East Side vs. West Side Holiday Throw Down

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s no surprise that festive events are popping up all over the place.  This weekend, an epic battle of holiday lights and family fun will take place across the Cuyahoga River, with Lakewood events on Saturday and University Circle festivities on Sunday.

Tupac Santa

Saturday – Lakewood

There are actually several events in Lakewood that could make up quite an interesting holiday fun day, especially if followed by dinner and/or drinks at one of Lakewood’s many local restaurants or bars.

  • Candy Cane Cruise. 3-6 PM on Clifton Blvd near West 117th. Check out vintage convertibles, ice sculpting demonstrations and a light show projected on area buildings.  Also, you can participate in a scavenger hunt-type game by picking up a Candy Cane Cruise Passport at event HQ, visit participating shops and restaurants to gain stamps, then turn it in when you’re finished for a chance to win $150. Free event. No Website. Grab a Scene and check out pages 8-9 for an ad with more info.
  • Ohio City Singers. 4 PM at Around the Corner, this local band will be performing their modern renditions of holiday classics, kicking off their Christmas concert series. $8.
  • Light Up Lakewood. 6-8 PM on Detroit near Warren. Featuring a lighting ceremony, performances by local (mostly school) choirs, dance groups and other live entertainment, trolley rides, ice sculpting, snacks and warm (family-friendly) holiday beverages. Free event.

Sunday – University Circle’s Holiday CircleFest

From 1-7 PM at University Circle, there will be tons of options for free (or close to it) things to do, including free admission to any of University Circle’s impressive museums. You can also skate on the crazy non-ice ice rink ($3 skate rental), take a horse-drawn carriage ride, purchase local arts and crafts, do some crafts of your own, enjoy live musical entertainment and munch on some free cookies. And more. Seriously, there are a ton of events with specific times for each, so if this sounds remotely interesting, check out the 2009 Holiday CircleFest Schedule.

Tip: There will be limited free parking available, but also a free shuttle bus once you make it. If you don’t want to deal with the traffic, take the RTA HealthLine and you’ll end up a very short walk away from the action.

My take? As much as it pains me to say it as a west-side girl (although now that I live downtown I guess I get to be neutral?) CircleFest sounds really impressive, and like a great way to spend a December Sunday. However, I didn’t see anything about ice sculptures at that event, so at least Lakewood’s got a one-up there.

What do you think? Heading to any of these events? Does the Lakewood hodgepodge or U Circle collection seem better to you?

If you do go to either, or both, please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Happy weekend, friends.

Filed under: Cleveland festivals, Lakewood, University Circle, Weekend Picks | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Weekend Picks: Nov. 13-15, 2009

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

Friday & Saturday

Cedar Lee Cult Film Series: Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D
Get your fright on at the Cedar Lee with a showing of Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D. Choose between 3 showtimes: Friday at 9:30 PM or midnight, or Satrday at midnight. Tickets are $6.

All Weekend

Fabulous Food Show
Foodies and homecooks rejoice: this weekend marks the return of the annual Fabulous Food Show at the IX Center. Taking place Friday-Sunday, the Food Show features food and drink exhibits and tastings from many local and national restaurants and shops, cooking demos from both local and “celebrity” chefs, and more. Ticket prices range from $25-$65 for admission, with upgrade tickets for preferred seating ($15) and tasting passports ($10) available.

Friday

Face2Face Facebook Party
Tonight, join the Face2Face masterminds and any other brave social networkers at Anatomy for an event designed to bring Facebook friends face to face. Happy hour/networking meet-and-greet from 8-10 PM, followed by an all-out fiesta from 10-close. Free before 10 PM to brave the “networking” portion; $10 if you arrive after.

After Hours Party at the Cleveland Museum of Art
From 9PM – 1AM tonight, head to the newly renovated Cleveland Museum of Art for an event highlighting this year’s Cleveland Institute of Art student showcase inspired by current art museum exhibitor Paul Gauguin.  Admission is $10 and in addition to the exhibits includes refreshments, live music and a cash bar.

Tremont Art Walk
It’s the second Friday of the month, which means it’s time for the Tremont Art Walk. It’s supposed to be a nice, crisp fall night which I think will make for an excellent event.

Saturday

Turkey Trot Wine Tasting
Looking for the perfect wine pairings for Thanksgiving? (Or maybe just a nice excuse to sample some tasty food and wines?) Then Saturday, the wineries of the Grand River Valley have your solution.  From noon – 5PM, the good folks at Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Grand River Cellars, Laurello Vineyard, and St. Joseph Vineyard will be offering wine tastings paired with Thanksgiving dish samples. Tastings are $5 per winery, or $4 each plus a canned good.

Sunday

America Recycles Day – Celebration at the Zoo
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is celebrating America Recycles Day by encouraging visitors to reduce, reuse and recycle.  With admission to the zoo ($7) on Sunday, you’ll be treated to recylcing-themed games, information about how to get started with a recycling program of your own, meet representatives from businesses that practice sustainability, check out some artwork make from upcycled materials and more. You can also drop off any materials that you want to recycle, from the standard paper/plastic to  computers, cell phones and ink cartridges.

Facelift at the Greenhouse Tavern
Keep getting your green on this Sunday by ending your day at the Greenhouse Tavern’s Facelift event, where they’ll be unveiling new artwork and rocking out with live music from the Buried Wires. Event begins at 4 PM; music at 5.

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Weekend Picks: Oct. 30 – Nov. 1

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

All Weekend

Halloweekends
This is the last weekend you’ll have the opportunity to visit America’s Rollercoast until May, so if you have a free day and some cash to blow, head west to Cedar Point for Halloweekends.

If you haven’t been, Halloweekends is DA BOMB, offering a combination of thrills (some of the best roller coasters in the world + haunted houses) that you just can’t find anywhere else.

Also, apparently after this season the Demon Drop will be no more, at least not at The Point, as it will be going far, far west to Knott’s Berry Farm in California. (WTF, right?) If you go to Halloweekends on Sunday, Cedar Point is playing a game for Demon Drop devotees to win a spot on the last ride. (Also, you can apparently get a ticket for Sunday admission for $25 if you purchase online ahead of time. That is some serious savings!)

Laura-Halloweekends

Laura, who managed to get hooked up with "stitches" from a Halloweekends makeup artist when we were there a couple of weeks ago.

Laura-Laurel-Halloweekends

Laura and I both creeping around a Halloweekends graveyard.

Friday

Halloween Eve at the Blind Pig
Tonight, starting at 8 PM, get your Halloween on early at the Blind Pig. For $20, you get all-you-can-drink Labatt Blue, Labatt Blue Light and Three Olives cocktails. Cincinnati band The Websters will perform live, and if you win the costume contest (determined between 9 and 10, and announced at midnight) you’ll go home with a $500 prize.

Friday & Saturday

Halloweekend at the Garage Bar
Celebrate Halloween Eve in Animal House (or ancient Greek) style at the Garage Bar’s toga party. 80’s tunes. Costume context with a cash prize for the winner. No cover charge.

On Halloween check out the Garage Bar’s Heroes and Villains Halloween dance party.  $100 prize each for the best hero and villain costumes. Again, no cover.

Saturday

HELLoween
Promising to be “the most badass Halloween party of the year,” HELLoween is sponsored by Metromix, and will take place at both the Grog Shop and B-Side Liquor Lounge, starting at 10 PM. The bash will feature a dance party at the B-Side, live Iron Maiden covers by Mifune in the Grog Shop at midnight, a costume context with a $100 cash first prize and some local Cleveland gift certificates for 2nd and 3rd and free psychic readings. Bonus: drink specials from Three Olives Vodka and Kraken spiced rum ($4 bombs, $3 cocktails). Admission is $5, or free to B-Side only if you’re in costume.

Bier Markt Halloween Costume Ball
The Bier Markt is celebrating Halloween in style by encouraging everyone to stay classy: dress in Prohibition-era costume and recieve a free draft beer in the Speakeasy downstairs. Or, stay up in the Markt to shake your bootie with DJ GO.

Sunday

Day of the Dead
Celebrate El Dia de los Muertos this Sunday from noon – 8 PM at the Orthodox Church & Parish Hall, 6205 Detroit Avenue. Free event featuring live music, local art, food, lectures, decorated altars and more.

Touch Brunch
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that this Sunday might be a perfect time to take Laura’s advice and head to Touch Supper Club’s Sunday brunch… Bloody Mary, anyone?

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Weekend Picks: Oct. 23-25

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

(My apologies for getting this up so late. My alarm did not go off this morning and I had no time to work on the post until now. However, just becuase I’m a slacker that doesn’t mean there aren’t some awesome events going on RIGHT NOW, and throughout the weekend.)

Again, I’d check out any remaining Cleveland Beer Week Events (specifically, the Night of the Living Dead Scavenger Hunt tonight and BREWzilla tomorrow).

Also…

All Weekend

Ghoulardifest
Celebrate Ghoulardi, a pinnacle of Cleveland pop culture, at a festival for devotees taking place Friday-Sunday at the Marriott Cleveland Airport hotel. Promising to be a “fun-filled weekend of nostalgia, sci-fi, horror and comedy,” Ghoulardifest offers appearances by Big Chuck & Little John, a screening of PBS’ Ghoulardi documentary, Midnight Movies, a Ghoulardi lookalike contest and ongoing live entertainment. Times: Friday 5-9 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 7 PM and Sunday 11 AM – 5 PM. Tickets are $12 for one day of $25 for the whole weekend.

Friday

A.J. Rocco’s 8 Year Anniversary Celebration
Until 8 PM tonight, celebrate A.J. Rocco’s awesomeness and longevity with complimentary appetizers, $3.50 pints, $1.50 off craft beers and $2.50 Labatt and Miller Light.  Also featuring Neil Chastain spinning world beats. Seriously, the people at A.J. Rocco’s are incredible, and worth celebrating.

Coffinberry at the Beachland
Local indie rock band extraordinaire, Coffinberry, is playing the Beachland Ballroom Tavern tonight at 9 PM. Doors at 8:30. Tix $6. What are you waiting for?

Saturday

Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op Ghost Ride
Dress in costume and join a group 10-mile bike ride from 6-8:30 PM  through some of Ohio City’s scariest areas. Afterward, party from 8:30-11:30 PM with your fellow bikers at a bonfire featuring food, games, beer and live folk tunes. Lights and helmets are required for the ride. Cost is $10 per person or $35 for a group of 4, which goes to supporting education about and programs at the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op.

Sunday

Breastfest Cleveland
Sunday from noon-7 PM, head over to Brother’s Lounge in Lakewood, catch performances of about a dozen female musicians and take a stand for breast cancer awareness. Tickets are $10, and proceeds go to breast cancer programs at the Cleveland Clinic.

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Warehouse Beverage: The Best Beer Store in Cleveland?

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

In honor of Cleveland Beer Week, I decided to write about my favorite Cleveland beer establishment that is not taking part in the festivities.

Warehouse Beverage

Warehouse Beverage

Warehouse Beverage (located on the east side on Mayfield Road) is a beer lover’s paradise. This tiny shop specializes in beer and wine, and you can find some unique brews that you may not be able to elsewhere. For example, I recently bought a 750 ml bottle of Autumn Maple from The Bruery, which is a Belgian-style brown ale brewed with yams, molasses, maple syrup and spices.  I can only imagine how good it will taste with Thanksgiving dinner.

What makes Warehouse Beverage really stand apart from other beer stores, though, is that they also sell home-brewing and wine-making supplies. A few weeks ago, James and I picked up a beer brewing equipment kit as well as ingredients to make our first home brew (which will hopefully be a delicious imperial nut brown ale in about two more weeks).

However, my absolute favorite thing about Warehouse Beverage is the people. Everyone there is so helpful and knowledgeable. They will talk you through anything, whether it is picking a great beer to take home and enjoy, or the intricacies of homebrewing and tips to make the best you can. When we went in to pick up some bottles, we were even helped out by a former employee that had stopped by to visit (I think his uncle is the owner, or at least a manager).

Our Homebrewing Adventure

In case you’re interested, the ingredient kit we got is from a company called Brewer’s Best, which packages ingredients and instructions in a way that really helps you learn the process. One of the gentlemen helping us at Warehouse mentioned that some people enjoy the kits so much they just continue to use them.  However, because I love to experiment in my cooking, I’m looking forward to the fact that after a couple of kits, I’ll have a really good understanding of the brewing process, and will be able to confidently  choose my own ingredients and experiment with recipes a bit.

The equipment kit is from the same company, and so far seems like a great way to start homebrewing. I’m already thinking about getting a glass carboy to replace the plastic one, but that is based on the recommendations in a book I got, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.  Honestly, the plastic one seems to be working fine. I just think I’d prefer the seeminly more simple glass option.

James and I did have a few mishaps since this is our first time homebrewing. It could potentially have something to do with the fact that we were brewing during the Browns game and also drinking Nosferatu. However, we tasted the beer several times before bottling — it hasn’t spoiled, the bottles are still intact and I think it will end up a success.

I look a tiny bit pregnant here, which I find pretty funny since I'm surrounded by beer.

I look a little pregnant here, which I find pretty funny since I'm surrounded by beer.

If you want, check out the collection of homebrewing pictures on my Flickr page.

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Weekend Picks: Oct. 16-18, 2009

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

If none of the weekend Beer Week events are up your alley, here are a few other sweet-sounding options:

All Weekend

Con on the Cob
All weekend long Con on the Cob will take place at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Hudson. A geeky convention to the core, Con on the Cob is a “celebration of games, art, freaks & fun” and features gaming, LAN tournaments, sci-fi events, anime, cult films and more.  Ticket information on the site is based on early registration, but if I understand it correctly, tickets are $25 per day or $40 for a full conference pass. (ish)

Friday

Ingenuity Fest Focus Group
Tonight, 5:30-7:30 PM at the Lakewood Park Pavilion, chat with Ingenuity organizers and other community members about how to make next year’s event (the 6th annual Ingenuity Fest) a success. Check out some of the work from festivals past and give your feedback about what you loved, what you didn’t and what you want to see more of.  Free event. Refreshments will be served.

Best of Cleveland Party
As you may have seen, this week’s Scene magazine featured its annual Best of Cleveland article. Celebrate our city and partake in its greatness tonight at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame starting at 7 PM. Sample some of our best foods and libations, check out the Rock Hall exhibits and mingle with all the other cool kids in town.

Best of Cleveland

  • General admin tix are $30 in advance/$40 at the door (party + exhibits, plus 2 beverage tickets and select access to food.)
  • VIP access is $80 advance/$90 at the door (same as above, plus access to the VIP lounge, special food selections including Sushi Rock and Lilly Handmade Chocolates, access to mini makeovers from Spa West and a swag bag)

Saturday

Fall Art
C Town Art Party is hosting its Fall Art event tomorrow starting at 5 PM at 3700 Clark Avenue, where they will have transformed a former meat-packing plant into a hip urban art gallery.  (Unfortunately, ticket info for this even is pretty non-existent)

There you have it. Have a good weekend, C-town!

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Cleveland Beer Week: Oct. 16-24

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

Today starts the much-anticipated Cleveland Beer Week, which technically is a week and a day but hey, who’s counting (or complaining).

Cleveland Beer Week

I’ll be honest… pretty much every week is beer week to me, but I’ve been looking forward to this celebration of craft brews since I first heard about it several months ago and the site was no more than a landing page. My, how far it’s come.

The Cleveland Beer Week Website hosts lots of information, including details on the more than 100 events taking place throughout the week. If you have the time and the desire, check them out for yourself here, where you can sift through it fairly easily by date, venue or event type.  You should also grab a Scene magazine, which includes a printed version of the event listing.

However, if you don’t have time or just feel the laze creeping in, following are some of the events that have caught my eye:

Four Course Beer, Fondue and Raclette Dinner
Tonight, Friday Oct. 16 from 7-9 PM, Moxie will host a 4-course dinner paired with beer selections from Merchant du Vin, featuring beers from Lindemann’s, Ayinger, Rochefort, Samuel Smith’s and Celebrator and food including breads, meats, fondues and domestic raclette. Holy yum, Batman. $45 per person.

Ommegang Beer and Cheese Pairing
Saturday, Oct. 17, head to the Beer Engine for a pairing of four Ommegang brews with four different cheeses. Cost is $10, and the event runs all day or until they run out of the goods.

Kegs and Eggs with Dogfish Head
On Sunday, Oct. 18, grab your breakfast at the Beer Engine, where they’ll be serving up some special Dogfish brews  — Festina Peche poured through peaches and blackberries, and Palo Santo poured through coffee beans. 10 AM – 1 PM.

Dogfish Head Pint Night
Meet Adam Lambert from Dogfish head and have a $4 pint with him at the Coventry Winking Lizard on Monday, Oct. 19 from 5-7 PM.

Crop/Stone Beer Dinner
Next Monday, Oct. 19, 6-8 PM, Crop Bistro will host a dinner a five-course dinner paired with Stone Levitation, Vertical Epic, IPA, Pale Ale, and Smoked Porter.  Cost is $55 per person.

Greenhouse Tavern School of Hops
The Greenhouse is hosting two different pairings:  The first (School of Hops Volume I) will be on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and feature tasting dishes will be paired with brews from New Holland Brewing. Second option (School of Hops Volume II) is on Thursday, Oct. 22 with tasting dishes paired with beers from Ithaca Beer Co.  Either choice from 6-9 PM and costs $25 per person.

Lilly Chocolate Pairings
Lilly Handmade Chocolates will showcase their favorite pairings at the Lilly Handmade Chocolates store every day during beer week. However, for special tastings off-site, check out one of the following:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 21 — Lindeman’s Lambic and Lilly Handmade Chocolates at the Beer Engine. All day event. $15 per person.
  • Also Wednesday, Oct. 21 — New Holland Vintage Dragon’s Milk with Chocolate at the Gateway and Coventry Winking Lizards. 5-7 PM. $7/each (each pairing, I assume?)
  • Thursday, Oct. 22 — Beer and Chocolate Dinner This. Sounds. Scrumptious. Five courses, savory and sweet, hosted at the Bistro on Lincoln Park, featuring chocolates from Lilly and beers from  Hitachino, Two Brothers, Dogfish Head, Nogne O, and Eisenbahn. This one is a bit pricey at $75 per person, but I’m guessing if you can swing it, it will be worth it. 6:30 PM.

Night of the Living Dead Scavenger Hunt and Haunted Houses
Next Friday (Oct. 23), in Tremont from 6 PM- midnight, dress up and scavenge around the neighborhood with other Halloween-clad beer lovers. The event begins at Southside, stops at several haunted locations including Lava Lounge and Treehouse, and concludes at midnight at Treehouse. The winner gets a trip for two to the Magic Hat Margi Gras parade in Burlington, Vermont. Can it get any better? Oh yes, the event is free! (Seriously though, it is pretty lame to go to bars and not buy anything so you should still expect to spend some cash.)

BREWzilla
This is the macdaddy of all Beer Week events, the closing ceremonies, BREWzilla. This is a huge craft beer and food festival taking place next Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6-11 PM at the Arcade. Beer from more than 5 breweries including Ommegang, Sam Smith, Lindemann’s, Dogfish Head, Stone, and Cleveland’s own Great Lakes and Indigo Imp.  Appetizers from Winking Lizard and Heinen’s, and also some treats from Lilly if you can get them fast enough.  Ticket options:

  • Brewer’s Circle. 6-7 PM early access to the event, tasting glass, 25 tasting tickets, 5 appetizer tickets, access to “circle only” brews and a Cleveland Beer Week t-shirt. $75. Worth it? I’m seriously considering it. (DD = $65 for everything but the beer tastings)
  • General admission. Admittance begins at 7 PM, tasting glass, 20 tasting tickets, 3 appetizer tickets. $50.  (DD = $40 for everything but the beer tastings)

Cheers!

Filed under: Cleveland festivals | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Lava Lounge Love

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

Last Saturday, James and I headed down to Tremont for dinner at the Lava Lounge.

He was craving their cheeseburger.

Let me step back a bit. My boyfriend has an affinity for burgers that goes beyond that of most, and the cheeseburger at Lava Lounge is hands-down his favorite burger in town.

So, because he loves this burger and I love the Lava Lounge, that is where we went. I was super happy at his suggestion to go to Tremont because he used to not be very big on the neighborhood, but I can totally tell it’s starting to grow on him.

Anyway… when we got to Lava it was pretty dead. Not always a great thing, but we were there pretty early and it was the day after an Art Walk, so I kind of expected a small crowd. We started with drinks, as usual. (Beer, as usual.)

Lava Lounge has a small but respectable selection of beer.  Only about eight on tap at a given time with about 20 in bottles. However, on draft there is not a mass-market beer (Bud, Miller, etc.) in sight — instead the Lounge opts for a selection of seasonal and year-round craft and micro brews for every taste, currently from breweries ranging from Magic Hat to Brooklyn to Flying Dog to Ommegang.

James got the Flying Dog Dogtoberfest ($4.75) while I opted for the Hennepin ($5.50) because I hadn’t had a Belgian in some time.  For dinner, he of course opted for the cheeseburger ($8.50) while my mouth immediately started watering for the Tuscan Bean Soup ($4.50).

Lava Lounge BurgerThe burger, which is topped with horseradish-dill havarti cheese and red onion jam on a ciabatta roll, was all that James was craving, though he does admit that it’s never as good as the first time he had it. (Though I have a felling this has something to do with the anticipation/expectations being so much higher after having tasted it the first time.) It’s served with frites that are tasty, and unique in that they are battered before being fried.

Tuscan Bean Soup

The bean soup was the perfect meal for one of the first truly chilly evenings of the fall. Piping hot, tomato-y, with soft beans and topped with fresh basil and really good quality hard Italian cheese (I’d guess Parmesan-Reggiano).

After round one, we were pretty stuffed so we decided to visit our friend Sarah, who lives down the street from Lava, for a bit before heading back to try the Espresso Creme Brulee that caught both of our eyes. About an hour later, we were back as promised with another friend, Kristy, in tow.

Ho. Ly. Cow. Was that creme brulee ($5.50) delicious. As our waitress pointed out, often creme brulee is overly sweet, but the espresso cut that so well, and the fresh strawberries on top provided just enough acidity and freshness to make this one of the most perfect desserts I’ve had in a long time. Oh, and to top it off we both paired it the Brooklyn Stout ($4.75) from the tap. (Honestly, not 100% sure which beer this was because I thought I heard “mocha,” which doesn’t exist from Brooklyn, but I am pretty sure it was the Black Chocolate Stout.)

All gone!

All gone!

(Kristy got an order of frites for $5, and the portion was so large that she ended up boxing half to take home. Good deal!)

All in all, we spent about $50, which for a Saturday night is really not so bad for two. However, if you want to check out the Lava Lounge without forking over quite so much of your hard-earned cash, check them out during happy hour, any weeknight from 4-8 PM. During this time, several dishes (including James’ cheeseburger) and drinks (including knock-your-socks-off martinis) are discounted.

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I’m a bad blogger

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

Sorry to disappoint the 3 people that may look forward to our weekend picks posts, but there will be none today. I’ve been out of town all week for a business trip and out of the cleveland loop.

Weekend picks will return next Friday. In the meantime, if you’re bored tonight both Laura and I will be at the Rock Bottom Brewery for happy hour with some friends. Come say hi.

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Get in Touch

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Laura Novak

I would be remiss if I went any longer without sharing one of my Sunday favorites with you, Touch Supper Club. Tucked away on Lorain Road in Ohio City, Touch has one of the best brunches I’ve had since Pickwick and Frolic - Anyone know when that’s coming back?…

Don't be fooled by the store front, there's plenty of room inside!

Don't be fooled by the store front, there's plenty of room inside!

Anyway, Touch, yes Touch Supper Club offers brunch 11am – 5pm every Sunday. The menu features some interesting items like Chorizo and Jalapeno Cornbread ($7) done biscuits and gravy style (I know, right?) This is my boyfriend, Logan’s, absolute favorite. In fact, he’s never ordered anything else. I, on the other hand, have sampled many menu items and enjoy the Tempura Chicken and Waffles ($7) served with a side of crispy tater tots. The perfect combination of sweet and salty! There also plenty of other options like omelets, breakfast sandwiches and burritos, oh, and fruity pebble pancakes – I’ll leave those for you to try. The most expensive item is $10 but most choices range $5 – $8.

Touch also takes one of my personal favorites, Bloody Mary’s, and kicks it up a notch with the Bloody Mary Bar!!! Not only does Touch offer a variety of mixers, 40+ hot sauces, spices, pickles, olives, celery, etc., they also serve their own vodka infusion specialties. How does potato and bacon vodkaBlood Mary Bar sound? What about a mango horseradish or rosemary herb bloody mary?  Their latest infusion wasabi soy vodka has an amazing flavor and mixes so well with clamato juice and celery salt.
There’s more vodkas for you to try, I think 6 or 7 currently.

Touch is great for an inexpensive Sunday brunch, around $25 – $30 with bloody mary bar included. I do have one comment about Touch to add, they’re not exactly consistent. For one Sunday to the next you can expect delicious food, but don’t expect the same flavor or presentation. Take the Chorizo and Cornbread for example – it’s always tasty, but sometimes it’s spicier, sometimes the cornbread is softer or drier. Service goes that way too – sometimes your server never lets your coffee cup go below half and sometimes you ask twice for the same refill, either way the coffee is good.

All in all Touch is for sure worth a try. Why not tell them Cleveland Yuppie sent you. It probably won’t get you anything more than a strange look…you never know though.

Filed under: Cleveland Bars, Cleveland Restaurants, Ohio City | 5 Comments »

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