What a perfect weather weekend in Cleveland, Ohio! Not only did we enjoy my niece’s graduation party and another Father’s Day BBQ with family and friends, but we also attended some fun events that really connect you to the city.
Friday night was the 2nd week in June and therefore, the Tremont Artwalk. This event has been happening for a long time (how’s that for specifics, I’m not sure how long actually but it seems like forever!). But through sleet and snow and now summer! these galleries and restaurants open their doors for a fun Friday night out in the city. We like to do a gallery / restaurant crawl of sorts and eat and drink our way through the neighborhood. We park somewhere off Professor Street and make our way over. This time we stopped at Fahrenheit and found 2 seats at the bar. After a delicious Bourbon Mule (oh yeah, a little Maker’s Mark instead of Vodka for this fun drink served in a copper mug), we ordered the Vietnamese Chicken Spring Rolls and Thai Style Spicy Chicken Meatballs (with Sweet Chili Glaze, Crushed Peanuts, Cilantro). Oh my was that a perfect intro to Artwalk night!
We spent some time walking around Dick Russell’s Gallery looking for unique treasures and fun finds – there is always something! We could have headed down the street to some other favorites- Lilly Handmade Chocolates (who also has a great selection of microbrews and wines) or Wine & Design (a favorite for home decor and… WINE!), but this Friday we went to the Treehouse as our friend, Jill Lemieux, was showing some artwork there. She creates unique renderings of animals using colored pencils with almost a pointillism technique. If you haven’t been to the Treehouse before, it’s the perfect little Irish bar (complete with tree growing through the bar!) to grab a drink and mingle really any day of the week inside or out. Check out the “Lovely Day for a Guinness” painting on the back side of the building, pretty spectacular!
We took a walk down to Banyan Tree (one of my favorite shops in the city!) and then decided it was time for another snack. Would it be Lolita? Michael Symon’s bustling restaurant with a great happy hour at the bar after 10p. Would it be Dante? delicious small plates to share and wonderful atmosphere in the old bank building. Or would it be Barrio? fantastic margaritas and unique tacos made completely to order. We found a couple of seats at the bar at Barrio! Somehow I concocted a pretty cool Pescada del dia (fish!) taco with jicama slaw, mango salsa, chipotle crema, cilantro/lime aioli … oh my was it good! …particularly alongside a house made pomegranate margarita. It ended up being the perfect ending to a great Friday Tremont Artwalk! I hope you’ll check it out, too.
