you can take the girl out of jersey...

Hahaha! The only people I have ever heard use the word "Joisey" are from out of state. I love being a Jersey Girl and all that it entails. I have a big mouth, am unforgivingly sarcastic and i still sometimes wait in my car for someone to come pump my gas. Even though I am full of pride for the Dirty Jerz, I am somewhat of a hybrid. Growing up, my friends used to tease me about my "midwestern accent" (especially when i say "fire," or "hire"...) I guess I learned how to speak from my Buckeye Mama. I do not however use the words, "pop" or "kleenex"...it's "soda" and "tissues." I guess I'm just a regional mutt...

cleveland cravings

so even though the city and i are on a break right now...it's not being sensitive or responsive to my needs (employment), i still have to admit that there is some damn good eatin' to be done here! here is a list of some of my fave menu items around this fair hamlet...in no particular order

1. Sunnyside Pizza - Bar Cento aaaaaaaahhhhhh (that's the sound of angels singing) because this pizza is scrumdiddlyumtuous!!! i remember the first time i had it, it reminded me of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix...only better!

2. Reddstone Burger - Reddstone i figured since i liked fried egg on pizza i should try it on a burger...yep! i was right! this burger is the shizz!!

3. Carnitas (#35) - El Jalapenos A DIOS MIO!!! es mi favorito!! aye aye! i have had the pleasure of celebrating dos birthdays en este restaurante. having managed a mexican restaurant and lived in Phoenix, i've eaten me a mierda load of carnitas and this is by far the best. juicy, salty and lots of it (inuendo anyone?)! i will post a review of el jalapenos later...everyone should try this hidden gem

4. Krazy Mac & Cheese - Krazy Mac's when i first moved here this place was opening under the name cheddar's with a sign that said "snicker's" so aside from a small identity crisis and the fact that they spell a "c" word with a "k" (pet peeve), they know what they are doin' when it comes to mac n' cheese. this dish has the right amount of ooo and gooo and the yummy crunch of carmelized onions. mmmm....

5. Spicy Corn Gazpacho - Souper Market now this a a seasonal soup for the warmer months, but man is it tasty! it is just the right amount of spice, salt and has a good liquid/solid ratio. it tastes like slurping a garden and who can resist their carbo-licious bread to dunk?!

6. Tea Cured Salmon Lox Platter - The Monastery RIP, this little eatery is no longer, although there website is still up, so maybe they will re-open someday? i hope because this dish is so delicious, the tea cured salmon is moist and tender and their savory scones were sinfully buttery and flakey. also, the server, "hollywood" who took care of me was hysterical!

7. Some predictions for the future...since The Greenhouse Tavern has yet to open...but their menu has been up for what feels like years it's like the biggest culinary cock tease in history! I'll admit I've been on the site so much just drooling over the dishes, I feel like a cyber stalker:) anyway, everything looks super delish...but here are two that i think will knock this blogger's socks right off:

Open Face Lox Sandwich w/crème fraîche, caper, chive & red onion

&

Dry Aged Ohio Lamb Saddle w/olive oil mash potato, fennel & mint

speaking of lamb saddles, with all this eating i do, it's a good thing i just joined the gym

anyone have any fave dishes?

it's called sNOw, not snYES.

so as the flying hamster of doom continues to rain coconuts on this pitiful city (anyone know about this?) and as i sit here in my apartment with the pup, i find myself wondering why i moved here from sunny phoenix, az. i applied to a fresh batch of jobs today and cried a little as i did so; i have to admit that i am really starting to loose faith in my "hireability." i think i'm slipping into a depression and honestly, i wouldn't mind being a medicated zombie for the rest of the winter season, but alas, as a freelance web editor, i have no insurance. i think my unemployed dirtbagdom is only augmented by the snow. anyway, lets focus on the positive stuff, mmkay?

so, for a birthday prezzie, my aunt enrolled me in a class at corporate college (an affiliate of tri-c) and i have to say i am really enjoying it. all of the students are women and it's nice to be back in a classroom setting (***dork alert***if i could be a professional student i would! i love writing papers!!!). i'm learning a little and networking a lot and hope to make professional connections with some of the ladies in class. there is this one lady, who i call "sassy boots" (because she always has on a different pair of...can you guess?) anyway, sassy boots is an important executive and given the opportunity, likes to talk about herself as much as possible. actually, now that i think about it, she talks about herself even when it's completely irrelevant. anyway, i sit next to sassy boots, in my jeans and sneaks mind you, and just enjoy being in a room talking to other people. the school itself is great; the facility itself looks brand spanking new and the classes are taught by knowledgeable professionals. the teacher for my particular class rocks! anyway, taking this class is not only great for learning, but it's also simply something to look forward to every week. so, if you are considering uping your smarty-pants quotient, check it out!

because it's my party and i'll post if i want to

on the day of my birth i chose to watch snippets of my favorite scenes in movies:

oil changes & underpants: a birthday post

so today is my birthday and although i don't feel particularly celebratory this year, (due to the fact that no one will hire me) i kept up my annual birthday tradition of getting an oil change. i know it sounds crazy, but i love turning a usually obligatory chore into something fun. Having moved all over the place, I always went to Jiffy Lube and unknowingly paid waaaaaaay to much for their services. When I moved to Cleveburg, I couldn't find a Jiffy Lube and starting asking around about a good place to go and someone suggested Ganley Ford West on Lorain Rd. They do oil changes for $4.95!!! I used to pay over $60 at Jiffy Crap. With labor and taxes and everything, I drive away paying $9.95. On top of their great customer service, they give you an automated call every few months to remind you it's time for another changeroo! It's such a great service and I recommend it. Also, while you wait, there is a Dunkin Donuts next store (my fave kind of coffee), so you can catch up on your reading/celebrity gossip!

After the oil change I headed to Crocker Park for a mini shop-a-thon. I went to Vicky's Hush-Hush for some new underpants and scored the deal of the century raiding the clearance bin. I also hit the crazy sale at Banana Republic, only because I had a gift card, otherwise, I have no business being in there! I finished my "spree" at H&M where a cute tragically misunderstood boy in tight black jeans, shaggy hair and a rolled bandana rang up my purchases. i don't know why i am drawn to boys like that. every time i tell my mom i saw a cute boy she says, "let me guess. tall, skinny and looks like he needs some sunshine?" yeppers!

it's still open season on jobs

so i have been looking for a job since july to no avail. i am signed up with five different staffing agencies and have applied for countless jobs on hotjobs and monster as well as craigslist. i am convinced these are a sham (the websites, not the agencies), especially craigslist. i use craigslist for all sorts of stuff (buying cars, furniture, finding apts. and even my cute li'l pup is a craigslist find!) but most job postings i apply to result in an auto-generated e-mail asking me who my cell phone provider is. it is so frustrating! i have been on a few interviews and i guess my sparkling personality isn't enough to win me a position. to be fair i should also admit that i was offered a position and turned it down because the thought of actually showing up to work at this particular place made me cry. literally, when the woman described the details of the job, my eyes started to well up with tears and i had to pretend there was something in my eye. i am really at my wit's end and don't know what else to do. i guess graduating with honors from college a successful professional does not make.

i did have an interview last week and i am still waiting to hear back. i think the interview went well, but the guy that conducted the interview was wearing the wrinkliest shirt i have ever seen. i mean, it wasn't just not ironed, it was as though he pulled it out of the closet, balled it up and sat on it while he ate his breakfast and then put it on. during the interview i was a bit distracted by the man blouse and kept thinking of this:




long story short, i need a job!!! please cleveland, have pity on a poor, smart girl, with very little pride:)

cursive @ the grog shop 1.17.09

going to see this kick-ass band at the grog shop tonight. who's comin' with me? i plan to have few too many drinks and shake my money maker (actually, my money-maker is laid-off at present, but if someone would pay to see my rhythmless body gyrate i would do it in a heartbeat!).

it's -11 degrees and we no likey!

I HOPE EVERYONE STAYS WARM TODAY!!!

(i'll be making chili and drinking maker's mark old-fashioneds to stay nice and toasty:)

rent @ playhouse square

i hope my "narration pops with incendiary wit..."

so as a self-proclaimed theater geek growing up 30 minutes south of NYC, i was spoiled rotten by the proximity of broadway.  my friends and i would often hop the train and buy cheap tickets to our favorite shows on any given weekend.  my favorite musical is RENT and i remember the first time i saw it (with the original broadway cast) in 1997...whoa i feel old.  i've seen my fair share of musicals and outstanding performances by extremely talented casts, but nothing as incredible as RENT.  after seeing daphne rubin-vega, anthony rapp, adam pascal, idina menzel, taye diggs and jesse l. martin give earth-shattering performances, i was hooked and continued to see the show so many times, i've lost count. 

      as i have moved all over the place, i can always adapt to new cities and ways of life,  but i always miss broadway.  luckily for me, when i moved to cleveland, i knew that there was a great theater scene here.  playhouse square always has a show worth seeing, so when i heard that Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal would be reprising their roles in the tour, i knew i had to see it!  i have had the pleasure of seeing anthony and adam not only in rent but in their original broadway roles as charlie brown and radames (aida) respectively.  they really are incredibly talented artists. so i  went to the theater in hopes of winning the ticket lottery (the first two rows of RENT are not available for purchase until the day of the show when winners are chosen and tickets are only $20), but i had no idea the show would be so popular and i missed out.  i was pretty bummed and about to leave when i decided ask if there were any tickets available for purchase.  i figured that sitting in the rafters to see two of my favorite broadway actors in my favorite show for the last time.  i neglected to mention that this is RENT's final tour before the show becomes available for community theaters to butcher nationwide.    long story short, i ended up getting a single seat on the center aisle of the 3rd row! i was beside myself.  the show was INCREDIBLE and i couldn't believe how anthony and adam hadn't aged a day in 12 years!  the rest of the cast rocked and i was so amped with energy from the performance and hearing my favorite songs, "one song, glory" and "la vie boheme."  i was also excited when they changed a line in the show to be "you can take the girl out of jersey, but you can't take the jersey out of the girl." (HOLLER!)

 

just when i thought my experience couldn't get any better, the girl next to me told me anthony and adam were doing a meet-and-greet at the barnes and noble at crocker park the next morning! well, can you guess where i was on thursday morning?!?!? top 10 best experiences of my life, hands down.  i got to ask a question and i brought my framed picture of my friend and i outside of the nederlander theater in '97 for them to autograph.  the guys were so nice and i was absolutely star struck.  

i know theater, especially musical theater isn't for everyone, but playhouse square hosts such a wide variety of touring entertainment, you will definitely be able to find something that interests you.  treat yourself and support the arts at the same time!  

here are some pictures of my fantastic day:   

the harp

Last night I went to a surprise birthday party at The Harp in spite of the craptastic weather.  I have only been to The Harp once before and have to say that I really enjoyed myself.  The party was for my cousin's very irish husband and his twin brother.  They love irish music and the Porter Sharks were going to play.  Unfortunately, the snow kept the band at home, so we were sans dance music.  It's too bad too because after a few black and tans I totally get "jig"-y wit' it (i won't apologize for my punny genius:).  Other than our party (about 50 people...we roll deep), the place was empty and I think if it hadn't been for us they would have closed early.  The staff is super cool and put up with all of our loud shenanigans.  We left at around 11 and decided to head to The Parkview Pub for a few more (unnecessary) drinks.  I love me a good townie bar and the Parkview is just that; it has a welcoming, low-key vibe and super cheap drinks.  We danced to Madonna, bowled a few frames on their mini-bowling lane and the guys decided to stop drinking beer and start drinking white russians.  White Russians (The Dude's" drink of choice) mixed with beer do not a happy stomach make and I can only imagine the hangovers they must have today.  As I had to get up early today to go the Bridal Expo (that's a whole other story) I decided to take it easy and left the bar a little before 2.  I actually walked home (only a few blocks) and as I trudged through the snow in my super sassy, yellow galoshes I passed a group of people sledding down a big hill.  They invited me to take a ride and I was ready for bed and passed.  All in all it was a fun night and I learned that even in knee deep snow there is still a nightlife to enjoy in Cleveland!

cleveland survival lesson #1: learn to love sports

So on our way out of the AC/DC concert, a bunch of people started chanting something and it scared the bejesus out of me.  I felt as though I was in the movie "300" amidst the fray of Spartan soldiers in their little leather fightin' undies. Anyway, I listened closer and I heard, "O-H...I-O!" I was proud of myself for figuring out that this was a football related outburst.  Sports, especially football is like a religion here.  After living here for a while, I now know that when someone asks a questions about "the game," that I should not reply with "what game?"  I am not a sports person.  I was cut from the field hockey team in high school and played rec. basketball in elementary/middle school managing to score a single basket in 6 seasons.  I think I just liked being on a team.  Growing up in Jersey I was raised in a Yankees/NY Giants household so I was aware that they won championships and what not so I could understand why people liked them.  My only other exposure to sports was living across the street from Fenway Park in college.   My dislike for the Red Sox is based on the fact that their outfield lights kept me up at night and moreover by the nasty, violent fans that would start fist fights in the street.  I was lulled to sleep many-a-night by the sound of beer bottles being broken over someone's head.  

Although sports hold absolutely no allure for me, I marvel at the unwavering dedication Clevelanders have to their sports teams.  It's incredible!  I know that the Indians and The Cavs are good teams in their respective sports and I can understand wanting to rally behind them.  What I don't understand is why anyone goes to a Browns game.  Not only do they not seem to be able to play the game, it's freakin' freezing and the wizard who designed the stadium forgot to put a roof on the damn thing! I was driving out to the east side a few weeks ago on a Sunday and as I wove through downtown, I was surrounded by a gazillion Browns fans all bundled up making their way to the stadium. IT WAS 9 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!!  I mean that is real love.  Still not able to understand what it is about the Browns that keeps people coming back for more, I asked my cousin (a huge Browns fan) why he loved the team so much even though they are so bad.  He gave a very poignant answer.  He said, "For me, loving the Browns is like what I imagine being a parent is like.  When your kid messes up you don't hate them, you're just very disappointed.  That's how I feel about the Brownies.  I can't get mad at them, just disappointed."  That's all the explanation I needed. 

  

1.5.09 AC/DC at the Q

So the boyf bought tickets to the AC/DC show in hopes of selling them and making a little dough. No dice.  Thus, I got a floor seat to the concert! I guess I should explain that I am a freelance web editor and work has been slow and therefore, no dough (rhyme alert! HOLLER!).  Evidently, there is something wrong with the economy;) I have been looking for a new job here in Cleveland since July to no avail, so my "fun money" has turned into my "please don't turn off my heat money."  Anyway, it is only due to my the boyf's misfortune that I was at the concert.

I am a big AC/DC fan and thought the show was great.  Between the pyro, the cannon fire and the 20 ft inflatable stripper, 'twas quite the spectacle.  They played a lot of the classics such as "Thunderstruck", "Dirty Deeds", and "Hells Bells" and mixed in a few of their new songs.  I was dying  to hear my fave, "If You Want Blood," but alas it was not on the set list.  The guys put on a great show and it was almost surreal to see Angus in his school boy uniform and even more surreal when he decided to take it off in an onstage strip-tease. i applaud the band for their unrelenting energy, but there were several times I thought Angus was going to have a heart attack.  Hands down this was the loudest concert I have ever attended.  Along with getting my face rocked off, I think I now have tinnitus, as my ears are still ringing.  For my first (and most likely last) AC/DC concert, the band did not disappoint.

a new cog in the blogosphere

hello? is anyone out there? i've decided to start a blog that i can share with others about the city in which i live: cleveland.   i've been living here for over a year and have just really started to get out and about and enjoy some of what the city has to offer.  additionally, i think i will spend some time ranting about and offering solutions for some of the problems of this fair hamlet.  for starters, i think i will introduce myself:

i was born here in cleveland but raised in the dirty jerz.  i am a jersey girl.  not the acrylic nail having, brown lip-liner wearing breed, but the big mouth, sarcastic variety. being from jersey, i can't stand people that drive slowly in the left lane and i sometimes sit in my car for a few moments at the gas pump, waiting for someone to help me.  

i've lived in boston, philadelphia and phoenix, i love to move around and discover new ways of life.  i worked in restaurants for over a decade in every job function imaginable.  i love the restaurant culture, but don't want to do it anymore...unless it's in my own restaurant.  i have been performing on stage and screen since i was 5 and never feel as alive as i do when i am on stage.  i love to read and write and immerse myself in all things creative.  i love food ( i will definitely be blogging about some of my fave restaurants here in cleveland).  i love bourbon. i love tequila (my favorite drinks are margaritas and maker's mark old fashions).  i love adventures, big handbags, boys with tattoos, movie theater popcorn, elephants, the sound of car wheels on gravel, road trips, photography, my chihuahua (maxwell), i'm tall, but hate when people ask me if i play basketball. i'm obsessed with SPF, i'm jealous of people that can dance.  i hate when people wear too much perfume.  sometimes i wear too much perfume. i love cheese (which is a problem because i am lactose intolerant).  i have an opinion about EVERYTHING and have no problem speaking my mind.  i can't whistle or do a cart-wheel.  i love to bake.  i have zero navigational skills and get lost everywhere i go. i once hired a midget stripper.  i love drugstores and trying new products.  i always carry a pen.  i am scared of clowns.  i love catching grammatical/spelling errors in print.  i won't eat PBJ or carrots.  i miss the jersey shore.  i love sparkly things.  i love my family.  i never stopped loving britney spears.  i can crush you in saved by the bell trivia.  i love board games.  i secretly wish i could grow a beard for a day.  i blush easily.  i have the attention span of a gnat...and thus concludes this post.  I hope you keep reading!