Such a fecund thread!

In Michigan, "cellar" isn't heard often, although I recall my grandmother using it when I was young. Any below-ground-level floor in a residence is liable to be called the "basement," but highfalutin folk with a walk-out finished basement might insist that it is a "lower level." And, the dirt-floor-and-stone-wall cellar you all are describing is called (TA-DA!): a Michigan basement.

Silverware: almost any eating utensil is called silverware by the hoi polloi, regardless of its composition, including the disposable plastic stuff. Those who own actual silverware might distinguish between it and flatware (stainless steel, usually). "Cutlery" I always took to refer to knives.