Fear's Confection: Truffles!

We stopped by Fear's Confections tonight because I felt like having chocolate.    To my surprise, there are now truffles!   Sorry about the picture quality.  My camera hasn't been the same since the software updated.   In the picture above are a couple of milk chocolate space invaders, orange rosemary truffles (bottom left hand corner), a key lime eyeball (upper left hand corner), a couple of lavender truffles (immediately to the right of the orange rosemary ones), lemon truffles,a strawberry balsamic truffle, a pomegranate heart, and a raspberry creme.

Oh, and we got a rainbow brownie!   Like a regular brownie but more fun because of the sprinkles.   Yay!

The Young Man From Atlanta

We just got back from the Beck Center.   We saw The Young Man From Atlanta.  It's all about grief and loss in the 1950's, societal expectations, and communication.

The family featured in this play has lost their only son, Bill.   A job loss for Will, the breadwinner and the ensuing monetary trouble brings their lack of communication to the surface.  The title character was Bill's roommate (and implied lover).   Lily Dale, the wife, is often alone.

The play is extremely well acted. however I just left the theater feeling sad.  I felt really bad for all the characters and their inability to express what they really thought and feel to whoever needed it most.   I guess you could think of it as grieving people who need comfort, but then are denied it or allowed it at lesser level than required.

Try The World: Argentina

It's no secret that Steve and I are quite adventurous when it comes to food.   That's why we subscribed to Try The World as soon as we saw the advertisement.   It's similar to Loot Crate, but instead of nerdy nick knacks, they send you a bi-monthly box of delicacies along with cultural information about the country of origin.   Our first box arrived on Tuesday and we finally got to enjoy more of it today at breakfast.

The Argentina box came in an unassuming brown box.   I was really surprised at the print on the inside of the packaging.

The first thing you see upon opening is the cultural leaflet on Argentina.  It suggests a playlist to listen to and a few recipes to try with the items shipped.

Then you have description of the foods:

The first thing we tried were the cookies.   No real effort on our part.   Instant gratification and mild coconut flavor.

For breakfast this morning, we put on the playlist and made pancakes.   We then topped them with the Dulce de Leche jam and quince spread.

We also tried the tea.  I was pleasantly surprised to find three different types in the packaging.

Steve had the mango and I had the dulce de leche with red fruit.   Both are nice.

The last three bottles in box are savory items that will require more meal planning.   A marinade, an olive paste, and some wine sauce.   I'll post again once I've done something with them.

I'm looking forward to the next box already!  This is so fun!

The Oak Barrel

Steve and I went to the Oak Barrel the other day for dinner with friends.   I had a rather filling lunch earlier and wasn't sure what I was going to order.   I decided to go with the Amish Chicken and Waffles pictured above.   That's blackberry maple syrup in the cup and cayenne butter on the chicken.  It was yummy.   The cayenne butter was more spicy than what I am used to though.

Steve ordered the Duck Confit Mac n Cheese.   It was really savory.   In hindsight, we should have switched dishes.  I really enjoyed this pasta and Steve was more into my chicken and waffles.

The Oak Barrel has normal sized portions.  We were even able to bring  little bit of Mac n Cheese home.    I'd visit again.

Kinky Boots

We saw Kinky Boots this past Sunday.  It was the last night of it's stay here.   Usually, we see shows on the first Saturday, but we had a scheduling conflict.   So, I can't tell you to see the show while it's still in town. . .

However, I loved it!   Music by Cindy Lauper and a compelling story.  Small town, English family run shoe business finds new niche market for sexy women's shoes for men.

It's based on a true story too, but with some story embellishment.  There are two main characters, Charlie who inherits the shoe factory and Lola/Simon, the drag queen cum shoe designer.

The shoes save the factory and turn small town life on its side!

I love a good drag queen musical.  They're fun.  And this one has plenty of heart.  It's not all about the glamour and fashion.   It's also about being true to one's self and accepting others for who they are.  

Toast Cleveland Wine Bar

We went out with our theater enthusiast group for dinner at Toast last night.   That was fun.   What attracted me was their tasting menu.   For 40 dollars, you can have three items off of their menu.  We didn't actually order it because we were able to get happy hour prices.   Pictured above is peanut butter and jelly fois gras.

I decided to post pictures of the menu this time.  Hopefully it'll give you an idea of what it's like to be there.

Steve and I both had the burger.  That was yummy.   The chips are a little vinegary though.

Steve had the shrimp arancini.  It was in a nicely creamy sauce.

We also had the chef' choice cheese board.   Everything was drizzled in honey!

Our dining companions also had the chef's charcuterie board and oysters.

It was a fun night out.   We might go out more often and find happy hour deals.  Certainly a good idea if you want a high amount of variety in your dining choices.

Lend Me a Tenor

Last Saturday, Steve and I went to go see Lend Me a Tenor at the Beck Center.  That was amazing!   I laughed so hard.   It's one of the best plays I've seen at the Beck in a while.  It takes place in Cleveland in the 1930s.   The opera company is putting on a production of Othello, and the Italian tenor is late.   Miscommunications occur, medications get overdosed, and it appears that the star has died.   This leads to mistaken identity, a non cast member fulfilling a dream of being on stage singing an opera, and lots of laughs.  

Seriously, go see this one.   You won't be disappointed.