Bistro-iffic

Despite the forty mile an hour winds that seem to be becoming commonplace this year, we were able to take advantage of an evening and dine at Tremont's newest establishment, Bistro on Lincoln Park. What we found wasn't exactly a surprise, but certainly a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Situated in the old Sage Bistro spot on the corner of West 11th and Kenilworth Avenue, the paned windows emit a warm glow that has been sorely missed.

Stepping inside, customers are greeted in a modern, minimal, but appealing bar area. Their decision to limit access doors to one not directly in the path of the weather outside was a wise one. The place was nearly deserted, with empty glasses and lone candles marking votive hopefulness on the part of the chef, staff, and management. We were treated to a choice window table, and were promptly greeted by an attentive server. The hardwood floors enhanced the warm eminance of the incandescent lighting, and the linen tablecloths and napkins added much to the casual chic vibe.

We were pleasantly surprised to find some brew choices not found in most fine dining establishments, notably: Chimay (Red) and Duvel, among the more traditional domestic and import offerings. Prices for drinks remained on the low side, with Chimay going for a mere $5. Martinis were $9 across the board. In a kind and much appreciated gesture, Chef Pete Joyce prepared for our party a wonderful amuse, a sweet/savory spoonful of duck and... sorry... I was so excited for the bite that I missed the description.

For dinner, I could not pass on the siren call of the Duck Confit; deliciously succulent on the bone preparation with "Crispy Truffled Potatoes, Bacon Lardons, and Wild Mushroom Fricassee". On the whole, this meal achieved much greater flavor than what the sum of its parts would have been assumed, with the lardons providing just right amount of salty indulgence paired with the potatoes and mushrooms. The duck was rich, dark, and fall off the bone delicious. See the Menu here.

And granted, it was a Monday evening after a major holiday, but the lack of business was troubling. With the economy in the tank, it's understandable for people to cut back, but should you get the urge for something new, you could do considerably worse than this...

Variety is the Spice of Life

Great news from the PD today as they report that the now silent Variety Theatre at Lorain and West 118th will be refurbished by Westown CDC and reopened as a movie house! First Detroit-Shoreway, and now this!

A glimpse of the theatre today

On my (ever-less frequent) runs, I always passed this place with a feeling of sad nostalgia. Not an uncommon emotion while passing through much of Cleveland, I suppose, but a theatre especially evokes a feeling of 'how things used to be'. Built as a vaudeville stage and movie house in 1927, the Variety served the neighborhood ably for decades.

Lorain Ave. & the Variety Theatre in 1953

But, as the economy worsened, the neighborhoods changed, and the area slowly decayed. The theatre, by then a music venue (which actually hosted bands like Metallica and Motorhead) closed in 1986.

Now, with the promise of a renovation and a (huge, 118 page) master plan for the area, local residents and CDC's are stepping up their efforts to bring some style, sophistication and substance to the area. A welcome change indeed.

A Devilish Development

Eastsiders and Westsiders alike can rejoice in the recent opening of a new brewery in tropical Cleveland! Perhaps the location on East 36th can help bridge the ever-growing gap over the St. Clair/Ontario line. Indigo Imp, a production brewery start up has released two seasonal beers for the parched Cleveland market. Rumors have been floating through the internets for many months regarding the brewery, and now the veil has been lifted.

According to the site: "There are two initial release beers from Indigo Imp. Both are naturally carbonated, unfiltered, un-pasteurized, Real Ales. The first is Blonde Bombshell, an American blonde ale with a smooth malty taste, moderate hop bitterness, and slightly fruity and nutty aftertaste. The second is Winter Solstice, a deep amber, full bodied ale, brewed with four different malts, Cascade hops and just enough orange peel and cinnamon to be Impishly delicious. Throughout the year, we will offer a variety of seasonal beers and special release beers in an array of styles."

Watch out GLBC, there's a new contender on the block. And REAL ALE?!? Now that's something to get excited about*... According to the website, the brews are available at basically all Northeast Ohio Heinen's stores, as well as at the brewery. I think with this morning's closing of Cleveland State because of a water main break, the fates are aligning. TIME FOR A FIELD TRIP!!!

It's a (pre-) Festivus miracle!

*For those of you interested: "Real Ale is the very first kind of beer that was produced in sealed containers. It is a beer that has been naturally carbonated in the container from which it is served... Newly fermented beer is placed in the cask with a small amount of priming sugar or unfermented beer and then sealed with a bung. During the next weeks, a secondary fermentation takes place in the cask and the resulting carbon dioxide is absorbed into the beer giving the beer natural carbonation."

Nothing like beer sealed with a bung...

A Very Belgian Christmas

Yes Virginia, there are other Christmas beers than Great Lakes...

Oh Beer Engine, Beer Engine... How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

CURRENT DRAFT LIST FOR 'XMAS IN BELGIUM' DECEMBER 12th

INCLUDES OTHER TREATS - OTHER'S TO REPLACE SEASONALS

Thirsty Dog '12 Dogs of Christmas Ale', Ohio
Delirium 'Noel', Belgium
Buckeye 'Ho Ho Ho Magic Dubbel', Ohio
Great Divide 'Hibernation', Colorado
Bell's 'Christmas Ale', Michigan

Bell's 'Winter White Ale', Michigan
Heavy Seas 'Winter Storm', Maryland
Rogue 'Santa's Private Reserve', Oregon
Corsendonk 'Christmas Ale', Belgium
Scaldis (Bush) 'Noel', Belgium

Southern Tier 'Krampus', New York
Brooklyn 'Winter Ale', New York
St. Bernardus 'Christmas Ale', Belgium
Left Hand 'Snowbound Winter Ale', Colorado
Southern Tier "Old man Winter Ale', New York
Troegs 'Mad Elf Ale', Pennsylvania
Penn 'St. Nik', Pennsylvania
Dupont 'Avec les Bons Voeux.', Belgium

Southern Tier 'Unearthly Imperial IPA', New York

Southern Tier 'Choklat Imperial Chocolate Stout', New York

Buckeye 'Madison Ale' (Kolsch), Ohio

Buckeye 'Hippie IPA', Ohio

Young's 'Double Chocolate Stout', England

'Franziskaner', Germany

'Genesee Lager', New York

CURRENT SEASONAL BOTTLES AVAILABLE NOW

ALL BOTTLES ALWAYS AVAILABLE 'TO GO'

Buckeye Ho Ho Ho Magic Dubbel, Ohio, 8% ABV
De Dolle Stille Nacht, Belgium, 12%
De Ranke Pere Noel, Belgium, 7% ABV
Gulden Draak Vintage '08, Belgium, 7.5% ABV
Jolly Pumpkin Noel De Calabaza, Michigan, 9% ABV
Kerstmutske Christmas Nightcap, Belgium, 7.4% ABV
Lurgashall Christmas Mead, England, 12.5% ABV
Mikkeller To/From, Denmark, 8% ABV
Nogne O Winter Ale, Norway, 8.5% ABV
Redstone Winter Solstice Mead, Colorado
Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf, England, 10.5% ABV
Ridgeway Insanely Bad Elf, England, 11.2% ABV
Ridgeway Lump Of Coal, England, 8% ABV
Ridgeway Santas Butt Winter Porter, England, 6% ABV
Serafijn Christmas Ale, Belgium, 8% ABV
Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale, New York, 8% ABV
Troegs The Mad Elf Holiday Ale, Pennsylvania, 8% ABV
Winterkoninkske, Belgium, 8.3% ABV
Zinnebir X-mas, Belgium, 7% ABV

CURRENTLY ON THE TWO 'ENGINES'

Heavy Seas Winter Storm (Imperial ESB)

Bell's Best Brown Ale

So... by my count that's 46 ways... bown chicki bow wow...

Excess, Largesse, Repossess

Vanity Fair features a fascinating article in its January issue pertaining to the narcissian tumble of the Wall Street investment bankers and hedge fund managers of the past six months. It's absolutely incredible that so striking a contrast can be seen in an industry that less than a year ago was thriving; drawing the best (and arguably greediest) minds and paying the multi-million dollar salaries to rain-makers in the their mid to late 20's!

Personally, I am torn about the fall. The losses in pension funds and 401k's for hardworking people is a dangerously tragic turn, especially for those (who were) close to retirement. But I find myself subconsciously pleased to see the high rollers of Wall Street take a hit. The unending stream of stories revealing their utter largesse and "let them eat cake" attitudes show a segment of society whose selfish dealings and ignorant speculation have brought the greatest nation in the world to a grinding halt.

One example, of many: "Tired of the 90-minute commute, Joe bought a helicopter for the ride. When he realized the chopper couldn’t fly to Manhattan in inclement weather, he got a seaplane." Many will say that Joe earned what he made, that it was his prerogative to buy a seaplane for his 90 minute commute... for days when his helicopter couldn't do the job... (sigh)

This, however, is a falsehood. The truth is that these 'bankers', using the term extremely liberally, took the money others (re: us) entrusted to them to invest wisely, as their predecessors had done and whose reputations they mortgaged. Greed, and a lack of repercussions until now, led those bankers to leverage every dollar into twenty dollars, for example, in speculative investments. As they saw it, on the off chance a particular bet wouldn't pay off, their other irons in the fire would provide them with the multi-million dollar bonus at the end of the year. As VF so aptly puts it: "Groups like the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association Local 262 and the Fire & Police Pension Association of Colorado—these were among the plaintiffs who hadn’t even known they were part of the gilded age. Only they were: Lehman’s bankers had used their retirement money to make those 40-to-1 bets and live like princes. Now that money was gone."

Criminal. Now these same bankers are turning the tables and working for the government, trying to untangle the mess they themselves created. I could go on about this ad nauseum, but I'll close this post with a poignant quote from Philip Howard that sums up the opportunity we all now face: "So this end of the new gilded era—it’s like a bucket that spilled, and finally the money spilled out, and we were left with a culture whose sense of purpose and responsibility were lacking. And now there’s a real need for people, and society as a whole, to rethink and re-structure their values."

RIP NCB?

News only three weeks out of date, courtesy of Transient Hobo...

In the continuing saga of downward spiral business news in Northeast Ohio, the announcement on October 20th that PNC Bank would be taking over the grand dame of Cleveland financial institutions, National City Bank was viewed by others as just another casualty in the falling dominoes of the economic crisis.

In Cleveland, however, this news was met with the kind of response usually reserved for funereal marches and finales of Cleveland Browns games. As an utter laymen in terms of financial jargon and complicated finance, my questions, like many, were simple:

'Why could PNC buy National City for $5.6 billion then get a TARP bailout by the government of $5 billion?'

'Why wasn't National City considered for that $5 billion to stave off collapse just like dozens of other financial institutions around the country? '

Even though frought with previously announced dire financial numbers like most other institutions, as late as September 29th Fortune online was proclaiming National City's tier one capital ratio (a good thing, take my word for it) as "as the highest among large banks".

Dozens of other questions come to mind, but those two sum it up. Steve LaTourette, a Republican congressman from Bainbridge has been picking fights in an attempt to block the sale, with everyone from Henry Paulson, the increasingly embattled Treasury Secretary, to the Comptroller of Currency (whoever the hell that is). Of late, Dennis Kucinich has entered the fray, either adding credibility to the cause or destroying it, I'm not sure which...

In any case, here's the bottom line if the deal goes through:
1. Cleveland loses another Fortune 500 Company, to a Pittsburgh company, no less (ouch).
2. Estimates are that 8,000 jobs could be lost locally (double ouch).
3. Any way you slice it, Cleveland is getting screwed while other companies, in more affluent locations (yes, as hard as it is to say it, even Pittsburgh is more affluent) are getting the golden ticket from Willy WonkaMcTreasurySecretary.
4. There will be no Christmas in Whoville* (*Cleveland; although that's just hyperbole).

Can't we catch a break... anywhere?