The view from the Idea Center

Did you wait in line in the mist and rain this Fat Tuesday morning for  paczki at  Rudy’s Strudel Shop in Parma?

These filled donuts are the traditional way, in Polish communities, of savoring one last sugary indulgence before the  40-day Christian season of Lent begins tomorrow on  Ash Wednesday.

I’m thinking of marking Fat Tuesday a different way,  with a chili dog from Old Fashion Hot Dogs.

Tom Sorma, who has  co-owned the legendary Ohio City establishment for 32 years, said his family is closing it at the end of March. Someone bought Old Fashion’s building on Lorain Ave. and plans to tear it down to build apartments, he said.

One Facebook fan, in an expletive-laced post, lamented the new owner  “will probably replace it with a locally sourced, gluten free, organic vegan bistro.”

The narrow storefront has been an eatery  since 1928, when Greek immigrant Emmanouel "Mike" Vasiliou originally opened a lunch counter there. Sorma and his brothers bought the business in 1988. Prices haven’t changed much since then: $1.75 will get you one chili dog, $5 will get you three.

Sorma isn’t saying what he’ll do next, or whether he’s going to sell the family’s chili recipe. Longtime customer Alexander Combs of Mentor thought Sorma  should give it to vendors at the West Side Market “to keep the tradition going.”

If I’m planning on closing out the pre-Lenten partying season with a chili dog,  I may have to call ahead. Old Fashion Hot Dogs has been getting a lot of love since its closure was announced. Clevelanders seem to be taking to heart the urging of  Mary Sorma, Tom’s daughter, to “send my family off with a retirement fund.” 

The restaurant said on Facebook it had to close Saturday night and all of Sunday  “due to heavy volume and to regroup.”

See you bright and early tomorrow morning on the radio,
Amy Eddings

Need to KnOH

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Your ideas

Amy is headed to Ohio City for a chili dog (don’t forget it’s cash only!) and people are lined up for paczki – how are you “letting the good times roll” for Fat Tuesday in Cleveland? Do you have plans to give up anything for Lent? Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on  our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.