Cleveland

Traveling out of state to unique destinations always merits a fanfare. On a whim, Mister, Miss Anna and I stopped into a few touristy type places within our own home state of Ohio. Most of my writings are of travels to historical wonderful destinations, usually with a small focus on local food attractions. This time around we ventured slightly north and wound up in downtown Cleveland, or as the locals would refer to as CLE. I'm not entirely certain the commotion of a fanfare is applicable, still here it is. Take it for what it's worth. To some of you, it's worth very little. Personal blogging is just that. My personal impressions

 We have visited the West Side Market in Cleveland several times. It's an old town staple for a broad selection of produce, meats, and cheeses. I will admit we are little spoiled after having visited Chelsea Market in NYC a few times, so our expectations are probably skewed. Although the market in Cleveland is great and all. I certainly didn't feel the need to photograph the spectacle. Just me, I suppose. No sizzle or pop like the trendy markets of elsewhere. Me, I'm not usually a trendy type of gal. Still it's meh, okay. That said.

Mitchell's Ice Cream is a short walk down the street from the market, technically Ohio City area. There's an air about the place. Something says "this business is built on integrity and care." Unpretentious decor, friendly staff, and fantastic product. With a Toasted Pistachio ice cream that will knock your socks off. No artificial green coloring. Just depth of flavor, a flavor which tells me someone took the time to experiment and really care if the product was good. Mister had two scoops of the Banana Cream Pie flavor. Miss Anna tried a cone of Maple Walnut. Of course, being like the normal family we are (yep) we all had to trade bite for bite. I still cling to that Toasted Pistachio as the king of all ice cream but the Maple Walnut was pretty fantastic. Stop in if you ever have the chance. It's a good product obviously made with care and concern.

These two stops were part of the plan.

The whimsical part came about when we headed to the newly opened restaurant of Chef Michael Symon's. A barbecue place known as Mabel's. Being a generally kind person in my nature, I typically always start constructive criticism with a kind word or two. This time around I'm just going to rip the band-aid off in one swoop. If this restaurant sees a lasting success it will surely be based on the celebrity status of the owner. Or the copious amount of booze which is presented up and front. It's a bar which sells smoked meat.
 I'm not a food critic. I could pick the place apart starting with the serving of our entire table worth of food on one cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. I get it, this is trendy. We have become okay with eating our food out of Styrofoam containers. Every drive thru. Every road stand, tent style rib shack serves up their grub in such fashion. When I sit down to shell out a nice chunk of cash on dinner, I would expect at least a real plate. See, I told you nit-picky.

Fine, I can get past this. The three of us will all dine at one trough. Just slap the smoked meat on a tray and dish up the sides in paper, it's okay. Because I'm about to have food paradise. Only, not so much. We tried the ribs, brisket, and pork belly. It almost made me feel sad for the poor animal that sacrificed it's life for me to have a meal. Sorry, but that is what went through my mind.

For side dishes we chose the potatoes, based entirely on the servers description which made the item sound like something new and unusual. It wasn't. My 14 year old kid could have whipped this up in our home kitchen. Side dish two and three were a coleslaw and bean (baked) dish. The coleslaw was okay, nice addition of poppy seeds. Still though, just not great. The beans were outright wrong. I understand there is suppose to be a take on "European side dishes" and I would still mention it's so far off the beaten path that one has to wonder what kind of trendy vibe has Symon ventured towards. For him to consider this dish as something local people would enjoy is a little surprising. Lima beans in an overly boozy sauce with no real distinguishable flavor aside from a raw lima bean flavor. Big miss.

 Why bother serving bread if the best you can do is offer a few slices of white bread, without even offering a nice quality butter to go along with. Again, nothing outstanding. The ribs were fine, the porky belly was a waste of hard earned money, the brisket was okay too. But not for $13.00 per 1/4 pound. I could have bought an entire brisket for the cost of the meat alone on the cookie sheet. Now, I'm just going off at length.

 Disappointed would be the feeling I had when we left Mabel's. It could be true that Chef Symon put his great care and concern for this place and the menu and the end result. Somehow I have the feeling that his celebrity status is suppose to be sufficient enough to carry this restaurant to longevity. I'm fairly certain he missed the mark. I'm not sure what the foodie critics think or have written. I've never read any reviews. If the foodie world runs true to form then it just all depends if you hope to make friends with the chef.

Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York

Chicken wings never go without love in our home. It's a big deal here in Ohio. Locally we have several restaurants that crank out a pretty good plate of deep fried poultry parts. That being said, if we are traveling through an area and hear of a spot which allegedly prepares good chicken wings, our car will go off the path and stop in to give a sample. This particular day we were within a few miles of the famous Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York.  The place where the wing craze all got started. I know Mister's darn glad that someone thought of it .So it might as well be from New York.

Skyline of Buffalo New York

  I could share the story of how it all happened and how this now wildly popular grub began but, you've heard that one before. If not, there are plenty of websites out there to give you the skinny and fill you in on the details. No history being offered up this time on Columbia Creations. Just food talk.

So here we are arriving to the destination. Mister is partial to the GPS but, I would throw that thing out of the window if I were driving. But, that's a rant best saved for another day. Upon arrival the first thing I take note is the building. It's well cared for and in surprising clean shape.

The bar crowd was basically non existent as we pulled up and parked right in front of the entrance. Inside we found the place to virtually be empty of customers, save what appeared to be a photo journalist and an old dude who was most likely a regular. It was barely noon. For this I was happy, crowds and booze are not my thing these days. Good food though, I have a close relationship with that. So my hopes were high.

The interior of the bar is as one would expect, a mix of motorcycles, (yes actual motorcycles) and various license plates nailed to the wall. Again, it's a clean place. I'm old school and tend to judge a food establishment partially on their restroom upkeep.
We took a seat at the bar, ordered our unsweetened iced teas and started up some friendly banter with the bar keep. She shared a few stories of the famous folks that she has served. Pleasant.

Mister looking at the menu, as if he was going to order any thing but wings...ppplease

I took the suggestion of the wing soup and Mister ordered clam chowder. Our server described the wing soup and listed the following ingredients, cream cheese, bleu cheese, medium wing sauce, chicken, cream of celery soup, and parmesan cheese. I was pretty sure I could chuck all of those ingredients together and come up with something edible so I gave it a whirl.

Mister's clam chowder was superior to my choice but, it wasn't Boston chowda that's for sure. Nothing fantastic or note worthy here. In fact my choice was ehh kinda peculiar but hey I do like a Premium saltine cracker so, those went into my purse. You never know when you're on a road trip when that pack of saltines in the glove box might come in handy.

See, I told you Mister was going to order those wings. Mild with a side of medium. I could have said the words before they rolled from his lips. We have become that couple who can order food for one another without asking.

Me, the turkey club. Three things I am certain to order if they are on the menu, soup, cottage cheese, or anything with bacon. No, not all three of them but at least one of them. I'm also partial to applesauce but that's usually on the kids menu. Cottage cheese is getting harder and harder to find on menu these days. I'm from Ohio, we like our dairy.

Turkey Club done right. On wheat please.

A handful of customers had arrived by the time we finished our meal. The old dude was on his 3rd beer and my eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting. Are you just dying to know how the wings were? Well they were fantastic. Perfectly cooked, meaty but not insanely jumbo and stringy. Just the perfect little wing.

My favorite wing spot up this point had been Zembie's in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Maybe it was the knowledge that the wing craze all started here at the Anchor Bar or maybe it was the charm of the old dude sipping his booze, I dunno. The Anchor Bar wings were very satisfying. My turkey club was decent too. Zembie's will still hold out as a favorite place to dine while traveling. I'm glad we have a new favorite to add to our list. Go out of your way to stop by and get a taste of those Buffalo Wings. The original.

Most of the turkey club sandwich left the building with me in a styrofoam container. 

That was the extent of our visit to Buffalo New York. A little drive by eating and we were out of there. I'm sure the city has many other interesting things to offer. Our mission that day was wings and wings alone. This was a slight detour that our car made which turned out okay. Trust me when I say there are plenty of bad food service choices out there when traveling. It's always good to know where the good places lurk.

Happy travels.

Peace Field Homes of the Adams

The 2nd President of the United States John Adams (also the first vice president) and his wife Abigail lived in this home.

 In fact the 6th President of the United States John Quincy Adams also called this structure home. John Quincy Adams was a man who was surely groomed from a young age to become the leader of our country. His mother Abigail Adams was a determined woman to say the least. Just as the old adage goes, Abigail was the great woman behind both men, her husband and her son.

The house originally was quite smaller. Built in 1731.  The additions over time turned the home into quite an interesting series of rooms and hallways. In this photograph you can see the brick structure of the house as it existed when John and Abigail purchased the home in 1787 and also visible are the additions, several were done by the family over the years. The purchase of the home was made sight unseen, as the Adams were in England at the time. Upon their arrival home Abigail was displeased with the house. The ceilings were too low. Having been spoiled by the grand architecture abroad she sought to have the ceilings raised. This was an impossible feat so instead this crafty lady had the floor lowered. A problem solver she was. The family remained in the home for many generations until 1946 when the home was given to the United States by the Adams family.

Check out the abundant Wisteria growing on many areas of the home. The sweet smell of blooms filled the air during our brief visit. Mixed with the scent of Lilac. The Lilac bushes were in full bloom as well. Actually the smell of the Wisteria to me is one of a smokey lilac scent.

As we arrived by trolley, transportation  provided by the National Historical Park Service, I noted the lush peaceful feel of the tree canopies first.

Speaking of trees, being the geek that I am, I was thrilled to photograph and see this tree in the photo below. A rare Yellowwood Tree which was planted by John Adams. His interest in gardening and composting must have been an experience he shared with other men of his times. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were superior gardener/farmers.

Our tour guide was well versed and offered many interesting facts. She answered questions with cheer and shared the story of how John Adams in his green thumb enthusiasm had started  his plants in Abigail's Waterford Crystal bowls. On display in the home is one such bowl. It sits there mocking with a crack caused by a tree root. A tree started in the bowl. I'm certain this must have made Abigail fume.

More time wandering around the grounds at Peace Field would have been nice. Sometimes when I'm a weary traveler in a robotic like state I just follow the tour guide and soak in the quid pro quo, taking the nickle tour without venturing off and exploring on my own. Still it's amazing to know this tree has stood the hands of time and appears to be thriving with the help of a crutch. Even from a distance it was a crown jewel.
Another area I would have happily lollygagged about was the library. A seperate building
on the grounds which houses over 14,000 books, books once belonging to both Presidents and their family. How sad that photographs are not allowed inside of the buildings. I understand why. The very selfish side of me wanted to have my own images of the visit. My interpretation of the area. My time spent there. Captured through my photography. Alas, this is the best I have to offer. Exterior photographs of the fantastic place which houses marvelous things.

Oh how I would love to provide you with visuals of the 8,000 original items in the home. Items that once belonged to this under appreciated and fascinating family. Of note to me particularly were the plates and dishware on display. As I stood there admiring them, it was intriguing to know, right there... in front of me...  were the very plates these patriots ate their meals from. It was of great note to know Abigail survived, fed her family, and helped to run the family farm from the money she earned selling dishware. John Adams would ship the dishes to her from overseas and she would sell them to the farmers wives and folks in her quaint area. Abigail persevered despite the grief in her life from the death of her children, long separations from her husband, famines and disease. Among the original items in the home is also an afghan hand knitted by none other than Abigail Adams herself. It's a lovely white throw which makes up a bed in the upstairs bedroom. Almost within reach, but of course, one wouldn't dare touch it. The pattern was of a close, tight knit and looked complicated. Sorry folks no photo. The afghan exists there though, trust me. Go see for yourself. I could go on and on and tell you of the desk belonging to John Adams, the elaborate bell system rigged up through up the home to summon the Irish maids and servants to various rooms. I will go back one day and allow myself to soak in different aspects of this detailed place.

Just as I found Lucy Hayes and Mamie Eisenhower to be of great interest while touring their presidential homes, Abigail Adams with her great strength and determination was of equal fascination as I wandered about Peace Field in Quincy, Massachusetts.

One by one, I hope to tour at least the library or the home of every U.S. President. The Adams homes, gardens, and library offered a unique proposition in that I would be able to place a check mark beside two Presidents names as having seen their domiciles. As John Adams and John Quincy Adams both resided in the same place. The park rangers do a great job on the tour. I believe in the short time period allowed for each tour the information was as detailed as possible. Yet, it was a bit like trying to celebrate two of your children's birthdays in the same afternoon. Neither President seemed to have their glory moment along the tour. I found myself bouncing from persona to persona trying to decipher who the guide was referring to.

Our tour began at the birthplace of John Adams. Pictured below. John was born in the upstairs right hand window. The interior of the home is what I've come to expect. Bare, simple, basic things. A fireplace for warmth and cooking. A desk, a chair. Sparse to say the least. The birthplace home is in need of restoration. The home is only about 20 percent of the original building although as renovations have taken place over the years, proper time period materials have been used. This portion of the tour was brief and is in a different section of town than the house at Peace Field (also referred to as the Old House)

As the visitor is looking at this home, one needs to merely turn around and there stands behind the visitor the birth place of John Quincy Adams home. Pictured below.

It was here that John Adams with the help his wife, truly launched his career as an attorney. His children were born in this house, his wife labored and toil and kept the home fires burning as he spent most of his days and nights in the city of Boston.

We know the stories of our country, the war, the documents, the meetings and the men. As I visit these presidential houses each time without fail the story left with me is one of home. Just like my home. The meals and how they are prepared. The gardens, flowers, and certainly their ideas of entertainment.

Find out if the National Historical Park Service has a Presidential home or library near you. It's worth the drive.  A true feeling of our history can be felt and understood on a deeper level with one step onto the property of these great leaders. Despite your politics there's no denying the level of hard work which surely merits respect for the title and office and President of the United States.

Get on the Bus Gus....

Carlo's Bake Shop

Historical travels are my favorite types of adventures. A recent visit to NYC included a stop in Hoboken, New Jersey. We arrived at Carlos Bake Shop in the wee early hours of the morning and were met with freshly stocked cases filled with every holiday pastry that you can imagine.

Wee early hours.

 Although no founding fathers, revolutionary heroes, or remarkable inventors were on hand during this escapade, there was chocolate and puff pastry. Sweet confections proudly take a seat beside historical visits in my book. I do find it cool that this bakery is family owned and has been for many years. Let's hope someday it will be featured as a historical spot for the youngsters of future generations.

I would have liked to have wandered around this quaint street awhile longer but our visits were brief and my focus remained on the plethora of sugared concoctions which were mass produced by the famous crew of the Cake Boss family.

We purchased several boxes full of cannolis, cream puffs, and various treats. I left Mister in charge of making the selections and standing in line to pay while I wandered around snapping photographs and taking in the atmosphere.

Our purchases didn't include cake. I would have enjoyed sampling them. We can all consider a cake or two online right here. Alas, our pastries were savored when we arrived back home. Some were put in our freezer to hold until we could share them with family.
Our trip into New York city included a stop at Vincent's and we also sampled a cannoli there.
More on that another time.

Are strawberries a good choice for a cake in December? In my neck of the woods strawberries are an anemic flavorless mass this time of year. As I mentioned earlier, I did not taste any of the cakes so perhaps the Cake Boss has a special stash of delicious berries that I am unaware of.

With envy I admired the handiwork of the bakers and their pastry bags. The layer cookies held a special fascination for me. This is meticulous business right there. I'm not even sure that I would ever attempt to make those. This impressed me.
The pastries were good. I preferred the cannoli over the cream puffs. This stop was a great way to start the morning after riding upright in a bus all night long. Our red eye trip into the city was a time we will never forget. Eighteen plus hours on a bus and and 15 hours of speed sight seeing is an exhilarating experience which screams adventure and memories.

Monticello

Awhile back, photographs of the garden at Monticello (home of the great President Thomas Jefferson) were fresh in my mind and I shared a few of them with you. With the arrival of the new year, I have been editing photographs, getting them ready for a yearly photo album. Still today after many months, the photographs of my last visit to Monticello are as enchanting and calming as the day they were taken. There truly is a sense of calm to be found in a garden.
Sea Kale at Monticello.

The clay pots are for blanching the plant. The plant can be grown under the pots to create a lighter colored, tender plant. I have never eaten sea kale. I understand that it tastes similar to asparagus. Thomas Jefferson made this vegetable popular during his time on earth.
I think this plant would make a beautiful border to the garden.

Beet Chioggia intrigue me. Look how stunning this vegetable looks in the garden. I learned that the leafy tops of the beets can be eaten like spinach. I didn't know that. I have cooked the green carrot tops to make tea but never beet greens. The seeds can be purchased here. I might just do that.
Each year, I try to plant something new and interesting in our garden. If the beets were good enough for Thomas Jefferson then they are good enough for me. But, then again I don't have a 1,000 foot space for my garden and my selections need to be a little more humble.

It's January and I am dreaming of the garden. Maybe it's an early case of cabin fever but, I think it's merely a great diversion to the torture of drama related to our recent house remodel project.
Just think of what you might be planting this year. Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear your green thumb plans.

The Garden At Monticello

The Red Leafed Orach grows in the garden at the home of President Thomas Jefferson. I had never heard of this plant and eagerly photographed it, this camera click served as a good reminder to research it further. Today, I found The Austerity Kitchen, where ample information is available about this herb, also a recipe can be found there that sounds interesting. I'm not sure how readily available this herb is in the average marketplace. I know it was totally new to me. Most of the information I've read leads me to think of this crop as a spinach or lettuce of sort type produce. It's really pretty growing in the garden. When Red Leafed Orach bolts, it doesn't become bitter and contains 3 times the vitamin C as compared to spinach. Did Thomas Jefferson plant this to prevent scurvy? I wonder.

Horehound sounds to me like an herb I need to plant next year. Not only am I curious about making candy with it, but the idea that it helps alleviate sinus issues and headaches, makes it garden worthy in my opinion. This could be growing around me in the weeds and brambles and I would have no idea. It does look unsightly growing if you ask me. Even in the beautifully manicured garden at Monticello, this row of herbs looked a little disheveled. Read more about the Horehound here.

Last but not least, Angelica is growing in a tidy little row on the mountain in Virginia. Look at the photo and see how beautiful this garden is. The Angelia is a fantastic herb also from what I've been reading. It wards off evil spirits, promotes long life, and helps with gas. Maybe those three things go hand in hand, I suppose it depends on how toxic the digestive system is of the person who ingests it. Make a tea of Angelica, pass some gas, get rid of the evil spirits, and live a little longer. Sound like a good plan to me. Plus, the stems are sweet naturally and can be candied. Okay, I'm sold on growing the Angelica.

I hope you are enjoying this stroll through the gardens at Monticello as much as we did. Mulberry Row is a mystical row of trees on the property. I caught a candid photo of Mister and Aimee leisurely enjoying the sights while wandering down Mulberry Row. I have a few more crops to share with you, hopefully soon. Until then, feel free to click on over to a few of my other posts on this historical place.

 Thomas Jefferson And The Gardens At Monticello  click here to read more

Presidential Gardens read more Columbia Creations here

Sesame read about how I brought home seeds from Monticello and grew my own Sesame.

Happy Reading Good Buddy!

Thomas Jefferson And The Garden At Monticello

During my recent visit to Monticello in Virginia, the 1000 ft. long garden, was producing a beautiful bounty of herbs and vegetables. I photographed over 56 different types of plantings. My words could never do this garden justice. A simple peace floats through the air on this mountainside. I wandered around, snapping photographs, being humbled by the tradition and efforts put forth to maintain this historic garden. I found the entire experience therapeutic. Imagine the hard work that's involved with the planting, weeding, and harvesting of this massive plot of food.

Row after tidy row held new and exciting species for me to drool over. Sure, the home of President Thomas  Jefferson is a true wonder in itself. I have toured it twice and I would go again with no hesitation. The rows of glorious plants in the garden will forever hold my fascination with complete glee. I'm going to select just a few of the crops to share with you over the next few weeks. The crops that I plan to write about will be unique or of special interest. I learn as I go. Today, I want to show you the Marshmallow, French Artichoke, and Brown Dutch Lettuce.

Behold! the Marshmallow plant. No, chewy yellow Easter peeps can not be found dangling from this plant. Although, from what I have read, this plant did influence the beginning of what we now think of when we hear marshmallow. This plant has medicinal qualities. It's said to help cure sores in the mouth and when used as a gargle, helps treat sore throats. The list of it's healing powers is long. External use is suppose to be good for eczema and burns. (And this is where I insert the disclaimer that I'm not a doctor or professional with regards to plants and their medicial use. I'm just a lay person with an enthusiasim for eating and using plants that I can grow myself.) Next year, I'm going to consider marshmallow. If you have grown it before I would love to hear from you.  It seems to me this plant is best used as a medicinal plant than actually eating it. 

The roots are perennial. I wonder if they spread like crazy and are hard to maintain?

Marshmallow grows very tall and has beautiful white flowers.

Brown Dutch Lettuce seemed to be a popular crop grown on these grounds so many years ago. This lettuce was sown 27 times in the garden from  1809-1824 at Monticello.  President Jefferson was a meticulous record keeper and documented the plantings. Despite my greatest efforts, my garden record keeping is dwarfed, by comparison to his genius ability. This lettuce is a lose head type which reminds me of butter lettuce in appearance. I have never tasted it. This rare line of lettuce is often allowed to go to seed at the Jefferson garden in an effort to keep this variety in existence. I had never heard of this plant prior to visiting this summer. It seems it can be sown directly into the soil and will produce a fall crop when planted in late summer. With any luck, I will be relocated by late summer, and I will try to harvest some of my own.

The French Artichoke was my favorite thing to see growing in this garden. This crop was a surprise as I  tip toed ever so carefully through the garden. My only exposure to artichokes has been in the produce aisle of the grocery store and seeing them stuffed into jars in the canned food aisle. I love spinach artichoke dip. How great it would be to have this growing at my fingertips. I can only imagine the dip that home grown artichokes could produce. Right before my eyes, in this magical place, I saw plant after plant of this prehistoric looking vegetable growing. We are actually consuming the flower bud when we dine on this vegetable. When left to bloom, the flower is a beautiful purple. 

French Artichoke

My first visit to Monticello was during the month of December. The house was our main focus. This year our return visit allowed us to linger in the garden and enjoy the shade of Mulberry Row. I'm inserting a few random photos here for you to take a peek at. I asked someone on the staff what happened to the vegetables. She told me, some are used in the cafe on the grounds, others are prepared for guests at special events, and best of all... employees are allowed to take home produce. Lucky...in my best ever Napoleon Dynamite voice...

Mister enjoying the view

Beyond the garden are the fruit trees and vineyard.

Next visit, I want to venture down here and get a closer look.

Majesty

I encourage you to read here more about this powerful place. The great folks at this website can give you all of the information you might need if you should decide to visit. Make this place a "bucket list" destination. You won't regret it!