Goodbye Turner's Mill, Hello Rosewood Grill

When Turner's Mill closed a couple years ago, my family was not only shocked but saddened. This swanky yet inviting Hudson establishment had been one of our absolute favorites - whether it was to enjoy a drink while listening to live jazz music or to celebrate with an equally exquisite and comforting meal during a visit home from college.

It has seemed like a loong two years since Turner's Mill closed its doors, but *finally* a new restaurant has opened in its (almost non-recognizable) place: Rosewood Grill

Last week, it was quite obvious that I wasn't the only one anticipating Rosewood Grill's debut - after all, I happened to go on its very SECOND day of existence, and was welcomed to a packed house and over an hour wait. However, this was not necessarilly a bad thing because I was with close friends and this gave us the opportunity to soak in the classy and warm atmosphere of the bar. A completely new addition and absolutely beautiful - although crowded, it was somehow still comfortable, and the martini/wine/beer lists are impressive.

Upon being seated, we quickly ordered hors d'oeuvres - which proved to be a tough decision because everything sounded insanely delicious. We compromised on the calamari and flatbread w/ brie & caramelized onions. Both were surprisingly generous portions, each tasting superb - the calamari was especially a hit.

A downfall I cannot neglect to mention was the excessive delay to receive our entrees - however, we all reminded each other that the Rosewood Grill had only been open for two days (although by the way they were on top of nearly everything else, one would never have guessed!) and understandably were working out the timing of their kitchen and service. A definite bonus was, again, the atmosphere - the exposed brick of the dining area exuded coziness while the table settings and lighting were simply sophisticated.

My friends ordered the roasted chicken and lobster rolls (made with yogurt instead of mayo was the selling point) while I ordered an Asian chicken salad - all dishes were undeniably fantastic. Although, next time I'll be a lot more adventurous with my selection. . .

Overall - the Rosewood Grill is a restaurant I would highly recommend to those planning a night out with their friends as well as those craving a romantic date spot. This is also a place one could suggest to even the pickiest of diners (ie - my parents) - I have complete confidence that it will get even better with time*

Love This Shot of Downtown Cleveland

Today in our inbox we got this beautiful shot of downtown Cleveland during this holiday shared with us from the great organization known as the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. With the holiday season current in full swing we thought we would use this as opportunity to share some more one of our favorite holiday tunes.

(mp3) U2- Angel of Harlem

We were just watching U2 Rattle and Hum the other night, what an awesome film. They regularly played this song on that tour with B.B. King's Band. It is beyond awesome that during the film they had in studio session were they recorded this song at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis Tennessee.

Top 5 Songs of The Week (Christmas In Our Inbox Edition)

photo courtesy of Cleveland Public Art

Being a music blogger this time of year is always interesting because bands are always doing Christmas covers and originals. It is great pleasure in listening to people's interpretations or even their own idea of what a Christmas/Holiday song means to them. This year is no exception recently we found in our inbox these goodies to share with you

5. (mp3) Middle Distance Runner - "Holiday (Be Good To Me)" These guys from D.C. bring us a happy pop tune about all the things they do not want to see go wrong during this holiday season.

4. (mp3) MoneyPenny - "Christmas Time Is Here" (Charlie Brown Cover) Duo of ladies hailing from The Windy City who make some choice dance electro tunes they will make you bounce. Check out their cover of this Charlie Brown classic.

3. (mp3) The Hush Now "Wishing You A Happy Christmas" straight out of Boston this party of five, make some of the catchiest indie nerd rock this side of Fountains of Wayne and Weezer. Here is some Christmas distortion for you!

2. (mp3) Jessie Baylin - "Mrs. Christmas"
Ms. Baylin is based out of Nashville, TN, she plays some pretty folk music and she recently got married to Nate Followill the drummer from The Kings of Leon.

1. (mp3) Harper Blynn - "Christmas Aint' No Good Without You" New york quartet they make music that is simply just... addictive. soul bearing classic rock styled compositions.

Fanfarlo is in the Giving Kind of Mood

Over the past 6 months we have been become big fans of the UK band, Fanfarlo. If you have been following our blog, you know we first posted about them in July, featuring their track "I'm a Pilot" in a mix before heading off to Taste of Tremont and then following up a few weeks later posting their beautiful cover of Smashing Pumpkins, "We Only Come out at Night".

Recently, we mentioned that Jose has been contributing to Ohio Authority and this month he chose none other than to write a review of Fanfarlo's most recent release, Reservoir.

Speaking of Fanfarlo, during this holiday season, the band has decided to get in the spirit of giving as they have a virtual advent calendar being showcased now through December 24th. Each day the band will be offering free mp3's, merchandise, and other goodies*

I Wish It Was Christmas Today

Watching Saturday Night Live and per usual it is just not that great. However there is some hope to see quality SNL in the future with their annual Holiday Special to be broadcast on this coming Thursday December 17th. There are many skits that we want to see on this special like "Schweddy Balls", "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood", "The Night Hanukkah Harry Saved Christmas" and "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" . The last one being one of our favorite Christmas songs from this past decade. If you are not familiar with what we are talking about it you can watch it and refresh your memory.


via videosift.com

During this current holiday season it has to come to our attention that none other than Julian Casablancas lead singer of The Strokes has covered this song.With his version he has extended the length of the song and a some strokeish touches to it. Take a listen for yourself

(mp3) Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today (SNL Cover)

Advanced Warning: The Hood Internet

Last week we were absolutely psyched to catch wind of the The Hood Internet show coming to town on January 21st - for what promises to be a great night at B-Side. Whether or not you happen to be in the know, do take note because this show is something you will undoubtedly want to mark your calendars for.

The Hood Internet are a duo from Chicago who have taken mash-ups to a level of some real ill art, just as Girl Talk does when it comes to his song creations. Yes, there are a lot of people doing mash-ups these days, but very few actually do this style justice. This is the kind of act that we will go enjoy and most likely stay out until 3am on school (well, work) night because we know that this is going to be a GOOD TIME.

To familiarize yourself, be sure to check out their recently released mixtape, The Hood Internet Mix Tape Vol 4, which you can download via their website for free. Experience their indescribable genius and simply listen for yourself.

Jose's Pick:
(mp3) The Hood Internet - Cult Logic Forever (Drake ft. Kanye West & Lil Wayne vs Miike Snow) Beyond catchy!

Kelly's Pick:
(mp3) The Hood Internet - Number One (R. Kelly vs. Sally Shapiro, ft. Keri Hilson) Because it's nearly Christmas and SS is Kelly's biatch. A celebratory song with an almost Disney quality that somehow works "magic."

Two Trends Combined: Sriracha + Brussels Sprouts

Is it just us, or have Brussels Sprouts and Sriracha somehow become almost en vogue these days?

We cannot seem to escape either one - well, perhaps it's because we watch The Food Network a little too much, but still. . .Between being tempted by B Spot's sriracha wings or indulging in Lolita's infamous fried brussels sprouts, one cannot help but to start viewing each ingredient as very unlikely subjects of style and chic-dom.

Case and point - while Jose was flipping through his GQ magazine earlier this week, an article titled Brussels Sprouts with Bite caught his eye. And, lo and behold, this recipe just so happened to combine both brussels sprouts and sriracha:

Chang-Style Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
1/4 pound thick-cut bacon
Butter (optional)
Sriracha hot sauce
Lime
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. With a knife, trim the hard, woody ends of the sprouts, then slice in half lengthwise through the core.

3. Cut the bacon into small chunks and cook in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat till crispy, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

4. Drain most of the fat from the pan and add the sprouts, cut-side down. Raise the heat to medium high and sear until the sprouts begin to sizzle. Put the skillet in the oven and roast until the sprouts are deeply browned, 8 minutes or so, then shake the pan to redistribute them and ?ip them over. Pull the pan from the oven when the sprouts are bright green and fairly tender (taste one to check), about 10 minutes more, depending on how large they are.

5. Return the pan to the stovetop over medium heat. Stir in the bacon and, if you want, a pat or two of butter. Swirl till incorporated.

6. Place in a bowl. Add a few squirts of sriracha hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it, and a squeeze or two of fresh lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve with anything.

* For Holiday gatherings, toss a pound of sliced sprouts in a large bowl with 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a bit of salt. Place them cut-side down on baking trays and roast them in a 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until tender. Remove, and return them to the bowl. Toss with fresh lemon juice and toasted slivered almonds, or season as you would in the main recipe. Serve hot.

[Click to read full article]

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Not only is this recipe super simple to create but incredibly flavorful and delicious. There is no doubt in our minds that you will LOVE it.

Just Because: Some songs to get you into the holiday spirit that we were listening to while cooking and writing this post.

[Mp3] The Raveonettes - Christmas in Cleveland
[Mp3] The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
[Mp3] Frank Sinatra - J-I-N-G-L-E Bells

RadioShack Goes Indie Rock For The Holidays!

This Holiday season while watching commercials you have maybe have heard and seen that "The Shack" aka RadioShack of all places is placing some great indie rock songs in their commercials. You may be like us and when you hear a song in a commercial or movie you instantly try and figure it out it. And even if you are not, here are some of the choices tunes we have been enjoying in commercials from "The Shack" during this holiday season.


In this commercial you hear the jam "Life Magazine" from The Philadelphia based band Cold Cave. We actually put this song of theirs on a mix that we posted back in July of this year.

(mp3) Cold Cave - Life Magazine



In this commercial you hear an awesome cover of "The Christmas Song" done by The Raveonettes. This is one of our favorite indie rock Christmas covers ever.

(mp3) The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song (cover)



In this one you hear the soothing cooing of Los Angeles based "Let's Go Sailing" with their song "Icicles" you may recall this song from making the rounds in indie circles back in 2007.

(mp3) Let's Go Sailing - Icicles