Rutabaga Nights (5/02)

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Rutabaga Nights - Lakewood Earth and Food's First Annual Fundraising Gala

Support local food and celebrate the growing season at the first Rutabaga Nights, Lakewood Earth & Food's First Annual Fundraising Gala! Live music, local food and beer throughout the evening. Tons of great art, gift certificates and tickets will be available through a silent auction. Proceeds will benefit LEAF and City Fresh.



Bands Performing at Rutabaga Nights include Outside Jakes (Folk), Mobius (Jazz Quintet), Good Things (World Music), Green Escalators (Indie) and Hobo Monk (Eclectic). Katherine and Jen from WRUW's Maximum Consumption will be spinning food related party music all night between bands.

Yummy food will be graciously provided by 56 West, Bon Appetit Management Company, Buckeye Beer Engine, Dewey's Pizza, Gypsy Beans, India Garden, Italian Creations, Karen Bosworth Confections, Lakewood Phoenix Café, La Pita Express, Lolita and Melt.

In addition to the live music and great food, there will also be an interactive video sandbox and playstation with real sand and dirt, sounds fun!

The event is being held at the historic Lake Erie Screw Factory (Bird Town area of Lakewood at 13000 Athens Ave) Tickets are $25 per person, $15 for students. Tickets are available at Green Smart Gifts 14534 Detroit Ave, Gypsy Beans 6425 Detroit Ave, and Lakewood Phoenix Café 15108 Detroit Ave.

For more information on LEAF visit www.leafcommunity.org

Vintage Cleveland

Just a fun find that I wanted to share. Enjoy your Wednesday Cleveland. If it's good weather take your bike and go for a spin over this bridge for a great workout!

Deck Art Opening (5/02)

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Where can you find the most “rad,” “sick,” and “tight,” decks this weekend? Nope, not at your local half pipe skate park but rather at the opening of the “Deck Wreckers” exhibit opening at the Pop Shop. The exhibit includes a mix of over 25 uniquely designed skateboards from edgy area artists. No grip tape or posers allowed. :) Sweet!



6pm at The Pop Shop Gallery, 17020 Madison Ave. Lakewood

A Girls Guide to Coffee (5/03)

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

Everything you need to know can be learned behind the counter of the Steamed Bean Coffee House, at the hands of barista-extraordinaire Alex. Join her as she grapples with life, love, death, and decaf beans in her quest for the Holy Grail of espresso: The Perfect Latte. Part of the Cleveland Playhouse Fusiofest 2009.



Written by Eric Coble, directed by Seth Gordon. 4:00pm @ Studio One in Cleveland Playhouse. For $10 tickets visit www.clevelandplayhouse.com

Dogugaeshi (4/30-5/03)

“A gorgeous..cavorting..dance...it will come to you as far as you let it in” - The New York Times

Dogugaeshi by Basil Twist : Meet George Marvin Brush—Don Quixote come to Main Street in the Great Depression, and one of Thornton Wilder’s most memorable characters. A traveling textbook salesman, he is also a fervent religious convert determined to lead “a good life.” In a startlingly relevant tale of religion and tolerance—with poignant and sometimes hilarious consequences—his travels take him through smoking cars, bawdy houses, banks, and campgrounds from Texas to Illinois—and into the soul of America.



The multidisciplinary production blends Twist's signature puppetry with video projection design by Peter Flaherty, Lighting design by Andrew Hill and sound design by Greg Duffin.

Thursday, April 30th @ 7:30pm, Friday, May 1st @ 7:30pm, Saturday, May 2nd @ 3:00 & 7:30pm, Sunday, May 3rd @ 3:00 & 7:30pm

For tickets visit www.clevelandart.org/events/BasilTwist.aspx for more about the production visit www.basiltwist.com

Melvis Strikes Back

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Let's Go Cavs!

Who doesn't LOVE new shoes?



Good luck tonight Cleveland Cavaliers, game time 7pm on ESPN

Road Trip : Bike Museum

It’s supposed to be such a nice weekend, why not plan to take a LONG bike ride (almost 200 miles Yo!) to the Bicycle Museum of America in New Bremen, OH (3 hrs by car).

The Museum has more than 300 bikes on display and more than 1,000 sets of wheels on rotation. Take a tour or explore the collection on your own, no helmets required! :) The museum covers the history of the bike from the early 1800’s to the most recent BMX designs.



For more details on this Ohio gem, visit www.bicyclemuseum.com.

Art Mart (4/23-5/01)

Looking to add to your art collection without breaking the bank? How about fulfilling your undying urge to accessorize? I haven't actually been yet, but I am planning on swinging by on Friday pre-Cavs game; GO CAVS!

With over one hundred regional artists exhibiting (paintings, photography, prints, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, and more) gather all the mall rats and personal shoppers and bring ‘em over. Art sales benefit both individual artists and SPACES.

Artists will be restocking their work throughout the run of the exhibition. Come as often as you like during gallery hours. Admission during normal gallery hours is free. Gallery Hours : Tues-Thu 11-5:30, Fri 11-7, Sat 11-5:30 and Sun 1-5. Spaces Gallery : 2220 Superior Viaduct Cleveland, OH 44113 (www.spacesgallery.org)

Looking for love?

A few weeks ago I asked a fellow blogger to write a little ditty on finding love in Cleveland. As the voice behind 27 Dress in Cleveland she is an (almost) expert in dating, weddings and searching for love. I hope you enjoy her advice, I found it to be interesting....as I would have never thought of Heinens?



Hi, i heart cleveland readers! I’m "Always a Bridesmaid," moseyin’ on over here give my two cents about the best places to date and find love in Cleveland. (Well, maybe not the best, considering I’m still single. But really, really good places.)

Anyhow, if you’re over the bar scene (I know I am) and need other ideas for where to meet (or court) a potential mate, check out the list below:

LOOKING FOR MR. or MS. RIGHT
If you’re on the West side of town, pop into Heinen’s in Rocky River. Holy hottie alert, Batman! Stop in any time after 6pm on a weeknite and you’ll find lots of peeps who have just come from working out and don’t feel like going home to cook for a table of one. Hint: the pre-prepared food section is a goldmine for singles! (Sidenote: I went to a wedding last year for a couple who met in the sports drink aisle here!)

FOR A LOW-KEY DATE
Who doesn’t like a cuppa joe for an early courtship get-to-know-you date? Check out the newly opened Erie Island Coffee Company on East 4th St. downtown. The inside décor is modern and chic and the folks working there are mighty nice too. A bonus? The seating in the window area, where you can check out everyone passing by. (Which could be a welcome distraction if your date isn’t going so well!)

IF YOU WANT TO IMPRESS HIM/HER
Ever been to Ponte Vecchio (? Located on the Superior Viaduct bridge downtown (its name actually means “old bridge”), this cozy little spot is the perfect setting for a romantic Italian dinner. (Take it from an Italian girl!) The stars (and the city!) look amazing lit up from there at nite.

Know of other potential “meet your mate” places? Visit my blog and drop me a note, I can use all the help I can get.

Iced Coffee Day (4/21)

For a store location near you visit www.dunkindonuts.com

Meet Miss Butler (4/17)

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Are you a lover of pattern and fabrics? Hip handbags and stylish “to-do” projects? Do you know who the Midwest maven, Amy Butler is? Well if you do then you surely won’t miss the opportunity to meet the designer behind the fresh patterns that are taking the world of sewing, quilting (I LOVE her cozy quilts!) and crafting by storm. Amy’s designs (www.amybutlerdesign.com) have a clean, fresh look in fabrics, tableware, fashion, home dec, and more. Her products and her work are smattered all over the pages of magazines like Lucky, Domino (R.I.P.), Country Living, and Martha Stewart Living.



Join the seamstresses over at Stitch Cleveland (www.stitchcleveland.com) as they welcome Amy to their store for a meet and greet with artist Amy. Peruse the Amy Butler trunk show (in store until April 22nd) including the Sophia bag, Weekender, Cabo Halter, Anna Tunic, Domestic Goddess apron-and more. Snacks and refreshments to be served...and don’t forget to bring your books to be signed. We also have copies for purchase as well as a new shipment of her patterns and select fabrics.


6-8pm. Stitch Cleveland is located at 1387 Sloane Avenue, Lakewood

"polo" anyone? (4/18)

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

This weekend head out to the Harold Clark Tennis Courts (located on South Marginal Rd. opposite Burke Lakefront Airport) for something other than a game of doubles.

Pedal Republik of Cleveland presents the first Bike Polo Tournament around town. Be there! Registration begins at 10am while the game play kicks off at 11am. (actual race at 4pm) Free for spectators, $10 bike team and $5 for a single rider.



For more information or to check out upcoming races and such visit pedalrepublik.ning.com

French Music Fest (4/17)

Friday, April 17th, 2008

If you wish to spend an evening with a cup of espresso (or Brooklyn Ale) and some European tunes, put this event on your weekend to-do list. Bella Dubby Cafe will welcome a group of musicians from France and Switzerland to fill the coffee shop with music from across the pond. Some electronic, some french-punk and a bit of "noise" to get the party started.

Tamagawa - France (Abstract musik between earth, spacemen 3 and velvet underground.)

B°tong - Switzerland (Electroni-k between throbbing gristle and lustmord.)

Oldine - Paris (Ambient rock between brian eno and sonik boom.)

Shit - France (D.I.Y. noise between bastard noise or sunn. Singer in cult band Vomit For Breakfast.)



Drawing of Oldine by Martina (from Hamburg)

For directions to Bella Dubby visit www.myspace.com/beladubby

Eggshell-LAND; the movie (4/17-18)

Friday, April 17th & Saturday, April 18th, 2009



Lyndhurst residents Ron and Betty Manolio, who have been decorating their Linden Lane yard with thousands of brightly colored egg shells for 52 years, are the subjects of a new documentary "Eggshelland: The Movie" follows a year in the life of the Manolios as they planned and set up their annual Easter display for 2004. Producer and Director Christopher Noice, who was then living in Mayfield Heights, came up with the idea for a documentary the first time he visited Eggshelland in 1985.



The film will premiere April 17th & 18th, 7pm at Cedar Lee Theatre, (Cleveland Heights) For more information about the film visit www.eggshellandmovie.com

Stuff your face (4/11)

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Always dreamt of becoming the next Kobayashi, (National Hot Dog Eating Champion?) ...you have to start somewhere.

To celebrate the kick off of Tribe baseball season, Zog Dogs (www.zogdogs.webs.com) in Rocky River is hosting it’s first annual hot dog eating contest. Get there early pre-reistratiopn is required.

Free peanuts and popcorn for all attendees, wear your Tribe attire and they will kick in a free drink to wash your dog down. Not into the whole processed meat thing? No worries, they also offer grilled cheese sandwiches, yummm.



Festivities begin at 11am | Zog Dogs is located at 21800 Center Ridge Rd.

Tribe Gourmet

For those of you headed to Progressive Field for Opening Day, take note, there is more to baseball-gourmet than peanuts, crackerjacks and I-shaped soft pretzels...



The Indians and the Cleveland Clinic have teamed up to create a menu that is healthier than hot dog and nachos. Under the Go! Foods program, which the Clinic created to help people identify healthier foods, the ballpark will begin serving foods that have zero grams of trans fat; less than four grams per serving of saturated fat, added sugars or syrups; 100% whole grains; and 600 milligrams or less of sodium.

Some of the examples of healthy dishes available will be sweet potato “fries,” vegetable chili, Waldorf salad, salmon sliders, grilled chicken breasts, chocolate bars and frozen banana chips dipped in dark chocolate. The healthy menu will be available to all at a new concession stand near Gate A in Section 162.

I may try it out, but there is just something about a soft pretzels with stadium mustard, make my heart melt.

Egg Hunt (4/11)

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Young & old are cordially invited to kick off the 10th anniversary season of Hershey Children’s Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden with their annual eggs-travaganza.



Bring your little bunnies ages 3-10 to search for eggs-ellent treats, to hear stories, do crafts and play games. Kids can also shake hands with an international star, the Easter Bunny! The spring scene allows kids to discover treasures among emerging cattails, amidst blooming daffodils or at the foot of a newly green weeping willow. ( I love willow trees!)

11-12:30 pm $8 member child; $12nonmember child, Free/member adult; $7.50 nonmember adult | To reserve your spot call (216) 721-1600 ext. 100 | Cleveland Botanical Garden 11030 East Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44106

JJ Magazine New Release (4/09)

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Looking to tear it up on the dance floor this week? Look no further than this weeks cd release party of JJ Magazines lastest creation... to show us how to "shake 'em down." For more info on the band visit www.jjmagazine.com

This weeks release party will be held at The Matinee (Cleveland) and is located in the historic area of Tremont/Ohio City. 2527 West 25th Street. (For more info on Matinee visit www.myspace.com/matineecleveland

Opening music provided by Stimulous Package & DJ Blackbird, Doors at 9pm.



Photography by Lauren Parselles www.parsellsphotography.com

Free Grand Slam (4/08)

Maybe because it's week one of Major League Baseball? Or maybe it's because life is too short not to share breakfast with your best friend?



Anybody up for breakfast this week?

Cleveland? Rock Hall?

As friday swings into full action and the city swells with excitement over this weekends inductions, many of us will be reflecting on how music has impacted our life.

So, I was thinking... Why is the Rock Hall in Cleveland to begin with? How did it come about? Why would Cleveland be the place to celebrate rock ‘n roll? After a quick trip around the web here is the story....

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created April 20, 1983. However, it had no home. The search committee considered several cities, including Memphis, Cincinnati, New York, and Cleveland. Cleveland lobbied hard to be chosen, citing that Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed is widely credited with promoting the new genre (and the term) of "rock and roll", and that Cleveland was the location of the first rock and roll concert. Civic leaders in Cleveland pledged $65 million in public money to fund the construction. A petition drive was signed by 600,000 fans favoring Cleveland over Memphis, and a USA Today poll which Cleveland won by 100,000 votes. The hall of fame board voted to build the museum in Cleveland.

Never been downtown to check out the museum? This Saturday is FREE Day at the party palace, sponsored by medical mutual. Not only will the museum be decked for the weekend guests and celebrations there will also be live performances throughout the day including Pale Hollow / Rock Your Way To Cleveland YouTube contest winner (1-1:45), Decade / Plain Dealer Cleveland Rocks 09 winner (2-2:45) and Consumer Republic / 2008 Fortune Battle of the Bands winner (3-3:45)

For a full listing of the weekend events visit www.rockhall.com/induction2009/events

Bob Evans in Esquire

Every once and awhile I do a huge magazine purge. I plan on a few hours, a few glasses of wine and a few boxes of paper recycling! I plan on also discovering many fun and exciting things I get to share with all of you!

Open...the March Issue of Esquire Magazine (one of my favorite subscriptions)



The editors at Esquire have spoken and Ohio-based Bob Evans makes the cut for top hot spots in Ohio for the perfect breakfast (along with Tommy’s on Coventry). They rave about the pig sausage and farmhouse butter biscuits being a perfect chain feast, with the best “grease to gristle ratio,” (my arteries already feel tight)

Anyways, I thought today I would offer a bit of breakfast inspiration as well as Ohio/ Bob Evans History for those of us who aren’t super familiar with “bob.” Enjoy.



In 1948, Bob Evans opened a 12-stool, 24-hour restaurant where he served hot, homestyle meals at a value. When he couldn’t find high quality sausage to serve his customers, Bob started making his own recipe on his farm in southeast Ohio.

From the day that first restaurant opened, homestyle hospitality became synonymous with Bob Evans. In fact, Bob and his wife, Jewell, were like family to a lot of people. They started filming television commercials in their own kitchen at the Homestead, inviting folks to “come on down and visit us” at the farm in Rio Grande, Ohio. So many people dropped by that, after awhile, their kitchen just wasn’t big enough to accommodate everyone. That’s when the Sausage Shop was built, which is now a Bob Evans Restaurant, just a short walk from the Homestead. Since then, the original Sausage Shop has been enlarged three times and is as popular as ever.

In every Bob Evans Restaurant across the country, they still serve authentic homestyle goodness inspired by family recipes.They still insist on farm-fresh food, and offer family-friendly prices and a warm smile. You can even find the fresh sausage, homestyle sides and family dinners in your local grocer.

As a farmer, a neighbor and a visionary, Bob Evans showed the Ohio soil was good for growing a lot of things, including one remarkable legacy. Bob Evans (1918-2007) www.bobevans.com

You've been punked!

Although I have BIG dreams for this blog, and would absolutely welcome ALL of these opportunities (okay Kim?), I think my April Fools prank worked, and you've all been "punked."

I received a comment earlier and didn't publish it, as I wanted to keep the fun alive all day but it best captured the spirit of the silly post.

"OK, I'm a little torn on this one. On side I'm like "holy crap! this is such exciting news." But then a small little voice comes out and reminds me that today is April Fool's day. Hmmm...everybody is capable of a simple prank I guess. But then I go back to the other side and think that there are no ends to what amazing things this author can do, so then I start to believe all this good news..... Except for the Lebron interview. Maybe I can understand Al Roker but I think interviewing Lebron would be hard to keep a secret. Regardless, I'm choosing to be happy and excited for our very own. Besides, I don't want to ruin my chances at being invited to a few Tribe games, eat at nice restaurants and see good plays. Congrats!"



Thanks to all of the kind words and support. I LOVE writing the blog, keep the fun events coming, get out there and make Cleveland as special as it truly is. PARTICIPATE. Support your local business owners. Stand up and speak for why YOU love Cleveland.

VERY Cool Stuff.

Hello Cleveland.
Can you believe we are already in quarter #2 of ‘09? I surely can’t.

Over the past few months there has been lots of action floating around my little blog. With a handful of readers each day, I constantly question whether the optimistic tune of my thoughts and feelings are reaching out and making a small daily difference. I usually devote a few hours a week to organizing my thoughts around what I am going to say, researching exciting Cleveland happenings and developing small stories that I think much of Cleveland could be interested in. It’s rather time intensive.

With that said I have been approached by numerous readers to develop a successful and profitable partnership in order to keep this blog alive and well. I think you will all be as excited as I am about these opportunities.

Known for her clever sense of fashion and style, Cleveland Plain Dealer Style Editor Kim Crow has approached me and offered to send me on a monthly style shopping trip. I will receive a shopping stipend as long as the PD can piggy-back on my monthly post. I am making my list of fun fashionable Cleveland hot spots right now. I can barely contain my excitement!

Because of the many rave reviews the blog has provided to many area “star” chefs including Michael Symon (Lola's & Lolita’s) and Jonathan Sawyer (Greenhouse Tavern), iheartcleveland has been asked to partner with the local organization Cleveland Originals. Promoting area restaurant “deals & steals” as well as their quarterly discounted gift certificate sales, the blog will be provided a handful of gift certificates to distribute to you, our readers, for FREE in exchange for feedback on your dining experience. I should have these opportunities posted within the month, so stay tuned!

Playhouse Square has recently approached me about possibly partnering with them on a special “iheartplayhousesquare ticket package.” Tickets to many of the hot, mainly sold-out shows will be awarded for the first ten comments to any of our Playhouse Square event postings. Those who comment first will receive complimentary tickets in the special loge area as well as a free intermission cocktail coupon. Some of the upcoming shows that I would LOVE to see at Playhouse Square include Neko Case and Mary Poppins. Be on the lookout for those posts and your opportunity to see them free!

Not that I write too much about area sports, but someone was looking out for me when the blog got mentioned at a recent Indians “viral” marketing meeting. Bob DiBiasio, Cleveland Indians Vice President of Public Relations, recently contacted me about an exciting opportunity writing for the Indians Blog on more of a social, “Tribe Around Town” feature. I will have a press pass and be privileged to sit in the media boxes during all of the summer baseball games along some of the best in the journalism world. This alone makes me think that my time spent writing this blog has been completely worth it! Go Tribe! (My one question...does the gig include free I-shaped soft pretzels?)

Last but not least, a few months ago I sent out a “guest blog request,” to some of our Cleveland celebs. I had GREAT response. Stay tuned for some of my first one-on-one interviews including my morning spent with basketball phenom; Lebron James!!!! (Al Roker’s interview was a blast too, he even sent me these cool NBC rain boots & umbrella after the interview...I love you Al!)

So, as I sometimes wonder if anyone is reading or even cares about my “hobby” I guess it doesn't matter as long as I am having fun and enjoying each and ever day in Cleveland. :) www.iheartcleveland.com Pass it on!