Old Biddy Breaks Out of Summit County!

For the first time in weeks, I escaped this Saturday to one of my favorite activities – wine tasting. Thanks to my friend Bev for getting me out of the house and to Western Reserve Wines for the nudge to visit their weekly $5 tastings.

In the past I’ve written about Western Reserve Wines up in Solon but it’s been a few months since I’ve gotten to travel up to one of their tastings. Last week they sent an email (as they always do as a temptation!) detailing the wines they would open on Saturday. This week they featured one of my favorite varietals – Malbec.

Wikipedia says “As a varietal, Malbec creates a rather inky red (or violet), intense wine, so it is also commonly used in blends, such as with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create the red French Bordeaux claret blend. The grape is blended with Cabernet Franc and Gamay in some regions such as the Loire Valley. Other wine regions use the grape to produce Bordeaux-style blends. While acreage of Malbec is declining in France, in Argentina the grape is surging and has become a "national variety" of sort that is uniquely identified with Argentine wine. The success of Malbec in Argentina led some producers in neighboring Chile to try their hand at the varietal. Grown throughout the Central Valley, Chilean Malbec tends to be more tannic than its Argentine counterpart and is used primarily in Bordeaux-style blends.”

True to the description above, all the wines poured this week were from Argentina. Being a ‘big red wine’ fan, Malbec is a wine I turn to time and time again for my drinking pleasure. Here is a list of those bottles we sampled this week:

• 2010 La Linda Torrontes (the only white in this week’s line up)
• 2008 Antigal "Uno" Malbec
• 2008 Luigi Bosca Reserve Malbec
• 2007 Antucura Merlot/Cab/Malbec Blend
• 2010 Amancaya Grand Reserva Malbec/Cab Blend
• 2008 Vina Alicia Morena Cabernet Sauvignon

While each was drinkable, none of these triggered a purchase by Bev or myself. And funny that although I'm very partial to the Malbec, the only tru Cab on the bar got our enthusiastic thumbs up.  The Vina Alicia was by far our favorite and the Amancaya a close second.  But even with that glowing recommendation, generally we’ll wander out of the shop with at least 2-3 bottles but, sorry Kathi – not this week! We’ll definitely be back to try another group of wines soon.

TASTINGS AREN’T JUST ABOUT THE WINE YOU KNOW!
One reason we love going to wine tastings is the opportunity to meet new people. The weekly tastings at Western Reserve are attended by many of the same group week after week, and after a while you tend to strike up conversations and become friendly. (Not that after sampling four or five wines it’s difficult to strike up a conversation with just about anyone!) Of course, most of these folks are wine lovers and many of them (OK, all of them) are far more wine-sophisticated than am I. It’s fun to get their take on the wines and to find out what other events they go to around the area.

AFTER TASTING DINNER IN HUDSON

One our way home, Bev and I stopped in Hudson to check out Heinen’s market. Kathi had served up a new cheese at the wine tasting called Blue Brie. Unfortunately, Kathi got this from a distributor rather than a local retailer, so Bev and I are on the lookout to find some to take home. We thought perhaps Heinen’s would carry this since they seem to use the same distributor, but no luck for us on the cheese hunting. We’ll continue to search since this was truly a scrumptious cheese and went really well with the intense wines.

After our fruitless search, we stopped to have dinner at Old Whedon Grille on Main Street. For old Hudson charm you can’t beat spending an evening here for dinner. Small and cozy with old creaky floors and an intimate bar, this a good place to hang out with friends. Their menu is not extensive, but what they do offer, they do well. They’re known for their burgers but I haven’t had anything on the menu that disappointed.

Bev and I ordered the BBQ chicken pizza and a Kobe beef burger to share and both were really delicious. The crust on the pizza was perfectly baked and the toppings weren’t overwhelming. The Kobe beef burger was cooked to perfection and so good I had to eat all of my half, even though I was stuffed to the gills.

Thanks Bev for a fun afternoon out and about.

Eating around Akron - Sumira's in Cuyahoga Falls - December 2011

Don't get me wrong here, I am very happy that my parents are here in Ohio with me (even though Mom is still in rehab), but cooking at home twice a day, seven days a week is getting to be a bore.  This surprises me a bit since I do love to cook, but the issue is that since it's just Dad at the house currently, he doesn't much care what's on the plate, he just eats whats there.  What he DOES expect is that SOMETHING is there at lunch and dinner times. 

Since I haven't quite yet gotten into the swing of this cooking thing twice a day, I spend a lot of time running to the grocery for missing items or forgetting things like vegetables once the main course is ready for the table.  Also, my pantry and freezer are packed and arranged for meals for one person, not two, so my stash is diminishing faster than planned.  Let's face it, I simply wasn't prepared for more people in the house.  Oh well......

My Grandmother Dessie.
Always in an apron and no
wonder - breakfast, lunch and
dinner for a farm family took up
most of her day.

This sort of coping gives me a whole new perspective on how families deal with mealtimes day in and day out, especially in the days before fast food was available to fill in when Mom might have accidentally forgotten to fix dinner one night.   How many of us grew up in a house where Monday was beef night, Tuesday was pasta, Friday was fish, etc, etc?  Now I understand more fully why my own childhood was a simple rotation of meals and not given over to creativity very often, at least not until Mom retired and began spending time reading cookbooks. 

I'm happy to report that after four weeks of this, I'm finally getting into the groove.  Lunches have become soup warmed in the small slow cooker all morning so it's ready to go when I walk in the door and we can be fed and out the door in 15 minutes to get Dad over to the nursing home and me back to work in an hour (whew!).  I'm learning to spend an evening or two each week in the kitchen prepping ingredients for both soup making and for weeknight dinners in order to have dinner over before 7pm.  It's a whole new set of dynamics for this old biddy to learn.

But I'm happy to report that I'm catching on and with any luck at all will have this ironed out by the time Mom is sprung and able to be home with us - at which time we'll be working out another new routine!

FRIDAY NIGHT ESCAPE
UPDATE: Samira's closed late in 2012

Thanks to in invitation from my friend Nancy, I left Dad a dinner of a pot pie piping hot from the oven on Friday, put my work clothes back on and headed up to Cuyahoga Falls for a wonderful dinner at Samira on the river.  Samira has been on the Old Biddy list of places to visit for quite a while but this was my first time here. 

It's a lovely building that formerly held LaFever's.  Exposed bricks and open beams lend a nice bit of nostalgia to the former mill site.  White linens and sufficiently unobtrusive wait staff make this a very pleasant place to wile away an hour or two with a glass of wine and dinner and friends. 

Sorry I didn't get any photos of my dinner (I'm remembering to CARRY my camera these days, just forgetting to actually USE it) and it was beautiful as well as delicious.  I ordered the Honey Bourbon Cured Center Cut Pork Chop served with Roasted Corn Mashed Potatoes and an Apple Onion Marmalade.  The chop was huge and perfectly cooked with a slight pinkness to the center.  I've never been served mashed potatoes with corn mixed together (on purpose) before, but it was very good with the corn lending just a hint of texture and sweetness.  The dinner went very well with the Diseno Malbec from Argentina I ordered from the short wine list.

Nancy ordered the Rock Fish special and it must have been very good because, contrary to her usual custom, she actually had the remainder of her meal boxed up to take home.  My chop was large enough to be cut up and made into a nice fried rice for dinner for Dad and I last evening and the dog enjoyed the bone.  One chop....four meals...well done Samira!

WHAT ELSE TO DO ON A COLD WINTER EVENING?
If you live in Cuyhaoga Falls and can skate, or even if you're just visiting the Front Street mall and like to watch people skate, you need to head out to see the rink on the Broad Blvd end of the mall.  Even with no snow on the ground yet this winter and temperatures still hovering in the mid- to upper-thirties, the skating rink is open and people are enjoying the brisk air. 

Skating is free for Cuyahoga Falls residents or $3 for the rest of us.  Bring your own skates or rent a pair for $3.  Everyone seemed to be having a great time and there were folks there of all skill levels. 

The rink will be open through the middle of February so come out and enjoy it whether you skate or just like to watch those that do.

Eating Around Akron - Wine Tasting Dinner at Giant Eagle in Hudson

Yes, indeedie! I’ve been to some interesting wine dinners in the past – on trains, at old mansions, at wine shops and many, many restaurants, and yes, now that I think about it, one at the upscale West Point Market here in Akron. But my local Giant Eagle? Whod’a thunk it?

Give credit to the folks that organized this, it was a very nice event. Chef Tim Monsman created a five course tasting menu that was paired with five wines from Cline Cellars out of Sanoma. For $15 this was a very economical evening and I walked away slightly wine-happy and extremely tummy stuffed….OK, tummy over-stuffed.

Aside from the food being served on plastic plates and plastic cutlery (completely understandable given the location), this was a first-class event. Also, credit to my fellow diners at the table who made me feel welcome (thanks Nancy for including me with your group!).

A fun thing we learned was that the Cline Cellar family are descendants of the Jacuzzi family - yes, that means that their great-grandfather was the inventor of the Jacuzzi.  Neat, huh? 

The Cline Cashmere was originally a blend put together by the wife (who'd had no prior wine experience) for a Breast Cancer fund raiser a few years ago.  It became a hit with the locals and they have been making it every year since.

Some tasting notes – 1) the soup was a bit spicy and overwhelmed the Zin poured with it, and 2) for me, none of these wines were what I’d term exceptional. Wine, of course, is very subjective and other folks at our table made purchases of some of these which indicated to me that they liked them. The Cashmere was popular as was the Chardonnay.)

Here is the complete pairing menu (with photos - I'm learning to use my camera phone but I won't be making that mistake again!)




Pan Fried Corn Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce served with a Chardonnay

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Chili served with a Zinfandel

Braised Chicken, Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce, Mafalda Pasta served with Cline Cashmere (a vineyard specific blend)

Beef Short Ribs, Lentils, Squash Dumplings served with Ancient Vines Mourvedre

Orange Poached Pears, Toasted Pecans, Crème Anglaise served with a Viognier

The corn cakes were the hit of the meal followed closely by the tender short ribs - Chef Tim did a wonderful job. An even better thing, he provided recipes for each item so that we can recreate these at home. I’m already imagining corn cakes in my very near future!

For any of my local friends who are interested, there will be yet another wine dinner in November. Get your reservations in early as I’m told these are sold out quickly. Chef Tim is also putting together a Beer tasting menu for October 28th, four courses and four locally brewed beers. If you’re a beer fiend, sign up now! Call the store at 330-342-9995 to get further information.

Cleveland weekend - October 2011

Summer seems to be coming to a fast and early end as September sped away. Most of us are trying to keep up momentum with putting as much into these beautiful days we have left, especially as it’s beginning to get dark so much earlier.

Last Saturday was no exception. Although it started out rainy and chilly, my friends, Nancy and Cathy and I, headed up to Cleveland for a visit to University Heights.

This area contains some of the best things that Cleveland has to offer – The Cleveland Art Museum, The Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Case Western Reserve campus, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Severance Hall (home of the Cleveland Orchestra), MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), some wonderful restaurants, plus it sits close to Little Italy and all of its eclectic galleries and restaurants.

ONE OF THE BEST LUNCHES EVER!

We began our day with lunch at L’Albatros on Bellfower. Nancy had been here before and it was on her recommendation that we stopped for lunch. L’Albatros is a small space, as so many in this area are, and simple in décor. Visual stimulation is low but the food more than makes up for it with their well prepared French country fare.

We had mimosas to start our lunch and followed up with my croque monsieur with pommes frits. Nancy had the Cassoulet with braised white beans, lamb, duck confit and sausages. Cathy settled on the Roasted Cod served with garlic spatzle and sauerkraut. Nancy and Cathy both agreed these were some of the best meals they’d had in a long time. Cathy’s had to be good - we started eating and I’d taken maybe five bites of my sandwich and when I glanced back her direction, her plate was clean. And not just clean, she was busy using the bread at the table to wipe it completely naked! I’m not even sure the plate needed washing when we finally left. Which was too sad for her, Nancy and I both had restes de repas to take home for later. YUM!

NOW FOR A LITTLE CULTURE
Once lunch was over, we ambled back to Wade Oval and tried to get into the Natural History Museum. We were turned away at the parking lot because the museum was closed for a private party. This actually was really annoying since this museum was our target all along for the afternoon. I’d checked their website the day prior for hours and location – it would have been nice to have been warned the place would be closed.

Fortunately, we had options! A quick trip back around the oval took us over to the Art Museum where we spent a leisurely hour or so browsing the exhibits. It’s funny how different people like different things at a place like this. While I’m more intrigued by the paintings (my favorites are the Impressionists), Cathy preferred the other objects – vases, jewelry, etc, and Nancy liked a bit of both.

The Art Museum is undergoing a huge expansion project and some of the exhibits are quite a distance apart. We also got lost a few times. Still, this is a fascinating place and well worth visiting.  Especially since the cost of admittance is FREE!

AND A LITTLE ITALIAN FLARE!
After our cultural afternoon, we drove over to Little Italy for a bit of respite. The area was preparing for their quarterly Art Walk so all the galleries and shops were open with wine and some sort of nice food to munch upon. I have two favorite places in Little Italy – one is La Belle Vita which is a store carrying a veritable feast for the senses - bright colors of scarves, pottery and glassware – soothing aromas of fragrant soaps and perfumes – the tinkle of chimes and happy music in the background – the touch of fuzzy hats and cool silverwork. I really love shops like this one. The owner is friendly and chatty and offered us wine and appetizers as we meandered through the displays.

My other favorite place here is the pastry shop Presti’s on Mayfield Road. Presti’s has been a staple in the neighborhood since 1943 and the current pastry chef is the 4th generation of the Presti family to run the business. From traditional Italian breads, pastries and cakes, they’ve now expanded the menu to include a full line of fresh deli salads, pizza, Stromboli. Sitting in the café is to watch a slice of life in Little Italy. People of all ages sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a pastry or lunch or dinner or just sit and chat like we were doing after a long afternoon.

WINE AND FRIENDS – PIZZA AND WINE – SOME OF LIFE’S BEST PAIRINGS

For the evening, we headed east to Cedar Green Wines where we were meeting up with our good friends Bev, Lynn and Grant for their 2nd Annual Gourmet Pizza Night. Bev had attended this event last year and recommended it for a fun night out.

The wine shop owner partnered with the chef from the neighboring Zeppe’s Pizza to bring us 4 wines and 4 gourmet pizzas. The wine began flowing by 8pm followed closely by fresh hot pizza and a new pairing arrived at our seats about every half hour. The wines were so-so but the pizzas were wonderful. My favorites were the Yukon Gold potato and the butternut squash. I’ll be trying to recreate all four at home but these two will be first on the list!

The full line up was:

Provolone-parmigiano reggiano pizza topped with a baby arugula salad and a meyer lemon vinagerette paired with a Bianco Campania Triade

Ohio Yukon gold-white truffle oil-fontina pizza paired with Palma Nero Grillo

Pistachio-arugula pesto with grilled chicken and asiago cheese pizza paired with a Mandra Nero-d'Avola

Ohio butternut squash-applewood smoked bacon-extra sharp New York State cheddar pizza paired with Vitiano. 

Thanks Bev for the suggestion of the evening, I had a great time!

LET'S DO THE EAST 4TH STREET STROLL

Have you been to The Chocolate Bar yet? No? You need to go. My friend Nancy and I went up to Cleveland on Wednesday to have dinner there and to stroll along East 4th Street.  It was a drizzly night, and yes, it was a school night, but we've come to the conclusion that Cleveland really isn't that far to drive for a weeknight outing. Especially if there's chocolate to be found!

We were last to The Chocolate Bar about a year ago. The food was terrific, the drinks were wonderful and the atmosphere was upbeat and cozy. Nancy and I were seated at a window table looking out over the hustle and bustle that is East 4th. We were both pleasantly surprised at the amount of foot traffic for a Wednesday evening, especially in the intermittent rain.

The restaurant was busier than last year and I’m happy to see that. They’re located on the south end of the Hyatt at the Arcade which explains the prolific number of groups of men dressed in business attire we saw. The number of restaurants along Euclid Avenue has grown making this a busy section of town and there were many, many 20- and 30-something couples and groups wandering as well. We mused that it would likely be even busier when the Indians game was over as many of the bars we walked past weren’t quite ‘alive’ yet for the evening.

The dessert case at
The Chocolate Bar

We arrived about 7pm for dinner and still managed to sneak in during happy hour which allowed us half price martinis and $5 appetizers. We ordered Sweet Potato Fries to share plus two sandwiches to share. The Chocolate bar baguette, more dessert than dinner, was a toasted baguette, smooth dark chocolate, and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, served with an olive oil and chocolate dipping sauce. The menu says it’s incredible and they ain’t fibbing!

The non-sweet part of our meal was their Turkey Berry Panini (roasted turkey. assorted greens. Jack cheese. and raspberry mayo. served on a toasted baguette) and was terrific. To drink I had a Chocolate Banana Cream Pie martini that was totally awesome! For dessert, Nancy ordered a Belgian Chocolate Pyramid (Belgian chocolate mousse with a hint of hazelnut praline covered in a shell of chocolate) to go because we simply couldn’t eat any more. I haven’t heard from her whether it was good or not, I’m assuming it was as awesome as the rest of the meal.

A LITTLE WINDOW SHOPPING
Aside from dinner, Nancy initiated this trek to Cleveland to visit a clothing shop situated on East 4th called Dredgers Union. In June, The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote: “In a city built around the Cuyahoga River, the word "dredging" is synonymous with hauling up muck and opening the waterways to maritime traffic. But to Danielle DeBoe, dredging means clearing a path for retail in downtown Cleveland. Sean Bilovecky sees it as digging back to a tradition of designing, making and selling things close to home.”

When the pair opened Dredgers Union on East Fourth Street in June, it was downtown Cleveland's first new shopping destination in years. Dredgers Union occupies the ground floor of a former McCrory's department store at 2043 East Fourth St. The store carries a private label of men's and women's clothing, designed in Cleveland and sewn in America. Not every item sold at Dredgers Union will be designed in Cleveland or made in America, but they are committed to finding U.S. made clothing whenever possible.

They also carry made-to-measure suits and dress shirts; other apparel brands that are new to Cleveland or Northeast Ohio; bedding; kitchen gadgets; soaps and candles; and the occasional table or piece of furniture. They don't have a fully functional web site yet, but you can get the basics at http://dredgersunion.com/

Restaurant Week in Downtown Akron

Last week was Downtown Akron Restaurant Week. It was developed by the Downtown Akron Partnership Junior Board to encourage residents of the Akron area to explore the burgeoning dining scene in Downtown Akron. The four-day event provided reasonably priced prix fixe dinner menus at a variety of Downtown restaurants, making it easy and enjoyable to try something new!

My good friend and fellow food lover, Bev, and I had reservations for Bricco on Tuesday and Cilantro on Wednesday evenings. There were plenty of options as most all downtown restaurants had some sort of special going on for the week. That made choosing among them pretty difficult.

At Bricco we were surprised at the small crowd during the dinner hours. And we certainly had time to take it all in, we spent four hours eating and chatting while watching the busy Exchange street traffic go by from our window table.

Dinner that night was $40 for two and consisted of our choice of appetizer, two soups or salads, and two entrees. We added a nice bottle of red wine to that and it was a lovely meal with more than generous servings. Our meal started with the Goat Cheese with Spicy Marinara appetizer, a salad each and then we ordered a Pizza with Grilled Chicken, Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes and Asiago Cream Sauce and the Tri-colored Tortellini with Marinara or Sauce. We split everything at the table and it was far more food that we could eat. I ate pizza and goat cheese marinara for two days over the weekend!

From our perch in the window we could see the hustle and bustle of the downtown crowd. On a beautiful late summer evening it was good to see people around. The only downside to the night was that someone broke into my car while we were enjoying our meal. Certainly there was no lack of police presence as it seemed that a patrol car turned onto Exchange from Main Street every few minutes. Too bad it was enough deterrent to keep someone from getting into the car.

What I learned from that experience is that if you have a car (like mine) that has a lock/unlock button on the arm rest, don’t leave your window above open any amount – these thieves manage to put a stick in through the window and push open the door locks. After rummaging through the car and taking what they wanted, they were nice enough to relock the doors behind them. How thoughtful.

The following evening Bev and I headed back downtown to dine at Cilantro. Cilantro combines an eclectic atmosphere with excellent and interesting food. Their eclectic menu features specialties from Thai and Japanese cuisines with variety of exotic spices. They also have a sushi bar.

Again, dinner was $40 for two and our meal started with Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, then our two entrees were Shrimps and Scallops with Sweet Chili Sauce and Chicken in a Pineapple. We shared a dessert of Coconut Ice Cream with Sweet Sticky Rice and Fresh Mango.

Cilantro was a delightfully pleasant experience. I’ve been there twice before and wasn’t quite as impressed as this last visit. The service in the past was extremely slow, which doesn’t make for a pleasant meal. In contrast, last week we were seated in the beautiful back room and our server was astounding to watch. He was attentive and fleet of foot and it felt as though he spent most of the evening running to attend to all of his customers needs. The food was delicious, our martinis well made and refreshing and we’ll be happy to return for another meal soon.

I'll be looking forward to more RestaurantWeeks whether annually or more often.  It was difficult to judge how many folks were out on Tuesday for the special menues, but we could tell on Wednesday that the majority of the Cilantro guests were choosing from the prix fixe. Good job DAP Jr., keep up the good work!

Playing hookey on a Monday

So, it is called playing hooky if your boss tells you to go away for a couple of hours? On what could only be described as the perfect fall day, I was given liberty to go to a luncheon for my boss’ YPO group up in Chagrin Falls. All the President’s assistants were there (or a smattering of us anyhow) and we were treated to a great meal at Gamekeeper’s Taverne and a chat on fall fashions given by the owner of one of the little boutique shops on the main drag in town.

Opened in 1976, Gamekeeper’s Taverne is located in a historic landmark building in the heart of Chagrin Falls. Guests are welcomed by rich wood paneled dining rooms and large stone fireplaces in a classic tavern setting. During the warm months guests can dine outdoors under the sun, moon and stars on an award winning courtyard. Sharing the building is the Inn of Chagrin Falls, a delightful 15 room country inn. Today our lunch was served in one of their private dining rooms. The food was good and our service was excellent.

The bar was quaint and looked like it might hold 25 or 30 thin people on a busy night. As with most buildings dating from the late 1800’s the rooms are small but the quaint factor easily overcomes any feelings of being cramped.

After lunch, I took an hour to wander around the town of Chagrin Falls again. Last I was there was for the art show back in June and today I had the chance to wander into a couple of different shops. One new shop, only open now for four months, is Caravan Splendors.

You’re welcomed by the camel at the door and an eclectic mixture of items inside. Jonathan, the owner, is friendly and was happy to show me around the shop.

He was most proud of their new waterfall display hidden around back made by a company out of Philadelphia, but there were plenty of things to see ranging from table settings to handbags to rugs.

To give another thanks to the women that spoke at our luncheon, I stopped into their shop called "Find Me".  They had some beautiful items and one of a kind pieces that were either a bit out of my price range or a lot under my size.  Although I enjoyed hearing her talk about upcoming fall trends it's clear that people who run these little boutique shops do not aim for normal sized women to be shopping there.  Lots of size 4's and a lot of mediums, but no larges to be found.  After a while of wandering with me she just gave up and I ended up walking out.   Out of the gals in the room at the lunch, maybe 5 or 6 could have found something to fit them but those were the young 'uns that obviously couldn't afford the pricing.   Too bad really.

Just down the street was Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. We’d stopped in here last trip and was dazzled by the ice cream display and flavor variations. We’re not blessed with a Jeni’s shop in the Akron area, but they’re all over the Columbus area. If you happen across one of these, please make sure you stop in. The service is very friendly and the flavor combinations are artistic. The ice cream is also available in fine restaurants and stores throughout the country, and via mail order.

Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, was the featured speaker at Our Lady of the Elms Author! Author! series on Wednesday.   Bauer is author of the newly released Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. She and her husband, Charly Bauer, founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002.

Today I was captured by the Sweet Corn and Raspberry ice cream. Fresh corn from a farm in Chillicothe is husked by hand in the kitchen at Jeni’s, scraped off the cob and then pureed to create the sweet cream for the ice cream. Although my palate didn't really pick out the flavor of fresh corn, it was a delicious and refreshing ice cream and not overly sweet.

Chagrin Falls is a definite must for day trips if you're looking for quaint.  Put aside some time to wander along the river parks and into the shops lining the main street.  Make sure you go hungry and stop for a meal and then some dessert after.  Bring some money for the shops, you're bound to find something you'll want to take home - I know I did!

Eating around Akron - August 2011

Friday night I volunteered for a good friend of mine at the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation Six Courses for a Cure at the Sheraton.

Lynne has worked with this foundation since its inception and is a mainstay in its fundraising efforts by putting together the auction for each event. Five years ago Lynne contacted Single Volunteers and we brought a few people out to handle their inaugural event. Although SVWR disbanded several years ago, I keep going back to assist Lynne and the Foundation in their efforts.

The monies raised at this fabulous gourmet event will be used to fund a medical symposium dedicated to Graft vs Host Disease, its complex issues, research, education and resources available to patients and physicians. GvHD, which is a complication of a life-saving bone marrow transplant, results when the patient’s body is attacked by the new immune system created by the bone marrow transplant. Sadly, it can cause death if not controlled. This will be the only symposium in the world solely dedicated to this malady.

Six Courses for a Cure is the result of the creative genius of Roger Thomas, Executive Chef at the Sheraton Suites, Cuyahoga Falls and Pete Olsen, a partner in Purple Feet Distributing located in Macedonia.



Meredith Cowden, Guest speaker
Dr. Steven Pavletic and
Dr. Adrianna Pavletic
Photo courtesy of Ernest J. Aranyosi

 After meeting Gerry and Marti Cowden at a family celebration and hearing the story of their daughter Meredith and her courageous battle against leukemia, Roger and Pete suggested the idea of a wine dinner to benefit the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation. Both Pete and Roger have hosted and participated in many wine dinners to raise funding for charities and worthwhile causes in northeast Ohio, specifically the Akron area.

The evening began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres created by all of the participating chefs. The incredible six course dinner was prepared by Chef Brendan Meeker of Glenmoor Country Club, Chef Rick Carson of Nosh Eatery and Creative Catering, Chef Brian Goodman of The Greenhouse Tavern, Chef Jeff Jarrett of AMP 150, Cleveland Airport Marriott, Chef Kevin Altomare of Hudson’s and 3foodies.com and Chef Roger Thomas of Piatto Novo, the Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls.

Over 100 items were up for bid on the silent auction tables and a dozen high end items were up for auction by Bob Hale between dinner courses, including a trip to Charleston, SC and a day riding in the Summit County Sheriff’s riot tank complete with shooting practice with laser and real guns.

It’s heartwarming to see a healthy Meredith in her early 20’s after learning of her illness when she was young. Leukemia is terrible, but once you think you have that cured, to find that she had to battle GvHD had to have been devastating for her and her family. Once that battle was won, the Cowdens took their energy and decided to help find a cure for the disease that nearly took their daughters life. The Cowdens are a portrait in people putting their beliefs into action and working hard to make a difference in other peoples lives.

Front Street Mall

BACK TO THE FALLS FOR LUNCH AND A SUNNY WALKABOUT
I was so taken by the walk I had last weekend on the Falls Riverfront, I decided to do it again Saturday afternoon in the sunshine. Everything looks a bit brighter in the sunshine, and the river is no exception.

This weekend was R.I.O.T. on the River and I stumbled into the festival around noontime. Sadly, there was little activity on the mall area even around the music stage. On stage was the band Red Letter, which is a pop/rock band of four siblings from Doylestown. They were joined on stage by their Dad, who was filling in on guitar for one of the brothers unable to make it this day. Their stated music goal is “to use the expressive nature of music to communicate that there is hope throughout the highs and lows of life.” Their message mostly relates to teens and young adults of this generation, bringing positive lyrics to a modern pop culture sound. I listened to most of the set and these kids are pretty talented. I hope they continue to do well.



The band Red Letter at RIOT on the River

RIOT is basically Christian Rock - young bands with good music and uplifting things to say.  They make a nice change of pace to other music which can be ugly or downgrading.  Give these people a lot of credit for putting this together - it's just a shame there weren't more folks there appreciating the performance of the afternoon.

Moving on, however, it was lunchtime and I was hungry.  Grumble belly always wins over music - no matter what the message may be.  There was a BBQ truck set up on the mall for the evening RIOT festival, but they didn't have any food ready this early so I stopped into the new Firehouse Grill I spotted last Sunday and had lunch.

UPDATE: Firehouse Grill closed their doors in 2021

The Firehouse Grill & Pub on Front Street is in the old spot that was occupied by the Cashmere Cricket a few years back. The Cricket was flooded out and finally closed two years ago, but I see it reopened on the other side of the mall. That is now on my list of “revisit places soon”.

The Firehouse is a local chain of bar and grills and I’ve eaten several times at the East Market location, my good friend Cathy is a fan of their dollar burgers. The atmosphere there is somewhat dingy and dirty, although the food is good if you like pub fare (which I do). I was hoping that the new location would be better and it was. A nice fresh space with a fully stocked bar and a few outside seats along the mall, this will make a good lunch spot as long as the weather holds.

The staff was friendly and service was good. It was a quiet afternoon so the cook was wandering and I personally thanked him for my burger. I ordered the lunch special – bacon, cheddar burger with fries – for $4.99 and it was quite good.

The only issue I had was the fact that smack in the dead of summer I was served a slice of one of those crappy hothouse tomatoes on my burger. Frankly I see no reason why a kitchen of any caliber cannot order up some local tomatoes during the peak of summer to add some real flavor to a plate.

Aside from that short rant, my lunch was excellent.  The fries are skinny and well cooked and I definitely could taste the bacon on my burger. 

SATURDAY AT D'AGNESE'S

Bev and Terri sent out an invite to join them at D'Agnese's to listen to the smooth jazz of the Stingers. The Stingers are an Akron-based band that includes Bill Brauning (bass), Bill Moriarty (keys), and (last night) Jim Yarnell on drums. Seems this group is fluid and at times includes horns and other players. Last night it was just Bill, Bill and Jim and they did a terrific job of trying to keep the attention of five women who where were busy gossiping around the dinner table (that was my group in case you didn't figure that out!).

They moved from samba and cha cha to smooth jazz and we were tapping our tootsies all evening.  By breaktime, our table was the only one populated and the guys stopped over for some lively conversation before finishing up the evening. 

The food was good, most of us ordered appetizers and shared.  There was calamari all around the table, Bev had my favorite - the roasted beets with salad - and I ordered another pizza.  Dessert was ordered all around too, with the clear favorite being the banana cheesecake.  With a glass or two of wine, good music and lots of chatter, it was a very pleasant evening indeed.

Savoring Summer

This past week was our last evening out at Porthouse Theater for the 2011 summer season.  As always, we are sad to have this come to an end and it all goes by so swiftly it's difficult to believe summer is winding down. 

The evening began with our gathering in the pavilion on a perfect summer night.  As is tradition for the final performance, the cast wandered through the crowd and entertained cabaret style. This is always fun - the kids are so talented and the crowd sings along. 

The summer series ended on a very up note with the ever entertaining Hello Dolly!  Porthouse artistic director, Terry Kent stepped into the shoes of Dolly Levi and did a splendid job.  Our group has been to these performances for several years and this is the first time we've been graced with Ms. Kent on stage.  While her singing was nothing to write home about (which perhaps was not at all out of place for the role) her stage presence as Dolly was terrific. 

Terry Kent and cast taking their bows
for Hello Dolly!

The cast carried off their roles with the usual style and grace - including a bit of a wink by Eric van Baars, who plays Cornelius Hackl. He earned a big laugh when he had a line dealing with the fact that his character is 33 years old when it's obvious he's a touch older than that.  One of my favorite Porthouse cast members, van Baars did a wonderful job in his role.  Another crowd favorite was Jessica Cope who played Irene Malloy.  Her singing voice had everyone sitting up and taking notice of her performance.

Getting out and about
Two more favorites to add to the long list of great places to eat in Summit county.  This past week I had the pleasure of meeting friends at The Office Bistro and Lounge located in the historic Temple Square district of North Akron.  I've been here a couple of times now and it gets more comfortable with each visit.  At their suggestion, I met my friends Blue and Joanne there for a catch up session after work.  Bartender Valery made my favorite Office martini, The Flirtini, which is set ablaze and topped with a shower of cinnamon sparklers.  Happy hour is weekdays 3-6pm and appetizers are half price.  I ordered the Mango & Avocado Salsa (mangos, sweet bell peppers, red onion, cilantro, peach yogurt) with fresh tortilla chips and it was very different and quite good.  This is something I'll be trying to replicate at home at some point.

Friday night I met my friend Lynne out at D'Agnese on White Pond Drive.  This place has been a variety of restaurants in the past several years and they may have hit upon a keeper in this iteration.  The atmosphere is casual chic, the service friendly and informative and the food was wonderful.  We shared one of their flatbread specials and I ordered the roasted beets appetizer as my entree.  The salad was of red and golden beets, greens, candied walnuts, goat cheese, and a fig balsamic reduction that was out of this world not only on the salad but just as wonderful with the warm bread brought to the table dipped in. The salad was as big as my head and easily could have been shared.  I'll definitely be back here again soon.


Summer Bounty
This week began the next steps in my learning curve on preserving the summer harvest.  My City Fresh shares have been abundant with zucchini and yellow squash and I will admit that I'm just not that big a fan of these fruits (and YES, squash is a fruit). 

Zucchini abandoned on my doorstep!

I've done my best to make some interesting meals with them (ie my pepperoni and yellow squash pizza) but I'm simply outnumbered.  There's only one of me and only so many meals I can make at home in a given week and this squash seems to multiply when I turn my back on them.  As if it's not enough that I get them two or three at a time in my Fresh shares, last night I came home and there was one sitting on my back steps.  No note.  Poor thing had been abandoned and I HAD to take it in.  In all good conscience, you can't leave an innocent zucchini sitting out in the big world all alone. 

My food preservation technique of choice is freezing.  Nearly anything can be frozen with some degree of success but, in my experience, not always.  Zucchini is one of those items.  I can grate it and freeze it for use in breads and cakes and it turns out fine, but I've learned that if I simply want to use slices or chunks, freezing tends to make them a bit mushy and I really cannot stand mushy foods.

To counteract that mushy-ness, last summer I turned to my food dehydrator.  Thin slices of zucchini dried to a lovely crisp chip and are easily stored in bags or containers in the pantry.  Kept this way they are perfect for tossing in soups all winter long. 

As you can see here, my first batch were a bit too thin.  These were sliced about 1/8 inch thin.  I moved up to about 1/4 inch and they turned out fine for storage.

Simply wash and dry your zucchini, use a mandoline or slice by hand to 1/4 inch rounds. 

Use a light spray of cooking spray on your trays to keep the zucchini from sticking as they dry, my first batch crumbled to pieces when I tried to pry them from the try.  Place on the dehydrator trays and process until chips are brittle. 

Once dry, store in an air-tight container.
Last year my dried zucchini went into minestrone and my beef vegetable soups. 

Chagrin Falls - June 2011

This past Saturday a couple of friends and I ventured to Chagrin Falls to visit the 28th annual Art by the Falls. More than 100 artists presented their work at the juried fine arts and contemporary craft festival, presented by the Valley Art Center in Riverside Park.

A co-worker mentioned this show on Friday telling me that his wife, the gallery director for the Valley Art Center, is the woman that organizes this show each year, which is the Center’s largest fundraiser. There were artists showing textiles, paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, jewelry, weaving, ceramics and more.

Art by the Falls began 28 years ago in Triangle Park when a small group of artists wanted a venue to show their wares and raise money for the art center. It has since grown into an annual community event that attracts artists and visitors from across the region, and even across the country.

Many artists showing at the festival are local, though some traveled from as far away as Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Florida. The free two-day festival also featured live music, entertainment, food and drinks and raffles.

UPDATE: Joey's burned down and closed permanently in 2011.

We wandered the booths and then headed onto the Main Street for some lunch at Joey’s. Joey’s is a quaint tiny space serving up pretty terrific Italian food. My fried Perch sandwich was very good, Lynn had the Portabella Grill, and Nancy had the Turkey Reuben (mostly minus sauerkraut since they’d just run out) and both enjoyed their lunches. The service was a bit slow but I think it was mostly due to the overly large crowd piling in from the Art Show so I’ll give them some leeway on that.

White Magnolia Window Shopping

After lunch, we set out to tour some of the little shops along Main. My favorite by far was the White Magnolia. This shop is a combination boutique and cupcake shop – by far the most interesting combination I’ve seen in one location. The shop is filled with beautiful antiques, replicas, china, candles, lawn art and just plain loveliness it was hard to say which items we liked best. Artfully put together, this shop is well worth spending an hour browsing in. Then comes the best part – decadent cupcakes arranged in a case by the door where I ooed and ahhed over them trying to decide which to bring home.

Beautiful displays at White Magnolia

The Cherry Cheesecake cupcake won by a slight edge over the Chocolate Mint. This pretty little cupcake had a cherry cheesecake filling and was piled high with icing and covered with cherry sprinkles all topped off by a Marciano cherry. This was well worth carrying home with me. Realistically, I think I'd have room for two cupcakes next trip up.

This pretty little cupcake gives me the urge to bake some of my own versions up but since we're smack in the middle of the Biggest Looser at work these will have to wait a while.  I thought of perhaps baking some and giving them out to all the other contestants, but then figured they'd find a way to pay me back somehow.  So stay tuned, I'm working on a couple of recipes that sound pretty good for sometime AFTER the contest is over.  Maybe a treat for all of us Loosers!

Eating around Canton - Gervasi Vineyard - June 2011

MUSIC IN THE VINEYARD

Patio at Gervasi

Saturday evening I'd been invited to join friends at Gervasi to hear our friend Stan Miller perform.  Both the setting and the entertainment were lovely. 

I've been to Gervasi a couple times already and by far the best place to enjoy the place on a warm day is on the patio.  With views of the lake and lawns where people are playing cornhole and boccie ball, it's a very tranquil setting.  They've recently built new B&B's across the lake and while I think it's sort of screwed up the view, I'm sure it's a quaint location for an overnight retreat.

Meanwhile we enjoyed some wine, a salad and some pizzas.  The food here is good but the menu on the patio is limited.  The menu inside is more adventurous and quite delicious.  The wines are OK but a bit sweet for my own taste.  The main attraction here is the setting and, for us, the entertainment.

We met Stan Miller a year or so ago at Riverside Wine Bar out in Kent and met Terri at the same time.  Stan and Teri are good friends and I've been invited often to hear him perform around town.  Stan plays sax and sings, mostly an easy listening set of tunes ranging from rat pack favorites to cool jazz and does them all quite well.  

Stan MIller at the microphone



Saturday was a bit special as he'd been asked to sing a special dedication to a young couple to set the mood for a marriage proposal (she said yes) and it brought tears to eyes all around the patio.  After a beautiful song that I don't think I'd ever heard before, the young man got down on one knee and proposed.  It was really very romantic.  Well done by him and by Stan.

By 10 pm the sky had been lit up by distant and then not-so-distant lightening and the skies opened up a torrent shortly thereafter making the drive home challenging.  Joke was on me since I got home and there was no sign of rain here.  Too bad it chased us out of Gervasi for the evening.

Mansfield and Columbus - June 2011

Saturday and a good portion of Sunday found this Old Biddy and a buddy down in Columbus once again.  After our trip last spring to the Short North, it's been on my to-do list to get back down to the Worthington area for a weekend.

This is where we ate this week.

Nancy and I set out Saturday morning bright and early with the thought of stopping in Mansfield for breakfast.  We did this last time and had a charming time at the Coney Island Diner.  Thinking we were duplicating our stop, we came upon the town square in Mansfield and promptly found Coney Island Inn Diner across the square with parking directly in front.  Once through the front door we realized we were in a different place but stuck around anyway for a pretty good breakfast and some nice conversation.  



This is where we ate last time in
Mansfield. How many Coney Islands
can one little town have?

It's hard to imagine a town the size of Mansfield having two distinct diners with nearly identical names, but that must be part of the quirkiness of smaller towns.  I had corned beef hash at both locations and will give two thumbs up to the first meal at the Coney Island Diner.  However, the Coney Island Inn Diner was a bit friendlier so I'd suggest tossing a coin if you are trying to choose between the two.  My next trip down will be to spend the entire day in the Mansfield area.  I really want to see the reformatory and get out to the gardens at the Kingwood Center.  Maybe yet this summer.......



Vendors lined up along High Street

 WORTHINGTON BOUND
Once we got back on the road we headed directly to Worthington which is a northern suburb of Columbus.  Founded in 1803, Worthington was one of the first planned communities in the midwest. 

We came upon the center of town during their Memorial Day weekend celebration and there were vendors lining the main street selling things ranging from jewelry to plants to farm produce.  One stand was selling maple syrup products and I picked up a small package of maple sugar (which is for a specific recipe I saw that looked really terrific.....wonder where that was?)  We parked at the northern end of town and wandered the streets and shops, stopping for a break at a local coffee shop where we found a table out on the sidewalk and watched the locals stroll by. 

Cupcakes at the Blue Frost!

High Street is the main drag through town and shops and pubs line this central part of town known as Old Worthington.  Consignment shops, dress shops, pubs, coffee houses, a wine shop and several little nick-nack shops were all open for the busy day. 

There were lots of fun things to see and, for today, this appeared to be the place to be seen if you were a local.  Nancy found a fantastic little dresser in one of the shops that she was fascinated with and I was taken by the Irish Chocolate Guiness Cupcake I found at the Blue Frost cupcake shop.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH
A couple hours later, we headed back to the car and took a drive through the community.  I had found mention of Rush Creek Village on the internet and we wound our way through it ooohing and awing over the houses.  Rush Creek Village is a community in which each house is uniquely designed for the lifestyle of the homeowner, but also fits into an architecturally integrated pattern, inspired by the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The quilt pictured here was likely the
largest of the group at about 3ft x 4ft. 

A LITTLE ART INFUSION
After our tour of the Village, we headed a bit north to the McConnell Arts Center to view the newly installed Basted Vision exhibit.  According to the website, "Basted Vision is the latest in an ever growing body of work by Off Our Blocks, an informal group of fiber artists who are basted together through a shared interest in the creation of art quilts".   They were lovely and quite unique.  Vibrant colors on most, some subdued and softer. 

After the Art Center we headed to our hotel for a quick refresh and then were back on the road again, this time going south on High Street seeking somewhere to settle in for a drink and a chance to do some more people watching.  We landed at Mad Mex mexican restaurant on High Street in the South Campus neighborhood where we snagged a table outside and ordered a lovely, cool sangria to sip on. 

The crowds were mostly college students who had stayed in town for the holiday weekend and the atmosphere was laid back....really laid back.  Service was slow as they were shorthanded, but it was fine since we had nowhere to be until our dinner reservations at 7:30.  We ordered a late lunch of their Picadippa (3 of their dips with chips) and a plate of fish tacos.  I'm becoming quite a fan of fish tacos and these were delicious.  Grilled talapia in a crispy, freshly fried tortilla. One of the dips was an unusual item made with pumpkin seeds, garlic and peppers in hummus that was very tasty and might be worth trying at home sometime.

Where are all the PEOPLE???

With our leisurely lunch over, we headed back to the Worthington area and a quick shopping stop at Worthington Square.  This older shopping center is absolutely beautiful and I was shocked that we were the only two in the entire complex on a Saturday afternoon.  With stores like Talbots, Chico's, Black and White and Jos A Banks, this seemed like it ought to be a hopping place but I think a bowling ball tossed down the center court wouldn't have disturbed anything. 

DINNER ON GRANDVIEW
We had dinner reservations at Spagio's on Grandview Avenue.  The on-line menu looked very intriguing and we assumed from the description that this would be a bit of an upscale restaurant.  We arrived a little bit early to find people strolling up and down Grandview.  Lots of people.  Families with their kids.  Families with their dogs.  Lots and lots of people and cars cruising up and down looking for a parking space. 

It might be a testament to my clean living and sunny disposition that we found a parking spot directly in front of Spagio's.  OK - probably it was only due to sheer luck, but still, I pulled in front of the valet guy who said "ma'am, feel free to pull up into the next spot and it's free for the evening".  Wow.  I was totally anticipating paying $4 for valet but hey, free is ALWAYS better. 

Spagio's - our table was straight
up front by the big windows.

Spagio's is a bit of a strange place.  They've managed to mix together white table cloths, hammocks hanging from the ceiling, fine art and oddball posters into one location.  The service was very good, the menu a little out of the ordinary as a mixture of pacific rim and European, and our seats directly in front of the main windows were perfect for watching the multitudes wander by. 

My meal began with a Roasted Red Beet Napoleon appetizer- layers of sliced beets and whipped goat cheese served with candied walnuts, arugula, and an herb vinaigrette.  Really very yum!  The sweetness of the beets with the tartness of the salad is a perfect combo - no wonder these are classic pairings.

My entree decision was between the Bacon-Wrapped Berkshire Pork Tenderloin - with roasted smashed red skin potatoes, collard greens, and a jalapeño buerre blanc sauce or the Grilled Chicken and Spinach-Filled Ravioli - served with Parisian carrots, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, creamy pesto sauce, all topped with shaved Parmesan Reggiano.  The pasta won.  And it was very good.  It took Nancy and I a little while to define the little round orange balls in our pasta as carrots.  I have no idea how they managed to get carrot balls created but it was a unique (at least for us) addition to the plates and a little whimsy while we chased them around the plate with a fork. 

AT THE HOP!
Once dinner was over and we wandered back outside, we discovered that we had stumbled into the monthly Grandview Hop.  According to their web site, "the Grandview Hop is a celebration of all of the best that Grandview has to offer. Come check out the unique mix of food, drinks, shopping, live music, art, and fun along Grandview Avenue between 1st and 5th Avenues. The Grandview Hops will be held the last Saturday of the month from April through November from 5 to 9pm". 

Seated at the front windows of Spagio's on Third, we were definitely in the center of it all.  Across the street was a live band.  Up and down the street were vendors selling jewelry, handmade soaps and oils and many other things.  Once we got outside we decided to join the parade.  Up the street we discovered a newly renovated movie theater showing the new Johnny Depp Pirates movie.  Nancy is a big movie goer, but I am not.  However it's really hard to pass up a chance to see Johnny Depp on a big screen, so it we went in for the 9:30 showing. 

I had a nice chat with Jennifer (who, along with her husband David, are owners of the Grandview), about their renovations and plans for the future.  Since I hadn't been there before I had no concept of how far they'd come, but the place was clean, modern and comfortable.  Oddly enough, even with the hundreds of people that had packed the streets earlier, there were exactly four people in the theater for the movie.  What surprised me even more was that when the movie was over around midnight, the lobby was filled with people.  Jennifer explained that they were getting ready to host a free midnight movie (The Terror with Boris Karloff) and people flocked in for that sort of thing.  Frankly if I hadn't already been exhausted, I might have asked if we could have stayed for that too.

The patio at Le Chatelaine in
Old Worthington

A LAZY SUNDAY

Sunday morning was actually the main reason we were in Worthington for the weekend.  We had looked forward to having an al fresco breakfast at Le Chatelaine French Bakery  and were not at all disappointed.  We'd stopped here on a whim last year and were so happy to have found this that we made a point to return.  This is a gem of a place with a beautiful dining room inside (imagine sitting in front of a cozy stone-faced wood fire in the winter in their main dining area) and ample seating outside for warmer weather. 

La Chatelaine opens its doors on Sundays at 8am to offer fresh baked croissants, beignets or bread and its variety of coffees, teas or juices. You can also choose eggs with roasted potatoes and bacon or sausages, or specialty omelettes, as well as quiches and fresh fruits. Just inside the front door is a pastry case filled with these tempting treats - apple turnovers, croissants, boules, baguettes, Napoleons and cute little chocolate mice.  You have to stop and stare at the beautiful tarts lining the next case but a little further on is the breakfast buffet. 

This morning I chose a tender spinach quiche and fresh fruit pour ma petit dejeuner.  Tender, flaky crust with eggs cooked just so - fantastique!  We settled in on the patio with all the others who were enjoying their morning papers and cafe and felt very "French" smack in the middle of Ohio.



Millersburg courthouse as seen from
front window of a shop across
the street.



HEADING HOME THE HARD WAY

We had tentatively put the Barbecue Festival in Columbus proper on our schedule for Sunday but the temperature was already well into the 80's and sunny by 10am and Nancy nor I are very well suited to the heat.  A quick consultation and we decided to simply head home but to take the "scenic route" rather than the interstate.  We headed out of town on Route 62 and wound our way up through Millersburg right around lunchtime.

Parlor of the Millersburg Hotel

Amish country is a big destination and I've been many, many times, however I think this was my first stop in Millersburg.  Much like Wooster, there is a charming downtown area with a beautiful old courthouse, a few antique shops and a restaurant or two.  We strolled down the main street and wandered through the open shops and decided to have lunch at the

If you get the impression after reading this entry that we managed to eat our way through the weekend - you'd be accurate in your assessment.  However, I'm proud to say that I still managed to loose an additional 2 pounds so I must be doing something right. 

Weekends like this are always fun and relaxing.  Getting away from worry about family or house projects is good therapy but I think it might be time to stay close to home for a few weeks to clear away some of the things that need done.  Two fun projects in the immediate future - insulation installation in the upstairs sewing room and getting the garden planted out in Springfield.  Oh boy - can't wait.