Feast on this Delicious Idea for Public Discourse

The best conversations happen around the table. At least that’s the idea behind Dinner & Dialogue, a monthly series created by the City Club of Cleveland and the Cleveland Dinner Club that brings together community leaders and the public at some of the city’s best foodie destinations to break bread and digest issues. 

“The whole idea of bringing people together for important civic dialogue and doing it over a meal is an idea as old as democracy itself,” says City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop. 

In November, guests mulled over grilled mushroom ravioli and herb-stuffed chicken thighs at Spice Kitchen & Bar while Greater Cleveland Food Bank CEO Kristin Warzocha discussed poverty among food service workers. “The juxtaposition of those two things is remarkable,” says Moulthrop. “It really drew out of everybody some interesting aspects of the way that food insecurity crisis affects people in our community.”

The series is considering events at bars and restaurants such as Bar 32 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, Edwins in Shaker Heights and the Black Pig in Ohio City to discuss topics from the East Cleveland merger and police reform to economic development and public transit.

The collaboration sheds the formality of City Club’s noontime Q&A format for an intimate free-flowing conversation in which everyone has a chance to participate.

“We’re always experimenting and trying to figure out new ways to engage segments of the community,” says Moulthrop.

Here are a few other collabs we’d love to see.

The Cleveland Museum of Art + The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
With the museum’s experience hosting its annual over-the-top Solstice party, this year’s Cleveland Pride festival could have the most elaborate display of color, culture and LGBT joy the city has ever seen.

Trentina + Cleveland MetroParks
The Cleveland Metroparks discourages foraging on its 23,000 acres, but we think a partnership with Trentina could turn over a new leaf in appreciating the rare delicacies growing in our backyard.

City Council + Sorry, Please Continue
Since most folks miss council’s monologues (count yourself lucky), let’s put our legislators onstage for the monthly storytelling series where comedian hecklers interject commentary into others’ tales. Hit us with your best shot, Zack Reed.