Bobbing for foam burgers in a kiddie pool filled with ketchup is like deep-sea diving. "You can't see. You're just feeling around," says Drew Cerza, founder of the National Hamburger Festival. "It's really challenging." Held at Akron's Lock 3 Aug. 17 and 18, the annual event celebrates the claim that residents Frank and Charles Menches invented the hamburger in 1885 after substituting beef for the sausage patty sandwiches they were serving at New York's Erie County Fair. While others contest the burger's origins, Akron honors the Menches' creation with a hamburger-eating competition, best burger cook-off and bobbing for burgers contest. Last year, Christy Sinko, a second-grade teacher, plucked a record 21 hamburgers from the pool. "She actually wore high heels," says Cerza. "She got better traction and height." hamburgerfestival.com
It's time to embrace Cleveland as a great American pizza city. From legacy pies to elevated newcomers, the chefs in front of our ovens are as devoted to their craft as our diners are to their favorite neighborhood and Downtown shops. Join our exploration of Northeast Ohio pizza from core to crust. By Dillon Stewart
Pizza experts weigh in on the most debated topic in all of pizza, exploring why the flavor profile works, whether you should do dip, and, perhaps, a better pizza topping than ranch. By Dillon Stewart
The Cleveland Heights pizzeria, which recently expanded, is rooted in the best techniques and ingredients because of its chef's dedication to his craft. By Kate Bigam Kaput
