Top 16 Albums of the Year !!

Between the two of us, we fell in love with more than just a mere ten albums. And since we spend quite a bit of time together, we always are forced to compromise on the music we listen to -- and lucky for us, in doing so our respective horizons continue to expand. . .

Here is what we still can't seem to get enough of:

1. Asobi Seksu - Citrus














2. Cat Power - The Greatest














3. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain














4. Band of Horses - Everything All Time













5. Bears - S/T












6. Lily Allen - Alright, Still













7. Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins - Rabbit Furcoat













8. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That













9. Girl Talk - Night Ripper













10. Mates of State - Bring It Back













11. Matt Costa - Songs We Sing













12. The Concretes - In Colour














13. Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, & Wives [EP]













14. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood













15. The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes













16. Assembly Now - It's Magnetic [EP]














Honorable Mention: All of Bishop Allen's *monthly* EP's were exceptionally solid, especially their March EP

Top 5 *Christmas* Songs of The Week (Christmas Eve Edition)

While searching on youtube last night, we discovered Taking Back Sunday doing a unique take on that Christmas staple The 12 days of Christmas, Merry Christmas enjoy!

5. (mp3) Hem - Have yourself a merry little Christmas


4. (mp3) My Chemical Romance - All I want for Christmas is you!


3. (mp3) The Killers - A Great Big Sled


2. (mp3) The Long Blondes - Christmas is cancelled


1. (mp3) Sufjan Stevens - That was the worst Christmas ever!

Tonight: Holiday Pub Crawl in Ohio City!

What: 1st ever Miracle on 25th Street Pub Crawl in Ohio City

Where: Bier Markt, Touch Supper Club, Garage Bar and The Old Angle Tavern

When: Tonight!

Why: Portion of the proceeds go to The Salvation Army (it feels good to get drunk for a good cause)

A Holiday Collaboration!

Tonight head to the Beachland Tavern @ 9pm to check out the 3rd Annual Music Saves & Square Records swap meet. The show only costs $5 bands on the bill are Bears (from Cleveland), Beaten Awake (from Akron), Plasma for Guns (from Cleveland) and Genetically Yours (from Akron). The same show is taking place tommorow night @ 9pm down @ The Lime Spider down in Akron. Also get their early so you can pick up one of the 50 limited edition copies of Bears very own Christmas single. Also the topic of BEARS, we are pleased to tell you that when Asobi Seksu finally comes to Cleveland on January 29th @ The Grog (we have been waiting for them to come to C-town for 3 years) that BEARS will be opening for them!

Top 5 *Christmas* Songs of The Week

Reminiscing about last year's ridiculous Virgin Mobile "Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah" commercials while watching Home Alone and drinking champagne led to this. . .

5. [Mp3] Chris Martin - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

4. [Mp3] Feist - Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming

3. [Mp3] Belle & Sebastian - Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto (James Brown cover)

2. [Mp3] The Pipettes - White Christmas

1. [Mp3] Smashing Pumpkins - Christmastime For Sarah :)

Bonus: [Mp3] U2 - Angel of Harlem

p.s. - If you are into Champagne/Sparkling Wine like we are at the moment, definitely check out these fabulous and creative cocktail recipes

Tonight: Derek Hess Opening @ 1300 Gallery

What: An Opening/Closing featuring Cleveland’s favorite local artist, Derek Hess

Where: 1300 Gallery

When: Tonight, from 7 – 10pm

Why: The final showing before the beloved 1300 Gallery closes

Support your local artists

'Tis the Season for giving. . .back Mp3's

It is the season for giving afterall, so we thought we'd update the links to the most frequently searched for songs from various posts of the past year. . .

Here you go, dear friends:

[Mp3] Director - Reconnect
[Mp3] Liam Lynch - Whatever
[Mp3] Snow Patrol - Open Your Eyes
[Mp3] The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me
[Mp3] Emiliana Torrini - Sunny Road
[Mp3] Magnet (ft. Gemma Hayes) - Lay Lady Lay

Enjoy!

xo*

Try this Champagne: Roederer Estate Brut Rosé

While awaiting the outcome of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony -- which of course is going to Troy Smith (a preliminary congrats to him for this great honor -- definitely holding it down for the 216!), we are enjoying an absolutely fabulous Brut Rosé. This champagne (or technically, "sparkling wine") grown in Northern California is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay -- also, the perfect balance of full and smooth flavors with fine bubbles. Produced by Roederer Estate, "the extra measure of Chardonnay contributes elegance and austerity, which balance nicely with the delicate fruitiness of the Pinot Noir." We highly recommend you try this refreshing wine that retails for around $27.00.

Top 5 *Christmas* Songs of The Week!!

Since we are getting in the Christmas spirit, we thought we would spread some holiday cheer:

5. [Mp3] Jack Johnson - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

4. [Mp3] Weezer - The Christmas Song

3. [Mp3] Dandy Warhols - Little Drummer Boy

2. [Mp3] Frank Sinatra - I'll be Home for Christmas

1. [Mp3] A Charlie Brown Christmas - Christmas Time Is Here

Bonus: [Mp3] Fountains of Wayne - Alien for Christmas

Tonight: Crave Party @ MOCA

What: Crave Party! ($10 per ticket)

Where: MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art)

When: Tonight, 5 - 9pm

Why: An evening of exclusive shopping featuring a fashion show of designs (by There-She-Goes, Horst Couture, and other fabulous regional brands) and an eclectic assemblage of accessories and jewelry by local artisans and artists. Plus, a bar featuring Private Reserve wines and specialty cocktails.

See you there!

A Jolly, Happy Soul [RPST]

While watching A Charlie Brown Christmas this evening with Jose, I was reminded of one of my personal favorite stories for this season: The Snowman. Growing up, I had many fond memories associated with the book and its short "silent" film. Such a simple yet moving story. . .

And, since we're talking about snowmen, download Fiona's playful rendition of Frosty the Snowman:

[Mp3] Fiona Apple - Frosty the Snowman

As well as her beautiful cover of Hendrix's Angel, which I ended up finding yesterday while backing up an ancient computer:

[Mp3] Fiona Apple - Angel

Bonus:
[Mp3] Soul Coughing - Suzy Snowflake

Monday doesn't have to = suck

Tommorow you have the choice of two great indie rock shows in C-town, depending on your taste and budget. If it all possible, we would be going to both -- take your pick:

My Morning Jacket / The Slip @ The House of Blues ($22.50-$30)

¡Forward Russia! / Snowden / Blazer @ The Grog Shop ($10)

Bonus:
[Mp3] My Morning Jacket - Off the Record (on KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic)
[Mp3] The Slip - Children of December
[Mp3] ¡Forward Russia! - Nine
[Mp3] Blazer - Please (live acoustic)
[Mp3] Snowden - Time of the Season (Zombies cover)

Saturday Happenings

If you are trying to beat the winter doldrums like us, we have several options to share with you on this crisp Saturday morning here in Cleveland:

1. Bazaar Bizarre @ 13hundred Gallery [12 - 9pm] A super cool DIY event that showcases jewelry, random tees (ie - We Are Campfire), paintings, photography, etc. etc. making it easy to find friends and family one-of-a-kind hip and handmade gifts

2. Hot Toddy Party @ Banyan Tree [1 - 9pm] Enjoy appetizers, wine, and hot toddies while finding some lovely new home decor at this fabulous Tremont staple

3. Murray Hill Art Walk [10am - 9pm] Brave the cold and then head over to any of Little Italy's fine establishments, some of our favorites being Presti's Bakery and La Dolce Vita

4. The Brazilian Girls @ The Grog Shop [9pm] This loungey art-pop band would provide the perfect soundtrack to a chill and laidback evening

[Mp3] The Brazilian Girls - All We Have

Bonus: If you're looking for unique gift ideas, be sure to check out Johnny Cupcakes new holiday t-shirt designs (which are available starting today but in limited quantities, so act fast!) and We Are Campfire, based locally and doing us proud with their new Christmas Story themed shirts

Tonight: Ingenuity Party @ Bier Markt

What: Ingenuity Festival Benefit Party ($5 Cover)

Where: Bier Markt (Ohio City)

When: Tonight, starting @ 5pm

Why: All you can eat apps, drink specials, Jesse Barnes Band, and support for a good cause

See you there!

Pop-Up Video is back!

As you can probably imagine, Jose and I were absolutely thrilled to stumble upon re-runs of an old favorite, Pop-Up Video, while searching desparately for something to watch last night. If your cable provider offers VH1 Classic then you are in luck -- until December 1st, they will re-air episodes of this beloved program from 8 - 9pm EST.

Better yet, you can view every single episode of Pop-Up Video here.

Or if you're really crazy about this show (like me?) you can even purchase a Pop-Up Video Trivia Board Game of your very own.

Stranger Than Fiction

So, last night we saw Stranger Than Fiction which had a particularly memorable scene set to some excellent music. During this pivotal scene, Will Farrell's character serenades Maggie G's with his own endearing acoustic rendition of Reckless Eric's Whole Wide World. It was at this point that Jose claims he recognizes the song (but conveniently forgetting the name of the singer or any other detail) and begins to awkardly mouth the words as I roll my eyes, as I occasionally do. . .

Although Jose did not know where or how he knew of this song, it turns out that it is from one of his favorite movies of all time: The Adventures of Sebastian Cole. I was somewhat impressed and suppose I'll give him the credit he deserves and perhaps believe him next the time he makes a seemingly unlikely claim.

[Mp3] Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World

Oh yeah -- and, we *loved* the movie so definitely check it out if you have the opportunity!

Bonus: [Mp3] The Jam - That's Entertainment (demo version)

Rome Is In The Valley!

Tonight in the tavern @ The Beachland Ballroom is a great show, The Changes are opening for The Lovely Feathers. Show starts @ 9pm. If you have not seen The Lovely Feathers yet, we recommended you do so. When we saw them back in June open for The Spinto Band they were great.

Top 5 Songs of The Week!!

We are currently trying to hone our somewhat non-existant cooking skills by watching Giada De Laurentiis in Everyday Italian -- while making slight strides, we continue to be inspired by her positive outlook and equally fabulous cookbook of the same name. In the meantime, we are bracing ourselves for looking forward to our day of shopping and crowd dodging we have planned on this unusually warm and sunny Saturday afternoon.

For now, we hope you enjoy your day and these Top 5 Songs of the Week:

5. [Mp3] Field Music - You're So Pretty An excellent song by this fun Brit chamber-pop band, who fortunately is coming out with new material that iGiF so generously offers here

4. [Mp3] The Cake Sale - Some Surprise Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody compliments the female vocals perfectly in this romantic song

3. [Mp3] The Morning Benders - I Was Wrong For fans of The Walkmen and The Killers, that is sure to generate more buzz in the near future

2. [Mp3] Pink Nasty - BTK Blues This singer-songwriter's name is what originally drew us in, but her beautiful vocals keep us coming back, reminding us of a cross between Rosie Thomas and Dar Williams

1. [Mp3] The Poems - Sometime Somewhere Someone Should Say Something A beautiful collection of sound with peaceful vocals and simplistic, relateable lyrics

R.I.P. Robert Lockwood Jr.

This morning I was saddened to hear at the passing of Robert Lockwood Jr. He was a grammy nominated blues/jazz guitar player who was originally from Arkansas but had been a staple here in c-town from more than 40 years. It is said he honed his chops from the famous Robert Johnson and was known as the last living link to him and the famous Delta Blues sound. He has played with some of the greatest blue artists of all time including B.B. King, Sonny Williamson, Muddy Watters and James Cotton. He also said to have been the man who taught a young B.B. King to play the guitar.

If you have ever had the chance to go to Fat Fish Blue on Wednesday nights you would have had the chance to witness this great local talent backed by his equally as talented band. I have had the chance on multiple ocassions to see him play and can testify first person to his great chops. Robert Lockwood Jr was 91 years when he died this week and he was still out playing , performing, recording and sounding sharp as ever. This evening if you are looking for a good time and to pay homeage to this great man. You can head down to Fat Fish Blue to see The Robert Lockwood Jr Band along with local blues artists jamming on and keepign the message of the blues alive here in Cleveland. There is no cover and it starts @ 8:30pm

Robert Lockwod Jr covering "Sweet Home Chicago"

My United States of Whatever!

A few weeks ago you may recall we had a post on Sarah Silverman's "Jesus is Magic". While checking out the credits for that film we realized that it was directed by Liam Lynch. That name sounded very familiar to us, so we checked imdb.com and found out that Liam Lynch is the same Liam Lynch who directed and created Sifyl and Olly along with his friend Matt Crocco. Back in 97-98 Jose thought Sifyl and Olly were the greatest thing ever. We looked at amazon.com to see if the episodes are available for sale yet but no such luck. However when when we looked on youtube we found some Sifly and Olly and thus we present to you: Sifyl and Olly doing Liam Lynch's "United States of Whatever".





(MP3) Liam Lynch - United States of Whatever (For Lauren)


Bonus: Some Precious Roy for that @ss

Top 5 Songs of The Week (O-H-I-O)

We are currently preparing ourselves for various festivities surrounding The Big Game: Ohio State vs. Michigan. But before we do, we wanted to leave you with the Top 5 Songs of the Week and the above ESPN commercial that never fails to make us smile and/or roll our eyes. . .

5. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Remastered and Remixed and surprisingly good

4. Daylight's for the Birds - Flicker If you are a fan of On!Air!Library! like we are, you will definitely dig their lead singer's recent project

3. Matt & Kim - Yeah Yeah A less refined Mates of State, but equally as catchy

2. Maximo Park - Going Missing An excellent song used on Stranger than Fiction's Soundtrack, which we are looking forward to catching in the theatre within the next week [check the trailer]

1. Asobi Seksu - WOXY.com Lounge Acts Although a session and not a single song, we thought this was an excellent way to gain a feel for Asobi Seksu's live performance (especially if you have been wanting to see them for nearly 3 years, like us!) or to acquaint yourself with them if you have not already. Plus, woxy always does such an exceptional job -- be sure to check out more of their Lounge Acts here

Tonight: Beaujolais Nouveau @ D'Vine Wine Bar

Each year, on the third Thursday in November, the new vintage of Beaujolais is released which results in cafes around the world packed with people drinking and celebrating this fun, fruity wine. . .

This evening D'Vine Wine Bar is hosting a special event to celebrate this tradition from 4pm until close. Wine will be specially priced and an assortment of cheese will be available. Also, if you bring a can of food, you will receive $5 off of your meal from D'Vine's superb menu.

In case you missed it, check out our review of Beaujolais here

Good For a Laugh

The other day at work the song " Are you Jimmy Ray" by Jimmy Ray popped into my head. This piece of pop was a fairly large hit in the U.K. and a minor hit here in the states back in 97. I don't if you all remember the video or not, but it is pricless, it features Jimmy Ray a British guy who is a cross between Prince and Elvis carving out his best piece of Simon Fuller produced late 90's pop. I remember being a freshman in college (yes I am that old) and people playing this song as a joke at parties. This ought to bring a smile to everyone's face have a good one.

Mmm. . .Johnny Cupcakes

Last week, our close friend Jackie gave us a really thoughtful and unique engagement present: his and hers Johnny Cupcake t-shirts. Until then, neither of us had ever heard of this Boston-based clothing brand -- unbeknowst us, Johnny Cupcakes has been kicking around since 2001. The company was started by John Earle as a joke, he began selling his Johnny Cupcakes t-shirts on the side while on tour with his hardcore band, On Broken Wings. While touring, he was so successful selling his t-shirts that he decided to make it a full-time gig. This was a big leap for John since he had only a semester of college under his belt and not a fan of the 9-5. Fortunately, his t-shirts have gone from a joke to a very lucrative business where his t-shirts range in price anywhere from $33 - $70 dollars, most of which are made in limited quantities allowing the brand to remain exclusive.


Just this past year, the first (and only) Johnny Cupcakes store opened on Boston's Newbury Street. If you don't live in Boston, you might be able to find a few select stores that carry his t-shirts in the States -- not to mention, locations in Japan even sell his stuff. And of course you can browse/purchase a variety of t-shirts from his website :) For now he only sells t-shirts but has plans to make Johnny Cupcakes into a brand that also carries bags, ties, jackets, and other merchandise in development. Judging by his talent, these t-shirts are a sign of yet even sweeter success in store for Johnny Cupcakes.

Bonus:
Check out Johnny Cupcakes NPR interview
Befriend Johnny Cupcakes on Myspace

Sarah Silverman + Ciroc

This evening we are laughing non-stop while watching Sarah Silverman in Jesus is Magic. Definitely would highly recommend this movie, especially if you enjoy her vulgar and politically incorrect humor. The film is even better while drinking Ciroc Vodka and Tonics. If you have not tried Ciroc, check it out at your favorite bar or liquor store -- it's truly one of the smoothest vodkas we have tasted.

Top 5 Songs of The Week!!

While Jose is hard at work, I am trying to wake up with a strong cup of coffee and some favorite songs of the moment:

5. [Mp3] Cat Power - Deep Inside (Mary J. Blige cover) Just because this song never fails to make me smile

4. [Mp3] Pelle Carlburg - Middleclass Kid An endearing and slightly folky song, highly recommended for fans of Sondre Lerche and Magnetic Fields

3. [Mp3] The Soirée - Across the Sea Absolutely beautiful, perfect for driving through scenic roads on an early Saturday afternoon

2. [Mp3] The Little Ones - Cecilia (S&G cover) Stumbled upon this excellent rendition on the fabulous video blog: The Anchor Center, where you can check out live footage of The Little One's performance here

1. [Mp3] The Shins - Turn on Me What we believe will be the first single from their yet to be released album, Wincing the Night Away

Tonight: Three Great Shows

If you live in the Cleveland area and are looking for some lovely music, it won't be very hard for you to find some on this particular evening:

Broken Social Scene @ The House of Blues

Joanna Newsom @ The Beachland Ballroom

Bears @ The Beachland Ballroom Tavern

Bonus:

[Mp3] Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit A modern classic
[Mp3] Joanna Newsom - Sprout and the Bean Simply beautiful
[Mp3] Bears - Stay A favorite

Be Gentle With Me

Today it is suppose to be in the 60's and I get to wear jeans to work that makes me pretty happy on this Thursday here in November. Something else that makes me very happy is the great song "be gentle with me" by The Boy Least Likely To. Check out their cute video for the song below, have a good one.



(mp3) The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me

Chenquieh

Last night we went to go see Borat!: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. It was very funny and made me think a lot about how the world perceives the United States. Here is a recent clip of Borat being interviewed on Fox's Hannity & Colmes.

Tonight: Joseph Arthur

This evening, Joseph Arthur is playing at The Lime Spider in Akron (OH) -- if you live in the area, we highly recommend that you check him out. And, if not definitely try and catch him on his current tour. . .

A couple excellent tunes:

[Mp3] Joseph Arthur - In the Sun

[Mp3] Joseph Arthur - There is a Light that Never Goes Out (Smiths cover)

Top 5 Songs of the Week (Where did fall go?)

Today is just a nice lazy fall Saturday here in the midwest -- here are some songs to help you enjoy it:

5. (mp3) Meiko - Xmas song This girl, who just asked to our friend on myspace the other day, hails from L.A. via Georgia -- she makes beautiful, soulful music drawing from such influences as Fiona Apple, Nina Simone and Portishead.


4. (mp3) Sparrow House - Foxes (sighing like a furnace) aka Jared from Voxtrot, Kelly says "this is a very peaceful and warming song" and since she is on the mend it is just what the Dr. ordered.

3. (mp3) Tiger Trap - Words and Smiles Super fun and catchy, all girl twee pop from the early 90's, sure to bring a smile to your face -- thanks Skatterbrain.


2. (mp3) Operator - Too Late A hypnotic track that leaves you wanting to listen to it on repeat -- This Austin band is influenced by the sounds of Stereolab, Hooverphonic, and Goldfrapp.


1.(mp3) Teenage Fanclub - If I never see you again A beautiful song we can't enough of -- also note the possible influence they must have played on Ben Gibbard.

Beaujo. . .what?

When deciding to order take out Indian food from Cafe Tandoor, we thought this would be an excellent opportunity to branch out and try a different kind of wine than we normally would. A variety of resources recommended pairing Indian food with anything from an Oregon Pinor Noir to a German Reisling, although the recommendation that intrigued us the most was a French Beaujolais. Jose found a Barton & Guestier Beaujolais for a reasonable $9.99 -- as suggested, we served this slightly sweet and tart red wine chilled, which definitely complimented the spicy vegetable somosas, paneer pakoras, chicken tikka, and baigan bharta nicely.

Light It Up Cleveland!!

Tonight @ 8pm on espn The Cavs start the season against The Washington Wizards. This game is going to be a very heated contest no doubt because The Wizards will be out to gain revenge for The Cavs knocking them out the playoffs last spring. This season marks the first time in over 10 years that The Cavs are no longer underdogs -- they will be in a new position with a bullseye on them throughout the league, but I expect for them to be able to handle this preassure and have a great season. Go Cavs!

Highlights of their game 3 Victory against The Wizards:

We heart Sofia

Whether it's listening non-stop to the Marie Antoinette Soundtrack, reading (and re-reading) Marc Jacobs interview her in the latest issue of Interview Magazine, or religiously watching Lost in Translation, we just cannot seem to get enough of Sofia Coppola. This perpetual interest is what led us to the discovery of her debut short film titled: Lick the Star. Shot in black and white, this story centers around a cynical clique of 12-yr old girls who devise a secret plan they codename "Lick the Star".




See for yourself, the beginnings of Sofia's career and notice some recurring themes:

[Part I - Lick the Star]
[Part II - Lick the Star]


ps - If you have not already, definitely check out her father's sparkling vino that she inspired: Sofia Blanc De Blancs. Not only does this light wine taste fabulous, it comes packaged in super cute little red cans with plastic straws. Jose is nice enough to surprise me with these when celebrating special occasions :)

[The beautiful picture of Sofia we used above was created by the highly talented guys behind Rubenimichi]

Top 5 Songs of the Week (Hello Sunshine)

The last few days have been downright awful cold, windy, rain, sleet, hail and very gloomy. It is as if fall decided to sit this one out this year and told winter to have an extended reign. . .

Thankfully, that is not the case today and right now we are loving the fact that we have to squint as typing this post while the sun comes beating down on us thru our living room window. Today we are going to the Browns vs Jets game so hopefully the sun is a sign of good things to come, like a much needed victory for the browns.

5. (mp3) Riding Paper Airplanes - Feathers Hailing from Seattle and catering to both the organic and electro fans in all of us sounding like a combination of M83, Postal Service, and Notwist with David Bazan (aka Pedro the Lion) on vocals.

4. (mp3 ) The Slip -Even Rats These Montreal boys are coming to the States for the next few months touring with The Lovely Feathers and My Morning Jacket. Kelly says they remind her of Third Eye Blind and I say there is nothing wrong with that.

3. (mp3) The Postmarks - Goodbye (Cassettess Won't Listen Remix) A light dream-pop song that is a quick grower, highly recommended for fans of Postal Service and Stars

2. (mp3) Broadcast - Poem of Dead Song We are absolutely loving their latest album, The Future Crayon, this song being one of its highlights

1. (mp3) Matt Pond PA - Snow Day Appropriately off his Winter Songs EP, a beautiful song that's great for blistering cold and snowy days like yesterday (although, technically it was hailing!)

Wine with Coffee and Cigarettes

Earlier this evening was spent at a Wine Tasting featuring Hanzell Vineyards, hosted by the always fabulous Union Club -- we will definitely be sharing our review within the weekend.



Upon our return, we chose a low key Red Guitar Tempranillo to sip while watching one of our favorite films, Coffee and Cigarattes. This wine is perfectly balanced -- a subtle blackberry flavor with a little spice. Important to us, is the fact that this Tempranillo is low on the tannins. Perhaps a little unconventional, but we are pairing this wine with veggies and Amir's hot jalapeno hummus as well as our typical red grapes and baby gouda cheese. Also slightly unconventional, is the fact that we are drinking this red wine in Riedel white wine glasses -- does it truly make that much of a difference? Either way, whether pairing with spicy foods or in "incorrect" glasses, we think that Red Guitar's Tempranillo tastes great (especially for a very reasonable $11.99).

Great Lakes Brewery Tasting

This evening we will be heading over to The Union Club for their Great Lakes Brewery Tasting. The beer that we will be enjoying (which includes a variety of standard and seasonal selections: Holy Moses White Ale, Dortmunder Gold Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Nasferatu, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Christmas Ale, and Blackout Stout) will be paired with food from Cleveland's West Side Market. Throughout the tasting, we will also have the opportunity to listen as co-owner Patrick Conway speaks about his company and the beer it produces.

We are looking forward to learning more about The Great Lakes Brewing Company and have always enjoyed their beers, our most recent favorite being Nasferatu (which is a strong red ale with 8% alc.). If you have not tried any of the Great Lakes beers yet, we would highly recommend doing so -- and if you live in the area, you should definitely stop by for a drink or dinner at their Brew Pub, which is located right off W. 25th in Ohio City. Not only is the beer fantastic, their soft preztels are absolutely amazing!