Cleveland Vintage Blog

When it opened in 1954, Captain Frank’s Lobster House - or Sea Food Restaurant, depending on the time of year - was the sole occupant of Cleveland’s E. 9th Street pier. Over the years the restaurant was many things to many people, whether it was long-time residents and regulars of the restaurant, or visitors to Cleveland who sought an opportunity to have their evening meal while enjoying a Cleveland sunset or a warm lake breeze. So, why the name "Captain Frank's?" Well, the owner who brought it to life was a Sicilian immigrant by the name of Frank Visconti who came...

You might not think about the Orlando Baking Company much in your day-to-day life, but this Northeast Ohio institution has an extraordinarily rich history well worth a deeper look. The History of the Orlando Baking Company The company’s origins are traced all the way back to 1872 in Castel di Sangro, Italy where it was founded by Giustino Orlando. Orlando's beginnings in the United States were very humble. Two of Giustino’s seven sons, Giuseppe and Vincenzo, came to America to get things off the ground in 1906. Another son, Alfonso, remained behind in Italy to run those operations and did so for the...

Today we are going to go back in time to look at what was once Cleveland’s largest independent brewery, Leisy’s. Isaac Leisy had already convinced his father and two brothers that brewing beer on a larger scale was their future after returning to the United States from Germany after briefly working at a brewery in Durkheim, Germany. Even though several members of the family were brewers by trade, it took Isaac’s vision to convince them to take it to the next level. The History of Leisy Brewing Co. Leisy’s was founded in 1873 by Isaac Leisy and those two brothers,...

Chicago-style pizza, New York-style pizza, Detroit-style pizza... but what about Cleveland?  It wouldn't be surprising if this is the first time you've ever heard of Cleveland-style pizza, but there is a movement out there to solidify just what in the world that style of pizza might even be.  So is Cleveland-style pizza real? Like most things, it depends on who you ask. While everyone can identify, say, the deep-dish style of Chicago pizza, it's hard to exactly pinpoint what might make a pizza inherently Cleveland-style. But let's take a look at what constitutes a potential Cleveland style of pizza. A Look...

If you are even remotely aware of comic book history, then you know that Glenville buddies Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created arguably the greatest superhero ever, Superman, in Cleveland in 1938 (this of course meant there were plenty of Cleveland references within their Superman comics as well). But we are willing to bet that not many of even the biggest comic enthusiasts are aware of any of their other creations, either together as a team or separately for DC Comics and other publishers. Since Siegel and Schuster lost several legal challenges to the legal rights to Superman, both men still...