Maverick Chocolate Co.

Make it a quick stop for chocoholics 

at this Findlay Market favorite

     If you want to be knocked down from the scent of chocolate, then a trip to Maverick Chocolate Co. at Findlay Market is a must.  We had been forewarned by Lisa, but the initial whiff when opening the door was a bit overwhelming!  Made on the premises , there was a choice of 9 chocolate bars that one can taste from the apothecary jars filled with chocolate floret samplers.  (The interior replicates an early 1900s apothecary shoppe.)  Having just completed lunch and dessert, we were a bit hungover with sweets, so we limited our samplings to two…70% Belize and Prohibition (Bourbon).  Having just completed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, that would be our choice as a take home.  

     As luck would have it, our tasting continued that evening at Bob and Mary's as they served the Belize and Prohibition, along with two other bars as part of their dessert after dinner.  I found Tumbes (82% dark) to be a bitter, intense concoction from Peru.  I have "spiciness" issues so I didn't sample the Fahrenheit 513, a secret blend of toasted chilies and spices.  Eric was coughing a bit afterwards.  You're on your own with that one!  Prohibition hit the spot again with sweet bourbon and smoked salt, but my choice of the evening was the Belize…smooth, with just the right full chocolate flavor for me.

maverickchocolate.com

 

PNC Summer Music Series on Fountain Square

A party almost every night now through August 30th

Dexter Danced to the Beat of Mutrix

      We happily found some live music last week when Martha, Dale, and Stan were visiting from Columbus.  Stan's only request was that we find a live performance and after criss-crossing what seemed like the entire east side stopping by some stalwart places for entertainment, we came up with nothing.  We headed downtown and passed by the Horseshoe Casino where Bare Naked Ladies were

It's the Sign of the Times for Camp Washington

Gold Leaf and Glass Techniques

      Essex Studio was home to the American Sign Museum from its beginning in 2005.  Now they're in a former women's clothing and parachute factory in Camp Washington, best known for its chili parlor.  We were at their sneak preview party and excited to see the signs displayed in a museum setting rather than the stacked and leaning against the wall approach used at their former home.

Entrance to the American Sign Museum

The Affordable Super Bowl

      Family and friends will gather as always to watch Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5th.  But with the games at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis, those close by have the opportunity to experience more…for free or at affordable prices!

Artist's Rendering of the Super Bowl Village

      Beginning Friday, January 27 and running up through game day, Indianapolis will become the Super City.  The centerpiece is the FREE Super Bowl Village, a three-block plaza with live concerts, light shows, and fireworks.  The concerts will be on two stages and sport big names like Patti LaBelle, Darius Rucker, O.A.R., and Brett Michaels to name but a few.  Food and beverages will be available for purchase.  The village will also have zip line rides above Capitol Avenue for $10 that spans 800 feet long and 96 feet high.  The iconic 30-foot roman numerals will be displayed at

A Big Gay Chicago Wedding

A View of Trump Tower on the Way to the Ceremony

      We received a save-the-date postcard for Rich & Tom's wedding in early January.  We cleared our calendars and waited for the details to come forth.  We could have asked them what the plans were going to be, but instead we allowed ourselves to conjure up several outrageous scenarios in anticipation.  What would their interpretation be for a civil ceremony between two men?  Like all weddings, the possibilities for creativity are boundless.  Our hopes were that they would preserve some of the traditions of a straight wedding but without all the hokey customs (i.e. some translation of throwing the bouquet and garter belt), while adding their own twists to the celebration.  As it turned out, it was exactly that!  

The Invitation and Save-the-Date Postcard

The Announcement
at the Allerton Hotel

      The invitations set the stage...beautifully scripted and printed in rich brown tones on a pistachio green.  Included were two surprises. To exhibit their generosity, and to keep guests entertained for the weekend, Rich and Tom hosted an architectural boat tour on the afternoon before their 5:30 pm wedding and

A Real Nice Clambake

This was a real nice clambake,

We're mighty glad we came.

The vittles we et

Were good, you bet,

The company was the same.

Our hearts are warm, our bellies are full,

And we are feeling prime.

This was a real nice clambake,

And we all had a real good time.

                                from "Carousel"

                                                       lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein

      While Hurricane Irene moved up the east coast, Carole and Tom were preparing to host a clambake on the east coast of Cincinnati.  They own and operate the 1861 Inn Bed & Breakfast in Batavia (the link is in our sidebar), a historic and inviting establishment that served as the setting for their afternoon and evening dinner party.   

Those Real Nice Clams

      When we arrived a little late, they were in the kitchen making last minute preparations.  All eyes were on the steamer pot filled with chicken, sausage, and mussels,—topped off with the clams.  Carole asked that we

Cincinnati Magazine's View of the City from SouthShore

The River Party at SouthShore in Newport

      Cincinnati Magazine hosts events throughout the year to complement their monthly cover stories. We've attended a few and found them a great way to sample some of the best that our city has to offer.  

Cincinnati and the
Daniel Carter Beard Bridge

Paul and I recently went to the latest installment at the new SouthShore condominiums in Newport.  Food was provided by Fresh Table, a ready-to-eat and take out merchant located

From the Ashes Rises a Phoenix Party

The Phoenix Party Hosts, Karen and Tom

      We had plans to meet Karen and Tom for dinner back in April.  The night before we received a call saying that they would still like to get together, but they'd like to get Chinese take out from Red Pepper and meet at the Residence Inn.  What did they have in mind?  It turned out that their garage had burned since we were last together and they were having to stay in the hotel until the smell left their home.  The take out was wonderful as we enjoyed one another's company in the hotel breakfast area.  

      All was going well when Tom announced that they had a proposal.  After thinking about their misfortune, they had decided to throw a party to celebrate the reconstruction and they wanted to hire me to come up with a theme and the decorations.  My mind started to drift to visions of flames and Atlanta burning in Gone WIth The Wind.  We were in the South (Kentucky), but I don't think that was what they had in mind.  I blurted out "the flight of the phoenix" and the four of us thought it was something to work with.  And so —we had a theme!

Phoenix Party Entrance

      I met with Tom about a month later to go over the design concept.  My proposal was to use Chinese silk kites in a phoenix shape along with paper lanterns.  They had been thinking of a caterer and had decided

How to Host an Oprah Finale Party

I would love to meet Oprah.  Lucky Neil did!  I can only continue to dream of that day.  I know we would become bff's.  Plus, she really adores her pet companions.

      With Oprah slated to turn out the lights (just a few days after some religious sects believe the world is coming to an end), it's time to think about how you'll celebrate such a momentous occasion.  On May 25, 2011 the queen of all daytime programming will take a final bow to her fans in 145 countries worldwide.

       So how does one salute television's top-rated talk show host for the past two decades?  Will you have your OWN (sorry about the pun) party to celebrate the finale?  Here are a few suggestions for hosting a celebration.   

• Our friend Rose chose Oprah as her Christmas theme a couple of years ago and placed cut-outs of the iconic personality all over their tree.  It's not the holidays, but it's one way of paying homage to this special lady.  There are plenty of images on the internet and placing them as a focal point in your home (around an entryway, on the mantle, as a centerpiece, etc.) would be a simple way to create impact.  

• Make bags of your "favorite things" to give as gifts to your guests.  Or, have your guests bring one of their "favorites things" wrapped (you can place a dollar limit) and do an exchange.

• Mark the occasion by starting a Book Club.  Oprah will certainly leave a legacy with this popular segment that she began in September 1996.

• Food, as we all know, was a focal point of many an Oprah show.  This makes for the perfect time to serve some of her favorites, including Graeter's ice cream.

      However you mark the last original telecast, it will certainly be a day for many memories.  I visited the Oprah show back in 1992.  The theme that day was "Wives of Men in Prison".  Not exactly the show that I was hoping for (I was thinking more of seeing a star like Barbra Streisand), but a fantastic memory nonetheless.  I recall Oprah taking off her shoes at the end of the taping and standing to greet all of the studio audience that day.  It's a ritual she repeats daily.  You can't hope to meet anyone that will make their guests feel more comfortable than that.  And that is one of the reasons for her great success.  

      Congratulations, Oprah, and many more years of making us love you even more!

http://www.oprah.com

Especially for pets:

http://www.oprah.com/packages/loving-our-pets.html