Cleveland Rocks #3

Hello!

Today is my last installment of our Cleveland trip which turned out a wonderful short mini-vacation while having to go there for a medical appointment. The folks at the Tudor Arms Hotel were very nice, and their kitchen makes a pizza margarita that is amazing!

Before leaving, we toured through the massive meeting and ball rooms, some that were being prepped for different functions, mostly weddings. Beautiful expanses, I've taken some pictures, but they don't do justice to how beautiful they are. The Tudor Inn is a wonderful safe place to stay in downtown Cleveland, only five miles from the Cleveland Clinic, on a trolley line that will take you to downtown Cleveland, to the clinic or to the thriving theater district or the many art venues and great eateries that have blossomed downtown. There are several things not to miss, one is Little Italy, the other is the open market.

We decided that we would go to eat lunch, then go to Little Italy and eat an early dinner. We ate lunch at Truly Yours, in Shaker Village, about five miles from downtown, in the opposite direction of Cleveland Clinic. We were dubious at first, but when we walked inside the innocuous corner business, it was clear we had picked a winner. The interior was genuinely a refurbished turn of the century old corner building, with lovely tin ceilings, open brick walls, and period bric-à-brac decorating the walls.

The food was extraordinarily good and a good value. Our servers were polite and cheerful, very welcoming to us and to Frax. We had begun to figure out that at least in the immediate downtown Cleveland area, service dogs are few and far between with the exception of the therapy dogs that come to the facility from parts unknown.

Bill had a wonderful plate of crispy fish, done perfectly. He has still raved about how delicious it was. I had a nice juicy cheeseburger with mushrooms and fries minus the bread. It was very good and done to perfection. Frax was given a nice cool bowl of water, which he appreciated, since the day was hot.

We promised the staff that we would put in a good word for them about their kind service and the delicious food they offer on this blog. If you ever have reason to need a delicious place to eat in the city of Cleveland Ohio for lunch or dinner, Truly Yours in Shaker Square is the place to go. We found Truly Yours in the AAA guidebook, and it is highly recommended.

Moving on from Truly Yours, we decided to try to find Little Italy. We found it on the way out of Cleveland. It is a little gem, hidden in the downtown area of Cleveland. Approximately five blocks long by two or three blocks wide, it's a perfectly preserved slice of Bayonne, New Jersey plopped down in Cleveland, Ohio just a few blocks from lake Erie!

Flower pots drooped from verandas laden with bright marigolds and other bright end of the season flowers packed into pots as far as one could see down each street. There were big pots of bright flowers spaced down the sidewalks, with benches conveniently posed for the weary shopper. One bench caught our eye outside of an art gallery. The bench had a 'waiting' Italian-looking fellow and a very proper lady also worked into the wood of the seats both 'waiting' for their rides, outside the gallery. By far the things that drew us in were a real honest to goodness Italian trattoria, and an Italian bakery! The trattoria was just opening for dinner, and we were the first to open it.

We walked into a different world when we walked through the doors of Guarino's Restaurante. All of a sudden the years fell away, and we were in a family owned trattoria in Little Italy. For that is what Guarino's always has been~ for the past nearly 100 years! The oldest continuously operating restaurant in Cleveland, Guarino's is a gem in the rough. The front end of the business, closest to the street is a

bar. It is all dark wood and wine bottles, old family pictures on the side tables and tight tiny Victorian tables as we were led into yet a larger Victorian-themed dining area.

Crystal chandeliers and sconces dripped from the ceiling and side walls. Again, family pictures and even a framed large menu from the turn of the century was displayed nearby . Our server, who had emigrated from Sicily, and had worked her entire life at Guarino's came promptly to give us our menus. She seemed a bit dumbfounded by Frax, who lay quietly beside the table. It was obvious that service dogs had never been in the restaurant before this. She looked sternly at Frax, who looked benevolently up at her before he decided to nap through our early supper. Little by little, as she saw that Frax was well-behaved and didn't create any stir as new customers came in, she warmed to him a bit, enough so that she wasn't grimacing at him like when we entered the business.

Bill had the gnocchi with basil sauce which was a close twin to the same we had enjoyed when we traveled to Florence, Italy in the early 1990's. Delicious. I had eggplant parmesan, in an effort not to rile up my stomach. We had no room for dessert after that, which was just as well, as you will learn here in a moment.

We learned the sweet story of the place. Three generations of Guarino's had worked this little jewel box of a restaurante since the turn of the century in Cleveland. Mr. Guarino had emigrated from Sicily in the late 1800's. He worked for the transportation department, saved his money, and opened Guarino's. It was an immediate success. During prohibition they served home-made wine in teacups.

Two living things Mr. Guarino brought with him from his sunny home in Italy. One was a gorgeous trumpet vine, the other was a slip from the home-grown vineyards where he grew up in Sicily. To this day both the torturous vines, both trumpet and grape intertwine in the charming courtyard in the back of the business.

The trumpet vine was actually in bloom while we were there, and we got some great pictures while we were there of both the trumpet vine and the grape-vine. The little courtyard is a lovely space that opens right out from the formal Victorian themed dining facilities.

The restaurant survived till the mid-80's when the third generation of Guarino's had no interest in continuing the restaurant. Instead, they sold the business to a close family friend who had worked in the restaurant for years. Diane and her family now continue to keep Guarino's family recipes alive, as well as the same decor it has had since its third renovation in the late 1960's when they decided to go back to Victorian. Nothing much has changed since then. Our server has worked her entire life since she arrived in America at this restaurant.

Guarino's is a time-bubble of the typical Italian Trattoria, family owned and loved through the generations. It boasts the title of Cleveland's oldest restaurant. We picked it from the AAA restaurant guide, and again, we couldn't have picked any better! If ever you are in Cleveland, take the time and stop in at Guarino's then, afterwards go and enjoy the streets of Little Italy.

We walked a few blocks enjoying the lovely summer day and the interesting Italian-themed stores that we passed. Italian flags waved from each lamppost and from private family balconies. We passed a young couple, whose son was enamoured of Frax. As we passed, you could hear her son beg to pat the service dog. We stopped and started chatting with them, when stuck at a cross-street preparing to cross.

I gave Frax a cue to release him from work, and allow him to visit his pint-sized fan. The little fellow didn't waste time, but flung his chubby arms around Frax's golden neck! Frax took it in stride, and even had a bit of a smug look on his face as if to say “see, even here, my adoring public follows me!” Bill and I had to laugh at how much Frax enjoyed meeting the little fellow, who couldn't stop prattling about Frax and learning all the things that Frax could do. We gave them an information card about Frax, and briefly explained what Frax did for me.

We all said a cheerful goodbye, and the little one was placated by the fact that his mom and dad promised to look up the Canine Assistant's website when they got home, and he could look at more doggies and puppies!Eventually we wandered into the local Italian bakery. Oh my....! Heaven! Bill went to get a number

card, as there were that many people crushing forward for the pastaries displayed in the back of the older building, with tin ceilings and slowing spinning old -timey fans from the turn of the century.

Frax and I settled off to the side, awaiting Bill, as he stood in line waiting to purchase some cannoli to take home with us, and any other pastry that caught his eye. It was Saturday, which I am sure is a big day there. There was an interesting mix of young local professionals, visitors, like us, and at a few delicate iron tables, several of the Italian residents, enjoying an expresso and sweet treat.

Besides the sweets desplayed alluringly at the front of the shop, there was a side area, where genuine Italian sandwiches were displayed and ready for consumption: fresh buffalo mozzerella, with freshly sliced red tomato, big pieces of basil, salt, pepper and virgin olive oil drizzled over the contents and a freshly baked roll embracing the filling. Equally intrequing offerings were there, with the heavily salted procicuuto sandwhiches, with more home-made cheese s applied. There were Italian three-bean salads and even pototoe salads to accompany the sandwhiches. This was a very popular area of the pastry shop as well!

Bill returned with a lemon ice for me which was delicious! He was finishing off a coffee-flavored Italian ice-cream. Delicious! He had a silly smirk on his face, having had loaded up on Italian pasteries and cannoli to take home to Knoxville. I reassurred him that he was in no way breaking my heart by bringing them home with us!

Frax was ready to go when we got up, since he was once again the center of attention, and he was getting tired of the crush of people, just as we were. Soon we were strolling on our way to the car, ready to load up and drive back to Knoxville.

Like all trips, the drive back home was much quicker, although the rental car still drove like a log wagon, and had all three of us emerging stiff-legged from the car at every available car turnoff. It was a lovely drive back home. The weather from the first day in Cleveland till the time we drove back up our driveway was absolutely gorgeous. Blue cornflower skies, lower humidity and the heat was bearable, if at times almost forgettable. Traveling in the summer is not an easy thing for someone with MS, but this was one of the more enjoyable trips I've had since coming down with it. Perhaps, finally, Bill and I have finally figured out how much my body can take of the heat and our planning really helps.

We used AAA to help plan the trip and give us tips about where to go and eat throughout the trip. It was obviously a great idea, AAA never steared us wrong, from a great venue to stay to the places to eat and shop along the way. If you are in the Cleveland area, a trip to Little Italy won't dissappoint!