Why? Weekends!

Happy Halloween, CLE! Hope you all had a fun and festive weekend!

On Saturday, CLEguy and I met up with my dear friend Beth and her husband to celebrate Beth’s 30th birthday.

Beth and I being 30

We started with dinner at Parallax Restaurant and Lounge, because you can never go wrong spending your birthday with Zack Bruell. After a round of creative and delicious cocktails (I recommend the Pear 75), we shared an order of the Short Rib potstickers.

The dipping sauces were served on the potstickers, making the wrappers a bit soggy and salty for my taste. The short rib had an excellent flavor, though.

For our entrees, I chose the scallops and CLEguy chose the mahi mahi.

The scallops were served with Brussels sprouts, pork belly, and sweet potato spoon bread. The scallops were perfectly cooked – seared brown on the outside, but still tender. While the dish only had three scallops, the hearty accompaniments made this a filling meal. The Brussels sprouts were delicious and you could still taste the true flavor of this oft-maligned vegetable. The sweet potato spoon bread was a real seasonal treat – the texture was like that of a corn bread and it was sweet without being overly sweet.

CLEguy’s mahi mahi was served over a bed of sticky rice and green beans, with a light coconut curry sauce. Again, the dish was cooked perfectly and the flavors of the curry were subtle enough to allow the flavor of the mahi mahi to come through.

Chef Bruell was at Parallax that night and, by virtue of the restaurant’s open kitchen format, we were able to see the care that Chef Bruell took with each plate before it was served. Such attention to detail is one of the reasons dining at a Zack Bruell restaurant is always such a wonderful experience!

For dessert, the couples each shared a slice of the chocolate mousse cake – layers of chocolate cake and chocolate mousse, topped with fresh berries. I wonder if Parallax’s pastry chef would do our wedding cake?!

After a fabulous dinner, we headed to Tremont Tap House to meet up with some more CLEfriends. I always love the vibe at Tremont Tap House, relaxed and friendly, with ridiculously good beer. I found a new favorite that night: Tripel Karmeliet from Belgium. You can never go wrong with me with a Belgian beer!

All in all, a wonderful birthday celebration for one of my favorite people! Happy 30th, Beth!

On Sunday, CLEmom and I met up with Poise in Parma, PIP Mom, and PIP Aunt Kathy for a raucous, rowdy, chatty, hilarious lunch. I think there may be a reason Bar Louie sat us in the back corner…

We had a wonderful time talking everything from husbands and family to shopping to much more. I also found out Aunt Kathy is my birthday twin, so no wonder I felt an instant kinship with her! It was a great way to end the weekend, spending time with a lady who has become such a great friend and two ladies who helped make her who she is.

What new answers to Why CLE? did you discover this weekend? Since my weekend was very un-Halloween, tell me what you did to celebrate!

Why? Ohio Blogging and Deagan’s!

On Wednesday night, a group of bloggers, tweeters, and blog supporters gathered at Deagan’s Kitchen and Bar for the monthly Ohio Blogging Association meet-up.

For those of us who attend these monthly meet-ups on a regular basis, it was fabulous to see a lot of new faces at this month’s event and meet people who you regularly read or tweet. The blogger community in CLE is really going strong!

The conversation was vibrant and varied – ranging from how much to share about yourself to spam and security issues to great upcoming CLE events and more. I’m always so impressed by the other bloggers I meet – by the passion for their writing and the common issues, concerns, and loves that we share.

In attendance were bloggers/tweeters from:

Again? Really?

All Lacquered Up

@Beautynewzflash

Bite Buff

Clue Into Cleveland (read her recap here)

Cooker Girl

Eat *Drink*Cleveland

Finding the Time

Hearty Parenting

i heart cleveland

@KaseyCrabtree

Life on Mars

Lindsay (avid blog supporter)

My Retro Kitchen

Namaste or Should I Go?

Poise in Parma (our hostess – you can read her recap here)

Rust Belt Runner

@sos_jr

Write On, Jana!

Chef Demetrios from Deagan’s gave us a warm welcome and the restaurant sent out a couple delicious charcuterie boards for us to nibble on to start our evening.

The specials menu that evening at Deagan’s was a bonanza of seasonal deliciousness, with a heavy emphasis on pumpkin. I am calling my meal “The Pumpkin Trifecta.”

I began with a Southern Tier Pumking beer, one of my favorites this time of year. This beer has a sweeter flavor than most pumpkin beers, with an emphasis on vanilla. I paired that with a Southern Tier Pumking bisque. The combination of the beer with the soup made with the same beer was outstanding. The soup had heat from curry spices, as well as a cinnamon sweetness. There was also marscapone cheese in the mix, which added a wonderful richness.

I followed that up with the pumpkin gnocchi (yup, I pretty much turned into a pumpkin that night). Firm, yet tender gnocchi were lightly coated in sage brown butter, with chunks of pumpkin and drizzled honey. The dish was sweet, but not overly so and was the perfect fall meal!

Because I promised CLEguy I’d bring him dessert, I got a piece of the peanut butter Thai chile pie to go. This creamy, almost pudding-like pie, topped with fresh berries and blackberry sauce was a decadent treat (I had to taste it, for blog purposes).

Deagan’s did what they do best: provided delicious, unique dishes in a fun, relaxed environment. All in all, it was another fabulous Ohio Blogging meet-up with friends new and old.

For more information on upcoming OBA events, check out the OBA Facebook page. Until then, keep blogging and reading!

Why? Jump Back Ball Kickoff!

As I work my way through my “30 for 30″ list, I know one item I will be crossing off in February: “#12 Attend Jump Back Ball!” This party was already on my must-attend list, so I was so honored and excited when Playhouse Square invited me to be an official Jump Back Ball Blogger! I’ll be chronicling all about this fantastic event and I can’t wait to share the insider scoop (and more!) as JBB approaches.

2012 marks the 21st annual Jump Back Ball, hosted by Playhouse Square Partners, the young professionals group affiliated with Playhouse Square. Jump Back Ball is a creative black tie affair – attendees can dress in their finest duds or dress to the theme. This year’s theme is “Through the Looking Glass.”

Jump Back Ball is sure the be the hottest party in CLE, with food, music, a fabulous crowd to mingle with, and a chance to support our very own theater district.

So, why am I talking to you about this now? Because Playhouse Square Partners is hosting a Jump Back Ball kickoff happy hour on Thursday, November 3 from 6-8pm at Market Garden Brewery (hmm…#2 on my 30 for 30 List is to try the Shoreway Coolers there).

There will be complimentary appetizers, drink specials, and a chance to mingle with some JBB attendees. Plus, it’s the time to get your Jump Back Ball tickets at the very lowest price!

At the kickoff happy hour, tickets will be $130 each. The next morning, the price goes up to $150. You can also join Playhouse Square Partners while at the happy hour. A Partners’ tickets price is $105 per ticket at the happy hour and $125 as of the next morning. Tickets sold out early last year, so don’t miss your chance to get tickets at the best price!

So, a fun happy hour at a hot new bar to promote CLE’s hottest party? I wouldn’t miss it! Hope to see you there too!

***Disclosure: I was asked by Playhouse Square to be an official Jump Back Ball blogger. In exchange for blogging about Jump Back Ball and events leading up to it, I will receive 2 VIP tickets to Jump Back Ball. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? DC!

This past weekend was another travel weekend, this time to Washington, D.C. I lived in D.C. for three years during grad school and just love the town. It’s one of the places that I truly feel re-charged after visiting. I really like who I was when I lived there and it’s nice to be reminded of that time and to catch up with the fabulous friends who are still there. I also got an extra special bonus visit – my dear friend and bridesmaid “PLP,” who lives in Maine, was also in D.C. this weekend, so we got even more fun reunion time.

As a former D.C. dweller, there are times when you sightsee and check out all the monuments and museums and there are times when you visit people and eat your way through the city. This trip was one of the second ones. I got into D.C. Friday night and PLP and I grabbed a late dinner at Open City, an upscale diner in the Woodley Park neighborhood. We split the Wardman pizza – mushrooms, leeks, thyme, gruyere, parmesan, and mozarella – and a bottle of Cline Cashmere, one of my go-to red wines.

The pizza and wine were fantastic but the company was even better!

The next morning, the reunion grew as 7 of the 8 of our grad school crew gathered for brunch at Co Co Sala near Penn Quarter.

The brunch was a delicious blend of sweet and savory and was quite unlike anything I’ve ever had before. We all selected the three-course brunch, which include an amuse bouche, an entree, and dessert. The amuse bouche was a mini chocolate lava cake with cinnamon sugar and salted caramel. Divine!

For my entree, I selected the artichoke tart and for dessert the “Onyx” – a brownie with salted caramel.

The artichoke tart was delicious, with a light cream sauce and crispy crust. It was served with a small caprese salad, which you can never go wrong with in my book.

The brownie was incredible – moist, with a hidden chocolate mousse filling that blended perfectly with the salted caramel. Our server also heard us talking about wedding plans, hence the congratulatory message.

One of the best things about Co Co Sala was that the portions were filling, but not overly large, allowing you to enjoy each part of the three-course brunch. I also highly recommend starting your morning with the Berries and Bubbles cocktail!

All in all, fabulous food and a wonderful time catching up with friends – some of whom I hadn’t seen for between 3 to 5 years! It’s always so nice when you can just fall back into conversation with people as if no time had passed!

I spent the afternoon with PLP and No Day is So Bad, my two non-CLE bridesmaids.

No Day is a budding photographer, so we did a mini photo shoot around the Adams Morgan neighborhood. For those of you who haven’t been, Adams Morgan reminds me a lot of Coventry – very artsy with a lot of interesting shops, restaurants, and bars. After that and some bridesmaid dress shopping, we met up with two other friends for dinner at Zengo.

Zengo is a Asian/Latin fusion restaurant (for example, we loved the Thai chicken empanadas) that is designed to encourage sharing with a lot of small plate options. Aside from the Thai chicken empanadas, we also enjoyed the pork belly steamed buns and the seared tuna wonton tacos.

I also highly recommend the side order of carnitas rice noodles, which is more than enough for an entree, and the Mexican chocolate tart (yes, I ate more chocolate).

The carnitas rice noodles included pork shoulder, which was deliciously smoky, veggies, cashews, and a soft egg on top. The egg added a wonderful richness to the dish.

The Mexican chocolate tart with cinnamon whipped cream blended the richness of dark chocolate with ancho chile heat for a fabulous dessert.

Again, the company bested the food though. Nothing like a fun and fabulous night out with girlfriends!

 

On Sunday, we spent the day in Arlington, eating and shopping and more eating! After a delicious lunch at Boulevard Woodgrill and some retail therapy, we found ourselves in a dilemma. Frozen yogurt or cupcakes? Why not both?

We each grabbed a cup of frozen yogurt from Red Mango, which has really different, somewhat tangy fro yo. From there, we headed next door to Crumbs Bake Shop, where we selected the Cosmo, Cookie Dough, and Chocolate-Covered Strawberry cupcakes.

Stuffed and with my soul refreshed, I hopped on a plane back to CLE. I love CLE and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, but D.C. isn’t a bad second home to have. I’m so lucky to be close enough to make visiting a very workable proposition. Hope you had a great weekend, CLE!

Why? Bloody Mary Showdown!

It’s almost the weekend, CLE! If you’re anything like me, one of the best things to do on a weekend is enjoy brunch. Personally, my favorite brunch drink is the Bloody Mary. Whether I’m being creative at the Bloody Mary bars at Deagan’s Kitchen or Touch Supper Club or just enjoying one off the menu, these drinks start my Sunday off right.

If you’re a Bloody Mary enthusiast or, even better, a Bloody Mary maker, then Cleveland Magazine and Market Restaurant and Bar have the perfect event for you:

The Bloody Mary Showdown!

Image Source - marketbeer.com

The Bloody Mary Showdown takes place on Sunday, November 6 from 11am to 2pm at Market Restaurant and Bar in Rocky River. There are two ways you can participate in this event: you can compete for the title of “Best Bloody Mary in Cleveland” or you can judge the entries!

Think your Bloody Mary has what it takes? To enter the competition, click here. There is a $25 entrance fee and Market will provide you with 360 Vodka, beverage dispenser, sample cups, sip sticks, ice and a covered table.

What can you win? First place gets $300, a highlighted feature in Cleveland Magazine, and your Bloody Mary on Market’s menu for a year! Second place earns $150 and third place earns $50!

Image Source - fotolia.com

Want to judge the entries? 50% of the score to win the competition comes from fan votes and 50% from the guest judges, so your opinion counts! For $15, you can have unlimited Bloody Mary sampling and for $30 you get unlimited samples, Market’s Sunday brunch, and a one-year subscription to Cleveland Magazine! To purchase a judging package, call Market at (440) 799-4292.

Proceeds from the Bloody Mary Showdown benefit The Girlfriends Corner, which helps young women with breast cancer feel loved and supported by providing a “Girlfriend Bag” stuffed with restaurant gift cards, gas cards, books, nail polish, a knitted hat and pashmina, and more!

So, to review, Bloody Mary’s, cash prizes, and a chance to help The Girlfriends Corner…what’s not to love?! Register to compete or be a fan judge today!

***Disclosure: I am serving as one of the guest judges for the Bloody Mary Showdown. As always, all opinions in this post are 100% my own.***

Why? Melange!

Last week, CLEmom and I found ourselves in Beachwood and decided to check out a restaurant where I’ve been wanting to eat for awhile: Melange. I had been to Melange for Dinner in the Dark, but never for a regular dinner. We started with cocktails: a Blueberry Carnival Lemonade for CLEmom and a French Martini for me.

For appetizers, the goat cheese fondue was a must. We also split the calamari.

CLEmom is on a mission to try calamari at every restaurant in CLE that serves it. Melange’s calamari is spiced with dill and served with house made spicy ketchup and whole grain mustard. The breading was light and the dill, ketchup, and mustard added interesting flavors not usually paired with calamari.

The goat cheese fondue was amazing: smooth, creamy, and mild. It paired perfectly with the fresh fruit and toasted bread it came with. Although we did end up eating a lot of our “table” bread with the fondue in order to soak up more cheesy goodness, CLEmom noted that the fondue “would be good on a thumbtack.” Perhaps a new serving suggestion?

For our entrees, CLEmom chose the Braised Short Ribs and I selected the Farmer’s Pasta with Shrimp.

The braised short rib was delicious and tender and the sticky glaze made for a unique topping. While the dish was salty, it wasn’t overpoweringly so – it was salty in the way you expect Asian, soy-sauce based food to be.

The Farmer’s Pasta with Shrimp was a bonanza of freshness!

Vegetables sourced from local farmers are paired with wheat pappardelle, aglio e olio, and shrimp (you can also add chicken or salmon or get the pasta just with the veggies). The vegetables in the mix included lima beans, tomatoes, peas, and red peppers. The dish was lightly dressed and seasoned and truly let the flavors of the vegetables shine through. This is something I would order again and again, especially as seasons and vegetable availability change.

CLEmom and I both had half our entrees to take home with us and reports from CLEdad and CLEguy were that the leftovers were just as yummy the next day as what we enjoyed that night.

Because CLEmom and I never met a dessert we didn’t like, we split Linda’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this dessert benefit cancer research and family support, so how can you pass that up?

The cookies are fluffy and soft, stuffed with mini chocolate chips. The presentation of cookies and a tall cold glass of milk is comforting, unusual in a restaurant with such fancy food (and fancy other desserts), and thoroughly delightful. The leftover cookies went over really well too!

Our service was unhurried, which is how we wanted the evening to go. All in all, Melange provided a delicious meal in a pretty, contemporary setting. Check them out if you haven’t already or head back soon for more yummyness!

Why? Louisville!

This past weekend, CLEguy and I hit the road and headed south down 71 to Louisville, Kentucky.

The purpose of the trip was to attend a friend’s wedding. But we have other friends who live in Louisville, too, so we were able to spend some good quality time with them.

On our way down, we got to see some of the gorgeous Ohio fall foliage. Having never been to Louisville, I also got to appreciate some of the Kentucky scenery along the way. The city of Florence’s water tower is especially adorable and southern!

Since CLEguy and I have the reputation for being foodies, our friends put some thought into where we should go to dinner on Friday and decided on Proof on Main. This combination restaurant and art gallery is a truly unique space. The restaurant is filled with interesting art pieces, some of which are even mobile and will join you at your table (there was a red penguin statue making it’s way around the restaurant). The attached art gallery is open as late as the restaurant for browsing.

Proof on Main is part of Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail, a selection of downtown restaurants and bars specializing in bourbon. There’s even an iPhone app to track your progress along the trail! We started our dinner with bourbon for CLEguy and his friend and a “Steffenwolf” (vodka, grapefruit juice, and elderflower liquor) for me. We also split a charcuterie plate with toscano, rabbit liver pate, salami, cheddar, and coupole.

The most interesting part of the charcuterie plate were the smoked grapes, which had an intense, heady flavor. Pairing those with the white truffle honey on the platter made for a delicious combination.

For our entrees, the guys both chose the scallops and I selected the duck.

The scallops were served with parsnip puree and root vegetable chips. They were meaty and perfectly cooked. Although the one complaint was that both guys would have liked more scallops, especially for the price ($29).

The duck was delicious. Seared pieces of duck breast were served over bulger wheat. Thinly shaved dark chocolate and mandarin oranges accented the dish. While I never would have guessed that dark chocolate, mandarin oranges, bulger wheat, and duck could pair so well, all the elements combined to form a perfect bite. This was a really incredible and unique dish.

We had a small snafu with our entrees the first time they came out of the kitchen and Proof did a great job of “how to fix a problem.” After mentioning the situation to our waiter, the manager immediately came over, apologized, and sent out an appetizer and a round of drinks. It’s not about a restaurant being perfect…it’s about a restaurant handling situations quickly, politely, and properly. And Proof did that perfectly. Plus, our additional appetizer was insanely good: a tuna crudo with watermelon, shaved beets and goat cheese.

Watermelon, watermelon, tuna

Stuffed and happy, we called our first night in Louisville quite a success.

The next day was the wedding. I have known the groom since high school (in fact, we went to prom together) and I was so excited to be attending this special day.

The reception was held at the Henry Clay, an historic building in Louisville with residential, retail, and banquet space.

The space was beautiful, the food delicious, and the couple so happy. All in all, a fabulous wedding that I’m so glad we could attend!

Old friends

After the reception, CLEguy and I decided to get in one more stop on the Urban Bourbon trail: The Brown Hotel. The lobby bar is ornate, yet comfortable, with huge couches to sink into while you sip.

As we headed back to CLE on Sunday, we agreed that Louisville is a fabulous, not-too-far destination for good friends, good food, and good bourbon. How was your weekend, CLE?

Why? Wine and Cupcakes!

Last night was one of those nights I just wanted to hug CLE. I had plans to attend a Wine and Cupcakes tasting with some of my girls, with a stop for dinner first at The Flying Fig.

Since I was running a bit early, I decided to make the most of my time in Ohio City. My first stop was at Salty Not Sweet, an adorable little boutique just south of the West Side Market. Salty Not Sweet specializes in mostly local handmade items from small businesses. I saw about five things I wanted to buy for myself, but my mission was to pick up a gift for our friend’s little boy. I snagged two adorable onesies and went on my way.

Next stop: Campbell’s Popcorn Shop, which just recently opened their own storefront. I picked up a bag of their Dichotomy popcorn for CLEguy’s and my roadtrip this weekend. So, it was a salty AND sweet start to my evening (haha).

After my shopping, I headed over to meet Hungry in Cleveland and Clue Into Cleveland at The Flying Fig. Since we knew we’d be eating lots of cupcakes later, we stuck with small plates for dinner. I chose the soup of the day (potato leek curry) and the herbed ricotta gnocchi.

The soup was delicious! Creamy and slightly spicy,  it was the perfect thing to warm me up on a drizzly night.

The gnocchi was also fantastic. Braised gnocchi was paired with Kilibuck Valley mushrooms, chicken confit, green beans, and herbs. Honestly, I don’t think the chicken was a necessary component of the dish, but all the flavors paired very well. I could definitely eat more than just a small plate of it!

From dinner, we headed over to Market Avenue Wine Bar and met up with two other CLEfriends for an evening of wine and cupcakes. Our hostess for the evening was Tammy Colson, known to the Twitterverse as @TLColson, who runs Miss WineOH. Miss WineOh puts on wine tastings, private parties, and the like to show people how fun wine can be and to highlight local wines.

Our mini cupcakes were provided by A Cookie and A Cupcake. To start out, we had a lemon cake with strawberry balsamic vinegar icing paired with a 2010 Golem Riesling.

Both the cupcake and wine were delicious. The Riesling was not too sweet and one of our friends – a sworn red-wine-only drinker – bought a bottle. The balsamic didn’t come through in the cupcake as much as I would have liked, but you can’t go wrong with strawberry and lemon.

Next up was an almond cake with roquefort icing paired with a 2010 Louis Laurant Vouvray.

While the pairing of the crisp, fruity wine with the rich icing was great, I didn’t like either the cupcake or the wine by themselves. They definitely needed each other to make the flavors work for me.

Next up was a white cake with maple bacon icing paired with a 2009 Bella Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir.

While I scored extra cupcake from my non-maple loving friend, I thoroughly enjoyed this pairing.

Then came a cherry chocolate cake with salted caramel icing paired with a 2009 The Velvet Devil Merlot. Yes and yes!

And then we got to my favorite of the night: a dark chocolate cake with cinnamon icing, paired with a 2005 Norman The Vocation.

Both the wine and the cupcake were fantastic individually, but together this pairing just blew me away. I’m a big fan of Norman The Monster, and The Vocation is now on the top of my must-buy wine list. We all immediately noticed spice notes in the wine, which Tammy told us is nutmeg. What a perfect pairing with the cinnamon in the cupcakes. It was a fabulous fall dessert!

Tammy told us that we should drink what we like. We can be educated about wine, without being snobby about it. Just learn what you like, what pairs together well, and have fun with it. And have fun we definitely did!

It was a perfect night in one of CLE’s best neighborhoods! Cheers!

Why? Upcoming Events!

As we head toward Halloween, what spooky, scary, and just plain fun events are going on in CLE? Check these out:

Friday, October 14 is the Feast of the Deceased from Emerging Chefs. Chef Brian Doyle of SOW Food will put on a scarily delicious feast, served in the Monroe Cemetery in Ohio City. Tickets are $80.

Image Source - emergingchefs.com

Friday, October 14 and Friday, October 28, NEO Food Tours are hosting Harvest Happy Hour tours. These tours include tastings from West Side Market vendors, a tour of the Ohio City area, and a final stop at Light Bistro for a special dish and cocktail. Tickets are $55 and $5 from every ticket benefits Ohio City, Inc.

Image Source - neofoodtours.com

Saturday, October 15, NEO Food Tours is hosting a Brews ‘n Pubs tour. The tour kicks off at Old Angle Tavern and will visit CLE breweries, including Indigo Imp and Market Garden Brewery. Tickets are $60.

Saturday, October 15 is the Lakewood Spooky Pooch Parade. The event starts at 12:30 with vendors, non-profits, entertainment, and contests. The parade steps off at 2pm down Detroit Avenue. Registration is only $10 per spooky pooch. Dress up your pooch and yourself and head on over!

Image Source - downtownlakewood.org

October 14-22 is Cleveland Beer Week! There are tons of great events happening all over town to celebrate, including beer dinners, special tastings and keg tappings, a bike ride in beer costume through Peninsula, and much more! For a full list of events, ticket information where applicable, and all your beer week details, click here.

Image Source - clevelandbeerweek.org

Sunday, October 16, Dinner in the Dark takes over Light Bistro for a culinary adventure. Different chefs create each course and the diners are kept “in the dark” about what they’ll be eating until the course is served. Proceeds benefit a local charity. Tickets are $81.57.

Image Source - dinnerinthedark-lb.eventbrite.com

Saturday, October 22 is the third-annual Cleveland Zombie Crawl. Dress like a zombie and crawl from bar to fantastic bar along West 25th Street. Tickets are only $10 and proceeds benefit the Ohio City Near West Development Corporation. BRAINS! I mean, BEER!

Image Source - clevelandzombiecrawl.com

From now through Sunday, October 30, get your scream on at Cedar Point Halloweekends. While some rides are closed for the season, most remain open. You can also creep through 4 haunted houses and 6 outdoor scare zones. It’s a hauntingly good time! If you want scares closer to home, check out this list of Cleveland-area haunted houses.

Are you attending any of these upcoming events? Which events are you most looking forward to?

***Disclosure: I was invited to attend both The Feast of the Deceased and the Cleveland Zombie Crawl with media passes. Due to scheduling conflicts, I declined both invitations. As always, all opinions in this post are 100% my own.***

Why? Weekends!

Well, CLE Indian Summer was here in all its glory this past weekend! My schedule was relatively low-key this weekend, which gave me time to actually enjoy some of the fresh air and sunshine. But lest we forget, it IS fall, so CLEguy and I enjoyed our first-of-the-season homemade pumpkin martinis on Friday night.

Just for you, dear readers, I’ll share the recipe, which I think is pretty darn tasty: For one drink, 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin, 1 ounce whipped cream vodka, 1 ounce pumpkin spice liquor, 1 ounce Bailey’s. Shake over crushed ice. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Enjoy!

On Saturday, we went to hang out with some CLEfriends and some out-of-towners for pizza, beer, catching up, and spending time with their adorable little ones.

Our contribution to the party was Cleveland’s newest beer import: Yuengling Traditional Lager. Yuengling has lots of fans in the CLE market and the beer finally made it across the border from its native Pennsylvania to start being sold here on October 3. Personally, I like Yuengling, but I think the hype will die down a bit once its not the “beer you had to drive across the border” to get. Although, CLEguy came home from the grocery store last night with the second case he’s bought in a week, so I could be wrong…

Sunday, we headed down to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to cheer on Hungry in Cleveland as she ran The Towpath Marathon – her first marathon. I put my first-grade level art skills to work to come up with a sign I was sure would inspire her:

It was a gorgeous day! We missed the half-marathoners, but we did get to see MojaMala2 as she finished up her marathon with @CLECraftBeerRun.

But nothing beat the joy on Hungry in Cleveland’s face (running with @Justin_McI) as she neared and crossed the finish line!

While running wasn’t my thing, I so respect and admire all the runners who set a goal, worked hard to achieve it, and got a well-deserved medal for their efforts. So proud of Hungry in Cleveland for becoming a marathoner yesterday! We didn’t get to see Peace Love & Bagels, Fireside Symphony, Becoming Rooks, or I’m the One They Call Beal, but big congrats to them as well!

Hope you all had a fun, fresh-air-filled CLE weekend. What new answers to Why CLE? did you discover this weekend?