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Feasting Like a Virgin

2009 August 23
 
Ryan Got Pizza: They do have food other than pizza, by the way.

Ryan Got Pizza: They do have food other than pizza, by the way.

Little Italy’s annual Feast of the Assumption is one of my favorites among the wide variety of cultural festivals in Cleveland, and that’s because you get a mouthful of Italian culture and a handful of Cleveland culture all in one sweet-smelling street party.

            Where else can you hear authentic Italian music on the street nuanced by costumed accordion players and then continue 10 more yards to hear a DJ playing “Get Low”? Where else can you get the tiramasu so good that I call it Corbo’s crack (it’s still a little crunchily-frozen, like when you put pudding in the freezer for 10 minutes) and see a guy actually Get Low while resplendent in his Italian Flag shirt and headband?

            In addition to the traditional Italian splendor like gnocchi and stuffed eggplant you can get here, you can also find yourself a funnel cake and a gyro, if you’re looking to go multicult. To be a little more specific, here are the details:It’s every year on the Feast of the Assumption in August, which is to celebrate the great Virgin Mother (undoubtedly she’d be hanging out with

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Littaly: for those of you not into portmanteau-ing, that's Little + Italy!

the flag shirt guy). They shut down Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights and hundreds of people come down to eat the food, drink the wine, and sit on the curb. Its oddities make it all the more endearing. I know people who go every day. If you didn’t hit it up this year, and you’re still in C-town next year, I highly recommend stopping by, at least for some Corbo’s.

 

            One of the best ways to check out all the good food Cleveland has to offer is go to some of the cultural festivals. You can usually get a few drinks and find an old person to teach you

The Alleyway of Magic: Take a stroll here and you'll find wine in a plastic cup and a guy singing on a mic connected to his laptop. Reminds me of study abroad '01.

The Alleyway of Magic: Take a stroll here and you'll find wine in a plastic cup and a guy singing on a mic connected to his laptop. Reminds me of study abroad '01.

some authentic dance moves. Consider: Tremont’s Polish Festival and Greek Festival, Cleveland’s Puerto Rican Festival, and let me know if you hear about the “other” mythical Italian Festival I’ve heard about — word is they have a greased pole contest, and that is one thing I want to see.

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