Week 26: Hallelujah, It's Summer In the City

New thing for this week: I was able to talk my husband into going downtown to enjoy the gorgeous weather that we had on Saturday. There's always pushback whenever I suggest we do anything in the city, so this was a real feat on my part!

Our first stop was the sidewalk patio at Masthead Brewery. I went there for my birthday last year, but my husband had never been there. I had the milkshake ipa, coconut bourbon barrel aged, spiced saison, and falling fruit beers. The best thing about Masthead is the huge variety. Also, direct sun on our bodies.

We walked a number of blocks to our next destination: Noble Beast Brewery. A new place for both of us. I really liked the atmosphere. When we sat down at the bar, we overheard the couple next to us ask about flights. The bartender, who resembled Harry Potter (I wish he was in the photo), curtly told them that all the flight glasses were dirty and that it would be a while if that's what they wanted! We cracked up that he seemed annoyed by the mere thought of pouring 4 beers instead of 1! Fortunately, we just wanted to give it a try, and ordered 10 oz. drafts. I had the hefeweizen and it was quite refreshing.

We were close to the lake, so decided to walk up to a look out point. There was a train going by, so it was loud. Unfortunately, this parking deck blocked the view, but to the left is the Browns FirstEnergy Stadium and next to it is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Panning right is Burke Lakefront Airport, which is for business and small charter planes. We watched a few planes land on this clear day. Can you see the one in the picture?

For dinner, we walked back to the central area of downtown to Taza, a Lebanese restaurant. My husband has been there numerous times for lunch, but it was new for me. First, we ordered their hummus, which came with pillowy soft pita and naan bread. The hummus was super creamy and much better than grocery store brands.

I ordered the chicken Fatteh, which was absolutely delicious. It had chickpeas, pine nuts, toasted pita chips, and tahini yogurt garlic sauce. He had the Shish Kabob. Our entire meal was only $38, which is quite a bargain for downtown.

Afterwards, more walking around to wear off dinner. Here I am at the iconic and controversial FREE stamp. We also walked through the 5th Street Arcade, peeked in at the posh Marble Room, and made our way through the East 4th Street restaurant scene. A good time was had by all!