Why? Guest Bloggers!

You know I love me my CLE.  I do. 

Photo Credit - theonlyclevelandstore.com

But, seriously, I need a vacation. 

Luckily CLEguy and I have one of those – starting tomorrow.  We will be spending 8 luxurious days in Montego Bay, Jamaica at the RoseHall Resort and Spa.  Why Jamaica?  My initial answers have a lot to do with beaches and rum and Bob Marley and lack of snow.  I promise a more in-depth analysis when we return.

In my absence, I’ve arranged some fabulous guest bloggers to keep Why CLE? going.  I love hearing other people’s answers to “Why Cleveland?”  They’re always so diverse and interesting and I ultimately end up discovering new things to try.  I hope you enjoy these fresh and entertaining perspectives as much as I do.

So, introducing the Why CLE? guest bloggers that you’ll hear from over the next week:

Stephanie from Hungry in Cleveland.  Stephanie and I have known each other for almost 10 years!  She is one of my dearest friends, one of my biggest blogging inspirations, one of the most fun and cheerful people you’ll ever meet, and a consummate foodie.

Kimi from A Slice of Kiwi.  I met Kimi through the Ohio Blogging Association and I just love her blog.  She is fun, spunky, and honest – three great qualities in a blogger (and in a friend).  Also, Kimi is a contestant in the Mom Central Consulting grant program, so check her out and vote for her here.

Diane from A Stove With a House Around It.  I “know” Diane from reading her delicious blog and from following each other on Twitter.  So far, we’ve discovered mutual loves for good food, CLE restaurants, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee (which I will happily supply from the trip), and Spice Girls songs.  Diane also puts out the NE Ohio Food and Drink Daily – an awesome compilation of foodie blogs and news.  Follow her on Twitter for the daily link.

Angela from Pretty in Orange and the Ohio Blogging Association.  I’m pretty lucky to have the founder of the Ohio Blogging Association guest blogging for me.  Angela does a great job bringing together bloggers from all over the state with in-person events and tweet chats.  Plus, she has her own fantastic blog.

Beth from, well, being my dearest CLEfriend.  Beth and I have known each other a long time and had more crazy adventures than I could possibly share.  Even though she’s not a native CLE-er, she has truly made this city her home.

So, there you have ‘em!  I hope you enjoy their guest posts over the next week.  I’ll miss ya CLE…get rid of the snow for me while I’m gone!

Why? Spring Fever!

I know…it’s cold.  I know…the “s word” keeps creeping back into the forecast.  But, let me tell you something: it snowed on my First Communion day…in MAY!  It happens.  Buck up, CLE.  Because everywhere I look, I’m seeing signs of CLE spring fever.  Check out all these great things going on:

Friday, April 1 is Indians Opening Day!  Nothing says warm weather is on the way like the crack of the bat or grabbing a beer at the Batter’s Eye.  Plus, this year, the Indians are upping their social media profile, with the addition of the social media discounted tickets and the social media suite.

Opening Day 2010

For a great run-down of all the fun and festivities surrounding Opening Day, check out this post from Cleveland Food and Brews.  Last year, Opening Day started for me at the Clevelander with, well, the rest of CLE; then to the game; then to Harry Buffalo.  Are you catching the excitement of Opening Day?

Yesterday, Playhouse Square unveiled its line-up for the 2011-2012 Broadway Series.  The series begins in October, but there’s plenty of buzz around town now about the great shows coming – including La Cage Aux Folles, Hair, The Addams Family, and Come Fly Away.

On Saturday, April 8, the Parallels will be playing at Happy Dog.  The band recently released a U.S.-version of their “Visionaries” album and are kicking off a national promotional tour.  Check ‘em out!

The next Emerging Chefs event is Wednesday, April 13 featuring Chef Ellis Cooley of AMP 150.  The event is called Dinner by Design and will feature amazing food in interesting designs.  After hearing so much buzz about Emerging Chefs events, I can’t wait to attend this one!

On a sadder food note, a great east-side family restaurant is closing its doors on April 4.  Casa Italian American Restaurant is family-owned and has been delighting people with hearty, delicious, innovative Italian food.  The portobello mushroom ravioli and the tiramisu are not to be missed (although Casa certainly will be). If you have a chance before it closes, check it out.

 

 

 

 

 

What’s giving you CLE spring fever?

Why? Weekends!

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone stayed warm this weekend!

Friday night, CLEguy and I went to Fox and Hound for happy hour.  Fox and Hound is a great sports bar, with tons of TV’s, pool tables, and a good beer selection.  Also, on Fridays, they have $4 margaritas…you can’t beat that!

Saturday, we decided it was time for some guy time/girl time.  CLEmom and I spent the morning pampering ourselves at Ichiban Salon and Day Spa with manicures and pedicures.  My theory is that if my toes are ready, I will have the opportunity to wear flip flops!  After our spa time, we headed to Agave at Crocker Park – I was just having a margarita kind of weekend!  The lunch specials at Agave are great – $9 a piece for a generous portion of your choice of tacos, enchiladas, or floutas, plus rice and beans.  I also recommend the guacamole especial, which has pineapple, mango, and goat cheese – yum!

While CLEmom and I were having girl time, CLEguy and CLEdad decided to bond over – what else? – good beer.  They enjoyed lunch at Fat Head’s Saloon.  CLEguy had the Bay of Pigs Cuban pulled pork sandwich, paired with a Fat Head’s Number One beer.

CLEguy also picked up a growler of Fat Head’s Number One, which is the first beer the brewery ever made.  This beer is spicy and reminds me of the Belgian beers I love so much, so it as a definite win for me. 

Saturday evening, we headed to a party with some CLEfriends.  We enjoyed our CLEfriend Brian’s tasty Burg-a-licious burgers, which you can order for yourself.  Seriously, the burgers are fantastic and are like having your own B Spot right at home!  After enjoying enough of the beer to feel like singing in public, it was time to play Beatles Rock Band with some CLEfriends.

On Sunday, CLEguy and I watched the Cavs take on the Atlanta Hawks.

 

Before the game, we dined at the Q’s Bar Symon.

I love being able to enjoy such high-quality food at a sporting event (not that I don’t love nachos and hot pretzels, too).  I had the Symon Sliders trio – one veal meatball slider, one Carolina pulled pork slider, and one miniburger.  My favorite was the veal meatball.  The sweetness of the veal was perfectly offset by a spicy tomato sauce.  CLEguy chose The Clevelander – a veal brat with pulled pork, french fries, and sriracha hot sauce.  We also split an order of the famous Lola fries.

And the beer – no Bud Light here!  CLEguy had a Thirsty Dog Old Leghumper – a delicious porter – while I enjoyed the Ithaca Beer Company Apricot Wheat.

Unfortunately, the Cavs didn’t bring home a win, but it was still a fun night cheering for our home-town team and enjoying some great food from our home-town Iron Chef.

What answers to “Why Cleveland?” did you discover (or rediscover) this weekend?  Did you hit up the C-town Chow Down?

Why? Couples Cooking Class!

One of the best answers to “Why Cleveland?” is that we’re a town where any foodie can find lots of delight.  From fabulous restaurants to amazing places to find fresh and local food to cook at home, CLE is a foodie wonderland.  But, what if you’re a foodie who wants to learn something new?

Last night, CLEguy and I went to a couples cooking class at The Viking School.  The school is part of the Viking Store at Legacy Village.  Our class was called “Date Night: Gourmet Delight,” which sounded like it would be just our style.  This class was a chef’s table, which meant we got to participate when we wanted, but mostly we got to sit and watch the food prep, learn from our chef, and drink some wine.

Our Kitchen for the evening

Our chef was Amy Ryan, a recent graduate from the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking in CLE.  Right away, we could tell Amy would make this a fun evening for us – she was bright and cheerful and honest about her own twists on the recipes for our class.

Our “classmates” were also a lot of fun – a newlywed couple who got a Viking gift card as a wedding present.  We had a wonderful time talking CLE, sports, our favorite Food Network chefs (our hands down winner had to be Michael Symon, of course), and why we all like Michael Symon’s Lolita better than Lola.  It’s always so fun to connect with other great CLE-ers and foodies!

The evening started with preparation of the filling for our lobster pot pies – yum!  Lobster, onion, and butternut squash (one of my favorites) are all cooked together with a light sherry cream sauce, then spooned into ramekins and topped with puff pastry.   

As part of the class, we received all of the recipes prepared for our dinner, including helpful shopping lists.  We also got Viking aprons, which is great because I’m known to be a very messy cook.

While our pot pies were baking, Amy prepared our grilled caesar salad.  Heads of Romaine lettuce were perfectly grilled and served with homemade dressing and homemade croutons.  Caesar salad isn’t one of my favorites, but the warmth from the grilled lettuce and the tanginess of the dressing really made this salad delicious.

Then it was time for the lobster pot pies.  These are truly a gourmet version of the standard pot pie.  The sauce was light and the flavors of the butternut squash, spinach, and lobster definitely came through.  I only wish the portion had been bigger – but there was plenty of food to come!

For our main course, we enjoyed porcini-crusted filet mignon with crab-stuffed shrimp and a champagne buerre blanc.

I’m a huge fan of mushrooms, so when Amy told us she was only using half of what the recipe called for, I was a bit skeptical.  But she knows what she’s doing!  The porcini mushrooms were food processed into dust that coated the outside of the steak.  Our steaks had the perfect amount of mushroom flavor, but you could still taste the steak itself.  The shrimp were delicious as well and the sauce made them a true standout – it was creamy and citrusy and just perfect.

Another great tip for Chef Amy: when a recipe calls for garlic, don’t put it in to cook until one minute before the end of the recipe, because garlic burns very quickly.  I never knew that and will definitely be using that tip in future cooking adventures.

Dessert was coconut layer cake with raspberry lime filling.

Sweet, but not too sweet, I think this cake actually made me like flaked coconut (in general, I don’t like the texture).  At the very least, I certainly ate my fair share!

All in all, the Viking School provided us with a relaxing and fun culinary evening.  We got to eat great food, score some fabulous new recipes we’ll definitely be trying at home, and pick up some handy tips from a pro.  I can’t wait to take another class there!

Why? (Early) Friday Inspiration!

Maybe it’s because I wish it was Friday, maybe it’s because I already have tomorrow’s blog cooking, maybe it’s because I can’t wait to share my experience last night…whatever the reason, you’re getting your dose of Friday Inspiration a day early this week.

Last night, the Ohio Blogging Association hosted a volunteer night at the Cleveland Foodbank.

I was excited to volunteer with this great organization and also drop off my Comments for Cans donation.  Thanks to Green Dog Wine’s idea, over 100 cans of food were donated to the Cleveland Foodbank by Green Dog Wine, Poise in Parma, and myself. 

Before we got to work, we watched a short video on the Cleveland Foodbank’s mission and purpose and got to see the Foodbank’s impressive warehouse.  The Cleveland Foodbank was founded in 1979 and, since that time, has been providing food to area shelters, soup kitchens, and food pantries.  In 2010, the Foodbank supplied food to over 600 organizations.

The Cleveland Foodbank's Mission

 The Cleveland Foodbank has many different programs under its umbrella.  The Harvest for Hunger Campaign, running now through April 23 became part of the Cleveland Foodbank in 2003.  To me, one of the most important programs is  BackPacks for Kids.  One-third of the people served by the Cleveland Foodbank are children under 18.  BackPacks for Kids provides children with a backpack full of enough food for 6 meals.  The backpacks are given to the children at the end of the school day on Friday, returned on Monday, and refilled for the next Friday.  It’s a way to ensure better nutrition when the children aren’t getting meals from the school system.

The Cleveland Foodbank Warehouse

Next it was time for us to get to work.  Our volunteer force was made up of CLEbloggers from Hungry in Cleveland, Healthy Heddleston, Finishing Firsts, Cooker Girl, Clue Into Cleveland, Green Dog Wine, and Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog. 

Our job was repacking.  Many of the donations that come into the Cleveland Foodbank are in bulk form and cannot be used effectively by the shelters and pantries that way.  So, we repacked huge crates of oranges into 6-pound bags, which then went 6 to a box to be shipped out.

My perfect 6-pound bag

The two hours flew by and, with the help of another volunteer group, we repacked 5 large crates of oranges. 

Green Dog Wine shows off her orange-bagging skills

The volunteer coordinator at the Cleveland Foodbank told us that, without volunteers, the Foodbank would need to hire 28 additional full-time employees.  Volunteers truly make the Cleveland Foodbank’s work possible.  I encourage you to spend an evening or two volunteering at the Foodbank.  I’m sure you’ll find it as rewarding an experience as I did.

Also, if you want to donate to the Cleveland Foodbank there are the Super Six items that are most needed: Beef Stew, Canned Soup, Canned Vegetables, Cereal, Peanut Butter, and Tuna Fish.

After our volunteering, we headed over to the always-delicious Grovewood Tavern for dinner.  Our food was wonderful and the conversation – about blogging, CLE, and everything else – was a treat.  Certainly, being able to enjoy such a great meal after volunteering at the Cleveland Foodbank gave us an even greater appreciation for all we have.

This Saturday, Chevy Girls Ohio will be sponsoring a thank you lunch for the volunteers at Aladdin’s.  I won’t be able to attend, but Chevy’s generosity to us and to Harvest for Hunger is certainly appreciated.

During the video we watched, one of the Cleveland Foodbank workers said that she truly believes there is enough food for everyone, the problem is how it’s distributed.  The Cleveland Foodbank seeks to help remedy that problem.  The Cleveland Foodbank is helping CLE-ers to have nutritious food, but more than that, they provide hope and dignity.  Have a great (almost) weekend!  Do something inspiring!

Why? Blog-olutions Update!

Well, dear readers, it’s been almost 3 months since I made some Blog-olutions for 2011.  I was wondering how I was doing…given that I couldn’t remember all of the blog-olutions, I was afraid I wasn’t doing very well.  Let’s check it out…

1. Sign up for a Twitter account and create a Facebook fan page for the blog.  Well, I’m halfway there (livin’ on a prayer).  I signed up on Twitter in early January and since then have amassed around 535 followers, as of this post.  Thanks, CLEtweeps!  I also got the chance to be a part of Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer’s Twitter Twenty, which was a great way to talk about CLE and meet other cool, connected CLE-ers.  Watch for work on the second half of this blog-olution next month!

2. Meet up in “real life” with some of the other fabulous CLE bloggers I follow.  I have rocked this blog-olution!  In January and February, I attended the monthly Ohio Blogging Association get-togethers.  In fact, I’m going to one tonight (more on that later)!  The OBA has been a great way to connect with other CLEbloggers and make some “blends.”

3. Take one of my personal goals (doing the Couch to 5K program) and turn it into a way to see more of CLE.  I’ve been moving along with the Couch to 5K program.  In fact, I’m less than a month away from my first 5K!  But, I’m really looking forward to nicer weather and the opportunity to run outside more often.  Also, I’ll be doing the Cleveland Marathon 5K, which goes through downtown and ends in Browns stadium.  What a great way to see CLE!

4. Volunteer with a CLE-based charity.  Tonight, the Ohio Blogging Association monthly meet-up is happening at the Cleveland Foodbank (check back on Friday for the write-up).  I’m so excited to be volunteering with this wonderful organization and hope to make it more than just a one-night event.

5. Finally, finally, finally eat at Melt.  I get double points – I’ve now been to both the Cleveland Heights and the Lakewood restaurants.  And it was worth the wait and every carb and cheese-tastic calorie.

6. Spend a weekend at an Ohio City bed and breakfast.  Haven’t done this one yet…

7. Shop at least once a month at The West Side Market. One month out of three is…not as good as I wanted to be.  I still have time to get there in March, though!  And considering how much fun it is and how amazingly good the food is, I need to be better about this blog-olution.  Plus, the Market is gearing up for its Centennial Celebration and for hosting the Public Markets Conference in 2012.  Lots of great things going on at the Market!

8. Attend more CLE cultural events (e.g., Cleveland Orchestra concerts, Tremont art walks, etc.) I am failing thus far.  I will get on the ball with this one, promise.

9. Interview at least one CLE celeb for the blog.  Amazingly, Michael Symon has not knocked on my door and offered to let me interview him.  So, this is still a work in progress.

10. Continue to daily discover new answers to “Why Cleveland?”  This is a blog-olution win.  I do daily find new reasons why I love CLE and there’s nowhere I’d rather be.  This blog has been and will continue to be a great opportunity for me to discover and rediscover our city.

So, 3 months in and I’m not doing too badly, I don’t think.  I need to pick up the pace on some, but overall the blog-olutions are still serving their purpose – to provide me with new and exciting ways to engage in CLE.  Did you make any CLE resolutions?  How are they going?

Why? Weekends!

What a sweet weekend it was!  Thanks to Michelle of Cleveland Foodie, CLEguy and I were invited to attend the media preview of Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop.

The latest addition to Gordon Square Arts District, Sweet Moses is a step back in time to an old-school soda fountain shop.   The interior of the shop is bright, cheery, and open; the staff are perfectly attired in black pants, white buttondown shirts and black ties; and then there’s the array of sweet treats.  I felt like I was in the opening scene of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the old Gene Wilder version)…

We amply sampled several varieties of Sweet Moses candy: Tuxedo Junction (dark chocolate bark with almonds drizzled with white chocolate); English toffee peanut brittle with dark chocolate (CLEguy’s favorite); and milk chocolate bark with malted powder (my favorite).  We also got to try the homemade fudge; caramel and white cheddar popcorns; and peanut butter sandwiches in four different varieties – with nutella, with marshmallow fluff, with jelly, and with bacon!

We were so busy eating, we almost missed catching up with fellow CLEbloggers Hungry in Cleveland, Poise in Parma, Green Dog Wine, and Mile 26 and More.  It was an unofficial blogger meet-up!

Of course there was the ice cream, which is all homemade at Sweet Moses.  They offer everything from sundaes to cones to shakes and malts.  CLEguy and I each chose the Turtle Sundae – scoops of homemade vanilla ice cream, topped with Sweet Moses’ own hot fudge and caramel sauces, salted pecans, and whipped cream.

The ice cream was delicious, but it was the sauces that really impressed us.  Thick and rich and not overly sweet, they took this sundae to the next level.  Hungry in Cleveland, her boyfriend, CLEguy, and I decided we’re definitely coming back sometime this summer to tackle the Terminal Tower – 10 scoops of ice cream!

We also tried the phosphates.  This is a combination of flavored syrup and soda water.  I was worried the syrup would be too sweet, but Sweet Moses’ imported syrups have just the right amount of flavor without being sticky-sweet.  CLEguy came up with a yummy combination – a pomegranate phosphate, topped with a scoop of lemon sherbet.  Refreshing and oh so yummy!

While we were eating, we had a chance to chat with the owner of Sweet Moses, Jeffrey Moreau.  The shop is named after Moses Cleaveland and pays homage to CLE.  Jeffrey also told us that his idea with Sweet Moses was to create a higher-end ice cream shop, where people could come after a nice dinner or an evening at the Capitol Theater.  Sweet Moses elevates ice cream from the Dairy Queen drive-through level to a true experience.

Also, when I told Jeffrey that the shop’s pinwheel cookies reminded me of the chocolate and vanilla cookies that CLE’s Hough Bakery used to sell (and I used to love as a kid), he immediately went and brought me one to sample.  And I have to say, even though Hough Bakery is no longer around, I know I can find delicious nostalgic cookies at Sweet Moses. 

All in all, Sweet Moses is a fun and tasty addition to Gordon Square and I’m sure I will be spending many an evening indulging there.  If you want to check it out for yourself, the Grand Opening is Saturday, March 26.  I recommend the pinwheel cookies!

Since we were all sugared up, Hungry in Cleveland, our guys, and I decided to walk off a bit of the sugar rush around Gordon Square.  We spent most of our time in Duo Home, a shop that has everything from furniture to kitchen gadgets to fun knick-knacks and cards.

Gordon Square is truly a neighborhood – the merchants are friendly and welcoming and there’s a strong sense of pride in the growth and development of the area.  It’s those kind of people – who are invested in the community and take pride in it – that help neighborhoods like Gordon Square truly thrive.

After shopping, we figured we needed some “real” food, so we headed over to XYZ The Tavern.  After surveying the expansive beer list, I selected an Avery White Rascal and CLEguy chose the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale (probably because he knew I wouldn’t drink any of it).  The White Rascal is a Belgain-style beer with a lot of citrusy notes, so I enjoyed it immensely.

We decided to split some of XYZ’s small plates.  CLEblogger Bite Buff recommended the tempura broccoli, so we couldn’t pass that up.  We also selected the mussels and the soba noodles.

The tempura broccoli was by far the favorite at the table (receiving votes from CLEguy, HIC’s BF, and me).  Unlike most fried veggies, you could actually taste the broccoli, which is a good thing!  Large pieces of broccoli were lightly tempura breaded and were not at all greasy.  But what really made the dish outstanding was the soy and sriracha sauce – sweet and spicy!  The mussels were also outstanding.  I’m not a huge fan of mussels, but these were tender and not rubbery.  The mussels were served in a white wine and garlic broth and the portion was quite generous.  Hungry in Cleveland’s favorite was the soba noodles, which were also very tasty.  Full of crisp vegetables and a spicy sauce, I wouldn’t pass them up.

XYZ is a great spot, with an interesting menu and a diverse beer list.  With two garage-style doors opening onto a patio, this bar is definitely poised to be a patio-drinking hot spot.

My answer to “Why Cleveland?” this weekend revolves entirely around Gordon Square – great shopping, great beer and food, and great sweet treats.  What more could you ask for?!

What new answers to “Why Cleveland?” did you discover (or rediscover) this weekend?

***Disclosure: I was provided with a media pass for me and a guest to attend the Sweet Moses Preview Party.  The opinions in this post are 100% my own.***

Why? Friday Inspiration!

***A bit of blog-keeping (but, also inspirational): Fabulous CLEblogger Green Dog Wine is doing a comments for cans donation over on her blog.  For every comment to this post on her blog, she will donate a can of food to the Cleveland Food Bank.  Poise in Parma and I are each matching her donation.  Now 1 comment = 3 cans of food!  So, head on over there and comment!  Your time to donate runs out today!***

Today’s Friday Inspiration comes courtesy of We Run This City.

We Run This City is the organization benefitting from this year’s Twestival Cleveland, which is happening Thursday, March 24 from 5pm-9pm at AMP 150. 

Tickets are only $10 to attend this fun event or you can simply make a donation if you can’t attend.  The goal is to raise $3,000 for We Run This City.

Fellow CLEblogger Joe from Healthy Day Fitness volunteers with the organization and was willing to do a blog-terview to fill me in on the great work being done by We Run This City.

CLEgal: What is the mission/purpose of We Run This City?

Healthy Day Fitness: We Run This City was established to fight childhood obesity amongst Cleveland’s urban youth.

CLEgal: How did you get involved with We Run This City?

Healthy Day Fitness: Shortly after I ran the Cleveland half-marathon last year, I stumbled across WRTC on Facebook. I followed the links to their YMCA page, and as I read up on the group, I could see the documentary film playing in my head. Ironically I had just watched a documentary following a group of Chicagoans preparing to run the Chicago marathon. We Run This City reminded me of that, except with a bunch of adorable kids. Ever since that day, I’ve been dedicated to making some sort of film project about the organization. I immediately contacted the program director, Tara Taylor, and we set up a meeting with myself, her and an intern named Brandon Croucher. We had a great chat and I got to work on some basic editing work with only their pictures.

I set out to raise money for a camera, but unfortunately fell short before the program started their pre-race health evaluations in late February. Admittedly irrationally upset that I fell short, I was determined to get something done for the group, so I took my flip cam and did a couple short interviews with Tara and Brandon. And a few weeks later I hopped on a Megabus from Chicago to make it into town for their first conditioning clinic on March 4th. That was my first hands on experience with WRTC, and I had a blast. I actually just wrote about it for Ohio Sports & Fitness Magazine.

I got back to Chicago later that night and was still irrationally upset that I couldn’t get the camera in time. Not long after that, I discovered TwestivalCLE, nominated them, and bugged people to do the same. I was ecstatic when they were selected.  Now that I’m finally moving back to Cleveland, I’ll be getting more involved as more events come up, volunteering whenever I can. Over the next year, I’ll continue to save money for a decent camera, dedicating myself to filming a great project next year.

CLEgal: What’s been the most rewarding part of volunteering with We Run This City?

Healthy Day Fitness: The laughter. I can’t tell you how much complaining I’ve heard from clients PAYING ME to train them. I understand it to an extent, but eventually it gets annoying. Some of these kids were experiencing exercise equipment for the very first time and finding joy in every moment, willing to give anything a try, no matter how stupid it seemed.

CLEgal: How can we get involved? What does the organization need?

Healthy Day Fitness: Folks can donate to the organization and/or volunteer their time. I believe there’s contact info on the site where you can sign up to volunteer for various events. Money goes toward race registration fees for the kids, shorts, shoes, shirts, etc.

We Run This City is doing great things to get CLE’s youth moving, active, and healthy.  Working to make kids’ lives better – it doesn’t get more inspirational than that.  Have a great weekend!  Do something inspiring!

Why? Lolita + Fatheads = Yum!

What do you get when you take one of my favorite restaurants in CLE and pair it with a fabulous local brewery?  One fantastic evening of food and drink!

On Monday night, CLEguy and I attended the Fathead’s Brewery beer dinner at Lolita Bistro.  We became hooked on beer dinners at Bar Symon, where they held monthly beer dinners on Monday nights (I had a gold star for perfect attendance up until November).  Matthew Harlan, the former executive chef at Bar Symon and current general manager at Lolita, decided to keep the beer dinners going at Lolita.  This location was perfect for our feast – an intimate, relaxed atmosphere, plus the restaurant is closed on Mondays, so we had the place all to ourselves.

Our first course was “Bar Snacks” paired with Fathead’s Starlight Lager, a German-style Helles Lager.  The Starlight Lager is bright and crisp, with great drinkability.  Our bar snacks included cured Italian meats with crostini, sweet and creamy seafood dip with pretzels, and a cajun and cheese popcorn that rivals the balsamic popcorn at Crop Bisto for my new favorite snack.

Our next course featured Fathead’s Bumbleberry Honey Blueberry Ale.  The beer uses local Olmsted Falls honey and tart blueberries, for a light, refreshing drink perfect for summer sipping.  At the brewery, they serve this beer with fresh blueberries in the glass…yum!  For our food this course, we had a Romaine salad with Lake Erie Creamery goat cheese, honey-herb dressing and pickled parsnips.  Anything with goat cheese is a win in my book and the dressing and pickled parsnips added just the right amount of tang and crunch.

Our third course featured a duck terrine paired with Duke of Lager Fest Beer.  The terrine included hazelnuts, raisins, arugula, and gingered cream.  The texture of the terrine was perfect and the hazlenuts and raisins added great dimension to the dish.  CLEguy’s favorite part of this course was the gingered cream and I would have to agree.  The Duke of Lager Fest Beer features imported German hops and makes you want to get on the next plane for Oktoberfest.

Our fourth course had our mouths watering before it even reached our table.  This course featured braised beef short ribs with Killibuck Valley mushrooms and leeks over dumplings, paired with Fathead’s Voodoo Monkey Chocolate Stout.

CLEguy's favorite course of the night

The short ribs were tender and juicy and the mushrooms and leeks added a wonderful earthy flavor.  The jus from the short ribs literally made me want to lick my plate clean.  And the dumplings…firm, yet fluffy…they were this Polish girl’s dream and I need to know how to make dumplings that amazing.  The Voodoo Monkey Chocolate Stout was also a knockout.  Featuring Belgian chocolate and imported vanilla, the beer is creamy, slightly sweet, and absolutely delicious.

Finally, it was time for dessert.  As you may have seen me lamenting on Twitter, I gave up desserts for Lent.  But, for blog purposes, I ate this dessert (the things I’ll do for you, dear readers).  I was a little apprehensive when I saw we were having banana walnut bread pudding with spiced chocolate sauce.  Bananas are not my favorite food in the least.  But I would eat these bananas any day.

My favorite (forbidden) course

The bread pudding was moist and not too dense.  The carmelized bananas were delicious (really).  And the spiced chocolate sauce added just the right bit of chili sweet heat to the dish.  This course was paired with Fathead’s Poseidon’s Punishment, a Belgian-style golden ale.  I have never met a Belgian beer I didn’t like and this is no exception.  The beer has the sweetness of honey paired with the spiciness of clove and is imminently drinkable.  At a deceptive 10% alcohol content, though, I only indulged in one glass.

All in all, it was an evening of fabulous food, terrific beer, and great conversation.  CLEguy and I met some great CLE-ers who are both beer and CLE enthusiasts in equal measure and spent a lot of time talking about our favorite CLE spots, especially in Tremont.  Lolita’s executive chef Andy Strizak and general manager Matthew Harlan were gracious and entertaining hosts and the guys from Fathead’s were so knowledgeable and excited about their products.  Can’t wait for the next one!  Check out Lolita Bistro and Fathead’s – two of my favorite answers to “Why Cleveland?”

Why? Weekends!

This morning started out in a very Monday-ish way with a flat tire via a massive pothole.  In order to shake off that yucky-ness, I’ll reminisce about another great CLE weekend.

Friday night, a CLEfriend and I met up for dinner and drinks at Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar.  We started with an order of their fabulous guacamole, served with traditional tortilla chips, as well as plaintain chips.  I also enjoyed a strawberry mojito – I have to start preparing for my Jamaican vacation by drinking rum now!  For dinner, I had the Smoked Butternut Squash soup and the Ceviche trio.

The soup was incredible…thick and rich, with a peppery bite.  It was topped with shredded tortilla and roasted corn.  As many times as I’ve been to Paladar, I had never tried this soup before and I highly recommend it!  Hungry in Cleveland had recommended the tuna and watermelon ceviche, but the other varieties (Ecuadorian shrimp and sweet and spicy salmon) also sounded appetizing, so I went for the trio.  The tuna and watermelon ceviche was my favorite of the three.  The trio was a great way to sample all the varieties, though and was just the right amount of food with the soup and guacamole.

On Saturday, CLEmom and I headed to Beachwood Place to do a little retail therapy.  I needed a new bathing suit and some new summery clothes for the upcoming Jamaican adventure.  After a quick lunch at Sushi Rock, where we enjoyed the Spicy Crunch and the Rock n’ Roll, we were able to find just the right items for my trip.

Saturday night, CLEguy and I met up with some CLEfriends for dinner at Melt Bar & Grilled in Lakewood.  I was super excited to spot the Melt van as we approached the restaurant…I want to drive that thing around!

Once inside, we were greeted with the traditional Melt kitschy decor.

While it was a two-and-a-half hour wait for a table, we figured Melt’s amazing beer list could keep us happy for awhile.  I ordered the Indigo Imp Blonde Bombshell.  Indigo Imp is a CLE brewery and I highly recommend the Blonde Bombshell.  CLEguy ordered the Stone Highway 78 Scotch Ale, which he highly recommends. 

We were lucky enough to snag seats at the bar, so we didn’t have to wait 2 1/2 hours for Melt yummy-ness.  CLEguy and one of the CLEfriends both ordered the chorizo and potato sandwich.  Our bartender recommended adding an egg and I think we all agreed that was a great way to go.  The egg made the sandwich almost breakfast-like and added another dimension against the spice of the chorizo.  Our other CLEfriend ordered the Godfather, which is basically lasagna made into a sandwich with slices of garlic bread.  Mama Mia! 

I had to go with this month’s special – the Reuben Melt.  This is a traditional Reuben, served on Melt’s thick-sliced bread with corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing.  The corned beef was perfect – thin sliced and tasty.  The sauerkraut was crisp and tart and added great texture and flavor to the sandwich.  Make sure you get to Melt in March to give this special a try!

The Melt Potato and Chorizo with Egg...mmm...

After dinner, we wanted to head to Put-in-Bay Lakewood (hey, we might as well be able to go to some Put-in-Bay). While the bar is still there, the new name is The Avenue Tap House.  The bar boasts a good selection of draft and bottled beers, as well as live music.  Fair warning, you have to enter and exit through Guy’s Pizza and, even if you just ate at Melt, you may find yourself craving a slice at the end of the night.

All in all, another great weekend in CLE as we gear up toward St. Patty’s Day.  What new answers to “Why Cleveland?” did you discover this weekend?