Cleveland, Ohio - Melt, Di Bella's Subs, Tower City, and A Christmas Story

 Last November, I was given a free night at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Cleveland, through a promotion from the Horseshoe Casino.  My hometown is about 40 minutes away, and since I hadn't been to Cleveland in a few years, and  I thought I'd check it out.

The casino and hotel are both located in Tower City Center - a building that was formerly a train station, but has since been converted into a retail experience of shops, restaurants, and hotels - right in downtown Cleveland, and within walking distance to Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena.   

So, before I say anything else, The Ritz-Carlton is a great hotel.  Offering all the amenities one could ever hope for, the Ritz lived up to it's name.  The pool and gym were just the tip of the iceberg. 

It was also nice to know that, since the hotel was connected to Tower City, I could go shopping, or over to the casino without going outside.  I'll add that this was in November, and November is a month when it should be illegal to be outside in Cleveland.

The casino has a small food court featuring local Cleveland favorites, like Corky and Lenny's, a local Jewish deli .  Celebrity chef Michael Symon has a smaller version of his local burger joint favorite, The B Spot. 

After all the hype surrounding The B spot, I was really excited to try it.  I ordered a vanilla bean apple pie bacon shake, and a burger with grilled bologna on it.  I disappointed.  Maybe it's because it's not the full-scale restaurant, but I thought the portions were way too small, considering the prices, and the food just wasn't very good.  My burger was the size of a McDonald's cheeseburger, and the shake made me feel sick.  I wouldn't recommend it.  Anyways, the next morning I got up, and drove around town.  I'd forgotten how impressive some of the architecture is - like this bridge:

Remember the movie, "A Christmas Story"?  Well, if you're ever in Cleveland, you can visit the actual home it was filmed in, complete with the leg lamp in the window:

Of course, I happened to show up the day it was closed, but I hear it's decorated exactly like it was in the movie.  Next time, Cleveland.  Next time...

There's a new local hotspot in and around Cleveland called "Melt".  Featured on "Man vs. Food", they're famous for thick, homemade bread, and variations on oversized grilled cheese sandwiches.  There are 4 locations in and around the Cleveland area.  I went to the Independence location.  The décor is a combination of "unabashed love letter to Cleveland" and "holiday decorations scattered around the attic":

 

 

Despite the long line, we were seated in a few minutes.  The staff was very friendly.  Since the combination of a burger and a grilled cheese sounded good, I ordered the breakfast burger, with an 8oz patty, fried egg, bacon and American cheese.  All dishes come with a pile of hand-cut fries and a side of slightly sweet, vinegar-based slaw:

Since the burger was so filling, I didn't even get to the fries.  But, the burger won me over.  The bread was perfectly grilled, the patty cooked just right, and the combination of egg and ham gave it a nice flavor.  After eating one of these sandwiches, you won't want to eat for the rest of the day.  I thought the prices were very reasonable (about $9.00 - $12.50 per sandwich).  I cant recommend this place enough.

One more place that opened near Independence:  Di Bella's Subs.  They have multiple locations from New York to Indiana, and they seem to be expanding quickly.  Their claim is to make the best sub sandwich ever.  To their credit, it's a very good sandwich on fresh-baked bread, at a reasonable price.

The interior looks like an Italian restaurant from the 1930's, with dark booths, and pictures of old celebrities on the walls.  It was a nice touch:

I had the "Old-fashioned" (turkey, ham, and salami) on white.  The meats were sliced in front of me, and there were plenty of toppings available.  I'd definitely order it again.  I also ordered one of their homemade chocolate chip cookies, and thought it was a nice way to end the meal.

I liked Di Bella's, and would definitely go back, but it wasn't the best sub I've had.  That honor goes to a little place in Ocean City, Maryland.  I'll get there soon enough, but first, let's head down south...

Cooperstown, NY - The Baseball Hall of Fame, The Cooperstown Diner, and the Neptune Diner

I thought this would be as good a time as any to jump across the country, so, here we are in Cooperstown, New York.  As you may know, Cooperstown is allegedly the "birthplace" of baseball.  Abner Doubleday supposedly invented the game here, back in 1839, although there's no evidence to support that claim, but, why let the truth get in the way of a good story?  If you're a baseball fan, this trip is a must! 

It's also home to the James Fenimore Cooper Art Museum, dealing with art based on his writings, and local Native American tribes.  If you're a big Cooper fan, his grave is here, too.

That being said, this is a beautiful, rustic New England town.  Unfortunately, it's in the middle of nowhere, and there's no real easy way to get here.  It defies the laws of physics.  Even if you live in Cooperstown, it's still about a 7 hour drive away.  There are only 2 hotels reasonably nearby (lots of pricey B&B's available though, but I consider this blog for the budget conscious), and they both tend to book  upmonths in advance (especially for spring and summer weekends).  We stayed at this Holiday Inn Express.  It featured clean, quiet rooms, included a made-to-order breakfast (not the usual buffet, but that may have changed), and had a nice pool, with a view of the Catskill Mountains.  The price (during the height of tourist season) was reasonable.  Booking your hotel first is a must, because there is NOTHING anywhere nearby.  Nada, zip, zilch.  If you don't have a reservation, you could easily end up driving over an hour to find a room for the night...

Since it's a small town, parking can be impossible to find, I parked my car in clearly-marked lot, and a vintage trolley bus came to pick us up.  This vintage bus will provide you with unlimited transportation all day, stopping at designated points every 15 minutes, for about $2.00. 

We were dropped off at Doubleday Field (a small baseball stadium) on Main Street, and started walking through the downtown.  It's a very small downtown - about 5 or 6 blocks - filled with mostly baseball memorabilia shops and restaurants.  Walking through it made me feel like I've stepped back in time to the 1900's - sort of like Main Street at Disneyland.  At the end of Main Street is the Mecca:  The Baseball Hall of Fame.

If you like baseball, even if it's only a little, this place will make you feel like you're 10 years old again.  Artifacts and other memorabilia from most of the heroes from baseball's golden age (Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, etc.) are on display.  There's a few films to watch, and, of course, the actual Hall of Legends:

Seriously, check out the gift shop at the end.  It sells some exclusive stuff that you can't get anywhere else.

After all that walking around, we were starving.  Fortunately, this little place caught our eyes on the way to the museum:

The Cooperstown Diner.  It's a noticeably miniature diner, with about 4 booths inside; but, don't let the small size fool you.  This place is known for their juicy, 1/2 lb., hand-formed cheeseburger.  With fries and a drink, it's around $8.00, and believe you me, you will not be hungry afterwards.  Here's a picture:

As big as it was, the burger was still cooked perfectly - it was juicy and greasy, but not too greasy.  The bun was soft, and the lettuce was crisp.  The fries were fat, fresh steak fries (my favorite).  It was perfect.  If you're a burger connoisseur, you need to try this.  I've tried burgers all over the country, and this would definitely make it on my Top 5 Burgers List.

If you've read this far, here's a bonus suggestion:  The Neptune Diner.  Right outside of Cooperstown, in Oneonta, NY, this vintage diner is a work of art that makes you feel like you've stepped back into 1958.

When you first walk in, you'll see a display cooler filled with all kinds of homemade desserts, like pies stuffed with fruit, and oversized cakes.  That's a good sign.

The servers were very friendly, the menu was extensive, and the portions were definitely shareable (I've been here twice:  the first time, I ordered the Monte Cristo, and couldn't finish it, the second time, I had an omelette).  I got a slice of chocolate cake to go (both times), and it was amazing (both times).  It's a combination of American comfort food, and Greek diner food.  Another definite recommendation!

In short, Cooperstown, NY is a great weekend trip, with something for the whole family, and some great places to eat...

Thanks for reading!  Keep checking back - there's plenty more to come...

San Diego, California - Hodad's and Hungry Lu's

For my first post, I thought I'd talk about a few places local to me.  I live in Ocean Beach, a funky hippie neighborhood right by the ocean (and beach) in San Diego.  If you're interested in getting here, just take 8 West all the way to end, and you'll come out at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard.  The main street is Newport, and it offers lots of shops, and restaurants, and people-watching that could easily keep you entertained all afternoon.  You might think you've traveled back in time to 1973, and, in a way, you have.  There's a very long pier where you don't need a permit to fish.  It offers spectacular views of sunsets almost every evening...

Okay, let's talk food: one of the better known places here is Hodad's.  Known for their burgers, plan to wait in line, especially if you come on a weekend. 

 

The décor is pure "surfer dude / stoner", with license plates covering the walls, and surfboards for tables.  If you're lucky, you can eat in the vintage VW Bus.  Prices are very reasonable, staff is friendly, and the portions are big.  

 

A "regular" burger is 1/3 lb.  It comes with ketchup, mustard, mayo, and lots of fresh pickle, tomatoes, onion and lettuce.  If I had to compare taste of the burger to something, I'd say it's a bigger, fatter version of In-N-Out (if you're not in the mood for a big burger, order a mini - it's the size of your typical fast food burger).  One of their specialties is the Guido burger, topped with pastrami, pickles, grilled onions, and brown mustard.  I like it.  The double bacon cheeseburger could easily kill two men and a boy...

 

The fries are thick wedges, covered in a seasoning.  They remind me of the wedges served at KFC, and honestly, I'm not a big fan.  However, if you like fat, greasy, breaded onion rings (like me!), this is the place!  You can try fries and onion rings by ordering "Frings".  A half-order is plenty for two (or three) people to share... 

 

But the real hidden gems here are the milkshakes.  All the usual suspects are available: Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry.  We're talking huge, overflowing milkshakes, served in the mixing tin, with a scoop (yes, a scoop!) of ice cream on the edge of the tin!  This is where good milkshakes go when they die.  Here's a little secret - if you ask your server all nice-like, you can get any combination of the three flavors.  I'm a Neapolitan kinda guy, myself...

So, for a great burger and milkshake (and contact high), check out Hodad's in Ocean Beach. 

Now, onto Hungry Lu's

Being from the Midwest, growing up in a predominantly Italian neighborhood, and spending a few years on the East Coast, I've grown up with an appreciation for a good sub sandwich.  Ham, turkey, and provolone on a french roll - with some mayo, onion, and lettuce?  Yes, please!  Or, maybe a classic Italian sub?  Requesting permission to come aboard, Captain!

Except...this is California.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love it out here.  Good weather, nice people, etc., etc.  But, finding a good sub sandwich is as easy as finding a winning Powerball ticket.  When I first moved here, I asked a neighbor where the best sub sandwich was.  His answer:  Subway.  Let me repeat that:  Sub. Way (ugh).  Just the name makes me shudder.  That doesn't even count as a sub shop.  It's more of a chemical factory.  I haven't eaten at a Subway (ugh) in years.  I gave up on it because, no matter what you order, every sandwich tastes the same.  Is this a meatball or a cold-cut combo?  Who knows?  Maybe neither...

Then, I found Hungry Lu's on Voltaire Street, not far from Lucy's Tavern.  This is a family-owned sub shop and bakery, with a great offering of Italian pastries and cookies. 

Sandwiches range from $5.00 to $6.50, and are the real deal. Fresh meats and cheeses are stuffed in a freshly-baked roll.  The club (ham and turkey and bacon) and meatball subs are my favorites so far.  Here's my mom enjoying one of their sandwiches; and mom wouldn't lie:

They also serve mini pizza's for $5.00.  I'm such a fan of the sandwiches, I haven't had the courage to try a pizza, but they look great.  Actually, I'm lying.  My girlfriend ordered an "O.B. Special" - ham and pineapple, with a spicy relish on top of the pizza sauce, with a side of ranch for dipping.  After one bite, I considered eating her meal and mine, but decided that would be a selfish decision.  Seriously though, I would definitely order it.

So, back to the cookies and pastries.  Let's say you hate sub sandwiches (meaning you're an un-American commie jerk).  No problem.  Come here and try the cookies.  Especially the handmade cannoli, and the half-dipped-in-chocolate-butter cookie thing.  They will figuratively change your life. 

The owner is a very friendly guy.  He'll often give you a cookie (or two) for free while you're waiting for your sandwich. You know what my favorite kind of cookie is?  A free cookie...

Anyways, that's it for my first blog.  Thanks for reading, and leave a comment! 

More to follow soon...