Summer Wrap Up

At the beginning of the summer I posted my bucket list for the months of June, July, and August.  Now that we're at Labor Day it's time to evaluate my summer...

As a reminder, here is my bucket list...

Sara's Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to Bar Harbor, ME!!

2. Attend a Wade Oval Wednesday

3. See Shakespeare in a park

4. Go to the beach

5. Crafting!

6. Girls Nights!

7. Date Nights! I'm having a lot of fun dating and figuring out who really is a solid match for me!

8. Bonfires

9. Lay out at a pool

10. Cook out

11. Outdoor runs

12. Read fun books!

13. Go to the Zoo

14. See the summer blockbusters! - So far I've seen Fast and the Furious 6, Superman, Heat, 

15. Day drink!

16. Finish my MA Essay

17. Go to Cedar Point
18. Find a job!


I definitely didn't complete everything on this list, but I have to say I'm really happy with how this summer went for me.  My trip to Bar Harbor was amazing.  I saw whales, caught up with friends, went nature creeping, and ate lots of lobster.

Lobstah!

I had several awesome girls nights with margaritas, tacos, and gossiping that made me continue to appreciate the friendships I've been cultivating for years.  My ladies are truly awesome.

This was the first summer that I really made a point of putting myself out there and dating.  I kept things casual and it's been great.  Everyone I met or gave a chance too has been awesome.  Some have stuck around, some I've let fall away, but all have been good experiences.  There have been movies, hikes, dinners, parties, cook outs, and one lucky guy even got a home cooked meal.  Now that summer is over and my schedule is going to get crazy we'll have to see how everything works out.  But I certainly have no regrets.

Homecooked!

I got to hang out with several of my co-workers this summer which was super fun.  While my job wasn't the right fit for me last year, my co-workers were stellar and I'm glad to be continuing friendships with them.  Corn-hole, day drinking, night drinking, a play, and lots of stupid snap chats made it a fun time.

My spur of the moment road trip with my bff to Gatlinburg was a perfect little get away.  We saw the most hilarious things, got caught in tourist traps, and sampled lots of types of alcohol.

Moonshine!

Perhaps most importantly I finished my MA Essay and, as of yesterday, GRADUATED graduate school!  I'm so glad to be done.  And, because I now have an MA in English, I was able to complete #18 and procure a job!  This year I'm going to be teaching college composition classes at a career college downtown.  I'm excited for the challenge but nervous too.

Other random summer highlights:

Pole dancing class!
Oktoberfest!
Taste of Tremont!
The Lion King!

Sexy, I know.

Rock Star Accordion!

Goodbye Summer... Hello Fall!

Free in Cleveland: STEP Cleveland Public Theater

I just heard about this awesome Cleveland Public Theater program STEP (Student Theater Enrichment Program) that gets urban teens involved in theater!  They put together a show and then perform around the city outside for free!

The show is all original and apparently involves singing and dancing too!  This year's production is called And One Night which is based on Arabian Nights: One Thousand and One Nights.

It starts tonight!  Here is the list of performances, hope to see you there!

Performances

Thursday, August 1st
Herman Park (W 58 & Herman Ave I Rain Location:CPT) 7pm

Friday, August 2nd
Lincoln Park (W 14 & Starkweather Ave I Rain Location: Pilgrim Church) 7pm

Saturday, Augst 3rd
Tony Brush Park in Little Italy (Mayfield & Random Rd I Rain Location: Alta House) 4pm

Monday, August 5th
St. Stanislaus - Warszawa Music Festival (3649 E 65 I Rain Location: Church) 7pm

Tuesday, August 6th
Lonnie Burten Baseball Field (E 46 & Outhwaite Ave I Rain Location: Gymnasium) 6pm

Wednesday, August 7th
Kerruish Park (17000 Tarkington Ave I Rain Location: Harvard Community Services Center)7pm

Thursday, August 8th
Mercedes Cotner Park (W 95 & Maywood Ave I Rain Location: Denison Avenue UCC) 12noon

Thursday, August 8th
St. John's Church (2600 Church Ave & W 26 I Rain Location: TBA) 7pm

Friday, August 9th
Denison Elementary School (3799 West 33 St & Denison I Rain Location: Gymnasium) 7pm

Saturday, August 10th
West Park- Fairview Family YMCA (15501 Lorain Rd I Rain Location: YMCA Gymnasium) 12pm

Saturday, August 10th
Cleveland Public Theatre (W 65th & Detroit Ave I Rain Location: CPT) 7pm

Sunday, August 11th
Fairview Park in Ohio City (W 38 & Franklin Blvd I Rain Location: Westside UCC) 4pm

Free in Cleveland: Cleveland Shakespeare Festival

Last Sunday I went to see CSF put on Two Gentlemen From Verona in Lakewood Park for FREE!  I've somehow missed the last couple of summers of Shakespeare because of scheduling conflicts so I was super excited to attend this show.  There was a great turnout especially as it was a somewhat chilly summer night.  The show was quite amusing, and I really enjoyed the physical comedy as well as Shakespeare's wit.  I thought it was great that there were several children in attendance as well as a wide range of twenty somethings, senior citizens, and everyone in between.

I also always appreciate casting that disregards race though- and I'm assuming it was coincidental, all the leads were white (as far as I could tell).

EDIT: Female lead, Silvia, half hispanic, half white!  Love the extra layer of diversity even if I was dense and didn't immediately know!

The only downside was that it started raining and the show had to end about 10 minutes early.

This weekend I might try to see Measure by Measure one of Shakespeare's problem plays in Tremont!

Come on down and see the last weekend of showings!  And, don't worry if you don't know your Shakespeare, helpful summaries of the plays are provided in the programs!

Knock another thing off my summer bucket list!

How I look For Jobs... Systematically

I've become a pro at searching for jobs.  I go through this list at least once every 10 days but often try to do it every 3 or so.  Here's my breakdown:

West Side:
Bay Village
Brooklyn
Cleveland
Fairview Park

Lakewood

N. Olmsted

Parma

Rocky River

Westlake

Far West Side:

Avon

Avon Lake

Elyria

Olmsted Falls

Strongsville

East Side:

Beachwood

Bedford

Brecksville-Broadview Heights

Chagrin Falls

Cleveland Heights

Cuyahoga Heights
E. Cleveland
Euclid

Garfield Heights

Independence

Maple Heights

Mayfield

Orange

Shaker Heights

Solon

South Euclid

Warrensville Heights

Far East Side:
Mentor
Richmond Heights
Wickliffe


Where am I missing?  If you leave me links in the comments I'll add them to the list.  Happy Job Hunting!  Also feel free to correct my geographic categories- I did it from memory!

Happy Hour Happenings: Don's Lighthouse

Don's Lighthouse has been one of those places I've passed by for years but never spent much time in.  However recently I've had the pleasure of attending a few happy hours there and thought I should share my insights.

Their happy hour takes place Monday through Friday in their bar area from 3pm- 6:30pm and features several half price appetizers and special drink prices.  There are $5 Skyy Martinis and $1 off Draft Beer, House Wine, and Well Drinks.

From their appetizer menu my personal favorite is the sliders.  They cook them just right and they include a pickle, cheddar cheese (which I have removed) and fried onion straws.  Super tasty and quite filling.  I believe it comes 4 to a plate.  I also like their PEI Mussels- they are a healthy portion and are only $4.50!

For me I end up spending around $12 for a martini and some appetizers.  They're typically great to share so it's a perfect place for a small group to gather.


I have also gone for their Lobster Tail special on Tuesday's where you get a delicious lobster tail served with mashed potatoes and green beans for $15.  If you go before 6:30 and eat in the lounge you can pair this deal with the above happy hour specials making it a super value!  I can't eat the mashed potatoes due to dairy so I have french fries with mine and their fries were absolutely perfect!

Extra bonus, their bread and butter is amazing.  Soft in the middle with a nice crust on the outside.

My Summer of Fun 2012

Before I start back up with substitute teaching and going to grad school full time I want to have a SUMMER OF FUN!! The question is, what does it take to achieve this feat? A summer bucket list perhaps?

Sara's Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to Colorado! Planned for early July

2. Attend a Wade Oval Wednesday

3. See Shakespeare in a park

4. Go to the beach

5. Crafting!

6. Girls Nights!

7. Date Nights! (make me an offer!)

8. Bonfires

9. Lay out at a pool

10. Cook out

11. Outdoor runs

12. Read fun books!

13. Go to the Zoo

14. See the summer blockbusters!

15. Day drink!

What else should I do?  Want to do an activity with me- Let me know!

Saving Money

You all know by now I like to save money wherever possible.  One area I've started exploring more is Restaurant.com.  I've used it a few times, and especially when they're running their promotions it ends up being quite the deal.  Basically, like with other deal sites, you pay significantly less than a gift card is worth.  Often with Restaurant.com you can't apply it towards alcohol and have to spend a minimum amount but you still save lots of money or can have a nicer meal for the same price you'd normally be willing to pay.  Here's a link to their current promotion:




And here's a list of some of the restaurants they have gift certificates for that I like here in Cleveland!

Reddstone
Barrocco
Latitude 41N

And these that I haven't been to but would like to try:

The Nauti Mermaid
La Strada

There are numerous other places as well.  Check it out!

Happy Hour Happenings: Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse

Tonight my parents and I hit up the Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse for Happy Hour at Crocker Park in Westlake.  From 4:30 to 6:30 they offer great Happy Hour specials.  There was a list of $4 martinis and $6 martinis as well as $5 small plates.  My mom ordered a "white frost" martini that had a ginger liquer, white cranberry and some other stuff in it.  It was ok, too sweet for her taste, and too alcohol-y for mine.  I ordered a "blood orange" martini and it was AMAZING, sweet like juice and therefore potentially dangerous because it was very easy to drink.  My dad went with a straight vodka martini which he seemed to enjoy.

Since we were in the mood for seafood primarily we decided to split several of the seafood small plates that were available.  We ordered the fried calamari that was in a spicy Thai chili sauce and was delicious.  It was a great size for sharing and was more than enough for the three of us.  We also ordered the jump shrimp cocktail which, perfectly, came with three jumbo shrimp.  They were really large and tasty.  Our final seafood option was the blackened scallops that were served with a vinaigrette, blue cheese, and walnuts.  Do to my dairy and nut allergy we had the cheese and nuts on the side.  I was not really a fan of the scallop.  There were only 2 of them, they were not large, and the flavors were off.  My parents seemed to like them though.  I knew I'd still be hungry so I ordered the sliders minus the cheddar that is supposed to come on them.  The two sliders were juicy and flavorful and came with fries and really gave me just the right amount of food.

I'd definitely recommend the Hyde Park happy hour to anybody.  For just around $40 we had a great meal and great drinks for 3!  Can't get too much better than that!

2011 in Cleveland- The Good Stuff

Every year is filled with hits and misses, positives and negatives, successes and failures.  But today, the last day of 2011 I want to reflect on what went right this past year so I can enter 2012 on a positive and cheery note. (And, I guess not all of these things happened in Cleveland, but they all happened to a Clevelander!)

In 2011 I...

• partied with and made new friends when I spent NYE in Las Vegas
• was recalled to my job
• met a guy and had a fun couple of months going on unique dates
• went on a road trip to IKEA with a coworker
• got my first coach purse
• saw my cousin get "hooded" as she finished veterinary school
• went to Missouri and spent a week with some of the best people in the world with www.familysummits.com
• partied with my ladies on Kelley's Island for an awesome bachelorette party
• attended a rocking wedding at the House of Blues
• travelled to St. Joseph Michigan to see my big cousin get hitched
• was the maid of honor in my lil cousin's wedding
• witnessed a friend of 16 years marry the love of her life 
• attended my first professional conference in Chicago! NCTE 2011!
• shared a family holiday with a boyfriend for the first time
• applied for and registered for grad school
• maintained three blogs
• went completely dairy free
• performed twice in front of my entire school as part of the all staff group "the pepettes"
• helped my special ed students perform and film Hamlet
• got a Droid
• adopted Titus (my adorable new kitty!)
• read 14 books!

What went right for you in 2011?  

Restaurant Review: B-Spot (Crocker Park)

Last night my date Mike took me to B-spot at Crocker Park.  This is the third full-fledged location of Michael Symon's burger spot.  For those of you not in the know, Michael Symon is Cleveland's resident Iron Chef!  We got to the restaurant a little after nine following a movie and were seated immediately.  The place was filled, but not over-crowded.  Our waiter was very prompt and though it took us a few minutes to decide on what we wanted to eat our food came in less than 10 minutes after we ordered.

Mike ordered the Shroomage which had portabella mushrooms, blue cheese, Lola steak sauce, and griddled onions on it.  At one point he commented that the blue cheese was rather strong but that certainly didn't stop him from eating the entire burger.  I ordered the Thin Lizzy which comes with griddled onions, cheddar, mayo, and pickles.  Again, due to my dairy issues I asked for no cheddar.  The waiter offered to add something on instead so I asked for lettuce and tomato.  My burger was cooked a perfect medium, just as I asked.  It was very juicy and tastey- albeit a bit on the messy side.  We also shared an order of Lola Fries which were thin cut fries with rosemary and salt.  I liked them a lot.   Mike and I both ordered Pepsi but it should be noted they have some delicious sounding cocktails and offer what they call "bad a**" milkshakes that can be made "adult" by adding different liquors.  Last night was definitely one of the times I really missed being able to have dairy.

The ambiance was great.  The place was casual but not too casual.  Stainless steel, wood, and a few spots of color were all part of the decor.  On our table, and I believe all of the tables was a full roll of paper towels (ingenious if you ask me) and a basket of condiments.  There was a young fun feel that made me feel right at home.  Oh, and their prices are very reasonable!  The cheapest burgers go for $6 and the most expensive burger is $11.

I would definitely recommend B-Spot to anyone.  It'd be a great place to grab a bite with friends, or like we did, on a date.  Enjoy!

Via www.bspotburgers.com

Here's the info for all of their locations:

Crocker Park- 20 Main Street- Westlake, OH 44145


Eton- 28699 Chagrin Boulevard- Woodmere, OH 44122

Strongsville- 18066 Royalon Road- Strongsville, OH 44146

The "Q"- Downtown Cleveland (Only open during Cavs games)

Free in Cleveland: The Cleveland Zoo

Many people know this, but some may not.  The Cleveland Zoo is FREE on Mondays!  And, the Rainforest is available at a reduced rate!  This would be a fun unique date or outing with friends!

Here's how it works: (taken from www.clemetzoo.com)

On Mondays, the Zoo (not including The RainForest) is FREE for residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township.* From Memorial Day through Labor Day, if Monday is an observed holiday, free Zoo admission applies on Tuesday instead. If you qualify for free Zoo-only admission on Mondays, tickets for The RainForest may be purchased at the following rates: Adults (12 and older) are $5.00, Children (2-11) are $3.00, and Children under 2 are free.

*To confirm your residency, bring your driver's license or state I.D. or a current utility bill with your Cuyahoga Cty. or Hinckley Twp. address along with a photo ID.

Are you going to wild out at the zoo this fall? Haha... like my play on words?

Free in Cleveland: Lakewood's Friday Night Flick's

As a child my family and I would walk up the street to Lakewood Park a few times a summer to see the Friday Night Flick!  It's a great family event and each week a different movie rated G or PG is shown.  Here's the schedule for the rest of the summer!

July 8 ~ Despicable Me (PG) at Lakewood Park
July 22 ~ Yogi Bear (PG) at Lakewood Park
July 29 ~ RV (PG) at Lakewood Park
August 12 ~ Toy Story 3 (G) at Madison Park
August 13~ Finding Nemo (G) at Foster Pool in Lakewood Park (Dive-In Movie)

In the event of inclement weather, movies will be shown at in the Lakewood City Hall Auditorium, 12650 Detroit Avenue, at 8:00 p.m. To find out if a movie has been moved indoors., tune into Lakewood Radio 1660 AM, call (216) 529-6650 after 5:00 PM or visit www.onelakewood.com.

(all information taken from the blog at www.onelakewood.com)

Free in Cleveland: Wade Oval Wednesdays

Looking for a fun Wednesday night out?  Check out Wade Oval Wednesdays.  At University Circle on the green space every Wednesday from 6-9 is a free concert!  Each week features a different group with a different style of music!  On select weeks they offer free family friendly movies as well.  This is a great event for families, couples, or groups of friends.  Pack a dinner and make it a night.  You might even want to come early and check out a museum before the concert starts.

I went last night and had a great time with a couple of friends and their family.  I was surprised to see such a large turn out.  The crowd was very diverse and was great for people watching.  I discovered upon arrival that you are permitted to bring wine/beer/libations along with your picnic dinners which is neat.  There were several food vendors set up as well selling anything from noodle bowls to gyros to hamburgers and hot dogs.  I enjoyed a freshly made freshly squeezed lemonade like you get at a county fair!  Mmmm delicious. 

There is meter parking on the streets in the area and plenty of lot parking as well, but head up early for the best spots.  My friend and I parked at the Severance Hall garage which was a short walk away and cost us 5 dollars for 2.5 hrs. 

Here's the schedule for the rest of the summer!

July 13*

Speedbumps (Indie Rock)

July 20*

Please note schedule change: New Barleycorn (Irish Celtic)

*Movie Night: The Karate Kid

July 27

Chris Allen & the Guilty Hearts with Austin “Walking” Cane (Alternative Rock)

August 3*

Carlos Jones & The P.L.U.S. Band (Reggae)

August 10

Mo’ Mojo (Zydeco Jam Band)

August 17: GREEN WOW

Cats on Holiday (Rockabilly/ Swamp Rock)

*Movie Night: Wall-E

August 24

Son Gitano (Latin/Salsa/Rumba/Flamenco/Merengue)

August 31

Sultans of Bing (Rock and Roll)

*PNC Grow Up Great Mobile Learning Adventure will be onsite. For more information, click here.

Free in Cleveland: The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival

As I am now on a tight budget, and in general am a frugal person I've been looking into free things to do in Cleveland for the summer.  Here is a great one!  The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival!  Each summer this group puts on two Shakespearean classics for free at various outdoor venues.  I remember going several times as a child but haven't gone in recent years.

This summer they are doing Othello and Love's Labour's Lost.  Othello is being done in the traditional fashion but Love's Labour's Lost is being put on in an abridged and gender-reversed manner which should be interesting.  This would be a great date!  Pack a picnic dinner or go out to eat before or after! Here's their schedule for the rest of the summer:

July 9th Othello
July 10th Love's Labour's Lost 

Lakewood Park

July 16th Othello
July 17th Love's Labour's Lost
Shaker Hts. Colonnade

July 23rd Othello
July 24th Love's Labour's Lost
Lorain County Community College Stocker Center for the Arts

July 30th Othello
July 31st Love's Labour's Lost
The Kulas Stage at Wade Oval 

August 6th Othello
August 7th Love's Labour's Lost at Lincoln Park

Curtain for all shows is 7pm.

Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and seat themselves prior to each outdoor performance.  Rain spaces have been secured for every venue except Wade Oval, allowing performances to proceed, rain or shine. (Taken from The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival website)

Stay tuned for other free activities posts and reviews!  What other fun free things do you like to do in the summer?

Date Night in Cleveland

The Warehouse District has come together to present Friday night Date Nights at 14 restaurants in Downtown Cleveland.  Each of the restaurant offers either $59 or $89 (or both) price fixe menus for two.  Ampco parking is offering $3 parking and nearby hotels are offering special rates.

Whose participating?

Barley House, Blue Point Grille, Brasa Grill Steakhouse, Cleveland ChopHouse, D'Vine Wine Bar, Johnny's Downtown, John Q's Steakhouse, Mallorca, Nauti Mermaid, Osteria di Valerio, Sushi Rock,  Waterstreet Grill, XO Prime Steaks , Zdara

For all the details and to check out all the menus go to: www.datenitefriday.com

Make sure to look at the menus because some definitely seem like better deals than others.  Some include more courses, alcohol etc.

This promotion is running till Labor Day!  Enjoy!  Happy dating everyone!

Sara Goes Speed Dating...

Last night I crossed something off of my "bucket list."  I went speed dating. 

My friend and I arrived at D'vine Wine Bar downtown around 7pm.  When we signed in a coworker of mine was there and scored me free entrance*! (Pre-pay is $35, at the door is $40!)  We were each given a name tag with a number on it and a folder that held a sheet on which we could write down each of our "dates" and whether we wanted to have further contact with them, along with any other notes to help us remember everyone.  After sitting around looking at the people that were showing up it was announced that the dating was about to commence.  After one last fist bump with my wing woman I took my place at table #2.

As I sat at my table nervously, I watched men come and sit at all the other tables but alas, table #1 and I were left man-less.  I commented to the woman sitting next to me, "I can't believe I'm getting stood up at a speed date!"  She laughed and agreed.  While all the couples around us began their first three minute round she and I conversed with each other- good practice for our upcoming dates.  The three minutes went by quickly and soon my new friend found herself with a date, while I sat dateless again.  Throughout the first half of the speed date I had about 4 dateless sessions, but the other dateless girls and I got together to chat.  There was a pretty decent sense of camaraderie throughout the event.

Finally, at round three, I had a date.  I'll call this one TD.  TD sat down at the table and was immediately smiling and shook my hand.  I was nervous, not quite sure how to start.  Luckily he took the lead- though I could tell he is a little shy too.  He asked me about why I was speed dating and what I do for a living.  I in return asked the same.  We didn't get too deep into anything, and at the end of our three minutes I decided that while he was nice he just wasn't the guy for me and I circled my first "no" of the evening.

The mix of men that I met was very interesting.  There were guys who were still in college or had recently graduated to men who worked at banks, worked for NASA, or who were divorced.  There were tall guys, shorter guys, bald guys, cute guys, fat guys, skinny guys, red heads, blondes, and everything in between!  I definitely felt like I was attracted to the guys who were confident from the get go and didn't seem to be relying on me to lead the conversation. 

Later in the evening, after the 10 minute break we were granted, I felt I really hit my stride.  I was being more friendly, didn't only focus on what people did for a living, and felt more relaxed.  It was during the second half that I met "Forge".  During our three minutes all we discussed was my hobbies (reading and photography) and our mutual enjoyment of travel.  Forge smiled the entire time, held his own in the conversation, and seemed to be enjoying himself.  He was one of my 4 yes votes! 

People might see that out of 15 or so guys I only said yes to 4 and take that to mean that it was a waste of time.  I don't think that is the case at all.  I had a great time, and most of my "no's" were still really nice guys, just not what I thought would be a good fit for me.  If I were a guy I'd look at the forty dollars as being way cheaper than taking 20 girls on 20 first dates! 

After the event was over my friends and I stayed and chatted with a few of the guys we found interesting before heading home.  It was nice to get a little more conversation out of people.  While I was talking to Forge some more, another guy, who I'd like to call "Orange" came up and stood by us.  When "Forge" asked him if he needed something he said, "I just came to listen to Sara tell stories."  We both smiled awkwardly and I responded, "I do tell really awesome stories" and then continued on with my conversation.  He ended up quietly slipping away taking his awkward social skills with him. 

If you're thinking of speed dating do it.  It was fun and an interesting way to spend a Tuesday evening.  And who knows, maybe you'll be like another coworker of mine and meet your future spouse at the event!  I'll update you all when I get my email telling me who was interested in me!  I will also be writing a post of "tips" for speed dating... especially what guys should and shouldn't do...




*Even though I got in for free it had nothing to do with me writing this post as neither the coworker nor the woman running the event knew that I would be talking about it on this blog.  It was just a surprise perk!

Things I want to Do in Cleveland- Part 1

Do you ever feel like there are tons of things that you say, "Oh, I want to do that" and then never do?  I feel as if I'm always saying that and then promptly forgetting what those things are.  In light of this realization I'd like to make a list of some of the things I'd like to do in Cleveland- either for the first time, or to revisit.

1.  The Natural History Museum
2.  Walk around Little Italy
3.  Hike in the Metroparks
4.  Eat at Niko's on Detroit
5.  Eat at Palookaville Chili (when it opens- which should be soon)
6.  Eat at one of Michael Symon's restaurants
7.  Go to the West Side Market
8.  Pier W's Happy Hour
9.  Momocho's Happy Hour
10.  The Zoo

Restaurant Review: Momocho

Last Saturday The Dude and I met up with two of his friends and their ladies for dinner at Momocho in Ohio City!  I hadn't been there in three years so I was super excited to go.  Apparently we had the time wrong and everyone else had to wait for a half hour.  While there were waiting they ordered the smoke trout guacamole with bacon and chile poblanos along with the blue cheese guacamole with garlic confit and chile verde.  I decided to be brave and try the smoked trout.  I'm not normally a fan of smoked things, but I enjoyed this guac a lot.  Of course, due to my dairy allergy I could not try the bleu cheese version.

To drink I ordered a pomegranate margarita, on the rocks, with salt.  Nom, nom, nom so good.  It tasted like a margarita with just the right amount of pomegranate flavor.  Next time I go I'll have to try a new flavor.

For my entree I had the grilled hanger steak taquito.  The steak was great and I asked for a side of the original guac to go with it.  The tortillas that came with were my one complaint.  First off mine all had a weird slice in them so they were falling apart.  Secondly their edges were very hard- as in too hard to eat.  Others at the table had no problems, so I'm not sure what happened to mine.  Overall the food was great and I can't wait to return!

Around Town...

 Here are a few pretty cool things going on in the next few days in Cleveland!  I'm on Spring Break so I'm looking at all sorts of fun things to do!  Any suggestions?

March 24- April 3 The Cleveland Film Festival- Tower City Cinemas

March  27 C-Town Chow Down- A Convoy of Cleveland's Finest Food Truck- Lincoln Park, Tremont

Entertainment Review: Play House Square- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

On the 12th after our fabulous dinner at Bricco my date- henceforth referred to as "The Dude"- took me to The Hanna Theater at Play House Square in downtown Cleveland to see The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).  First off, from the time he ordered the tickets our experience was fantastic.  After ordering the tickets he received an email intended to help us plan our entire night downtown.  It included helpful links about the show, activities they host surrounding the show on varying nights, information about parking, and a comprehensive list of places to either eat or get drinks before or after any of their performances.  I thought this was a great touch that helped get us excited about our upcoming visit.

I had not been to the theater district since the winter of 07/08 to see Wicked.   And I'd forgotten what a cute little area it is.  The Palace and Ohio Theaters were the first two we saw after parking and they had bright marquees that seemed so "big city" to me.  There were several nice looking restaurants and casual eateries and the vibe was great.  Around the corner from the bigger theaters was The Hanna which also boasted it's own marquee.

Having printed our tickets at home we were able to go directly to our seats which were in the first row of the balcony slightly stage left.  We could see the stage perfectly.  The play was super engaging from the get go.  The three actors did a fantastic job of being high energy while going through all 37 of Shakespeare's plays in 2 hours.  There were tons of Cleveland specific references from the Indians, to LeBron, to Tom Hanks (he acted in the Great Lakes Theater Festival for 3 years back in the late 1970's when it was located at the Civic Auditorium in Lakewood- coincidentally I performed there for several years in high school :) )  I was laughing out loud for the majority of the show, and my only complaint was based on my own lack of knowledge of Shakespeare's comedies- the tragedies are covered so much more thoroughly in school. 

The Dude also seemed to enjoy it.  He had said this was his first visit to the theater in his adult life.  He commented that it seems as if it'd be a good idea to be a season ticket holder as they seem to put on a variety of shows that would appeal to a wide range of people.  I concurred.

In short, this show is going on for 7 more days, and you should try try try to see it!  I would say it would appeal to any one with a decent knowledge of Shakespeare's plays, and who is in their 20's to 30's as many of the jokes included pop culture references referring to Facebook, Jersey Shore (I think) and other such things.  If you go let me know how you like it.  And remember, the theater doesn't have to be an expensive night out.  Playhouse square offers Smart Seats for $10 or $20 dollars to many of their shows- though look in advance because it seems like they sell out fast!

What are your favorite shows to see?