Why? Silver Spoon Awards Party!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Have you entered to win 2 general admission tickets to the Marc’s Great American Rib Cook-Off and Music Festival? Today is your last chance, so check it out! Remember, you can tweet once per day for additional entries.***

Last night, Matthew and I attended one of the hottest foodie parties in Cleveland: the 19^th Annual Cleveland Magazine Silver Spoon Awards Party. This event not only honors some of the best chefs, restaurants, and dishes in town, but also raises money for the Arthritis Foundation, Great Lakes Region, Northeastern Ohio.

The ballroom at the Intercontinental Hotel was packed to the hilt with fine food. Some of our favorites of the evening included Pier W‘s poached salmon and mushrooms, Deagan’s Kitchen and Bar‘s chicken paprikash, Light Bistro‘s spring pea and mint soup with ramp pesto, Taki’s Greek Kitchen‘s lamb chops, and Sweet Melissa‘s decadent dessert spread.

Hodge’s and Spice Kitchen and Bar rocked out the VIP room, with craft cocktails that included hibiscus-infused tequila at Spice and bourbon and strawberries at Hodge’s and delicious nibbles like smoked lamb tacos with strawberry jalapeno salsa from Hodge’s and smoked fish on spelt pancakes at Spice. Plus, two of the nicest, most personable local chefs you’ll ever meet in Chris Hodgson and Ben Bebenroth!

Aside from the food, there were fabulous wines, wonderful silent auction and Chinese auction prizes, and lots of friends to mingle with. The Silver Spoon Awards Party is definitely one of the premier fundraising events of the year.

Kudos to Alicia for all her hard work in planning. I’m already dreaming about next year’s fun!

***Disclosure: I was asked by the Arthritis Foundation to help promote the Silver Spoon Awards Party. In exchange, I received 2 complimentary VIP tickets. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Weekends!

For every weekend that hands us gorgeous weather, there’s one that hands us, well, less gorgeous weather. That’s OK, though! We didn’t let the rain and coolness dampen our fun!

Friday night, we chilled at home with what is a not-often-enough Friday ritual of homemade pizza, a bottle of wine, and catching up on the DVR.

I’m completely addicted to Scandal and, as a DVR watcher, need to stay spoiler-free until I can catch up with the show, which is not usually easy! I somehow managed to avoid the spoilers and was completely shocked at the end of the episode.

On Saturday, I got in my morning vinyasa flow at Harmony Yoga. I’m also part of Team #yogaallthelivelongday, which you can read more about here, so I’m committing to practice at least a small bit of yoga every day (more to come on this, I’m sure).

After that, I headed to check out the new Earth Fare in Solon. Stay tuned later this week for a post on that and a giveaway to go along with it!

To round out the day, Matthew and I went to his college friend Jenn’s house for the first BBQ of the summer. I think it’s great that Matthew, Jenn, and Jody have maintained their friendships for so long! On the way to Jenn’s, we drove through Matthew’s alma mater, Kent State University, for a little more college nostalgia.

Plus, weekend BBQ’s with friends are one of my favorite things about summertime. Even though the weather wasn’t too summery, I still sipped a beer or two and got ready for lots of grilling and cornhole ahead this season.

Sunday, we celebrated Mother’s Day by taking my Mom to brunch at XO Prime Steaks.

The brunch menu was a nice mix of breakfast and lunch items. Mom and Dad went the breakfast direction with apple and pear crepes and lobster eggs benedict, respectively. Matthew and I chose lunch, with blackened salmon and wild mushroom ravioli. Matthew and I also shared a very dense, but tasty, white chocolate, raspberry and macadamia bread pudding for dessert.

Everything was delicious and it was a nice, relaxing afternoon for Mom!

I grabbed another yoga class on Sunday evening. I generally have a tougher time practicing in the evenings, but find my energy level is definitely better on weekend evenings than during the week.

How was your weekend? Did you celebrate Mother’s Day?

Why? Exxopolis!

*** A bit of blogkeeping: Have you entered to win a $100 gift card to Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art? Today is your last chance, so check it out! Remember, you can tweet daily for additional entries.***

There are moments when we all wish we could be a kid again, especially to be able to see the world with a sense of pure awe and wonder. Yesterday, Matthew and I got a chance to be kids again as we got a preview of the Exxopolis exhibit, which is featured at the International Children’s Festival at Playhouse Square.

Exxopolis is the creation of Architects of Air. What from the outside looks like a giant winding bounce house turns into something quite different once you’re inside. Exxopolis uses only natural light coming through colored plastic to create what you see inside, which means every day (and even every hour) looks different.

As you progress through Exxopolis, you find rooms of cool blue, hot red, and relaxing green. Each color lends its own distinct feel to the room. The red rooms felt pulsating and energetic, while the blue area were quiet and peaceful.

Guests are encouraged to wander, explore, sit and look up at the ceiling, and just generally take it all in. I was amazed at what a cool sensory experience Exxopolis is. It may be part of the International Children’s Festival, but Exxopolis offers something for all ages.

Exxopolis tickets are $5 and can be purchased either online or at the exhibit. Exxopolis is open today from 12pm-7pm, Friday, May 10 from 11am-7pm and Saturday, May 11 from 10am-6pm. The exhibit is located at the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 17th Street. Even if you just pop over on your lunch break, it’s well worth it!

Everyone in the neighborhood is excited about Exxopolis, too. After viewing the exhibit, Playhouse Square generously treated us to dinner at Cowell & Hubbard. The restaurant has created a special colorful and layered Exxopolis martini for this weekend, with Buckeye vodka, violet liquor, cassis, and ginger.

Aside from the delicious cocktails, we got to chat with the Architects of Air workers who make Exxopolis happen, as well as enjoy a fabulous dinner. The next time you’re at Cowell & Hubbard, try the chicken thighs with celery root puree, tobasco butter, and a bleu cheese croquette. You’re welcome in advance.

I left feeling like a happy combination of kid and adult. The wonder and magic of Playhouse Square strikes again! The International Children’s Festival, of which Exxopolis is just one part, is happening now through Saturday, May 11 at Playhouse Square. For a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets, click here.

***Disclosure: I was invited by Playhouse Square to attend the media preview for Exxopolis and the dinner afterward with a guest. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Weekends!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Have you entered to win a $100 gift card to Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art? Check it out! Remember, you can tweet daily for additional entries.***

After Friday night’s fun at the Cleveland Museum of Art, I was looking forward to a lazy start to my Saturday, with a little bit of yoga with Katie at Harmony Yoga, a little bit of errands, and a little bit of Honey Hut (their junior scoop is the perfect size for a mid-afternoon ice cream craving). My go-to place for meats, Pinzone’s Market Fresh Meats, was having their anniversary sale, so I scored a great deal on some strip steaks to grill up for dinner.

We seasoned the steaks with seasoned salt and black pepper and served them with grilled skewers of green pepper, onion, and grape tomato, plus a nice grenache. Sometimes simple really is best!

Saturday evening, Matthew and I attended the last concert of this year’s Tri-C Jazz Fest: a performance by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

I was so impressed by the performance! The music was bright and energetic. The Spanish Harlem Orchestra has a great brass section and 3 talented vocalists, who brought the crowd to their feet more than once. Many couples also showed off their salsa dancing skills during the show.

The concert was a unique, upbeat musical experience and a good reminder of the thriving arts culture in Cleveland. I can’t wait to check out more of Tri-C Jazz Fest next year!

On Sunday, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Alicia, Hans, Kimberly, and Chris at Momocho. A weekend afternoon seemed like the perfect time to enjoy some margaritas, guacamole, and taquitos!

I noshed on the grilled corn on the cob with chili lime butter and the rock shrimp and lobster empanadas. Oh, I also ate my body weight in guacamole and had two spicy mango margaritas. Viva Momocho!

Since we couldn’t get a patio seat at Momocho and the weather was so perfect, we headed over to Market Garden Brewery to enjoy this weather as it should be enjoyed: on a patio with an adult beverage.

That evening, we met up with friends Erin and Jeff for some outdoor fun at Squire’s Castle in the North Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. If you haven’t been to Squire’s Castle, you should definitely check it out. It’s pretty cool to picnic in the shadow of a castle!

How was your weekend? Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

***Disclosure: I was asked by Tri-C Jazz Fest to help promote the festival. In exchange, I received 2 tickets to attend the concert of my choice. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Provenance Giveaway!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Congratulations to sareberry (Comment #28), randomly-selected winner of 2 general admission tickets to the Silver Spoon Awards Party. Please check your email and respond by the end of the day or a new winner will be chosen.

If you didn’t win, you can still purchase tickets by clicking here. Or stay tuned to Mile 26 and More for another ticket giveaway!***

On Friday evening, Matthew and I were treated to an exclusive peek at the tantalizing goodness happening at Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Chef Partner Douglas Katz and Executive Chef Matthew Jankowski have created a menu that is truly an intersection of art and food.

We started our evening as all evenings should: with delicious cocktails! I recommend the thyme and ginger, a refreshing vodka beverage.

Pictured above with the thyme and ginger is a mushroom and leek cake, which was one of my favorites nibbles of the night. We also got to taste melt-in-your-mouth scallops and shaved duck on top roasted fingerling potato.

There was also an impressive array of cheeses and cured meats.

From the nibbles we had, I cannot wait to try a full meal at Provenance! The restaurant is open the same hours as the Museum: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Aside from the 76-person dining area, there are also two private rooms for parties.

This is truly a beautiful and tasty addition to the Cleveland Museum of Art! The group of us there for the tasting are truly thankful to Provenance for making us feel so welcome!

After the tasting, we got to check out the MixUp event, which is a monthly fusion of art, music, cocktails happening the first Friday of every month. You can peruse the galleries, as well as have a cocktail and listen to music in the impressive new atrium area.

Check out next month’s MixUp on Friday, June 7 or Solstice, one of the hottest parties of the summer, happening Saturday, June 22.

Having had the opportunity to spend time at the Cleveland Museum of Art twice recently, I will tell you that the Museum is a must-see, must-eat, must-spend-time destination. And to help you do just that, I have a $100 gift card to Provenance to give away!

Here’s how to enter: You can do one, two, or all three entries, just leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry:

1. Leave a comment telling me one of your favorite artistic restaurants (in food presentation or decor).

2. Follow @ClevelandArt and @WhyCLE on Twitter and leave one comment letting me know you’re following both.

3. Tweet the following phrase and leave a comment letting me know you tweeted:

I want to dine where art and food combine at @ClevelandArt from @WhyCLE: http://wp.me/p1fb9r-1ty #giveaway

You can tweet once per day for additional entries, just leave a separate comment each time you tweet.

The giveaway will close on Thursday, May 9 at 11:59pm and the winner will be announced the following day. Also, check out The Dawg’s Dish’s giveaway for another chance to win. Good luck!

***I was invited to attend a special tasting event at Provenance and the MixUp event with a guest. In exchange for attending and blogging about the event, I received a $100 gift card to Provenance to give away. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Fresh Fork!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Have you entered to win two tickets to the Silver Spoon Awards Party? Check it out! Remember, you can tweet daily for additional entries.***

It’s time to share more Fresh Fork Market goodies (two weeks’ worth) and recipes!

What We Got:

1 grassfed beef roast

1 quarter peck cameo apples

8 oz bag mixed salad greens

1.5 lb bag of oats

2 lbs grassfed ground beef

1 lb pasture raised ground pork

1 lb smoked turkey breast

1 jar roasted red peppers

Pizza Dough Balls – 2

Barbecue Sauce

1 lb Italian sausage

8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese

1 bag mixed greens

1/3 lb ramps

1 quarter peck Fuji Apples

1 bottle Sunflower Oil

1 dz Eggs

What We Made:

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast (click here for the recipe)

I love how tender meat cooked in the slow cooker is. I also love the ease of throwing some things in the slow cooker, setting it, and coming home to a delicious meal. This simple recipe made a great dinner, paired with mashed potatoes. I substituted seasoned salt to add a bit more kick.

The Very Best Meatloaf (click here for the recipe)

The name of the recipe didn’t oversell. This made a delicious, moist meatloaf. I used half beef and half pork (no veal) and instead of making the recipe glaze, I substituted the Clark Pope barbecue sauce.

Creamed Corn with Cornbread Crumbs (click here for the recipe)

This is a recipe used at Red the Steakhouse, so I was sure it would be good! I used cornmeal for the breadcrumbs. This was delicious, even with our frozen Fresh Fork corn, so I can’t wait to try it with fresh corn this summer!

Brat, Beer and Cheese Soup (click here for the recipe)

We love making soups out of our Fresh Fork ingredients. They’re easy, tasty, make great leftovers, and …on and on. Matthew did the first grilling of the season and grilled up the chicken brats for the soup. Delicious!

Homemade Bread

This is a simple recipe that we use for both pizza crust and bread. 3 cups of flour, 1 1/2 cups of water. 3/4 teaspoon salt, and one packet of yeast. Mix well and let sit for 2 hours covered with plastic wrap with holes punched in it. Bake at 465 degrees for 30-40 minutes for bread. I mixed in Italian seasonings and topped with parmesan cheese.

What recipes have you been trying lately?

Why? Weekends!

Whew! It was a whirlwind weekend in the CLE! I’m just going to jump right in. Friday night, Matthew and I attended International Partners in Mission’s Namaste benefit. Namaste raised money for IPM’s projects both abroad and at home, mainly focused on empowering and assisting women and children.

The event was held at the Ariel International Center, which is a beautiful location with sweeping views of the Cleveland skyline and Lake Erie. We were treated to a gorgeous sunset that evening, too.

Clark Pope Catering, who creates many of my Fresh Fork bag favorites, provided the food for the evening. The food represented the different areas of the world where IPM has missions and projects, with everything from West African peanut stew to Native American fried bread to smoked pork and roasted yams. Everything was delicious and culturally on-the-mark.

With a room filled with global music and people committed to helping a wonderful organization, Namaste made for a great evening!

To find out how you can help IPM’s mission efforts, click here.

I ended my Friday and started my Saturday with Namaste, as I grabbed a class at Harmony Yoga to help center me for a busy day ahead. Saturday was full of pre-wedding events for my friend Chrissy’s wedding in June. I am honored to be one of Chrissy’s bridesmaids. The day started with her bridal shower, held at the Middleburg Heights Rec Center.

It was a lovely ladies afternoon celebrating the happy couple and stocking up their home with lots of great presents.

Saturday evening was Chrissy’s bachelorette party. Part of my bridesmaid duties involved planning the party and I wanted to incorporate a little bit of all the great things downtown Cleveland has to offer. We started with dinner at Hodge’s.

We even had a party crasher while we were there! Note Alicia‘s smiling face in the picture above.

Everyone loved their meals! A popular choice at our table was the shrimp and grits. I loved every bite of this entree, particularly the spicy tomato and banana pepper ragu.

Hodge’s kicked off the night on the right foot: delicious cocktails and food, in a fun, relaxed, and a little saucy atmosphere. Big ups to our server, Mark R., for being absolutely spot-on with the service!

From there, we headed to the new Society Lounge for a classy craft cocktail or two.

Society oozes sexiness and sophistication and is a wonderful addition to East 4^th Street. I recommend the Moscow Mule: made with ginger puree and soda, rather than ginger beer, it is hands-down the best I’ve had in town!

The cocktails were flowing and the live music was perfect: I could have sworn Michael Buble was singing! We were so enamored with Society that our plans to go elsewhere faded as we sipped our drinks and snuggled in the cozy booth.

It was a really fun night and I hope Chrissy had a blast!

Sunday morning, I needed a little detox at Nishkama Yoga with one of my favorite yoga buddies (and bachelorette party crasher), Alicia. The rest of the day was spent recuperating from all of the above.

How was your weekend, CLE? Where’s your favorite Cleveland spot for a bachelor/bachelorette party?

***Disclosure: I was asked by International Partners in Mission to help promote Namaste. In exchange, I received 2 general admission tickets for myself and 2 general admission tickets to give away. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Corleone’s Ristorante!

I love finding hidden gem restaurants, like Corleone’s Ristorante in Parma. For years, Corleone’s has been cooking up high quality, elegant Italian meals, boasting a stellar wine list, and earning awards such as placing in Our Lady of the Wayside’s Finest Hors d’Oeuvres contest. Tucked in a small shopping center in northern Parma, it’s not exactly where you would expect to find this kind of restaurant.

Last week, Mom and I had a fabulous dinner at Corleone’s. We started with the award-winning Shrimp Sammy.

Huge shrimp are breaded in macadamia nuts and coconut, served with a sweet chili glaze and pickled red onion. Absolutely delicious!

I almost forgot to mention the cocktails! I enjoyed a Rosemary French 75, with gin, rosemary, agave syrup, and champagne. We sipped and enjoyed the live music being played in the bar area.

For our entrees, Mom selected the classic veal marsala. The sauce was rich and packed with tender mushrooms.

I chose the chicken Patricia, which is lightly-breaded chicken with mushrooms in a spicy marinara cream sauce.

While I thought the chicken was delicious, the spicy marinara could use a bit more kick for my taste.

Despite being stuffed, I got an order of cannoli to go, to share with Matthew when I got home. The cannoli filling was creamy, not overly sweet, and had a perfectly smooth texture. Matthew declared them the best cannoli he’s ever had!

So, if you’re looking for a tasty Italian meal in an unexpected spot, check out Corleone’s. What are some of your favorite hidden gem restaurants?

Why? Weekends!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Congratulations to Mike T. (comment #17), randomly-selected winner of 2 tickets to see the Spanish Harlem Orchestra close Tri-C Jazz Fest. Please check your email and respond by the end of the day or a new winner will be chosen. If you didn’t win, you can still purchase tickets to any of the Tri-C Jazz Fest concerts by clicking here.***

It was a busy week, so when Friday night hit, I was ready for some downtime. Matthew and I made homemade pizza and chilled out with the DVR, which was just what we both needed. I riffed off a recipe for Ginger Chicken Pizza, but eliminated the soy sauce and used hummus instead of pizza sauce.

I was also inspired by this post from Nadine to use naan as the crust and make smaller, individual-sized pies. All in all, it turned out quite tasty!

Saturday consisted of errands and appointments and a bit of down-dog at Harmony Yoga. Coming out of class to find my car had been towed kind of messed with my yoga good vibes a bit, but I suppose it was a good exercise in breathing and keeping calm, right?

Saturday evening, we headed out to Ferrante Winery for dinner with friends Chrissy and Mike. The happy couple is getting married in June, so we were lucky to snag a spot on their busy pre-wedding schedule.

Ferrante was packed, but we grabbed a spot in the tasting room while waiting for our table and enjoyed a bottle of the Golden Bunches Dry Riesling and a meat and cheese plate. I’m a person who usually runs in the opposite direction from sweet white wine, but the Golden Bunches Dry Riesling is one I really enjoy.

While the meat and cheese plate and salads that came with our meals were just ordinary, the entrees were quite tasty. I had the linguine with pesto cream and shrimp. The cream sauce was not overly heavy and the pesto had a delicious, fresh flavor. Ferrante was generous with the shrimp in the dish, too.

Matthew chose the pesce alla pollo curry. Paiting Italian meats and seasonings with a white wine curry sauce was an interesting choice, but a tasty one. The curry spice balanced well with the chicken, shrimp, and prosciutto and the fresh greens and vegetables added flavor and texture.

We had a great evening of good food and catching up. I love heading out to the wineries anytime of year, but I can’t wait until summer is here to be able to enjoy the beautiful patios that most of them have!

On Sunday, after another yoga class (and not having my car towed), I headed to our friends Patty and Jason’s baby shower at the Mentor Senior Center. They are expecting a baby boy on Father’s Day.

It was a fun afternoon celebrating the parents-to-be! The nursery theme is monkeys and the presents they got were just adorable. I can’t wait to meet their new arrival!

How was your weekend?

Why? Ohio Blogging at the Cleveland Museum of Art!

***A bit of blogkeeping: Have you entered to win 2 tickets to one of Tri-C Jazz Fest’s concerts yet? Check it out! Remember, you can tweet daily for additional entries.***

On Wednesday night, Matthew and I met up with a bunch of bloggers and blog supporters for the Ohio Blogging Association monthly gathering, this time at one of Cleveland’s greatest treasures: the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The new atrium area is stunning! You truly feel as if you were outside. We started with dinner just past the atrium at the new Provenance Café. I had a claystone flatbread with grilled swordfish, hummus, roasted eggplant spread, and more Mediterranean goodness.

I also highly recommend the mini bottle of champagne (you’re at a museum and being cultured and classy, after all) and the dessert bars (we split pecan pie and lemon).

After dinner, we got a tour of “The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection” exhibit. Our tour guide, Lucy, selected all the contemporary pieces for the exhibit and was a wealth of knowledge on both the classical and contemporary art we saw.

Hostess Alicia and Tour Guide Lucy

Matthew visited Pompeii during his study abroad semester in Italy, so he brought an even more hands-on perspective to the art. The exhibit has classic paintings of imagined life in Pompeii and then the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Image Source – clevelandart.org

The Last Days of Pompeii also showcases contemporary works, such as sculptures based off body casts taken of remains found at Pompeii, which were some of the most evocative pieces for me.

Image Source – clevelandart.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art is truly one of Cleveland’s greatest cultural assets and, with its new renovations and this amazing exhibit, more than worth a visit to see what’s going on there. “The Last Days of Pompeii” runs through Sunday, July 7. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, and $7 for children.

In attendance at the meet-up were bloggers from:

Am I There Yet? (and boyfriend Justin)

Call Me Trouble

Craveable Cleveland

Eat*Drink*Cleveland

Go Run Jess

Poise in Parma (and Aunt Kathy)

ROJ Running (and guest Jason)

SOS Associates (and wife Julie)

@TalknCleveland

The next Ohio Blogging Association event is in the works, so stay tuned to the OBA Facebook page for more details coming soon!

Have you seen “The Last Days of Pompeii?”

***Disclosure: The Ohio Blogging Association members and guests received complimentary tickets to “The Last Days of Pompeii” exhibit, as well as a guided tour. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***