Eat Cleveland with Guy Fieri and the Rock and Roll BBQ

Brando and Caesar were both famed gourmands. Neither were from Cleveland.*

Welcome to the Cleveland eat-down, people.  Possibly one of Cleveland’s most recent worst-kept secrets (other than shenanigans down at County), Food Network chef Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Thrus, and Dives rolled into town with a crew and cast the bright light of fame (and hopefully, fortune) on many hometown eateries, such as Lucky‘s, the Parkview, Frank Sterle’s, Melt, and even our own Beachland Ballroom Brunch, as shown below:

Here, a pair of pulchritudinous patrons pose with Fieri and give him a dose of some Cleveland shine during this past Sunday’s brunch.  You think it’s a cardboard cutout propped out by a pair of stylish dames? Think again. Blogger Cleveland Foodie recalls her adventure with Fieri and his henchmen on her latest post, which just went up today.

Normally not a resource for grub, Cleveland.com’s Tipoff column also posted this:

Good eats: Food Network cameras were spotted this week in Melt, the Lakewood restaurant where melted cheese is the star, and the Parkview Nightclub in Cleveland, one of the city’s coolest neighborhood joints. Patrons were asked to sign release forms allowing them to be filmed for “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” hosted by Guy Fieri. (cleveland.com)

 We’re up in the air as to when Fieri’s cleveland adventures will hit the airwaves, but we do know when some serious barbecue action will hit Waterloo.   Sunday, July 26th, the First Ever Rock N’ Roll BBQ Throwdown takes place at the Beachland. Our town’s waistlines and shirt stains will never be the same again. Witness what Cleveland Magazine’s blogged on the subject:

My next scheduled event chowdown is The First Ever Rock n Roll BBQ Throwdown, July 26 at the Beachland Ballroom, 1-5 pm. I have no official role, and am free to graze just like everybody else on the spread set out by the participating chefs, many of whom also contributed to Monday night’s shindig, representing more than 20 restaurants including Crop, Bar Cento, Fahrenheit, The Greenhouse Tavern, Moxie, and Dante (opening soon- we hope- in Tremont). Always generous in supporting other people’s causes, this time they’re raising money for their own organization Cleveland Food Rocks, a non-profit collaborative of Cleveland-area restaurants and food-service operations dedicated to promoting and encouraging a vibrant local dining scene. Let’s show them we appreciate all they do and their contributions to our quality of life. Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased online, or $30 cash or check at the door. Live music by local bands is part of the mix. The party happens rain or shine in the tented parking lot, 15711 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland. (Cleveland Magazine)

If you ever feel bad about this Cleveland food craze, reflect upon the words of Julius Caesar, in the play by Shakespeare of the same name (thanks to MCS for this one)

Let me have men about me that are fat;
Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o’ nights:
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

EAS
*NB: Here, Marlon Brando plays the role of Caesar’s friend and betrayer, Mark Antony in the 1953 film adaptation of the classic play.