rockandroller

Not my area of town but looks interesting. Have you got your trip mapped out yet?

Sorry! My fingers got away with me for a second.

I can't believe how misguided this is. It would be like focusing an entire week on whether or not burning the flag should be an infraction worth of a Constitutional amendment while the rest of the world is filled with war and famine....oh, wait, never mind.

Well, the previously mentioned Dave's Cosmic makes v. good subs IMO. I like the Veg Out personally. The downtown location is my fave as it's such a little hole in the wall and the guy that works the counter during the day is cute, in a fifty-something, surfer-hippie way. *swoon* What about Grum's?

You know we are all there waiting and ready for Lola, we will do our best to support it and spread the good word of mouth!

I have to add that I think that compiling a short list of Cleveland's "best restaurants" is not the same thing at all as those with the finest dining or ones that would make a national top 100 list. If you want to compile a list of best Cle restaurants, that's another list entirely, and much longer.

Argh. Unfortunately, we just got smacked with a very expensive, unexpected medical bill (isn't insurance GREAT?), so I'm going to have to cut out all extraneous expenses. This includes cancelling my trip to TN to do charity work that I had scheduled for 2 weeks from now and not going to the eG get-together in Ann Arbor. I hope all of you have great fun and will post some detailed reviews/recaps for those of us who can't make it. Have a great time!

Top 100, that's a tall order. Generally speaking, my inclination, were someone to ask me which restaurants I would consider even nominating to a list like this, would be to nominate Classics and Red. I'm saying that with the caveat that neither of these are places I have ever eaten dinner, as they are way, way out of my price range. I've had lunch at Classics but it was a LONG time ago, many variations ago. I'm basing my recommendations solely on what I hear from a variety of sources and reviews, both online and in person.

Thanks Kristen, but if I'm going to not be staying at one of the regular 3 hotels, I will need to rent a car. I can't (and don't) expect someone to schlep me out to another hotel every night. Thx though!

*rubs hands together with glee* Thanks!! ← Where will you be driving from? Many Enterprise locations have a weekend special of $9.99 or $14.99 per day for three days; you just have to confine yourself to whatever they consider the local area. (I've done this for a Michigan-to-Illinois drive.) I've also nabbed excellent prices through Hotwire.com. ← From Cleveland, Ohio so I can't imagine them considering that local, but I'm sure I can find a good deal. Thx for the tip/info.

*rubs hands together with glee* Thanks!!

Is there by any chance a Marriott-owned property anywhere even relatively close by? I know the original 3 properties listed are the closest, but I'm willing to drive a little (20 mins maybe?) if I could stay at a Marriott property because I could use points to get a free stay. A 2 day car rental would be a lot cheaper for me than 2 nights at the best western, even at the group rate (thx for doing that though).

Great, I'll look forward to that post.

I'm still trying to square up my finances to see if I can afford this trip. 2 nights hotel at $50+ a night plus food for all meals, agh. If I hadn't signed up for my summer trip to the charity I do work for in TN, a trip which costs me a lot of money each summer (and takes the place of vacation) it would be a no-brainer, but I will have to wait and see at this point.

It's a soft CH sound, more like the SH sound, so sort of like this: shahr-coo-ter-ee ← Where is the accent placed then, is it charCUterie?

I have a Q myself, almost too much, please don't make fun: Charcuterie What's correct? I hear it 2 or 3 different ways from people pronouncing it.

We visit a fairly authentic middle eastern place here pretty regularly and they say mu-JAH-der-ah, with the accent on the 2nd syllable. I've also ordered it that way and had 1 of their waiters commend me on pronouncing it right. But neither of those things makes it actually correct, just my 2 cents

wow 8 years. *scared*

Same thing here in Cleveland, we have 2 locations and they are consistently on one hour-plus waits. I think most of it is novelty and it being something new, like when we first got a CPK, which I think serves really mediocre pizza. I talk to people that have eaten there and they all seem to say the same thing I did after I ate there - I don't get it, it's just ok, it wasn't anything fantastic. I think it just seems BIG! FAMOUS! to people in this part of the country. I bet Friday's got the same reception when they first opened in these parts. For what it's worth, I worked at the first Macaroni Grill when it opened here and it was the same thing - we were on a 2 hour wait on weeknights for the entire first 3 months we were open, constantly slammed. I think it's just because it's new. Eventually things settle down and they blend in with all the other chain restaurants.

Oh yeah, he should definitely go to Luigi's for a pie, that is some GOOD eatin'. And I can always use a DD lesfen, so yayz. You can drive the crew around, most of the guys I know don't have reliable cars. ha.

Chris, how exciting! If Cleveland makes the cut for your cities, I am here to help in whatever capacity you want/need. I can even provide local sources for equipment or crew if you need it.

It's not in Midtown but Buckhead, but it's Texas style as opposed to Carolina, which is what Fat Matt's is (so I hear), and I prefer texas style. It's called One Star Ranch, fka the Rib Ranch. I had a great lunch there on my recent trip. www.onestarranch.com

that sounds awesome. keep me posted. I will look for a hotel tomorrow.

I am also a maybe. I will need to rent a car and the cost of that plus 2 nights hotel plus food and everything may be more than I can swing, but I'm a definite maybe/interested.

It was plenty hot but you won't find me complaining It is indeed a major re-branding, it is as complete an overhaul as a property could have without actual major construction happening, from what I understand. My question for purposes of selecting a property for my large meeting in fall of 07, which is why I made this trip, is what happens to the staff in such a large change-over. Not to poo-poo Sheraton but it's a different class of hotel and a different class of service and guests that stay at a W than at a Sheraton. And what about the food? Etc. I'm wondering if the staff goes through some kind of "W" training or something. My IKEA jones is now in full effect. Am planning the long drive to Pittsburgh now, which I've always resisted because of the distance, but now I simply must fit it in.