Yuri’s Night Cleveland at Great Lakes Science Center

Some blog-keeping: Have you entered to win 2 tickets to the Cleveland JazzFest?
You can tweet daily for additional entries.

After all the running around for last week’s Partners Bowl-a-Rama (who has stress dreams over bowling? this guy!), I was more than ready for the weekend.

Ready to sleep past 4 each morning, ready to kick back and have fun. With both Yuri’s Night and Market at the Foodbank this weekend, it was easy.

Yuri’s Night Space Party at Great Lakes Science Center was like I had died and gone to heaven. So much sci-fi cosplay, a bit of learning, even more partying, and a couple awesome photo ops!

For any Doctor Who fans out there: I could not pass up a photo op of me in my Don’t Blink shirt with a Weeping Angel

I knew that if I was going to miss the newest episode of Doctor Who on Saturday night, this was an excellent reason.

Every April, Yuri’s Night celebrations come together to honor Yuri Gagarin’s first manned spaceflight and the inaugural launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle, while also looking ahead to the world’s future space travel efforts.

This year, there were over 354 parties around the world – including the first inter-planetary party with the Curiosity Mars Rover!

Yuri may have toasted with vodka, but we had Cleveland Whiskey

Scott and I started our Yuri-bration with some food and drink. When we got to the Science Center, we headed upstairs to the VIP section to avoid the rush (for good reason, this was one popular ticket).

Some sushi, cuban pork sandwichs, and a La Strade arancini later and I was happily fueled for the evening. In addition to a few Cleveland Whiskey tastings, the Angry Orchard Cider and Barefoot Bubbly were free-flowing too.

One of the many awesome demonstrations going on at the Science Center at Yuri’s Night

With drinks in hand, we started our jaunt around the Science Center.  We explored the inside of a stomach with an endoscopic camera (good thing I already ate!), we enjoyed all the newly renovated NASA Glenn galleries which reopened on April 6, and we experimented with the 100 hands-on exhibits on the Science Phenomena Floor.

I felt like a kid again – getting to play with everything while learning about physics, weather, and chemistry. Of course, this time around I got to enjoy an adult beverage instead of Sunny D.

Winner for favorite photo of the night: Ripley battling the Alien. Sam, What are you doing there and why aren’t you helping?

The best part of the evening is that everyone else who was there was nerding out just as much as I was — whether that was trying to do the robot to the Tetris theme song, learning about space food during the science demos or rocking out some Comic-Con-worthy costumes (a spot-on Next Generation Riker won the night’s contest).

My only regret was that I haven’t attended a Yuri’s Night party sooner! Lesson learned. After Saturday night, I think the Science Center has new life-long fans (and members) out of Scott and me.

More photos from Yuri’s Night and our visit to the Great Lakes Science Center:

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After staying out til 1 on Saturday night, Scott and I were ready for a lower-key party on Sunday. Market at the Foodbank was a perfect balance.

As we walked into the Foodbank, I was blown back by how different the warehouse looked. To the left, a band was playing jazz, blue and green lights cast the sorting lines in a beautiful glow, and crowds were perusing the warehouse aisles tasting the party’s impressive selection of food and wine.

A crowded Cleveland Foodbank transformed for Market at the Foodbank

It was fun weaving through the warehouse – I don’t think I ever realized how huge the space is. And restaurants from all over Northeast Ohio filled the whole space – from AMP 150’s pork belly with apply kimchee to a Porkstrami Crostini from Spice.

Scott went back a record five times to Press Wine Bar’s table for a fantastic deviled egg topped with pickled radish and shrimp. And the Asparagua Sformato from Sowfood was a fluffy, colorful, delicious vegetarian option.

Asparagua Sformato from Sowfood

Our favorites didn’t come from a restaurant, though. We were all floored by Giant Eagle’s surf-and-turf dish: an espresso-encrusted steak and crabcake topped with a creamy whipped sauce and slaw. It was a classic dish done very skillfully.

As someone in our group noted, the tender steak was more flavorful than another steak dish we had tried at another restaurant’s table – hats off to Giant Eagle.  The other favorite – a corn-tortilla taco – came from the Tri-C Hospitality Management Center.

A nice end-of-the-evening treat

I wasn’t in the mood for much wine, but I enjoyed a glass of Ooh La La Pinot Grigio at Kimberly’s recommendation.  It was very refreshing – only slightly sweet with a strong apple and melon flavor and a touch of mineral. With a name like Ooh La La and polka-dotted bottle, it’s an affordable, fun wine – a good bottle to pick up for Girls’ Night.

Each $100 ticket to Market at the Foodbank provided 400 meals to the hungry

The food, drinks, and auctions were all to raise money for Harvest for Hunger, the Foodbank’s current food and fundraising campaign.

Market at the Foodbank goes a long way every year to helping Harvest for Hunger reach their goal of 16 million meals. If you’d still like to contribute to Harvest for Hunger and the Foodbank’s mission, there are many opportunities left.

A fantastic Cleveland weekend with good company and great events

Although they were 2 very different events, Yuri’s Night and Market at the Foodbank gave me just the Cleveland weekend I needed. With the work week now in full effect, I’m looking forward to the next one!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Yuri’s Night and Market at the Foodbank with a guest in exchange for sharing my experiences at both events. As always, the opinions shared here are my own.

Win tickets to Harvest for Hunger’s annual fundraiser Market at the Foodbank, April 14

Over the last year, I’ve really enjoyed getting involved with the Cleveland Foodbank’s new volunteer group, YP Pantry.

I had volunteered at the Foodbank a few times previously with the Ohio Blogging Association. However, YP Pantry’s monthly volunteer and social events have been about much more than getting to know other Cleveland young professionals (although that has been fun).

It’s been an awakening experience thanks to the staff at the Foodbank and member agencies like Trinity Lutheran Church – helping me better understand the effects of hunger on Northeast Ohio.

Witnessing how wide-reaching hunger is and how it can affect all of us has given me a much stronger appreciation for programs like Harvest for Hunger, whose goal in 2013 is to raise over 16 million meals.

YP Pantry learns about the Cleveland Foodbank’s mission at a volunteer night

Each year, Harvest for Hunger raises food and funds for 21 Ohio counties, one of the largest drives in the country.

Whether it’s donating money ($1 provides 4 meals), organizing a food drive or attending community events like YP Pantry’s Harvest for Hunger Happy Hour on March 21, the campaign is a success when everyone in Northeast Ohio lends a hand.

One way to have a huge impact on Harvest for Hunger is to attend their Market at the Foodbank fundraiser.

From 6-8:30pm on April 14, Cleveland chefs and celebrity servers like Press Wine Bar, SoWFood, Strip Steakhouse, AMP 150 and Washington Place Bistro will take over the Cleveland Foodbank for an evening of savory tastings, drinks, and live entertainment.

The Cleveland Foodbank transformed for Market at the Foodbank 2012

This is my first time attending Market at the Foodbank, as my friend Kate guestblogged for me last year (you can read her recap here).

Previously, this benefit has raised $188,000, which translates to 750,000+ meals in one night.

General Admission tickets are $85 in March ($100 in April and at the door). VIP tickets cost $175 which includes an exclusive reception from 5-6pm. Buy tickets online or call 216-738-2046.

I’m also happy to announce I’m giving away a pair of tickets on Clue Into Cleveland!

Cleveland Chef Ben Bebenroth at Market at the Foodbank 2012

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 telling me how you support Harvest for Hunger. (Need ideas? Check out this blog post.)

2) If you’re a fan of YP Pantry and Clue Into Cleveland on Facebook, leave a comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here and here.

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

4) Twitter users can get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “I want to win tickets to @CleveFoodbank’s Market at the Foodbank! Enter @ADHicken’s #MarketatFB giveaway: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-1TN″.  (Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.)

5) Subscribe to receive Clue Into Cleveland blog posts in your inbox or feed reader like Feedly (RIP, 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 “Subscribe” section of this page.

You have until Monday, March 25 at 11:59PM to enter.  On Tuesday, March 26, 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 invited to attend Market at the Foodbank and give away 2 tickets on my blog. I am also a member of YP Pantry. My opinions and the choice to post about this event are my own. Photos from last year’s event courtesy of Sarah Casto.

I had to miss out on this year’s Market at the Foodbank. Fortunately, Kate Galo (you may remember her from this and also this guest post) was able to attend and blog on my behalf. Enjoy her recap below along with photos from Sarah Casto!

Guests get a taste of local restaurant and beverage purveyors as well as the facility that benefits from the evening’s event – Cleveland Foodbank itself.

I think it’s fair for me to say that I am still growing into my foodie ways, still getting my knowledge of what’s really innovative ingredient-wise, and which just-opened restaurants are super hip. As a person who ate tortilla chips and some grape tomatoes for dinner, I don’t exactly have a particularly discerning palate, and I am willing to eat just about anything.

So when Amanda let me know that after running a great giveaway for the Market at the Foodbank event (congratulations again, @Dawgpndgirl!), she would be unable to attend, I very graciously said, “If you insist, I will go try inventive morsels of food from prestigious Northeast Ohio restaurants and delicious wines while supporting one of the most well-known local charitable organizations. If I must.”

Our good friend Sarah Casto and I dusted off our camera and notebook respectively, and headed over to South Waterloo Road!

Silent Auction prizes included romantic weekend getaways, Cleveland sports tickets, family-friendly birthday parties, dining packages, tours, and more!

The Market at the Foodbank is the Cleveland Foodbank’s annual Harvest for Hunger fundraiser, showcasing restaurants and catering companies from Rocky River to Solon, assisted by Celebrity Servers, and featuring exciting prizes in their Silent Auction and Raffle.

Doing my preliminary research, I was doubly excited to see that this year’s Market at the Foodbank was taking place at the actual 110,000-square-foot community food distribution center. In previous years, the benefit has been held at the Galleria on East 9th Street in downtown Cleveland.

I really enjoyed walking into the dramatically lit and decorated distribution center. I have been there in the past to assist with sorting or with dropping off food and seeing the transformation of a space that can be usually described as “warehouse” into a lit and musical party space was a treat for attendees. Several commented on being able to see firsthand the results of the hard work and fundraising of the Cleveland Foodbank.

Table 45, sharing a table with Chinato, offered a variety of fresh and tasty sushi.

Attendees of the event worked their way through the large distribution center, with chefs and catering companies set up in the open spaces and up and down the aisles, each offering one or two signature items from their restaurants and kitchens, beautifully served. With almost 50 different restaurant and beverage distributors, there were plenty of options for the dessert lovers to vegans.

Baker Leah Smith, cookie purveyor of Bake My Day, said she loved the friendliness and enthusiasm. She shared my surprise at the amount of attendees sampling the Ohio-themed cookies (Browns, OSU and Harvest for Hunger colors graced the sugar cookies) and said how much she appreciated the chance for her start-up bakery to be a part of the event.

Columbus-based start-up Bake My Day served Harvest for Hunger and Cleveland Sports Team themed sugar cookies.

Brandon Chrostowski of L’Albatros Brasserie in Cleveland, now in his third year of participating in the event, noted that there was great energy having the benefit in the warehouse, as well as the importance of letting people really see where their support goes. Attendees sampling L’Albatros’ foie gras and charcuterie certainly seemed to enjoy it!

Current food trends call for fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit, and healthier meals. The Cleveland Foodbank is undertaking several programs to achieve this goal, with Produce to People distributing over 5 million pounds of donated fruits and vegetables to Cuyahoga County communities; Mobile Pantry, where Foodbank trucks are sent to a central location and clients can pick up a three-day supply of food; and Community Gardens, with local agencies and Foodbank staff working together to plant and maintain gardens on the Foodbank property.

To promote community gardening and increased use of fresh fruits and veggies in homecooked meals, Cleveland Foodbank plans to use on-site gardens for education as well as food.

Development Officer Stephanie Mowls let me know that the Foodbank is aiming to double the amount of produce distributed by 2014, and to begin including cooking demonstrations and recipe cards, so the Foodbank‘s clients will also receive ideas for food preparation.

And how to prepare this produce and fresh food? Ben Bebenroth, chef at Spice of Life catering company and Spice Kitchen & Bar, had a great idea. While I slurped down the potato and wild ramp soup that he and executive chef of Spice of Life Brandon Walukas showcased, Ben discussed their restaurant’s commitment to high standards for where their food is sourced from, in working with local farms, and being able to use what’s in season well.

Ben Bebenroth, chef at Spice of Life catering company and Spice Kitchen & Bar, puts the finishing touches on his Potato and Wild Ramp Soup sip.

To that end, he suggested using some of the fresh herbs and vegetables that a client might get from the Foodbank to make a salted herb vinaigrette with vinegar, salt and any herbs you might have on hand in a metal saucepan, using low heat and a little time to make a dressing that can be served over salad, noodles, potatoes, or really any piece of food that’s laying around and could use a little spicy vinaigrette drizzle (a fuller version of the recipe that Ben directed to me is at Edible Cleveland).

And despite Sarah and I not winning anything from the raffle (prizes included Cleveland Indians tickets, an iPod touch, gift baskets and more) or the Silent Auction (among the many offerings were Colorado skiing vacations, tickets to Legally Blonde at the Beck Center, cooking classes at the Western Reserve School of Cooking), we, along with the Market at the Foodbank’s 1000+ attendees, enjoyed the music, the food, the chances to win, and the opportunity to contribute to our fight against hunger.

Opportunities to support the Cleveland Foodbank can be found here: www.clevelandfoodbank.org (select Donate Funds or Volunteer from the options to the left).

Kate and Sarah enjoy one photo in front of the camera.

About the Guest Contributors:

Kate Galo is a homegrown Clevelander who enjoys restaurant dinners, visits to theaters and museums, and gin cocktails. She used to blog a lot more but then she decided she wanted to spend more time reading other people’s blogs.

Sarah Casto used to live near Columbus, Ohio, but became a Clevelander last year. She enjoys photography, exploring Cleveland’s art and food scenes, and volunteering at the Cleveland Museum of Art in her free time.

***

Disclosure: Amanda, here – I was invited to attend Market at the Foodbank in exchange for hosting a giveaway and previewing it.  Because I was unable to attend, Kate Galo and Sarah Casto attended on my behalf to blog about it.

I’m so happy that Friday is finally here — not just because this was one looonngg week, but also because it’s time to announce the winner of the Market at the Foodbank giveaway.

After using random.org to pick the winner from the 84 comments:

I am happy to announce that entry #10 – Dawgpndgirl has won two tickets to Market at the Foodbank on April 22. (@Dawgpndgirl, please email me by next Friday, April 6 at clueintocleveland (at) gmail (dot) com to redeem your prize.)

If you didn’t win, you can save money by purchasing tickets ahead of the event for $85 per person at www.cleveland.com/marketatfoodbank or 216-738-2046. Day-of tickets will cost $100.

There are so many reasons to purchase tickets for this Harvest for Hunger fundraiser. In addition to helping the Cleveland Foodbank meet their fundraising goal, the list of participating restaurants and catering companies continues to grow.

Right now almost 50 businesses are confirmed on the Market at Foodbank website. Plus, the list of Celebrity Servers and the prizes that will be up for grabs during the Silent Auction and Raffle are now available.

This will be the first year that the party takes place in the Cleveland Foodbank’s 110,000 square foot community food distribution center. By hosting the event at the Foodbank, guests have a unique opportunity to not only enjoy all of the festivities, but also see firsthand the impact of their contributions.

Market at the Foodbank is a great way to support Harvest for Hunger’s goal of providing food for 16 million meals. If you can’t attend, though, there are plenty of other ways to contribute. Learn more about Harvest for Hunger here and have a great weekend!

** Disclosure: Thank you again to the Cleveland Foodbank for providing 2 tickets to give away to a reader. Photos of last year’s Harvest for Hunger benefit are courtesy of the Cleveland Foodbank. **

The 17th Annual Market at the Foodbank is Sunday, April 22

If you’ve gone grocery shopping recently, you’ll likely have noticed that the Cleveland Foodbank’s Harvest for Hunger is in full swing.  Adding a $1, $5, or $10 donation to your groceries is a fast and easy way to help reach this year’s goal of providing food for 16 million meals.

You can also help reach this goal while celebrating a night of fun and food at the Cleveland Foodbank’s annual Harvest for Hunger party: Market at the Foodbank (formerly Market Under Glass).

From 6-8:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, enjoy delicious food and drink from 50 of Cleveland’s top restaurants and beverage purveyors, including Greenhouse Tavern, Noodlecat, Spice Kitchen+Bar, SOW Food, AMP 150 and Zach Bruell’s restaurants (the growing list of participants can be found here).

And as you have your fill of what is sure to be incredible cuisine, you’ll enjoy live entertainment and the Foodbank’s assortment of silent auctions and chance raffles — all while helping support local hunger relief efforts.

This will be the first year that the party takes place in the Cleveland Foodbank’s 110,000 square foot community food distribution center. By hosting the event at the Foodbank, guests have a unique opportunity to not only enjoy all of the festivities, but also see firsthand the impact of their contributions.

Purchase tickets at www.cleveland.com/marketatfoodbank or 216-738-2046 for $85 per person; day-of tickets cost $100.

VIP tickets are also available for $150 per person, which gets you entrance to a VIP reception from 5-6pm with hors d’oeuvres by Zack Bruell’s restaurants, a special address by the Cleveland Foodbank’s President and CEO Anne Goodman, and a first-look at the auction.

And I have a special announcement: Clue Into Cleveland readers have a chance to win a pair of tickets to Market at the Foodbank!

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 telling me how you’re helping (or plan on helping) Harvest for Hunger achieve their goal of providing food for 16 million meals. (Need ideas? Check out this blog post.)

2) Follow @ADHicken and @Harvest4Hunger on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did both.

3) Like “Clue Into Cleveland” and “Cleveland Foodbank” on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did both.

4) Twitter users can get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “Want to attend @CleveFoodbank’s Market at the Foodbank on 4/22? Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway to win 2 tickets: http://wp.me/pPIgG-18l″.  (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 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 or adding me to your Google Reader.

You have until Thursday, March 29 at 11:59PM to enter.  On Friday, March 30, 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, though, my thoughts and the choice of events I share are 100% my own.***

The last couple of years have been a difficult wakeup call for many.  With an unstable economy, issues such as hunger and people’s inability to afford food have become more widespread and pressing than in recent decades.

In our own region it’s a signficant and growing concern, with the Cleveland Foodbank’s distribution rate up by 59% in the last three years and a recent article in the New York Times demonstrating the changing face of hunger. With nearly 60 percent of Cleveland’s poor now residing in suburban areas, many municipalities are faced with an unprecedented challenge of how to feed so many of their residents.

Although the Cleveland Foodbank makes a signficant effort year-round to keep up with the demand throughout their six-county region, each Spring they partner with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, and Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio to host one of the largest annual, community-wide food and funds drives in the nation.

The 22nd annual Harvest for Hunger recently kicked off on February 13th at Tower City. This food and funds drive will run through Spring with a significant focus during the month of March.

During last year’s Harvest for Hunger, businesses, supermarkets, schools and individuals contributed enough resources to provide over 16 million meals to the 21 Northeast Ohio counties served by the four foodbanks.

Because the need for emergency food in our community continues to rise, this year’s goal is to beat that total.

Although this year’s goal is huge, there are a number of ways we can achieve it:

The easiest is Check Out Hunger. When you go grocery shopping now through March 30 at Giant Eagle, Heinen’s, Dave’s Markets, Fishers Foods, Buehler’s or any other participating retailer, make a $1, $5 or $10 donation to Harvest for Hunger everytime you check out. It’s fast, simple and for every $1 donated, the Cleveland Foodbank can provide four nutritious meals.

You can also donate online or organize a food and funds drive at your school or workplace. For family, friends and coworkers who may not be nearby, the Cleveland Foodbank can help set up a virtual drive. Call 216.738.2046 or go to www.HarvestForHunger.org for more details.

Join YP Pantry for their Harvest for Hunger Happy Hour, 3/21/13

Throughout Spring 2013, the Cleveland Foodbank is partnering with local organizations to host Harvest for Hunger events.

• YP Pantry, the Foodbank’s young professionals group will host a happy hour at Noodlecat on March 21. Bring canned goods for a drink ticket. More info: eventbrite.com/event/5836562315
• At select home games in March, the Cavaliers will be collecting canned goods for the Foodbank. The Lake Erie Captains will also host food drives April 4-7.
• As part of Case Western Reserve University’s Greek Week, stop by the campus on April 13 to marvel at structures built out of cans – all food items go directly to Harvest for Hunger.
• And on May 10, University Circle hosts the Wade Oval Walk Against Hunger. Hundreds gather for the 2 mile walk around Wade Oval, each donating $10 to Harvest for Hunger.

Check out this list of Harvest for Hunger community events for more.

Market at the Foodbank – April 14

Finally, you can enjoy an evening out while raising money for Harvest for Hunger by purchasing tickets to Market at the Foodbank. Taking place on Sunday, April 14, Market at the Foodbank is an evening of food and drink from 50 of Northeast Ohio’s finest restaurants and beverage purveyors.

This is the second year the benefit takes place at the Cleveland Foodbank.  By hosting the event at the Foodbank, guests can enjoy the food, live entertainment, celebrity servers, and silent auction raffle while seeing firsthand the impact of their contributions.

Although I’ll have more info over the next couple of weeks about the event, go to cleveland.com/marketatfoodbank to see some of the restaurants who are participating and to purchase your tickets.

As this year’s Harvest for Hunger mission reminds us: Hunger is closer than you think. But so is the solution. How are you going to help?