Vintage Clothing and Exploration in Lakewood

Since my move to Lakewood in May, I have tended to gravitate toward the same few establishments for my entertainment needs. Though I boast a great love for Mullens, the Beer Engine, and India Garden, I felt this weekend was a great time to broaden my horizons and check out some of the smaller shopping establishments in the area. I’ve so often passed lines of storefronts without the time or motivation to stop in. I’ve been feeling rather inspired to do some thrifting and refashioning as of late, however, so it was decided: Saturday was the day.

After a quick Google search, I quickly found out that there is not one Goodwill in Lakewood. I did find information for a vintage clothing store, and a consignment shop, however. I grabbed my purse, went out, and began my hunt. Along the way I visited a few others that I had heard of, and stopped to grab a quick snack. Here are my thoughts on the visited establishments.

Future No Future

I have a special place in my heart for vintage clothing. I love clothing and furniture that holds a whole history, and products tended to be much better quality back in the day. I’m admittedly something of a wuss when it comes to actually wearing it, though. That’s all going to change, however. For someone who reveres Mad Men as much as I do, Future No Future was like a dream. I could have sworn I saw some of the very sweaters hanging on the rack in Betty Draper’s wardrobe. I tried on upwards of a dozen dresses and skirts. I would be broke if I would have left with everything I wanted to. Instead, I decided on the two pieces I thought I would get the most use out of.

[Note the cat under my bench... lol]

[I wonder how many dresses in prints like these my grandma wore...]

The first was a dress that I absolutely adore. It didn’t look like much on the hanger, but once on I realized what great shape and movement it had. I’m going to take it in a bit in the bust, and add a belt to update it a little, but I really can’t get over it. The print is so very dated, but I love it just the same. I can’t wait to buy a few more dresses in this style… just fantastic. I tried on so many things, ranging from $10 to $30. This one happened to be $24, but it was worth every penny.

[Definitely a fun and flirty one]

[Something about these prints has me in love]

The second piece I purchased came from a $5 and under bin. It’s a skirt that sits up on the waist rather than the hips—a style that seems to be really popular right now. When I purchased it, the skirt ran below my knees, and I lopped off quite a few inches and hemmed it. The print is not usually something I would go for, and the polyester isn’t usually my thing, as it can be really hot. But it was also really lightweight, and the length was perfect for the heat I wore it out in on Saturday night. I added some pearls and a pair of heels to finish it off. I was really happy with it. Can’t beat a cute skirt for $5.

Designer Consigner

I am a serious lover of Consignment shops. I was, however, gravely disappointed by Designer Consignor. With the word “designer” in the title, I expected to find at least some decent name brand clothing in the store… but it left much to be desired. Used to Plato’s Closet and local consignment shops in Akron like Gerri’s Closet, I left empty-handed and unmotivated to ever return. The selection wasn’t terrible, but not horribly current either, or particularly quality.

The Lakewood Library

I know this isn’t a shopping destination or snacking establishment. But after deciding that $7/month was way too much to ask my cheap ass for the DVD service on Netflix, I cancelled it. As there was a movie I really wanted to see, I considered grabbing on Amazon… until I almost smacked myself in the head and looked to see if the library carried it. In fact, there were multiple copies of La Vie en Rose at the Lakewood library, and I meandered down there for the first time to grab my shiny new library card. Holy gorgeous building! I really loved the space, and foresee myself heading there for studying and reading and general relaxation. It really is quite spectacular.

Lion and Blue

As a fan of things hippy-esque, Lion and Blue was a pretty easy sell. A customer at the farmer’s market was wearing a pretty fabulous dress from this place, and recommended it. I was very impressed. Adorable clothes. Great jewelry. There was a beaded belt I was pretty much dying for, and plan to return for very shortly when I have the extra cash laying around. Their prices are reasonable, and their products are unique. I’ll certainly be back there often. I left with a couple of headbands for $10. I’m sure I’ll get plenty of use out of them.

The Root Café

Because I sell vegan baked goods at the farmer’s market, I get a great may recommendations to the Root Café—as they specialize in vegan goods also. I stopped in to grab a drink and a snack, and read for a few minutes. It was a hot day, so I opted for the freshly squeezed lemonade flavored with a little guava. It was absolutely perfect. The art festival was going on that day, and consequently they had a very limited menu—but they had a few different kinds of pizza by the slice. The kale, roasted red pepper, and garlic pizza was more than worth the $3 I spent on it. I absolutely enjoyed the atmosphere of the place, busy as it was, and I anticipate many return trips to the Root Café.

There are still tons of establishments still needing visited in the Lakewood area, but I feel I made some great progress this weekend. Nothing like a little relaxation, a couple of great projects, and gorgeous, unique new clothes to make your weekend.

Curry and Microbrews

So I’ve been in my new place here in Lakewood for roughly two weeks now—and realized that I have not updated once. The busy nature of finals, unpacking, and getting adjusted to a full-time work schedule have more or less gotten in the way of getting out during the day, exploring, and reporting back. Thankfully, however, my desire to have a little fun in my new neighborhood has won out over sleep… so I’ve managed to find a few great places not too far away and I’m making the time right now to spread the love! Anyone that knows me knows that I have a rather incredible love affair with food. And beer. Moving to another area opens up a whole world of possibility and exploration. I still have a long way to go, but here are some of my preliminary observations:

Mullens on Madison

This has become my usual go-to bar. I know. Who has a “go-to bar” after two weeks? I make myself sound like a raging alcoholic… sigh… But in all honesty, the rationale behind this statement all comes down to one tiny but incredible fact: $2 microbrews. As an obnoxious beer snob that scoffs at even the idea of drinking a beer with a “light” plastered on the bottle, this is a rather exciting prospect—because, you know, I really can’t afford to drink expensive beer at the bar. Hence, Mullens will provide less suffering for my wallet. But really, it has the best happy hour I’ve ever seen. And by happy hour I mean anytime after 7:00 on Wednesdays, and by best I mean everything is $2. Anything in the bar you see. It is rather obvious where I will be spending my Wednesday nights…

Thai Kitchen

Did I mention I painted my bathroom? It looks fabulous, and the best part is that one of my very best friends made the journey north to help me do so. Prior to the painting escapades, however, we decided to take a short walk (roughly one block) to Thai Kitchen—a very small, hole-in-the-wall establishment. Let me preface this by saying that I pretty much live and breathe for Thai food. There’s something about coconut milk that makes it less like nourishment and more like crack. I will say that Thai Kitchen is certainly not the best Thai I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t even put it in the top five. That being said, I’ve had a whooole lot of Thai. I would repeat my visit multiple times to this quaint little place regardless. The only downside: they only take cash. In most cases that will warrant me making a trip to the ATM prior to leaving (which kind of negates the convenience of it being so very close), but perhaps that will reign in the number of trips I make there…

[the "after" shot of the bathroom. we are two hardcore painters.]

India Garden

Looking for an Indian restaurant in the area was a must, but I was a bit unsure of the quality of India Garden at first. Granted, determining how nice a place is via website is never accurate, but the decision was made to go for it nonetheless. I’m really happy that decision was made. We ultimately ended up getting food to go, but the restaurant looks incredibly cute… and the food was great! Excellent curries, naan… and huge portions! I’ll be eating leftovers for a few days for sure. Though not on my end of Lakewood, I’ll certainly be making multiple trips back. I don’t know what it is about Thai and Indian food that just makes it the best comfort food… so good!

I’ve visited other restaurants in the area as well. There is a Winking Lizard very close to me, which is fantastic for both beer and wings. I was relieved to see an Aladdin’s in the neighborhood—as thus far I’ve never lived without one. They have locations in Akron, Pittsburgh, and apparently the Cleveland area. Delicious Lebanese food at a great price. Thankfully, I have not busted my budget any further at area restaurants—instead opting to cook at home the majority of nights. I am happy that both of my preferred grocery stores are also in the area (Aldi and Marc’s are both a must).

Thus we have determined that the Lakewood food situation is pretty bangin’.

#Winning.

Bites: The Ultimate Sriracha Burger

It seems Sriracha is popping up everywhere. Originally only found in the corners of Asian Grocery Stores and specialty grocers, it's appearing in places like our local Marc's-- and even on the internet via the Oatmeal (who so aptly dubbed it "hot cock sauce"). This Thai hot sauce is revered by many, and for good reason. It's an incredibly flavorful hot sauce, and it's pretty much great on everything.

My boyfriend puts Sriracha on everything from eggs to ice-cream (okay, maybe not ice-cream), so it wasn't a shock when one day he surprised me with an entire cookbook dedicated to the stuff. After seeing it sit with the rest of my neglected cookbooks for a month or two, we finally decided this week to give one of the recipes a shot: the Ultimate Sriracha Burger. Who doesn’t like a bunch of dead cow piled high with bacon, onions sautéed in bacon grease, and a delectable bleu-cheese-Sriracha sauce? Perhaps vegetarians may not, but this girl sure does!


Ultimate Sriracha Burger

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground beef (preferably chuck, 80/20)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 10 tablespoons Sriracha
• 4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 2 large sweet onions
• 3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
• 8 sesame seed buns
• 8 thick slices Swiss cheese
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced
• Arugula or romaine lettuce

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, soy sauce, 5 tablespoons of the Sriracha, and the pepper. Do not overmix. Form the mixture into 8 patties, and set aside, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, covered, in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium high heat
3. In a medium frying pan over medium-low heat, cook the bacon, turning as necessary. While the bacon is cooking, peel and quarter the onions. Cut each section into 1/4-inch slices. Once the bacon is cooked through and slightly crispy, remove the slices from the pan, cut each in half crosswise, and drain onto paper towels, reserving the remaining bacon fat in the pan. Cook the sliced onions in the bacon fat over medium-low heat until they caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Grill the burgers, turning once, 4 to 41/2 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer registers 130° to 135°F for medium-rare.
5. While the burgers are cooking, in a small bowl, combine the blue cheese dressing with the remaining 5 tablespoons Sriracha. Lightly toast the buns on the grill during the last minute of cooking time.
6. To assemble, spread the blue cheese mixture on both halves of each hamburger bun. Stack a burger patty, Swiss cheese slice, bacon, caramelized onions, tomato slice, and a small handful of arugula between each hamburger bun.

This is certainly not a low-fat meal by any means, but I will say that using the Foreman Grill definitely kicked some of the fat out of the burgers. We used spinach instead of the arugula (because we always have it on hand), and provolone instead of Swiss cheese. Regardless, these burgers were absolutely to die for—and in actuality I thought I may have a heart attack just looking at it.

Fatty or not, I would highly recommend trying this recipe—and running out for some Sriracha sauce ASAP. To close, here's a little humiliation of Adam for the road:


Enjoy!