Celebrating Our 7th Anniversary

A very easy date to remember: 6-5-04. We purposely picked that date because it was an idiot-proof way to remember your own wedding date and, best of all, it sounded like a rocketship countdown. We can add another number to that now - 7. Seven very wonderful, exciting, adventurous, and always amusing years together. Kids. Dogs. Vacations. Yardwork. It's all there.

We celebrated first at Y.O.L.O.'s Wine Bar in Battery Park. I had a fantastic drink called "Stormy Morning" made with Creme de Violette, St. Germain, and Prosecco. The bartender told us that Creme de Violette is an old-fashioned spirit and it gave the drink the perfect taste and color. And besides, it's the name of my bike. I had to try it.


Next, we headed to bac to try our hand at some raved-about asian cuisine in Tremont. Oh my gosh, the food was amazing. Amazing. Greg had a bahn mi sandwich and I had the kim chi noodles. We started off with some summer sangria, a side of edamame and two chorizo spring rolls. Great dinner and wonderful service. Afterwards, we went to a late night movie - that's right, a movie not during the "matinee" hours. Could we stay awake? Yes, we did! We saw Hangover 2. While it was good, I still thought the first Hangover was heads and shoulders superior.

And gift exchanging. Since 7 is copper, I surprised Greg with a beautiful piece of art from Copper Leaf Studios. If you haven't seen Christie's work, you really must pay her website a visit. We saw her at an art show around Christmas time in one of the old Cleveland warehouses and swore we'd have to keep her in mind. I figured one of her copper Cleveland-inspired pieces would be perfect for this anniversary and she was simply wonderful to deal with! I bought Greg the Great Lakes piece and he loved it.


For me, he gave me the Mary Tyler Moore package from a local day spa. It's a massage, a facial and a pedicure. I think it will be the perfect "recovery day" post-race when I return from Alaska! And what a wonderful name, too! I so adored watching her show when I was a kid with my mom. If I remember correctly, my mom liked Donald!

Hope your weekend was just as grand!

Riding Around Northern Ohio

On a recent library trip, I checked out Pedaling to Lunch: Bike Rides and Bites in Northeast Ohio by Stan Purdum. In his book, Purdum outlines 20 different rides for all levels of cyclists as well as lunch recommendations. No chain restaurants, just places with local flavor. I was surprised to learn that Greg and I have already tackled a couple of his recommended routes and I'm looking forward to a couple more. 

Three of the rides I'd like to tackle this summer include:

• Ride 1: Fairport Harbor to Geneva-on-the-Lake. The recommended route is 54 miles long and is “relatively flat” (right….). Purdam recommends the Sunrise Café, but I think I might want to try the Flying Burrito Cantina. Uhmm, on second thought, burritos coupled with a long ride might not be a good combination!

• Ride 2 (but his Ride 18): Strasburg to Baltic Loop in Tuscarawas and Holmes Counties. The route is 39 miles and categorized as “relatively flat to hilly.” I liked the points of interest Purdum included – Breitenbach Wine Cellars, Ragersville Cheese Factory and Broad Run Cheese House. This is a shorter ride with great Ohio scenery.

• Ride 3 (his Ride 11): Clinton to Sterling Loop covering Summit and Wayne Counties. The route is 34 miles and flat to hilly. The major point of interest is Rogues’ Hollow. According to Purdum, the Famous Seven of Rogues’ Hollow are Walsh’s Saloon, Mrs. Ducey’s Saloon, The Liebert Saloon, The Hole-in-the-Wall Saloon (also known as Devil’s Den), Murray Saloon, The Jenkins Saloon, and Smith Saloon. Best of all, this area in the 1860s and 1870s was “known and feared as a hangout for rascals and scoundrels.” The eating joint recommended is Bradley’s for the Bradley Burger and Burger Fries.

Pedaling to Lunch includes great little tidbits of Northeastern Ohio history found in the columns called "Changing Gears", historical pictures, course maps and course descriptions (turn-by-turn) as well as plenty of food offerings for even the pickiest of eaters.

So do you have a favorite route you like to ride? Do you stop off at a neat place - like an old ice cream shop or a little burger joint?

Top Places to Get a Microbrew in Cleveland

Last night we dined at Deagan's. Can't say enough fantastic things about this place. The microbrew draft beer list is spot on. Amazing selection. I had a Boulder Mojo IPA (a first for me) and a Founder's Porter. Greg had three beers that their combined alcohol percentage would equal 5. Lovely place. Food was phenomenal, too. Bonus points for good food and great beer. But it got us thinking - what are some of the best places to find a good selection of microbrews. We bantered about whether the criteria would include bottles or tap, or both. I'm opting for both in this post. So here's our unofficial list. And keep in mind, we're beer snobs and independent restaurant supporters. So I don't care if Applebee's carries the latest ale, I'm not going to frequent that place.

1. Tremont Taphouse. I dare you to find a place in Cleveland with a better food/beer combination.

2. Harbour Inn. It's a Cleveland Institution and one of the largest microbrew bottle beer selection. As a bonus, if you wear your best jeans to this place, you're probably overdressed.

3. Beer Engine in Lakewood. Best overall beer tap to bottle ratio and amazing burger selection. Cool atmosphere, except for our water who freaked out when he saw my daughter sipping the remains of one of my taste samplers. Chill out, she took in less than an ounce. She doesn't start dancing on tables till we hit the 4 ounce limit.

4. Happy Dog. This has become known as Robin's Birthday place. My last birthday I celebrated here with a hot dog and a PBR. My second drink was an amazing microbrew. Hot dogs with 50 different toppings, tater tots and microbrews. Seriously, is there somewhere better to celebrate any occasion.

5. Deagan's. After tonight, we're definitely adding this place to our list. I was equally impressed with their tap and bottle selection and besides, who else can carry off a tasy burger with damn fine brussel sprouts?!

If you have more recommendations, share your knowledge!

Another Great Saturday in Cleveland

There is so much to love about this city. Obviously, my #1 fave is the Metroparks. But I also love the food scene just as much. Today we ventured to the east side to the North Union Farmer's Market on Shaker Square for some yummy fresh mini doughnuts, maple coated peanuts, apple bread and some Jonathon apples. Afterwards, we made a quick trip over to Gallucci's for a ridiculous bag load of Italian goodies - lasagna fixings, cheeses, sausage and bread. Yum yum yum!