The Cleveland Public Library satiates more than just literary hunger this spring with two exhibits about Northeast Ohio鈥檚 love for food and restaurants.
Marissa Tiroly, the library鈥檚 manager of arts and culture, said they were inspired by the book "" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Most Cuyahoga County library systems chose it as part of the 2026 NEA Big Read.
鈥淣ezhukumatathil chooses one ingredient, or one food, and writes an entire essay on it,鈥� Tiroly said. 鈥淪he shares the memories that she has of having that food or sharing it with others.鈥�
That was the catalyst for 鈥淥ur Common Table: Building Community Through Food,鈥� in which local artists tell stories about food, cooking and, of course, eating.
Oil painter David Buttram contributed images of people eating in Cleveland parks, neighborhoods, diners and even at a cookout. Illustrator Thao Nguyen used digital prints and an ornate map of AsiaTown to decorate a family dining space, complete with multiple bowls for each place setting 鈥� a staple of her family meals. Photographer Charles Mintz displayed images from his 鈥淧recious Objects鈥� series alongside sturdy dinner plates.
"Each one of the portraits is taken of someone with an object that's important to them,鈥� Tiroly said. 鈥淓ach of the plates is a statement by each individual and sharing the story of that object.鈥�
Printmaker Dina Hoeynck used the library鈥檚 own makerspace to laser cut designs related to her family鈥檚 favorite dinner table activity: board games, card games and Dungeons & Dragons.
Photographer Gina Washington鈥檚 installation reflects on her experiences in a multi-generational home with her grandfather and her young daughter. She's also a ceramics instructor at the Rainey Institute and contributed some of her students鈥� Story Plates.
鈥淢any of them came up with really wonderful titles,鈥� Tiroly said. 鈥淚t's taking this idea of the memories we have, and associations that we have, with food and putting it on the plate visually.鈥�
What was on the menu?
A separate companion exhibit in the main library鈥檚 John G. White Gallery features about 30 menus from long-gone Cleveland restaurants. Otto Moser's, Herman Pirchner's Alpine Village and the Gypsy Cellar are just a few of the establishments represented.
A number of themes emerged as they browsed through a century鈥檚 worth of menus, Trioly said.
鈥淥ne was the history of Cleveland's diverse culinary landscape,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he different traditions that you could find in different family restaurants, fine dining, the hotels that were so prevalent Downtown as visitors in the 1920s and 鈥�30s were coming to the metropolis that Cleveland was at that time. And then the public markets that were here in Cleveland. We know the West Side Market. There was the Sheriff St. Market before that.鈥�
However, Tiroly said not everything made the cut, with one menu being held back to avoid confusion.
鈥淚 had a conversation 鈥� about how the Hofbr盲uhaus that's here today is not related to the Hofbrau House from 50 years ago,鈥� she said.
The menus and 鈥淥ur Common Table鈥� are on view through May 30.
