Great Lakes Brewing Co. | CLE

The Cleveland crew and I kicked off a night of brewery hopping through the Ohio City neighborhood's Market District with award winning craft beer and hearty local fare at Great Lakes Brewing Company.  The evening begins with a pitcher of Dortmunder Gold, a smooth lager that strikes a balance between sweet malts and dry hops. What follows are terrific appetizers including Smoked Chicken Wings, Brewers Barley Pretzels and a Sausage Sampler Plate. The beer sampling continues, I was a fan of both the Burning River Pale Ale with assertive citrusy cascade hops and the Holy Moses White Ale, a limited release Belgian wit spiced with coriander, orange peel and chamomile. 

The Stilton Cheddar Ale Soup made with Dortmunder Gold is thick, smooth and ultra cheesy. It makes for a solid entrée alongside a lighter Roasted Red and Golden Beet Salad with bib lettuce, feta, fresh basil, olive oil and red wine vinegar. The Pretzel Chicken proves an inventive entrée with classic sides of mashed potatoes, green beans, relish and a Burning River Pale Ale Mustard Sauce. For dessert, the warm Raisin Bread Pudding and made-down-the-street small batch ice cream is a sweet ending paired with the Alberta Clipper Porter featuring notes of bittersweet chocolate and fresh raspberry.

We spent the rest the evening just up the street at Market Garden Brewery and later Nano Brew. Local owner and brew-master Sam McNutly leads our behind the scenes crawl, we sample a ton of his excellent beers and it makes for a really fun night out in Cleveland.

Great Lakes Brewing Company

2516 Market Ave

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

I have been sharing a lot about the food scene but make no mistake there is a lot to see and do in Cleveland, too! Without a doubt The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should be at the top of that list. Situated on the banks of Lake Erie in the developing North Coast Harbor area, this museum is pretty spectacular. Only a small glimpse was captured through my camera, but, I was enamored with: The Herb Ritz Rock Portraits exhibit (the man notorious for his Rolling Stone covers), Paul Simon Words and Music - a new exhibit in the first person narrative style, and, of course, The Inductee Hall of Fame exhibit with an endless showcase of major artifacts and funky memorabilia. Fun Fact: I am a huge Paul Simon fan. I grew up to the tunes of Graceland, it ranks up there as one of my favorite albums of all time. Songs like Boy in the Bubble, I Know What I Know, Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes and of course Cal Me Al are revelations in music. I was lucky to see him play at The House of Blues in 2011. A lot of the crew breezed through his exhibit while I lingered behind, so excited to take this all in.

A couple of hours here barely felt like enough! There are four state of the art theaters, a really neat dark room with inductee signatures and some fun interactive kiosks. Give yourself plenty of time to linger!

Adult Admission - $22 / Children - $13

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
1100 E 9th St

Cleveland, OH 44114

Lolita | Cleveland

At Chef Michael Symon's chic and cozy Mediterranean bistro Lolita, there's an understated brilliance working its way into his dishes. Take the exemplary House made Pork Rinds ($6) which achieve a light and airy crispness, benefiting from a simple chili and lime seasoning that ever so nicely cuts their natural saltiness. The Crispy Pig Tails & Ears ($10) are another outstanding demonstration of the chefs prodigious ways with pork. The textures are spot on where crispy yet tender forkfuls meet a fennel-onion agrodolce, pickled chilies and cilantro. The Carrot Agnolotti ($18) presents elegantly braised rabbit that has been shredded and is bathing in a gorgeous, bright heirloom carrot agrumato. Side dishes of Fried Brussels Sprouts ($6) laced with caper, anchovy and walnut and Broccolini ($6) seasoned in Calabrian chili, olive oil, garlic, lemon and breadcrumb prove themselves worthy to stand alongside all these tremendous meat dishes. 

Cocktails are inventive and inspired. The Port Authority ($11) made with Makers Mark bourbon, LBV port, balsamic reduction and basil offers unique and deep flavors. The wine list is thoughtful and widely sourced despite the one Rosé offering of Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare ($12). I am always going to be on the lookout for Rosé this time of year. 

The small space is relaxing and tasteful, where soft lighting and exposed brick meet elaborate pressed gold ceilings. Heavy framed slate windows gaze out over a quaint block in the neighborhood of Tremont. Lolita would be the perfect host for an intimate girls dinner or a date night. The Destination Cleveland crew as a whole was thoroughly impressed with our first dinner out in C-Land. 

Lolita

Tremont

900 Literary Road

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Happy Dog | Cleveland

Get your gourmet hot dog fix (for Clevelanders, such a thing exists) at the gritty, retro-hip neighborhood corner bar, Happy Dog. The interior remains largely unchanged since it was built in the 1940s; heralded by an oval wood racetrack bar and chrome barstools, outfitted with raised scallop paneling and dangling globe light fixtures. Downstairs at Underdog, pinball machines stand out against dim lighting and black fixtures. 

The kitchen offers locally made all beef hot dogs, veggie dogs (vegan Italian sausages), crispy tater tots and slender French fries. These are accompanied by a massive selection of toppings, all house made. The menus are designed as a choose your own hot dog adventure where you pencil in your order and are encouraged to get creative. Top your dog with a classic vodka sauerkraut, a zesty Caribbean coleslaw, perhaps a pimento mac-n-cheese or even Froot Loops cereal! The sauces range from traditional: house made ketchup, Bertman Original Ballpark mustard, sriracha sauce to intriguing: black truffle honey mustard and Alabama-Style white barbeque. All of them that we sample are excellent.

For those feeling daunted by the topping selection but still up for something wacky, I recommend you go for a suggestive wiener from the list of signature happy dogs. The East Meets West comes slathered in crunchy peanut butter, dressed up with Thai chili and garlic sauce, topped with do chua (Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots) and garlicky escarole. A 1:45 am Special features apple wood smoked bacon, cheddar, chipotle hollandaise and a fried egg. Wash down your dogs and tots with a local beer on draft like the Bell's Two-Hearted Ale (Kalamazoo, MI) or the Fat Heads Head Hunter IPA (North Olmstead, OH). They offer a large selection of domestic and imports including some funky Eastern European beers. 

The East Meets West was my order and let me tell you, crunchy peanut butter on a hot dog is a revelation. Not to mention the rest of those toppings somehow all compliment each other in perfect harmony. 

Our CLE crew was in for lunch and the bar was relatively quiet. They have live music most nights and are open until midnight so I imagine an upbeat crowd. The Happy Dog is unmistakably authentic. This place makes me very happy, indeed. 

Happy Dog
Gordon Square Arts District / 
Detroit Shoreway 

5801 Detroit Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44102

Pour Cleveland

Start your day in the CLE at Pour - a multi roaster coffee and espresso bar in the Gateway District. The owner Charlie Eisenstat meticulously sources and rotates in blends from roasters all over the country to keep things fun and fresh. The baristas are friendly and knowledgeable. Relax and enjoy a strong cup of pour-over coffee alongside locally made bagels and pastries in the ultra clean and modern light-filled space.

Pour Cleveland

Gateway District / E 4th St

530 Euclid Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Cleveland Makes a Comeback

There was a grim point in time in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, marked primarily by the decline of the steel and iron industries in the 1970's. The urban environment was largely forsaken and you can sense it in certain city districts where abandoned warehouses are slowly starting to come back to life. The recession didn't help matters, in fact it hit them pretty hard. 

As one local put it "You just had to grind it out - we grind till we shine, there's always a struggle, we always get through it."   

This sense of resilience and pride emanates from all the Clevelanders I mingle with; and in this gritty meets sophisticated Ohio city situated on the banks of Lake Erie, now is the time of revitalization and renewal. Said abandoned warehouses are being transformed into loft apartments, restaurants and retail space. Downtown districts are coming back to life, seeing a 98% full occupancy housing rate, the demand has skyrocketed. Local entrepreneurs are sinking roots, while Blue Collar neighborhoods remain true to theirs, and a vibrant spirit emerges. It is an exciting time to live in Cleveland and an exciting time to visit. What this city has to offer is sure to surprise you if you give her the chance. 

Getting Here: Jet Blue is now offering direct flights from Boston Logan and Fort Lauderdale, Florida into Cleveland Hopkins International. Bostonians - with flight time clocking in at less than an hour and a half, it makes for an easy getaway!
Getting Around: A light rail system known as The Rapid connects the airport with downtown, Ohio City, and University Circle area. The downtown districts are walkable. A rental car is a worthwhile option to reach other neighborhoods. 
Pictured Above (in order): The Flats District | Bridge crossing the Coyahoga River | Market Garden Brewery | Ohio City Neighborhood | The Arcade on Euclid | Fried Brussels Sprouts @ The Greenhouse Tavern | Playhouse Square (Theater District) | Carrot Agnolotti @ Lolita | World's largest outdoor chandelier(!) | Gateway District | Bacon wrapped Pork Loin @ Prosperity Social Club |
Where to Eat & Drink: This Midwestern cities food scene has long been influenced by its Eastern European roots - notably hearty fare like perogies, kielbasa and sausage. Today the culinary renaissance is largely accredited to Cleveland born Celebrity Chef Michael Symon (James Beard Award Winner, Iron Chef America Fame). Look to future posts that will individually highlight quintessential neighborhood restaurants and bars. 
Pictured Below (in order): The Arcade take 2 | Bar Cento | Black Pepper Bucatini @ The Greenhouse Tavern  | Ohio City take 2 | The Mayweather Building | East 9th & Euclid Avenue | Pretzel Crusted Chicken @ Great Lakes Brewing Company | Market Square | Gateway District accommodations |

I visited Cleveland on a press trip and I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity. I can't wait to share with you guys some of the fun things to do here!!

This trip was sponsored by the awesome crew @ Destination Cleveland; they covered all expenses including round-trip airfare on Jet Blue, accommodations at the Downtown Residence Inn Marriot, meals, and transportation throughout the city. I am not obligated to write about this trip, all opinions are my own.