M Italian

After our dessert, we decided to get lunch.  (This makes sense.  Go to the cupcake shop when they open to get maximum cupcake selection)  M Italian is only a two minute drive from Main Street Cupcakes.

Pictured above is my mushroom pizza.   Truffle oil, Parmesan  cheese, Alfredo sauce and arugula.  I was able to take home half for later.   Nicely crispy from the wood fire oven.

M Italian shares the building space with a glass blowing place.   I'm guessing that this chandelier was probably made next door.

This is the bread that they served.   Cheesy with a nicely crispy crust.  If you come early in the day, please note that pizzas can take longer because they need to start the ovens.  It wasn't more than 20 minutes additional wait time.   Really worth the time.

The Quest for Birthday Cupcakes

Hi everyone!   It's been a while since I last had Main Street Cupcakes.  Today, I made a special trip out to finally use my birthday coupon and last of my gift certificate I'd been saving.   I really miss their Rocky River location.  It was nice to see another location.

Notice the lovely Halloween decorations.   Always so delightfully festive!

Top row, left to right:  English Toffee Cheesecake, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake (flavor of the month)

Bottom row, left to right:  Pumpkin Spice, Half Baked, and Wedding Day White.

Of course, a birthday cupcake run means getting the citrus Birthday Cupcake flavor!

If you're on the east side of town, I recommend visiting.  No parking meters, but there is a two hour maximum in front of the shop.

The Crucible

Last night we saw the Crucible at Cleveland Playhouse.   Long play but totally worth it!   It's the classic Arthur Miller play about the Salem witch trials.   He was definitely going through a rough time in his life with the McCarthism and accusations of communism.  The message of the play holds true in today.  A definite must see!

Every seat in this production is a good one.   The stage is in the center and the audience is on all four sides.  The set rises and falls and the effect really works.  The actors run around it and up and down the aisles.

We learned in the pre-show talk that the girls' costumes change from more innocent to more domineering as they gain more power in the town.   Pictured above: one of the scenes from the second act.

I really recommend seeing this show.   Check out this video:

Bullets Over Broadway

 Yesterday, Steve and I went to go see Bullets Over Broadway at Playhouse Square.  That was fun!   A terrific dark comedy that reuses popular music from the 1920-1930s in new ways.   It's based off of the Woody Allen movie of the same title from 1994.

 You have one struggling playwright, who is partially autobiographical to Woody Allen.  He will finally get his big break at getting a play on Broadway via money from the mob.  This is if, and only if, the gang leader's girlfriend is given a part in the play.   Oh, and she's hilariously awful.

 The girlfriend's bodyguard, Cheech, ends up making improvements to the author's play.  He makes the dialogue easier to understand.

You will never look at murder so cheerfully!   This is a fun show!

L'Albatros Brasserie

Hello food fans!   Steve and I had dinner the other night at L'Albatros Brasserie, a lovely French restaurant nestled among the Greek houses at Case Western Reserve University.  They do have a dedicated parking lot.   Please remember to bring quarters for the meter or a credit card for the automated pay system.  If you run into the parking lot attendant, the entire evening is only three dollars.

We weren't too hungry so we split everything.  Pictured above is a mushroom soup, the soup of the day.   Nicely creamy, lots of flavor, and a dollop of cheese in the center.   That's the bowl size.   Very tasty.

For our main course, we ordered the cassoulet.  The restaurant was kind enough to split it into two different plates.  That's lamb, duck confit, and sausages with white beans.   I really enjoyed this.   The sausages had a fruity flavor.  I want to say apples.

Lastly, we had the honey almond cake for dessert.   Topped with creme fraiche and strawberrys, this was a great way to end our meal.   The almond cake was soaked in a honey sauce.  

We didn't have any leftovers this time.   I'd like to eat here again sometime.

Mothers and Sons

Steve and I just got back from seeing Mothers and Sons at the Beck Center.  It's an amazing play.  Extremely well acted.  Cal is a grown man who survived the AIDS epidemic of the late 20th century, but lost his lover.   Cue present day, he's happily married to his husband Will and has a young son.  Suddenly his deceased love's ex is visiting without a warning.  Tons of emotional turmoil ensues, including grief and guilt.

I really recommend seeing this show.   In equal measure, I wanted to slap and hug the mother in the play.  You can feel her pain and recoil at her homophobia.  You can see the differences in life now with marriage equality and alternative families and hear about what things were like in the past.