Food and Drink
The rise and fall of Platform Beer
The once mighty Platform. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
When Platform Beer shut down local operations in February, it sent shockwaves through the local craft brewing industry.
Why it matters: Platform embodied the passion of the Cleveland craft beer scene — until rapid expansion became its chief focus.
8 best breweries in Cleveland
A flight of beers at Cleveland's Great Lakes. Photo: Jeremy Drey/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Image
Picking your favorite brewery isn't easy, especially in Cleveland where the craft brewing industry has surged over the past decade.
Here are the city's top eight breweries, as voted on by Axios Cleveland readers:
Local brewery wins best German beer at World Beer Cup
Even German breweries can't brew German beer this good. Photo and illustration: Courtesy of Fat Head's Brewery
Middleburg Heights-based Fat Head's Brewery represented Ohio well at last week's World Beer Cup in Nashville.
- Fat Head's won four medals, the most of any brewery in the state.
At Cleveland Polish pop-up, cultural pride is worth admission price
These newspapers from 1939 were salvaged from a condemned house in Slavic Village. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
Last week, I ventured with a group of friends to Bar Mleczny's, the Thursday-night pop-up restaurant at the Polish American Cultural Center.
💭 Sam's thought bubble: Church-basement fish fry meets fine dining, with an approachable menu of Polish classics crafted by Brandon Chrostowski and a full battery of Polish community members staffing the joint.
People are spending more at restaurants than at grocery stores
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
There's a chance your household food budget has been turned upside down over the last year.
Driving the news: Americans spent 20.7% more at restaurants than they spent on groceries in 2022 — and that figure rose to 29.5% in the first two months of the year, according to Commerce Department data compiled by JLL.
Clevelanders' favorite grocery stores
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
People may be spending more at restaurants, but the grocery store remains a mainstay of American life.
Driving the news: Last week, we listed the top grocery stores in the Cleveland area based on 2022 sales.
Local breweries to concoct Cold IPA to support state association
Members of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association pose among the glistening equipment of The Beer Kettle in Middleburg Heights. Photo: Courtesy of the OCBA
More than 60 Ohio breweries are participating in an annual collaborative brewing effort to raise funds for the Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA).
Brewing the news: Versions of a Cold IPA called "From the Heart: Vol. 3," will be released on tap at participating breweries in conjunction with American Craft Beer Week, May 15-21.
Cleveland Taco Week is here
TACOS ON TACOS!!!! Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty
Taco Week returns to Cleveland, with nearly 40 local restaurants participating in the annual food fiesta conceived by Cleveland Scene magazine.
Details: Today through Sunday, restaurants will offer mix-and-match taco options for $10 or less.
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