Tremont

H__ and I decided to have a little adventure today and ventured out into the unknown areas of Cleveland. We had both heard great things about Tremont - an area filled with art galleries and great restaurants, and it seemed a fine way to spend a lazy, gorgeous afternoon.

Smarter folks than we would realize that most galleries are closed on Mondays. We happened into The Banyan Tree, which was accidentally open because the owner had a few tasks to take care of. H__ dropped some quid, so at least the shopkeep paid for the electricity today...

She suggested we try Fat Cats for lunch, and I am glad we did. It is a very cozy, colorful place with helpful, friendly staff and some really nice art work on the walls. We both had the Angus beef cheeseburger with cheddar cheese, apple cider bacon, "pomme frittes", house ketchup, and arugula greens. It was great. Now, the "pomme frittes" look mighty weird, but they are very tasty. The view of downtown from the patio is very nice, and the colorful University Townhouses off to the right of the restaurant are extremely intriguing.

After lunch we drove around the neighborhood a bit, and while it is true there is more than their fair share of churches per square block, and great looking little cafes and trendy bars, perhaps because it was a lazy Monday afternoon, there was no real activity, and the place looked a little desolate and deserted, and really didn't have a good vibe.

We agreed it really wasn't our kind of place.