Brown Out

The two of us don't often have an evening out, so when we do, you know it has to be something special.

"Hold my coffee"

In the case of Wednesday night, it was Alton Brown who lured the Ginleys out of their cave.

The event was called "Alton Brown Live: The Last Bite." We sucked it up, plunked down a wad of cash, and planned our big night out. 

The first roadblock came up when we tried to get a parking pass. We found out too late that the parking garage was sold out for the evening. 

The second roadblock came in the form of a Cavs playoff game, which was going on at the same time as our show and would no doubt push parking prices through the roof. 

Given that neither one of us are adventurous when it comes to driving downtown (let alone trolling for parking), we began to stress a bit. Sure, we could take the rapid downtown, but that would mean schlepping back to Public Square afterward at 10:00 at night along with whatever Cavs fans were also hitting the happy trail.

What's a codger to do?

Well, this codger pulled out her computer and emailed her favorite livery service (aka Axel Hoyer) and arranged for a ride home.

So that was settled.

Fortunately, the weather cooperated. It was a lovely evening as Mr. and I headed downtown. We were lucky because there were no issues with the Rapid, and we made it downtown in good time. From there, we headed out of the Terminal Tower, reminiscing about all the stores that used to be there. (Remember the Warner Brothers gift store? Brooks Brothers? The record store?)

As we strolled down Euclid Avenue, we recalled the other stores and fast food joints that are mere ghosts in our memories. Peterson's Nuts on the square. Remember that smell? It was a little bit of heaven, and damn near impossible to pass by without nabbing a quarter pound of cashews. 

We had decided ahead of time to nosh at Heinen's, so we walked to 9th Street and went in to see what good eats we could find. (Alton Brown fans will appreciate this reference.) I'd heard there was a Michell's Ice Cream shop inside, so I was all set. Mr. Ginley found a pasta salad, a bag of chips, and an orange soda. We sat and ate our goodies and people watched. 

Who knew so many people in the CLE were wine connisseurs? A lot of the grape was sold that night.

As showtime neared, we headed over to the State Theatre (aka the "KeyBank State Theatre").  I guess everything is for sale these days.

I decided to grab a coffee, and we headed upstairs where we stood for half an hour waiting for our semi-nosebleed seats to become available.

They turned out to be quite good seats, all things considered. We both had a clear view of the stage, and Alton Brown did not disappoint. I wish my brother, Paul, could have been there. Alton did an entire schtick on Cap'n Crunch Cereal, choosing the proper bowl size, and milk. (Also, there was a funny bit about buttermilk.) He talked about watching Saturday morning cartoons, which those of us of a certain age could totally relate to.

There were other entertaining skits, an intermission, and the finale, which featured Barnabas Brown's Weiner Wonder Machine. Team Cleveland just squeezed into the 10th spot. (You had to be there.) 

All in all, a good time was had. And when we exited the theatre, there was our ride. 

"Wow, people are going to think we're somebodys," quipped Mr. Ginley. 

Not likely. Still, we did feel quite special being picked up at the door. In no time at all, we were winging our way homeward, chatting pleasantly with Mr. Hoyer about grandchildren and such, and we arrived back at the Casa de Ginley weary but happy.

We may not be spring chickens anymore, but it was fun flying the coop if only for one night.