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I know I’ve written about The Greenhouse Tavern before and tweeted about them PLENTY, but I just can’t help myself. It’s truly one of my top 5 restaurants in Cleveland…and pretty much my foodie obsession the past year.

Months back, I decided that a perfect Christmas gift for my parents would be a gift certificate to my new favorite CLE restaurant. I wanted to share with them the wonderful experience that Jason and myself had already had in the Fall. Well, I don’t know if they were saving it for some particular reason, but this past weekend they finally got around to using it!

The Greenhouse Tavern | Cleveland OH | iCarabout.com

Needless to say, they were VERY happy with even happier bellies. And I was right! Even though they hadn’t used it until March, it was still the perfect gift! What’s even cooler was that they got to see The Greenhouse Tavern featured on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (Food Network) for their gravy frites just the night before they visited the restaurant! That really bumped up the excitement level (not that they really needed it) and gave them an idea of what they wanted to try.

The Greenhouse Tavern | Cleveland OH | iCarabout.com

So, instead of going overboard and writing yet ANOTHER post about my opinion of The Greenhouse, I asked my Mom to guest post her own little review! Here’s what she had to say:

Kudo’s to our wonderful and smart daughter Cara for her great taste!

This last Christmas she gave us a gift certificate to The Greenhouse Tavern on East 4th St. Needless to say my husband and I were pretty excited to go, especially when just this last Friday the restaurant was featured on the Food Network channel.

We met up with some friends at The Greenhouse bar on Saturday night. We were brought upstairs through the back of the restaurant to a wonderful table on the balcony overlooking everything. Really cozy. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the menu items and answered all of our questions. My friends Linda, Barb and I ordered the hanger steak which came with the pommes frites. Linda’s husband John and my husband Steve ordered the freshly ground Ohio beef burger which included preserved tomato, raclette cheese, and the famous fries with homemade beer vinegar. John ordered the “famous” gravy frites with the cheese and gravy. Ron ordered the pork chops. He had already made up his mind while waiting at the bar after seeing the guy next to him get them.

Well, I would have to agree with the show on Food Network, those frites were the best thing I have ever ate. Everyone at the table felt the same way. I don’t know if it’s because they are fried twice or because of the duck fat. John let all of us taste the fries with the gravy and cheese. Yum ! My hanger steak was juicy, tender and done to perfection. The other ladies were pretty pleased too. John and my husband loved the burgers and Ron was pretty quiet as he enjoyed his chops!

Now I’m not one to pass on dessert and thank god this crowd doesn’t either. Nothing worse than eating dessert by yourself. Barbara ordered the chocolate tart, while Linda, John and I ordered the chocolate Pot de crème. I reluctantly shared this heavenly concoction with my husband. One was definitely not enough. We joked that we could eat about five of these  and the funny thing was, I wasn’t joking!

We are looking forward to another visit to try another wonderful creation on the menu.

So there you have it! Yet again, The Greenhouse Tavern ceases to impress and makes us all VERY #HappyinCLE. I also think I may have created a couple of Greenhouse monsters! (AKA, my parents!)

There are TONS of things us Clevelanders can boast about our city.  At the top of that list is, of course, our theatre district, talent and arts! Well, thanks to The Cleveland Play House, I got to experience this amazing part of Cleveland. 

This past week, Jason and I were looking for a fun date night idea for Friday. Something new, fun and supportive of the culture of CLE. It just so happens that I was lucky enough to score some tickets to “Emma” at The Cleveland Play House. Now, I don’t know how many of you venture out to the East side of Cleveland for a night out on the town, but I recommend you try it soon. Other than the traffic being consistently annoying, that area has SO MUCH TO OFFER!

The Cleveland Play House | iCarabout.com

So, with our tickets in hand, Jason and I set out to find a new restaurant to explore in Cleveland Heights before the show. We both decided on Taste and I think I can honestly say that we were BOTH very glad we did. The restaurant itself had super-chic styling and it made you feel like you needed to be on a list to get inside (but in a good way). The staff was warm, friendly and personable, which balanced that “exclusive” feel. We struck up a conversation with our waitress right off the bat and mentioned that we had a show to catch.  Even though we were in a hurry, she didn’t make us feel rushed at all.  The food came out fast, and MY GOD, was it tasty. Jason and I both picked the specials of the evening: Grilled Tuna and the Rib-eye Steak. One thing I noticed was that the taste of the steak and tuna weren’t covered up by an overwhelming sauce or spice. Both were cooked perfectly with complimentary flavors, creating the perfect balance for your palette. I even have to admit a FAIL on my part. I was really excited to get a shot of the food for you guys, but when it got to the table my desire to devour it overcame the excitement to get the picture. LOL. 

Taste Restaurant | Cleveland OH | iCarabout.com

By the way, Taste also has a PHENOMENAL wine/champagne list. What’s even better than that? A KNOWLEDGEABLE staff to come a long with it. I love tasting new wines, but do I know all about them? NOPE! Taste’s staff new ever description to the “T” and I couldn’t help overhearing the waitress talk about the selections with passion and great understanding.  And double plus (in my book at least), they’re also utilizing social media to reach their diners. Check out Taste on facebook. 

Taste Restaurant | Cleveland OH | iCarabout.com

After our extremely satisfying feast, Jason and I rolled over to The Cleveland Play House to catch “Emma”. I have to admit, I really didn’t know the story that well before we got there, but honestly, it didn’t matter!  The show was so cute, the cast was engaging, funny and just awesome. The story was also pretty easy to follow for someone with hardly any future knowledge. It reminded me just a little of “Pride and Prejudice”, which I love, and is also a novel by the same author, Jane Austen. It wasn’t too “girlie” or “romantic” either. It was more like a witty, romantic comedy, and very man-friendly. (In other words, your BF won’t be snoring through it).

I’m no “play critic” by ANY MEANS, but I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I think Jason and I may have been the youngest couple there, which is a shame. We had a blast and would definitely recommend enjoying the theatre art talents of our city to anyone of any age. It’s truly a tremendous feeling to watch live show with actors who you can see the passion pouring out of. Plus, how many movies to we sit and watch? I mean, it’s SUCH a different experience to be engaged in a live show. 

The Cleveland Play House | Cleveland OH | iCarabout.com

What makes it even better, they serve cocktails that you can bring into the show! Yep! We were very excited about that! Besides, not too many movie theaters offer up that luxury.  (Not that we needed to get tipsy to enjoy the show)

So, PLEASE, try spicing up your date night with a little homegrown talent and culture at The Cleveland Play House. Oh, and why not try checking out some fun spots on the East side?  I mean, if you listen to me, you already have a fantastic restaurant to try and an engaging, fun, activity. What do you have to lose? 

PS. Cleveland Play House is ALSO on twitter (MAD PROPS FOR THAT) and it was how I originally learned about the show. Once again, social media working for you!

While on our pursuit of a perfect spot for a “geekdom” date, Jason and I stumbled across quite a gem. I know I say this a lot, but what could be better than great food, cool atmosphere and FREE WIFI?! Yeah, I don’t know either. Especially when you have nerds, like Jason and I, who post up at bars with our laptops.

In all seriousness, try a geek date. They’re so much fun.

Anyways, back to the Cleveland+ gem…Did I mention it was AMP 150 Bar and Restaurant?

Yep! It’s located off W150th in the Marriott. Now, I have to admit, I’m not one to frequently visit restaurants in hotels. I know it sounds snooty, but I hardly find one I like very much. On top of that, they’re usually way over-priced. BUT, if I was going to let one place change my mind, I’m SO GLAD it was AMP 150. Not only was the menu chock-full of unique and tasty items to choose from, they were very moderately priced! And to think of the money I’ve wasted on reheated, frozen foods at sub-par restaurants when I could have been enjoying a MUCH BETTER (and fresh) experience!

AMP 150 | Cleveland OH | icarabout.com

Did I mention the atmosphere? WOW. Talk about NOT what I expected! You walk into the Marriott, see the typical check in counter to your left, then BAM! Awesome restaurant/bar on your right. It had such a cool, modern look with beaded curtains, reds and golds, and posh-looking booths. The bar was pretty happening on a Thursday night, too!

AMP 150 | Cleveland OH | icarabout.com

To make the experience even better, the service was great! Very animated (in a good way), not scared of jumping into a conversation with us. One of the servers even listened to Jason and I talk about Twitter and went to find Chef Ellis for us. Unfortunately, he had left for the evening, but I thought it was really nice that they checked.

By the way, Chef Ellis is just another perfect example of social media (Twitter) working for your business. I didn’t even know this restaurant existed until I saw the chef on Twitter. Since then, he’s been asking when I was going to check it out, and I can honestly say, I don’t know what took me so long! More CLE restaurants/businesses should be so savvy. Trust me, it helps!

So, take my word for it and check out AMP 150. It’s worth the drive. Oh, and say “Hi” to Chef Ellis for me, you know…since I didn’t get to meet him!

PS…In my excitement about writing this post (and trying to remember everything), I forgot the most important part! WHAT WE ATE! Jason and I shared the Mushroom Soup, the scallops and the chicken paprikash! Let me just say, everything was so awesome, BUT the soup was AMAZING!! You HAVE to try that! We asked the servers to pick our meal for us and they did a fabulous job!

When is the last time you went to the Quicken Loans Arena for something OTHER THAN a Cavs game?  I know, I know…Although I’ve been my fair share of concerts there in the past few years, I’m guilty of being Cavs-centric too. BUT there’s a huge variety of shows and other fun events going on there all the time, including our very own Lake Erie Monsters!

Lake Erie Monsters | Cleveland | iCarabout.com

Yes, we have a hockey team. Is is kind of sad that I can remember going to the Lumberjacks games back in the days of the Gund when I was a little blondie? Sheesh…I’m getting old. 

Anyways, going to a Monsters game is another fabulous, snowy, winter date-night activity in this lovely city of ours!  Lucky for me, I won a pretty posh ticket package through Positively Cleveland. Just another reason for me to love them dearly. Although, after the fun we had, I’d definitely purchase more tickets myself for another fun night out!

The night started off with lots of lots of snow…I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. We went this past Friday, with all the “snowpocalypse” warnings out. I invited Jason and Kelton to come with me, and since I won 2 tickets,  we just bought another one.

TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Lake Erie Monsters Hockey | Cleveland | iCarabout.com

Everyone had a blast! Not only was the game action packed, but the fans were totally into it. The game was also filled with lots of fun intermissions, kind of like the Cavs games. They had all the local mascots there, Lake Erie Monster dancers, contests, give-aways and a great in-arena host!  They even put on the Cavs overtime after the Monsters game for everyone to watch. (The Monsters lost, but the Cavs won in OT!!)

Lake Erie Monsters | Cleveland, OH | Jason Murphy | iCarabout.com

Kelton, Jason and I got special access to the Platinum Lounge with all the free food and drinks we could handle, thanks to Positively Cleveland. I also got free parking in the East Garage, which was way convenient for me since I hate being cold.

The Lake Erie Monsters hockey games are just one more reason to be #HappyinCLE, so why not try checking one out a on the next snowy Cleveland night you have free. It’s a great date night idea and/or fun for a family visit too.  While you’re free, also stop by Positively Cleveland’s website and tell them what makes you happy in CLE+ for a chance to win 1 of their prize packages!

More pictures from the night

As much as us Clevelanders love our city, we can’t deny that the 6 month long winters can kind of get a little old after a while. It’s hard to find fun, fresh date night ideas that don’t involve going out to eat or having some civilizers (as Jason calls them) at the bar after work. As much as I love doing those things, it gets a bit repetitive after a while, even with our amazing restaurant choices.

SNOWTORIOUS | Cleveland | iCarabout.com

Well, Jason and I had been talking about going bowling for a while now. We’ve even tried to plan a double date to meet up at the Corner Alley on E4th. These plans failed over and over again before we realized that although Corner Alley is probably a blast, we wanted to really immerse ourselves into the REAL bowling experience.

Confused? 

As a native Clevelander, I’ve grown up to know that the Southwestern suburbs of our grand city (i.e. Parma/Brook Park) are where the real bowling magic happens. It seems that almost everyone living in this area is either in a bowling league, or knows at least 5 people who are. And trust me, I’m not insulting bowling leagues. After my experience, I’m actually bugging Jason to join one with me. 

With this knowledge intact, Jason and I set out on an adventurous date night to Brookgate Lanes Bowling Center. No, I’m not kidding. If you’re going to try something, you might as well try the honest to god, true experience. Especially one that left us waiting at the bar for the leagues to finish up their games. Seriously. This place was PACKED and quite “happening” on a Thursday night.  So, we waited patiently at the bar, watching the Cavs and chatting it up with the bartender. 

Once our names were called for an open lane, we bought two games and picked out our bowling balls. I took especially long to find one because of my mutant thumb. Don’t ask. (I guess if I had to be born with one malformed body part, I’m glad it was a fat thumb). I was really surprised how friendly and helpful the staff was, especially after the hectic night they had. They came right over, asked us if we had bowled before, and then showed us everything. Not only that, they kept coming back to see if we needed anything and then brought us coupons to use if we come back. 

Cleveland Plus Bowling | Jason Matthew Murphy | iCarabout.com

Anyways, after all his talk about being HORRIBLE at bowling, Jason proceeded to kick my blonde little butt all night. Although, I have to say that before I hurt my (mutant) thumb, I was giving him a run for his money.  

We honestly had a BLAST and are looking forward to more bowling dates, adventures, and laughs to come…maybe even in Parma?  I’m sure we’ll eventually give Corner Alley a shot, but maybe once we’re up to pro-status with our skills. 

Oh, and by the way, perfect bowling date night food? Taco Bell picnic in your car. It’s quite romantic if I do say so myself.