Return visit to Quince in Olmsted Falls

Jack and I went back to visit Quince this past Friday June 20,2008. Well I only get the plain dealer on Sundays so I was surprised to see how busy they were. I said to Jack do you think it is because of my blog! Of course it wasn't Quince was in the Friday Magazine that Friday. It was packed! We got a table on the second floor and I actually liked the atmosphere better up there. There is a bar with stools and the decorating is a little more comfortable. You could tell the staff was really working hard to keep up. I was a little worried that we might be in for a bad experience. I am delighted to say that the service was excellent. Gregg Korney the chefs parents were there helping out. They are not shy and you could tell that customer service was nothing new to them. His father was charming and his mother adorable. The poor parents were running up and down the steps making sure everything went smooth. Thanks to their helping hand it was seamless. The food came promptly. Jack ordered the steak special. It was seasoned to perfection and set on a cloud of garlic and horseradish mashed potatoes. I actually moaned out loud when I tasted his. I ordered chopped steak in a mushroom ragout and roasted vegetables,only eleven dollars! It was fabulous. The flavors were so satisfying like eating comfort food. We decided that this is one of our favorite restaurants for now. We are looking forward to our next Quince experience!

Sandusky Restaurant Find

Recently I got to visit Sandusky Ohio, Okay I'll admit it I went there for bike week! Call it a mid-life crisis. Amongst the street fair of deepfried cheese, corn on the cob and elephant ears I found a jewel of a restaurant. It is Zinc Brassarie located at 142 Columbus off E Market. Right downtown. This precious little find had an excellent wine menu,try "Show" a great cabernet. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked soooo Good!The salads had a wonderful light but tasty dressing. Good bread with flavored butter. Dinner selections for every palette. You can tell the owners put extra care into everything that came out of the kitchen. The service was even great! The owners Audrey and Ceaser are really friendly. They met in Hyde park while going to Culinary school there. This is their dream to have a great little high end Bar restaurant. Thank goodness because Sandusky really needs this gem. After a tough day at Ceadar Point or one of the many fun attractions in Sandusky stop by for a nice relaxing dinner or lunch.

Mid June Activity Report Cleveland Ohio

The real estate market took a slight slide the last few weeks. It is my opinion that the current gas prices are starting to take its toll on the general population. Showing activity is down. Even new listing activity is down. Nationally there was a slight spike in new construction prices. Again I think this is due to the gas prices and higher cost of materials. The spike in new construction prices isn't a sign of things looking up, maybe more bleak. In the beginning of the year I thought we were set for a rebound, this slight drop has me concerned that we are in for a far bigger set back then the economist predicted. The suburbs are stabilizing but the urban and first suburbs are feeling real pain in pricing. Maybe it is time for radical change. Maybe this Moral majority should step aside and let them build a few Casinos in Ohio. Redevelop our downtown lake front with some fancy Casinos and Hotels and shops. The flats could be a fabulous condo community with riverfront boat docks with restaurants.
Our goal should be to make Cleveland a convention stop. Gambling is the only way to compete with New Orleans,San Francisco,Orlando, and Hawaii, we have to utilize our assets. Then and only then will we start to see a real rebound.

Restaurant Review

The Moosehead No 3 Hook and Ladder


OLmsted Falls,Ohio


The owners of The Moosehead located in Westlake,Ohio hit a home run with their new restaurant. They are located on Columbia where Columbia does a little turn. It is on the East side just before the tracks. They are located in the old firehouse and spent some money. The decor is just a cute as the Westlake Moosehead but this is fresh, new and larger (so you won't have to wait for a table). It has two bars and dining areas. Two outdoor patios. One that overlooks a wooded ravine and creek. The other overlooking downtown Olmsted Falls. The menu varies just a little bit from the old Moosehead. There are more Vegetarian choices for one thing. They have a deep fried Twinkies dessert. Great sandwiches and salads.

Upscale casual. The service people all dress in adorable costume. It is bright and friendly and I strongly recommend it. NO liquor license on Sunday
Another great restaurant is Quince

just across the street from the Hook and Ladder in the quaint Olmsted Falls

shopping area. The chef has been with some of the top places in town such as Sushi Rock,Velocity,and Giovanni's. This doesn't have a lot interior pizazz but the food makes up for it. The menu is exceptional and very creative. I had the seafood mac-n-cheese and it was fabulous. I couldn't come near to finishing it so I bought it home. My teenager polished it off and he doesn't even like seafood. My companion had the special strip steak with bacon and Gorgonzola. I have never seen a more generous serving of toppings. Wonderful!! The salad was light but tasty. I will put this on my list of favorites. Get off the beaten path and try Olmsted Falls for your next dinner out.

Not open on Sunday

The best time to buy in Cleveland Ohio

Just posted a new article check it out

Is your home still a good investment?

I sell real estate in Cleveland Ohio. We are in a declining market. That means values are going down. So what do you do if you are thinking of making a move? First of all some moves can't wait. If you are in the process of getting a divorce, settling an estate, faced with a relocation, etc.
The faster you get into reality of the present market and look at what the market is doing as compared to your property the faster you will see a sale pending sign in the yard. Homes are selling. The buyers are educated and armed with more information than ever because of the Internet. Gone are the days when some poor jerk happened into your open house and fell in love and purchased your home. Buyers look up your past history. I know when they are interested because they tell me what you bought your house for. They look at the neighborhood through websites like Realtor.com and Zillow. They can see what the average is for market time, sale price per sq ft, etc. for each neighborhood. Realtors are no longer the gatekeepers of information.
You have to be the best looking home and the best price. Price is the driver in this market. If you are trying to sell your home for what you think is a comfortable price then you are not priced right. The only clients that have a sold sign on the front lawn are the ones that sold for what they felt was a painful price. That is what happens in a declining market. If you are looking to purchase a new home and take advantage of this excellent opportunity to upgrade, than this is how your have to approach your move; 1.Realize that you are getting great price on your
purchase 2. Realize you have to give a good deal on your house. You are just trading assets. Hopefully, the new home purchase is in a more expensive, more stable area. When the market returns you will be fine. Decide which property you want to be riding on when the market starts to go back up. Realize the losses are larger the higher the value . You are going to have to ride this out where ever you are. You might as well take the opportunity to upgrade now instead of later. If you are happy with your home and aren't considering a move. Look at the foreclosure down the street from you and think about buying it for rental property. You can sell it when the market goes back up and in the mean time you have helped stabilize your own neighborhood.

Some good news in The Cleveland Real Estate Market

I have never seen such opportunity to get into ownership as I have seen in this recent market. If you have ever dreamed of becoming a land baron this is the time to make your dreams a reality. If you have a stable income, good credit, some cash to work with and the ability to fix property it is time for you to get off the bench! The bank owned properties are selling for a substantially lower prices than normal resale properties. You have to be ready to replace torn out plumbing, update electrical and probably replace the furnace and hot water tank. Other than that some of these homes have really nice interiors. Years back when a bank owned property came on the market it was pretty beat up. With the pace of foreclosures and people just simply giving back their homes it has become and incredible opportunity for the wanna be investor. Some words of advise though, don't bite off more than you can handle. I have seen some really good people take on too many properties or extend themselves to far out just to find themselves in the same boat as the people they hoped to profit from. http://sandymaline.blogspot.com