Tiwanna Scott-Williams, a lifelong Clevelander, grew up inspired by her grandmothers’ entrepreneurial and culinary legacies. While working as a nurse, she launched PearlFlower Catering, blending family tradition with a mission to unite people through soulful meals. She’s planning a fast-casual Midtown location, offering elevated dining with a local twist. Scott-Williams uses the joy of good food to uplift her community.
Grab and Go: Even though I’m a caterer, I love eating other people’s food. As a nurse, one of my favorite places to go was Aladdin’s. I love the grilled turkey salad. My other go-to, if I’m thinking local, was always Yours Truly or Grumpy’s Cafe. One of my favorite things is the Cajun potatoes from Grumpy’s. I really like to drink tea. I love a good chai, so for a boost, I love Ready Set Coffee (in Gordon Square).
Family Matters: For me, when I want to go sit down and have a great meal with my daughter, I’m a classic steakhouse girl. I love Hyde Park [Prime Steakhouse] and [Downtown’s] Blue Point Grille for nice, finer dining. But when we’re on the go, we like Cajun, Creole kind of foods, like Black Box Fix [in Lyndhurst]. That’s a staple. And we love Cheesecake Factory and TeeDeez Gourmet Kitchen [in Maple Heights]. I come from a food family where good food was just always a thing — not just at holidays but all the time. We love Le’ Scoop Dessert Boutique. It’s a traveling ice cream cart.
Decompress: I like Spa Walden [in Aurora] when I need some time to myself. I have seen the new space [at MidTown Collaboration Center on East 66th Street] evolve over the past two years since we broke ground. There’s so many cubby-hole spaces where you can just sit and read a book or have a little meeting. So I honestly think, although my new restaurant will be in that space, that is going to be the space for me. It’s designed to be a community hub, but it’s so unique in that it’s an office space for some people. There’s a restaurant vibe there as well.
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