from bank to bacon

March 01, 2012

In keeping my promise to document Cleveland:

This weekend A3, Dayna and I met up with new friend Merissa (bestie L's sister Julie is getting married in March, Merissa will be her sister-in-law. Follow that?)--Merissa is a fellow southeast Michigan expat turned OH resident. We met up at the relatively newly opened (opened this past summer) Bonbon Pastry & Cafe in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland.

Bonbon Pastry & Cafe

I had the Bacon, Bacon and Eggs, eggs with bacon and braised pork belly--I think you have to love bacon/meat to get this, the pork belly is soft but extremely fatty which would turn off most. While we waited for our main course we sampled the donuts which come with pineapple jam, mascarpone, and Nutella--the homemade donuts were amazing! As is always the case, order a restaurants specialty; while the food is good, I think BonBon's strong suit is its pastries and their French pressed coffee! So good.

After the meal A3, Dayna and I also stopped by Penzey's Spices so I could get a few things, and on our way out we peeked into the windows of the restaurant which sits between Penzey's and Bonbon, and admired the architecture--a visible reminder of the grand days when the building was the United Bank Building.

United Bank Building, Penzey's Spices faces W. 25th.

So, did some searching and this is what I learned about the United Bank Building, (Ohio City, Cleveland) and it's architects:

The United Bank Building opened in 1925, costing $1.5 million 9-story, it was the tallest building on the west side of Cleveland when it opened
The buildings main entrance sits under two columns framing a temple front facing West 25th Street, while its Lorain Avenue side features six arched windows. The main bank lobby sports marble columns, a coffered ceiling, and twelve bronze light fixtures
The building was designed in the classical style
After the Crash of '29, the United Banking & Trust Company merged with Central National Bank (Nov. 1929)
Cleveland architecture firm Walker and Weeks designed the United Bank Building
Walker and Weeks also designed Cleveland's: Severance Hall, Cleveland Public Library, Municipal Stadium, the Public Auditorium and many more
Walker and Weeks became well known and sought after for their bank buildings throughout in the Midwest, completing over 60

Borrowed this old postcard shot from here.

Other examples of Walker and Weeks work throughout Cleveland: the Federal Reserve Bank (1923), the Superior Building at 815 Superior Avenue (1922), and the Guardian Building at 629 Euclid Avenue