Eat*Drink*Cleveland

A hungry girl's adventures in Cleveland and beyond.

 A few months ago a friend of mine asked if I wanted to try a glassblowing class. It sounded like fun and a great opportunity to have some girl time with one of my best friends - I was in! The class started Sunday at 11:00 so we decided to start the day at one of my very favorite breakfast places Lucky's Cafe in Tremont. My friend EKC has heard all the hype both from the TV shows and my frequent tales of how amazingly delicious the food at Lucky's is and I was happy to introduce her to an awesome local spot. 

I ordered the famous cheddar scallion biscuits topped with soft scrambled eggs and sausage gravy. It comes with crispy seasoned skin-on cubed potatoes and a bunch of refreshing grapes. The biscuits are the perfect buttery vehicle to carry the creamy gravy goodness to your watering mouth. They have a hint of cheese and onion that enhances the flavors of the eggs and gravy without overwhelming the dish. Even EKC, who claimed to hate sausage and sausage gravy, gobbled up her sample. Perfection on a plate! 
She chose the seasonal gingerbread waffles with house made caramel sauce, sauteed local apples and whipped cream. EKC wanted to be able to take her extra waffle home so she ordered the toppings on the side. The waffles were crisp and tender with just the right amount of spice. The combo of apples, caramel and whipped cream was amazing - much better than the usual maple syrup and surprisingly, not too sweet. I sadly only got a bite but I know I'll be heading back to get my own order before they are gone. 

We shared an order of the pecan bacon in an attempt to show some self control. Words can't describe how amazing this bacon is! Chef Haviland somehow manages to maintain the crispiness of the meaty bacon in spite of the heavy coating of finely chopped sugared pecans. The salty sweet combo is bacon heaven - this alone is worth the trip!
Ironically, the Food Network's episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate featuring Lucky's biscuits and gravy aired that same night - and watching it made me hungry all over again!

Another favorite of mine is the house made granola. The recipe is on the Food Network site and think I'm going to try to make it at home one of these days. Until then, you can get a bag of it at the restaurant for $4.50 a bag.

With our bellies full and big smiles on our faces, we headed to our class. We got a great Groupon deal and were excited to try glassblowing for the first time. The Glass Bubble Project is located in Ohio City, right behind the Garage Bar. They specialize in an industrial style that they call "Clevetion Glass" which they contrast with the more elegant Italian Venetion glass. They use recycled metal objects and glass in their creations.
We were greeted at the door by a scruffy but friendly fellow who took our names and welcomed us to the class while holding a can of Miller High Life in a koozie - we could tell already that this was going to be an interesting class! He told us where to stash our coats and find the snacks. Thankfully we had eaten already because the snacks were... interesting.
cold brews for the hot class
assorted fruit and cookies
hot dogs in a crockpot
There was art everywhere! Everything from paperweights and ring holders to elaborate chandeliers. 
The instructors demonstrated how to take the long metal pole, dip it into 2000 degree molten glass, color it with tiny glass bits and blow and turn it into an artistic orb. 

so many choices
Ken adding color

dipping the glass to add color



Faith blowing her glass
turning and cooling

shaping and preparing to cut
We had a blast! The instructors were all really nice and very helpful, and we met a lot of nice fellow students including mother-son duo Faith and Ken, a father-daughter pair and some fun ladies from Sandusky.  If you are looking for a funky way to explore your artistic side, you should check them out. The ovens are hot as hell (2000 degrees, remember?) so I recommend trying to schedule your class in the cooler months. They have demonstrations on Saturdays from 12-3. You can sign up for an easy beginner class to make a paperweight for $35. Or if you have some experience, you can make three larger pieces for $100. Group rates and children's classes are available. You do need to come back at least a day later to pick up your finished piece(s) so plan accordingly. Here's mine:
Not too shabby! At least it's round. The colors aren't what I expected but it's pretty good for a first attempt.
EKC had to get home to watch the highly anticipated Steelers-Denver playoff game. I had other ideas. The day was so gorgeous and sunny (especially for January in Cleveland!) that my fun continued with an extra long walk with my pooch Buffy and our favorite neighbor. And some treats too. It felt great to enjoy the unseasonable weather and we all needed the fresh air.
Best friends, awesome food, trying new things, my favorite fur ball and sunshine galore - I wish EVERY Sunday could be this fun!