sweets

Jim Alescis Place // OBA March Meetup

March 25, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

A week ago from Sunday I had the privilege to attend a meet and greet style event at Jim Alesci’s Place in their new Solon location with the Ohio Blogging Association gals! I arrived before anyone else because apparently I overestimated how much time it would take to drive to Solon from Akron (PS. only 25 minutes). My early arrival provided ample time for me to do a little exploring of the store on my own beforehand.

I had not visited the old location so I have little point of reference in that regard, but I can say from the moment I began wandering, I felt like I was home. See, my Italian mother no longer lives nearby, so I’m no longer receiving my daily dose of Italian family stuff. Ha!

But in all seriousness, this place is incredible. The staff (comprised of mostly family or “extended family”), were the most hospitable group of people (outside of my own family, obvy), that I’ve ever met. They did the very thing I’ve come to expect from my own family — go above and beyond to make sure we were well fed, comfortable and above all, happy.

I loved hearing about how Alesci’s really is a family store. Jim Alesci’s grandfather started baking bread in the states shortly after arriving from Italy. From there, the family opened up a storefront in the 90s. And Alesci’s has grown into a Cleveland tradition.

First things first… let’s talk cheese. Or as we say in Italian, Antipasto. I loved them all. Every last one of them: soft cheeses; hard cheeses; new and old. Every. ONE.

But one in particular stood out among the crowd — Frank’s Gouda. At least that’s what I think it’s called. Cause I was in a cheese coma. In fact, just thinking about this cheese right now? Makes me delusional. No joke.

Just when I thought my belly couldn’t be more full (PS. you can never have too much of this gouda), we were led on an official tour of the store. I loved meeting the whole family and hearing each of them give their personal spin on the store. Each of them has a unique story that truly gives Alesci’s that family feel that is insanely special.

[Pictured clockwise from upper left: Italian Beef Slider;
Pancetta Pasta Salad; Eggplant Parmesan; Roasted Beet Salad]

But let’s get to the food. Gah! All of the family-style food! Fifteen “tasting” courses. I say “tasting” because honestly, it was all family-style. I feel deprived of real Italian food, so I really, really, indulged in the courses. Like, I gave it my all to try and finish each course.

[Pictured clockwise from top: Sicilian Pizza; Roasted Veggies; Chicken Pot Pie]

One of the woman who was helping to serve us is not technically family; but she is definitely Italian. And as she checked on me several times to make sure I was satisfied with the meals. I think she uttered something along the lines of I’m sorry about the portions… to which I replied “are you serious,” and followed it up with a comment about how that is SO typical Italian mother of her. Ha! Italians always, ALWAYS, make way more than they actually need for a crowd of people. In fact, I’ve come to expect it from my own family. Every function. Every party. Every big event.

Aaaaand then they came out with “dessert.” Really?? This was INSANE. I am definitely particular about my canoli’s (because I make a badass canoli), and the Alesci canoli definitely knocked it out of the park. Plus? The napoleon. Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

I will tell you that I actually walked out with two bottles of montepulciano, pepperoni rolls (made with homemade bread) for dinner, and several, several, desserts. Oh, and a totally full tummy and happy heart. I loved every second of my experience at Alesci’s and I cannot wait to go back. Also? I need more Franks Gouda… already. Ha! #allthecheese

Thanks, OBA and Alesci’s for hosting us!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Ohio Blogging Association meet-up at Jim Alesci’s Place. We received complimentary food and drink, as well as gift cards to Alesci’s and a t-shirt. As always, all opinions are 100% my own

Ohio Blogging Association // December Meetup at TownHall

January 14, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Just before the holidays the Ohio Blogging Association celebrated it’s last meetup of 2014 with a visit to local Ohio City restaurant, TownHall.

[photo credit: Alicia – Poise in Parma]

The philosophy behind TownHall is definitely a philosophy I support — organic, sustainable, and locally sourced food. They offer an array of gluten free, vegetarian and vegan dishes — and all are delicious!

We learned that over the last year they have made it a goal to become 100% non-GMO. And as of just the other day, they have succeeded! They are now 100% non-GMO!

Trust me, while I was there I certainly had some questions about this for the staff. Chad + I put a huge focus on consciously choosing our food from sources that are non-GMO when we can. ‘Cause let’s face it — there are somethings that are difficult to locate non-GMO. So serious props to Townhall and the staff for this huge accomplishment!

In addition to me grilling the staff on their non-GMO initiative, I promise I did taste a LOT of food.

Our meetup was on a Monday night, which happens to be both Vegan Night AND Craft Beer Monday (every Monday $3 for any of their 36 drafts from 6pm to close). Their craft beer list is extensive and impressive. And as a non-vegan, I can testify that meat-eaters will love their vegan offerings, too!

We started our food journey with Black Bean-Quinoa Falafel Steam Buns (with pickled red onions and sriracha cucumber vegan aioli). So, so, good. I have to admit, I love steam buns; but these weren’t just any steam buns. The falafel and aioli packed a little bit of a kick, too!

Next up was a gigantic Raw Vegetable Crudite Platter with White Hummus and Kalamata Olive Dip. That kalamata dip — heavenly. I could have licked the bowl clean. Really.

My entrée of choice was the Kobe Steak + Potatoes (Rosemary fingerlings, portabella + roasted red pepper roll, with a balsamic reduction drizzle). It did not disappoint. I, for one, did not expect to be able to finish my meal. Let’s face it — my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. But I dominated this kobe steak and potatoes. It is by far one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

I think most of us felt this way about our entrées because we were all silent. A large group of 20 or so outgoing bloggers not speaking!? That’s more outrageous than the idea of me finishing a meal! But it’s the truth.

I nearly forgot one of the coolest features of TownHall — you can take home any of their 36 draft beers in a 32-ounce Crowler, pressure sealed for freshness in an aluminum can! This is way cooler than any Growler I’ve seen. As the only one in my household that enjoys beer, a 64-oz growler is just not something one can (or should) tackle on their own! Ha!

We ended our TownHall food adventure by stuffing ourselves to the max on a giant Skillet Cookie (chocolate chip cookie topped with Mitchell’s vanilla ice cream).

At this point in the evening I was fairly certain I couldn’t eat another bite, but when Mitchell’s ice cream is presented to you literally on a platter, you eat it. That’s foodie rule #1 in my book: Never say no to Mitchell’s ice cream.

Other items of note about TownHall: In addition to the restaurant, they have a more laid-back side which features an Urban Cafe, complete with wifi and laptop accessibility. The menu is the same on the Urban Cafe side, but offers a more relaxed “on-the-go” versus sit and chat vibe. It also features a bean bar complete with artisan coffee offerings, as well as a juice bar!

It was an awesome evening spent with awesome blogger friends. I’m so grateful to have these people in my life and to have ended 2014 with such a bang (and food coma)!

Grind Burger // Review

December 18, 2014 by Rachel 1 Comment

Oh, hey, interwebs! ( :: waves :: )

I’m just over here being busy with real life + dealing with all of that! (ie. Work, illness, etc.)

I’m about a month and a half behind on life. But I want to talk about this restaurant … because better late than never, right??

Yeah. Let’s go with that.

Grind Burger has been open for the last month and a half now; but Chad + I were lucky enough to attend the soft opening a day before their actual opening.

We arrived and were quickly greeted by some awesome familiar faces that I hadn’t seen in a while. And we were also greeted by delicious cocktails.

I was eager to try the Bourbon Bacon Bloody. It lived up to it’s promise of bourbon, bacon, and delicious tomatoey (is that a word?) goodness! Chad tried the Not So Jalepeño, which according to the crowd could have used a bit more jalapeño! Ha!

After a bit of socialization with friends and foodies alike, the owners pulled us over to view the double-grinding method — which they do in full-view for customers to see. The certified angus beef and wagyu beef is sourced locally from grain-fed, hormone-free cows and double-ground for what they call the perfect beef-to-fat ratio.

Each patty is seared just right, which locks in the juiciness of the patty. This is also the reason the burgers are terribly, terribly messy.

But first, the appetizers. Sauerkraut balls are huge here, but I haven’t had a large urge to try them. That’s not to say I wasn’t excited to try them! I totally was!

They were a perfectly fried combination of beef, sausage, and sauerkraut — the owners own family recipe! I’m not certain I’ll try any other sauerkraut balls for fear that they’ll be sub-par!

Next up, hot dog sliders. For me hot dogs + mac and cheese or chili topping = divine. Chad & I both loved that they were on New England style buns (all other kinds should be outlawed).

I ordered the Aria Burger (which it turns out is named after the owners’ daughter. They were delighted to hear that Mooshie’s name is Ari!).

The Aria Burger has garlic cheddar, fried pickles, smoked bacon & 1000 Island dressing. It was perfection. And messy. Very, very messy.

Chad & I usually order different entrees in an effort to both try something different. But this time we both went all in with this one. The burger was incredible. Juicy, delicious, and surprisingly flavorful (I say surprisingly because I really do think it has a lot to do with the double-grind and grilling process. Yep. I’m a believer!). The only difference is that Chad ordered like 17 extra pickles.

And we also made sure we got to try the fresh cut fries. They were definitely yummy, crispy, and I’d love to revisit these fries when I’m a little LESS full. Ha!

Speaking of less full, of course I didn’t say no to a Bananas Fosters Milkshake! At first I ordered the Kit Kat milkshake, but when Chad’s milkshake came (and pretty much everyone else ordered the Bananas Foster milkshake too), I asked the waiter to please switch my Kit Kat Milkshake to a Bananas Foster Milkshake. And he did. And I fell in love.

Overall our experience at Grind Burger was awesome. I can’t wait to go back. In fact, I’m plotting our next visit…

On the agenda for a future visit:

For The Love Of Bacon (on the starter menu). Bacon Candy, Deep Fried Bacon & Warm Maple Syrup.
Burrata Burger. Burrata cheese, raspberry reduction & arugula. Those at the soft opening either ordered the Aria Burger or the Burrata Burger. I was torn. So now I need to try this.
Maple Bacon Happiness. A milkshake. Vanilla ice cream, house-made maple bacon reduction, bacon candy strip.

Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream #SweetUp Recap

June 19, 2014 by Rachel 4 Comments

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of attending the Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream #SweetUp Event, hosted by Edible Cleveland and the Ohio Blogging Association. And my heart is exploding with happy from this event!

If you’re unfamiliar with the Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream’s flagship store in the heart of Ohio City, here’s the deal:

It opened just recently in the old Moda building. The first floor features an ice cream shop lobby with plenty of seating options. When you’re order your scoops at the front counter, you have full-view of where the magic happens (aka – where they make the goodies!).

We headed upstairs to a big party room overlooking W.25th, ABC The Tavern & Town Hall and on the other side — the ice cream kitchen! Not only was the space beautiful but the layout was awesome. Moosh enjoyed the views and took it all in!

After saying hi to lots of friends, Mike Mitchell, co-founder of Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream, talked to us about his vision for ice cream, sustainability, and the city that he loves — Cleveland.

It was refreshing to gain his perspective on why they will not (ever) ship their ice cream — sustainability. Mike Mitchell’s philosophy is that if you live in Cleveland, you should eat Cleveland ice cream. If you live in Phoenix (his example), eat Phoenix ice cream! The carbon footprint of ice cream being shipped is crazy ridiculous. Could not agree more!

I felt like a complete food-nerd because I was in shock and awe of Mike and his food philosophy. During his Q+A session Moosh kept running through the crowd fistbumping everyone — including Mike Mitchell! They were all awesome sports!

The Agrarian Collective supplied some super yummy + healthy eats. Ari kept signing “More! More!” so it even has foodie-baby’s stamp of approval.

After the Q+A session and the snacking, it was time for our ‘perfect ice cream scoop’ training and official taste-testing! Although ice cream, and in particular Mitchell’s, is my ultimate weakness, I’m in the middle of a 7-day clean-eating cleanse. So I skipped the delicious ice cream.

But Ari didn’t. Nope. Not even a little bit. Kid came to eat!!

Post-ice cream a big storm rolled in and knocked out most of the power down W.25th in Ohio City, which sounded of some pretty serious fire alarms in Mitchell’s HQ! 2 babies in the house, screaming, but we survived! And lucky for us, Mitchell’s has powerful backup generators (the patrons at surrounding restaurants = not so lucky!).

Several minutes later the Fire Department showed up to make sure we were all in the clear. Mr. Fireman, axe and all, was cool enough to pose for a couple of pictures as Moosh looked on admiringly. <3

You would think that after a wild night and tons of sugary ice cream he would have stayed awake all night. Totally, totally, not the case! He didn’t exactly fall asleep on the way home. He wanted me to hold his hand (yes, from the front seat. Awkward angle = ouch. But I loved every second of it) the whole way home. When we got home, I put him straight to bed. We snuggled for a few minutes and there were zero tears; zero fussing. Just one exhausted Moosh.

If nothing else, I walked away with more friends, a worn out baby, and an even deeper appreciation of Mitchell’s AND the city of CLE!

weekend wrap-up!

August 26, 2013 by Rachel 3 Comments

Weekends like this past one are complete bliss for me.

Unfortunately, Chad was out of town for most of it — he had to go to Columbus to work some overtime Friday morning through very early Sunday morning. So I hunkered down with Ari for a “mommy and me” weekend.

Friday night I took Babycakes on some errands. I had to exchange our pillows at Sleep Number, then we hit up Earth Fare for some Vegan yummies, followed by Babycakes & I splitting a FroYo from Menchies!

I had our sitter set up to come over pretty early Saturday morning because I had signed up for Yoga Rocks The Park Cleveland like a month ago. So I said goodbye to Ari, grabbed some green juice, picked up my friend Carli and headed to Tremont.

Truth: Tremont is one of my favorite places in the whole universe. Well, at least in Ohio. The other? Ohio City. Oh how part of me would love to live right in the heart of Tremont or Ohio City! Perhaps just Highland Square here in Akron someday?? Perhaps.

We arrived at the park a bit early. So we grabbed a pre-yoga coffee at Civilization. And then headed to registration where the YRP CLE staff was happy and helpful!

After checking in, we set our mats out in the sun and settled into our pre-yoga thoughts. Before the practice started, we met up with Alicia from Poise in Parma and Andy from YRP Cleveland.

Our practice was led by two fantastic teachers from Inner Bliss (located in Rocky River & Westlake). The practice was challenging and intuitive, just like I’d hoped. The practice ended with a live performance by Jeff Tucker.

Vita Coco and Good Greens (a local CLE company that we actually frequently purchase from), sponsors of YRP Cleveland, gave us yummy post-yoga treats (which I saved for later, of course!).

Cause, of course, Carli, Alicia & I had a lunch date at La Bodega. We were also joined by Alicia’s fellow yoga teacher Kevin. We ate, we chatted, and I babbled. Why oh why do I find myself babbling on like an idiot sometimes? LOL! Sorry Alicia!! Ha!

Lunch was delish! I had a ham, pineapple, brie, and honey mustard sandwich on sourdough. Oh. My. Goodness! Alicia wasn’t kidding when she said this little hole-in-the-wall place was completely worth it!

Since we were in Tremont, I asked the girls if they would help me hit up some of my favorite spots before I headed home.

Like Lily Handmade Chocolates. Ever since the Ohio Blogging Association February meet-up with Sweet Designs, I’ve been obsessed with chocolate. I used to hate it. I know, crazy, right??

Once I saw the Sweet & Sour Chicken truffle, I couldn’t say no. I know, I know… it’s weird, right? But that’s what made me want to try it even more. Odd – Chad can rarely convince me to try new food — but I’m always more than willing to try odd/fun desserts.

Alicia suggested that we swing by Wine & Design, which happens to be right next to Lily! I grabbed a bottle of Malbec and then — jackpot! — found out that Saturday is Tremonts’ day for Fresh Fork CSA pickup. Although we chose not to be members this year, I pleaded my case to the nice guys running the pickup to let me ‘shop’ for a weekly bag and some extras. Thank goodness they agreed. Cause I miss the crap out of that amazingly tasty local food.

Thank you, to those guys working that pickup location! I promise we’ll be CSA members again soon! 😉

After all of these Tremont shenanigans, I headed back home to my very sleepy Babycakes. After a quick nap, Ari & I went to a mommy & me dinner at a local restaurant. We were even home in time for his early bedtime ritual — bath time and all. Ya know, I know that you may think a lot of motherhood is so boring & routine (which I’ll admit it — it is) but bath time and our bedtime ritual is by far my most favorite part of the day.

After all of this fun, Sunday I was completely wiped out. We spent the day exhausted and pretty much laying around. Well, besides a trip to Target where I snapped this adorable picture:

Aaaand spent! That’s exactly how I feel after this fun and exhausting weekend. And I’m totally looking forward to the next one. 🙂

date day, weekend edition!

April 8, 2013 by Rachel 1 Comment

Thank goodness for family.

Because of my moms willingness to hang out with Ari, Chad and I had a chance to go on a little rendez-vous Saturday!

We planned on getting a [semi] early start and heading up to the West Side Market. But, we got on the road later than expected, and when we finally got to Ohio City, the West Side Market was packed. Like, beyond packed.

So we decided to skip the market — which in itself took a good 20 minutes; thanks traffic! — and head straight to our lunch spot. Chad has been eyeing up Bac Asian American Bistro & Bar. I’ve heard great things, but it certainly wasn’t my first choice [I’ve been dying to try out Barrio in Tremont. And Hodges is always my go-to!].

I mean, I knew it would be good, but I guess I just didn’t realize how good it would be! I ordered the Barbacoa Banh Mi sandwich special with panko crusted sweet potato fries; and Chad ordered the coconut crepe and papaya salad. Everything was so yummy!

Then we hit up Lucky’s Cafe, Lilly Handmade Chocolates & Sweet Designs. While we were in Lakewood we were able to swing by and visit with a friend for a bit.

And before we knew it, it was time to head back to Akron to see our baby.

Truth be told, we are still in that “talk a lot about Ari while we’re out on dates” phase. Our lives are so all-consumed by that little guy, it’s hard to avoid talking about “Ari this,” and “Ari that.” We’ll get there. In the meantime, I’m just happy that we have family who’s willing to spend alone time with Babycakes so that we can get out!

Best yet? Today we both have the day off. We were going to head up to opening day for the Indians, but instead we’re going to see Jurassic Park in 3D [I know you’re jealous] and get some lunch. 🙂

Happy Monday, folks!