Spirited Grapes of Cognac Marianne Frantz Tawny-hued spirits sipped fireside from elegant snifters — that was cognac's aristocratic image before pop-culture caught whiff of the luxury spirit. Now, cognac is showing up in the hands of hip-hop artists and celebrity clubgoers everywhere. Renewed interest in this well-dressed spirit is further fueled by cognac's mixability with tonic or juices.
A Budding Artist Jacqueline Marino Look around the room. Do you see nature? Maybe there's a houseplant in the corner, fresh-cut flowers on the mantel or a floral design on the rug.
Get Ready for the Wild Things Amber Matheson I don't have a night kitchen like Mickey or an island filled with wild things like Max. It's laptops for me yessirree and I type type type the words onto the page. No children's nonsense here. I work in my office busy through the day and into the night and through tomorrow.
What's Your Ticket-buying IQ? Jennifer Tolhurst If you've ever found yourself standing outside Gund Arena, waiting for tickets to go on sale, and ended up with a seat closer to the ceiling than to the stage, then you need to read this. Getting good seats is one part luck and three parts planning. No matter what type of ticket-buyer you are — take this brief quiz to find out — we've got information to help you.
Science Flair Jen Tolhurst Ben Bartman's Mad Science franchise has grade-school kids across Greater Cleveland going crazy for explosions and green slime. Oh yeah, they're learning, too.
Six Degrees of Usher Jim Vickers How did R&B superstar Usher end up with a share of the Cleveland Cavaliers? See if yuou can map his pre-Cavs connections to our city in fewer moves than we did.
Newsbites While casino gambling is still up for debate, you have another chance at a jackpot downtown. Every day this month, a quarter of the diners who make a dinner reservation at One Walnut will be randomly chosen to receive a gratis meal (not including wine, tax and tip). Even if you don't get it on the house, dining from chef-owner Marlin Kaplan's new spring menu will make you a winner. We like those odds. Call (216) 575-1111.
Silver Spoon Awards 2005 Ditch the sackcloth and ashes and pick up a knife and fork. Instead of bemoaning the recent closngs, let's celebrate all the new openings on Northeast Ohio's culinary landscape. See who you, our readers, chose as the best from among newcomers and old warhorses alike.
Bowling with the Barons Erick Trickey Stuck in hockey limbo, pining for a chance in the big league, Cleveland's pro hockey team bowls a few frames with its small but dedicated fan base.
Dr. Bach Jacqueline Marino Emergency physician Eric Roter uses music to help his patients in ways medicine cannot.
The Insiders' Guide to Wining and Dining the Editors with Marianne Frantz It's easy to feel burned at a restaurant. It took weeks to get a reservation. The hostess who greets you looks like she should be on a runway. The wine list leaves you pondering the difference between "varietal" and "progressive." As you brace yourself to spend more on a meal than you did for a week of groceries, a blast of cold air from the duct overhead makes your table intolerable. Then, there's the minefield of gratuities. Who to tip and how much? It doesn't have to be this way. Here's how to get the most out of your evening out.
The Other Side of Coyne Colleen Mytnick You expect his life to be over. To find him cowering in a corner, meek as a kitten and shaking with shame. That's not the style of former Brook Park mayor Tom Coyne. But can a man go from passed-out on the evening news to elected office? Here, Coyne discusses his troubles with alcohol, what happened that fateful night in North Olmsted, his future in politics and his wedding plans.
Act III Mary Doria Russell Novels and films make it seem as if life has a three-act structure. But as our parents' third act s get longer and more convoluted, a local novelist says, our own second acts get tougher, too.
Seniors and Pets Jeannie Roberts It's hard for the elderly to give up their pets, but furry friends are brightening lives of residents at more and more long-term care facilities.
