Earth Fare’s food philosophy ensures you get food that not only tastes good, but is truly good for you: no high fructose corn syrup; no artificial fats, colors, preservatives, sweeteners, or flavors; no bleached flours; and no antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

I love this idea! For me, quality is much more important than quantity in food. Give me a full-fat, but all-natural, cheese any day over something fat-free and full of artificial ingredients!

Earth Fare’s meat and seafood department has tons of fresh choices, as well as experts who can help you not only select the perfect steak or chicken, but also tell you the best way to cook it.

Throughout the store, you’ll find specifically-marked local items, which means they came from 100 miles or less from that store. I saw some great local finds, including products from Hartzler’s Family Dairy, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, and Fat Head’s Brewing.

Earth Fare has a large wine department, with wines that cost $15 or less specifically designated.

There’s also a large prepared foods section, with soups, a salad bar, made-to-order sandwiches, pizzas, sushi, bakery, frozen yogurt, and more.

Three days a week, the prepared foods section at every Earth Fare has some special deals: Burgers for Bucks happens on Sundays from 12-3pm, with $3 burgers and $1.50 sides; Good Ole Days happens on Tuesdays from 4:30-7:30pm, with a half chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies for $7.99; and Family Dinner Night happens on Thursdays from 4-8pm, with free kids meals with the purchase of a $5-or-more adult meal.

After my tour, I stuck around to get my weekend grocery shopping done. You can sample just about anything in the store, so you know before you buy that you’re getting something tasty!

Since we were pretty stocked up on the basics at home, I got a lot of impulse buys, like Jozsef’s Premium Paprikash Sauce, freshly-made honey roasted peanut butter, and Thrive Farmers coffee.

So, to help you get your grocery shopping done healthily, deliciously, and more economically, I have a $50 Earth Fare gift card to give away! The gift card is good at any Earth Fare (there’s also one in Fairview Park if that’s more convenient).

Here’s how to enter: you can do one, two, or all three options, just leave a SEPARATE comment for each.

1. Tell me what you are most likely to buy even if it’s not on your grocery list.

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

3. Tweet the following phrase:

I entered to win $50 to @EarthFareSolon from @WhyCLE and you can too: http://wp.me/p1fb9r-1uP 

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

The giveaway will close on Wednesday, May 22 at 11:59pm and the winner will be announced the following day. Good luck!

***Disclosure: I was invited by Earth Fare Solon to tour and blog about the new location. In exchange, I received a $50 gift card for myself and a $50 gift card to give away. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

As we head toward summer, there are a ton of great upcoming events to take advantage of around the Cleveland area.

Red, White & BBQ Rib Fest

Saturday, May 18 at 12pm

Erie Street in Downtown Willoughby

Image Source – seriouseats.com

Downtown Willoughby presents the second annual Red, White & BBQ Rib Fest. From noon to 8pm, Erie Street will be turned into a pedestrian mall lined with restaurants serving up tasty BBQ and libations. Willoughby Brewing Co., Lure Bistro, Olivor Twist and many other Downtown Willoughby favorites will be participating. There will also be two stages with live music from eight different local bands and artists. Red, White & BBQ falls on Armed Forces Day and will be honoring our nation’s heroes by asking all attendees to donate $1 to the USO of Northern Ohio.

Recruit Cleveland Alumni-Only Career Expo

Thursday, May 23 at 11am

Veale Center at Case Western Reserve University

Image Source – hirecleveland.eventbrite.com

If you’re an alumni from John Carroll University, Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University, or a host of other local schools (see the graphic above), you are invited to attend a career fair with job opportunities from over 75 local employers, including the Cleveland Clinic, PR Newswire, Huntington Bank, and more. Admission is $10 for VIP early access and featured resume placement or free for all other alumni. Space is limited! For more details and to register, click here.

Woof, Wag and Wine

Saturday, June 1 at 1pm

Grand River Cellars

Image Source – lakehumane.org

An event that combines pups and wine? Be still my heart! Bring your pup along for a tour of Grand River Cellars, a wine tasting, live music, auctions, and more. Admission is $15 and includes your wine tasting. Proceeds benefit the Lake Humane Society. Click here for more information.

13^thAnnual Race for the Place

Sunday, June 2 at 8am

Beachwood Place

Image Source – touchedbycancer.org

Get out, get moving, and raise money for The Gathering Place, a community-based cancer-support center. There is a 5K chip-timed race or a one-mile fun walk, as well as family activities in the Celebration Village. Join honorary cancer survivor chair Jim Donovan, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, and The Gathering Place for this great event. Registration ranges from $10-30 depending on age and event. Click here for more information and to register.

15^thAnnual Farm to Table Benefit

Cleveland Botanical Garden

Monday, June 3 at 5:30pm

Image Source – cbgarden.org

Join 20 Cleveland chefs, from restaurants such as Spice Kitchen and Bar, Crop Bistro, and The Greenhouse Tavern, for a strawberry-inspired farm-to-table tasting event. At 5:30, there will be a panel discussion on “Berry Benefits,” then from 6:30-9, let your tastebuds explore the different tasting stations and enjoy live music on the Garden’s Geis Terrace. Tickets are $100 ($85 for Garden members) and proceeds benefit Green Corps and the North Union Farmers Market. For more information and to purcase tickets, click here.

10^thAnnual DePiero Family Charity 5K Run and 2K Walk

Saturday, June 8 at 8:30am

Byers Field

Image Source – deandepiero.com

Join former Parma Mayor Dean DePiero for a 5K race or 2K walk, along with refreshments and raffles, to benefit the Cleveland Courage Fund, recently established to raise money for Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight. Registration is $20 and the first 300 registrants receive a t-shirt. Click here for more information and to register.

Piggy Stardust & the Flavors from Mars

Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30pm

The Beachland Ballroom

Emerging Chefs, Chef Brian Doyle, and Chef Brian Rosander have teamed up to create a rock ‘n roll glam foodie event. A multi-course dinner, cocktail pairings, and live music from Vanity Crash, along with the cool surroundings of the The Beachland Ballroom will make for an evening not to be missed. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by clicking here.

Farm to Table Garlic Dinner

Saturday, June 22 at 5pm

Thaxton Garlic Farm

Join Thaxton’s Organic Garlic and Hudson’s Restaurant for a delicious farm-to-table dinner experience showcasing vendors from the Hudson Farmers Market. The dinner will include a cocktail hour, tour of the garlic farm and neighboring alpaca farm, and a five-course dinner with wine pairings. Tickets are $125 and proceeds benefit the Hudson Farmers Market. Click here to purchase tickets.

What upcoming events are you looking forward to?

***Disclosures: I am the VP of Special Initiatives for the John Carroll University Cleveland Alumni Chapter. Also, I was invited by Emerging Chefs to attend Piggy Stardust with a complimentary media pass, but declined due to scheduling conflicts. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

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.***

Image Source – marcs.com

From Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27, the Nautica Entertainment Complex will be filled with tasty, finger-lickin’BBQ. There will be 10 professional chefs from across the country competing for three prizes: “Greatest Ribs in America,” “Butch Lupinetti Greatest Sauce in America” and “People’s Choice.” There’s also a Marc’s Amateur Grilling Competition on Saturday, May 25. You can even win a chance to be an official Rib Cook-Off judge by texting “LNAPP” to 404040 and downloading the free Live Nation app.

Image Source – marcs.com

Aside from filling up on ribs, you can also jam to some fun music, with Mega 80’s on Friday, Rick Springfield on Saturday, Buddy Guy on Sunday, and Bret Michaels on Monday. As a “Rock of Love” fan, I’m pretty excited for Bret to rock my world! Entertainment is included with your general admission ticket.

If that wasn’t enough there will be booths to benefit the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and the Cleveland APL, contests, prizes, a new Riverfront dining area, and more! This is a great way to kick off your summer in CLE!

General admission tickets, which include entertainment, but not food and beverage, are only $5 with a coupon available at Marc’s or $8 without the coupon. Or you can enter to win 2 general admission tickets, good for any day of the festival, right here!

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

1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite summer grilling food.

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

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

I want to win BBQ with Bret and Ribs with Rick at @MarcsStores #GreatAmericanRibCookOff from @WhyCLE: http://wp.me/p1fb9r-1uA

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

The giveaway will close at 11:59pm on Thursday, May 16 and the winner will be announced the following day. Good luck! And for another chance to win, check out Eat*Drink*Cleveland’s giveaway.

***Disclosure: I was asked to help promote the Marc’s Great American Rib Cook-Off and Music Festival. In exchange, I will receive 2 general admission tickets for myself and 2 general admission tickets to give away. As always, all opinions and reality TV addictions are 100% my own.***

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?

From here:

To here:

Photo creit: New Image Photography

And everywhere in between, you’ve been my confidant, my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, and my biggest motivator. I owe so much of who I am to you and I will never stop being grateful.

I love you. Happy Mother’s Day!

Love,

The Cleveland Zoological Society, which raises money to support the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and zoo programs, throws some great parties, including Twilight at the Zoo and Animal Attractions. The Zoological Society’s fundraiser of “fabulous fun and community support for our zoo” is coming up on Friday, June 7 with the 40^th annual Zippity Zoo Doo.

The evening kicks off at 6pm with a cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. At 8pm, there is a seated dinner and Wild Side live auction, with special zoo experiences up for bidding. Following that is live music courtesy of The Orchestra and dancing under the summer stars until midnight. Dress in fabulous cocktail attire and strut your stuff!

The menu for this year’s event is nothing short of amazing, with roast duck and cocktail shrimp shooters among the hors d’oeuvres, filet mignon or stuffed Portobello mushroom for the entrée, and more! Check out the entire menu here.

Plus, there’s the opportunity to get up close and personal with zoo animals, like owls and snakes. Kallie the elephant even went swimming during last year’s event!

This is sure to be a great party to benefit a great Cleveland institution! Still need convincing? Check out the slide show from last year’s Zippity Zoo Doo.

Tickets for Zippity Zoo Doo are $250 and can be purchased by clicking here. I hope to see you there!

***Disclosure: I was asked by the Cleveland Zoological Society to help promote Zippity Zoo Doo. In exchange, I will receive 1 complimentary media pass and 1 discounted guest ticket. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

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.***

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.***

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.***