Shoreway Cinema

Great news for those on Cleveland's West Side; ground was recently broken on the new Capitol Theater in the Detroit-Shoreway Neighborhood (DSN). It will feature largely independent films and serve beer (and I ain't talkin' about no paper cup, I'm talkin bout an actual glass of beer). Now, instead of the 30 minute drive to Cedar Lee, we'll have a 5 minute jaunt, or a 15 minute bike ride!

In actuality, the theater has been standing at the West 65th and Detroit intersection since 1921, but has been vacant for the past 20 some odd years. Here is the typically over-glamorized artist rendition of how the site will look in April of 2009:
The rehabilitation is the latest in a string of projects that is giving significant traction to the argument that DSN is the new Tremont (or Coventry, or Ohio City...). With the Battery Park development energizing the area, a number of businesses have opened, most notably Phoenix Coffee, Luxe and Stone Mad, the latter two being beautiful restaurants.

Stone Mad

Stone Mad was particularly spectacular, with miles of mahogany and intricate stone masonry throughout...plus the indoor bocce court of course. The bar area is almost entirely reminiscent of a European pub, with the exceptions being the lack of mismatched furniture, the odd, sometimes centuries old drinking related knick-knacks and advertising, and the glassware. The dining room in back follows a more New York Italian cafe theme, to great effect. Outside, tons upon tons of stone make up the patio, seats, tables and large central fireplace that draws visitors like moths. Snag a spot here on a chilly night and you could auction it to the highest bidder on your exit.

The long awaited opening was not announced, per se, but rather passed along via word of mouth. Katie and I made it in about a week and a half later and the place was packed to the rafters with yuppies young and old, starry eyed neighborhood locals, Tribe game returnees and various curiosity seekers (of which we labeled ourselves).

I can't vouch for the food (yet), but it's on the short list of "places to eat as soon as humanly possible". I can say that if the menu is half as impressive as the place itself, a glowing review is surely soon to follow.