For, I can't believe it but its true, the 4th consecutive year, we made itout to the Taste of Tremont yesterday.
As always, it was among the most can't-miss of can't-miss Cleveland events. It's probably the closest thing to a single snapshot of where old Cleveland and new Cleveland come together. That's probably because its in Tremont, which is exactly that too.
A few thoughts:
1. How many Cleveland-themed t-shirt companies can our city support? I know they all have some excellent stuff, but there's got to be a limit right? Does New York have more than the I "heart" NY shirt and its variations even? About a year ago, there were maybe 2, 3 if you counted the burgeoning fresh-brewed tees. Now, there were at least 5 big enough to have stands at the ToT, and there are more out there. I love Cleveland t-shirts as much as the next guy, but if you factor in officially licensed sports clothing too, we might be heading toward a Cleveland-wear bubble. Or not. I'm being dramatic. But the market for clothing about our city has exploded in less than 12 months (at least visibly).
2. If you're not going to enforce the beer-carrying rules, at least make beer easier to obtain. I'm no enemy to letting people carry their containers throughout the festival, but there's no good reason to not, in light of that, allow the bars to sell "to-go" cups, the stands to sell cocktails, etc.
3. The more things change... Our first year at the ToT, we went right around lunch and it was about as crowded as it was yesterday, when we went right near the end. The event has grown exponentially. It probably extends 2 or 3 more blocks than it used to.
4. The more they stay the same... The lines are still long, some of the food is needlessly overpriced, it's hard to move more than single-file, and scoops, even though their store is *right there* still doesn't know how to make enough bananas ahead of time. But it's all 100% worth it.
There's nothing quite like the civic spirit that embodies these sorts of events. It feels like all of Cleveland has come out, just to celebrate Cleveland. It's, of course, Tremont focused, but Tremont might be the most important part of Cleveland. It used to be where the steel-mill workers lived. It's an old neighborhood that could have died. But it's the spot where the resurgence started to build. If there weren't a Tremont that became cool, would there be an Ohio City that is cool, or a Lakewood that can apparently support an infinite number of restaurants on a rotating basis? Tremont is where the Westside revolution started. One each year, it's like we all come back to it to remember that.
I already can't wait for next year.
-Zack
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