News

Zach Bryan in Cleveland, Cavs Bounce Back, USS Cleveland Docks: CLE Daily

Also in our daily news roundup for May 11, Cleveland's consent decree continues and the former owner of Melt readies a new restaurant.

by Douglas Trattner, Dennis Manoloff, Dillon Stewart | May. 11, 2026 | 6:30 AM

Max Strus | Photographed by AP Photo

Max Strus | Photographed by AP Photo

⛅️ 55°; Partly Sunny

🏢 Ribbon Cutting: Sherwin-Williams opens its new Downtown HQ today. 

⚾️ Spring Ball: Guardians lost two of three games against the Twins in a weekend home stand.

🏆Don't Miss: Tickets are still available for the Silver Spoon Awards, benefitting the Arthritis Foundation and featuring food from this year's Best Restaurants issue.

 

ICYMI: Developers are eyeing a three-building, 150-megawatt campus between Slavic Village and the industrial valley, a project that would rank among the region’s largest tech infrastructure investments.

Today's Trivia

The 10-story building on Public Square believed to be Cleveland’s first skyscraper was built for what bank?

Matt Fish at Proof Public House
Matt Fish at Proof Public House | Photographed by Douglas Trattner

Melt's Matt Fish returns next month with Proof Public House.

Food & Drink | Douglas Trattner

Twenty years after launching Melt Bar and Grilled, chef Matt Fish is returning to the restaurant world with a new Ohio City concept, Proof Public House, opening in June. The restaurant marks a scaled-back, more flexible chapter for Fish after the rise and fall of the Melt empire.

This isn’t Melt 2.0: With Proof, Fish is trying to avoid being boxed into a single identity again, opting instead for a flexible, seasonal menu centered on elevated bar food.

  • Matt Fish: “When I opened Melt, I unwittingly put myself inside of a box that I could not get out of: I was the grilled cheese guy. With this place, I don’t want to paint myself into a corner; I want to leave the concept open where I have the ability to do anything I want to.”

A punk-rock neighborhood bar vibe: The former Proof space is getting a refresh filled with Cleveland concert posters, old Melt murals and a music-driven aesthetic Fish describes as “a punk-rock bar with really good food.”

Melt’s legacy still lingers: While Proof is a fresh start, Fish plans occasional Melt pop-ups, permanent throwback sandwiches and continued perks for fans with Melt tattoos.

Read the full story about Proof Public House.

CLE Daily Newsletter

What you need to know to start a great day in Cleveland. Get the latest updates news, food and culture in your email inbox six days a week.

Talk of the Town

Cleveland's Consent Decree continues despite a motion from the city and the U.S. Attorney's office to end it. Cleveland Division of Police has been under a consent decree since 2015. The federal oversight costs taxpayers between $6 million and $11 million per year. 

  • Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.: The court finds that the City has a ways to go before reaching Substantial and Effective Compliance with all of the material sections of the Agreement."

  • Mayor Justin Bibb: "While we are disappointed by today’s decision, our commitment to constitutional policing, accountability, and building trust has not changed."

The USS Cleveland docked in Downtown Cleveland on Saturday. Onlookers lined the shores of Lakewood, Edgewater and Downtown Cleveland as the ship, the first commissioned in Ohio, entered port. We caught a peek from Vermilion. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned on May 16. 

 

Jarrett Allen shoots in Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons
Jarrett Allen | Photographed by AP Photo

Cavs win Game 3, can tie up series in Game 4 tonight.

Sports | By Dennis Manoloff

The Cavs kept their season alive Saturday at Rocket Arena, beating the Pistons 116-109 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

  • Survive and advance: The Cavs entered the game in a must-win situation and responded with their best late-game execution of the series. Facing the possibility of a crushing 0-3 deficit, Cleveland leaned on its stars late and made just enough winning plays to get back into the series.

  • The backcourt delivered: Donovan Mitchell starred again, but James Harden came through in the clutch with a massive fourth quarter, scoring seven points in the final 90 seconds. Cleveland repeatedly isolated Harden late, and this time he made Detroit pay.

  • Max Strus made the play of the game: Strus came flying in for a huge steal on a Cade Cunningham inbounds pass late in the game, converting it into a go-ahead layup that helped seal the victory and shift momentum back toward Cleveland.

Game 4: The Cavs take on the Pistons tonight at Cleveland's Rocket Arena. The game airs on NBC at 8 p.m.

CLE Food Newsletter

Daily bites of news, trends and reviews in your e-mail inbox.

Zach Bryan at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland
Zach Bryan at Huntington Bank Field | Courtesy Julie Galek

Zach Bryan kicks off Cleveland's stadium season.

Music | By CM Staff

Zach Bryan headlined the first Huntington Bank Field stadium concert of the summer on Saturday during his "With Heaven on Tour." The Americana artist performed hits such as "Something in the Orange," "I Remember Everything" and "Revival," as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City."

CLE Weekender Newsletter

The Things to Do newsletter gives you the details on the weekend's concerts, street festivals, theater shows and more.

Friday's Trivia Answer 

What automaker’s estate, called Roseneath, is now the site of a Gold Coast high-rise apartment named for him? Alexander Winton

Check back Monday for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

Matt Fish doesn't want to be the grilled cheese guy anymore. Who can blame him? For two decades, Melt Bar and Grilled served up the gigantic grilled cheese that defined the city's food scene, until over-expansion and shifting diner preferences killed the restaurant's 14 locations. No surprise, especially after reading Annie Nickoloff's 2024 profile of Fish, the punk rocker has more than one tune to sing. His new spot on Lorain Avenue, formerly home to Proof Barbecue, is an important one for the Ohio City neighborhood, too. We're excited to see the different notes he can hit with his new concept. -Dillon Stewart, Editor

Get the Latest in Your Inbox

Whether you're looking for daily news bites, the latest bites or bite-sized adventures, the Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter experiences have something for everyone.