Cleveland OH
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009Cleveland seems to be my adopted city because I have spent so much time there for work. But it is a city with incredible architecture, depth of personality, a vibrant past, and a promising future. There are a lot of fun things to do in the Cleveland area including museums, exploring retired navy and civilian watercraft, markets, and amusement parks.
Places to eat:
I was not able to find any vegetarian specific restaurants but many restaurants have good veg options. In fact Cleveland is becoming quite the foodie destination with many high end, nouveau american places popping up all over the place. I had to check out Lolita’s in Ohio City/Tremont since it is run by Iron Chef Michael Simon. They have veg option appetizers, pasta, and pizzas. I also went to Fire in Shaker square, they have several veg options in the form of pizza, pasta, salads, and appetizers. Another place I tried is the Mad Greek in Cleveland Heights. It is a fusion of indian and Greek cuisine, with plenty of veg options. The West side market in Ohio City has all kinds of food to buy including a farmers market, so it is a great place to gather supplies if you are going to cook for youself. They also have a great tea shop, try the “Smoky” Russian Caravan Right. Also over bythe west side market is Bar “Centro and Bier Markt” (wine and beer cafe), which also has veg options for light dinner / happy hour fare.
Things to Do:
Downtown:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Science Center, USS Cole, Steamship, Woman’s Air and Space Museum (located inside small airport by the water)
University Circle:
Museum of Fine Art, Botanical Garden, Museum of Natural History
Tremont/Ohio City:
West Side Market, Lorraine Bridge, walking through the pretty neiborhoods
Places to Stay:
I always stay at the downtown Marriot Residence inn which is all suite accomodations with full kitchens, great if you want to cook for yourself. They also have a good free breakfast buffet and free small evening food/drinks Mon to Thurs. The hotel is located in the Colonial Marketplace (arcade) that has an old-american beauty to it. The other plus of staying at the Residence Inn is that they give you access to the “Fitworks” fitness center in the arcade, which has everything you could ever want in terms of workout equipment.
The other place I like to stay at is the Embassy Suites in downtown, also very nice. This is a newly renovated hotel, I believe. It has 1 and 2 bedroom suite accomodations. But N FYI, you only get a sink, small fridge, and microwave in your suite. But the free breakfast buffet is very snazzy with free evening small drinks and snacks some evenings. The hotel also has a nicely equipped gym, cardio room, pool, and hot tub. This is a very good option for long stays in town.
anitasen