Antica Italian Restaurant + Bar bringing casual fine dining to Avon: Short Takes on Avon, Avon Lake and North Ridgeville

Avon, Ohio

Avon will soon be home to a new Italian restaurant concept created by the owner of the well-known Heck’s restaurant (Cleveland’s Ohio City and Avon locations).

Antica Italian Restaurant + Bar will open soon (tentative date is July 12) in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Piccolo, 35568 Detroit Road. A restaurant called Flair 22 was originally planning to open in the space, but the owners eventually decided not to open amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fadi Daoud, Antica owner and Avon resident, noted once the space became available it was ideal as it’s in a ‘great area.’

“Avon is booming,” he said in an email. “We want to see the dining scene in Avon grow. The development/shopping center we’re in is the only one that features only local Cleveland businesses, no chains.”

Some of those local businesses include Melt Bar and Grilled, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, and Heck’s which are all directly across the driveway from the new Antica off Detroit Road.

“The concept is casual/fine Italian, serving classic Italian dishes with a modern twist,” said Daoud. “The space has a cool and fun feel to it, and a big bar with garage doors open to the patio.”

During the remodel of the space inside, Antica owners also included a party room available for private events.

According to information posted on the Antica website, the restaurant features “a range of authentic antipasti and modern main courses from the diverse regions of Italy, all of our products are directly imported or locally sourced to bring you the best and freshest ingredients.”

Menu items include: Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia, Arancini (crispy parmesan risotto, scamorza cheese), Polpette (braised pork meatballs, San Marzano tomatoes, parmigiano-reggiano), Caprese (fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, basil, olive oil, Sicilian salt, balsamic), Cavolo (Tuscan kale, shaved brussels, pecorino dressing, focaccia croutons), Branzino (whole roasted sea bass with fregola salad and Salmoriglio herb glaze), Filetto (8 oz. angus filet with lentils, red wine butter, and balsamic cipollini onion, parmesan crisps), Veal Saltimbocca (pan-fried veal cutlet wrapped in prosciutto and sage, with prosecco caper sauce and arugula), Spaghetti Pomodoro (fresh basil, olive oil, parmigiano-reggiano), Mushroom Ravioli (brown sugar, sage, parmigiano-reggiano, balsamico), Gnocchi (ricotta gnocchi, pesto cream, cherry tomatoes), and Buccatini Frutti Di Mare (mussels, shrimp, calamari, prosecco butter, capers, lemon). A variety of pizzas also line the menu including Chicken Parmesan Pizza and Margherita. The dough is freshly made daily.

For more information, go to anticacleveland.com.

AVON

More tropical shaved ice treats: Just in time for the summer heat, Kona Ice is expanding, via a food truck, in Northeast Ohio bringing a blend of entertainment and gourmet frozen treats to communities including Avon, Avon Lake, Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, North Ridgeville, Rocky River and Westlake.

“The communities’ first taste of our cool treats and colorful truck will keep them coming back for more,” said Thomas Flood, a local resident launching his new food truck franchise. ”It will only be a matter of time before our Kona truck captures the hearts, minds and taste buds of the locals we serve at community events.”

Kona Ice’s trucks feature sounds of tropical calypso music at events and other group gatherings. Guests receive a cup of overflowing freshly shaved ice and then help themselves to any of the 10 tastes on the truck’s Flavorwave (an interactive dispensing system in which individuals select from one or more of the flavors to pour over their fluffy snow) or the additional 20-plus flavors and 500 different combinations available.

“I’m so excited to be able to bring Kona Ice to Northeast Ohio,” added Flood in a press release. “Kona Ice provides me the opportunity to work with local schools and help them succeed through fundraising.”

Flood is continuing the mobile franchise’s tradition of donating thousands of dollars each year to local school groups, teams and community organizations. As he books events with these groups, Flood pledges to give back a percentage of the proceeds from each event. Nationwide, Kona Ice has donated more than $82 million to community-based organizations since the launch in June 2007. The company is based in Florence, Ky. Currently, there are more than 1,600 franchise units in 49 states.

“Thomas shares our commitment to giving back,” said Tony Lamb, founder and president of Kona Ice, in a press release. “He has always been very passionate about his community and wants to have a positive influence in the community, whether it’s new text books, sports uniforms or, simply, a smile. We are proud to have him on-board. Together, we are excited to make a difference in the lives of those around us.”

Beyond fundraisers, popular spots for the food truck franchise include stops throughout Northeast Ohio at fairs, festivals and corporate events.

For more information, and/or to book your next event, contact Flood via email at [email protected] or by phone at (440) 610-4701.

Safety honor: Avon Middle School Principal Dr. Craig Koehler recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio School Resource Officer Association for the positive impact he has made on the school community by demonstrating support for a safe and positive learning environment. The award is given to only one administrator or staff/faculty member in the state annually.

Movie in the park: Hopefully this time Mother Nature cooperates for a nice evening for the city’s next Movie in the Park event July 9. The free movie (open to Avon residents only) is “Tom and Jerry.” Hot Dog Heaven food will be available for purchase from 6 to 8 p.m. Culver’s Ice cream (cash only) will also be available for purchase. The movie will begin at dusk. Grab your blankets and enjoy a movie under the stars on a 40-foot screen with the family at the Every Child’s Playground (across from the Avon Pool, 36265 Detroit Road). The movies are sponsored by NOPEC and the French Creek Foundation. For more information, call the Avon Parks and Recreation Department at 440-937-6106.

Slim Chickens opens: The first Northeast Ohio Slim Chickens opens at 10:30 a.m. July 12 at 1822 Nagel Road (next to Meijer). The 3,145-sq.-ft. Slim Chickens Restaurant features an outdoor patio and drive thru. The first location opened in 2003 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the restaurants offer several varieties of house-made dipping sauces, chicken tenders, salads, sandwiches, chicken and waffles, chicken wings and several sides. For more information, go to slimchickens.com.

Summer challenge: Families are invited to join the three-week Summer Out Loud Challenge from the YMCA which begins July 12. The Challenge is open to YMCA members and the community. To participate, text SUMMER to 877-799-6220, then follow the prompts to register. Participants will receive three texts a week filled with motivation, workouts, and family activities to try throughout the challenge. Complete the passport and return it to one of the branches Aug. 4. Participants may be eligible for one of two $500 gift cards and the national grand prize of a family vacation of your choice (up to $5,000 value). Download or pick up a Summer Out Loud passport activity book at the French Creek YMCA (or other YMCA branch), 2010 Recreation Lane. To download, go to tinyurl.com/tpeyz3em.

Summer closure: In Forno Pizza, 35840 Chester Road, will be closed until July 30 for the family’s annual summer vacation. They are not out of business, just enjoying some time off.

Officer hires/promotions: Congratulations and welcome to Nathan Homoki and Daniel Mulcahy who were both sworn in as the newest members of the Avon Police Department. Lieutenant Dan Fischbach was also recently officially sworn in as the city’s new chief of police. Sergeant LeRoy Medina was promoted to lieutenant, and Patrolman Charles Lavelle was promoted to sergeant.

Dean’s list: Charles Ellis earned dean’s list honors at the University of Tampa.

AVON LAKE

New app for residents: “You Spot It – We Got It” with the new Engage Avon Lake App, a free app for residents to report non-emergency, quality-of-life issues. During a recent presentation to city council members, Barb Cagley, digital media director for the city, explained the app was developed to allow people to make reports of issues they find when they are out and about in Avon Lake. It is customized and also gives residents the ability to view the city calendar, website, and videos. The first time you download the app (Search Engage Avon Lake), either from Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iPhone), you will need to fill in your name and email address so the city has a way to communicate back.

“But the prominent button is to notify the city of an issue,” said Cagley during the council meeting. “When you click the first screen it has a list of issues. It is customizable so we can add and subtract issues as we go forward. We started with a handful of the most common issues….as we develop we can add more.”

Some of the items listed include: Tree down, road issue, potholes, sidewalks, and park conditions. The “Notify the City of an Issue” option includes features such as GPS location and the ability to upload photos for each request. The app also links to the city calendar, website, and Avon Lake Community TV videos.

The app is ideal as it enables residents to report an issue, especially if they don’t know who to contact in the city. The easy-to-use interface directs users to the correct department which helps to ensure the issue is received promptly so it can be addressed.

“The app is the brainchild of Council President Marty O’Donnell,” said Cagley in a follow-up email. “With mobile phones being ubiquitous, he feels an app offers a convenient way for residents to communicate issues to the city. The app provides the right person all the information needed to get the job done ensuring the city can be responsive.”

O’Donnell noted during the council meeting that he got the idea for an engagement app from New Haven, Conn.

“It dealt with a different way for government to be communicated with residents,” O’Donnell said during the council meeting. “Residents in walkability communities and in communities where there’s bike paths and people ride bicycles and getting around neighborhoods now, and the use of the phone, you can see everybody has their phone attached to them all the time for the most part. This way when somebody identifies the issues that Barb identified such as the pot hole or high grass or a street light issue, or a water issue, or issues dealing the possible sidewalk problem…that resident can go through this process with their phone, take a picture of it, get the GPS location of it and send it directly to the department where they can follow up on it, there’s a record it at that point and time, they have it and they get back to they received and then there’s a timeline on it getting fixed.”

O’Donnell also noted as an example that if a resident is in a park and notices a safety issue there, sometimes a resident is going to see it long before a service department person is going to see it.

The Engage Avon Lake app is not designed to be used for emergencies. Residents are reminded to call 911 for an urgent response.

Learning lunchbox kits: Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource (CRS) services recently announced a partnership with the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) and the Ohio Library Council to distribute Learning Lunchbox Kits to CRS clients. The boxes, created to be distributed alongside meal programs, provide five activities aligned with Ohio’s learning standards and promote science, technology, engineering, arts, math (STEAM), culture, history, and more. The Learning Lunchboxes are tailored to specific themes, such as Space, created in partnership with NASA.

College graduate: Ryan Stonecipher graduated from the University of Utah with a Master of Entertainment Arts and Engineering degree.

NORTH RIDGEVILLE

Library meeting: The Friends of North Ridgeville Branch Library general membership meeting will take place at 1 p.m. July 10 at the library, 35700 Bainbridge Road. Plans will be made for the upcoming book sale and other fundraisers. New members are welcome.

Turnpike bridge painting: Work has already started on painting the Ohio Turnpike bridge over Center Ridge Road at the western end of the city (weather permitting). Portable traffic lights have been placed and the traffic pattern is now down to one lane. The painting project will be finished in a few weeks.

Summer concert: Listen to the sweet sounds of Southern Cross Band (country and southern rock) from 6 to 8 p.m. July 11 at the South Central Park gazebo, 7565 Avon Belden Road. For updates on the concert if the weather does not cooperate, call the Rainout Line at 440-210-6226, or go to the Parks and Recreation Department Rainout Line Tab on the department’s website, northridgeville.recdesk.com.

Coffee chat: The next Coffee and Conversation with Mayor Kevin Corcoran will take place from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. July 15 in Council Chambers at city hall, 7307 Avon Belden Road.

Theatre production: Live theater is back at the Olde Towne Hall Theatre, 36119 Center Ridge Road. Enjoy “Disney’s Frozen Jr.” Show dates are July 15 (7:30 p.m.), July 16 (7:30 p.m.); and July 17 (2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.). The show features all of the memorable songs from the animated film, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, plus five new songs written for the Broadway production. For more information, go to oldetownehall.wixsite.com/oldetownehalltheatre.

Healthy strides: Lace up those walking shoes, as the Cleveland Clinic Health Strides walking program continues. The next walk is from 6 to 7 p.m. July 15 at Pavilion 1 at South Central Park, 7565 Avon Belden Road. The program is free and pre-registration is not required. If the weather does not cooperate, walks will be canceled. Cancellations will be posted on the parks and recreation department website (northridgeville.recdesk.com), department Facebook page and the Rainout Line, 440-210-6226.

Movie in the park: Grab your lawn chairs and some food and enjoy the next movie at South Central Park, “Onward.” The movie will begin at dusk July 16. Families can bring lawn chairs, blankets and food. For updates on the movie if the weather does not cooperate, call the Rainout Line at 440-210-6226, or go to the parks and recreation department Rainout Line Tab on the department’s website, northridgeville.recdesk.com.

Vandalism: Disappointing news was recently posted on social media from the city’s parks and recreation department. Over the last few weeks South Central Park has had a rash of vandalism to the restroom facilities located by Pavilion 1. Restroom doors were damaged, soap and toilet paper dispensers were ripped off the walls, and soap was sprayed all over the facility. The vandalism has cost the department money and time because of the senseless acts of some individual(s). Park officials are asking the public to report irresponsible behavior/vandalism they see, call 440-327-2191.

Golden Kernel nominations: It was welcome news to learn the North Ridgeville Corn Festival is back on this summer (Aug. 13-15). A longstanding tradition to open the festival is the announcement of the Golden Kernel award winner. Do you know an outstanding community member that deserves recognition? Someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty as a citizen of North Ridgeville? Is there someone involved in several different organizations making the city a better place to live? If so, nominate your Golden Kernel candidate by July 26. For more information, go to nrcornfest.org.

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