By Anna Yoder | Columnist An abacus, a book entitled “The Drunken Botanist” and a magenta-colored vintage velveteen couch are a few of the items that adorn the inviting sitting area of Scratch & Co., a multi-faceted, unique establishment owned by Don Mahaney. Scratch sits at the crest of Troy Hill a...

By Anna Yoder | Columnist My father is a gifted musician who shared his talent of playing the accordion with me. Regrettably, I did not inherit his level of talent. In 1972, he gave me a little porcelain accordion figure that I never knew anything about until, as an adult, I discovered it was an “Oc...

By Anna Yoder | Columnist When a new friend shared a tip that she worked at a Spanish-influenced restaurant with a Bulgarian flair nestled on an overlook in Brighton Heights not far from the St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, I simply had to try it! “Eat. Cook. Travel.” is the theme of this res...

By Anna Yoder | Columnist As I stroll down East Ohio Street, I can’t help but notice the progress being made over the last few years with the new restaurants and stores popping up. Recently, one store in particular caught my eye with its sweetly decorated window, array of beautiful children’s clothi...

By Anna Yoder | Columnist As Northsiders, we can count our blessings to live in an area rich in culture and diversity, with beautiful architecture, and among individuals with caring and generous hearts. The architecture of our Northside churches is of particular interest to me as I marvel at the gor...

By Anna Yoder | Columnist The first time I visited the home of my future husband, I was taken aback at the collection of fine, handmade Persian, Oriental and kilim rugs gracing the floors of each room. It’s not that men can’t or don’t have good taste when it comes to fine rugs; it’s just, well, my h...

By Anna Yoder | Columnist My “Ba-Ba” (grandmother) and mother were wonderful cooks. They concocted ethnic specialties from pierogies and halupki to German potato salad and potato pancakes. And like many great cooks, neither worked from recipes that were written down — just ones stored in their head....

*Editor’s note: This is the first entry in a new column series, Town Talk, which will highlight different businesses and professionals within the Northside. I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting many wonderful and knowledgeable realtors from the Northside. However, this article is about one re...