Jonathon Sawyer has a vision for The Greenhouse Tavern. It’s bigger than just food (though try his crispy chicken wings confit with roasted jalapeño, lemon juice, scallions and garlic, and you’ll rethink both wings and Buffalo). And it’s bigger than reclaimed wood and high-efficiency hand driers. Sawyer wants Greenhouse Tavern, this year’s Best New Restaurant, to inspire others to eat and live differently. It’s a tall order, even for someone who wants to build a greenhouse on the roof of his restaurant.
We should know. Great magazines are built on inspiration and change. And like Sawyer’s fierce commitment to local food, we’re passionate about this town. That’s why Cleveland and our readers were at the center of everything in rethinking the magazine, our first major redesign in years. Because of that, I think you’ll find a magazine that’s completely remade, but also surprisingly familiar.
Lake Effect, our forecast on the people, places and things we love, combines and expands our coverage of ideas, newsmakers, arts, entertainment and style in unexpected and ever-changing ways (just like our weather). The Dish, our dining section, now has more insight on our restaurant and food scene. Likewise, Datebook provides enhanced listings for the hottest happenings in town. We’ve also created new places for thought and perspective in Voice, which is a more personal essay, and Talking Points, which is where Mike Roberts and others will critique, prod and force us to see the city in new ways. And in our ultimate nod to the past, we’ve created The Terminal (as in Tower) as a destination to make our rich history come alive.
Art director Jennifer Kessen captured a similar feeling in her energetic, sophisticated design. Visually, we looked to the 1920s, when the city was the fifth-largest in the country, for a modern twist on its Art Deco style that showcases the department headings and the abundance of sharp lines. Our history as a manufacturing power and transition to a green city on a blue lake plays out with an emphasis on contrasting darks and lights, punctuated by splashes of color. And yes, that’s even a new nameplate on our cover, the first major change since the early 1990s. It’s fresh, it’s vibrant, and it fits who we want to be. We have a vision for Cleveland, and it’s bigger than just a magazine.
