Eat*Drink*Cleveland: Ohio Blogging Association

Feast of the Bloggers at Jim Alesci's Place

So if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I've been crushing on Jim Alesci's Place in Solon for a long time. They were the first Favorite Places post that I shared with you and have been loving the new and greatly improved store.

Recently they reached out to the Ohio Blogging Association and hosted a blogger meetup to spread the word on what they have to offer. I obviously said yes because you know, I need another excuse to go there :)

While I've been a fan for years, I learned a lot about the Alesci family during the event. They were extremely warm and welcoming and really made us feel like part of the family. And in true Italian family style, we were treated to an amazing feast that far exceeded our expectations. So much that I heard comments like "It's like being at a wedding, but better!"

Yes, it was that kind of event. Check out this menu:

As we got settled in and mingled, we dug into this gorgeous assortment of Italian meat and cheeses.

And were greated by this smiling face and tasty bruschetta:

As we looked around the store, I spotted this in the bakery case. Turns out it was a Cleveland-style cassata cake that they would serve us later. Ah, the anticipation...

After a tour of the store, we were served two green salads:

And wedding soup in demitasse cups:

And the food kept coming...

Frank Alesci serving up an assortment of flatbreads

Super cute tiny chicken pot pie in a mini mason jar

Beautiful veggies

Pizzas

Italian beef sandwiches

And of course there was dessert. Not only the cassata cake, but a whole tower of sweet treats that made everyone swoon.

My favorite was the toasted almond amaretto cake.

They showed off their beautiful Lavazza espresso machine and an variety of coffee drinks:

And of course there was wine:

Affordable and easy drinking - this is a good wine choice for your Italian feast.

The Alesci's were unbelievable generous to us - not only did they feed us incredible food, they gave everyone a t-shirt and a $10 gift card.

I put my gift card to use immediately. Here's some of my favorite finds:

Orange and basic olive oil

Get these for your Easter Basket!

Now these are ice cream sandwiches - oh my!

We even learned about a local company Peaceful Fruits that is making sustainable fruit snacks from wild-harvested acai and met the founder, Evan. They are healthy treats, taste great and are helping people in the Amazon have a better life. They are available at Alesci's too.

**Disclosure: As a member of the Ohio Blogging Association, I was invited to attend this event. Food, beverages, t-shirt and gift card were provided by Alesci's. I loved them before the event, and continue to be a huge fan.

As always, opinions are my own. **