I always hear stories about people being in the “right place at the right time.” Like how some lucky fool gets spotted at an ice cream parlor and is suddenly the next Hollywood star. Or a lady who gets seated next to a publisher on a plane and walks off with a book deal. Or a waitress who waits on an old millionaire who croaks and leaves her some major mulah. Sadly, these stories never seem to include me.
Last week, however, the Mister and I had our first brush with “right place/right time” greatness. We were quite enjoying ourselves in the nosebleeds at the Foo Fighters concert, when we were asked if we’d like to “move our seats.” Knowing they certainly couldn’t get any worse, we figured what the heck.
view from “before”
view “after”
Happy campers
Have you ever been in the right place at the right time? Share your stories!
Things sure have been different in Cleveland these past two weeks. Traffic is insane, restaurants are at capacity — some might even call the new activity explosive…
Yep, the film crew for the upcoming movie, The Avengers, has taken over two of our main streets downtown for filming and production. Medical Mutual was cool enough to post photos on their Facebook page, which I thought you might enjoy seeing.
Why go to NYC when you can bring the NYPD to Cleve?
Captain America gets ready for his closeup.
Am I the only one who is depressed that this is just a set?
I’m meeting the Mister for lunch today and am looking forward to checking out some of the filming and production going on just a few blocks from my building. The current buzz is that Cleveland’s Public Square will soon transform into Germany!
Happy Friday!
I could have sworn that I’ve posted about one of my favorite restaurants, Blue Canyon, before, but try as I might, I cannot locate a single mention.
Consider this my proclamation to you all that it is one of my favorite restaurants ever. Home of many birthday dinners and celebratory occasions, the Blue Canyon has a cozy and inviting atmosphere, much like an upscale, rustic retreat – and its food is even better. I’ve never met a dish I didn’t love.
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The Mister and I have shared so many incredible dinners, laughs and conversations at Blue Canyon - in fact, we first talked about getting married “one day” over lunch on the restaurant’s beautiful patio!
So you can imagine my excitement when I learned the owner and chef, Brandt Evans was opening a new restaurant in downtown Cleveland.
From the website:
“Pure Life.” Not just words, but a philosophy. Chef Brandt Evans is proud to offer his latest vision – Pura Vida Restaurant, located in downtown Cleveland, on Public Square. Pura Vida offers a unique and inspired atmosphere serving dishes that Chef Evans says “live for today.” Chef Evans uses the finest and freshest local ingredients from a myriad of trusted sources – many of which are exclusive to Pura Vida.
The Mister and I met my dad, my brother and his girlfriend for dinner before an Indians game earlier this summer.
I could immediately tell that Pura Vida was going to be a bit different from Blue Canyon.
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So modern and sleek! The lighting changed colors with the music, creating new ambiances with each fade in/out.
After enjoying a delicious summer salad featuring fresh berries, goat cheese and sunflower seed brittle, I realized I forgot to snap a photo.
Luckily, I still had my main course to capture.
One of the most innovative dishes I’ve had to date, what you see here is a “jar.”
Duh.
Let me elaborate. Pura Vida offers several jar selections, which are served with grilled bread. Each jar is layered with different ingredients, creating the perfect combination of flavors and forming a unique “spread” to enjoy with the grilled bread. I chose the bbq tofu & vegan chorizo jar, which was also layered with grilled scallion pesto and roasted tomatoes.
It is a new goal of mine to sample every single jar that pura vida has to offer. This was so fun to eat and incredibly delicious.
So while pura vida looked sleeker and more trendy than Blue Canyon, they certainly have one major thing in common — mind-blowing food.
Now if only I could make up my mind on where to celebrate my next big occasion…
Take a look at Pura Vida’s extensive menu, what would you have ordered? What jar should I try next? IAnd how can I con the Mister to take me there for breakfast one morning this week?