Weekend Bites

Last weekend was packed full of good eating, that's for sure. I may, or may not, be eating my stress these last few weeks. But the end is in sight, and it's about to get better. But in the meantime...

We kicked off Friday with one last reservation at Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen before they closed their doors on Saturday. Since opening five years ago, it has remained towards the top of my favorite restaurants list. And that's hard to do in this town. So, we went in to get one last fix of classic C&C dishes we'll miss, including the Gnocchi, The Board, and the Chicken Paprikash (pictured below).

On Saturday, I had to head to Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. because we were completely out of good cheese at home. The horrors!

Mr. H and I needed a fun and relaxing date night to look forward to on Saturday, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect for this gal, so we landed on the Dante patio. This garden patio is tucked away, and we were soaking in the crisp air, lights, and sounds. And a delicious bottle of wine!

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that I like to put my trust in the hands in the kitchen and choose a Chef's Menu or Tasting if they have one. Dante is perfect for that, ranging from 5 courses all the way up to 21. We settled in for the five-course tasting. All were very good, but the first and second just blew us away. I also love that each course is the same for both diners, except dessert. You get to try two (if you're nice and share).

The rest of the weekend was spent at home. The new pup is becoming quite the outdoors dog, and just loves getting into the dirt and mulch!

My favorite time of year at Heinen's is when they get fresh peonies in, so you bet that I hurried to a store once they posted that the blooms were in. They are gorgeous, and fill the house with the most intoxicating scent.

We finished off the weekend on our front porch with some cocktails, and a candle from Two Men & A Vacuum. On top of offering cleaning services, they also have a line of candles, cleaners, and air fresheners. A few of which have food/drink scents, like the Bourbon & Honey that I received. It went well with the bourbon cocktails Mr. H whipped up, using our favorite local bitters from Full Measure Bitters.

In a hectic time period for us, this past weekend was just what I needed to refocus and relax. The weather and activities made me fall in love with Cleveland just a little bit more.

Disclosure: I received a candle from Two Men & A Vacuum in exchange for social media exposure. All opinions stated are 100% my own.