This episode is a special collaboration with UH Seidman Cancer Center. Thanks to Five Star Sensation for the opportunity to highlight this important event and its mission.

Five Star Sensation, a food-focused fundraiser supporting UH Seidman Cancer Center, will take place Saturday, June 28, (2025) uniting chefs and vintners from across the country to lend their talents and time to raise critical funds for cancer research and patient care.

This episode features three local participants: Host Chef Vinnie Cimino of Cordelia, Douglas Katz of Edgewater Hospitality (Zhug, Amba, Kiln) and Venoy Rogers of Certified Angus Beef, who shares his story as a current Seidman Cancer Center patient.

I also speak with Dr. Theodoros (Ted) Teknos, president and scientific director of UH Seidman Cancer Center, about the incredible advances attributed our region's only comprehensive cancer center. UH Seidman offers cancer patients the most advanced technology available, dedicated and skilled clinicians, and participation in hundreds of clinical trials.

I find that chefs, and members of the restaurant community as a whole, are some of the most generous people. Please check out this list of Five Star Sensation participants and support them locally or on your travels.

Since its inception in 1987 Five Star Sensation has raised more than $23 million for UH Seidman Cancer Center. For more information on this event, visit UHGIving.org.

This year Malley's Chocolates celebrates 90 years as Cleveland's homegrown candy company and I sat down with Mike Malley, a third-generation family member to talk about this iconic and beloved brand.

Started by his grandparents, Malley's is a celebrated part of Cleveland culture. We talked about growing up in a candy-making family (so fun, right?) and review some memories about family life, the business over time, and get some sweet scoops on your favorite Malley's treats.

In early 2023, Chris and Katie Wolf opened Wolf Pack Chorus, a bold, beautiful restaurant in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland. It was intentionally different from the red sauce and meatball spots along Murray Hill, with a diverse menu and an upscale ambiance. After the struggle of the pandemic, it was kind of a celebration and a sign that things were back to normal and "finer dining" was here to stay. It was a "must dine" spot on all the lists for 2023.

Two years in, the story changed. Chris had to make the difficult decision to close. It's all top easy for all of us on the outside to speculate and comment, which is why I asked Chris to share the story from his perspective. He talks about some of the hard decisions and how he faced the eventual reality of a closure and the ending of a long-held dream.

This episode is presented with support from Edgewater Hospitality and Kate's Fish, at the West Side Market.