B Spot Crocker Park
After the recent opening of the B Spot Strongsville I was more and more intrigued with the menu of Michael Symon’s casual burger eatery. I knew he knew how to make a damn good burger from my stops to Bar Symon and his Lola Burger is amazing and available on most of his menus. However when dining out at one of his flagship restaurants, as much as I loved the burgers, I always got sucked into something more complex. I mean what’s not to like about the Lola Burger? Bacon, fried egg, pickled onions, it’s a dream burger. Then again, what’s not to like about the entire Lola or Lolita menu? So, as a burger lover I was always in a bind knowing how much I wanted the burger but knowing it just wasn’t the right thing to do. This is where B Spot comes in handy. Your choices are limited to burgers, brats and bologna. Sure there are salads and they sound amazing but aren’t you doing yourself a disservice ordering that at a burger joint?
OK, price point. The big bitch I hear the most about B Spot is the cost. $8.00 (average, some more some less) for a burger, no sides. Lola fries are an extra $4.00, and onion rings $5.00. So with burger, fries, and drink you are pushing over $15.00. Add a shake you are in the $20 dinner ballpark. Is that expensive? Honestly, is that really a lot of dough? For a family of 4 going to, let’s say Red Robin, you are paying about $10 a burger, bottomless fries, throw on a milkshake and you are around $15 a head. So what I am saying is that you are pretty much at the same price mark. The difference? Huge. The burgers are cooked to order, there is nothing stopping you from having a rare burger at B Spot. Where rare at a chain means medium to medium well and maybe a little pink in the middle rare at B Spot means blood. So, if that’s your thing B Spot might be the last bastion of the true cooked to order burger. Based on taste alone B Spot is one of the best burgers in Cleveland. Fresh ingredients, cooked to order, nice soft bun, flavorful toppings, it just makes a damn near perfect burger. Plus come on, have you ever had Lola Fries?
Anyhow I thought it was great, we walked out for under $40 eating 2 burgers, a shake, a beer, an order of rings and an order of fries. Oh the shake? Yeah it had bacon in it. It was vanilla bean apple pie bacon, and there were chunks of bacon in it and it was awesome. You also have the option to add booze to your milkshake for a couple bucks more. Try that McDonald’s. They also have a pickle bar loaded with many varieties of pickled vegetable options. I am not sure if this changes from time to time but it was cool but a bit limited. I think there were pickled tomatoes, some jalapenos and if I recall correctly Tony Packo’s pickles on there too. As the Cleveland pickle king I thought it was “cute” but nothing standout that made me say wow. Don’t get me wrong (1) it’s free, and (2) it’s a cool idea but I was thinking more options and more unique.
I had, you guessed it, the Lola Burger. Jeanette had the Symon Says which has bologna, slaw, whip sauce and America cheese. I wasn’t a fan of the amount of pickled onions on mine and ended up picking some off. It got to the point of overpowering missing out on the flavor of the egg yolk. But for the most part it was enjoyable. The onion rings were pretty damn good, and of course the Lola fries were amazing. There are condiments to try out for the sides including house made ketchup which was tasty, but I was never a curry guy, coffee BBQ sauce, Shasha sauce, and steak sauce. All were fine but I think the testament here is with all the flavors you don’t really need them except for maybe the rings which while pretty damn good, were just onion rings.
I’m glad Symon opened this joint in Crocker, my biggest fear though is the Crocker Happy Hour. Where you can get a burger at Blakes for like $1.95. Everyone there has just ridiculous happy hour specials so cheap it might detract from B Spot. The restaurant itself has the obligatory beer can “B” on the wall, a decent patio and a spacious interior with a large centerpiece bar. Check out above the bar for the cool model car inspired motorcycle light fixture. That was pretty neat. While I won’t be heading there weekly I’m sure it will be a go to joint when I don’t feel like cooking. B Spot is a great addition to the hustle and bustle of the high end shops of Crocker Park. It’s close enough and quick enough for a great dinner and a movie destination. Service was pretty good, never got silverware but didn’t really need it so it made me wonder if you even got silverware unless you asked. It’s going to be packed during peak hours but we went at 8pm on a Sunday and while the tables were full and it was a 15 minute wait for a table there were seats at the bar. It’s something you need to at the very least check out for yourself for an affordable dining option.
The Dari View — more adventures in Ice Cream!
We just could not let a weekend pass without going out for ice cream. This Sunday we chose the Dari View on Lorain Rd. in Cleveland/Fairview Park. (I am honestly not sure which side it falls on.) This is the place you go when you want a good old fashioned twist cone from a mom and pop shop that is only open in the summer months. They always have chocolate and vanilla (available as a twist) and then two other flavors of soft serve (also available as a twist). They also have an assortment of hard ice creams and yogurts and the typical sundae and split options.
I was just about to order a cone when Jason pointed out that they had “Flurries” (think Blizzard) with candy options you cannot get at DQ. This intrigued me and I immediately changed my choice to a Flurry with KitKat and M&M. Jason got KitKat and Twix in his. We both agreed that these were much better than DQ, much!
While we were waiting for our Flurries to be ready, a whole string of kids kept coming up and asking at the window if they had any “mistakes.” The answer was no, and each of these kids walked away sadly. I am not 100% certain what a mistake is, but I can venture a guess that they either give away or sell very cheap any errors they make for paying customers. It appeared that the entire neighborhood’s children were in on this wonderful secret.
There really is not much more to say about this place. We will go back again for sure before the summer ends.
Taste of Tremont
Taste of Tremont; the time of the year that everyone who has never been to Tremont feels safe enough to come out in the daylight filled streets for a giant food party. Honestly, everyone comes out to this. It is a great family atmosphere with all kinds of wonderful things to see, do, and eat. 1,000′s of folks converged on the blocked off area of Professor Avenue Sunday to support the local scene. We got there early, as in 11:45am just so we could at the very least experience it for an hour or so and find a decent parking spot. I understand there were accidents, traffic jams and people driving in circles for almost an hour that showed up during the peak hours in the later afternoon. People, you can’t do that. Tremont is a very small area with very limited parking as is. The folks that live in the area are I would venture a guess are 70% of those cars on the street. Add 1,000′s of other cars to the mix you are going to be walking a bit or just not going to be able to find a spot. Parking on a normal weekend night is a challenge, but for this? Good luck.
So getting there early was the way to go for us. When we came in just before it opened officially there were maybe 100 people there. We were able to find a parking spot with ease. By the time we left, around 1pm, there were at least 1,000 people and pretty much every spot was full. Planning ahead for these things is important. We walked around looking at all the great restaurants and bars offerings. We stopped by to talk to Habby at her Henna stand for a bit, shot the shit with Bac Nguyen of Bac, Bonnie and the Concrete Cowboy at Prosperity and Rocco over at Fahrenheit. We of course stopped by the Secondhand Mutts tent to see the cute dogs looking for their forever homes. We brought our dog this year too in hopes to meet one of the rescues from Secondhand Mutts so she could make a friend, but alas we were too early to meet Maizy a cute little Puggle they have up for adoption. However it is very cool this is a very dog friendly event as many pooches were walking the streets with their owners taking in all the sites, sounds and smells.
And ohhhhhh the smells. The streets were full of scents of some of the most amazing foods Tremont has to offer. It is just a great way to sample so many of the different menu options out there. Every restaurant had at least 3 or 4 offerings per tent, some more, some less but if you always wanted to try ______________ insert restaurant here and never were able to this is an amazing way to do that. Portions were appetizer single size for the most part and everything was between like $4 – $8. Is it the best value in the world? Some might say no but I say hell yes it is. Just because of the variety of options and the quality of the food you get. You would leave stuffed for less than $20 and for 4 to 5 star dinning that’s nothing. This doesn’t include the local churches that also had tents filled with homemade old world ethnic eats either. To say there is something for everyone here is an understatement.
I think my favorite, minus the sugar infused obligatory ice cold lemonade stand, had to be Bac’s Bacon Guacamole. In 90 degree heat the cool guacamole was the perfect street fair hand food. Crispy fried wonton wraps, lightly salted with sea salt with amazing smoked bacon spiked avocado guac. Bac was the only place in Tremont I don’t think I have sampled over the course of the last year. There might be others but I always have wanted to get out there and now I am glad I did because if the guac is that good then dinner should be amazing. There were many others I put on the radar to try or try again. So, the purpose of the festival was fulfilled with me. I sampled and now I plot to get out to have a full meal at like 6 different restaurants. It was so great to see so many people out there just enjoying the day and getting out there to try everything Tremont has to offer. Sometimes folks might forget what a great food scene we have here in Cleveland. We get into a rut of the same place over and over but thanks to events like the Taste of Tremont it is great to get out there and really sample new places and all of the tastes and flavors Cleveland has to offer.
Respect the Dog Benefit 11.19.11
Cleveland: What’s not to like along with the folks at the Happy Dog will be hosting a benefit for local Cleveland dog shelter Secondhand Mutts Saturday November 19th. It’s a ways away but plans and schemes are brewing. Last year was the first annual event where we were able to raise over $1,000 for the local rescue. It featured Akron’s Misery Jackals with a bonus accordion playing chicken and turbo-rockabilly Cleveland juggernaut Scoliosis Jones. The event was MC’ed by the one and only Cleveland Yo-Yo Master Steve Brown telling dirty jokes and amazing everyone with his skills. It also featured an inebriated me throwing prizes and butchering Johnny Cash much to the chagrin of Scoliosis Jones during their high octane set. We had tons of raffle prizes from local businesses who were so extremely generous I was completely floored.
Maizy, an amazing pup waiting to be adopted right now.
Sooooooo…we are doing it again this year because it was such a success last year. We are looking for donations, talent, spectators, raffle prizes and most importantly support from you. Yes, you Joe Cleveland. We want you to come support this super worthy cause. We do this because we love Cleveland and well that’s my birthday too. Once you get old and have “stuff” there is really no good reason to continue to amass more stuff. So in lieu of “stuff”, I like to just give and give and give to others that truly deserve it. Secondhand Mutts does truly deserve that support for what they do in the community. I am not knocking other shelters in the least but meeting and talking to Becca Riker who runs the shelter really struck a cord with me. She gets it and will do anything for these poor misplaced mutts. So does the entire staff of Secondhand Mutts for that matter. They all live out the true mission of the shelter of “Respect the Dog”. They have placed so many lost and forgotten street pups over the course of the last year I lost count.
There are tons of charities I could have chosen but I know every dollar that they take in goes not to giant salaries or into an advertising campaign but right to the care and well being of these animals. Before a dog even gets adopted out they are looking to take the next one in. They are always looking to help. With 100′s of dogs adopted out they are constantly looking for fosters and homes for these dogs who they give a second chance at life. They are an amazing charity and my friends at the Happy Dog are amazing to allow us to hold it there again with all proceeds going directly to Secondhand Mutts. I have no doubt this will again be a huge success with the support of an amazing city called Cleveland.
Hot Sauce Williams
Hot Sauce Williams home to some might say the flagship sandwich of Cleveland, The Polish Boy. Others try to replicate and duplicate this heaven on a bun but Hot Sauce Williams seriously has this one down. I am Polish, I should know right? Honestly though I have no idea how or why it is called a Polish Boy. I don’t know the history behind it, but obviously it has something to do with kielbasa. A Polish Boy is a hot dog, kielbasa or any other tube meat on a roll covered with french fries coleslaw and barbeque sauce. I hear all this talk about Seti’s and Freddie’s but Hot Sauce Williams is the one this Polish boy will go back to every single time. Don’t get me wrong I dig all of them. In their own way they are all awesome but it’s the sauce from Hot Sauce Williams that has me hooked.
The ambiance of Hot Sauce Williams? Not much to speak of. It’s clean. It looks like Prince might have picked out the purple and pink decor. The smell of ribs cooking out on the giant grill in the back of the parking lot over hot coals should be bottled and sold as an aphrodisiac. The customer service, yeah, maybe they can work on that a bit. I never had anyone at the counter really wow me all too much. They aren’t mean, but they aren’t friendly either. I’ve never had bad service though, but then again you order up at the counter and wait. So, it’s not table service. It’s like a fast food joint in that way. Everything is served in Styrofoam containers no matter the order. However I doubt the environmentally conscious vegan earthy crunchy types are really eating here to begin with to complain. Today there was a woman trying to make up her mind for a good 10 minutes while the line backed up behind her. Miss? Seriously? Can you just go over to the thinking spot at the end of the line and let the hungry folks eat? Of course not, you were the queen of the world without a care. Anyhow outside of that fact we waited only a couple of minutes for our order to come up.
Our Polish Boys came out with sauce on the fries in their Styrofoam container, rubber banded together busting at the seams with food. We also split a large side of the mac and cheese which was heavenly. On a side note to white people, stop making mac and cheese. Only my friends of color truly do it right and that is no exception here. Goddamn that shit is good. The Polish Boy meal itself though? It is messy. It is beyond messy. It is you need to eat this with a knife and fork messy and still use 12 napkins. The fries are soaked in that sweet and tangy award winning sauce. There is nothing special about the fries. They are frozen crinkle cut fries, but once they hit that sauce they are potato heroin. Just sloppy, some crispy and some soggy fries drenched in sauce. The Polish Boy itself? It’s more hot dog than kielbasa on a regular hot dog roll covered with more fries, more sauce and slaw on top. There is really no way to eat this with your hands, but if you do God bless.
Located on East 78th and Carnegie if the purple and pink exterior don’t beckon you in the smell of barbequed ribs from a mile away will. Hot Sauce Williams is a true Cleveland original and well worth checking out. No, it’s not in a bad neighborhood. No, it’s not full of a bad element. It’s a great little dive that everyone in Cleveland needs to check out once or twice a year much like a pilgrimage to Slymans. Is it healthy? Oh God no. The majority on the menu alone keeps the Cleveland Clinic in business. Ribs, Fried Chicken, comfort food sides, and the Polish Boy all are well worth trying, and all done to perfection. I get over the lack of a friendliness factor at the counter, and the whole pop in a can beverage selections because this place lives and breathes the multicultural aspects of the city.
Van Oriental Food
First off isn’t it supposed to be “Asian” food, isn’t Oriental a rug? Anyhow had to pass on a little tip to avoid this product like the plague. Located in the prepared foods section of the local Giant Eagle they come four to a pack with a little packet of sauce in the middle. They have this picture on the website but I can assure you when opened they look nothing like that. The taste and texture are very similar. It reminded me of an Asian stuffing. A really mealy nasty Asian stuffing. The egg roll wrap was thin, and broke easily when heating. It lacked any flavor at all because the lumpy stuffing overpowered anything semi-redeeming of the anything but crisp wrap. Lesson here learned, buy egg rolls from your local independent Asian restaurant which you can find all over town. I seriously can’t get this taste out of my mouth. I have no idea what the price tag on these things were but I am guessing you could have gotten fresh ones takeout for the same price. We had the veggie and shrimp ones. The veggie ones tasted like I mentioned above. The shrimp ones tasted the same only with those cheap tiny shrimp you find in a cup of noodles flavor. Holy Jesus were these terrible.
I Scream, You Scream….
Well, you know, the saying! Yes, ice cream should be screamed for. I think I’d like to try a different place each week, as it is among my favorite foods 
Last week we treated ourselves to sundaes at Sweet Moses in Gordon Square Art’s District and this weekend we were tempted by Rosati’s Frozen Custard in North Olmsted. Both were equally fantastic! You can tell the difference, really taste it, when you are eating home made ice cream or custard. It is a totally different feeling than buying a pint of XX Brand from the store.
Our visit to Sweet Moses was our first ever. Well, we had attempted to go once before, during their grand opening, but it was far too crowded, so we waited patiently for a better time. It was well worth the wait. Jason had the Mount Caramel sundae. Luckily, he couldn’t finish it, so I got to taste it as well (Yes, I have no limits when it comes to ice cream, I ate mine and finished his!). The Mount Caramel, of course, is topped with homemade caramel, but that is not the best part. It is piled high with salted pistachios, a rare treat, and then the obligatory whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry. The sundae I chose was the Shoreway Sundae. I am pretty sure that the owners read my mind when making this one. Homemade coffee ice cream, hot fudge, toffee pieces, and almonds… and yes whipped cream and a cherry. I was in heaven.
Not only were the sundaes fantastic, but the atmosphere in Sweet Moses brings you back to the soda shops of yesteryear. I felt momentarily transported in time as I sat at the counter, reading the menu and eying up the case of other homemade sweet treats just to my right. This place would be great for a date night, great for bringing the family, and great to fill anyone’s sweet tooth needs. Highly recommended.
Rosati’s Frozen Custard has been a favorite since we moved into our current house 6 years ago, as it is right up the street. They are probably best known for their Higbees Malted, but if that’s not your thing, there a ton of other choices, all of which are very good. This time we got sundaes. I had the cherry cordial (vanilla custard with cherry sauce and hot fudge) and Jason had the peanut butter cup sundae (vanilla custard, peanut butter topping, and actual peanut butter cup chunks.) Oh yes, they were tasty! Truth be told, however, the custard here stands on its own. You do not need to cover it in fudge or any other sauce. To make certain this was true, we bought a container of Cherry Jubilee, which we gladly ate today. This custard was packed full of giant cherries and 
chocolate slivers. It was so good that I seriously considered licking my bowl.
I know that these are just two of many wonderful homemade ice cream places in the Cleveland area. I suspect I will be seeking out more to visit in these warm summer months and would love suggestions, so please — let me know your favorites as well!
Brothers, and the Hi-Fi
Let me start this off with a small disclaimer. I am typing this one handed more or less after severing a 1/4 inch chunk of my thumb making dinner tonight. Now if you ever cut yourself slicing something you know how I might feel but you really don’t. What I managed to do was slice off a huge chunk of my thumb a quarter inch deep and probably about an inch long on a mandolin. It’s wrapped and it’s in what’s best described as a thumb condom. So am I in the best of moods? No, not at all. Don’t get me wrong at all, I had a decent time tonight. However when you are in pain you really aren’t in the mood for much bullshit. So, I am in pretty early but we’ll get to that later. Mind you, any single ding, brush on or against said appendage just soured my mood all the more. So, when it was time to call it a night I knew it and snuck out quietly into the Lakewood-Cleveland border.
We have been to Brothers a couple times before. It’s not my favorite place in the world but it’s not half bad either. The food is decent and they have a nice beer selection. The servers are all all-stars, quick, attentive and friendly. Out of the 4 parts of the bar I dig the wine bar the most. The regular bar is very “pedestrian”. Kind of loud, kind of cramped, more of a hallway with a bar that leads to the main room. The main stage area is huge, and gorgeous with incredible sound for live acts. Outside of the main room is the patio which is really nice however unless you pay to see a show, you aren’t going to be able to enjoy it. The only way back to the patio is through the actual main stage area where the bands play. In order to get there you need to pay to see the band. So why exactly would you pay to hear a band you can’t actual hear or see from the patio? It just doesn’t make sense. Also if you use the wine bar bathrooms there is a back entrance up to the main stage area. I don’t know how well they patrol the back stairs but I am thinking if you are crafty you can get around the door charge completely. I’m not saying go do that or anything but it seems very possible on a packed night to pull it off.
So from Brothers the plan was to go see Christopher Wild a former student of a friend and an really amazing guitar player. I had the pleasure of having him play a backyard bash a couple years back. He is really damn good, however, I didn’t get to see him tonight. The concert was at the recently reopened (I think) Hi-Fi club (I think) on the Cleveland-Lakewood border. The Hi-Fi has been opened, closed, renamed, closed, opened like 50 times since the 90′s and probably at least 3 or 4 owners, names, opened & closed’s in the last 2 years. There is no sign. The awning says “The Breakfast Club”. Seriously a giant cluster fuck to even keep up with. Regardless tickets were purchased in advance yet 10 of us just walked in the bar without giving a ticket or paying a dime. Makes you wonder how the bands even get paid if they don’t even have anyone at the door. That’s bad business #1.
Bad business #2? It was a gorgeous night out tonight. I am guessing high 70′s to low 80′s outside. It was, no shit, 90-100 degrees in the club. It was stupid hot in the bar. Circulation was ok, with the door open and some ceiling fans but none the less it was a fucking oven in there. Did I get old and turn into a pussy? No, I got old and came to expect better than that. #3, bathrooms are gross, #4 bar service is slow and anything but friendly. This shit might fly with the underage crowd that it looks they cater to, but for me? No fucking way, no fucking how would I go out of my way for that type of atmosphere. The sound was decent but there was this band on stage warming up like they were the Rolling Stones for like 20 minutes, checking this mic, that mic, that guitar, the snare, the kitchen sink, you get the idea. Then they go off and take me back to 80′s hair metal. Not the tolerable stuff either. To me it was annoying and sounded like shit, but to me most 80′s metal sounds like that. So I can’t be a good judge to say if they were any good, but they weren’t. I checked their Myspace page, of course they have a Myspace page, but they apparently have enough of a following to be playing the House of Blues August 6th, but then again the House of Blues is a piece of shit venue who only like cover bands anyhow. So, annoyed, in pain, hot and ear raped we left.
I remember being the age of the kids standing around outside the clubs in the area back in the 80′s. That was me like 20-25 years ago. I remember how cool it was to be hanging and playing in clubs like this back in their heyday. I wonder if any of them know these places were like the concert meccas in Cleveland back then. Skinny Puppy, Jesus & Mary Chain, Ministry, Erasure, Dead Kennedys, 7 Seconds, Black Flag, Public Image, Janes Addiction; that little stretch of Detroit Road used to be the shit. However rather than change with the times they are waiting to be sucked into a vortex back to 1987 and it just isn’t going to ever happen. So they continue with the fog machines (yeah the shitty metal band had the fog going), making minimal to no improvements to the properties and just continue to run themselves into the ground. The crowds get younger and younger to the point the only way to make a buck is to do all ages shows, and I don’t have a huge issue with that but at the same time I’d rather not hang with high school kids at the age of 40. I don’t feel old or out of place, but I do feel really fucking creepy. The Hi-Fi will be the Hi-Fi for another year or so because the people that go there don’t know any better to expect and demand better out of a rock club. If they continue on the same path as the 900 other clubs that have called this home they will be out of business yet again soon enough. I just don’t understand while the world around that entire area has grown up the clubs refuse to do the same.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
If there is one thing we love, it is a zoo. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which neither of us had ever been to before, was the main reason for our road trip this past weekend. We were not disappointed, this is one of the highest rated zoos in the country every year for good reason. I will say however, there are some things that the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo does better than Columbus. Not a ton, honestly, but a few.
What makes this particular zoo experience better than that of our zoo here at home? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the near authenticity of each section of exhibits. As you enter each area of the zoo you first see a sign pointing you toward that continent or animal congregation…. this is true for most zoos, however, as you enter that area you first will hear native music of the land the creatures you are about to view are from. You also walk through paths that remove you so much from the rest of society that you really feel like you are in the jungle or rain forest. We were there early, plus it was drizzling, so we really got to feel like we were alone on a safari through foreign lands. You just can’t get that in Cleveland… the paths here are wide and the Cle Zoo itself is too close to the noises of the city for you to feel transported.
The second great thing about the Columbus Zoo is the Aquarium. We have been unlucky in Cleveland to be without one for most of my life and this was a true treat for me. The set up is really awesome, as you are surrounded by fantastic swimming creatures as soon as you walk in. My favorite, of course, were the manatees. These gorgeous creatures are a rare treat for a girl from Cleveland, and I could have watched these peaceful giants for hours.
The third thing that sticks out as a giant “win” for Columbus, is the Monkey/Ape section. Holy cow, do they have a lot of apes here! Not just a couple orangatans behind glass, but every variety of ape you can think of and then some. And, they are not all behind glass, but many are in outdoor habitats, playing and engaging with each other, or not, but in a realistic appearing habitat. Plus, within each different type of monkey creature there are multiple generations of family members and pictures of those who have passed… and pictures of the current ones with their names so you know who you are looking at. The entire ape layout puts ours to shame. This section of the zoo alone is worth the admission.
Lastly, throughout the Columbus Zoo are knowlegeable tour guides and employees full of information. If you have a question at any time, at any exhibit, I guarantee there is someone there to answer your questions. I should also note that the Columbus Zoo is also attached to a Waterpark, so for the ultra-adventurous, you can buy a ticket that includes admission to the Waterpark, Zoo, and Aquarium. This has got to be a huge draw for families in the summer months.
I can’t leave this story though, without telling you what Cleveland does better than Columbus when it comes to Zoos. Well, I am sure you can guess — number one — elephants. Our new Elephant Encounter makes their elephant section look silly by comparison. The elephants were not even outside, but in looking around, I couldn’t really see where they would be if outside anyway. Same with the rhinos. Although the Cleveland rhino exhibit is a bit distant, you can always see our family of rhinos outside doing their thing. In Columbus, one rhino was outside, one was inside, and the guide told us that it is typically like that because they are solitary creatures. Apparently they have a third rhino as well, but she said he “had the day off.” I have no idea what that means!
We also have hippos here, which I did not see in Columbus. And giraffes. I did not see one giraffe in Columbus either. Oh yeah, and zebras. Although Columbus did have an animal I’ve never seen before that looked like it was half zebra, I did not see any actual zebras.
So yes, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was awesome. I would go back in a heartbeat. But I will also continue to go to our fabulous zoo here in Cleveland as well, because even if not perfect, we truly have some assets that even the best of zoos would have trouble competing with!
More Columbus Eats: The North Market and Lindey’s
After an early excursion at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, we were in need of sustenance. We found it at the North Market. It may be the closest thing that Columbus has to our West Side Market, but once inside you realize that it is very different and truly serves a completely different purpose. There are a few shops that sell fresh meats and cheeses and if I lived in Columbus, this would probably be the place to go for such items. From reading their website, it appears that there is also (I’m assuming in the summer months) often a farmer’s market with fresh produce, but we didn’t see one on Sunday. The true draw of this market, however, is what I refer to as the mini-restaurants that it is filled with. Hungry for Italian? They’ve got it! Polish food? Yep! Vietnamese? Sure thing! Sushi? I think you get the point… Whatever you are craving, you can go here and get it fresh and eat it in or take it out. If you are a dessert lover of any kind, there is a bakery, a candy shop, a chocolatier, and of course Jeni’s Ice Cream. We love our Pho and were lucky enough to get two stools at the counter of Lan Viet Market, so we sat down and ordered. We both got Beef Pho and a spring roll. It was really good! They serve it up in big plastic bowls and you leave feeling full and happy. We were stuffed for less than $20, including two sodas from the fridge. After that we went to Brezel, a pretzel shop and each got a giant soft pretzel, fresh out of the oven. I had an “everything” pretzel, which was fantastic, and Jason had the original salted. They had other varieties as well, and dipping sauces if you need all that!
Later that evening, after more wandering around the city and a good nap, we were hungry again (shocking!). We really wanted to go to The Thurman Cafe to have one of their famous giant burgers. Back to German Village we went, found a great parking space, but it was too good to be true…. Thurman’s is tiny inside and there were people packed in, waiting for tables… We gave our name and were told it would be at least 45 minutes, maybe an hour before we’d be seated. I love burgers, but not that much. We went off in search of another place to eat. Luckily, the night before our bartender at the hotel had circled a handful of restaurants he recommended on a list that I still had in my purse. After attempting a couple, but running into a bunch of traffic snafus due to ComFest, we went to the only open restaurant on our list that was not on High Street — Lindey’s.
Lindey’s was a bit “fancier” than we were prepared for, so I felt a bit guilty walking in wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but they didn’t seem to act like they noticed. The dining room was very nice, and quiet and the patio was packed and looked really nice as well. We chose to dine inside, as it was pretty warm out and I am a fan of air conditioning when I eat warm food The menu had a great choice of salads, steaks, seafood, and pasta dishes. The wine list was strong, and the suggested drinks sounded too wonderful to pass up. Jason had a Moscow Mule, one of his favorites, and I had a Mint Julep, made perfectly with Makers Mark, simple syrup, and fresh mint.
For dinner Jason ordered a burger and the french onion soup. (You can’t blame him, we were going out for burgers, after all!) The waiter was raving about this french onion, so I also ordered a cup of it along with the asparagus ravioli. This was the best ravioli I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The ravioli itself was filled with asparagus and cheese, but the pasta dish was topped with asparagus spears, tomatoes, wild mushrooms and goat cheese along with a lemon-chive butter sauce. I will recommend this dish to anyone. I am sure dessert here would have been good as well, but we just didn’t have room for it after our day of eating. This is a good excuse for me to go back. I loved Columbus and I loved this restaurant, next time though, I will wear a skirt
