To Consume and Be Consumed...

Considering this is a food blog, I don't really like to bring up much of my non-food life on it. My non-food life has been mostly about my upcoming wedding, and I find that nobody likes to hear about wedding minutia except... Other brides. So instead of dishing about how many loops are in my multi-tiered French bustle (it is just oh-so-LOVERLY by the way), I've mostly kept to myself in my spare time, and that means not really writing as much as I'd like.

I have been out and about in good ol' CLE however, and have had some culinary adventures along the way. The weather seems to have inconsistently gotten warmer, and April showers have brought May showers... But I've managed to get out and visit the Shaker Square Farmer's Market a couple of times.

On one visit, I discovered Blaze Gourmet. Their booth at the market is not to be missed. Dressed to the nines with flavorful hot sauces and salsas, there were many samples to be had. I tried the Dirty Taco Hot Sauce ($6.95 on the website) and the Mango Hot Sauce ($8.95). Both had a lot of flavor and didn't punch you in the mouth with vinegar and flavorless heat. The sauces have heat, but also a depth of character I can't say I've found in any other hot sauces I've tried. We ended up buying a Raspberry Chipotle salsa on the first trip, and the mango sauce on another. Both were well worth it (the salsa has been vanquished) and will undoubtedly purchased again.

More recently, the mango sauce ended up in an enchilada casserole that contained chicken, pineapple, black beans, cheese, and some of the wonderful ginger-tinged mango hot sauce from Blaze. The flavor profile was unique, and the meal will be made again. It was an incredibly easy dish that doesn't actually have a recipe - I had pineapple from the West Side Market left over from the previous weekend, and figured it might work in the enchiladas. I was correct! I had learned from a restaurant in Columbus that pineapple works VERY well in certain Mexican dishes.

I've also been to the West Side Market recently, to pick up things for an Italian submarine sandwich at my very favorite deli stand - Nonno Joe's. We usually pick up some sopressata, genoa salami, and some kind of shaved ham, and their prices are incredibly reasonable. The owners are always pleasant and kind, and that also keeps me coming back.

While waiting for our deli order, I spotted some margherita pepperoni in the case. It was a hard, dry-cured pepperoni that immediately piqued my curiosity. I wondered if it would curl and crisp up when sliced thinly on a pizza, and it totally does! The pepperoni is salty, but perfectly so. If you're used to the pre-sliced, softer pepperonis - this may be a little shock to your system. We use a pizza stone when baking, and buy the cheese and dough at Whole Foods. Lately I've been using the San Marzano tomato puree for sauce, with nothing else in it. Frankly, it doesn't need it. If I were to augment it in any way, I'd add some tomato paste to thicken it a bit.

Since this portion of the blog has an Italian flavor, I'd like to also show my love for the Murray Hill Neighborhood Market, on Murray Hill and Paul Rd. in Little Italy. The market has a bit of your day-to-day needs, but also has some exotic teas, oils and vinegars. I haven't sampled anything from the deli yet, but plan to as soon as the weather decides to clear up on a semi-permanent basis. They have a rotisserie, and seem to cook chicken and standing rib roasts. They also have freshly baked bread, soups, and pastries. The store owners and staff are amazingly friendly people who are genuinely passionate about their business, your satisfaction, and the beautiful neighborhood it is in. If you're in the neighborhood, you should definitely stop by. As if you needed any additional incentive, they also carry Jeni's ice cream if you're not up for the trip to Chagrin Falls. I bet a pint of her Cherry Lambic sorbet would be just the thing for a sunny afternoon on the swings in Brush Park.

There are a lot of things on my horizon, one of them being the most significant event in my life (to date). There are also some new restaurant reviews, one of them hopefully posting sometime next week (Grovewood Tavern). There are also a lot of places I plan on visiting for the first time in the near future (Lolita and Table 45 to name a couple) and I'll be sure to tell you about them all!

This weekend is the Hessler Street Fair. Jeff and I didn't get to go last year because it was the weekend that he broke his hip, but I managed to get him some of the wonderful lemonade that always seems to be there. Even if drum circles and damning "the man" aren't your sort of thing, it's a great place for awesome street food, people-watching, and free hugs.

As if you didn't have enough to do already, there's also the Old Brooklyn Pedal for Prizes. Seeing as the Hessler Street Fair is all weekend, I'm sure time can be made for both. Pedal for Prizes is a great way to see Old Brooklyn and possibly win some really awesome prizes (check out the website, go go go!).

As a parting thought, I will tell you one more thing: Snowville Creamery's chocolate milk is AWESOME.

I (less-than-three) CLE

<3

I really am very glad that I moved here, and I can't believe that it's actually been nearly two years since I did so.

There have been some life events that have prevented me from updating lately, Jeff had a cycling accident three weeks ago where he ended up fracturing his hip. He had surgery and is now on the mend. He's on crutches and has been home for a couple of weeks. We aren't going out as often, but it's not going to stop us from getting around.

There are so many reasons I'm in love with the 216, and I talked about some of those (food related) reasons in my last entry. Cleveland is a fantastic place to find good food, but there's a lot more to our fair city. Many of you probably already know about the things I'm going to touch on today, but I hope that this will open up discussion amongst my readers. I'm not really a Cleveland newbie anymore, but I'm also a little partial to the East side. I have a feeling that there's so much more to love about CLE.

Terra Verde Soap Co. - They do for soap what Michael Symon does for pork. They take a simple thing that has been around for ages and make it scrumptious (please, do not eat the soap!). I discovered them for myself at the Bizarre Bazaar last Christmas. I have a love for all things soapy anyway (see Lush), but absolutely loved the Grass/Pumice soap. We also picked up some solid perfumes and candles as gifts for others. You can find TVSC at their Etsy shop, and at Salty not Sweet in Waterloo (yet another place I love here!). Last year they had candles poured into bottles of Christmas Ale, but they went quickly!

Little Italy - I live here. Perhaps then, I'm a little biased. But between the restaurants, the galleries and the PEOPLE - this is a wonderful place to be, on a temporary or permanent basis. The people in my community came to Jeff's aid when he fell at Murray Hill and Random Road. Councilman Kevin Conwell personally called EMS, and Fabio from Gusto found our house and alerted me that Jeff was injured. People who didn't know him came and brought him water, lifted him and carried him out of the street and waited with him until the ambulance took us to UH. People at the Alta House held his bicycle safely until we could be home to retrieve it. The Cipullo Bocce Tournament is coming in July, and the Alta House is raffling off a lease on a new car or a 7,000 dollar cash prize. All proceeds benefit the Alta House. Sure, I have the trains to lull me to sleep, but I also relish the sound of bocce balls colliding in the evening.

Music Saves - Everyone should know about this place, and if you don't - consider yourself informed and get over there. Instrumental in the vinyl resurgence in Cleveland, Music Saves is a great store for your vinyl, and non-vinyl musical needs. They also carry locally made jewelery, and clothing. They may still have some limited edition CLE Clothing Co. shirts. I picked up one a while back and I always get comments at the gym when I wear it. (About the shirt!)

Beachland Ballroom - I love the Ballroom/Tavern for a lot of reasons. They hosted my cousin's first gig in Cleveland (if you missed it, you should check her out) and are by far my favorite music venue in Cleveland overall. I love the brunches, especially when Tom and Leia are working - and I can't wait to get to one of the barn dances.

Speaking of Tom and Leia, I also love the Afternoon Naps!

This really just scratches the surface. I'd like to hear from my readers, though - what else do you love about Cleveland? This can include places to eat, of course!

On a personal note, I completed 27 miles in the Sunday in June bicycle tour in Burton today. I planned on 50 but as it turns out, I don't really care for a soggy chamois when I'm riding!

If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Precipitate.

Prepare to become addicted.

Yeah, I played with that thing all morning. Thankfully this is my last night alone in the house, so I won't have to resort to such things.

Yesterday my friend Jen and I hung out a bit and I showed her the "East-siyeeeed" (specifically, Little Italy). We went to the West Side Market and picked up some very nicely marbled strip steaks, corn on the cob and potatoes to put (as I am so fond of saying) all up in my grill. I also picked up some Spicy Lime-Cilantro noodles from Ohio City Pasta to make when Jeff gets home.

The steaks were fantastic. I seasoned them simply with some applewood smoked sea salt and white pepper. The potatoes were quartered and wrapped in foil with some whole garlic cloves (which got all melty and wonderful) with the same salt and pepper, and a little olive oil thrown in to boot. The corn was also grilled, and I set aside a few whole cloves of garlic to puree in with some butter to put on the aforementioned corn (do this, it's seriously awesome).

This was one of the most stereotypical meals one could ever make on a grill, but man was it worth it.

We'd also gone to watch the bocce tournament, which was incredibly fascinating. I never knew people took the game so seriously. There were many cigars. We also went to Little Italy Wines where they had six wines you could sample for a buck per pour. I got five, Jen had three. The one I kept going to again and again was a red dessert wine made with concord grapes called "Foxy Lady"*. It went for 10 bucks so I decided to pick up a bottle. Yum, it's like grape juice for adults and it's not too sweet at all. Surprisingly I didn't find it dessert-ish and had some with dinner.

*Fun Fact: Foxy Lady is made in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Sort of close to where we'll be in a month or so!

We met a couple while sitting on the back patio, and the man just so happened to be a non-denominational minister. He wrote his name down on a wine label and asked me to give him a call "when the time comes". Yeah, Jeff'll get a real kick out of that one!

I also watched Run Fatboy, Run this afternoon while doing laundry. My neighbor said it was one of the funniest movies he'd ever watched. Now, I did think it was hilarious in spots but also found it to be very touching. Maybe it's because I'm dating a runner. Maybe it's because I'm trying to become a runner myself. It's actually a pretty good movie, and I'm actually very willing to watch it with Jeff if he wants to.

Oh, and something else about that link I posted in the beginning. You can cut/paste melodies just by right clicking and selecting the appropriate command (Copy or Paste).

Por ejemplo: 73992,8,8458,8192,8456,8194,32776,264,8448,264,10,73984,8200,8202,8456,32776

y uno mas:
65536,65536,66816,65536,69764,0,0,16912,0,0,2114,0,640,0,67648,0

Somebody you once knew might never swim.

The sound of bocce balls colliding at the Alta House can be heard clearly from my house - the Cipullo Bocce Tournament is going on this weekend in Little Italy. The sun has only now decided to come out, and it looks to be a cool autumn day.

You heard me. What is this, hmm? The mildest July in a while, at least as long as I can recall. It made the cycling tour tolerable last week, but it's kind of weird. I expect to be miserably hot in my sans A/C house!! Wait, why am I even complaining?

Jeff comes home tomorrow night from the Great Lakes Relay. I'm almost tempted to have him ask the downstairs tenant if I got into anything bad this weekend. My neighbor (We'll call him "Buddy") is a nice guy... But he seems to be awfully fond of lying about things, or at the very least exaggerating. On several occasions, he's texted me when we've been on vacation to inform me that the 40+ year old woman that works in the lab with Jeff is having loud sex in my apartment. This wouldn't happen. Then he told me she had 3 or 4 people with her. Nothing against this woman, but this stuff just wouldn't happen with her.

I wonder what Buddy would say to Jeff if he asked what I did this weekend....

"Why yes Jeff... She was whoring around all weekend! (whisper) But don't say anything. She's a sweet girl, just misguided and lonely." Details may follow.

Before parting, we went to see the Bowerbirds at Beachland Tavern. A local band went on first, and we missed them due to eating dinner at Jackie Chen's which was okay, but not as good as (and not to be mistaken for) Richie Chen's on Cedar. The second band was Megafaun, and they were my favorite of the evening.

The Bowerbirds were also remarkable. Both bands had amazing melodies and musical talents, but we walked away with a Megafaun CD at the end of the night.

Brad and Phil Cook (brothers), along with Joe Westerlund make up Megafaun. These three tall, mountain-men like individuals create a folsky, unique sound that reminds me a little of my childhood. When I was little, my mother and aunts would get together on Sundays and sing folk songs and old gospel tunes in beautiful harmony - and that's what seeing Megafaun felt like to me. Both bands are definitely worth a listen.

It seems that the tournament is in full swing now (or about to be) - So don't even think of getting a parking space down here. Fuhgeddaboudit.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As for me, I am going to hang out with a friend this afternoon. Barring catastrophe, we're going to go to the West Side Market and then traipse about Little Italy for a while. (weather permitting)

If the rain holds out, we might have to get all up in my grill.

I think I may go to Presti's for breakfast.

PS: Etna was reviewed in the PD. I should go again to check it out. (Really, I'm craving L'Albatros though). In another ADD moment, I think I want to buy this book.

Game on!

Triangle Man hates Person Man: Film at 11

Calvin (the RTA bus driver) is one of those people that makes living in Cleveland all the more awesome. Riding the bus can be a pretty banal event, but this man makes it a little more enjoyable. As I walked to the 9th and Euclid station tonight, I hoped that I would get to be on Calvin's bus.

A fun side fact about the creator of Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson lived in Chagrin Falls. I bet you already knew that, though. Just like everyone sees the arrow in the FedEx logo. It's like hearing a five year old internet meme from your own mother, I'd wager.


I can has popcorn?

In the above picture, Calvin is attacking Chagrin Falls. (secret-ninja-jeff-edit)

Anyway, Calvin (the busdriver) likes to ask trivia questions over the loudspeaker. He encourages people to shout out the answers to his questions and it actually makes riding the bus FUN. You can see people who were previously scowling start to smile when they realize they know the answer to the question. For the duration of a few city blocks, you can feel like a genius in front of several strangers.

Jeff and I had lunch at a sushi place that (dare I say) rivals Pacific East. It's called Aoeshi Cafe and it is right next to the Cedar Lee theatre. Don't be put off by the plain decor or the styrofoam cups your water comes in, this sushi is amazing. We had the Mexican Roll (spicy tuna with crunchies) and our ever favorite, the Spider Roll (softshell crab, avocado and either daikon radish or lettuce). It's cheap, too. I was brave and tried a raw quail egg on top of citrus tobiko (usually flying fish roe). I wouldn't eat it again, but it was interesting.

Please check out Aoeshi Cafe. I didn't get the feeling that it was traveled much during the afternoon hours - not so sure about the evening. It's really good and if you're lucky you can sit on the futon (woo!).

Random photo of the day regarding something I probably talked about weeks ago:

Jeff and I at the wedding we attended in Columbus (like, a while ago)

The garden in the back of my house has been completed. I'd still like to do more to the patio, and there's quite a bit of cleanup left to do... But this is basically what it looks like at the moment. We filled (read: Jeff) about 10 yard waste bags full of mulch and debris that had been back there. I don't think there had been a garden in years.

I didn't plant as many herbs as I'd like, we'll see how the Dill and Thai Basil do first. I'm hoping to host a little shindig there this summer! (The patio is basically awesome, but cluttered now)


This used to be a crappy pile of mulch and dead pokeweed!

Kudos to my partner in foliage for thinking of the path formation.


Concord grapes grow on our patio walls!

Seriously, the patio will start to smell like a vineyard before too long. Some of the local gents here actually make very good wine, I'm hoping to get my hands on a Cabernet before long.


Oh god now you kind of know where I live...

I really like my street. There are a lot of nice people that live here, and the Alta House is amazing. If I could raise 200 bucks to get a bocce team together, I totally would for this summer. Yep, my little corner is about to get very busy, and not in a hooker-y way.

Come up and see us sometime. That reminds me, anyone up for a bike ride some weekend in the near future? We can ride the EUCLID CORRIDOR!!! (and wave to Calvin)

Eating Little Italy

I'll be the first to admit that I am a VERY BAD resident of Little Italy. I've hardly eaten anywhere here. I've been to La Dolce Vita a half dozen times (way more than that for drinking) and I went to Trattoria Roman Gardens once about two years ago. I've had drinks at Maxi's, La Dolce, Valerio's and Guarino's as well.

Well, at some point I hope to change that (gradually). Tonight, I ordered takeout from Guarino's (because it's right across the street and I am admittedly feeling VERY lazy tonight). I got the cheese ravioli and some cheese toast. This was a nice little treat. I wouldn't do it on a regular basis because it is a little expensive ($15 for the ravioli, $3 for the toast) for a solo evening meal and it beats the hell out of Qdoba or Chopstick (a horrendous little Chinese place on Euclid and Mayfield).

I'll have another post about Chopstick someday, just don't go there. Please trust me, the staff is rude and the food might be good if I was 12 years younger and a pothead. In my opinion however, there is no libation that could make this stuff taste even remotely Chinese.

Growing up with San Georgio pasta and a jar of Prego makes me really like the restaurants that very obviously make their own pasta and sauce. The sauce with the ravioli wasn't acidic at all, I felt like I could eat the sauce on little bits of garlic toast for a good while (I kind of did that with the garlic toast).

The inside of Guarino's is really charming, it's essentially a house. The bar has a piano across from it, covered in family photos. The dining rooms look like something out of a really touching Norman Rockwell picture. I would definitely suggest it for a dinner with the folks, or for one of those really sappy romantic dinners. You know the one I mean, where you gaze lovingly into each other's eyes and say;

Girl: I love you.
Guy: I love you more!
Girl: No, I love you more.
Guy: Aw! You're cute.
Girl: No, you're cute.
Guy: No...You!

Not that I uh, know anything about that sort of ordeal. Nope, nothing at all. *whistles*

It was a nice dinner. If I hadn't been in gym clothes I might have actually sat down and had a drink or two.

On another subject...

I don't know how many of you (or if any of you for that matter) ride the HealthLine (aka the #6 bus), but it has gotten crazy lately, what with the fare evaders and all. You have the option to purchase a single pass at any of the stops along the Euclid corridor. You also have the option to buy the pass on the bus, but rumor has it that this is going to disappear soon. If you have a weekly pass, you only need to activate it once. It prints your start date and the expiration date for you.

Keep your pass on you, however. Every single morning and evening the Transit Police appear on the buses at random and ask you to present your farecard. If you can't, you are escorted off the bus and given a ticket for $76.00. You have two weeks to pay it, or you'll get a warrant. When you are ticketed, they check for previous warrants and you can be arrested if you have them.

Every single day, I see at least one person sitting at a stop next to two or three Transit Policemen. Lately, I've seen people in cuffs (this means they tried to run). I talked to one of the officers who told me that people have started to physically fight the officers and will subsequently be arrested. This morning, I saw a lady surrounded by officers (she was cuffed) bawling her eyes out, pleading for them to tear up the ticket.

You'll most often hear people cry "bullshit" about the penalties, but I find it very hard to feel sympathy. The people getting ticketed/arrested are not homeless people trying to get down the way, they're people like you and I - except that they're not paying their fares.

It's two freaking dollars for a one way ticket, people. Pay your fare.

I suppose the sense of entitlement isn't a new fad but it really annoys me. Maybe I'll panhandle one afternoon, raise two dollars and get a one way pass. Then, I'll panhandle at Public Square and get another one way pass and go home - just to prove a point. I guess the point would appear that anyone can (and should) panhandle so they can afford the bus...That's not the point I want to make, so nevermind.

I've even felt so annoyed by this little dance that I witness every day that I'm motivated enough at this point to write a (dun dun dun...) LETTER TO THE EDITOR (god i'm old now). Who knows.

On a musical note (haw), give a listen to this Jeff Buckley song, Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin. (I like it more than I like Hallelujah)

Do you like free stuff? Go here and check out Trumpets in the Snow. (Made of some former members of To Be a High Powered Executive) You can even download their album for free.

When one door closes...

Battuto is coming back to Little Italy this March. I never got to go, but have heard good things from another blogger. I hope it's as good as she remembers! The word is that Valerio's is closing and that the owners are taking over Battuto. Now, as far as I know this is just a rumor around the neighborhood - but things are definitely stirring at the former Battuto location on Mayfield here. Keep your fingers crossed, CF!

There's also a new market opening up called Spuzzillo's Market. Lots of things happening in March! Ooh, and La Barberia in Little Italy has a sale on the 25 oz. Bed Head shampoos and conditioners - $9.98 each!

I got a care package from Columbus this weekend that I affectionately call the "Big Box 'O Nostalgia". It contained the following:

- Two candles from Paul Robinett, one that smells like a campfire and one that smells like pipe tobacco. If you get the chance, check these candles out. There's not a single one that doesn't smell really good!

- "Malties" which are the modern version of Horlick's Malt Tablets. Little discs of malted goodness.

- A bottle of Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific shampoo. I hadn't used this stuff in nearly 25 years. Good times.

(As a side note, I have eaten nearly all of the Malties. I am sad now!)

Lush Cosmetics is at it again with a new massage bar called Strawberry Feels Forever. I was glad to learn that there's a Lush shop right in Cleveland, at Beachwood Mall. You owe it to yourself to check this place out. I know that I normally write about food and whatnot, but most of their products are so natural that you could probably eat some of them.

Here's some food news. Jeff had stumbled upon a website called SuperCook which allows you to enter what is currently in your fridge. In most cases it will come up with several recipes you can use to make a yummy dinner. This has saved my butt more than once!

Here's one recipe I found that I absolutely love. I tweaked it a bit, but I think it's for the better.

Baked Spicy Orange Chicken

- 1 lb of boneless chicken tenderloins, or chicken breasts cut into strips
- 1 cup of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon of fresh garlic, minced
- 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground ginger (Whole Foods has this in a jar and it's AMAZING - and inexpensive!)
- 2 tablespoons of Roland's Pineapple Chili sauce (at Marc's) or 2 teaspoons of Siracha (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of orange peel

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl. Put chicken in with marinade/sauce and allow to sit for at least an hour, overnight is fine. Remove chicken from the bowl and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes (less or more, depending on the medium of chicken you use) or until brown. Remove and plate over rice.

I took the rest of the marinade and added a teaspoon of cornstarch. When it was well blended, I tossed it into a pan to simmer and thicken. Make sure it simmers. Pour the sauce over the chicken and rice. Baby corn and water chestnuts make a nice addition as well.

Enjoy!

Snowpocalypse is upon us!

Since I moved to Cleveland, we've had a few snow storms. I would comment to a neighbor about the severity of the storm and would often be met with a laugh and a comment like "HA! This is nothing! Welcome to Cleveland!"

This is bad, isn't it? Does it get much worse?

There was something awfully terrifying about being on the Healthline this morning. The sound of the wheels spinning as we tried to depart from a bus stop was something even my earbuds and an Okkervil River song couldn't drown out. I spoke to several friends in Columbus who have told me that they've had some ice, and that a lot of businesses are closed today. As adults, we don't get many snow days, do we? And if we do, they're usually in the form of a self-inflicted "mental health" day.

A friend of mine taught me how to text people. Before moving to Cleveland, I didn't have a lot of use for text, and didn't even know what the hell T9 Word was. This is a fascinating innovation, but it can also "drunk text" for you when you're perfectly sober. When I got on the bus this afternoon to go home, I texted a friend and said:

"Wow, the cup is scary. I hate to get home."

He responded, "It's okay. Don't let the cups get you down!" probably thinking I was being Dadaist or that I had gone insane from an overdose of snow. What I had meant to say was that the bus was scary, and that I have to get home. Do not worry, dear readers - I assure you that my drinking glasses do not intend me any harm.

We're going to see Slumdog Millionaire and eat at Cafe Tandoor this Friday. I like to torment Jeff sometimes by looking at him in shock and saying; "Wow! You're taking ME on a date??!" to which I get an equally silly look (picture the Mentos thumbs up expression) and a laugh. I'll get pictures and post a review when we return.

Hey... What are you doing on Saturday? Nothing? Well, I suggest that you go to see this young lady at the Beachland Tavern:

This is my wonderfully talented cousin, Chelsea Williams.

She's on her first tour, and has a couple of shows before she comes to Cleveland this weekend. I'm really hoping for a good turnout, for her sake. People need to hear how awesome she really is (and I'm not just saying this because I babysat her when she was little!)!

All bets are off for Sunday, I guess. I'm sorry, but I'm just not much of one to go all silly for football. Jeff will be glued to the TV and I may be persuaded to come out to watch the commercials, but that's about it.

I may ask if he'd prefer to hang out here so I can make some football-y snacks. Little Italy needs a butcher shop so I don't need to hoof it to Alesci's in this muck. I'd like to make a nice sub sandwich - it's really been a while since I ate one of those.

Cara and the Amazing Technicolor Peacoat

The title refers to my multi-colored attire while hiking. Olive green, fluorescent orange, purple, gray and denim blue. I announced to Jeff that I looked like a homeless woman. He denied it.















This is a pretty dark picture, but it fits the mood. It was one of the first significantly snowy days in Cleveland and the darkly-lit La Dolce Vita was perfect.

It was icy tonight, so much that on several occasions I feared for my life while walking home. I feared for my safety due to other drivers, not myself with treadless shoes.

Jeff and I are going to L'Albatros tomorrow night. I'm curious about this restaurant, mostly because I've managed to survive 30 years without ever having any French food. I will post a review with pictures tomorrow night.

Jeff and I went hiking with some of his family members the day after Thanksgiving. It was a nice little hike, though I have to admit I was a little hesitant to hike considering what an ass I made of myself on Cascade Mountain in August.

We had a blast and the weather was great. This horse seemed to pose for me when I took this picture. It'd be a good hike when the leaves were changing.

Being in places like this make me wish I lived farther away from the city. I really do like Little Italy, however. There's something about it that I'm sorry to say I'll be tired of at some point, but that's not for many years. I hope I don't live here long enough to take it for granted. It's bound to happen at some point, but I enjoy the fact that I still see this little stretch of road through the eyes of an enlightened tourist.

I beg my mother to come here and visit. I tell her she'll love it.
She tells me that Cleveland is intimidating and that I shouldn't have moved. Do I have buyer's (renter's) remorse? No. Not in the slightest. Even though riding the RTA is an adventure in itself, and sometimes I feel almost painfully alone - I really do like it here quite a bit.

I'm doing a two-day 150 mile bicycle tour in August with the company I work for. I am really looking forward to it.

I remember the first week I lived here. I strolled down this street and sat on the swings at Brush Park and felt like a little kid. I was thankful to have friendly neighbors and people to watch over me. I live in a house (though it's not all mine) that is free of insects and filth.

I think I've finally started to find my niche.

Some Things Just Aren't Worth Glowing For

Friends, I know you might think that playing miniature golf in a dark room that looks like a hippie vomited fluorescent paint to his own delight could be a wonderful thing...But allow me to tell you that it (in fact) is NOT.

Jeff and I went to Strongsville and played Monster Minigolf which is basically as described above, but add music coming back to haunt us from the late 80s and early 90s, along with costumed children who have over imbibed on sugary drinks and sweets - and you have Monster Minigolf.

In retrospect, this was not worth the $7.00 Jeff forked out (per person). I believe we went under false pretenses. One reviewer states:

"This place is amazing! Better than Chuck E. Cheese"

This was a promising review, because what's worse than Chuck E. Cheese? Sure, John McCain and Sarah Palin stink out loud...But there's seldom something quite so bad as eating pizza made by a rat. Let's be honest for just a moment.

Had we read the additional reviews, we would have had an epiphany like one that a drunk man has when the lights come on at last call.

"We've been to both places and we don't go to the one in the mall no more. Its bigger they have an arcade and you should see the big dude in the back stand up and talk."

Jeff commented that we've been to two miniature golf courses in Cleveland and they've both only been "ironically fun". If you can direct me to a happening mini-golf course, I'll buy you a drink at La Dolce.

We decided to make our way to Melt but the wait was a little long. We decided to go to Angelo's in Lakewood instead. In my opinion, this place has the best pizza - their pizza is better than Mama Santa's (I know, blasphemy). Keep in mind, that pizza is one of the 7 deadly sins to me. It's almost worse than McDonald's to me. Pizza is "slumming it" as far as sustinence goes, for me.

There's something about their slightly quirky pizzas that is so damn good. Ask me to place a finger on it and I cannot - it's just very good pizza. Tonight it was the meat lover's pizza, or as I call it, the "petting zoo" pizza. I liked it but have deep regret for eating it now. It was heavy, it was seasoned and was very...piggy. Give me something like the Acapulco Chicken BBQ (pineapple, chicken, bbq sauce, etc) that's a little lighter and I'm a happy sinner. It's a shame (for Jeff and I, not for Melt) that Melt was so busy. I think it even put Jeff in a hammy coma, because I called him from La Dolce not a half hour after we got home and he sounded as if he had been sleeping.

We had a lot of fun (sans Jeff, sadly) at La Dolce tonight.

CJ and I went and acted like normal customers on Thursday night. We had a cheese platter, a bottle of Meridian Pinot Noir and the Ravioli Fellini (cheese ravioli in a gorgonzola/parmesan/pancetta sauce). We were given fruit bathed in triple sec and a slice of tiramisu at the end. I have talked a lot about this place since I started this blog, but it's only because it is pure heaven and worth every single penny you spend there. La Dolce Vita (and a large part of Little Italy) doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves.

If you want to be immersed in a cozy nostalgia with incredibly friendly people, Frank Sinatra blaring from some storefronts (I can't help but feel a little more carefree and happy when I experience this) as well as the best cassata cake (which is from Presti's - don't let Mario Batali tell you otherwise) - live in Little Italy.

I hope to catch a hayride and a bonfire before autumn is over.