Wednesday, November 2, 2011

OHIO

CUYAHOGA COUNTY
Avon Lake
Restaurants
Bar Symon – 32858 Walker Road; 440-933-5652; barsymon.com; try Symon fried chicken; great beer bar with upscale food.

Cleveland
Bars & Nightclubs
Beachland Ballroom – 15711 Waterloo Road; 216-383-1124; beachlandballroom.com; eclectic mix of rock groups.
Velvet Tango Room – 2095 Columbus Road (Tremont); 216-241-8869; velvettangoroom.com; inside 1-time Prohibition speakeasy; homemade bitters; try Bourbon Daisy or Rangpur Gimlet.
Visible Voice Books – 1023 Kenilworth Avenue (Tremont); 216-961-0084; visiblevoicebooks.com; wine bar in book-store.
Hotels
Glidden House – 1901 Ford Drive; 216-231-8900 or 866-812-4537; gliddenhouse.com; 60 quaint rooms in 1910 French Gothic mansion on Case Western Reserve University campus.
Marriott Downtown at Key Center – 127 Public Square; 216-696-9200 or 888-236-2427; marriott.com; 25-story, 400 room hotel; some impressive Lake Erie views.
Restaurants
L’Albatros Brasserie & Bar – 11401 Bellflower Road; 216-791-7880; albatrossbrasserie.com; most talked about new restaurant; Paris on Lake Erie; try cassoulet.
Crepe De Luxe – 1979 West 25th Street (at West Side Market); 216-664-3387; crepesdeluxe.com; try Montreal (smoked brisket and Emmenthal) or Le Roi (bananas, chocolate, and peanut butter).
Greenhouse Tavern – 2038 East 4th Street; 216-443-0511; thegreenhousetavern.com; locally driven New American fare, rooftop patio & creative cocktails.
Lolita – 900 Literary Road; 216-771-5652; lolabistro.com; owner is “Iron Chef” regular, Michael Symon; Mediterranean; reservations recommended.
Sokolowoski’s University Inn – 1201 University Road; 216-771-9236; sokolowskis.com; beloved for Polish dishes since 1923.
Tommy’s – 1824 Coventry Road (Cleveland Heights); 216-321-7757; tommyscoventry.com; vegan and vegetarian since 1972; falafel and milkshakes.
Shopping
William Busta Gallery – 2731 Prospect Avenue; 216-298-9071; williambustagallery.com; local talent, as well as New York-based talent.
Lilly Handmade Chocolates – 761 Starkweather Avenue (Tremont); 216-771-3333; lillytremont.com; freshly made truffles.
Mac’s Backs Bookstore – 1820 Coventry Road (Cleveland Heights); 216-321-2665; macsbacks.com; good place for out-of-print poetry from Cleveland post-beat writers.
This Way Out Vintage Shoppe – 15711 Waterloo Road (at Beachland Ballroom); 216-383-1124; beachlandballroom.com.
West Side Market – 1979 West 25th Street; 216-664-3387; westsidemarket.com; where city’s chefs stock own kitchens; with 44' vaulted ceilings, iconic clock tower and year-round 85 produce stalls, recently renovated hall feels European.
Visible Voice Books – 1023 Kenilworth Avenue (Tremont); 216-961-0084; visiblevoicebooks.com; small-press titles, in particular.
Sights & Sites
Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque – 11141 East Boulevard (University Circle); 216-421-7000; cia.edu; classes and films; repertory movie theater.
Cleveland Museum of Art – 11150 East Boulevard (University Circle); 216-421-7340; clemusart.com; Old Master collection and kid-friendly exhibits, as well as Impressionism and more modern works (e.g., Anselm Kiefer); also has Caravaggio’s Crucifixion of Saint Andrew.
Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art – 11400 Euclid Avenue (University Circle); 216-421-8671; clemusart.com; mocacleveland.org; clad in 1,354 Rimex stained-steel panels; building shape seems to change as move around it; contemporary art.
Lakeview Cemetery – 12316 Euclid Avenue (University Circle); 216-421-2665; lakeviewcemetery.com; lush; home to Garfield Monument.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – 751 Erieside Avenue; 216-781-7625; rockhall.com; wealth of interactive exhibits in addition to goofier fashion displays and kitschy memorabilia.
Severance Hall – 11001 Euclid Avenue (University Circle); 216-231-7300; clevelandorchestra.com; 2100 seat neo-classical concert theater hall.

Woodmere
Restaurants
B Spot Burgers – 28699 Chagrin Boulevard; 216-292-5567; bspotburgers.com.



FRANKLIN COUNTY
Columbus
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams – 714 North High Street (Short North); 614-294-5364; jenisicecreams.com; creative, farm-to-cone creamery; try salty caramel and Mackenzie Creamery goat cheese with cognac figs or sweet cream biscuits & peach jam.
Restaurants
Pistacia Vera – 541 South 3rd Street; 614-220-9070; pistaciavera.com; dessert oasis; try caramel-pecan and chocolate-bergamot macaroons.
Tasi Cafe – 680 North Pearl Street (Short North); 614-222-0788; tasicafe.com; good place for brunch.
Shopping
Mahan – 717 North High Street (Short North); 614-294-3278; mahangallery.com; art.
Milk Bar – 1203 North High Street (Short North); 614-754-8802; milkbarboutique.com; clothes and designer-wear.
pm gallery – 726 North High Street (Short North); 614-299-0860; pmgallery.com; art gallery.
Sights & Sites
Columbus Topiary Park – 480 East Town Street; 614-645-0197; topiarypark.org; quiet park featuring landscape plants artistically trimmed to recreate famous Seurat painting.
Wexner Center for Arts – 1871 North High Street (Short North); 614-292-0330; wexarts.org; renowned, interdisciplinary arts center.



HAMILTON COUNTY
Cincinnati (includes Amberley Village & Indian Hill)
Bars & Nightclubs
Abigail Street – 1214 Vine Street; 513-421-4040; abigailstreet.com; Mediterranean wine bar.
Comet – 4579 Hamilton Avenue; 513-541-8900; cometbar.com; noirish dive bar with cool jukebox and top-notch, late-night burritos.
Famous Neons Unplugged – 208 East 12th Street; 513-827-9361; neons-unplugged.com; local celebrity mixologist; try Yonka (blanco tequila, crème de cacao, fresh orange juice, and house-made cinnamon bitters, served with salted rim).
Motr Pub – 1345 Main Street; 513-381-6687; motrpub.com; musically-inclined pub that offers local brews; menu is vegetarian friendly.
Northside Tavern – 4163 Hamilton Avenue; 513-542-3603; northside-tavern.com; area’s best location for live music.
Southgate House – 24 East 3rd Street (Newport), Covington, KY; 859-431-2201; southgatehouse.com; club that hosts national acts, from bluegrass to death metal.
Hotels
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza – 35 West 5th Street; 513-421-9100 or 800-445-8667; hilton.com; national historic landmark; in Art Deco Drew Tower; 561 renovated rooms.
Westin Cincinnati – 21 East 5th Street; 513-621-7700 or 800-937-8461; starwoodhotels.com; in downtown, with views of newly restored Fountain Square.
Restaurants
Abigail Street – 1214 Vine Street; 513-421-4040; abigailstreet.com; Mediterranean wine bar.
Greenup Café – 308 Greenup Street (Covington, KY); 859-261-3663; greenupcafe.com; homey outpost that offers hearty brunch in parlor-type rooms.
Joe’s Diner on Sycamore – 1203 Sycamore Street; 513-421-5637; joesdineronsycamore.com; fish and chips, patty melts, and other greasy-spoon classics; in old chrome dining car.
Melt – 4165 Hamilton Avenue; 513-681-6358; meltnorthside.com; quirky restaurant friendly to carnivores and vegans alike; pretty garden.
Tucker’s – 1637 Vine Street; 513-721-7123; family-run diner; try omelets and/or BLTs; also, killer vegetarian huevos rancheros.
York Street Café – 738 York Street (entrance on 8th Street), Covington, KY; 859-261-9675; yorkstonline.com; 1880s-era apothecary, transformed into 3-story restaurant, music, and art space; bistro fare and excellent desserts.
Shopping
Atomic Number 10 – 1306 Main Street; 513-226-0252; atomic10.com; retro-goods mini-emporium.
High Street – 1401 Reading Road; 513-723-1901; highstreetcincinnati.com; spacious and sleek design store.
Iris Book Café – 1331 Main Street; 513-381-2665; serene, rare bookshop withoutdoor sculpture garden.
MiCA 12/v – 1201 Vine Street; 513-421-3500; shopmica.com; contemporary designers like Jonathan Adler and Kenneth Wingard.
Shake It Records – 4156 Hamilton Avenue; 513-591-0123; shakeitrecords.com; music store that specializes in independent labels.
Sin City – 822-824 Monmouth Street (Covington, KY); 859-291-8486; sincityantiques.com; 27 vendors sell everything from Victorian to mid-century modern; antiques store that features grainy black & white stills of police raids dating from area’s heyday as “other Las Vegas.”
Sights & Sites
Boswell House – 8805 Camargo Club Drive (Indian Hill); traverse360.wordpress.com/tag/boswell-house; 1 of 4 Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Cincinnati; not open to public.
Boulter House – 1 Rawson Woods Circle; 513-260-9025; wrightboulter.com; 1 of 4 Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Cincinnati; not open to public but can contact owner and see if will allow on property.
Cincinnati Art Museum – 953 Eden Park Drive; 513-721-2787; cincinnatiartmuseum.org; among oldest art museums in US, founded in 1881; 1st purpose-built art museum west of Alleghenies; make sure to see Miro Mural removed from Terrace Plaza Hotel restaurant (in downtown Cincinnati).
Cincinnati Ballet – 1555 Central Parkway; 513-621-5219; cincinnatiballet.com.
Cincinnati Playhouse in Park – 962 Mount Adams Circle; 513-421-3888; cincyplay.com.
Cincinnati Union Terminal (Cincinnati Museum Center) – 1301 Western Avenue; 513-287-7000; cincymuseum.org/union-terminal; principal architects of this massive building were Alfred T. Fellheimer & Steward Wagner, with architects Paul Philippe Cret & Roland Wank brought in as design consultants; Cret often credited as architect because responsible for Art Deco style; rotunda features largest semi-dome in western hemisphere; German American artist Winold Reiss commissioned to create & design 2 22' high by 110' long color mosaic murals depicting Cincinnati history for rotunda, 2 for baggage lobby, 2 for arriving & departing train boards, 14 smaller murals for train concourse (representing local industries), & large world map mural located at concourse rear (murals located in train concourse removed when building demolished in 1970s & then placed on display at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport).
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center – 50 East Freedom Way; 513-333-7500; freedomcenter.org; dynamic testament to Cincinnati’s role in antislavery movement.
Roebling Suspension Bridge – Highway 17; by architect, John Roebling; opened in 1867, 2 decades before his Brooklyn Bridge; pedestrian-friendl y.
Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum – 4521 Spring Grove Avenue; 513-681-7526; springgrove.org; designed in 1845 as place for botanical experiments; features 1.2K plant types.
William Howard Taft National Historic Site – 2038 Auburn Avenue; 513-684-3262; nps.gov/wiho/ U.S. National Park Service; where Taft was born in 1857; lived there his 1st 25 years; located in Mount Auburn Historic District; 2-story Greek Revival house, built circa 1835.
Tonkens House – 6980 Knoll Road (Amberley Village); en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_B._and_Beverley_Tonkens_House; 1 of 4 Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Cincinnati; not open to public but can drive past and see part; one of Wright’s Usonian Automatic houses.
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music – Corry Boulevard; 513-556-4183; ccm.ud.edu; students perform musicals and operas.
Washington Park – 1230 Elm Street (Over-Rhine); 513-621-4400; washingtonpark.org; bounded by West 12th, Race & Elm Streets; old-fashioned bandstand & many trees.



HANCOCK COUNTY
Findlay
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Dietsch Brothers Inc. – 400 West Main Cross Street; 419-422-4474; dietschs.com; open since 1920s.
Dietsch Brothers Inc. – 1217 Tiffin Avenue; 419-423-3221; dietschs.com; open since 1920s.



LUCAS COUNTY
Toledo
Restaurants
Beirut – 4082 Monroe Sreet; 419-473-0885; beirutrestaurant.com; delicious Lebanese food; try shish tawook (marinated chicken served over rice).



MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Dayton
Restaurants
Pine Club – 1926 Brown Street; 937-228-7463; hamburgers.
Rue Dumaine – 1061 Miamisburg Centerville Road (Washington Township); 937-610-1061; ruedumainerestaurant.com.



SUMMIT COUNTY
Akron
Restaurants
VegeTerranean – 21 Furnace Street; 330-374-5550; thevegeterranean.com; Chrissie Hynde’s restaurant.

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