SoapZone Community Message Board

Late this morning, I went to Cleveland Rocks and Beads to see if they had any fall-themed beads. Shockingly, the pickings have been slim at the local big box craft stores, and I was hoping the small, independent place devoted to, well, rocks and beads would have *something*. They had PLENTY of "somethings"...just nothing I was looking for. I almost got some cute cat charms but I didn't really *need* them. Maybe later...

Then I hit Koko Bakery in Coventry and picked up a couple red bean sesame balls and a cloud Hong Kong iced tea. That only set me back around $7; I paid cash and enjoyed one of the sesame balls and the tea for early lunch.

And then the real trouble started...<g>.

A while back, my foodie nephew was raving about an upscale bakery in Cleveland Heights: Sophie La Gourmande. I promised myself when I found a new job, I'd treat myself to a pastry from SLG. It's been two months now...first I had to wait and see if I would stay at my job (that's a topic for another day), then I had to find an off-day that the bakery was open. They're only open for about 6 hours on Wednesday-Saturday. When I got to SLG, they had so many amazing options that I had trouble choosing...so I didn't. I bought five--FIVE!--different pastries and a bottle of yuzu peach soda that sounded good and put it on my card. I scarfed down the ham and cheese croissant (it had a much fancier French name but really, it was a ham and cheese croissant) for lunch, along with the rest of my cloud tea...delectable!

I should've stopped there...but just a few doors down is Mitchell's Chocolates. Now if you're ever in NE Ohio and are looking for some *really* good chocolates, I suggest one of two places: Sweet Designs in Lakewood (west side of Cleveland) or Mitchell's in Cleveland Heights (east side of Cleveland). Sweet Bean on E. 185th St. in Cleveland is very good too but IMO, the chocolates are a bit small for what they charge, and their focus is more on artfully decorated chocolates than different kinds of well made chocolates. There's also the ubiquitous Malley's Chocolates but as the fine gentleman behind the counter today at Mitchell's told me, Malley's is the chocolate you buy for your mailman at Christmas. Sweet Designs, Mitchell's and Sweet Bean (if you can afford them) are the chocolates you buy to impress your boss at the holidays. I was only going to get a couple chocolates there...yeah, that didn't happen. I got a couple boxes of truffles and two chocolate-dipped pretzel rods and paid by card.

And then, because my credit card wasn't yet smoking from overuse, I stopped into a gourmet cheese shop in Cleveland Heights: Marchant Manor Cheese. I've never been there before--their hours are also a bit random--and I didn't get a lot there but hey, gourmet cheese is pricey. I've not tried anything I got there yet but if it's cheese, I'm happy <g>. Not sure I'll even be able to distinguish "quality" cheese from plain old supermarket chain cheese but I was assured several of MMC's cheeses have won awards at cheesemaking competitions.

And then on the way home, I swung by the chain supermarket and picked up a few things I could actually use to make dinner for Dad and me. Later tonight, I'm meeting bff for dinner, fortunately at a fairly reasonably priced local restaurant...still probably going to get just an appetizer and some water <g>.