy Cleveland Browns, State of Ohio, Rock Hall, CAC, Cleveland Orchestra
Taxing sin pays a double dividend. It raises money for governments to fund good things and discourages people from doing bad things.
At least that’s the argument put forth by politicians when it comes to so-called sin taxes. But what happens when taxes go up so much that the wages of sin decline – because fewer people can afford the sin?
Cuyahoga County records show that money collected via cigarette taxes has plummeted more than 34% between 2016 and 2023.
As a result, cigarette tax revenues that benefit Huntington Bank Field, Rocket Arena and Progressive Field have dropped from $2.3 million collected in 2016 to $1.5 million in 2023.
Revenue for Cuyahoga Arts and Culture -- funded entirely by cigarette taxes – has collapsed, from $15.2 million in 2016 to less than $9 million in 2024.
Despite declining revenues and cigarette use, the response has been to double down and raise taxes even more.
On Feb. 1, the cigarette tax in Cuyahoga County jumped from 30 to 70 cents per pack. Revenues fund the CAC, which benefits wealthy institutions like the Rock Hall, Cleveland Museum of Art, Playhouse Square and Cleveland Orchestra.
As we reported on Feb. 5, Governor Mike DeWine has proposed funding sports facilities like a new Browns stadium by raising state taxes on cigarettes from $1.50 to $3.10 a pack – as well as doubling taxes on sports gambling (20% to 40%) and marijuana (10% to 20%).
The 216 Rundown
Cleveland Mardi Gras Guide: Places to party on Fat Tuesday
Photos by John Petkovic
Too much of a good thing is just enough for Mardi Gras. French for “fat Tuesday,” Mardi Gras caps off the carnival season by busting out a celebration of gluttony, revelry and debauchery with masks, beads, booze and chow-downs.
So, here we go... the Cleveland Mardi Gras Guide.
Bourbon Street Barrel Room, at 2393 Professor Avenue, Cleveland: This Tremont ode to The Big Easy will start early and go late with its Mardi celebration. It will roll out a wide range of stellar elixirs and Creole and Cajun favorites – not to mention an all-out party vibe, a King Cake, hats, beads and tunes. 11:30 a.m.
Fasching at the Hofbrauhaus, 1550 Chester Avenue, Cleveland: The Bavarian-style Mardi Gras – whose roots go back to the 13th century -- rolls out masquerade vibes and colorful get-ups, to go with a stein-holding contest, themed food and drinks and live music by North Coast Prost. 6:30 p.m.
Mardi Gras and Paczki Party at Schnitz Ale Brewery, 5729 Pearl Road, Parma: The Mardi marathon hosts a Rudy’s Strudel post-party, but it goes all day – with a Louisiana menu, live music by the Zerbo Brothers (5-8 p.m.) and release of a new Polish beer. 11 a.m.
Cats on Holiday at Forest City Brewery, 2135 Columbus Road, Cleveland: For 20 years, the rootsy blues and rock band has been playing Parkview for Mardi Gras. This year, it heads to this good-ole-time of a brewery. 6 p.m.
Mardi Gras with Big Hoke and Da Land Brass Band at Mercury Lounge, 18206 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood: A NOLA blow-out with Big Easy vibes, drinks and tunes. 6 p.m.
Zydeco Kings at Broadview Brewing, 4001-A Tow Path Trail, Broadview Heights: The Zydeco Kings play old-time blues with a Bourbon Street vibe at this popular nano-brew bar. 6:30-8 p.m.
Mardi Gras Bash at Artis, 17900 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood: The steakhouse and cocktail bar hosts live jazz by Nitebridge, NOLA cuisine, and a King Cake. 6 p.m.
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NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
Photos courtesy CIFF
CIFF announces schedule, opening night & changes to reflect rise of streaming
When the Cleveland International Film Festival debuted in 1977, there were a grand total of eight films from seven countries screened over eight weeks.
My, how times have changed – and they keep on changing.
The CIFF has announced its schedule for the 49th edition of movie extravaganza, which runs March 27 through April 5 in Playhouse Square.
Here’s the tally: 300 films from 60 countries whittled down from 3,500 submissions. Among those is “For Worse,” a rom-com of manners and errors that stars Amy Landecker (“Transparent,” “A Serious Man”) in her directorial debut) and her real-life husband and the film’s co-producer, Bradley Whitford (“Get Out,” “West Wing.”)
Opening night is as much a civic soiree and fundraiser as a movie night. It includes a reception and post-party in Connor Palace Theater.
Film festivals, including CIFF, have tried to adapt to a changing landscape in the wake of streaming, which provides immediate access to movies. CIFF will host a follow-on streaming series, CIFF Streams (April 6-13).
Tickets and passes go on sale to members on March 7 and to the public March 14. For a complete schedule, go here.
VINTAGE CLEVELAND
A 1955 photograph by acclaimed Cleveland photographer Jasper Wood depicting a young man walking past a poultry shop window, advertising roosters and stew hens for sale.
Cleveland Memory Project
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Monday - 03/03
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Upcoming Games
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