NancyH

Friday Happy Hour at the Velvet Tango Room (a la carte) NancyH +1 Ronnie Suburban +2 Edsel Tino27 torakris Kerry Beal +1 Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg) David Ross rooftop1000 +1 Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg) Dave the Cook JAZ SamIAm +1 JSMeeker prasantrin +1 REB +1 Sheb +1 Steve Sikorski (Luckygirl’s +1) RockNRoller Markymark +1 Fat Guy 32 Maybe: BethG

Friday Lunch at Voinovich Park with Chris Hodgson and the Hodge Podge Truck beginning with a meet and greet at 11am, then lunch at the truck (a la carte, $3-12 per item). Tour of Crop Restaurant in Ohio City 3pm (no cost). NancyH +1 Ronnie Suburban +2 Edsel Tino27 torakris Kerry Beal +1 David Ross Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg) Dave the Cook JAZ Jeff Meeker SamIAm +1 prasantrin +1 REB +1 Fat Guy 22

RSVPS, please. I'm going to put up a series of posts with the lists as I have them. Please respond if I have NOT accurately listed you as attending/not attending. Thursday Tremont Food Tour - all drinks are on your own, prices below include tax and gratuity: Happy Hour at Fahrenheit $11 Dinner P1 Lolita $32 Dinner P2 Dante $38.50 Chris H +1 (Lolita/Dante only) rooftop1000 +1 Ronnie Suburban +2 Edsel Tino27 torakris Kerry Beal +1 David Ross RockNRoller Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg) Kasw (Karen) +1 Dave the Cook JAZ Jeff Meeker SamIAm +1 prasantrin +1 REB +1 Sheb +1 BethG Fat Guy 31

Here is the preliminary menu for Sunday's lunch at AMP 150: EGullet Lunch 1 Watermelon Soup, crab, peppers, mint, cilantro 2 Beet and Goat Cheese Variations 3 Tomato, Complimentary Flavors 4 Scallop carpaccio, crisp vegetable salad, lemon, kimchee puree 5 Pork Belly (need details) 6 Peach Dessert (need details) Vegetarian options will be available for all of the courses for those who want them, and younger folk may order off of the restaurant menu. The vegetables will all come from the restaurant's garden on premises, and the other ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible.

Tracey - there is a light rail station a block from the hotel (and the hotel has a shuttle bus that will take you to and fro if needed). However, my next task will be to recruit some locals to help shuttle visitors as necessary. Stay tuned!

I apologize for how long it has taken to get all the info final. It will be worth it! Please bring cash for Thursday if you don't make Eventbrite - I will try to make it live tonight, but it may not happen until tomorrow. The other venues will take your credit cards (and cash).

Please see above

Kris - just let me know when you know so I can keep a running headcount. All are welcome.

Thanks Dave and JAZ for the glassware. I'm thinking we still need bowls of some sort - soup plates or cereal bowls?

Tom's last post raises a couple of important questions. The Chubby Cook is a fully stocked kitchen and has all of the food prep and service items we'll need (and Scott is generously donating all of this for our Saturday pleasures). However, we'll be renting tablecovers and more importantly, all of the serviceware, flatware and glassware we'll be using. We are planning to rent basic table cloths and napkins, as well as: 50 14oz water goblets 50 11oz grand cru chardonnay glasses 40 10.5" dinner plates 70 6" plates 35 coffee cups 40 saucers 40 each of dinner fork, dinner knife, salad fork and teaspoon Do we need to add either category or quantities to this list? Do we need shot glasses, cocktail glasses, additional plates, bowls of any types? Looks like we do - please give feedback ASAP so I can have our quote updated.

Maybe because this process has felt so much like getting teeth pulled this time, it seems that it actually took a real tooth pull to make some final progress Friday is most of the way organized. We'll be assembling in Downtown Cleveland, at Voinovich Park (behind the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame) at 11am for a meet and greet with Chef Chris Hodgson and lunch at his Hodge Podge Food Truck, a finalist in the about-to-begin season of "The Great Food Truck Race" on Food Network. After chatting with us about his experience making Food TV, Chris will fire up the kitchen around 11:45am. His menu features locally sourced products, and will have vegetarian/vegan items also. He's hoping to have lobster rolls on the menu August 5! Food will be a la carte and the prices range from $4-12 per item. Please note that if you can't find street parking, nearby lots charge up to $12 to park; meters are strictly enforced; there is also light rail and RTA bus mass transit available. If we get a nice day, the views of the North Coast are fabulous from Voinovich park and there is lots of room to sit and relax. We are working on another item for the afternoon of August 5, after lunch, either a tour of the emerging Downtown Greenhouse (a greenhouse, not a restaurant, being constructed in the former Galleria Shopping Mall) or a tour of the under-construction Crop in Ohio City. What time do people want to be "done" with scheduled stuff around downtown, so they have time to refresh themselves for our 5pm Happy Hour at Velvet Tango Room? VTR is located in Ohio City near to downtown, but a detour for those who need to return to the suburbs or the Marriott if they wish to "feshen up" for the evening.

Who is interested in a Thursday lunch? Any food preferences other than the Eastern European fare mentioned above? We have several options for Eastern European food here. There is also a fabulous Turkish restaurant in Tremont that is open for lunch called Istanbul, which I've been dying to try - Chef Sonmez used to run the kitchen at Antalya Red Square in Lyndhurst, and his food was amazing then.

@David Ross - If there is interest, we could definitely do a Thursday lunch - we had considered Sterle's Slovenian for lunch on Friday, but then Chris Hodgson agreed to spend some time with us. Unfortunately, The Sausage Shop is closed for vacation the entire time you'll be here. As for Saturday's timing - in the past, shopping is in the morning, followed by lunch around noon, followed by assemblage at the dinner venue. But Scott is flexible about timing - so if anyone wants into The Chubby Cook earlier, please speak up.

Which reminds me - may we have a volunteer(s) to take on beverage acquisition on Saturday? As per usual, we'll want some bottled water, soft drinks and wine. White Lotus has told me that she's bringing a fabulous selection of teas for hot and iced tea for Saturday (as well as some incredibly fresh vanilla pods and other seasonings from her trip to the far east).

And to answer an earlier question - beverages are not included in any of the prix fix events except our Saturday evening feast.

Steve - so glad you're joining us. The drive isn't that horrible if you have something to entertain you (Bob and I sing along to the Sirius radio for most of the trip). You shouldn't have any rush hour worries on Sunday. Tammy - hope you decide to join us - there should be plenty of Marriott rooms still available; let me know if you need.

Hating that this is all taking so long, but it is what it is. And here much of it is (I'm trying to get Eventbrite done, but I'm not feeling so great yet after dental surgery): Thurs Night - Tremont Crawl beginning with Happy Hour at 5pm at Fahrenheit, followed by Lolita (Michael Symon's restaurant) and Dante. Total cost approx $75. Street parking should be plentiful earlier, but will disappear; valet is available for about $5 and all three places are in easy walking distance of each other. If you do valet, though, I'd recommend doing it at Lolita or Dante, which are across the street from one another; Fahrenheit is a two block walk from both. Friday - I'm putting together a lunch and meet and greet with soon-to-be Food Network Next Food Truck star Chris Hodgson, of Dim and Den Sum and Hodgepodge Truck. Approximate cost $8-12 pp. We may have some other things also. Fri Happy Hour 5-7pm - Velvet Tango Room - you pay by the drink. Fri Dinner - Greenhouse Tavern "family style" dinner, featuring the infamous Pig Face and Clams with Foie Gras. $65 plus tax and tip; valet if needed is $8. Pay at the restaurant. Sat shopping: West Side Market and North Union Farmers' Market, lunch around the markets; there are many fabulous choices! Sat Feast - The Chubby Cook, Beachwood Ohio - what time do we want to have in? I told Scott probably after shopping/lunch (around 1pm) but he's flexible. I think the cost will be $28 each; I'm just waiting for confirmation on our final cost to rent tableware. Sunday farewell lunch - AMP 150 at the Marriott, a six course tasting by Chef Jeff Jarrett and his hotel garden, $30 plus gratuity (tax included). Also, we'll plan a Sunday dinner if anyone is in town that long (I know that at least one of you is) and is still hungry. If my jaw is working better tomorrow, I hope to finish the last few details.

Folks - please bear with me - tough week (tooth extraction tomorrow, PT for bone on bone arthritis in right knee Weds, law office event on Thurs) - I have the preliminary menu for Sunday's farewell feast, and it looks beautiful; as soon as Jeff says "done" I'll post. The Sunday afternoon meal will be $30 including tax, gratuity extra and payment will be made at the event. It will be a six course plated tasting featuring the beautiful produce of the AMP 150 on-site garden (and fully vegetarian options will be provided for each course as requested). I'm trying to keep the Eventbrite fees and complications down, so the only event that I'll actually collect money on there for is the Thursday Tremont Crawl. Total cost will be about $70 including tax and tip for food; valet parking if you need it will be extra. I'll also have the non-pay in advance events there to help the headcounting process. Friday's dinner at GHT will be about $65+tt and can be paid at the restaurant; parking again is not included and will run up to $8 for the 4th Street Valet. Menu in process, but be prepared for the fabulous Pig Face as well as Clams with Foie Gras. I am anticipating time to complete this tomorrow from home after my dental surgery (office internet was down today, as if I didn't have enough tzorres). The only "maybe" on my list is Fat Guy - Steve - I so hope you will be joining us this year; we'll have some amazing eats! Please advise when you can. More to come very soon. Can't wait to see you all!

Some more new news: Chef Steve Schimoler is truly disappointed that we won't get to eat his food this time around, however, he's extended an invitation for us to tour his under-construction restaurant Crop (where he says he can be found practically 24/7 these days), located in a historic building in Ohio City, during the weekend; this may be part of Friday's daytime activities. Steve is an amazing chef with many great stories and we Clevelanders have been waiting for months for Crop to be completed, so this should be a special visit.

Steve - last I looked, Southwest had some very cheap fares out of LaGuardia (indirect though, you have to change at BWI).

I think Scott would like to serve them as part of dinner - at least the ones I described. The first as Amuse, the second as part of dessert. Also, Diane told me she is planning to bring pie.

Tom - thank you for taking this on! I haven't a clue what to cook, but I'll give it some thought now that you've corralled the issue. Our host, Scott Groth plans to make some nibbles for us, including at least one savory: grilled apricot "fruit roll up" in the dehydrator- served over the foie gras on some spiced toast (baking spice etc) with the grilled apricot on top and a pickled cherry, and one sweet: lemon ice cream served in lemon halves - I had this at his open house and it was amazing. He's got other ideas up his sleeve also. I'm looking for a good foie gras source for him, BTW, for this - any Cleveland locals have ideas?

The hotel room block at the Airport Marriott is activated. Please call 1-800-228-9290 and ask for a room in the EGullet Heartland Gathering block. $79 a night plus tax and we have ten of them. If we need more than ten, I need to know ASAP.

David - the kitchen is very well equipped, but does not have a deep fryer. There will be an ice cream maker - our host Scott is planning to make some ice cream, but others may use the machine also if they wish. Here is some additional info from Scott: To the left of the stove is a charbroiler. To the left of that is a flat top with an oven below. To the left of that are two convection ovens. By the event, I'll have a dual commercial counter top fryer (electric) in the event that it is needed. Since I don't have it yet, it can't be counted on for mass volume food! The ice cream maker should be here within 4 days- it's not full commercial, but can make ice cream within about 40 mins. Also, as noted today, we have a 9 shelf dehydrator and a commercial juicer available for use. On the small appliance side, we have a dicing Robot Coupe, a standard Cuisinart, a Kitchen Aid mixer with a pasta roller and a Polyscience Smoking Gun. Also a 30 qt commercial mixer that is in the space now- it's got a mixing blade, whipping attachment and dough hook. In addition, I have 1 commercial induction burner and 1 non-commercial induction burner for additional space that can be used, and a Vita Mix and a second on the way.

Thanks for the update, Beth! Please note that Sunday's farewell meal will be at AMP 150, not Cropicana. Not sure yet whether Steve Schimoler will join Jeff Jarrett in the kitchen, but it should be a wonderful meal!