Saturday I made my first trip to Whipp’s Ledges in the Cleveland Metroparks. It was 70 degrees, an abnormally warm November afternoon, when my friends and I headed out to the Hinckley Reservation (just about a 40-minute drive from downtown Cleveland) where the buzzards return each year.  The area is named after the land’s former owner, Robert Whipp, a successful sheep and “cattle baron” who came to America from England in the 1800s to make his fortune.

While I am really glad we made the trip and everything was beautiful, an abundance of fallen leaves obfuscated the trail and made our descent a bit slick. By no means am I either a coordinated individual or an outdoorsy person, so I think I’d like to trek back to the park in the spring when the tree roots and loose stones one which I will inevitably trip and sprain something are a bit more visible to me. 
In addition to 350 feet high Whipp’s Ledges, the reservation includes Hinckley Lake. The diverse landscape and offerings of the reservation makes it a good spot to ice skate, sled, kayak, hike, fish, bird, cycle or rock climb (with advance permission from park officers).

We fully intended to head to nearby Worden’s Ledges after our brief climb, but the youngest member of our trio had participated in his elementary school’s charitable “turkey trot” earlier that day and was completely hiked out. I’m pretty eager to go back and check it out because Worden is known for its sandstone relief carvings and sculptures made in the 1940s by Noble Stuart.  –Submitted by SF

Fall in Cleveland Plus means mild weather, colorful leaves and delicious grape harvesting. It was a great time to head east to the Grand River Valley for a look at Northeast Ohio’s wine country, which includes the wineries of Chalet Debonne and Ferrante. The area’s European climate, rolling hills and quick drainage make it a great place for grape growing and, even better, an excellent place for wine.

For more information on Ohio wineries or to find a wine trail along Lake Erie, visit www.ohiowines.org. –Submitted by RA

EDITOR’S NOTE: For the second year in a row, the wineries of the Grand River Valley Wine Region–Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Grand River Cellars Winery & Restaurant, Laurello Vineyards and St. Joseph Vineyards– are hosting the Annual Turkey Trot (Sat., Nov. 14, noon-5pm). It’s a drive-yourself wine tasting tour paired with food samples for your Thanksgiving meal. All five participating wineries are within ten minutes of each other  and each features a different part of the Thanksgiving meal and pair two wines that complement it. The cost is only $5 per person at each winery and if you bring in a canned food item to each winery you receive $1 off.  These food items are donated to the local food banks just in time for the holidays.

The Grand River Valley Wine Region is one of the fastest growing wine regions in the United States. The Turkey Trot is just one of a series of events The Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley host each year.  Other events include the ever-popular Ice Wine Festival and an early spring tasting.  For more information about the Turkey Trot call 440.466.3485
or go to www.wggrv.com.

Read more about Ohio wines in the Food & Wine piece “A Wine Snob’s Favorite New City Scene” by Lettie Teague.

Inherit the Wind, the Cleveland Play House’s second offering for its 2009-2010 Season, opened Friday, October 23 in the Drury Theatre.

Inherit the Wind is based upon the real-life court case, The Scopes Monkey Trial (Dayton, Tennessee), which challenged the teaching of evolution in the public schools. Written by Ohio playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Inherit the Wind is one of more than 30 major productions by this celebrated team . . . procutions that have included The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, First Monday in October (which premiered at the Play House in 1975) and the more famous Auntie Mame. Lawrence was born in Cleveland and Lee in Elyria, bringing a great sense of state and local pride to this production.

The play begins as Bertram Cates awaits trial for the teaching of evolution. The devoutly religious citizens of Hillsboro do not believe in the theories set forth by Charles Darwin in his famous On the Origin of Species (1859, revised 1869), and they rally behind their hero, Matthew Harrison Brady, lawyer for the prosecution. Meanwhile, Henry Drummond arrives from Chicago to serve as counsel for the defense. As the trial begins, the never-ending debate between science and Christianity unfolds with a satisfying conclusion. As this year marks the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s groundbreaking work, it is very fitting that the Play House chose this great play for its 2009-2010 Season.

For the Cavs‘ home opener on Tuesday, a few of us headed over to Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood to check out the Happy Dog. The flat screen tvs at the cozy corner pub on Detroit and W 58th are a relatively new development, but not as new as the radical change of menu that took effect this month when Eric Williams (of the wonderful Ohio City mod-Mex restaurant Momocho) came on board. (BTW, everything I have read suggests a new name for the bar is in the works, but I didn’t see any clues that night as to what it would be called.)  

Happy Dog trimmed its menu to “choose-your-own” gourmet hotdogs and one of two sides–french fries or tater tots. So, you get to pick either an all-beef Chicago-style hotdog or, if you’re a vegetarian like me, a veggie sausage, and as many toppings (“within reason” our bartender/server noted) as you’d like using a checklist and one of those mini, putt-putt scorekeeping pencils. Then, you flip the sheet over to pick your optional side and mark what you’d like to accompany your tots (oh yeah, you know we rocked the tots . . . no doutbt a carryover fav from the old Happy Dog menu) or fries.

Now, as simple as this sounds, it ends up taking a lot of time. Faced with topping options like spicy Korean kim chee, masaman curry or chunky peanut butter, it’s hard for non-gourmets like us to decide what might go well together. In future, it might be a good idea to have a few stock “specialities of the house” for novices ready to tempt fate but without the culinary background to do it tastily. While the boys added full pickle spears and vodka sauerkraut to their dinners, I played it safe, dressing my faux hotdog with chipotle ketchup, dijon mustard and Spanish onions. When it came to the tater tots, however, I dunked in a devil’s hot sauce that made my fellow diners wince.

I found the hotdog buns to be a little soft and squishy for my tastes, but no one else at the table seemed to mind. One hotdog and a side was certainly enough for dinner (dogs are $5 and sides are $2.50) and the $2 happy hour tall beers kept the tab well within reason. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by to hear a little live music, grab a drink or watch a game . . . and definitely try your hand at designing your own signature dog. –Submitted by AK

My wife and I recently celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a fun night out in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. Located just a mile west of downtown Cleveland, we love the Tremont area for its quirky and eclectic make-up of local pubs, trendy bars, art galleries and dining hotspots.

We started our evening at Lolita, owned by Iron Chef Michael Symon and located across the street from Lago, the restaurant where Shaq tweeted a rave review of their lasagna dish. Our reservations were at 7pm on a Saturday night and Lolita was already buzzing with nightlife. We had a table for two right by the front window and started out with a bottle of 2007 Leonne Rosso Chianti reasonably priced at $30 and an order of Hungarian stuffed peppers with pork sausage and tomato sauce, which were very hot and very tasty. For our main entrees my wife had the macaroni plate ($15) with goat cheese, rosemary and chicken and I ordered the lamb sSteak ($18) served medium with dried tomatoes, arugula, fennel and balsamic. Our dinners did not disappoint and we decided to top them off with Guinness gelato for dessert. You really could taste the Guinness. It was so good!

After dinner we walked about two blocks down Professor Street to the Flying Monkey, one of the many cozy pubs that can be found in Tremont and enjoyed a few drinks to cap the night. They have a good selection of domestic and imported beers on tap as well as bottled, and also make a variety of martinis. The best feature just might be the vintage arcade games, including Ms. Pacman. If you go, be sure to ask about the monkey.  –Submitted by MS

Photos from the opening of the B Spot and Bar Symon at Quicken Loans Arena.

Award-winning Cleveland chef Michael Symon is taking things to the court. Symon, in partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers and ARAMARK, recently put the finishing touches on two new dining hot spots at Quicken Loans Arena just in time for the start of the 2009-2010 CAVS season. This creative partnership provides Symon the opportunity to serve up his signature dishes at basketball games as well as most other arena events.

The B Spot, named after Symon’s soon-to-be opened restaurant in Woodmere, Ohio is located off the Quicken Loans Arena main concourse near the Cavs team shop. The B Spot features Symon’s well-known burgers, brats and craft beers.  Bar Symon at The Q, located on the arena’s Huntington Bank Club Level,  offers an abbreviated menu from the recently opened Bar Symon restaurant in Avon Lake, Ohio. Menu items include Symon’s often raved about mac & cheese made with rosemary, goat cheese and roasted tomatoes as well as some snackier options like chips & dip and Uptown Popcorn.

The B Spot and Bar Symon at The Q aren’t the only upgrades you’ll notice this year. ARAMARK (a partner with the Cavs since 1994) promises other food and service enhancements including more variety, quality and freshness. New this season is NJ’s Soft Pretzels, a gluten-free option. Easy-to-read digital menu boards, state-of-the-art point of sale systems to speed things up and updated decor at Bridges, the Q’s fine dining restaurant, will also add to new flavor at The Q. –Submitted by CA

EDITOR’S NOTE: Locally, Iron Chef Michael Symon also owns/operates Lolita (in the near west Tremont neighborhood) and the most upscale of the eateries mentioned, Lola, on East Fourth Street downtown.

My monthly girlfriend happy hour without wine is like an awards show without Kanye West making an irrational outburst–practically unnatural.

So, I’m happy to report that View Ultra-Lounge and Nightclub located in the Gateway District has a new wine concept that’s enough to get my girlfriends as excited as finding out who’ll survive the Seattle Grace and Mercy West merger (for the guys out there – that’s pretty electrifying).

Called Vinebar Tapas and Tastings, this unique experience allows visitors to delight in their own wine tastings in a chic, cosmopolitan ultra-lounge. And, between us girls, the mystery behind Julie Mayer’s unsolved strangulation just got some competition.

Here’s how it works:

1. PAY: Upon entering this trendy lounge and nightclub, you’ll want to head right to the bar to purchase your Vinebar VIP Tasting Card in increments of  $20, $50 or $100 (there’ll be a $10 deposit that is refunded after you turn the card back in). You’ll be handed your tasting card and a wine glass.

2. BROWSE: Head over to the two Winestation Islands, which are the two, large machines containing  16 visible bottles on each. Take a look at the 32 enclosed bottles of wine and bubbly to find your first selection. Each bottle is perfectly preserved to its ideal temperature (cool whites and temperate reds) to ensure maximum taste. And, if you’re just not sure where to begin, ask one of the friendly bartenders for a little run-through of your options.

3. SELECT: After you’ve selected one of the many unique vintages, you’ll then need to decide what sort of portion you’d like to try. Vinebar makes it easy to choose between the following portions: Casual Taster (2 oz. taste), The Dabbler (3 oz. half glass) or The Drinker (6 oz. full glass). Prices are clearly marked above each option.

4. POUR: Okay, so now you’re ready to get busy. Insert your card into the Winestation next to the variety you’ve chosen. Tip your glass under the spout of your selection and press the portion you’d like to try. Instantly the machine pours you a perfectly portioned glass and the Winestation has charged your Vinebar card. Then, remove your card.

5. ENJOY: This is the fun part. Find some prime real estate for you and the girls – maybe a seat in the hip lounge, or (if whether permits) a spot on View’s famous terrace rooftop that boasts some of the most exquisite views of the city. Then, drink up with, of course, some conversation sprinkled with a little reality television critique and some friendly gossip.

6. RINSE AND REPEAT STEPS 2 – 5.

Legacies of another U2 tour (Zoo TV tour) hang in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: KFCrisafi

Well, no, not really – but after seeing a preview of U2 3D in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s recently-turned-up-to-eleven Foster Theater, my 12-year-old daughter and I left the place feeling like we had actually seen the band in person.

I’ve never seen U2 live, and I didn’t get a chance to see this movie during its limited 2007 theatrical run, so during the opening moments after we’d put on our viewing glasses, I felt that pre-show excitement in my gut.

And when the first notes of the opening number roared through the speakers, I got a genuine goosebump rush–which would happen again at least a half-dozen times during the 85-minute movie.

The depth and natural effectiveness of the 3-D projection is absolutely fantastic. We said afterward that during some of the wide-angle shots, it seemed as though we were watching the foreground projected on a scrim while the stadium was an actual physical backdrop on the stage behind the screen.

At the same time, the audio was loud enough to engulf us without being distorted or hurting our hears, and sounded rich with directional layering and detail. There were a few moments when I really couldn’t tell if a fan’s cheer was a concert-goer captured live or someone in the theater next to me.

Fall’s return and the coming of winter may bring chilly weather to Cleveland Plus, but the seasons also bring to life the welcoming warmth of Amish Country in Geauga and Holmes counties.

Just southeast of Cleveland, Geauga County’s forested and farm-dotted landscape bursts with autumn. There is the silent, dazzling explosion of fall foliage ideal for touring and the harvest-time bustle of more than a dozen farms and farmers’ markets. Restaurants like Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen in Middlefield showcase the fresh local ingredients and traditional cooking in mouthwatering and satisfying fashion.

And if the crisp air suits your style, get outside and explore the Geauga Park District, which boasts 6,000 acres in its 12 parks, with hiking and cross-country skiing trails traversing scenic woodlands and meadows. Or wrap yourself in blankets and the majesty of a snowy winter wood on a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the surroundings of Ma and Pa’s Gift Shack in Burton.

Gooey gourmet grilled cheese at Melt Bar & Grilled. (Photo: Scott Meivogel)

One thing you’ll notice right away about Cleveland is that many of our restaurants –in fact many of our best restaurants—are independently owned and operated. And, from the ethnic eateries that line West 25th Street near the West Side Market to concept restaurants that ring historic Shaker Square, our chef/owners are often our rock stars (producing many hits, I might add).

But going it alone is not without its challenges, so 90 of these indie establishments committed to excellence in food and service banded together six years ago to share resources and promote themselves as Cleveland Independents. Locally-owned restaurants as diverse as Willoughby Brewing Company, Pier W, Molinari’s, fire food and drink, Melt Bar and Grilled and One Walnut post their events, happy hours and specials on the group’s website, www.clevelandindependents.com.

Collectively, Cleveland Independents puts on a restaurant week (November 1-14, 2009) during which participating restaurants offer prix fixe meals in order to encourage diners to experience diverse culinary styles and menu offerings. And this year they are premiering “The Deck,” $10 discounts at 52 Cleveland Independents’ restaurants. Priced at just $29.95, The Deck is actually $520 worth of dining offers at some of the best restaurants in Cleveland Plus. –Submitted by SF