Why? Weekends!

For every weekend that generates three blog posts (a la last weekend), there is a weekend that generates approximately half of a blog post. That, my dear reader, is called balance. This was decidedly one of those half-post weekends: partly because there wasn’t much on the calendar after last weekend’s busy-ness and partly because the weekend kicked off to a kind of bad start, so I decided to be a hermit crab.

However, there were some highlights…

Matthew and I have gotten pretty good at making homemade pizza. The dough needs about 2 hours to sit, so it’s usually a weekend meal. This time we browned up some chicken with olive oil, garlic, basil, and rosemary and topped the crust with the chicken, olive oil, more fresh rosemary, mushrooms, artichokes, and cheese.

Pop open a bottle of cabernet and you’ve got yourself a nice meal!

Sunday, I indulged in some retail therapy at Legacy Village and lululemon. I had gift cards to spend and the weather was nice, so it was perfect. Of course, I ended up spending five times as much as my gift card at lululemon, but other than that it was perfect. How was I supposed to resist something called a “Every Yogi” shirt?!

After retail therapy, I got some friend therapy by spending a ridiculous amount of time on the phone with my best friend from law school. Then I got some sunshine therapy by working on the flower beds around our new house. The past owners did a good job with the landscaping. It’s pretty awesome to see everything blooming now!

 

Sunday evening, we headed to my parents house for margaritas and steaks on the grill. A nice, quiet end to what really needed to be a quiet weekend.

The biggest steaks ever

Oh, another great part of the weekend? I got some more bridal shower pictures from Jen. Here are three of my favorites:

With some of the bridesmaids
Photo credit - J.A.S. Photography

With my mom
Photo credit - J.A.S. Photography

Photo credit - J.A.S. Photography

So, what started as a not-so-great weekend turned itself around with a little help from friends and family (and lulu). How was your weekend, CLE? Was it exciting or more low-key?

Why? Horseshoe Casino Buffet!

As excitement builds for the grand opening of the Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cleveland, there’s more to look forward to than just casino gaming. The Horseshoe Casino will boast some impressive dining options. The food court will house B Spot, Corky & Lenny’s, and Rosie & Rocco’s, a new Italian concept from Chef Rocco Whalen.

It wouldn’t be a casino without a buffet, though. Horseshoe Casino’s “The Spread” buffet sprawls 12,000 square feet with 400 seats. An impressive size, for sure, but what about the food? I got a sneak peek at the buffet this week and I can tell you, this is no cheesy old Vegas buffet.

Executive Chef Steven Varga walks us through The Spread's many stations

Executive Chef Steven Varga and Executive Sous Chef Matthew Jankowski are both Cleveland natives and quite proud of the quality and diversity of food that The Spread buffet provides. The Spread is meant to lure not only casino patrons, but the downtown breakfast and lunch crowd, too.

The stations at The Spread include a salad station featuring fresh, constructed salads made with locally-sourced vegetables. In fact, the whole buffet focuses on local ingredients for dishes created by local chefs. Not what I would have expected from a place owned by a national chain.

There are Italian, American, and Asian stations featuring favorites from those country’s cuisines.

The carving station features grilled, barbequed, and roasted meats, sliced up right in front of you.

The Shuffle station will feature of variety of ethnic cuisines. When we were there, pierogies were served side-by-side with a taco bar. It’s an interesting concept and provides a lot of variety to The Spread’s offerings. But am I the only one wondering if the name was inspired by “The Cleveland Shuffle?”

The prettiest and most tempting station is the pastry station. From mini desserts to pies to a cotton candy machine, this had a little bit of everything. I also got to see a college sorority sister working at this station…hi, Holly! But the coolest part is the slowly rotating “wheel of gelato” (totally my name for it, anyway). There is a gelato machine on premises whipping up these tasty concoctions.

So, it was a feast for the eyes, but how did it all taste? I tried to take a little nibble of something from every station…

I started with fried chicken, creamed corn, and roasted Brussels sprouts from the American station, brined turkey and whipped potatoes from the carving station, grilled aspargus salad from the salad station, and a duck enchilada from the shuffle station.

The fried chicken, Brussels sprouts, and corn were all really solid: just good, homey flavors. The brined turkey was a bit salty for my taste, but the meat was tender and the potatoes helped cut the saltiness when eaten together. The grilled asparagus salad I could eat every day of the week.

As a sucker for packaging, I loved the little metal warming tray the enchilada came in. Beyond that, the flavors were delicious. The duck was tender and the salsa verde had a nice kick.

It was back to the buffet for more tastes (trust me, I wasn’t clearing my plate each time). This time, I went with pizza and baked pasta from the Italian station, spicy ramen noodles with peanut sauce from the Asian station, and pierogi from the shuffle station.

The pizza and pasta were good with pretty traditional and easily accessible Italian flavors. The spicy ramen was great and another dish I could eat a lot more. The pierogi had a nice crisp on the outside and the braised cabbage underneath is a good touch. As a picky Polish gal, I wouldn’t put these up against Sokolowski’s, but I was surprised with how well they were done.

Finally, dessert…this is all for research purposes, remember…

I had coffee gelato, a mini chocolate cupcake with peanut butter icing, and a red velvet cake pop. I may have cleared my plate on this round. The gelato was so creamy and light!

The Spread opens Monday, May 14, along with the rest of the Horseshoe Casino. There will be a separate entrance just to The Spread though Tower City, so if you just want to go eat, you can do so without walking through the casino. Prices are $11.99 for breakfast, $15.99 for lunch, and $23.99 for dinner.

Whether you’re at the casino or just working downtown, The Spread offers a wide array of really tasty, high-quality food. You can easily make a meal even at just one of the stations. I was impressed, and frankly surprised, by how much I enjoyed everything I tasted. Which station sounds most interesting to you? Are you a variety buffet eater or do you like to focus on one or two items?

***Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Horseshoe Cleveland Buffet Media Preview. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Upcoming Events!

Still need to make weekend plans? There are 3 great events happening this Saturday that you might want to check out…

NFL Draft Party to benefit The Karen Foundation for MS

Saturday, April 28 from 11am-6pm

Barley House Cleveland

The Karen Foundation for MS is a local non-profit that works in conjunction with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Their NFL Draft Party Fundraiser is in its 12th year. This event features live entertainment throughout the day, including ESPN Radio Live post-draft analysis and musical performances from Light of Two Moons and Swamps of Jersey.

You can also meet current and former Cleveland Browns players, play casino-style games and Texas Hold ‘Em, indulge in massages and manicures, and more!

Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Your ticket price includes your donation to The Karen Foundation for MS, hors d’oeurves, 2 drink tickets, valet parking, and a raffle ticket for the grand prize drawing. Why CLE? readers can save $5 on tickets purchased on-line by using discount code WHYCLE at checkout. You can buy your tickets by clicking here. This is sure to be a fun afternoon for a great cause!

Wine and Cupcakes

Saturday, April 28 from 7pm-9pm

The Wine Spot

Image Source - loudonvalleyvineyards.com

 Looking for the perfect Saturday Girls’ Night Out or Date Night? Wine and Cupcakes is it! Miss WineOH and Tuscany Distributors will be pairing 4 Italian wines with mini-cupcakes for a fun, tasty, and educational evening. Plus you get to check out the new and beautiful wine bar: The Wine Spot. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by clicking here.

*Live Your Life* – A One-Year Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, April 28 from 7pm-10pm

Lululemon Athletica, Eton Chagrin

Image Source - lululemon.com

 It’s been one year since Lululemon opened its doors at Eton and its time to celebrate! There will be a yoga/fusion class at 7pm, with food, drinks, and dancing to follow. Plus, you can spend that gift card that’s been burning a hole in your pocket (maybe that’s just me)! This is a fun and relaxing way to get some yoga and retail therapy at the same time! Click here for more details.

Lots of great options for your Saturday, so get out there and have some fun!

***Disclosure: I was asked by The Karen Foundation for MS to help promote the NFL Draft Party. In exchange, I was offered (and declined due to schedule conflicts) one VIP ticket to the event. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Bridal Shower!

This past weekend’s busy-ness and excitement culminated in my bridal shower at Landerhaven on Sunday afternoon. Other than the date and location, I had no idea what to expect from the shower. My mom was planning everything and enlisting the bridesmaids’ help as needed. All I had to do was show up. And when I did, this is one of the first things I saw:

Photo Credit - J.A.S. Photography

Seriously massive amounts of bubbly. How classy! And just the thing to calm my nerves too. I felt like a live wire most of the day. If this is the kind of adrenaline I had for the shower, I can just imagine how I’ll feel on the wedding day!

The gorgeous atmosphere continued beyond the champagne bar. Everything was pale pink and silver and just beautiful. My mom’s ideas and Landerhaven’s execution of them were outstanding!

Photo credit - J.A.S. Photography

The food was fantastic: mushroom bisque; chicken, seafood, and spinach crepes; and this fabulous lemon fruit tart. I think I ate 3 bites of everything, so thank goodness for leftovers! One of the most unique things at the shower were the bride and bridesmaid cakes.

Seriously, there were 7 cakes total: 6 that look like the bridesmaids in their dresses and 1 that looks like me in my dress. My one bridesmaid Jennifer couldn’t stop saying, “I’m a cake? I’m a cake!” Cakes by Nadine did a great and tasty job making these creative sweets.

Of course, there was a bridal shower game. But this was unlike any game I’d ever played. Essentially, we played Wheel of Fortune. The puzzles were things about the wedding (our colors, the date, etc.) or about Matthew’s and my relationship (first date, etc.). The contestant was whoever’s gift was being opened. If you solved the puzzle, you won a prize. It was fun and different and let everyone in the room get to know each other a bit.

But beyond the champagne and decor and food and presents and seeing myself made out of frosting, what was truly important were the people who shared the day with me. From my mom and bridesmaids to all the guests, I felt such an outpouring of love and happiness and support and generosity. I was (and am) truly overwhelmed by it.

It was an amazing day! We couldn’t have had a better official start to all the wedding events. 38 days to go!

Since I was busy being showered upon, I wasn’t taking my usual million pictures. My talented bridesmaid Jen was sweet enough to get me a few of her professional pictures on a rush last night and I’ve collected a couple more from other guests. If you were there and have pictures, send ‘em my way, please!

Why? Weekends!

Since this past weekend was all kinds of busy and crazy, I split my usual weekend recap into 3: yesterday’s TEDxCLE post, today’s recap of showing my dear friend and bridesmaid Jen around CLE, and tomorrow’s bridal shower recap. Phew!

I was so excited when Jen told me she’d be coming into town for my bridal shower. Not only would I get time with a friend I don’t see often enough, but I would get to show off Cleveland! After picking Jen up at the airport, I decided to start our day with some yummy eats. We headed to BonBon Pastry and Cafe.

We started out with the cinnamon donuts: little puffs of lightly fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar and served with fruit compote, chocolate, and marscapone for dipping. At only $2.50, these were a tasty deal! Jen had the bacon, bacon, and eggs and I went with the granola crisp.

The bacon, bacon, and eggs has not only regular bacon, but pork belly as well, along with eggs and focaccia bread. The granola crisp was delicious: hot apple cubes, granola, nuts, dried cranberries, some chocolate chips, and a bit of marscapone on the top, served warm. It was hearty and satisfying.

BonBon is a great spot for a tasty weekend brunch, while giving you the chance to show off the West Side Market, Great Lakes Brewing, and Sam McNulty’s expanding empire.

On Saturday evening, Jen, Matthew and I headed to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium.

For those of you who remember going to the Improv and Howl at the Moon, it’s pretty interesting to now see fish and families occupying the same space. I always thought of aquariums being very open and light, but this winds you through the historic brick hallways of the Powerhouse, with tanks scattered throughout.

Lobsters from below

Many of the tanks in the “Ohio” and “Exotic Freshwater” areas are open, letting you get up close and personal with animals like this turtle.

One of the cool exhibits as you work through the “Coastal Region” is the petting tank, where you can pet sharks, stingrays, and various tiny sea critters.

I may have jumped about ten feet when I touched a stingray! My other favorite exhibit was the shark reef tunnel where fish and sharks swim all around you.

It’s great that Cleveland has a stand-alone aquarium and hopefully the popularity will only increase as the Flats continues its revitalization.

After the aquarium, it was off to dinner. We were a bit early for our reservations, so we popped into Treehouse for a round of drinks.

Mmm...Stoli Doli...

One of the things I love most about Tremont is how many great locations are in such close proximity to each other.

Jen told me to pick wherever I wanted for dinner, thus beginning the “what place do I most want to show off” challenge. There are so many great restaurants in CLE and I could only choose one. So, I went with a place where I love not only the food, but the atmosphere and the neighborhood: Lolita.

We started our meal with the duck meatballs, a fantastic call on Jen’s part.

The tomato sauce was spicy and provided a nice bite to accompany the juicy meatballs. I decided to keep the duck theme going and ordered the duck confit.

My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish! The duck was fall-apart tender, yet the skin was deliciously crispy. It was served on top of butternut squash puree, with cherries and a mustard vinaigrette. I of course chose the fried brussel sprouts as my side. It was all so good. So very, very good.

Jen and Matthew also enjoyed their entrees: the macaroni with goat cheese, rosemary, and chicken for Jen and the swordfish special for Matthew.

Unable to pass up dessert, Jen and I each chose the chocolate raspberry pot de creme and Matthew chose the coconut lime cake.

From the decadent to the refreshing, our desserts were delicious! Lolita lived up to all my praise and made me even more convinced it is my go-to dining destination.

All in all, it was a pretty perfect day showing off CLE (and getting to visit some of my favorite spots too). Where do you love to take out-of-towners to show off our city? If you could only pick one dinner spot, where would it be?

Why? TEDxCLE!

On Friday, Matthew and I attended our first TEDxCLE event. From the moment we arrived at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the energy was palpable. This year’s theme was The Maker Class and featured speakers who are “makers” in their fields.

I thought I’d share with you a bit of the notes/tweets/quotes I jotted down from each speaker, in the hopes of sharing at least of bit of the inspiration and energy I left TEDxCLE with.

Tom Benson – NASA Glenn Research Center

Tom Benson shared with us what he believes the 10 characteristics of creative people are: expertise, environment, timing, synthesis, “ah-ha,” muse, interests, luck, persistence, and guts. He also told us that when his career turned from purely research to education, he could “reach more people and have more fun.” I think I had my own “ah-ha” moment, since that’s exactly what I want for my career too!

Dar Caldwell – Co-Founder of LaunchHouse

“Entrepreneurs create jobs and vibrancy.” Dar Caldwell wants to make Cleveland a friendly environment for young entrepreneurs to make their dreams a reality. LaunchHouse, which he co-founded, gives entrepreneurs that environment with mentorship and connection with other entreprenuers and investors. Most of LaunchHouse’s investors are under 30 years old, what Dar Caldwell calls “a true grass-roots movement.” He ended his talk with a sentiment everyone in the room shares: “Cleveland, I’ve fallen for you!“

Dr. Lisa Damour – Center for Research on Girls, Laurel School

Dr. Damour wants to help young people grow up, not just age into adulthood. To do that, she helps teach risk assessment, goal orientation, and recognizing crazy spots. “We all have aspects of our personalities that are completely irrational.” The idea is that once teenagers can recognize those in their parents, they can deal with the crazy spots and spend their energy more productively. “Who invented fire? I’m sure it was a cave teenager, messing around.” The power and creativity of young people is virtually unlimited, but we also should help these young people become responsible grown-ups.

David Rabinsky – The Ritz-Carlton Cleveland

“I love life. I love everything I’m doing right now. Life is excellent.” David Rabinsky was, and still is, living his dream. He was running an off-premises catering company, busy and happy between work and his family. Then he started to notice his eyesight was failing. David was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa. He sold his catering company and went to work at the Ritz-Carlton as the director of social catering. He – and his adorable helper dog Kody – have adapted to the changes life handed him. David lost his eyesight, but not his dream and is one of the most positive and happy people I’ve ever listened to.

Next, we had the opportunity to listen to live performances from Lolah Brown and Cloud Nothings, as well as two previously-recorded TED talks.

Justin Bibb/Genna Petrolla/Josh Taylor

This talk was all about civic engagement. And since some of my favorite quotes from TEDxCLE came out of it, I’ll just share those with you:

“Talent attracts capital, not the other way around.”

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.“

“Look outside your usual social networks to create communities that are inclusive.”

“Lack of leadership is not an excuse to not move a great idea forward.”

Mort Epstein – Epstein Design

“This is what we call an ego trip…“ So said Mort Epstein as he took us through pictures of the many creative and beautiful design projects of his that cover the city of Cleveland. But Mort Epstein did more than just design. He was involved in Fair Housing initiatives across the city. One of his most iconic designs was meant to unite students at Cleveland State University across racial divides.

Dr. Brian Grimberg – Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Dr. Grimberg spends his days studying and hoping to eradicate malaria, a disease which is still prevalent in many parts of the world. Dr. Grimberg told us that malaria is largely responsible for the development of Cleveland, as settlers moved away from the river (and malaria). The wealthiest settlers moved up into the “Heights,” where the mosquitos could not travel. Today, Cleveland is leading the world in the development of new drugs to combat malaria.

Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie – Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Dr. Haile-Selassie is a patient man. After first discovering a piece of a human fossil remain, he and other anthropologists worked for 14 years to fully excavate and reconstruct the entirety of the early human. Talk about being persistent!

Philip Niles – Student at Case Western Reserve University

“We don’t buy green bananas. We want to make things happen and we want to make them happen now.“ What Philip Niles wants to make happen is the more open sharing of clinical trial data. Rather than waiting for studies to be published, if the data is shared immediately, cures will be found faster and the quality of life for patients will improve. Philip not only is passionate about this idea, he is passionate about his adopted city. He ended the presentation with a sentiment that we all share: “I hope you guys realize we live in a great city. Not just a good city, but a really great city.“ 

I hope these snippets of the great talks we heard at TEDxCLE resonate with you too; whether it’s finding inspiration for your own life, for your love of Cleveland, or both. TEDxCLE was an incredible event and I can’t wait to put this inspiration into action!

Why? Emerging Chefs Garden Party!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Random.org has selected the winners of the Fashion Week Cleveland giveaway: Nidhizzle S won 2 tickets to GlamJam and Amy won 2 VIP tickets to the Runway Shows. Congrats! Please contact me at whycleblog@gmail.com by Sunday, April 22. If I don’t hear from you, new winner(s) will be drawn.***

Spring has definitely sprung! On Wednesday night, Emerging Chefs celebrated the fresh tastes of spring with a Garden Party at AMP 150. Guests were treated to five delicious courses, filled with locally-sourced and super-fresh ingredients.

Before (and during) dinner, Matthew and I caught up with friends from Poise in Parma, Eat*Drink*Cleveland, Cleveland Food and Brews (and CFBgal), and Clue Into Cleveland.

Prior to Chef Jeff Jarrett’s portion of the menu, we got a little “pig plate” sampler, prepared by Chef Melissa Khoury.

Chef Khoury will be heading up the next Emerging Chefs event, an all-pig bonanza called Snout to Tail. Snout to Tail is on May 24 at 6pm at Dunham Tavern and, if the sampler we tried is any indication, it will be a tasty evening! Tickets are $65.

Our first Garden Party course was spring pea soup, with ramp creme fraiche, lemon oil, and pea tendrils.

The soup by itself was great – creamy, slightly frothy texture and bursting with fresh pea flavor. The lemon oil and ramp creme fraiche gave the dish the complexity and depth of flavors that left me wanting more.

Next up was a mushroom mousse made with Killibuck Valley mushrooms, topped with a fennel cherry compote and served with grilled artisan bread from Blackbird Baking Company in Lakewood.

The mousse was whipped and airy like a dessert, but with all the great earthy flavor of mushrooms. The fennel and cherry compote added a nice spice and tang to the dish. I had to restrain myself from licking the plate.

As we were enjoying our courses, Chef Jarrett came around to explain the dishes.

We also got to hear from Jeremy Lissy of KJ Greens in Andover, Ohio, where much of the produce for our Garden Party dinner was sourced. Jeremy explained about different types of mushrooms, how to pick your own ramps, how he got his start as a chef, then as a farmer growing micro greens, and more. It was great to know not only that the food was locally-grown, but to also meet the man behind it!

Our third course was goat cheese gnocchi, with pork belly croutons, shaved asparagus, fig jam and pepper cress.

The gnocchi were tender, with a subtle flavor of goat cheese. The pork belly croutons were a bit smoky for my taste and tended to overpower the goat cheese in the bites I had together. The asparagus and fig jam complimented the gnocchi well and the pepper cress added a nice bite and texture to the dish.

Next up was lamb sous vide, served on top of farro with peas, mashed cauliflower, and truffle oil.

The lamb was perfectly cooked and had been well-seasoned with thyme. The farro and peas made a hearty and fresh compliment and I could have easily eaten a bowl of just that. My palate couldn’t detect much truffle oil, but I have no complaints at all about this dish.

Finally, our dessert: a baked apple barley pudding with Snowville creme anglaise, topped with a cinnamon tuile.

Chef Jarrett made a dessert that still left you feeling somewhat healthy after you ate it! The creme anglaise and apples were a divine combination. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had barley in a dessert before, but it was really quite good.

I did miss the usual Emerging Chefs wine/cocktail pairings with the courses. The AMP 150 bar was open on a cash basis for the dinner. While I was fortunate enough to have a media pass to the event, the cost of drinks added a bit more than expected to the ticket price for Matthew. Also, while AMP 150 has a great atmosphere, the Garden Party theme was not carried through in the room with the usual Emerging Chefs flair.

All in all, though, every course was jam-packed with fresh, fantastic ingredients. There really is nothing like locally-grown food. Plus, I don’t know that I’ve ever been at a meal where everyone ate and enjoyed all their vegetables! Kudos to Chef Jarrett and AMP 150 for a great meal!

***Disclosure: I was invited to attend Emerging Chefs Garden Party with a media pass. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Ohio Blogging at Lizardville!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Have you entered to win tickets to Fashion Week Cleveland’s GlamJam and Runway Shows? Click here for details on how to win!***

Last night, it was another fun monthly meet-up of the Ohio Blogging Association! Matthew and I met up with everyone at Lizardville, which is a total craft beer wonderland.

In attendance were bloggers (and blog supporters) from:

Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Eats

Cooker Girl

Eat*Drink*Cleveland

Health Insurance Issues with Dave and Again? Really?

Miss WineOH

My Future Past (and wife)

My Retro Kitchen (and hubby)

Nidhizzle and Cleveland Socialite

Poise in Parma (and PIP Aunt Kathy)

Sara Finding the Time

Smitten…in Cleveland (and “Mr. Smitten”)

sosAssociates

The Brewer’s Daughter

the days go on…

Renee from The Brewer’s Daughter led us through some tasty libations, aptly paired with munchies. Renee has great knowledge for and love of craft beer, especially because she’s literally a brewer’s daughter: her father Jack McAuliffe is known as the father of craft beer in America! Also, our Lizardville beer wizard, Burl, explained so much about the different styles of beer and the breweries.

We sampled beers from various styles from Pilsner to Stout: Lagunitas Pils Amber Ale, Bells Amber, Victory Golden Monkey, Founders Porter, Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout, and Bells Two Hearted. My two favorites were the Victory Golden Monkey (a Belgian Trippel) and the Founders Porter.

Some of us even double-fisted our mini beers…

The food was quite tasty and paired well with the beers. We shared margherita and Buffalo chicken flatbreads, beer and cheese bread with spicy tomato sauce, and sausage and cheese boards.

As always, it was a fun night hanging out with CLE bloggers!

In May, the Ohio Blogging Association will be hosting a virtual meetup, courtesy of a state-wide blog swap. Click here for more details.

Why? Fashion Week Cleveland Giveaway!

The glamour! The excitement! The clothes! The biggest fashion week outside New York and L.A.! It’s almost time for Fashion Week Cleveland!

Fashion Week Cleveland has become known not only for its fantastic runway shows, but also for its emphasis on education. From workshops to seminars to films, you can not only take in the fashion, you can learn about the industry.

There are a slew of fabulous events for every fashionista, even the ones on a budget.

Retail’s Night Out – Friday, May 4 at 8pm –  boutique hops, trunk shows, wine and cheese – No Charge

GlamJam: Fashion & Music in the Rock City – Saturday, May 5 at 8pm – music, performance art, wearable art, food trucks including Hodge Podge, and more – $10 per person

Image source - fashionweekcleveland.com

Dressed screening – Friday, May 11 at 6:45pm – includes Q&A with designer Nary Manivong and director David Swajeski – $9 per person ($7 for students and Cleveland Museum of Art members)

Runway Shows and Black-Tie Gala – Saturday, May 12 at 8pm – music, cocktails, food, and a runway show with designers from Knotty Girl Designs, Profig Designs, Melanya, and more – $40 per person general admission/$100 per person VIP admission

Image Souce - fashionweekcleveland.com

Now, for the giveaway…hold on to your stilettos: I have 2 tickets to GlamJam and 2 VIP tickets to the Runway Shows to give away. One reader will win the GlamJam tickets and one will win the VIP Runway tickets. Here’s how you can enter (remember to leave separate comments for each entry):

1. Leave a comment telling me why you should receive VIP treatment for Fashion Week Cleveland and which event you want/are able to attend (GlamJam, Runway Shows, or both).

2. Follow both @CLE_FashionWeek and @WhyCLE on Twitter and tweet the following phrase: I just entered @WhyCLE’s blogger giveaway contest for a chance to win free tickets to @CLE_FashionWeek & you can too! http://wp.me/p1fb9r-Ej

You can tweet this once per day for additional entries (just be sure to leave a comment each time you tweet).

3. Post a picture of yourself on Twitter in your most fashionable outfit and tweet the following phrase: @CLE_FashionWeek and @WhyCLE, I love this outfit because…

You can tweet this once per day for additional entries (just be sure to leave a comment each time you tweet).

Winners will be chosen at random and announced on Why CLE? on Friday, April 20. Winners are asked to write a brief summary of the event, as well as snap a few pics to be used in a post on this blog. Good luck, lovelies!

***Disclosure: I was asked by Fashion Week Cleveland to help promote these events by running a ticket giveaway and blogging about the events. In exchange, I will receive 2 tickets to GlamJam and 2 VIP tickets to the Runway Shows. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Weekends!

It was quite the busy weekend, so I’ll get right to it! On Friday evening, I headed to Psycle, a spinning studio, for a Spin for the Pups class. The class raised money for the Berea Animal Rescue Fund. Before class, we got to meet some of the sweet pups available for adoption from this no-kill shelter.

Next up came the spinning class, which was much more sweaty than sweet. It was an intense workout, so I definitely felt like I did something good not just for the pups, but for myself too. I also got to catch up a bit with bloggers from Life on Mars, The Dawg’s Dish, and Things I Luuurve. After class, there was a raffle and refreshments. Psycle definitely has a different vibe than taking a spinning class at a gym, plus the folks there obviously care about giving back too. The class raised $500 for the Berea Animal Rescue Fund.

Saturday afternoon, I kept the weekend fitness theme going with a yoga workshop for bloggers at Nishkama Yoga.

Along with our teacher Ylonda and picture-wizard desk yogi Dawn, there were also bloggers/tweeters from Poise in Parma (our hostess), Peace Love & Bagels, FireSide Symphony, @KaseyCrabtree, ROJ Running, Smitten…in Cleveland, Wearing Mascara, and Sara Finding the Time.

I have sung Nishkama’s praises on this blog many times, so I’ll just say that it was another fantastic class! It’s always great to practice with a teacher who challenges you and with friends on their mats nearby. On May 5, Nishkama in North Olmsted will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, with free classes all day, raffles, and a taco bar! Find out more by clicking here.

Saturday evening, Matthew and I introduced our friends Nathan and Lane to a bit of downtown Willoughby. We started with dinner at The Wild Goose. The menu is largely pizzas and salads, but the pizza selection is pretty impressive. Matthew chose the Tony Roni, with spicy red sauce, spicy pepperoni, and jalapenos. I had the Wild Gooseballs, with meatballs, red and yellow peppers, and onions.

The pizzas were huge and we each took half home. The crust was thin and crisp, with a wood-fired taste, and the toppings were generous. The beer list at The Wild Goose is fairly extensive, particularly in the bottle selection. All in all, this seems like a solid pub and a nice addition to the downtown Willoughby strip.

We then headed down the street to Corks Wine Bar. I love the dim, relaxed atmosphere in Corks: very different than a lot of what you find along Erie Street. I also found my new favorite red wine (at least for the moment): CigarZin from Cosentino Winery. It has all the jammy fruit flavor I love, but also a touch of smokiness. It was smooth and tasty and I am definitely hooked!

Meanwhile, on Saturday night, my parents were off enjoying the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Induction courtesy of Crav Spirits’ Night of Your Life sweepstakes.

Mom shows off her Crav swag

My parents decided to enter the sweepstakes after reading about it on the blog and my dad’s name happened to be chosen! They got limo service to and from the show and tickets to see the induction concert. Their favorites included seeing ZZ Top, Carole King, and the tribute to groups that included Smokey Robinson and more. What a cool night in Cleveland and I’m so jazzed they were a part of it (and a bit jealous too)!

Sunday, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather by having our first backyard BBQ at the new house. Our friends Jason and Patty came over and we enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers. Later, we had a fire in the backyard fireplace.

As we enjoyed the fire and sipped Summer Shandy, I couldn’t help but crave the warm summer evenings that are just around the corner! It was a great weekend, CLE! What new answers to Why CLE did you discover?