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  • Houston Press

    A Dirty Picture

    What mainstream publishers don't want you to know about door-to-door magazine sales.

    By Craig Malisow

  • Riverfront Times

    Welcome to Cougar Heaven

    When these huntresses on are on the prowl, the prey very much wants to be caught.

    By Unreal

  • Broward-Palm Beach New Times

    Sweet Deal

    How rumored McCain veep choice Charlie Crist wants to bail out Big Sugar.

    By Bob Norman

  • SF Weekly

    All-American Girls

    Are Asian women getting their jawbones cut to look whiter?

    By Lauren Smiley

Touch of Class

Ohio City supper club's menu gets a makeover.

By Elaine T. Cicora

Published on December 19, 2007

Veteran Cleveland chef Jeff Fisher (Johnny's Downtown, Sushi Rock, and Lago) is new top toque at Touch Supper Club, and his philosophy is simple: Win new diners, one visit at a time.

"Everyone enjoys feeling special," says the chef, who quietly came on board three months back. "If that means something like a little amuse-bouche or a tableside visit from the chef, then that's what they're going to get."

Besides lending a more upscale vibe to the Ohio City dance club, Fisher and owner Rob Ivanov have also upgraded the menu of contemporary American comfort food, adding such tempting-sounding tidbits as duck-confit spring rolls with blueberries and goat cheese, braised rabbit with ricotta gnocchi, and brined pork loin with butternut-squash compote.

Despite the push to raise the club's profile, prices will remain moderate, with nothing breaching the $20 barrier.

Kitchen hours are 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The club is at 2710 Lorain Avenue; for reservations, call 216-631-5200.

Moving up: Pay no attention to those pesky rumors. Little Italy's third-generation bakery, Corbo's Dolceria, is not going out of business. "We're just moving, just a few steps up the street," promises Val Corbo, who operates the biz with brother Joe. "It's going to be a big improvement." Among the upgrades: a new baking facility, a private showroom for Corbo's popular wedding cakes, and 30 seats, where customers can enjoy anything from pizza and panini to cappuccinos and cannoli. Look for the original, circa-1958 location to close on Christmas Eve; the new spot, at 12210 Mayfield Road, should open three to four weeks later.

Moving out: Bad news for fans of chef Kurt Steeber's precisely crafted New American fare: Less than a month after opening the kitchen at Pepper Pike's Joe Foodie's Tavern (30519 Pinetree Road, 216-360-9160), Steeber has moved on. Ops manager Clyde Mart expects to name a new chef by the end of the month.