Cleveland, beyond rock (Part I)


The food.  I just can't forget about all the food.

On a recent trip to Cleveland, I spent Friday evening at Progressive Field, or "the Jake" (for its previous name).  It's not quite as user friendly as Oriole Park in Baltimore, its immediate MLB predecessor by the same architect.  A 2015 renovation resulted in more box seats, lower capacity, and higher ticket prices than what I am used to.  That may also have something to do with winning the American League Pennant last year, too!  Ticket booths are away from the downtown side, so it really helps to purchase in advance, or you will have to walk around the stadium from most hotels.

I've never seen such long lines for food at a ballpark.  It's not for lack of availability, as selections run from the traditional dogs or bratwurst to pizza, Mexican, and vegetarian options.  I should have downloaded a map to my phone first; I was looking for a specific Mexican vendor and couldn't find it.  I ended up settling for a hamburger, though the "Swing State" Pale Ale from Sibling Revelry Brewery was a good find.  Beer lovers will not be disappointed at Progressive, with representation by Great Lakes, Market Garden, and Fat Head's Brewery on the main concourse.  You can spend a small fortune here.

Did I mention that I went to watch a game?

This Friday night in July was a sellout against the Toronto Blue Jays.  A combined Methodist men's choir from towns around northern Ohio delivered stirring and well performed barbershop renditions of "O Canada" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."  In the upper reaches where I had purchased my ticket I was surrounded by other out-of-towners, with a father and son from New York on a baseball tour sitting next to me.  It was the kind of baseball tour people like me think about but only rarely execute, going as far as Kansas City in four days.  While they were Yankees fans rooting for the Tribe, we were mostly surrounded by Canadians.

And they had a lot to cheer about through the bottom of the 5th, when Edwin Encarnacion opened up a torrent of hitting on the Blue Jays' pitching.  Scoring four runs, they topped it with an eight run 7th inning that featured 13 Cleveland batters.  Like many ballparks there were post-game Friday night fireworks, something I passed on in the park but saw from my hotel room.  Side-note: nothing quite like an elevator full of sad and possibly drunk Canadians in a hotel after a ballgame.  "That's what happens when you don't have any.... PITCHING," exclaimed a fan as he collapsed against the elevator.


Just to the west of downtown Cleveland, Ohio City stands as one of its oldest and hippest districts. The West Side Market (right), opened in 1912 on a site in use since the 1840's, offers a wide variety of produce, meets, and other products.  What sets the area apart, though, is the concentration of breweries.  Great Lakes, Market Garden, Hansa, and Nano Brewing companies are all located here.  I stopped by Great Lakes to sample their lovingly named "Burning River" Pale Ale, which was not nearly as bitter or hoppy as I imagined.  Not to be missed, in addition to the Breweries, are unique eateries.  SoHo Chicken and Whiskey was closed on the evening I was there, but TownHall, which is committed to locally sourced, non-GMO, and often organic food, is a real find.  Vegan options are available, but I ordered an "Unfried" chicken sandwich with grilled veggies on the side.  Perfection.  TownHall carries a wide selection of craft beers, and "Clementia" from Jolly Pumpkin made a nice pairing with dinner.

Ohio City is located about a mile from the house made famous in A Christmas Story.  The home has been opened as a museum dedicated to the film by a private owner.  Be on the lookout for leg lamps.

The Cleveland North Coast renewal began with the opening of the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, ironically at the time that the Browns left town.  Old Municipal Stadium, the "Mistake by the Lake," has been replaced by First Energy Stadium, a beautiful upgrade waiting on a great team. Walking back through the downtown, the Playhouse Square district offers one of the larger collections of theaters outside of the east coast.  A key to the area's revitalization, the district includes restaurants and a plaza used for swing dancing.  On a Tuesday night in Cleveland, walking back to my hotel, I was surprised to hear strains of the Family Guy theme, only in a complete big band arrangement.  Couples were dancing in the streets, literally.  Cleveland doesn't simply rock, it swings too.

Coming up in part II, the The Heights and the Blossom Music Festival.






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