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I know just about every Clevelander is more than happy to kick off the summer season this weekend, but how are you celebrating?

There are a couple of rib cook-offs starting this evening, but I’m sure most of us already knew that. The Marc’s Great American Rib Cook-off & Music Festival is at Time Warner Cable Amphitheater and Berea’s National Rib Cook-off is being held at the Cuyahoga Fairgrounds.

For lots more info on these, visit TisCleveland.com for the whole break-down and comparison of the two.

Greek Heritage Festival | Cleveland, OH | iCarabout.com

If rib cook-offs aren’t exactly what you’re thinking, but you still want something to do this weekend, why not try checking out the Greek Heritage Festival?  Starting tonight (Friday, May 28) the Greek Fest goes all 4 days of Memorial Day Weekend and is held at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Tremont.

Annunciation, which is considered the mother church of Cleveland’s Greek community, has been preparing for this festival for months and you WON’T be disappointed. The freshest and most authentic Greek cuisine in CLE will there for the devouring…I just hope you’re not on a diet! There will also be live entertainment, jewelry, a flea market, church tours and Hellenic dancers.

Did I also mention that it’s FREE ADMISSION and FREE PARKING?

The hours of the Greek Heritage Festival are as follows:

Friday: 11am-midnight

Saturday: 11am-midnight

Sunday: 11am-midnight

Monday: noon-10pm

2187 West 14th Street :: Cleveland

For more information, visit http://www.annunciationcleveland.org

Still looking for something else to do this weekend? Well, my good friends at Reddstone in Battery Park are throwing their

Reddstone Memorial Day BBQ | Cleveland, OH | iCarabout.com

2nd annual free Memorial Day pig roast on Sunday, May 30th!!

Yea, you heard me right…FREE PIG ROAST!

The doors open at 3pm on Sunday and the party is rockin’ until close! If you’re thirsty, all you can drink drafts are $20 :: Mojito Pitchers are only $12 :: Buckets of 6 Coronas are just $8 :: Monster Bombs are $3/ea!!! This is a great deal if you want something super fun to do this Sunday and you don’t have a ton of money to spend.

There will also be live music performed by The Not So Good Ol’ Boys

1261 West 76th Street :: Battery Park :: Cleveland, OH

For more information, visit www.thereddstone.com

So, what are you going to do this weekend to kick-off the Cleveland summer right? Am I missing something that you’d like to share with everyone?

Leave it here and let everyone know what’s up!

I heard about this awesome festival going on this coming weekend (May 15th, Saturday) from a few friends and just HAD to post something about it on iCarabout.  

It’s perfect timing anyways because it’s the day AFTER our ‘Tis Cleveland party the night before! (You’re coming, aren’t you?!? – RSVP HERE) Besides that, it’s the perfect example of how the city of Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs are making efforts to improve themselves and progress. 

Here’s all the info you need to know, via TisCleveland.com:

A great way to support the city of Cleveland and it’s surrounding suburbs in their efforts to improve and involve the community! Kamm’s Corners is throwing a street festival next Saturday and ‘Tis Cleveland thinks you should know about it!

The Hooley on Kamm's Corners | Cleveland, OH | iCarabout.com

Takes Place Saturday, May 15!

“Hooley,” Irish slang for party or celebration, is the new name of what will become an annual street festival right in “downtown” Kamm’s Corners.

This year is particularly special because not only will Mayor Jackson attend to officially cut the ribbon on our beautiful new Streetscape, but we will also concurrently host a “Walk+Roll”event in our neighborhood, encouraging visitors to explore on foot, skate, and bike. At the same time, participants may choose to represent and support the Kamm’s Corners Farmers Market. Find out how by clicking here.

Lorain Avenue will be closed to traffic from W.168th to Rocky River Drive on Saturday May 15th from Noon to 8 p.m. for The Hooley. A stage will be set up at Rocky River Drive facing east, and the day long festival will feature live music, great food, a host of children’s activities and entertainment, horse-drawn wagon rides, and more! For a flyer with the full schedule of events,click here.

Plan to join in the fun!

Click here for streetscape improvement drawings.

For more info:http://www.kammscorners.com/

As most of us long-time Clevelanders know, Metropolitan Cafe has been a staple on the corner of W6th and St. Clair in the Warehouse District for years.  It’s been part of the trio of great Cleveland restaurants on that corner with Blue Point Grill and XO Prime Steaks–but it’s now time for them to step away from the pack.

No, they didn’t move…they got a makeover!

Cleveland, let me reintroduce you to the new and improved Metro Bar+Kitchen.

Metro Bar + Kitchen | Cleveland, OH | iCarabout.com

Jason and I were lucky enough to get invited to the test run before Metro officially opened and we were CONTINUOUSLY pleased and pleasantly surprised. Not only does the inside look different, but there’s a brand new menu of amped up casual selections — like gourmet sandwiches, burger and salads.

You may be thinking, why would Metro scale down it’s “fancier” menu? Well, they’re taking a more casual approach to the Warehouse District restaurant scene, and I think that’s just fabulous.  It’s nice to have more choices at the intersection, rather than expensive seafood and steak.  The prices are reasonable, the food is FANTASTIC and the vibe is just right.  Metro truly found the balance of sophistication and fun.

Sesame Tuna Wasabi Wonton | Metro | iCarabout

Jason and I got to choose two appetizers, entrees and one dessert to try.  We picked the Sesame Wasabi Tuna Wonton and the Buffalo Chicken Fondue to start.  I had the Roasted Pulled Chicken Sandwich with homemade potato chips for dinner and Jason had the Short Rib Sandwich. Then, for dessert we choose the Banana Split.  Everything was so delicious and just fun to eat.  (see menu here) We also tried some real absinthe, but I wasn’t a fan (HAHA!).  Our server was spot-on too, which was a huge surprise because you sort of expect some mistakes on a dry run.  That wasn’t the case at all. Metro ran like a well-greased machine.

I guess the biggest news I have to share is that in about a month or so, Metro Bar+Kitchen will have the biggest outdoor patio in the Warehouse District.  It will fit about 120 people and wrap around the front of the building with an outdoor bar.  Awesome, right?! I can’t wait to sit out there this summer and enjoy the rest of their fabulous menu.

Metro is officially open now, so stop on by and try it out for yourselves! Then head back to iCarabout and let me know what you thought of your experience.

Metro Bar + Kitchen | Cleveland, OH | iCarabout.com

Honestly, brunch has to be my favorite meal of the day.  It’s a shame too, because most of us don’t get to enjoy this “in between” meal unless its the weekend.

Us Clevelanders are pretty darn “lucky” though. Why? Because we don’t have to just settle for the typical brunch choices.  Our city boasts a variety of options, like the French Bistro feel of Le Petit Triangle Cafe in Ohio City, or even a throwback like fruity pebble pancakes at Touch. (Which I’ve still yet to try!) Although those are great places, I’m not here to talk about them. I’m here to sing the praises of Lucky’s Cafe in Tremont — a great alternative brunch choice!

I’ve been going to Lucky’s for a while now and NOT just because the food is fresh, homemade and from Cleveland area farmers — although that’s a darn good reason too.  I have a lot of vegan friends who don’t always get to partake in the joys of brunch at many restaurants, unless they want oatmeal for the 20oth time.  Not many places offer any creative choices for customers with dietary restrictions and/or lifestyles, which is a shame in my opinion.  Well, at Lucky’s that isn’t the case at all. They have plenty of options for ANY diet, including the “Canoewreck” — Curried Tofu, hash browns, seasonal veggies, and Brewers yeast, served with Como toast and fresh fruit.  I LOVED it and I’ve only heard amazing things from my friends.

House-made Granola | Lucky's Cafe - Cleveland | iCarabout.com

Now, they offer PLENTY of other items, like the Baked Mac-N-Cheese, which Guy Fieri tried (and LOVED) on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Yep, that’s right! Another DDD approved Cleveland restaurant!

On top of all this, Lucky’s Cafe has a huge patio to enjoy during the Spring/Summer seasons, all handmade pastries, breads, and — Well here, just read their Mission Statement. I think it speaks for itself:

Lucky’s is owned and operated by Heather Haviland and follows the Mission of her Company, Sweet Mosaic, Inc.

To provide the people of our community
with pastry and breads which are made by hand
with care and attention to quality,
using only the freshest of ingredients.

We support and promote our Ohio farmers and producers
by showcasing the bounty of their harvest in our products.

We offer our customers an alternative to the mass produced
by committing our passion for the craft to creating good wholesome food.
We will remain creative with and inspired by the
cultural diversity and layers of tradition our
community offers us.

Also get to know our friends:

Vine and Bean Café

Sweet Mosaic Bakery

Tremont Farmer’s Market

City Fresh

It’s really funny, the emails, offers and such I hear about because of iCarabout. People contact me all the time for various reasons after seeing my blog, but this has to be the strangest offer yet.

And by “strange” I mean totally awesome.

Savvy Avenue Cleveland contacted me about a week ago to talk to about a great possible gift idea for Jason.  I was intrigued. When they emailed me back, I found out that they were going to have an offer going with Intimate Boudoir Photography by Leah and they wanted to give me a go at it!

Intimate Boudoir Photography by Leah | Savvy Avenue | iCarabout Cleveland

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little intimidated by the thought of taking risque pictures with a stranger and then sharing my experience with all of Cleveland. BUT, I found out that wasn’t the case at all. The photos could be as revealing or conservative as you want them to be and you can even take the pictures with your guy if you want–and THANK GOD Jason wanted to! Plus, they’re just meant to be sexy pictures (like from a Victoria’s Secret catalog), not dirty or sleazy.

COUNT US IN!

What’s even better is this offer isn’t just extended to me! For a limited time Saavy Avenue is offering a major discount on this exciting experience for everyone to try.  You can try it on your own and surprise your man with some sassy pics, OR you can ask him to join you for a steamy photo session. Either way, it’s an awesome idea and we’re so pumped to try  it!

ANYWAYS — If you’re interested in giving this a shot for over 5o% off the normal price, head over to http://www.savvyavenue.com/cleveland and order now!

For more information on Intimate Boudoir Photography by Leah, check out her site http://intimateboudoirbyleah.com/ — She’s got some sample photographs up, so you can see what she’s all about. Leah’s pictures are gorgeous!

Once Jason and I have our shoot, I’ll post about our experience and MAYBE even give you a sneak peek at a photo or two!