It had been years since I had even been there, and I was
anxious to see what the city was doing in preparation for the
2016 Republican National Convention, so it didn’t take me long to accept the opportunity.
It was my first time flying into
Cleveland and I quickly
learned that this town has its priorities straight. It’s all about the food and
the music, with top chefs producing the former and music’s most famous museum
hosting the latter.
A sign greeted me the minute I walked out the door of the
airport announcing the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Exhibit. (The 2016 Exhibit will be up soon
and I look forward to seeing it.)
As much as I would have loved to go straight there, I was
waiting for my ride from Christopher Moore of the
Cleveland Tourism Board.
I made a quick stop at
The Westin Cleveland Downtown to check into my
room. The hotel is indeed impressive, with over 1,500 works of art added during
its $20 million renovation.
My one-bedroom suite was also magnificent and offered
breathtaking views of the Cleveland waterfront.
The living room was modern and well-equipped for business or
pleasure.
The only thing I didn’t like was something I’m seeing all too often
in hotels – the lack of a bathtub. I will never get used to this trend.
I had a little while to unpack before Christopher picked me
up for lunch.
I had hoped to get in touch with
Michael Symon, who had told
me to come visit Lola when I interviewed him, but he was not available and Christopher
suggested I might like Greenhouse Tavern. He was not wrong.
Greenhouse Tavern was, ironically, right next to Lola on
East 4
th street. This pedestrian-friendly street is closed to traffic
and open to outdoor seating for fun restaurants, music, and comedy clubs.
Jonathon Sawyer had won a James Beard award for Greenhouse Tavern,
with indoor and outdoor seating and a very relaxing feel.
A cocktail seemed appropriate to start and I made a great
choice ordering the Pineapple-Chili Margarita. It was flavorful, but not overly
spicy.
Everything on the menu looked wonderful and I took some ques
from my host.
For an appetizer, we shared orders of the Crispy Chicken
Wings Confit, a beet salad, and Pomme Frites, both of which were excellent. Then
it was on to the main dish.
The Pulled Barbecue Mushroom sandwich has been recognized
throughout the country by vegans and vegetarians. With the barbecue sauce and Carolina
coleslaw is sounded amazing.
I did keep it out of the vegan category by adding
some cheddar, but it’s hard for me to turn down cheese on anything.
After lunch, I decided to walk back to the hotel so I could
explore the area a bit.
I really liked East 4th Street and knew I’d like
to come back some time to enjoy a night of exploring the Martini Bar, Lolas,
and a show or two.
I took a walk through The Arcade. At first I thought it was
some type of entertainment venue, but I soon learned it was more of a mall,
with shops and restaurants, in a historic building.
I then went through the 5
th Street Arcade, where
I enjoyed browsing through the smaller shops – and picking up some treats at
Colossal Cupcakes.
My chocolate with cream cheese frosting cupcake didn’t last
long when I got back to the room.
I got some work done and then headed down to the Urban
Farmer, the restaurant at
The Westin Cleveland Downtown dedicated to locally
sourced food.
I often sit at the bar when dining alone and this one was
very friendly. I was overwhelmed with choices, starting with the cocktail menu,
but I didn’t have to drive and I had nowhere to go, so I figured I’d take my
time.
My first libation was the “Devil in a Blue Dress.” It is made
with infused Mount Gay Rum with blueberries, lavender, simple syrup, and soda.
I loved the fruit and floral combination.
There were so many things on the menu that sounded delicious
I decided to order a few small things rather than a full dinner.
I didn’t realize my “small” dishes weren’t quite so tiny,
but I did my best not to leave too much.
The vegetable salad was a fresh, unusual, and tasty start.
It was followed by a creamy mac and cheese, and a cheesy broccoli kohlrabi au gratin.
It’s rare that I turn down dessert, but I was just too full.
Besides, I had another chance to eat at
Urban Farmer the next day.
I went up to my room and watched a bit of television before
dozing off to sleep in my Westin Heavenly Bed®. It wasn’t easy as I was quite excited about my upcoming
private tour of the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The only thing I didn’t like was something I’m seeing all too often
in hotels – the lack of a bathtub. I will never get used to this trend.
Comments
Post a Comment