Adventures with Ny

The Stadium

To conclude Midwest Black Restaurant Week, I had dinner at the Stadium (https://thestadiumcolumbus.com/) located in Gahanna, Ohio.

They use a paper menu which could be due to COVID cautions so that they can just throw them away afterwards. There was so much to choose from on the menu, they had a lot of great options.

Because I was starving, I had to get an appetizer. I decided on the Creekside Fries which were topped with shrimp, alfredo spinach, caramelized onions, and red peppers. These fries were absolutely delicious! Highly recommended to order.

My main entree was pretty good as well. I had the Hometown Hero with a side of veggies. The sandwich was topped with greens and mac & cheese and includes a sweet type of sauce. The sandwich was tasty although I personally would have preferred the mac & cheese be more baked, but it was still good. Because it has so much on it, it is extremely filling and I found that it was best to eat it with a knife and fork instead of with my hands. The fries were good and were coated with what tasted like Parmesan crumbs. I am typically not a huge fry person and got the veggies as a substitute. Since they gave them to me anyways, I decided to taste them and they were not bad at all. The veggies were packed with flavor although a little more of the oil could have been drained, but it was still very good.

To wash down my meal I ordered the Black Mamba. With it being a sports bar and in memory of Kobe, I thought it was only right that I give it a try. Although I like my drinks a little stronger, the drink was very refreshing especially with the mint. Anything with mint makes me happy!

Typically I am not a dessert girl especially after all that food. This day I had a sweet tooth that I couldn’t ignore and the desserts on the menu looked very appealing. I decided to go for the Banana Boat which was a banana foster cake with buttercream in the middle. First off, the presentation alone was beautiful. Second, it taste as amazing as it looked and I was so pleased. The Stadium did not disappoint with that cake!

Overall, my time there was great and I would recommend visiting this business the next time you are in the area. The atmosphere is casual and it has a sports bar feeling, but the food is beyond the typical bar food. What I also liked about this establishment was that they play music including, hip hop, r&b, etc. which is great because it had me dancing in my seat. However, be warned that there is not edit version to the songs. lol It’s still a kid friendly environment. I’ll also note that this place is very popular and I have observed that the wait can be any where from 90 minutes to 2 hours. I believe that it is worth it, but I also suggest you show up at least an hour before you actually want to eat. The area is so beautiful that there are plenty of things to do to occupy your time as you wait. Check out the Stadium and let me know what you ordered and your over all thoughts. Until next time!

What’s that Spot in Warrensville Heights?

As y’all know, I love the Cleveland area. I graduated from Case Western Reserve and so I sorta made it my mission to explore all that Cleveland has to offer as much as I can. I may be in Bedford, Cleveland Heights, etc. There is so much to see around the city!

In support of Midwest Black Restaurant Week, my friends and I decided to dine at Fredrick’s Wine and Dine ( http://www.fredericksdine.com/) located in Warrensville Heights, OH. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and due to COVID all guest were kept 6ft apart.

The menu was short and sweet but provided a good variety of appetizers and entrees to choose from. For our appetizer we had the oysters which was really good and sat in a tomato based sauce which paired well with the bread provided to us. For our entrees, I had the pork chops with baked mac and cheese and candied yams. I also had a side of corn bread. My friend ordered fish with greens and baked mac and cheese. The food was extremely good for both of us and I loved their bread as well.

To wash down my meal, I ordered alcoholic beverages of course! My first drink was a strawberry puree drink that for me was my least favorite because it had too much of the strawberry flavoring inside which I felt took away from the alcohol that was in it. The second drink I decided to try what my friend Ashley had which was the margarita you see in the picture above on the right. It was delicious, refreshing, and strong and so I decided to order my friend Candice one as well. 🙂

Overall, we were very pleased with the restaurant for food and customer service. Our server was very sweet and helpful at choosing items on the menu and checked on us often. The owner of the establishment stopped by our table a few times and engaged us in conversation and we even met his son who helps cook the food. They were both very sweet and nice people. This provided a nice “family” feel for us and made us feel even more welcomed. I plan to go back to this hidden gem the next time I am around.

Barrio Tacos

This weekend I decided to visit one of my favorite cities in Ohio, Cleveland. I went to Cleveland on Friday and stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Oakwood Village-Cleveland. I scored an awesome deal on the room via my favorite hotel site (https://www.booking.com/) which I have mentioned before in a blog. The room was very nice looking and spacious. I also enjoyed the pictures on the wall for decoration as it gave the hotel a more cozy feel. The bed was also very comfortable. Unfortunately due to Covid, we received sacked breakfast, but I still appreciate the hotel providing the guests with some type of breakfast. If you are in the Bedford/Oakwood area, I would recommend staying at this hotel.

Although there were many awesome times during my trip and I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, I wanted to talk about the food at this restaurant because that’s what you want to know right? Where did I eat and what did I have? My friend and I ended up at Barrio (https://barrio-tacos.com/) located in Cleveland Heights. I was a little hesitant because I am not a huge taco fan unless I am having taco salad using Doritos. My friend reassured me that this place not only had great tacos but also great margaritas and that had me sold.

We had to stand outside the building until a host came to escort us to either the patio or an inside table due to Covid safety. The hostess was really nice and accommodated us when we decided to sit inside where there were less people compared to outside. We were able to sit near the open part of their establishment which still allowed us to feel as if we were enjoying the outside weather and being safe.

Open view of the outside where we were sitting.

The inside had a lot of character to it. It gave off El Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) vibes which I enjoyed because I admire the holiday. I also enjoyed the different forms of art displayed in the air, such as the skeleton bride and groom on a bicycle.

Pictures of the inside of Barrio in Cleveland Heights, OH.

Now what can be a little overwhelming is the menu. They have two, one is for creating your own tacos and the other is for selecting tacos that they normally served. Since this was my first time and I had no idea what I wanted on a personalized taco, I decided to just pick some crowd favorites. I ordered one Camarone Agrietado taco, one La Tierra taco, and one El Jefe Loco taco. They were all pretty good, but I was full after the first one and just took bites of the others and saved them for later. The Camarone Agrietado includes a flour shell, jalapeño lime shrimp, cilantro rice, napa slaw, crack sauce. I thought the crack sauce was going to be something tangy and addicting but for me it was not. I was a little disappointed, but the shrimp made up for it. I would highly recommend eating it with your head down in the basket and foil because the shrimp will slide out on the table or floor if you are not careful (I was salty, when I lost my shrimp). The La Tierra includes a bombshell (flour soft+corn hard+queso+crumbled bacon), coca-cola marinated steak, pan seared portobellos, caramelized onions & poblanos, chihuahua, secret sauce, cilantro aioli. It was okay, but my least favorite of the three tacos. Something about it just did not sit right on my taste buds. Although it wasn’t a favorite of mine, the waitress said it was a favorite. The El Jefe Loco was really good as it includes a stoner shell (flour+corn hard+chorizo+queso), spice rubbed chicken, fresco, smoked cheddar, pico de gallo, corn salsa, chipotle honey bbq, salsa roja. I would say the Jefe Loco was my most favorite because the sauces blended together perfectly and it has a little after spice kick to it that I enjoyed.

From left to right: El Jefe Loco, La Tierra, and Camarone Agrietado. Below: Menus.

To wash down all of this good food, I decided to try one of their margaritas which was really good.

I would suggest a visit to this restaurant the next time if you are in the area for their yummy tacos and margaritas. The staff are super friendly and they have affordable prices. If you have been already, feel free to share your experience. Until next time…

Quarantine Brunch

Good Morning Everyone! As we began to open up I had decided that I would go back to traveling, but would remain indoors as much as possible. That meant staying at either a hotel or a person’s home. Well, it looks like Covid still is not done hanging around and there may be another lock down on the way. However, despite this unfortunate news I decided to speak on my quarantined meals. The meals I order during quarantine are just as important as the meals I receive while at the restaurant. The only difference is that I cannot tell you about the restaurant atmosphere or service. I can however, tell you if their food is still good, whether we are in a pandemic and ordering food via UberEats or eating it outside on the patio. Not all businesses have been able to produce quality food during the pandemic. I am going to highlight the ones who have done so successfully.

Let’s start this week with talking about the famous restaurant Milk & Honey Restaurant at Cascade (https://www.milkandhoneyatl.com/) who’s known for their savory brunch and southern entrees. I did not get to go to the restaurant for a sit down meal, but I was able to order the food through UberEats which was a plus. Here is what I ordered:

For my brunch appetizer, I ordered the Golden Fried Green Tomato Nuggets. It came with a dipping sauce that was tangy with a little kick to it. I thought the nuggets were good and the sauce went with the nuggets, however, I am currently still trying to decide if I liked the sauce or not. One thing that I didn’t like for sure was the fact that the nuggets were so thick. To me, fried green tomatoes taste better the thinner they are, I also am not a tomato lover with the exception of fried green tomatoes only. For that reason I only ate half of them.

My main dish was called Crown Royal Peach Cobbler French Toast and it was so good. It was topped with what I believe to be honey oats and strawberries making the presentation look great but once I added the cream cheese icing and the Crown Royal peach cobbler sauce, it looked even better and I could not wait to dive in. It really did taste like heaven. I would order it again for sure.

Crown Royal Peach Cobbler French Toast before and after adding the cream cheese icing and Crown Royal peach cobbler sauce.

Lastly, I ordered just a simple waffle for my daughter. Although it was a simple waffle, it came with strawberries as well and that made my daughter’s day because she loves strawberries. I assume that she was very satisfied as she told me the waffle was sooooo good and that I just had to try a piece. I’d say it’s a hit for kids and the adult that just wants a simple waffle.

Overall, I would rate Milk and Honey Restaurant at Cascade through UberEats as a 10! The food preparation and delivery was timely and actually early than the anticipated time. It came warm and with everything needed to enjoy the meal such as syrup and utensils. That is important for me to mention because I have ordered from other places in other states and they have not included those things even if I requested them (shocking, I know).

Share your thoughts and food choices from this restaurant. I am excited to learn of new items to try. Until next time…

No Justice, No Peace

The Hate You Give…F*cks Everybody! That’s what the great late rapper, Tupac said and honestly he was right. Disrespect, hatred, abuse, and much more that has gone on because of the color of one’s skin complexion has simply f’d everyone. I wonder if they feel us yet?

I have been processing my emotions for weeks now. I have felt numb, tired, heart broken, hopeless, angry as hell, and then hopeful. Every time I get on social media and see photos and videos of what is going on around the country I feel a ton of emotions. Sometimes I am too heavy in the heart to go about my day. What I will say is that throughout those emotions of sadness/rage that we are even still fighting for justice and to live. I am happy to see the progress of the protests, the calls, the petitions, and other actions have gotten us. I know that we have a long way to go, but I am glad to at least see something. I am glad that this time we as people who seek and demand change are not letting up no matter what comes our way.

We are no longer being silent about the abuse and mistreatment due to the color of our skin. I know for a fact that I am not. Not in the work place, not on the streets, not anywhere. I am fighting back because I deserve to be here just like anyone else. My children deserve to be here, and be free without fear of being discriminated against, being mistreated, or even being killed for being Black in America. We need a better justice system, police are not the only ones to blame and who should face prison or termination from a job. The judges, prosecutors, and others also deserve it. Let us not forget that one cannot work without the other.

Do I think I will see racism completely gone in my life time? Probably not, but I surely hope that before I die we have come a lot further than where we are now. I hope red lining, maximum sentencing, discrimination, killing, and a list of other things towards black people cease. The harassment from the Karen’s and Bill’s and much much much more. We have to stand up and protect ourselves and our brothers and sisters. White people have to stand up and speak out as well. Put some action behind the “I’m so sorry” statements. Stand up for what is right and shut down what is wrong. It is clear as day. The time is now!

Until next time….

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

How a 21 Day Meditation Group Changed My Perspective

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-meditation-2795927

Chaos. That is the first thing that came to my mind when I thought about the world around me since COVID-19 interrupted our lives. Yes, I had my days of being productive and “getting shit done”, but I also had plenty of days where I just couldn’t do anything. I just did not have the energy some days. The days I lacked energy, I was disappointed in myself because I know I am such a goal-getter, and there was plenty to be done. But then, the gentle side of me would remind me that I am working and parenting through a global pandemic, where sometimes I still don’t have time to have self-care time because I am making sure everything around me is done. Thus sometimes, I am just freaking tired. That is okay. But you know what they say, an idle mind is the devils playground, and I could also tell that was beginning to happen.

There would be days were I would look in the mirror and not like what I see. Not enough energy to dress up to sit in the house, but not thrilled by the untamed hair and pj/ sweats all day either. At the time, it was also still Winter like weather so I was also dealing with the woes of that. I needed sun and fresh air but good ol’ Ohio was getting chilling heavy winds, rain, and even snow on some days between April and May. My mood was way down and I couldn’t find anything to keep me picked up consistently enough.

That was until one day my sorority sister reached out to me and asked if I wanted to be a part of a 21-Day Abundance group. I’ll be honest, although I said yes, I was unsure of how it would go. I had thought about meditation before and talked to some people who did do it, but I didn’t feel like I could get into it. It seemed like, “white people ish” and not really for me. I thought I would feel silly, and I did, at least the first couple of days. It was a personal journey of me being by myself and completing the daily challenges alone in my room before I started the day, but I still felt silly. On the first couple of days, I would find myself half doing it or at some point opening my eyes and saying, “okay that’s enough of that.” However, I didn’t give up with the completing the challenges and I still did the meditations. By perhaps the 4th or 5th day, I felt more in tune. I felt more focused. I started to feel at peace and back to myself since all of this chaos had taken place. I felt more aware and whole which was the purpose of the challenge.

Here is what I gained during the 21-Days Abundance Challenge:

Clarity, during a time when life began to seem uncertained, I began to be clear on myself and purpose. I also became more clear of those around me.
Appreciation, because sometimes we get so caught up in appreciating others that we forget to appreciate ourselves. I also gained appreciation for the Most High and what He was doing in my life despite what it seemed. Lastly, I gained appreciation for the process. I went from thinking it would be something silly to taking it very serious and not wanting to go without making it a part of my day as soon as I could.
Awareness, of myself. My thoughts, feelings, and emotions both known and unknown. The journal entries, assignments, daily phrases, and mantra produced a level of awareness that I cannot even explain.
Peace, when you focus on the present and the future and what the universe has for you it is way more peaceful.
Confidence, because it is important to love yourself in the now. You are worthy, I am worthy, no matter what happened in the past or what someone has said. You speak life into yourself. You are who you want to be and nothing can stop you from that besides you!

I could honestly go on and on, but I do not want to make this post longer than it has to be. However, I will say, meditation is for you regardless of who you are. All you have to do is give it a try and not give up right away just because it feels funny the first few times. I would also say that this challenge pushed my levels of comfort and because I was willing, I excelled and I feel as though you can too. I now follow daily mantras on Twitter (https://twitter.com/iammantra) and I do meditations throughout my week.

Please share your experience with meditation, abundance challenges, or anything else related. I look forward to hearing from you and answering questions!

Brunch Drought

Wow, who would have thought we would be here right? To think, months ago we were excited about the New Year and all that it would bring. We started our vision boards and paid for trips happening during the year. Then BOOM, a whole pandemic. I still can not believe it. Can you? Outside for Ohio has been closed for two months and although we will be doing a slow open, I still want to stay inside for another two months just to make sure the coast is clear. I must admit that I do miss outside. I miss driving on the highway getting lost in my thoughts, I miss my friends and family, I miss going out to brunch and having new spots to tell you about. I guess I could order take out but where I am there are not a lot of brunch spots and plus, that sorta takes away from the experience in my opinion. When outside opens back up completely, I plan to revist some of the brunch spots I enjoyed before I started my blog so that I can share the experience with you all. I miss the french toast, pancakes, and most of all MIMOSAS!!!

What are you looking forward to doing once outside opens? I can’t wait to hear from you.

Orange Liquid Filled Champagne Flute on Brown Surface

The Rail Brunch Experience

Whew, what a couple weeks it has been with this COVID-19 mess!!! Due to restuarants being shut down this may be my last food post since not only do I like to focus on the food but also the venue and service of every location. However, I did get to attend one last brunch spot before everything began to closed. I am glad I finally made it to The Rail.

The Rail (https://www.therailburger.com/) has several locations within Ohio, but my cousin and I decided to check out the one located in Dublin, OH. It was a bit of a drive but it was well worth it. The outside gives off a Western style and makes you curious on what to expect on the inside. In the inside, it provided a modern Western style feel that made you comfortable and welcomed. The booths were cozy and provided privacy, yet we could still see the cooks preparing the food. The staff also helped guest in feeling welcomed with their warm smiles and outgoing personality. I don’t know if they treat all of their new guest as well as they treated my cousin and I, but they were great in helping us select something great to eat and providing us with substitutes or samples before placing an order.

The great thing about the food is that a lot of the items are purchased locally which I really respected about the business. Not only that, but they work hard to ensure they serve good healthy food. I ordered The Hangover Easy which included
Ohio beef burger, egg over easy, american cheese, bacon, syrup served on cinnamon-vanilla french toast with a side of hash-browns. I also ordered the housemade tater tots to sample. Overall the food was good. If I could change anything it would be to have tasted more of the cinnamon-vanilla in the french toast. I enjoyed the tater tots with the sauce better than the hash browns as the hash browns were not as hard as I like them. The mimosas were amazing (that means they were good and strong). I believe I had two or three, but they were like $5 and well worth it for sure.

Overall, it was an amazing experience that left me happy and full. Before the end of the year I am sure that I will be back a couple times either with friends or solo. Check it out when the quarantine is over and then head to Tuttle Crossing Mall afterwards if you aren’t too tired or tipsy.

My Hacks to Gifting & Saving

I use to be the girl who was known for buying gifts for everyone and for every occasion. The older I got however, the more expensive I noticed that it was. Not only did I cut in half the number of people who I purchased gifts for but I also found a way to save money during those times. I also discovered hacks to save money during times of travel as I am on the road quite often. I thought I would share what has worked for me over the past few years.

When it comes to shopping there are only a few things I use throughout the year and they typically help in purchasing things for myself or my children. For starters, I use my speedway card which helps me to build points and after so long I can at least purchase a gas/food card. This helps in times where I don’t have a lot of money for gas or even when gas is too expensive and I just simply do not want to use my own money to pay for it. I also found it to be helpful every once in a blue moon for a gift card for a birthday. Another hack that I use is filling out surveys through a survey app. I have a pretty busy life and don’t have a lot of time or patience to sit and do long surveys but I do complete the quick ones and can at least score two gift cards throughout the year if I am consistent. What I don’t like about surveys is that it takes a lot of them to occur the points needed to redeem a gift card, but once you get it, it feels worth it in order to save $10 or more. I typically redeem my points for Amazon gift cards.

Another way that I snag gift cards, especially for Christmas is by accumulating points through Best Western (https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US.html) which allows me to redeem my points for stays, complimentary items, and gift cards. This past Christmas I was able to get all 3 of my siblings gift cards from the points I earned through Best Western points. Speaking of Best Western, let’s get into more saving options.

Best Western is my top hotel to stay at when I travel. They have a great rewards program and you can get a pretty good bang for your buck! If I do not book directly from their site, I’ll use my favorite hotel site called, https://www.booking.com/. I like them because they have hotels all over the world, you can find hotels for cheaper than going to some main sites, and not all require prepayment. I also like them because I am in the Genius Level 2 category which includes an extra 15% off and free breakfast at most locations. I take more advantage of the 15% off than the breakfast because I typically do not stay anywhere without complementary breakfast. The down side is that sometimes in order to lock in those super cheap rates you have to select the non-refundable option. Not really a big deal if you rarely cancel trips and honestly, I have always been able to cancel if need be if it was before a particular time frame. For most of my trips I tend to go to Booking.com to look for Best Western hotels for cheap and then they upload my points at check-in. To me it is a win win!

The more I travel and go throughout life the more I try to find ways to save. 2019, I decided I was no longer spending rent prices on tickets and I have been lucky to spend under $300 on flights since after Disney last year. I also have reduced what I am willing to spend on hotels. Sometimes I utilize Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) when I am traveling in large groups and we all want to be together. I also started packing Dollar Tree snacks in my checked bags to save money on snacks during travel. Lastly, I use quarters I have saved for certain trips and use the envelop system so that I over spend less.

Those are basically all the tips that I have for now. Do you have any tips to for affording gifts and saving on travel? If you do, I’d love to hear so leave a comment.

Hidden Gem in Lexington

I had a special guest visit from Virginia for work purposes a couple weeks ago who had never been to Mansfield, OH. I had taken her to different places for lunch and dinner during the time she was here to show her what we had to offer. On the last day, I had promised to give her a full tour. During our car tour I was trying to rack my brain on where to take her for her last night. We bounced off ideas, I knew I didn’t want to take her some place regular (places they have in other cities) so as I took a minute I then remembered this place I went to for the first time last year with a friend of mine who came to visit. ABC Kitchen (https://www.abckitchenlexington.com/)located in Lexington,OH, is the name and this place is truly a hidden gem. It is a place that not many seem to know about but should because the food is delicious and the customer service is great. Because not many people know about it, it is usually only a few people there which makes it more intimate. This was the perfect place for me to take her!

Just like the first time I went last year, the place had a small group of people there when we got there. The host and server were both welcoming and helpful in selecting appetizers, drinks, and entrees. We ordered the reuben egg rolls, black & bleu bacon burger, and jerk chicken sandwich. For drinks, I ordered an ABC Old Fashioned and she had a Blue Moon. The ABC Old Fashioned was not your typical Old Fashioned. It consisted of Bulleit Bourbon, chocolate bitters,orange juice, Luxardo cherries and orange zest. It was strong, but not over powering and was really good. I would have ordered another if I was not already super tired. Our appetizer was the reuben egg rolls, we weren’t really sure if we would like it or what it would look like but our server recommended them and so we decided to give it a try. It had the taste of a regular reuben but was inside these huge egg rolls and came with thousand island dipping sauce. It was soooooo good! It is something I would order again. The sandwiches we had were just as good. My guest seemed to have liked her burger. My jerk chicken sandwich was good, it had a little spice to it but the mango salsa provided a nice balance. My sandwich came with an order of fries, they were decent. I am not a huge fry fan.

I give this spot 5 stars and recommend it for a date night, family night, or even just a friend’s night. ABC Kitchen has a Western vibe with comfort style food. It’s the perfect place and I heard they have Karaoke and other events. If you get a chance to stop by, come back and post your experience, until then check out the photos below.