Cleveland Food Market

Originally uploaded by ClevelandSGS

Cleveland SGS at The Upset art show, Chicago

Originally uploaded by fotoflow / Oscar Arriola

Cleveland SGS at The Upset art show, Chicago.

Five times excellence to Oscar and Co.

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Steve’s Lunch –Sunday 3:00 am.

With all the atmosphere of a 2nd District holding cell, Steve’s Lunch is a bastion of cheap grub for the post-midnight set. Hot dogs are standard fare at Steve’s, but I’ve set out to accomplish one thing: to reel in the fabled Fish on a Hot Dog Bun.

The sandwich arrives in about 2 minutes from the time of order. It’s a breaded filet of white fish served atop an open-faced hot dog bun slathered in tartar sauce. The first bite slaps the palette like a Sheephead against the breakwall at Edgewater Park during an October storm. This is not a sandwich–this is a commitment. After a couple of chews and a half-hearted swallow, I put the sandwich down for a breather. My gag reflex has been dulled by several pints of beer and a couple of shots of bottom-shelf whiskey; however, a strange gurgling sensation in my stomach begins to shake my steely resolve. An altercation breaks out across the room–fists are clinched and threats are shouted–officer Dooley (the namesake of several menu items) steps in and escorts the young scrappers out onto the sidewalk. Now it’s time for double-force tactics. I lunge in for my second, third, and fourth bites. I barely chew before swallowing in hopes that I’ve reached the halfway mark. I haven’t. I set the sandwich down and try to regroup. A pungent, fish-like flavor takes control of my taste buds. Even my Coke tastes like Fish on a Hot Dog Bun.
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Hidden in the rear of James Rhodes High School towers an oak tree that has links to both Jesse Owens and Adolph Hitler. The great oak that stands next to the track at Rhodes was a gift given to Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The German people awarded all of the winners of gold medals potted oak saplings. Since Owens won four gold medals he was graced with three to four oaks (one oak may have been given to a relay teammate) to return home with. According to author Frank Tsacrios’ research for the Ohio State Lantern the following is what happened to the four Owens’ trees: (more…)

Welcome to the Cleveland SGS Flexi-Site. This is a place where we come to publicly praise the universal experience of daily living. Our offerings to you will be in the form of text, images, and sounds. The inspiration for these works comes directly from our interactions with the environment and its beautiful inhabitants. Since 2005 we have attempted to visually document the City and its evolving landscape. The one thing that has remained constant is the unshakable will of the people we have met along the way. Whether it is the transcription of things overheard, our own personal observations, or perverse abstractions of both, we will deposit them here for your consumption.

We would like to thank the people that helped us construct this site. First and foremost we would like to thank Mr. Moore Mann. His patience, creativity, and willingness to work for next to nothing will never be forgotten. Thank you sir, and if you are ever in need of a goon squad don’t hesitate to call. King Solomon contributed the “leg font” that appears throughout the site. His unwillingness to artistically repeat himself is a great source of inspiration to us all. Griselda Diamante helped us define our aboutness without sounding “creepy.” Thank you Griselda, without you we are undeniably square. And lastly we would like to thank the youths who tagged Lynn’s Deli with the monikers Lil Chico, Lil Ant and The Tino. Your public communications have added great value to our lives.

The sounds we leave you with today are those of General Kane. For the majority of my childhood his song “For Lovers Only” signaled the nine o’clock hour on 93 FM. It was a citywide indication that work would cease and loving would begin.