Hot Chocolate

I can’t stop drinking hot chocolate lately. Not surprising, given how it is outside. All I want to do is curl up in a blanket and go to sleep until this horrid winter lets up. If only life would allow it :).

On Sunday I had cup from Starbuck’s that was too chocolate syrupy for my taste. On Tuesday, one from Civilization which I was sure would be delicious as I saw it named one of 50 Things to Eat and Drink in Cleveland. The shop was adorable but the drink nothing special. And on Wednesday, Godiva’s costly version – delightfully chocolaty but only semi-warm.

In case you are wondering, my Tour de Chocolat Chaud has not yet caused weight gain, although I fear it might if I don’t find a truly satisfying cup soon! Memories tell me nothing can beat Lilly’s drinking chocolate and that might have to be my next stop.

What’s your pick for the best hot chocolate in CLE? Someone help.

xo Beth

Eastside, Westside

I love you Fall, please don’t go. Sadly, time seems to be flying, although not surprising given all that’s going on lately. My very best friend Emily and her two adorable boys are in town for two weeks. I’m dog sitting on the Eastside, but cruising back to the Westside every day to see Em. And back again! This is when a teleportation device sure would come in handy.

But I won’t complain about life being full of people and plans because that’s never a bad thing at all. Plus, all this back and forth allows for the best of both sides of town to find their way into my snack and mealtime rituals :).

On the Eastside: I read Cleveland Magazine’s ‘Best of Cleveland’ issue recently and of course took note of all of the Bests that I needed to check out for myself. Admittedly, they were all food-centric. Above you’ll see one of those delightful treats, a Katz Diner homemade pop tart. This one filled with cinnamon sugar, although I hear they come in a variety of flavors. Is it bad to admit I still love store bought pop tarts? Although I haven’t had one in a few years. This was of course much different and way better than that – so very adorable too. A more worthy splurge!

On the Westside: Smitten Kitchen’s Apple Slab Pie, made by the talented Emily herself. Filled with apples from Mapleside after a daytime visit this week. You’ll see the view from the farm at the very top of this post and I think I love Ohio a little more every time I look back at that picture. We have the very best Falls for sure.

Also of note, Big Fun for nostalgic toy shopping with the kiddos, Piccadilly for the most wonderful fro yo in C-town (I say), Brew Kettle for some delicious craft beer and catch up conversations and two very delicious meals at Em’s brother’s restaurant, Spice. Eastside, Westside, I love it all. The drive is not so hot but the people on either end are more than worth it. The food’s pretty good too :).

xo Beth

Frasca Food and Wine

And now for our favorite part, the food. We ate lots of yummy dishes in Colorado (because what else is there in life?) but for the purposes of this post I’ll focus on one type in particular. Along Pearl Street in Boulder are three spots by the same creators: Frasca Food and Wine, Pizzeria Locale and Frasca Caffe. It’s pretty much a little stretch of heaven.

We’ll start with Frasca Caffe, where I enjoyed this indulgent breakfast one Saturday morning before a day at St. Julien Spa (tough life). The flakiest, lightly sweet, nutty-filled croissant paired with a creamy cappuccino and sprinkle of raw sugar. I love breakfast. In my world, this breakfast could not come closer to perfection :).

 

Another day, well okay two other days, we enjoyed lunch at the Pizzeria next door:

Vesuvius – heirloom tomato-basil-mozzarella di bufala

Frittatine – pasta-prosciutto cotto smoked mozzarella

Mais – mozzarella-prosciutto cotto-sweet corn-crème fraiche-garlic chive 

This pizza knocked my socks off so much I ordered it twice. Mountains are great and all but I think I could move to Boulder based on that picture alone :).

And another two days still we dined at Frasca. It’s a show, from the service to the wine presentation to the staging of dishes. Course after course of imaginative food make for one very entertaining evening indeed. I cannot think of anything I love much more than that.

Dinner on night one:

Tonno – Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna, Munson Corn, Heirloom Tomato and Dill

Gnocchi – Spring Onion, Smoked Ricotta, Red, Yellow and Chioggia Beet

Marlino – Hawaiian Striped Marlin, Eggplant, Cherry Tomato, Zucchini and Red Pepper

CROSTATA DI P RUGNA – Golden Plum, Almond, White Chocolate, Brown Butter and Plum Sorbet

You know, just for instance!

So yes, we ate well in Colorado, with much thanks to Frasca and company. From the food to the wine to the company to activity, our Colorado vacation was very good. And now I’m ready to embrace Cleveland once again with renewed zest. Perhaps we can find some cuisine worth comparing :).

xo Beth

The Rib Cage & Katz Club Diner

(Joy the Baker’s dangerously easy Single Girl Melty Chocolate Cakes from Saturday dinner at home)

All that sunset watching, volunteering, shopping and Indians gaming sure works up an appetite. So let’s talk food!

First a visit to The Rib Cage in Cleveland Heights. From their FB page: We are a Slow Food Movement adherent, farm-to-table smokehouse featuring pork, beef, and poultry from local, sustainable, and ethical farmers who share our vision. We have created smoked masterpieces from scratch that we promise are unmatched by any other Cleveland barbecues.

It. was. delicious. I had a pulled pork sandwich with bourbon baked beans and creamy coleslaw. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth and so very flavorful. The beans were a  boozy combination of 3 different kinds, (love how pretty that looks) and the coleslaw a crunchy mix of cabbage, radicchio, carrots and thinly sliced apples. I love how much detail went into each element and somehow the food wasn’t too heavy. Cozy atmosphere + friendly service and I think we have a win. (I just typed wine, someone help.)

On Sunday morning, a round II visit to The Katz Club Diner. We went for dinner a few weeks ago when they first opened and it was certainly good enough for a second visit for brunch.

Above, a 3-egg omelet with home fries and toast. It was solidly good, although after seeing someone else with the most gorgeous fluffy pancakes I’ve ever seen in my life, I think we know what I’ll be ordering on visit number III.

So yes! I’d recommend both. Casual-thoughtful neighborhood spots. The best.

xo Beth

California Cuisine

Oh the food…

In case you couldn’t tell, I just love good food. Of course the eating part is fun – but that’s not even it! I love reading about it, talking about it, shopping for it, cooking it, following foodie trends, watching cooking shows, researching recipes, finding new restaurants,  just everything. It’s creative and passionate and beautiful and since you need food to live, I can always justify spending way too much money on it all :).

So one of the reasons I love Northern California so very much is that not only are you surrounded by awesome food, everyone seems to enjoy it just the same. Not in a pretentious way, just like enjoying good food is a part of loving life…and I think it really should be.

My usual strategy is to eat to feel my best (mostly healthy and sometimes decadent). But when in California, on vacation, I say live it up! I don’t know when I’ll be back and there is so much great cuisine to explore.

And explore we did. Foodie highlights include:

• Tartine Bakery in San Fran for flaky almond croissants and creamy fish bowl-sized lattes
• Cafe de la Presse in San Fran for chewy-sweet French toast (pictured)
• Kuleto’s in San Fran for red wine, pillow-soft gnocchi and decadent chocolate dessert (pictured)
• The Girl and the Fig in Sonoma for well, everything <- best ever
• Sunshine Caffe in Sonoma for bacon-studded waffles and fresh fruit smoothies
• Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg for the classiest “boxed lunch” you will ever see
• Chalkboard in Healdsburg for incredible cheese and super creative – did I mention to die for – dessert
• Moustache Baked Goods in Healdsburg for wine-drunk mid-afternoon cupcakes

I realize not everyone can eat this well – and I certainly don’t everyday! Which is what made California so special. I feel very lucky to have been able to enjoy a wonderful vacation full of beautiful scenery, a best friend, amazing wine and outstanding food. California was a fabulous reminder to feel thankful for every delicious part of this very happy life. And I do.

So that’s it California! Normal Cleveland blogging will resume next.

xo Beth

San Francisco

It’s official: our much-anticipated California vacation has come to an end. But what a vacation! I have so much to share, we’ll just have to take it a bit at a time. Starting with: San Francisco.

Although I swear up and down I’m all done with big city life and so happy to be back in Cleveland (and it’s true), I cannot deny that San Francisco is just incredible. What an amazing piece of the United States! I love the food, the wine, the coffee, the people, the atmosphere, culture, even its usually foggy-cool weather.

And so before heading to wine country for the bulk of our CA trip, my travel buddy and dear friend Jackie and I spent two days soaking in all that San Fran has to offer. Well, mostly all that San Fran has to offer that we didn’t get to during our last visit, two years ago.

Including: Tartine Bakery for flaky almond croissants and creamy fish bowl-sized lattes, Dolores Park for sunshine, long catch-up conversation and sneaky sunburns (ouch), Clock Bar for super-creative, super-potent cocktails, Avant Card to indulge our mutual/odd love of beautiful cards, Kuleto’s for red wine, pillow-soft gnocchi and decadent chocolate dessert.

And for a glimpse of the past, Alcatraz.

A beautiful boat ride, amazing new perspective of the city and a whole lot of history. But oh shiver, it was a cold one (in June!). I can certainly see why you’d never want to end up there. Well you know, as much as any lucky tourist can :).

A great California kick-off. Just enough time to soak in the city before heading off to the real relaxation vacation, Sonoma. Let’s chat more about that next time we meet.

xo Beth

Amelia Bedelia’s Supper

For the last two weeks I’ve been sitting my kitten-niece, Amelia Bedelia, while my sister was away in Hawaii. She’s absolutely adorable…although a little too much trouble for her own good. But it was a nice excuse to see Louisa as she dropped off and picked up my pest of a babysitting charge on her way to and from far more exotic locations.

Louisa arrived back in town on Friday and last night we gathered for a delightful meal, along with our parents and a few good friends. It was multi-chef collaboration that resulted in one very decadently delicious Saturday night dinner!

We enjoyed three awesome wines over the course of the evening: Trump’s Cru sparkling white as our aperitif, Twomey Sauvignon Blanc with our main and Bouchane Pinot Noir with dessert. I certainly do not drink that well every night. Luxury!

For our main, my dad made one extremely gorgeous paella, paired with a lovely fresh salad from our friend Diane.

The paella most definitely tasted at least as good as it looks. So if you love that vibrant photo as much as I do, it should tell you something :).

Post-supper we cracked open our third bottle and took a brief intermission while Louisa and I went to town on dessert. While in Hawaii Louisa enjoyed the chocolate lava cake of her life. We heard allll about it. So for our Saturday night pudding, it seemed only fitting to recreate our own.

Luckily, my idol Joy the Baker has an epic recipe for a Single Girl Melty Chocolate Cake in her new cookbook. We made seven :). They were absolutely dreamy – super rich in the best, most molten chocolaty way possible. Served with a scoop of local Mitchell’s vanilla bean ice cream melting over top, spilling out a delicious pool of chocolate with each dip of the spoon. They were a perfect ending to a great night.

And now my little sis is back home in DC and I miss her already. And Amelia too. Kind of, not really. Of course I do ;).

xo Beth

Columbus

Another road trip! After NYC I was definitely in need of a few quiet weekends in Cleveland. But I can’t believe it’s already been a month since! So this weekend I got back on the road, this time for a short trip to Columbus to visit my darling friend May.

Starting with a Short North neighborhood brunch to kick off our Saturday morning. After an extra early wake up call to make the two hour drive, this meal was a very welcome treat!

We dined at ZenCha Tea Salon. A million kinds of tea, lots of creative pancake creations…what else could a girl want? I had the Earl Grey’s Choice – layered with baked apples, topped with raisins & walnuts served with house made earl grey tea syrup.

And then we jumped back into the car and headed south, to spend the day in Hocking Hills. It is just too gorgeous there. Although it was a bit freezing when I first arrived in Cbus, by the time we got to our hiking destination the day had turned absolutely lovely! We spent all day hiking around and soaking up the spring sunshine, stopping at three different trails along the way.

After driving back into the city and a quick change, it was most definitely time for dinner. Admittedly, until recently I didn’t think much of Columbus. Most of my experiences there were in college visiting various friends at OSU and those visits mostly involved a whole lot of cheap drinks at dirty bars (oh college). But now that I’m the ripe old age of 28 and have been back to see May a few times, I’m realizing what a little gem it is! So many adorable neighborhoods and shops and restaurants to enjoy. Including last night’s stop at for some genuinely yummy cocktails and chewy gooey pizza.

First, we sipped sweet little cocktails at Curio. I was so in love! The vibe is much like a speakeasy, with a full menu of potent, thoughtful libations. Followed by salad and pizza across the way at Harvest Pizzeria. We shared a Mushroom – Gouda, variety of Athens county mushrooms, truffle, herbs. Yes, I was in heaven. We closed out our evening at Brother’s Drake Meadery where we tasted our way through flights of local mead. Something a bit different and a whole lot enjoyable.

The highlight of my trip had to be our ah-mazing brunch this AM at Pistacia Vera, “the dessert boutique”. May had me at dessert boutique and it only got more wonderful from there. Just look at these gorgeous French pastries.

I die. For brunch, TOMATO PROVENÇAL BAKED EGGS – two eggs baked with cream, herbs, parmigiano-reggiano, garlic and tomato fondue. served with a toasted croissant and house made preserves. I also bought a few lovely little macaroons to bring home and share. They had to ride in the backseat as if I wasn’t careful, 2 hours alone in the car would inevitably lead to 4 macaroons in my tummy. Probably worth it :).

And so that’s Columbus! Nothing makes me happier than good food, good drinks, good friends and good fun. This trip included all of those and so it was Saturday-Sunday perfection.

xo Beth

New York City, Part II

If at first you don’t succeed, wake up early, accept that your iPhone is a better navigator than you and try again to get Late Show tickets. Which is exactly what we did first thing on morning number three.

While waiting to hear if we’d been selected for that night’s show, Amber and I headed over to Chelsea Market to do some exploring of that foodie-crafty paradise. We had a delicious breakfast sandwich at Friedman’s Lunch and then spent hours wandering around the adorable shops.

A few months ago I read a fantastic memoir, Paris My Sweet, which highlights the best of Paris and New York’s confectionary offerings. As I’ve been cursed blessed with an intense love of all things sugar, I was practically dying over the author’s delicious recommendations. So of course while in NYC, I had to stop and enjoy something on her list. A chocolate chip cookie and hot chocolate from Jaques Torres were divine and had me hopped up on plenty of sugar for our next adventure.

We made it in the audience!! When my phone rang with the news Amber and I celebrated like we’d been picked to star on the show ourselves. While of course that wasn’t true, we had a blast, front and center in the third row watching special guest Jim Carey. So it was all worth it in the end. And failing so miserably the day before made our victory that much sweeter. Funny how that works :).

Our final night in New York was spent in Brooklyn and I am so in love. We dined on delicious curry at Bia before heading to Bembe for drinks and The Woods to shake our tail feathers until 5AM. I loved the vibe of the area and am almost sad we didn’t go until our final night. But it was the perfect way to say goodbye.

And on our final day, a nice long but very cold walk through The High Line, a beautiful and very unique park floating above the city. We enjoyed our last meal at Le Grainne Cafe in Chelsea and the French toast was all I could want and more.

Heaven.

I had a BLAST in New York. Amazing food, amazing drinks, amazing fun with an amazing friend. I am loving life right now and have to thank New York for being part of that feeling :).

xo Beth

New York City, Part I

Oh New York.

I have a love/hate relationship with NYC because of course it’s impossible not to love a city full of every opportunity, dream, character and experience imaginable. But it’s intense and gritty and overwhelming too, all at the same time. But for a few days, NYC is always a lovely place to be. And this visit was no exception.

I met up with Amber, my old University roommate, for four days and four nights of fun in the big city. We managed to do about eight days worth of activity, which has left me very worn out but very happy too. What a post-vacation high! Let’s recapture the moments.

Our first night we met up at our hotel and decided to get the party started right away by heading to Times Square and seeing where the night took us. About 5 minutes off the metro we got roped into buying tickets for a comedy show. Suckers. So we had drinks at Jimmy’s Corner bar and headed over to another part of town for the late set. Although I was skeptical about what street tickets will buy you, it was HILARIOUS. Stand Up NY – I highly recommend it!

The next morning-ish, we began our day at the very adorable The Spotted Pig in Greenwich for lunch, which was perhaps my favorite meal of the trip.

And not just because I accidentally ordered what I’m pretty sure was straight bourbon in a glass and Amber an entire wine bottle size cider to drink. Just keeping things classy, like we do :).

Burrata with Creamy Merlot Beans & Roasted Treviso to eat. Plus a slice of banoffee pie to finish that made my tummy and taste buds smile a very happy smile.

We spent the afternoon shopping and exploring Greenwich and SoHo before rounding out our day with pho and drinks at a few very weird bars.

The next (rainy) day we were up and off to The Late Show to try and get tickets… but that was an epic fail as we got on the wrong metro, got off at the wrong stop and never even made it in time to put our names on the lottery list. But at least we were soaking wet and freezing cold at the end of it all. Boo hoo!

After warming up over some Indonesian food, we decided it was a good day for a movie and made our way over to Angelika Film Center. We saw the film No, a Chilean historical drama which probably makes us sound much more intelligent than we really are :).

It seems a shame to be in NYC and spend a day at the movies but not when the theatre is so beautiful and the film so unique. It felt so New York! Plus, we were warm and dry which was pretty much all I could want out of life at that point.

We enjoyed a little New York pizza for dinner and then did two very fun bar hops, first to McSorley’s Old Ale House, NY’s oldest continuously operated saloon.

And next to The Back Room speakeasy which was the coolest thing ever! Well at least to a not-so-hip girl like me. To get there, we went through a random little gate, through a dark alley and knocked on a unmarked door. But when the bouncer let us in, we entered a beautiful 1920’s-style bar, complete with old velvet couches and gorgeous chandeliers. We drank yummy cocktails out of tea mugs and felt so underground :).

So I will bring you Part II next time, as I’m sure you’ve had enough of me for one day. Back soon!

xo Beth