Overnight w/ Vodka Logic [Part 2]

After Vodka Logic had her claim ticket for her luggage and an address to have them drop off the luggage, we headed back to my place.

The plan was, at this point, to find a place to eat.  In Cleveland there are many many places to choose from, but I didn't want to drive too far.

Laura has read many of my blogs talking about food, and Bar Symon has just redone their menu, so I decided we are going there.  It is close.  There is probably not a wait.  And in the eventuality we get drunk, my wife is nearby to pick us up and drive us home after she is done with her practice.

So have you ever had beef tongue?  Me neither.  That's why when I saw it on the Bar Symon menu, I had to try it.  Vodka Logic looks over the menu and then looks at me and asks, what is a perogi?  I looked at her and was flabbergasted.  What?  Was that a question?  Sometimes I take my heritage for granted.  My family is Slovak.  Perogi are pretty much a staple in my house around Christmas time.  So seeing my reaction, and a hearty suggestion she try them, and what better place than Cleveland?  The Cleveland Classic was in the kitchen just for Vodka Logic.

So by the time the first round of cocktails got to the table, dinner arrived.  I was famished so I dug in, after Laura and I took photos of the food of course.

The [blurry] Cleveland Classic

Beef Tongue Sandwich w/ Chips

I know that looks yummy right?

So during dinner we got a phone call at the table.  Guess what?  Laura's bag finally made it to Cleveland.  So I stopped drinking after the second drink, and prepared to drive Laura through Cleveland, then back out to the airport to get her lost bag.  

It is in my humble opinion that if you want to see a city, have someone who lives there show you around.  If you live in a place and don't know anything about it, then learn.  Be proud of your town.  

As we exited the restaurant, with 1 extra sausage in hand, because Laura only could handle 1 of the 2 she got, so we set off down the historic Lake Rd into Cleveland.  

Laura commented on the houses.  How cheap they were.  People don't realize how inexpensive the Midwest is.  She saw this in the tab she picked up at the restaurant.  Our meal could have easily cost over $100 in New England.  In Cleveland, a miserly $60.00.  

As we drove down I was sharing some facts about Cleveland.  Lake Effect snow, electric rail road to the burbs, and even where the celebrities live.  I think at one point I was overloading her, because she said, damn you know a lot about this city.  

I know I do.  I also tend to ramble when I have someone new to show around.  I love my city, and I think Laura saw this.  We arrive in downtown and I drove her through Playhouse Square, the Gateway District, by E 4th Street, and then to I-71 south to the airport.  

Baggage claimed and off to bed.  

Now Laura did not come into town w/o bringing gifts for the Mrs. and I and also for the kids.  Patriots gear for the kids.  Shot glasses for the Mrs. and I.  How awesome is that?  Seriously.

So Friday was the tourist day.  Laura's only request was to see the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.  So I obliged.  Audrey spent her day off with her mom, as she hadn't seen her for the week on the account of play practice, and the wife, Laura, Addison, and I went to the Rock Hall.  

I hadn't been there in a while, and to all those Clevelanders who haven't been, get there, it is a great place.  Time was getting tight for Laura's flight home, so what were we to do for lunch.  I know I wasn't going to stop at the Rock Hall's cafe.  That would be a waste.  Why visit a cafe when you can dine at one of Bon Appetite's Top 10 Restaurants?

Off to the Greenhouse Tavern we went.  

I think this lunch menu is one of Cleveland's best kept secrets.  Small, inexpensive, and flavorful.  

I didn't get a good photo of my lunch as I wolfed it down so fast, but Laura was able to get this shot off before her hunger monsters got a hold of it.

The Greenhouse French Dip

We finished our lunch and realized that Laura had to get to the airport to head off to Indianapolis on the 2nd leg of her tour of the Midwest. 

But what is a trip to Cleveland without a proper send off?

Come back soon Vodka Logic.  You only saw part of this great city!

9 lists of 8

Because I am coming off a hectic weekend, and 2 relaxing days off, I gave my brain a day off.

My new found Canadian Buddy, Will tagged me in a game of lists.  9 lists of 8.  They are predetermined lists. But I need a break for now.  At the end, you get a chance to play along.

8 TV Shows I watch:
Law & Order: SVU-This is where I get all my knowledge on crime.
Myth Busters- I love how nerdy Adam and Jamie are to get to the bottom of Urban Legend
Glenn Beck- I know I know. But like I have tweeted before, part thinks he is full of shit, the other thinks he might be right.  I hope he is full of shit, but something tells me he isn't.
Local News on WKYC-TV-When it comes to the news in Cleveland, I turn to our NBC affiliate.  The weather reports are pretty accurate, but they don't scare me with their 8 million Doppler Radars.  
Top Chef-I am not what you would call a foodie, and frankly I hate the word.  I am a guy who likes to cook and likes to eat.  I don't criticize restaurants, I don't tell you to stop going there.  If I write about it; it was good.  If I am quiet, then I think it sucked, but I am not so entrenched in my opinions of a place to tell you that it sucked.  Top Chef really let's me spend time with Audrey and show her food is something to get excited about.
ESPN First Take-Although I am not your typical guy, I am still a guy.  I like to see what they are saying about my Browns
Iron Chef America-Michael Symon is from Cleveland.  I always watch when he is on.
Diners, Drive In's, and Dives-This season is featuring 7 or 8 Cleveland area restaurants.  Check that show out.

8 Favorite Places to Eat & Drink
Bar Symon-Goes without saying I like Symon.  He's a Cleveland dude.  The fact he opened a restaurant in my home town, I think it goes without saying I love the place and will support it in anyway I can.
The Greenhouse Tavern-Although I have only been there once, I loved the wings, beef tartar, and wine.  It may be a 'green' restaurant, but political buzzwords aside, it's fantastic.  It's run by two great people Jonathon Sawyer, and Chef's Widow.
B-Spot-Symon's new burger joint.  I love burgers.  I love Symon.  Enough said.
Swenson's-See B-Spot but strike the word Symon and just plug in burgers. 
Fiesta Jalapeno- The Mexican joint across the street. Love it.
Melt-Coming up on Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives on February 8th.  Grilled Cheese and Beer.
My Kitchen-I have made plenty of great meals at home, but I love it when Wifey and I are in the kitchen together, but it doesn't happen too often.
My Mom's house-Who doesn't love their mom's cooking?

8 Things I look forward to:
Sexy time with the Wifey-Do I really need to explain that?
Eventually a 'by' line in a published book, article, magazine and then getting a check made to my name as a result.-C'Mon, I've been published 3 times, but never got paid for it! 
Comments on my blog posts-A bloggers wet dream is getting a shit ton of comments.  Don't make me beg.
The end of my work days-Work has been tough recently and I usually like the overtime, but as of late, I love going home to the family as fast as possible
Getting my car fixed-Hopefully it will be fixed by the end of the week
Addison being potty trained-Changing diapers is shitty, and yes, that pun was intended. 
Change-for the good.  It may include, but is not limted to, becoming independently wealthy, getting a full time gig that will pay me to write, having smart kids that will take care of me when they get rich.
A visit from a certain blogger who started this whole list thing-Vodka Logic is coming to town!


8 Things that happened yesterday:
Baby woke up a million times, thus trumping something I was looking forward to-2 guesses as to what that was.
I called to see how much it was going to cost to fix my car-I really wish I was more mechanical to know when I was getting raped up my ass.  At least the inmates in prison can see it coming.
Watched a ton of news-I love the news.
I forgot to put out the garbage for the garbage truck for the 2nd week in a row-I have a feeling it is going to get stinky.
I did the dishes-I am domesticated.
I read a lot of blogs-But only commented on a few.  
Laughed- I seem to do this a lot when I am not at work
Watched the Wifey sleep- And I tried to figure out what she sees in me.  She is so much cooler than me.


8 Things I love about Winter:
The Cold-The Wifey gets closer when it is cold.  That's why the house is kept at 52 during the summer.
Snow!-Although I haven't skied in years, I always watch the ski forcasts.
Cozy fires-I need a fire place
Emergency Snow Warnings-It means it's going to be a fun day behind the wheel.
It's when Addi was conceived-We did it a lot that winter.  
The hush on the street when the snow falls-The snow on the ground just mutes all the noise cars make
The last day of cold before it turns into spring-I like it when it ends.
That first snow fall-It's always amazing

8 Things on my wish list:
A portable mixing board-It would really help with the podcast
A night without the kids-I want to take the lady out to a good dinner at one of the 8 places we love to eat, maybe a movie, and then maybe do it like teenagers after words without worry the kids will hear/walk in.
A new car-More specifically a Ford Taurus SHO.  Sexy car.   I want it loaded.

A new laptop-More specifically a 15" Mac Book Pro
A happy and prosperous life and family- Like anyone else.
A new house-Need a bigger house with a yard.
A Superbowl win for the Cleveland Browns-Need I say more?
My own airplane-So I could have breakfast in San Fransisco and dinner in NYC.  Lunch on board.


8 Things I am passionate about:
My wife and children-They are the most amazing people in my life
Sales-Sales is not about hitting a number, it is about forming and cultivating relationships. 
Writing-I like to write, and I think I am ok at it.  Sometimes I think I suck, but sometimes I really do think I am awesome.  Average it out, and I am just ok.
Reading-Read to escape and learn.
Music-Especially not the shit you hear on the radio.  Local, grassroots shit.  The demo tape made in a garage is my favorite.  Gritty, honest, and usually awesome!
Food-I hate boxed dinners
Coffee-Local coffee houses are awesome, but few and far between thanks to Starbucks.
Learning-Whether it be about myself, or anyone else, I am a fan of the human being.  

8 Words I often use:
[in no particular order]
Awesome.
Happy. 
Please.
Thank-You.
Fuck.
Hello.
Cock.
Shit.

8 Things I learned from the past:
That the freedom America has wasn't exactly fought for, but negotiated.-Read Zinn's book; A People's History of the United States of America then follow it with McCullough's biography on John Adams.
That it could be worse-A childhood story that my Grandpa read to me.  It's a philosophy to live by.
Abstinence only programs do not work- I was in a school district that taught us what a condom was, and also what spermicidal lubricant was, and also how to put on a condom, by demo-ing it on a banana.  I look back on that day in health class in 9th grade as the information I use most often.  They also said that the only form of birth control that was 100% effective was abstinence.  As a result of this class I abstained until I was nearly 21, although I almost had sex when I was 18, but stopped short.  I have only had 2 partners.  Knowledge is power.
Prohibition created NASCAR-Google that.
The 60's looked scary as hell-I watched  a documentary on 1968, and it was fucked up.  
History repeats itself-I am working hard on not repeating my mistakes.
Humans will eventually be extinct-And it doesn't matter how many windmills we put up.  Eventually we are all going to die.
Gravity is awesome-Sir Isaac Newton.  Thanks for discovering it!


8 Things I want/need:
To be idolized by my children-Really, my kids need to think I am awesome
Money-It's tight right now.
Clarification on how we are NOT helping Haiti-I have seen interview after interview of American's telling the government get involved in the recovery effort.  We have Marines, War Ships, and a TON of American Aide on the ground.  We cannot just wave a magic wand.  
I need the celebs to raise money for things in their own country-For instance.  When disaster strikes, Hollywood, the fashionable cause monger they are, gets involved.  I have not seen 1 PSA from then helping out the people of this country since Katrina.  Why can't Clooney raise money to help average guys like me pay off their debt?!  I don't care what you think, but if you want to use your celebrity for something, help us out, don't tell us what you think.
Motivation-Seems I am lacking some motivation as of late.  I don't know what it is.
A new couch-Anyone who has sat down on this thing has had a hard time getting out of it.  It sucks you in.
A new TV-The one I have is sweet, but it is also 300 pounds.
A new car-For either my wife or for me.  Just want a new one


I am supposed to tag 8 people.  I say eff that.  I like breaking rules.  If you want to play along, let me know in the comments section.  I will come check it out and comment on it.
     

Sonic's are about as great as dog meat by comparison

Strong statement?  I think so.  It was intentional.  Over the last few months, there has been such a hubbub about Sonic's.  You know the Drive-In Restaurant chain that serves you right in your car.  What a novel concept.  Not.  Cleveland just opened their first one in the area to rave reviews.  I knew years ago that this chain wasn't all that it says it is.  It's novel and you all know when the novelty wears off.  You realize that you have been to this drive in so many times, you realize that what you are eating is close to dog food.  I think some people of Cleveland think this is a new concept.  Many know that those people are wrong.

These Drive-Ins are a slice of Americana.  Drive in restaurants date back to as early as 1936, but didn't really reach the height of popularity until the 1950's after the end of WWII.

I am not all that old, but what I wouldn't give to live in that time.  Drive your land yacht with the tail fins to the drive in and order a burger, fries, and a vanilla coke.  It's no secret I am a burger fanatic.  They are lovely. Probably the most simple of concepts, but yet, no two burgers ever taste the same.  The All Ohio Burger from The Greenhouse Tavern is heads and tails different from the Bar Symon Burger at Bar Symon, or even more different still than the Fat Doug at B-Spot and both the Bar Symon and Fat Doug are made by the same chef.  Burger King vs. McDonald's.  Wendy's.  You get the picture.  Simple yet diverse.

The burger dates back to around 1885 when the Menches brothers were vendors at Erie County Fair.  They ran out of sausage for their sandwiches so they decided to use beef instead.  This of course is just one of the many stories about how the hamburger was invented.  There are too many to mention, but I would like the think that the legend of the Menches Brother's is the most true account.  1.  Their Story is believable.  2.  They are from Akron, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Cleveland, Ohio.

I tell you these stories to tell you yet another story.  Akron is not just home of the brilliant inventors of the hamburger, but it is also home to the first ever Swenson's Drive-In.

Last night I experienced Swenson's for the first time, and boy, it was everything everyone said it was.  The concept is not much different than that of Sonic, except they forgo the speaker boxes in the car stall. Their menu is printed on paper and not a monstrosity of lights and color much like a McDonald's drive thru.  The car hops run to your car and use pencil and paper to take your order and don't rely on a squawk box.  They don't use a call button, but just have you turn on and off your headlights.  You know, the way it was before there was all that impersonal technology.  I know I know, a shocking statement coming from a guy like me, but that's a different blog for a different time.

Swenson's is a slice of Americana placed right into my car seat.  Wifey and I ordered a double cheesburg which was fantastic.  After I ordered Wifey one-upped me when she ordered a slice of bacon on her burger.  Why the hell didn't I think of that?

Along with a burger we order vanilla cokes.  How wonderful is it to have a real vanilla coke.  Not that crap in a can that they sell at your local grocery store.  Despite the several inches of snow on the ground, Swenson's was busy.  Plenty of cars in the lot.  The car hops were right there and attentive.  Just to illustrate this point, I must tell you this.  I pull the car in.  They saw me pull in and by the time I slid my fat assed SUV into the parking spot, the car hop was running to the car, and by the time I had the car in park, she was ready to take my order.  How unbelievable is that!  

To tell you this burger was the best burger I ever had would be a lie.  It was good, juicy, well done, but not so good I would say that it was the best burger in the world.  But it sure beats the shit out of Sonic, McDonald's, Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Burger King, Arby's, and even Whataburger.

Swenson's burgers are amazing, truly amazing.  I could live on these burgers, but I'm pretty sure I would develop a heart condition and then die, but at least I would die happy.  If you are in Cleveland, coming through Cleveland, or once thought about wanting to come to Cleveland, you need to mark this place on the "must visit" list.  Forget Sonic's.  Find a Swenson's!

Roasted Bone Marrow anyone?

It feels so great to be back from the long weekend.  I hope you enjoyed all my guest bloggers while I was away.  Kasey was calling them Adam's Angels.  I would have to agree.  So from the bottom of my heart, thank you to Kasey, Laura, Ashley, Jules, and last but not least, my wife, Mrs. Throwing Quarters. 

It was a long weekend and I couldn't have blogged even if I wanted to.  I also want to thank you for all the great comments you have left for all my guest bloggers.  Thank you thank you and again, thank you.

So, now that I am back, what should I talk about?  Should I talk about mean customers?  No.  Been there done that.  Should I talk about the awesome Thanksgiving dinner we had this past Sunday?  Yes, but not right now.  I want to talk about food, but I want to share a more recent story.

When you go out to eat, what goes through your head as a parent?  Do you instantly think of what the kids menu is before you leave because you want to make sure your child eats?  What happens? 

It can be a point of anxiety for many parents.  For me?  I don't even care.  I go eat where I want to eat, and I know if I take Audrey along, she is going to eat something.  She isn't going to look for chicken fingers, Kraft macaroni, or pizza unless it's given as a choice.  She is a typical 7 year old.  She likes those things, I cannot fault her.  But as of late she has been asking for things I am not expecting her to ask for.  "Dad, can I try that mustard over there?" or "Dad, I'm not sure if I like it, but can I try that A-1 steak sauce?" or "Dad I don't like those sweet potatoes, but I tried them." 

She does this without me asking.  It literally warms my heart.  I have tried and tried and tried to give Audrey more than just the crap you can get on a kids menu at any restaurant chain.  She orders off it when available, but I don't fret when we go somewhere that doesn't have a published kids' menu.

Audrey and I watch Top Chef together all the time.  I am trying to show her that people get excited about food.  We watch Iron Chef.  We watch Diners, Drive In's, and Dives.  She gets excited about food. 

Well when I told her that my friends Josh and Carrie were coming in from out of town, we are all going to Bar Symon, she was more than excited. 

My friend Josh is a chef in the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Dining Room at the Pentagon, and a total food guy.  So when Michael Symon built a restaurant in our home town, we had to make sure he went while he was on leave. 

Audrey walked around school for weeks telling her classmates and teachers that SHE was going to Bar Symon and that she was excited.  She had no clue about the menu, but she was excited to go.  I knew the menu enough to know that there was something for her on it, but she is the big girl, she can pick what ever she wanted.

 [panorama shot from the table. You can see the Wifey, Audrey, and Josh's Wife Carrie]

So let's go through the progression last night.  Josh ordered the Roasted Bone Marrow for an appetizer.  His wife, Carrie, and I have read the Julie and Julia Project so we were curious about what roasted bone marrow was.  Josh had it many times in his line of work, but Carrie and I thought it was like a unicorn.  Something everyone always talked about but no one ever saw in the wild.  We have yet to see it on any menu at any restaurant we have ever been to.  Now I know there are some great French restaurants out there, but I have never seen this in the wild.  

To the table came the Bone Marrow [pictured to the left] served right in the bone.  Carrie dove in first, and I was just so excited to try it that I almost jumped out of my skin when Audrey said this:

"Dad, can I try it?"

What?  What does your kid eat again?  Oh that's right, Kraft Macaroni N Cheese off the mother fucking kids menu.

So with delight Josh scooped up some roasted bone marrow onto the toast it was served with and just watched, with my mouth gaping open.  What she said next I almost peed my pants.

"Wow, Dad, I like this, can I have more?"

What?  Yeah you have trouble getting your kid to eat chicken fingers at Friday's, my child eats roasted bone marrow!  You know the stuff from INSIDE the bones of a cow!  She eats that! And she asked for more!

So the waiter, named Steve, yeah he was that good I remembered his name, came back to take dinner orders and Audrey decided to try something I was equally impressed with.  Goat Cheese Mac N Cheese.  She knew it was not Kraft, but then again there is comfort in knowing your pasta is about to be smothered with cheese. 

I looked around.  There were other parents there with their children, all eating off the non published kids' menu.  Buttered noodles, chicken fingers, and who knows what else was on there.  Audrey was ordering off the big kids menu and loving it.  Score one for my daughter!  Even the wife was impressed!

Later on in the night I let Audrey's mom know what she ate and she sent back, Eww, that sounds gross. 

I just sighed in frustration and why doesn't anyone else think that this is the coolest thing in the world?!

So I ordered a braised pork shank, because let's face it, pigs are tasty.  That is also pictured.  The wife got the burger.  But Audrey kept tasting everything.  She tried the braised pork shank, the goat cheese mac n cheese [which she loved btw], and even the Bar Symon burger.  Along with the Bacon and Apple Bread Pudding, Brown Butter Whipped Potatoes, and many many other great things! 

For dessert we tried every dessert they had.  It was just a magical night all around.  Good brews, good eats, and good conversation.

It's always nice to talk to someone about Cleveland when they are away from Cleveland.  You can see a bigger picture of Cleveland and not the narrow-minded views of the residents.  The can't see the forest from the trees I believe is the analogy.  Cleveland, as it turns out, has become a travel spot for foodies.  I have read about this in the times, but I have yet to have it confirmed by someone outside Cleveland that I actually knew.

Anyway, our tour of Cleveland Food resumes tonight as Josh, Carrie, and the Wife head down to the Greenhouse Tavern for Blog it Forward Happy hour.  If you don't have anything to do, get down there.  There is more info about it here. 

Who needs Michael Symon or Jonathon Sawyer when you have me?!

So what does an impatient Dad do while he waits for his wife go into labor?

Cook.

Who needs Michael Symon or Jonathon Sawyer when you have me? I take that back. We all need them, but when you aren't going to venture to their fine restaurants, what do you do?

Cook.

Last night I decided to cook a summer staple in my house. Burgers! The variation we had was a play on the Royal Red Robin Burger, the Bar Symon Burger, and Napoleon Dynamite's osbession with tater tots.

The burger was stuffed with cheddar cheese, and bacon. Topped off with an egg, sunny side up, and served on an English Muffin. It was amazing. It was also breakfast for dinner.

Wifey wanted a vegetable, and I wanted more cheese. That's how we came up with the broccoli and cheese. I have a Napoleon Dynamite fascination with tater tots, so that topped the whole dish off.

I apologize for not having something more interesting to talk about, but once this child is born, there will be endless streams of stories. Right now. I am having hard time concentrating.

How to: Sneak into a movie theater with a wife that's 9 months pregnant

*There is still time to enter the baby pool contest*

So here I sit. Tomorrow is wifey's due date, and we are still awaiting the arrival of our little bundle of joy. By joy I mean, pooping, spitting up, crying at all hours of the night, small handed, and cute footed, bundle of joy.

What is it about baby poop that makes parents all gooshey?

It's morning. The past few days have been, for the lack of a better word, boring. It's hard to get a very very pregnant woman excited about moving. She is feeling, well, pregnant. That means, but it not limited to, fat, ugly, tired, swollen, and over all miserable. I think she looks beautiful, but then again, I'm a guy, what do I know?

With nothing but time on our hands, we sat around all day, goofing around on the interwebs, we got tired of watching movies on TV around 3 or so. I decided that we needed to see a movie. The wife suggested Inglorious Bastards, but after viewing the trailer and reading what people are saying about it, we [she] decided that G.I. Joe might be a better choice. Less blood and guts, and more mindless action without purpose. It's a great way to get your mind off anything.

We also had the need for dinner, and milk shakes. What better place close to the theater than Steak N Shake? Greasy, lovely burgers, hand dipped milk shakes, and a side order of Lipitor.

Now, over the summer I have commented on several types of burgers. Pizza Burgers, Jucy Lucy's, and Bar Symon burgers. This Steak n Shake burger was awesome. Now I usually don't say that about chain burgers. The Whopper and Big Mac have a special place in hell, but I find myself eating them from time to time, but I fail to ever mention the extraordinary experience of eating them. This Steak n Shake burger, The Wisconsin Buttery, was great. They combine, red meat, grilled onions, cheese, and a huge dollop of butter. Either I was terribly hungry, or it was really really good, but my god, I wolfed it down. The Snickers Milkshake was more of a blizzard from DQ than a milkshake, but I drank [ate] it nonetheless.

After dinner, we headed over to the movie theater, about 30 minutes too early. Again, we are trying to get to things early so we can set the example for our unborn child. Get your ass in gear, you have about 37 hours left to still be considered on time.

My cousin works at the theater and we were planning on taking advantage of the, we know the ticket girl discount. Unfortunately, she is no longer the ticket girl. We asked the acting ticket girl where my cousin was, and she called her down to the lobby. We went into the concession area and waited. 22 minutes later still nothing. My cousin is really cool, and I text her a few times, and still nothing. So we did what any responsible adult would do. We snuck in. It was great, we walked the length of the concession stand a few times, I would glance at my BlackBerry a few times, and would motion to the wife in a way that would suggest we were waiting, and we were frustrated that our friends didn't show. Then we wondered right past the guy taking tickets, without giving him anything, and walked right into the movie theater. No one said a word. My cousin shot me a reply text and asked where we were. I told her we were able to sneak by the ticket guy and get a seat. Poor kid, we sneak in, then tell on him. My cousin is now the manager of the theater. Hope I didn't get him fired.

G.I. Joe was good, for a more comprehensive review, check out Ryno's Hollywood spin. I agree with his review.

Other than that, we are just.....waiting.....still.

Date Night at Bar Symon

Finally, after less than a week of being open, I couldn't stay away any longer. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Was Michael Symon just another celebrity chef who lent his name to a less than stellar restaurant experience? I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to experience a dining experience you couldn't get at a T.G.I. Friday's [or is it just plain Friday's now?] with it's 13 or 14 pieces of flare. I wanted to go to a restaurant in my hometown that wasn't Italian [Fratello's and Stella's] and I didn't want to go where we always go.

I am always up for adventure. My marriage with Jenn is much like a Yin and Yang of life. I like to live on the wild side and explore what I have been too scared to eat. Jenn usually plays it safe with her choice of cuisine, where as I will gladly try a fried plantain on a prime rib sandwich with chipotle mayo. I am willing to take the road less traveled just to see where we end up, rather than play it safe on the highways. This was apparent in our drive on our honeymoon.

So what was Bar Symon all about? It's a beer joint, plain and simple and that is thrust right in your face as soon as you walk into the restaurant. Just to the right you can see all 40 taps staring at you, daring you try every single one of them. There isn't a hip tour [Winking Lizard] surrounding the beer selection which is something I knew would be absent, and for good reason.

Now, before I get too far into the guts of the restaurant, I want to just make an observation about the location. The new Bar Symon sits in a carcass of a once thriving part of Avon Lake. Since the implosion the Tops Supermarket chain, that part of my hometown has never been the same. Many places have tried to hack it in that plaza, but somehow they fell short. Now with Bar Symon, it's nice to see cars in the parking lot and people walking through the doors. I really hope that this is just the beginning of a revitalization, rather than another failed attempt. I think my rose colored glasses look great on me. [We'll get back to this.]

The wait ran up to a 60-90 minutes, which is something I was expecting, so we put our names on the list and ran to Wal-Mart to get some things for the baby's room. It also helps to know the hostess, which I did, because she was ready for us when we got back about 45 minutes later. Perfect timing, or knowing someone? I would like to think it's because I knew someone, but then again I am more than likely wrong about that.

We sat down near the kitchen in the back of the house, away from the bustling bar which had a certain electricity to it. Not really loud, but it wasn't quiet. I guess it's just plain old fashion atmosphere. The servers were attentive, the bus boys invisible, and most importantly, everyone was polite. I may not be a food critic, but I am certainly a critic of service. I work in sales for a living, and a big part of sales is customer service. I was not disappointed in this, although it must be mentioned that our server did forget the bread and butter, but then again, I didn't know I was getting it, so until he said, "Oops, I forgot..." I wouldn't have known.

Jenn and I both ordered the same meal. The Bar Symon burger. Jenn knew that a burger wasn't going to mess with her delicately balanced machine of a baby incubator. I have no doubt that after the baby is born, Bar Symon will play host to many more date nights, and maybe double date nights, [Carrie and Josh; Shelly and Chris; Julie and Dave; I am talking to you]. I said in a previous blog, I love a good burger so I would be a fool to pass up this burger.

It took me longer to order my beer [the list is HUGE] than it did to make a decision on dinner. By the way, I ordered a Great Lakes Brewery variant called Grass Roots. Delicious. Sweet. Paired with the Burger perfectly. The beer played off the rosemary in the fries. Oh yeah and it's brewed right here in good ole Cleveland, Ohio.

There is something about red meat, bacon, cheddar, and an egg on an English Muffin that gets me energized. The fries were seasoned with rosemary and had a great ketchup with them. Delicious isn't the word, but it's close.

The yolk of the egg drenched the hamburger meat and fries in the basket below; It was a touch of rustic, yet the flavor of the refined. It's like wearing and Armani sport coat while rocking a pair of worn out Levi's. Maybe an overstatement, but you get the point.

I smashed that burger, and finished the fries and the server didn't have time to come back and ask if it was cooked correctly. I have the line from Ratatouille going in my head, "Just don't HORK it down..."

Well that's what I did. The hostess said when she seated us that we needed to same room for dessert. That is one thing you don't have to tell a pregnant lady twice. I made a decision on dessert about as fast as I did with dinner. Leave it to Bar Symon to serve Guinness Ice Cream with Pretzels and hot fudge. Jenn ordered the strawberry shortcake and made quick work of it. Like me, with the burger, Jenn is, with desserts [First trip to Kentucky with Jenn I witnessed her family condoning dessert with breakfast, and also dessert AS breakfast].

So what is the over all verdict? It is very very positive. Call me overly enthusiastic but, you would not be disappointed to visit. Jenn's remarks on dinner were, "The English muffin was so much better than a bun because it was less filling and delicate, but hearty enough to hold a burger. The portions were perfect, not too much, not too little." I do want to mention that she thought the Strawberry shortcake she ordered for dessert could have been bigger, but we need to take this with a grain of salt because let's face it, she's pregnant.

After the entire night, we ordered two burgers, two desserts, and a beer, and our bill came out to about $42.00 with a generous tip. This was less than the last trip we made to Red Robin. The food was way better.

Now on the drive home, I shared with my brother that I visited Bar Symon. I told him it was fantastic. He asked if the food was really that good or was it the name that I was admired with? He said that he wasn't impressed with Michael Symon. He said that he was greedy. The only reason he moved Lola downtown was because of the money. He, 'turned his back on Tremont, the area that made him'.

This must be his Cleveland pessimism coming out of him again, because where others saw greed, I saw opportunity. Why wouldn't Michael Symon want to make money? Isn't that what it's about. Principles don't feed your family. Instead of thinking like it was greed, look at what it has done to the Cleveland Food scene. We have a lot to thank Michael Symon for.

I thank him for putting a bright light in a dark plaza, and for a great meal with my wife. I will expand my ideas about the Cleveland food scene in the next Podcast, ready to air on July 14th. A local Cleveland foodie will be joining me this Sunday to record it.

The Weekend Approaches

This week is the 4th of July week. In Cleveland that means hosts of carnivals, fireworks displays, and other completely random types of activities. So what is on the agenda.

Unfortunately I cannot attend the opening of the new Bar Symon today. Work gets in the way of a night life all too often. But I am sure it will open to a packed house and rave reviews. I got up early this morning to read up on some of my favorite blogs, and since posting my blog yesterday, I met some very cool people who share my affinity to Cleveland. Check my profile to see some new ones on there. They are all definately worth the read!

I am also excited to see one of my favorite bands on Friday night at the Beachland Ballroom. The Ohio Sky will be rocking it, and it will offer an opportunity to talk to the band 1-on-1 to get a solid date in the books for an appearance on the Podcast. I hopefully will be able to book a few more musical guests as well. On my wish list is a Columbus, Ohio band called Philo, an acoustic band from Florida coming through Cleveland today called Boyce Avenue, Carrie Sample from the Papyrus Records Record 'Portable Words vol 1', a local metal band Morality Check, Zach Watt also from Papyrus Records, a new band to Cleveland Vendetta Point, and The Doctor Teeeth.

Its a large wish list, and if I could land even 3 of these bands, I would be happy. If I land all of them, it would be awesome, but very unlikely considering Boyce Avenue is in town today and leaving tomorrow and they have yet to return any of my phone calls. I also have a HUGE interview planned, but with whom will have to wait until it gets closer.

A Cleveland Success Story

As many people know, I have a special love for a good burger. I often tweet about the stops I make along the way to various burger joints around Cleveland, and if my wife asks me what I want without offering any suggestions as to where we dine; my stock answer is, I could eat a burger.

Cleveland is known for it's spectacular blunders. The Drive, The Fumble, The Move, and now The Magic all seem to strike a chord with every Clevelander. Recently Cleveland has played host to federal investigators looking into the personal dealing with our county Commissioner Jimmy Dimora. Yeah, we have a politician who calls himself Jimmy. He had a press conference yesterday where he blamed everyone else investigating him as crooked, thus using the 'who ever smelt it, dealt it' defense.

What Cleveland needs is a success story for once. Is it wrong for me to be upbeat about a city that seems to never have anything going right for itself? No. I don't think so. Well coming July 1, to my hometown of Avon Lake, Ohio is a success story. It is a success story that comes out of a large blunder [yet again] in Cleveland, the high end restaurant that thought that Avon Lake had a ton of money, but then again didn't realize that we Avon Lakers were a bit cheap.

A few years ago, Cleveland started re-making itself. All of a sudden there were trendy little restaurants springing up in a part of town that is not know for its scene. The little borough in Cleveland, the Tremont neighborhood, started a revitalization. The Hallmark was a little restaurant called Lola. The brain child of Chef Micheal Symon, it went on to gain him notoriety and fame on the Food Network. Then he closed it. Was this the start of yet another classic Cleveland blunder? No. He moved the restaurant and retooled the old one. He moved Lola downtown, in the newly emerging Euclid corridor. A few years back the Euclid corridor made a cameo in Spiderman. You wouldn't recognize it now. The old restaurant was renamed Lolita, and thus out of one, came two, great places to be seen and eat in Cleveland.

Symon, since, has gone on to become an Iron Chef on the Food Network and built another restaurant in Detroit. A good ole Cleveland success story. Thank goodness. Finally.

Now with his latest creation opening up in Avon Lake, I can't wait to visit this newly minted, 'must dine' spot. I look forward to many adventurous meals there. I have usually played it safe while dining out with the wife. But like I said before, burgers hold a soft spot, and taking a look at the menu, Symon has created a burger we all love, but I still can't wait to see how he has made it his own. The Bar Symon Burger. Fried Egg, Cheddar. Two other things that I can't get enough of.

Funny thing. Cleveland is known as a city full of fat people. Is it no wonder that our restaurant scene has grown? God I love this city!

I can guarantee that you will be hearing about this on the Podcast. I can't wait to eat there.

**programming note**

The Throwing Quarters Podcast will be back with new episodes on July 14.