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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!

One of my very favorite creative minds and visionaries  in the CLE is Danielle DeBoe and she’s at it again with this year’s “Made in the 216″.

Danielle owns and operates a fabulous boutique in the Gordon Square Arts District called Room Service, and is constantly involved in and provoking forward-moving creative thinking in Cleveland.  She was also a speaker at Cleveland’s TEDXCLE event.

Personally, she’s inspired me to never give up on my dreams and passions and to pursue them courageously and diligently. That’s why I’m so proud to help get the word out about the upcoming “Made in the 216″ (not that she really needs it, haha).

Here’s the scoop:

Made in the 216 | Cleveland, Gordon Square | iCarabout

Made in the 216 | Cleveland, OH | iCarabout.com

How cute is the “love boat” flier?!

Now, I could regurgitate everything on these promotional fliers to you here, but I figure you probably would just look at them. But I also know the type is pretty small on here, so here’s some deets:

June 11: 4-10PM special MIDNIGHT showing of “Out of Place” at Capitol Theater (as seen at Cleveland International Film Festival)

June 12: 11-10PM with AFTER PARTY at the Happy Dog – it’s also Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day!

-60 CLE based designers

-Shopping including: apparel, furniture, jewelry, candles, kids, art, stationary, etc!

-DJ’s and bands all weekend (Over 7!!)

-Food from independent Cleveland caterers!

http://madeinthe216.com

Danielle has really out-done herself this year, which I think is going to be a trend for the years to come. For those of you who didn’t go last year,  GET THERE THIS YEAR! There’s going to be more EVERYTHING – music/shopping/art/films/food/beer all from the LAND!

I’d like to end this post on this inspirational line: “Made in the 216 was designed and created by Danielle DeBoe to prove the viability of Cleveland as a place in which to base your creative endeavor.” <–gives me goosebumps just reading it! GO CLE!

Greenhouse Tavern | Cleveland, OH | iCarabout.com

A good friend of mine, and fellow Cleveland-lover (even while living in Chi), is throwing a great event this weekend with his girlfriend to raise money for CHOSA –  Children of South Africa. (Here’s his official fundraising page: http://chosafilm.org/)

On Sunday, May 16, The Greenhouse Tavern on E.4th Street in Cleveland will be hosting the event and donating to this amazing cause.  All you have to do is show up, tell your server that you’re there to support CHOSA and Greenhouse donate 10% of your check and $1 of a TBA drink to the fundraiser.

How AWESOME is that?!

Well…let’s break it down and see:

• -You get to dine at the Best New Restaurant in Cleveland 2010 – via Metromix.com.  (Awesome status = A+)
• -Your food will be made by Chef Jonathon Sawyer, named one of Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2010.  (Another “awesome-ness” status of A+)
• -The Greenhouse Tavern is the first certified Green Restaurant in Ohio, and they support local farmers by buying locally.  (Awesome status = A++ for the health/eco consciousness)
• -You get to help out a really great cause. (A+++ for “awesome-ness and the good feeling of helping others in need)

On top of all that, the food at Greenhouse Tavern is just PHENOMENAL in general…even without knowing all those facts. I’d say it’s a WIN-WIN all around, wouldn’t you?

So, the CHOSA fundraising bash starts at 2:oopm and goes until 5:00pm, which means it won’t interfere with the plans of those of you running in the Cleveland Marathon. By the way, Joe and Courtney (the folks throwing this event) are running the half-marathon that morning as well — if you’re there, make sure you congratulate them!

Link to the official facebook event HERE.

CHOSA Fundraiser at Greenhouse Tavern | Cleveland, OH

Here is some more info on CHOSA – Children of South Africa for those of you who want to know a little more about the oranization:

CHOSA’s mission is to identify and support community based organizations (CBOs) that reach out and take care of orphans and other vulnerable children in South Africa.

CHOSA takes a holistic approach to community development. By supporting these CBOs, we help empower other marginalized people in these communities. Moreover, through community participation, CHOSA promotes local action, self-empowerment, and peer-to-peer networking as essential strategies for community-owned development.

OUR VISION:

CHOSA’S vision is based on the belief that every South African child is entitled to grow up in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment that will lead to uplifting the entire community. In order to achieve this, our goal is to create an organization that is based on integrity, compassion and efficiency.

THE FACTS:

1. Half the world’s children are devastated by poverty – UNICEF
2. 60 % of the Children of South Africa are in poverty – Statistics South Africa
3. There are about 12.5 Million AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa – UNAIDS
4. More reasons why you should help . . .

Joe also has a great blog you should check out, Cleveland! Joe Baur’s Blog: mildlyrelevantthoughts.com

AND in case you missed Joe’s official CHOSA fundraising page before: http://chosafilm.org/

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