A stray dog and a chameleon have taken up residence on South Main Street in downtown Akron.
The canine adorns the logo of the Stray Dog Cafe, and the lizard is part of the emblem for the Chameleon Cafe.
Stray Dog is in the ground floor of the glass-fronted Akron-Summit County Public Library at 75 S. Main. The spot most recently housed the Coffee Pot Cafe.
About a block north, the Chameleon Cafe is at 23 S. Main, in the space previously occupied by the former Stew Pot Kitchen that closed this spring after six years in business.
Stray Dog is hardly a new name on the area food scene. Charly Murphy of Akron has operated Stray Dog food carts since 2009, offering up hot dogs and other eats at events. This is Murphy’s first brick-and-mortar location; his business partner in the cafe is Alicia Kennedy.
The Chameleon Cafe is owned by Mike and Adria Buzek, who have run the Culinary Chameleon catering and cafe spot in the John F. Seiberling Federal Building in downtown Akron for about 10 years.
Both are lunch and late-breakfast places; each has its own specialties.
They are part of Downtown Akron Partnership’s “pop-up” retail program, which matches new or existing businesses with property owners who have vacant space. Grant money subsidizes rent for several months in hopes the businesses will decide to stay.
Stray Dog “is connected to the community and we have a name, branding that is pretty strong,” said Kennedy, when asked why she thinks they can succeed at the library — in a space that has seen two other cafes come and go. It is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Hours may change, depending on demand.
The whimsical logo decorates the modern, industrial-looking place. The menu includes items sold from the carts and more. Hot dogs (beef or veggie $5; turkey $3) are available with toppings like ketchup, onion, shredded cheese, Stray Dog’s mustard bottled at Aqueduct Brewing in Akron, and Murphy’s relish made with ramps.
Murphy’s Mac & Cheese Dog ($6) and other special dogs are regular menu features, along with a Monte Cristo and other paninis, a soup of the day, and ham or turkey wraps.
A limited number of breakfast items include a Sausage Sammich and muffins. Baked goods aren’t made in house; Murphy plans to get them from a local baker soon.
They plan to offer vegan options. This week, they included a smallish couscous and quinoa salad with lemon and parsley, as well as a fruit salad. Each cost $3.
Kennedy creates yummy coffee concoctions, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte with pumpkin pulp and a syrup with chai spices.
On Oct. 17, a grand opening celebration will feature 25-cent turkey dogs and 25-cent coffee. Eight-ounce 25-cent coffee will be available all that week.
Chameleon Cafe is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Adria and Mike Buzek have brightened the space on the ground floor of the Nantucket Building, built in 1910 and part of a historic district downtown. Light blue tile adorns the floor; brightly painted wood doors hang on the walls, giving the place a homey, rustic look. Shelves boast vintage glass bottles, old pictures and well-worn books.
Here the baked goods are made in-house by Culinary Chameleon’s Amanda Mathlage. A Mondo Choco Brownie is $3.49, and a scone — a big one — with seasonal jam and butter is $3.99. Mathlage even made the strawberry jam available this week.
Dressings also are house-made for salads like spinach and lemon kale. Nine sandwich choices includes chicken salad croissant and Ultimate Grilled Cheese (cream cheese, Swiss, provolone, bacon and apricot onion jam on Texas toast). A pot pie runs $6.99.
The coffee comes from local roasters Rob and Debbie Stertz, formerly of the Damascus Road Cafe, which closed this spring in the FirstMerit Bank building at 106 S. Main St.
Open for business
Moving to points west and south of downtown, here’s the scoop on other openings:
• PizzaFire, the Medina County-based chain that specializes in fast-baked thin-crust pizzas, opens its new store Wednesday in the former Enso Rolls and Bowls, in the Shops of Fairlawn off West Market Street.
Starting at 11 a.m., the first 500 people get a free T-shirt, and customers can pick up scratch cards to win food.
The pies — made-to-order in front of customers and baked in an 800-degree oven — are Neapolitan style: thin crust with fresh ingredients. The chain now encompasses 12 Ohio locations, including the first one in downtown Akron and eight others in Northeast Ohio.
Founder and CEO Sean Brauser, who also started the Romeo’s Pizza chain, and his partners are working hard to get stores established in Ohio before other new pizza chains get traction.
One of those chains, Blaze, will open at 5125 Dressler Road NW in the Belden Village area of Jackson Township this fall. It will be the first Akron area location for Blaze, with more than 100 stores. Its investors include LeBron James.
• The much-discussed Starbucks at 1971 W. Market St. in West Akron opened Friday, replacing the one at 2279 W. Market St., near Sand Run Road.
The new Starbucks, which has a drive-thru, generated a lot of buzz months before it opened. That’s partly because of rumors — quashed by a Starbucks spokeswoman — that it would be a Starbucks Evenings, offering beer and wine.
It is in the former China Gourmet, which closed when owners Lily and James Lee decided to retire.
• In Springfield Township, the Iron Grill, featuring sandwiches, salads, soups and entrees such as New York strip steak and chicken caprese, is open at 2215 Waterloo Road in the Gala Commons (site of the former Gala Drive-In). The space previously was home to Siamone’s Thai Pub.
I’m late with this news. A reader and Iron Grill fan let me know the place had opened this summer. The website says it offers fresh “comfort food.”
Phone is 330-983-4443.
30 years in valley
The Iacomini family is celebrating another anniversary: 30 years in the Merriman Valley for Papa Joe’s at 1561 Akron-Peninsula Road.
For three days, Tuesday through Oct. 13, the restaurant will offer items for $19.86, reflecting the year the place opened. Here’s the line-up: Italian Feast (lasagna, chicken parmigiana and sausage) on Tuesday; Petite Prime Rib on Wednesday; and 1-pound lobster Thursday.
All three days will feature discount prices on Absolut vodka, chianti and Peroni on draft.
The Iacomini family tradition began in 1932, when August and Eletta Iacomini opened their first eatery in the dining room of their home at 321 W. Exchange St. in Akron.
Jeff Bruno, great-grandson of August Iacomini, his sister Kim McLaughlin and their mother Judy Amato own and operate Papa Joe’s in Cuyahoga Falls. The family celebrated 80 years of local restaurants in 2012.
Boxer at Fishers Foods
Meet former lightweight boxing champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini Oct. 14 at Fishers Foods, 5215 Fulton Drive, Jackson Township.
The Youngstown native will sign bottles of his Southpaw Knockout Red Blend wine from 4 to 7 p.m.
Wine show Nov. 2
The 750ml wine bar and retail shop has revealed the date for this year’s Huge Holiday Wine Show: Nov. 2.
750ml calls this show its biggest wine tasting event of the year. Up to 75 wines will be open for tasting at each of the wine bar and shop’s two locations, 2287 W. Market St. in Akron and 8903 Brecksville Road in Brecksville.
Cost is $39 for Club750 members and $49 for nonmembers. Appetizers will be included.
Tastings will be offered during two time slots, 6 to 7:30 p.m. and 8 to 9:30 p.m. Club750 members can attend a preview at 5 p.m.
To reserve a spot at the Akron 750ml, call 330-794-5754. For the Brecksville location, call 440-526-8100.
Fest at Cascade Locks
Locktoberfest returns to Cascade Locks Park Oct. 21, at North and Howard streets at the northern edge of downtown Akron.
Festivities run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with sausage provided by the German Family Society. Frank Esposito’s catering company will serve the sausage, as well as spaetzle, green beans and a roll.
Cost is $25, $45 for couples, including two drink tickets and dessert. Beer, wine and nonalcoholic beverages will be available. There will be music and dancing by German Family Society youth dancers, as well as raffles.
To buy tickets, go to the CLPA Locktoberfest event page on Facebook or go to the Cascade Locks Park Association Facebook page.
Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com. You can follow her @KatieByardABJ on Twitter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com.