Tremont Farmers’ Market

Last night, a handful of Cleveland bloggers headed to Tremont for July’s Ohio Blogging Meetup.

Before converging on the Lincoln Park Pub for Taco Tuesday and a chat about blogging, we browsed the Tremont Farmers’ Market.

I grabbed a peach and cherry pie from Gray House Pies and chicken paprikash pierogi from Pride of Cleveland Pierogies; however, my favorite treat of the night was a cucumber and mint popsicle from Popsmith.

Gray House Pies Stand at Tremont Farmers’ Market

New to Cleveland this summer, Tim and Beth Knorr are bringing fresh, flavorful popsicles to a farmers’ market near you. They make them in small batches from seasonal fruit straight from Ohio’s farms, organic cane sugar, and fresh local herbs.

Although the heat kept me from really savoring the popsicle, it didn’t stop me from discovering how fresh and delicious it is. I loved that you could taste the pulp from the cucumber.

Cucumber and Mint popsicle from Popsmith

After catching up with some new and old faces at the meetup, I decided I’d get caught up on their blogs with the:

Clue Into Cleveland Blogs, OHBlogging Edition

#1 In honor of our trip to Tremont, let’s start things off with WhyCLE’s Taste of Tremont recap. If you missed out on this year’s event, check it out and make plans for next July.

#2 I can’t believe Twilight at the Zoo is almost a week away! It’s my first time going, so Poise in Parma’s Know Before You Go Tips were really helpful.

#3 What songs are you listening to this summer? If you’re looking for a few good tunes, @KittenKaboom shares her Summer 2013 Mix List.

#4 We all could use a little more poetry in our lives and that’s what you’ll get on @ClevelandPoet’s Tumblr Love is a Donkey. After you read his most recent poem Hey There Lois Lane, head over to his other blog From the Cheap Seats for his Ohio Blogging recap.

#5 YP Pantry – the Cleveland Foodbank’s Young Professionals group – turns 1 this month. One of my fellow YP Pantry-ers JAM in CLE put together her top 5 reasons to join YP Pantry and what she’s learned from volunteering with the Foodbank.

#6 Something for your Cleveland canine: I love the new Dogs in the CLE blog. There you’ll find info on dog groomers, walkers and other Cleveland canine resources as well as a blog with posts like this Dog-Friendly Spotlight on Nano Brew.

#7 Along those lines, a shout out to Adopt-a-Pet for putting together these maps of Cleveland animal rescues and shelters on their blog. My cat Chloe (who has made the occasional appearance on Clue Into Cleveland) was a rescue. And as much as she drives me crazy sometimes, I can’t imagine our life without her.

Find Cleveland Dogs & Puppies:

Find Cleveland Cats & Kittens:

Although they couldn’t make it out to yesterday’s meetup, I had to share these recent posts from Rust Belt Runner, ROJ Running and Lane Baldwin Photography that caught my eye:

#8 A visit to the Cleveland Public Library or Avon Lake Library will put an instant smile on my face. I’m glad Rust Belt Runner agrees in her post Love for My Local Library.

#9 I had never heard of Dessert Hummus until I read ROJ Running‘s Friday Food. Simple to make and the Snickerdoodle Hummus sounds tasty.

#10 Scott and I are in the middle of re-doing our bedroom so Lane Baldwin Photography‘s guest bedroom renovation offered much needed inspiration. I’ve been considering blue paint like the one in her photos – I’m glad to see it works really well!

Whether it’s a trip to the farmers’ market, watching a baseball game or volunteering, I love the monthly Ohio Blogging Meetups because I come away with more Cleveland blogs to read.

What are your favorite blogs that I should check out?

Scott’s grandmom takes a break from househunting and exploring the neighborhood

When I first started my blog, it was because I wanted to show my friends and family back home why I loved living in Cleveland so much.

I found myself going back to Philly and talking nonstop about Happy Dog or West Side Market and eventually decided it’d be better to show it through pictures and posts.

While we’ve had plenty of loved ones visit over my 3 years of blogging, I didn’t know we’d actually convince someone to move out here. Now I’m happy to say Scott’s parents and grandmom have decided to retire to Cleveland from the Philly area.

We spent this past Sunday looking at houses in our neighborhood and Scott’s mom and grandmom have been passing the time this week getting to know more of Avon Lake.

On my in-laws’ tour of Avon Lake, the aquatic rec center at Bleser Park

Which got me to thinking: I tend to blog a lot about upcoming events or where to take a guest when they visit. But what about if you knew someone who was moving to Cleveland – where would you tell them to go for their everyday things?

I’ve started to make a list of a few things I remember struggling with when I first moved here, but I want to hear your suggestions.

Check out my list below and then leave a comment. If your suggestion is tailored specifically for a eastside, westside, downtown or suburban resident, mention that in your comment. And a special thanks to Kimberly, Alicia and Kate for their suggestions.

With Mama Gallucci at one of the tastiest specialty grocery shops in Cleveland

A Girl’s Gotta Eat

While Cleveland has some fantastic restaurants, you’re going to have to make a meal at home at some point. So where do you go for groceries?

My top picks are the West Side Market (of course!) and the Cleveland area’s large selection of local CSAs and farmers markets.

When I first moved here, I was spoiled by having the Shaker Square Farmers Market only two blocks away. However, no matter where you live, North Union Farmers Markets has other locations throughout the region. Tremont and Kamm’s Corners also feature two great local markets.

On the hunt for a particular item? There are specialty shops like Gallucci’s and Hansa Import Haus. And if you’re looking to pick up something quick after work, Nature’s Bin, Heinen’s and Whole Foods are my go-to.

An oldie, but a goodie – my favorite CLE Clothing Co. tee

The Clothes on My Back

Although we moved here over 6 years ago, I still remember that first shopping trip in Cleveland. We had so much fun picking out shirts that showed off our love for our new home.

Whether it’s a tee or a fabulous, locally designed coat perfect for our winters, here are just a few great places to pick up some Cleveland gear:

• CLE Clothing Co.
• GV Art+Design
• Banyan Tree
• Big Fun
• Yellowcake
• Room Service
• Salty not Sweet
• Fresh Brewed Tees (check out WhyCLE’s giveaway)

And while they don’t exclusively feature Cleveland stuff, don’t miss out on the awesome treasure-hunting in Cleveland’s many vintage shops.

Minigolf with Hermes Cleveland, which also hosts road races and intramural leagues in Cleveland

Fun and Fit

When you move somewhere new, you’re so busy that it can be easy to fall out of your workout routine. Whether you prefer running, yoga or hitting the gym, here are suggestions on staying active in the CLE:

Yoga Rocks the Park: Prana Bodhi, Vinyasa, Power Yoga – it’s hard to keep track of the different yoga options. However, Yelp has a list of local yoga studios to help you out. Now that it’s summer, take your practice outside with Yoga Rocks the Park. Enjoy music and yoga in Tremont’s Lincoln Park for only $12 per session when you pre-register.

Run Clubs: If you’d like some company when you strap on your shoes, check out a local running store like Vertical Runner in Brecksville and Second Sole Rocky River to see if they offer a running club. And if you run in a club, feel free to leave its name in the comments.

Hermes Road Racing and Sports & Social: I’ve run a few of Hermes Cleveland’s road races, competed in their Corporate Challenge, and played kickball in one of their intramural leagues. I found that it’s a good way to not just get active, but get out of your comfort zone and meet new people.

Cleveland Metroparks: However, my all-time favorite way to have fun while staying fit is visiting the Metroparks. Whether it’s running, hiking, biking or golfing, the Cleveland Metroparks will keep you busy! Besides all that, you can also try your hand at something more leisurely like archery, boating or geocaching.

Whether you spend the day strolling through the museum or sitting on a bench honing your drawing skills, the free Cleveland Museum of Art is a great place to take a break.

Take a Break for Less

Once you’ve unpacked, it’s time to “Treat. Yo. Self” for all that hard work. However, I get it – Moving is expensive and you don’t want to spend too much money. 

I’m a lover of all things thrifty and here’s a quick brainstorm of my favorites:

• Cleveland Museum of Art: Free general admission!
• Cleveland Cinemas: $6 Mondays, Happy Hour Wednesdays and more!
• Happy Dog: Live music, comedy, talks on science and writing, Classical Revolution, polka, plus hot dogs loaded with incredible toppings for $5
• Cinema at the Square: Classic movies in PlayhouseSquare’s beautiful Palace Theatre for only $5 each or six for $15.
• Aut-O-Rama Drive-In: 2 movies for $9 ($3 for kids 4-11) – new movies every week and Tuesday is now Retro Movie Night.
• Cleveland Public Theatre: Enjoy quality theatre for less at the Cleveland Public Theatre (Free Beer Fridays are the best!), as well as Beck Center, Near West, Theater Ninjas, and Dobama. There are also $10 Smart Seats for PlayhouseSquare.
• Downtown Cleveland’s Pop Up Parties: Food, a beer garden and free music at Perk Plaza – 5-8pm on the third Thursday of every summer month.

$6 Mondays at the Capitol Theatre are one of the city’s best deals

There are a lot of great things out there for those new to Cleveland. And there is no way I could cover everything here. Because of that, my final suggestion is to pick up New to Cleveland, A Guide to (re)Discovering the City. I learned a lot even after living here a few years – plus, the illustrations are beautiful!

When you move to a new place, what are the first things you look for and where would you suggest new-to-CLEvelanders go? Leave a note below in the comments!

Valentine’s Day is only a couple days away. If you go out to celebrate, WhyCLE has Cleveland Valentine’s events for every sense and Bite Buff has some delicious dining options for you.

Me? Scott and I keep it quiet on Valentine’s Day because we celebrate our anniversary the following week.

This year, we’ll be checking out the new Die Hard movie and then picking up a dinner for home. After last week’s Ohio Blogging Meetup at Whole Foods Cedar Center, we have some inspiration.

Whole Foods Market Wine Buyer Audree Sinnett and Sweet Designs’ Ines Rehner

This was Ohio Blogging’s 3rd annual trip to Whole Foods. And as last year demonstrated with a pizza making contest, they always have something delicious up their sleeve.

This time around the theme was “Chocolate Three-Way” featuring a selection of chocolate-infused tastings.

Chef Sarah Schoenberger’s Chicken Enchiladas and Mole Sauce at Ohio Blogging Whole Foods Meetup

First up, a chicken enchilada with traditional mole sauce. Whole Foods Chef Sarah Schoenberger hit this right on the nose. While the enchiladas were excellent, the slight burn of the mole with a hint of chocolate was what won me over.

And the corn and black bean salad they paired with the dish was so great I snagged a to-go box for lunch the next day.

Then it was time for something sweet. Whole Foods brought in Ines Rehner from Lakewood’s Sweet Designs.

At Lakewood’s Sweet Designs, Ines Rehner creates delicious tasting and looking treats like chocolate shoes and handbags

After moving from Croatia to pursue her dream of opening a chocolate store, Ines taught herself how to make chocolate blends in her kitchen at night.

Since opening Sweet Designs’ doors in 1995, she has expanded to her current location on Detroit Ave. There she makes more than 100 different artisanal chocolates. truffles, hand-dipped fruits, nut clusters, and caramels.

A selection of Signature Chocolate Bars from Lakewood’s Sweet Designs

At the meetup, we tried a variety of selections including chocolate covered strawberries, truffle-stuffed chocolate figs, and a few of her signature chocolate bars. My favorite was the pumpkin-seed-covered chocolate bar.

Ines even shared a bit of professional advice on how to eat chocolate-covered strawberries: After dipping the strawberry, cut off the stems, than halve the strawberries long-ways. Useful knowledge in time for Valentine’s Day!

Whole Foods’ Market Wine Buyer Audree Sinnett played matchmaker with wine and beer pairings. We enjoyed a selection of Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee, Sam Smith Chocolate Stout, Sexual Chocolate and a bonus chocolate liqueur.

Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee, Sexual Chocolate Wine, and Sam Smith Chocolate Stout

Honestly, I couldn’t pick a favorite from Audree’s choices. The Iron Horse was a delicious sparkling Blanc de Noirs. The Chocolate Stout when mixed with Framboise resulted in a rich fruity combination I need to keep on hand at home. And the chocolate liquer proved a very unique treat – chocolate melted in vodka, aged in oak barrels. Thick, creamy and luxurious.

While I couldn’t try the Sexual Chocolate because of my red wine allergy, Scott did grab a bottle for its awesome label:

SLO Down Wines’ handcrafted label for their Sexual Chocolate wine tells the blend’s backstory.

This excellent evening was put together by Whole Foods Community Manager Lisa who plans  events and outreach efforts like these:

Every Thursday from 4-6pm, the Cedar Center Whole Foods hosts a Whole Deal with Morag! cooking demo. Tomorrow is a wine pairings dinner featuring Argentinian wines. And on Feb. 27, stop by for an Italian Cheese class at 7pm.

More events can be found on the Whole Foods Cedar Center calendar.

Elizabeth and Steve from Lake County Visitors Bureau with Kimberly, Chris and Hans

While the food was a nice bonus, the real reason I enjoy going to the Blogger Meetup each month is to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. At this month’s Meetup:

• Always JAM in CLE – Jessica’s Recap
• @BeautyNewzFlash (+ husband)
• @CharitUrbanista
• Clue Into Cleveland (That’s me! + Scott)
• Cooker Girl
• Eat*Drink*Cleveland
• It’s a Hero (+ husband Chad and baby Ari)
• Lake County Visitors Bureau (+ boyfriend Steve)
• Lane Baldwin Photography
• Life Lyn Style (safe travels in Seattle, Lyn!)
• Our Journey
• Poise in Parma (+ Hans and Aunt Kathy) – Alicia’s Recap
• Rust Belt Runner – Holly’s Recap
• Smitten in Cleveland (+ Mr. Smitten, aka Chris)
• Wearing Mascara
• WhyCLE – Jen’s Recap

If you’re a blogger, want to start a blog, or a blog supporter, check out one of the Ohio Blogging Association’s upcoming events.

In March, we’re volunteering at MedWish. If you read my recent post about MedWish International, you know I’m really hoping to make it on March 19.

As we know from last week’s news, a fire tore through Cleveland’s West Side Market in the early morning hours of last Wednesday.   

And while the city will pay for the clean up out of capital funds previously identified for WSM upgrades, there is still a lot of work that will need to be done and business lost for the vendors.

However, just like in the past, Cleveland has proven itself a resilient city – ready to rally when needed.

For instance, over the weekend, Happy Dog in the Gordon Square neighborhood donated $1 from every hot dog sold to the Market’s recovery. They raised over $1,200 for the Market vendors and employees.

If the snow or Superbowl kept you from grabbing one of their delicious hot dogs (or vegan dogs), here are a few more ways you can support the West Side Market.

Image from marketgardenbrewery.com

#1 Market Recovery Lager at Market Garden Brewery

Right before the fire struck, Market Garden Brewery had just finished brewing up a new lager. It still needed a name so they decided to use the brew’s launch over the weekend to raise money for WSM’s vendors and repairs.

For every Market Recovery Lager ordered, the brewery will donate $1 to the West Side Market. If you didn’t have a chance to stop by Friday or this weekend to help raise money (and try out the new beer), you have until tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 5).

A few of West Side Market’s vendors with brick-n-mortar shops open during the cleanup

#2 Visit Market vendors at their retail locations

Although the Market House remains closed (some produce vendors opened over the weekend), a few of the vendors also have retail locations. According to WSM’s Facebook page, the following vendors have brick-and-mortar shops outside the Market you can frequent in the meantime:

• Cake Royale (Call 216-351-3553 to place your order for pickup at their shop)
• Campbell’s Sweets Factory (2084 W. 25th Street, Cleveland)
• City Roast (Visit Civilization at 2366 West 11th, Tremont)
• Frickaccio’s Pizza Market (22560 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park)
• Maha’s Cafe (3323 West 25th Street, Cleveland)
• Olive and Grape (8141 Tyler Blvd., A-6, Mentor and 17134 Lorain Ave., West Park/Kamm’s Corners)
• Orale! Kitchen Restaurant (1834 West 25th Street, Cleveland)
• Pinzone’s Market Fresh Meats (6046 Broadview Rd, Parma)
• Noodlecat (234 euclid avenue off Public Square, Cleveland)

Many of the Market’s other vendors – like Judy’s Oasis – take online orders or have stands at area farmers’ markets. If I’ve missed anyone above, leave a comment below.

#3 West Side Market Cash Mob

Tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 2, Cash Mobs Cleveland wants you and your friends to converge on the Market after it opens to help vendors get back on their feet. The rules are simple: show up on the scheduled date with $20 to spend, talk to 3 people you didn’t know before, and have fun.

Because it’s unclear when the Market is going to reopen, the date is likely to change. With 2000+ already rsvped on the Facebook event page, Cash Mobs is currently working with Ohio City Incorporated to find a day that would work best. Keep an eye on that event page to stay up-to-date.

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I’m sure that over the coming days, weeks and months, there will be more efforts to help the Market, with at least Michael Symon already planning something.

Of course, though, you can find your own way to help West Side Market once they reopen. I’m a huge fan of long-term support plans with Scott and I pledging to increase the frequency of our visits each month and trying out a few vendors we’ve always meant to get to.

How do you plan on helping the West Side Market during this time? Leave a comment!

Although Hurricane Sandy put a delay on a lot of the Halloween festivities, I think it’s safe to safe the holiday season is finally upon us. And with the arrival of HallowThanksMas, my brain turns to food.

That’s kind of a lie. My brain is usually turned to food, but more so over the next two months. As I prepare for Scott’s family coming into town for Thanksgiving and the usual myriad of holiday dinners, I’m looking everywhere I can for food and drink ideas.

Fortunately, the Fabulous Food Show is coming back to Cleveland for its 7th year with 3 days of chef demonstrations, tips and treats (Nov. 9-11)

I’ve enjoyed this show since first moving to Cleveland and last year loved exploring its local food highlights.

This year’s Fabulous Food Show couldn’t have come at a better time as Hometown Hero Michael Symon kicks things off with a demonstration in the Main Kitchen Theatre on Friday at 11 am.

In addition to Chef Symon’s appearances throughout the weekend, the show also sees returns from Celebrity Chefs Guy Fieri and Anne Burrell.

Michael Symon at last year’s Fabulous Food Show prepares a Braised Pork Shank with Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad

New to the show this year are Sandwich King Jeff Mauro, French cuisine master Jacques Pepin, and longtime veterans of food television Sara Moulton and Mary Ann Esposito. I’m excited to see the show incorporate chefs like Pepin, Moulton and Esposito from long-running PBS cooking shows (especially Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito – I’m nuts for Italian food).

However, no matter what sort of food you enjoy there should be no shortage of things to do since a total of 8 stages throughout the I-X Center will feature 100+ live demonstrations throughout the festival. Other things I’m looking forward to:

• Maria Isabella, author of In the Kitchen with Cleveland’s Favorite Chefs, challenges local chefs like Dante Boccuzzi, Nolan Konkowsk, Zack Bruell and Ben Bebenroth with their favorite recipes for last-minute entertaining
• Tri-C’s Hospitality & Culinary Arts department presents the NEO Culinary Challenge
• The Great Sugardale BAC-ON pits national finalists head-to-head with their most creative bacon-themed recipes
• Michael Ruhlman and Laura Taxel – two of my favorite Cleveland authors – present on bacon curing and the West Side Market, respectively
• Taste of the Holidays and the Vitamix Spirit Lounge’s Holiday Batch Drink Contest feature the region’s food and drink experts sharing favorite seasonal flavors

Save time to browse more than 500 vendors at the Food Show Market Place and By Hand Fine Art & Craft Fair, sampling products, services, and unique artistic items for the holidays. And afterwards sample a selection of wine and beer in the Grand Tasting Pavilion.

At last year’s Fabulous Food Show, Robert Irvine, Joe Crea, Michael Symon, Michael Ruhlman and Steve Schimoler discuss Cleveland food inspiration

Tickets for the Fabulous Food Show start at $25 for one-day general admission if purchased online ($30.00 onsite during the show). Reserved floor seating and weekend passes are also available.

Information about all of the ticket options are available at www.fabulousfoodshow.com/tickets.aspx. And you can enter to win a pair of general admission tickets in my Fabulous Food Show giveaway.

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There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway!
Leave a separate comment on this post for each entry

1) For one entry in the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite dish is for the holidays (and if you have a link to the recipe, feel free to share).

2) If you’re a fan of Clue Into Cleveland and the Fabulous Food Show on Facebook, leave a comment on this blog post letting me know (good for one entry). If you’re not yet a fan of either, you can become one here and here.

3) Follow @ADHicken and @FabFoodShow on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did both (good for one entry).

4) Twitter users can also get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “I want to win tickets to the Cleveland @FabFoodShow. Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway for your chance to win: http://wp.me/pPIgG-1AY”  (Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.)

5) Subscribe to receive Clue Into Cleveland blog posts in your inbox or blog reader like Google Reader and leave a comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “You’ve Got Mail” section of this page.

You have until Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 11:59PM to enter. On Wednesday, Nov. 7, I will select a winner using Random.org and will announce the winner’s name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

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Disclosures: I was provided 2 tickets to give away to the Fabulous Food Show and 2 for a guest and I to attend. My thoughts and the choice of events I share are my own.

Regarding the Facebook components of this giveaway: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of the Facebook pages listed and not to Facebook.

Update: I wanted to apologize for a blog fail on my part as I accidentally only posted part of Sarah’s recipe in my original post. The full post with complete recipe is now updated below.

As much as I enjoyed my vacation and spending time visiting Virginia with my family, it’s good to be home in Cleveland. Because we got in late last night, Sarah from Cooker Girl is guest-posting for me today as I catch up on things.

Check out her site for mouth-watering recipes like the one below. And if you want to enjoy your own Cooker Girl creation (like the delicious She-Hulk birthday cake she baked for me), email her at sarah (at) sarahberridge.com.

BLTs are one of my favorite sandwiches, and have been since I was little.  I love BLTs any time of year, but with tomatoes currently peaking, conditions are perfect for the ultimate locally sourced BLT.

A few years ago Michael Ruhlman had a challenge to create a BLT from scratch (grow your lettuce and tomato, make the bacon and mayo, bake the bread).  Some people went so far as making mayo from eggs laid by chickens they’ve raised, or grew then ground wheat to make flour for the bread.

Now I’m not saying you have to go that far for a local BLT, but you can still make it as local as possible AND be reasonable.  The Cleveland area has many wonderful markets that feature local food, and they’re all packed with the summer’s bounty.  Check out one of the North Union Farmer’s Markets,  West Side Market, Miles Farmers Market, or even Heinen’s to find local ingredients.  No matter where you live, there is bound to be a market near you!

Since a BLT is so simple to make, I propose that you at least try making your own mayonnaise.  I swear it’s really easy and you don’t need any special equipment or whacky ingredients.  It only takes a little bit longer than toasting the bread for your BLT.  Once you’ve got the basic mayo, the flavor possibilities are endless.  My favorites are spicy mayo (add your fav hot sauce or chili powder) or pesto mayo (just add pesto).

Your Market Shopping List:

1. Bacon
2. Lettuce
3. Tomato (please don’t store them in the fridge!)
4. Bread
5. Eggs
6. Lemon (I don’t know if there are actually any local lemons, but you might as well get some while you’re shopping)

Homemade Mayonaise

Adapted from Michael Ruhlman

Yield: about 1 cup

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp water

1 tsp lemon juice (plus more to taste)

1/4 tsp mustard (yellow or dijon)

1 cup vegetable oil

Toasted Bread

Mayo

Lettuce

Tomato

Bacon

Mayo

Toasted Bread

Please note that I like to put the T in the middle of the B and L.  I create a barrier so the toast doesn’t get too soggy from the juicy tomatoes.

Head over to Cooker Girl to check out my recipe for Bakin’ Bacon.  It’s a quicker, easier and cleaner way to cook bacon for a crowd.

Sarah Berridge blogs recipes at Cooker Girl and she recently starting baking for the public.  Please contact her if you have an bakery needs!

First up is Kimberly, who not just shares my enthusiasm for this city, but is also a wonderful friend (and is usually wearing an outfit I want to steal). Thanks, Kimberly, for taking the time to share a bit about Wine & Design!

With Why CLE and Kimberly at Velvet Tango Room

Hi all! I’m Kimberly from SMITTEN…in cleveland, where I write about everything I’m smitten with, be it food, fashion, beauty or home. While Amanda is taking some time off, I wanted to share one of my most favorite shops in Cleveland with you.

Wine & Design is one of those treasures that unless you happen upon it, you might just miss it. Located on Starkweather in Tremont, it sits right next to St. Theodosis church. Just a few steps away from Lilly’s Chocolates and Lucky’s Cafe. Wine & Design is the perfect urban mix of stylish home furnishings and delightful, affordable wine finds. The concept works well and also serves as home base for owner Greg Morris’ interior design business.

This little boutique draws you right in with their gorgeous renovated storefront and artfully decorated windows. Once inside, you immediately feel welcomed and at home. There is an easy feel about the space and that has a lot to do with Greg’s charm and passion. Wine and accessories line the walls mixed with local art, custom  furniture and whimsical gift ideas. It’s like you’re stepping into a friend’s home. A friend with really great taste.

Stop in on a weekend for a wine tasting. You’ll find quite an impressive collection of wines under the $20 mark and Greg is always quick with a recommendation.

All the wines they carry are handpicked (or should I say tasted) to ensure you go home with the perfect bottle. Also available are a few more expensive wines and champagnes perfect for gifting.

Aside from the delectable wine and modern-yet-spirited housewares is a unique design business. Greg has designed everything from personal homes to public spaces and has even helped out with a few set designs for movies that have been filmed here.

Have a few pieces you love for a room and not sure where to go next? Looking for the perfect sofa or table? He takes on every project, no matter the size, with incredible insight and passion all wrapped up in a laid-back exterior.

Many times I’ll pop in looking for the perfect hostess gift or a bottle of wine for dinner with friends. You will find exactly what you’re looking for and have it wrapped and ready to go.

Keep an eye out for their monthly wine tastings which are larger than the weekend ones and typically feature 4-5 wines and nibbles. One visit and I guarantee you will be smitten too.

treats at a monthly tasting

When Scott and I bought our house a few years ago, our first investment for the outside was a nice patio set.

We knew that if we wanted something to last awhile, we’d have to splurge a bit. And after looking back on summer nights spent grilling and enjoying our backyard, the set we got was definitely worth its pricetag.

Although we haven’t been able to dust off the patio furniture and grill yet, we’ve been counting the weeks til it’ll be time to dine outside.  And with the Spring Fabulous Food Show coming up next weekend, we shouldn’t find ourselves short on inspiration this season.

After the success of the Fall Fabulous Food Show, the I-X Center has now added a Springtime counterpart to celebrate all of the great outdoor grilling that comes with the return of warm weather.

Taking place April 28 and 29, the first annual Spring Fabulous Food Show will feature expert chef presentations, ideas for patios and other outdoor living spaces, and a showroom full of exhibitors.

Headlining the event is the grill master himself – Bobby Flay, who will be joined in the Backyard Patio Theatre with fellow celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, author of the Barbeque Bible Steven Raichlen, and Weber Grills’ cookbook author Jamie Purviance.

If you miss them on the mainstage, Raichlen and Purviance will be demonstrating grilling techniques in the Weber Grilling Pavilion, where you can also catch one of my favorite local chefs – Greenhouse Tavern’s Jonathon Sawyer – team up with Jason Roberts for a demonstration during Saturday’s show.

At the Outdoor Living Stage landscaping experts will be showcasing deck and patio design ideas, while at the Farmers Market Stage you can learn gardening, wellness and sustainability tips from local and regional chefs, horticulturists and other culinary experts.

Wine and beer lovers who attended the Fall Fabulous Food Show may be happy to see the Tasting Gardens are back. For $10, guests get six tasting tickets and a Schott Zwiesel crystal glass to peruse a selection of wine, beer and spirits.

More up my alley is the Ice Cream Shoppe – new to the Spring Fabulous Food Show – where you can sample ice cream from Graeter’s, Menchie’s, Pierre’s and many others. Tasting tickets are just $1 per sample.

And this year’s Market Place offers a healthy mix of home and garden exhibitors and culinary treats, along with a few stands for the family member that possibly loves the outdoors more than us — our dogs.

General Admission to the Spring Fabulous Food Show costs $25 in advance ($30 at the door) and, unlike the Fall Show, this includes a reserved seating ticket to one celebrity chef presentation of your choice. You can order your tickets online here and save a few dollars by using one of these discount codes.

But wait, there’s more – I’m also giving away a pair of Spring Fabulous Food Show tickets to one lucky winner!

There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway

**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) Leave a comment with the name of your favorite dish to grill or cook up in the summer. You’ll earn one entry for doing this.

2) Like “Fabulous Food Show” and “Clue Into Cleveland” on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did both.

3) Follow @FabFoodShow and @ADHicken on Twitter and leave me a comment letting me know you did both.

4) Twitter users can get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “It’s grilling time! Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway for a chance to attend the Spring @FabFoodShow: http://wp.me/pPIgG-1bR”  (Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.)

5) Subscribe to receive Clue Into Cleveland blog posts in your inbox or Google/blog reader and leave a comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “You’ve Got Mail” section of this page.

You have until Tuesday, April 24 at 11:59PM to enter. On Wednesday, April 25, I will select a winner using Random.org and will announce the winner’s name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

***Disclosure: I was provided 2 tickets to give away to a reader. As always, my thoughts and the choice of events I share are 100% my own. Images courtesy of the Fabulous Food Show.***

***

Thanks to the Ohio Blogging and #TeamSawyer meetups, I learned last week that social media + food is a recipe for some kickass evenings out with friends:

This month's Ohio Blogging Meetup at Whole Foods Market (Photo from poiseinparma.com)

Since moving from Shaker Heights to Avon Lake, one of the places I’ve missed is the Whole Foods at Cedar Center.  Since graduating from college, I haven’t lived more than a few miles from a Whole Foods.

While Scott and I don’t get there as often as we used to, I am now frequently trying to find reasons to make the 50 minute drive. Thankfully for the Ohio Blogging Association, I didn’t need to make up a reason to go last week.

To celebrate one year of Cleveland blogger meetups, we returned to Whole Foods Market where the first official meetup was held in January 2011.

And we packed the house! I not only got to see some of my favorite people, but meet a lot of new bloggers as well:

• Alice from Reiki Awakening
• Alicia from Poise in Parma and her husband Hans (Alicia’s recap)
• Andy from the Ohio Beef Council
• Crystal from Eat Drink Cleveland (Crystal’s recap)
• Dave from Health Insurance Issues with Dave and Again? Really?
• Jeff from My Future Past
• Jen from Why CLE? (Jen’s recap)
• Jill from Thrifty Volunteer
• Julie from ROJ Running (Julie’s recap)
• Julie from Wearing Mascara (Julie’s recap)
• Kristian from Adventures of a trapped 300 pound man and Ohio Festivals (Kristian’s recap)
• Kimberly from SMITTEN…in cleveland (Kimberly’s recap)
• Lane from Lane Baldwin Photography
• Nidhi from NIDHIZZLE
• Raizel from OmStone Aromas
• Reanna from Big Shot Dot The I (Reanna’s recap)
• Sarah from Cooker Girl
• Scott from The Chubby Cook
• Stephanie from Hungry in Cleveland
• Stuart from @sos_jr
• Tony from tonyramos.com

Scott joined me that evening (blog supporters are always welcome!) and I don’t think he regretted that decision because it was Pizza and Beer Night.

Alicia (Poise in Parma) kicks things off at the Blogger Meetup

Lisa and the team at Whole Foods Market passed around a Pizza Throwdown form – each of us could pick whichever cheese, sauce (including hummus), and meat or vegetable toppings we wanted. Although the form came with a lot of options to choose from, we were invited to write down items that weren’t listed (with the exception of things like lobster and truffles — now that I write this, I’m jonesing for a lobster pizza).

As everyone turned in their orders, the chefs at Whole Foods would bake our pizzas in the brick ovens and bring them out to the group a short while later to dig in.  Besides how fresh everything tasted, I have to applaud Whole Foods for putting all of the pizzas together so quickly. There were a lot of orders placed that night.

In my opinion, Kristian’s pizza with eggplant, honey, apples and ham was the most delicious. I was not so inspired in my creation, which included spinach, tomatoes, squash and bacon. However, while I don’t get points for creativity, it wase very delicious (you can never go wrong with bacon).

The delicious carnage that occurs when you put a bunch of hungry people in a room of made-to-order gourmet pizzas.

As always, while it was nice to catch up with friends, it was even better to also finally meet bloggers I follow – like Kristian, Kimberly and Tony – in real life and find new blogs to read.

The most pleasant surprise of the evening, though, was being able to go home with a Whole Foods growler and $1 off our first growler fill up.  Scott was particularly excited because he’s been wanting a second growler to go along with our other one from Fat Head’s.

Being somewhat new to the wonderful world of growlers, I took a moment to chat with their Beer and Wine Department about keeping my beer fresh and picked up a few tips.

Again, much blogger love to Lisa and everyone at Whole Foods Cedar Center for hosting a wonderful evening and reminding me how much I miss their store (and thanks to Alicia for organizing)! For next month’s blogger meetup, we’ll go from beer to wine as MissWine OH hosts a wine tasting at Tremont’s Wine and Design on Feb. 21.

Chef Sawyer's mint fritter and chevre salad at the Battle Mint Tweetup

Last week’s social media food party didn’t stop there as a few days later was the Battle Mint Tweetup at Greenhouse Tavern.  Chef Jonathon Sawyer took on Iron Chef Zakarian for the season premiere of Iron Chef America, and instead of watching from home, Scott and I decided to enjoy the episode at the #TeamSawyer tweetup.

Chef Sawyer and Chef’s Widow are some of the most gracious hosts you’ll meet – down to earth, humble, and hilarious. Scott and I got there early enough to snag some seats next to @TweetmeSlow and his wife; we were then joined by @WhyCLE and @TheRealCLEGuy, @EatDrinkClev and her boyfriend, and @TLColson and @FrankZupan.

While I don’t think anyone at our table guessed the secret ingredient of mint, we all enjoyed watching Chef Sawyer demonstrate his prowess with the herb on tv and were surprised with samplings of a few of the dishes he had prepared for the judges.

As much as I loved the Mint Fritters and Chevre Salad (the fresh chevre cheese complementing the lamb sausage and lamb confit was particularly good), my favorite tasting was hands down the Stoner Sandwich. The
shamrock semifreddo, sicilian pistacio and chocolate dirt sandwiched between two fresh waffles gives their Pot de Creme (my other favorite dessert) a run for its money.

If you weren’t at Greenhouse on Sunday and are dying to try the Stoner, you’re in luck.  According to Joe Crea’s wrapup on the evening, it can currently be found on the menu.

Yes, the Stoner Sandwich is as good as it looks.

Scott and I also ordered a few other things from the menu.  Scott, of course, could not pass on another opportunity to enjoy their Beef Tartar and I tried the Pork n’ Pumpkin Pasta.

@Tweetmeslow’s wife had ordered the pasta first and when they brought it out to her it looked too delicious for me not to order. Rich, creamy and salty — a much-needed, hearty combination for the middle of winter.

Paired with a glass of Viognier and some Caramel Popcorn Pot de Cremes, the dinner was amazing – on par with what we’ve come to expect from Greenhouse.

While we loved our food, I think my favorite part of the evening came at the end.  Even though Chef Zakarian brought home the win in Kitchen Stadium that night, the mood in Greenhouse Tavern was celebratory:

Cleveland is lucky to have a lot of chefs who are not just rockstars in the kitchen but also personable, approachable and excited to be here. And Chef Sawyer is one of the best out of this group. Many thanks to him, Chef’s Widow, and everyone at Greenhouse Tavern that night that made the evening so enjoyable. I hope everyone in the kitchen enjoyed Scott’s and my Kitchen Coffee – it was well-deserved.

Nov. 11-13 at the I-X Center

Of course you do!

Between the Piston Power Show and this weekend’s LEGO KidsFest, the I-X Center has been hosting a lot of fun events lately. However, one of their most popular (and my favorite from years past) is right around the corner:

Fabulous Food Show

Now in its 6th year, the Fabulous Food Show (Nov. 11-13) is one of my earliest memories of Cleveland. Right after moving here, we attended our first Fabulous Food Show where Scott and I watched a taffy-making demo and met our favorite Food Network chef (tied with Michael Symon, of course!) — Alton Brown.  

While Alton won’t be there this year, there are plenty of Food Network culinary personalities to look forward to, including Michael Symon, Ace of Cakes and Sugar High’s Duff Goldman, Guy Fieri, Dinner Impossible’s Robert Irvine and Bobby Flay.

Scott, Alton Brown and me

The celebrity chefs will be hosting live cooking demos in the Main Kitchen Theatre, which boasts new theatre-style seating instead of the metal bleachers from years past. The Celebrity Autograph Pavilion will also be open if you have that cookbook you’d like signed by one of the chefs.

Although I’m a little bummed Duff is only going to be there on Friday when I’m at work (Scott and I are huge fans), there are plenty of other things to check out at the Fabulous Food Show including:

• Culinary Celebration Theatre including demos by local talents Chef Kimberly McCune and Michael Ruhlman, as well as others
• More Chef Demo Stages like The Plain Dealer Taste of the Neighborhood Stage and Farmers’ Market Stage
• Sweet Street‘s decadent dessert demos and cake walk (another of my favorite show higlights)
• The Grand Tasting Pavilion featuring wines, beer, Food2 mixologists Alie & Georgia and a Chocolate Bar with chocolate and wine pairings
• More than 225 food vendors to browse for early holiday shopping (or yourself!)

Additionally, included in every Fabulous Food Show ticket is admission to the Cleveland By Hand show which will also be going on in the I-X Center that weekend.

The Cleveland By Hand Fine Art and Craft Festival features more than 225 quality artistans — from fine oil paintings to pottery, leather tanning, metalsmithing  and woodcarving.

General admission tickets to the Fabulous Food Show are $25. Reserved seating for the Main Kitchen Theatre (which I’d recommend after not getting them in the past), VIP Meet and Greet packages, and $10 wine and spirit tasting passports are also available at an additional cost. 

Tickets can be purchased here or you can enter my giveaway to win 2 General Admission tickets!

There are 6 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway
**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) Leave a comment telling me what you’re most looking forward to at this year’s Fabulous Food Show.

2) Leave a comment sharing who’s your favorite celebrity chef (Food Network, local or otherwise).

3)  Twitter users can get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “Want to attend the #CLE @FabFoodShow? Check out @ADHicken’s giveaway to win 2 tickets: http://wp.me/pPIgG-Ti“.  Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.

4) Like “Fabulous Food Show” on Facebook.

5) Like “Clue Into Cleveland” on Facebook.

6) Follow @ADHicken on Twitter.

You have until Tuesday, November 8 at 11:59PM to enter.  On November 9, I will select a winner using Random.org and will announce the winner’s name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – Good Luck!  

Update: Congrats to entry #20 – Courtney M. for being selected on random.org as the giveaway winner!