Backpacking While Black

Cleveland, October 2010: Day 2, October 2, 2010, Downtown (Momocho)

Three years of solid business trips and I still get a kick out of exploring a new city even if it is Cleveland, OH. The 16th largest city in the United States, home of the Cleveland Indians and former home of Lebron James (if I was a basket ball fan here I would get veclempted).

To me, it's another day away from my home and wife, but it's also another opportunity to see somewhere I've never been before. I'm here on assignment for Glory Foods at the Cleveland Women's Show, a three day bazaar for women to get their shopping, eating and stripping fire fighter freak on. My heart went out to every man , as I noticed the look of "why am I here" from every man that passed our booth in the I-X Center (a monstrosity of a building next to CLE).

Throughout the Show, my client, Glory Foods, partnered with Deborah and Sharon Williams of Hot Sauce Williams Family Style Restaurant (7815 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, OH), one of Cleveland's best barbecue joints. I stopped by the restaurant earlier to preview our partner's cuisine and was pleasantly blown away by ribs and chicken combo with baked beans and green beans. The chicken was lightly fried then smothered in the famous Williams Family Hot Sauce. The ribs were tender fall of the bone goodness that I would expect to find in deep southern Georgia not near the Great Lakes. All I can say is that the meal was coma inducing.

After I picked myself off the table work proceeded on the Show. After the second day of work, I waved goodbye to my client's and decided to take a trip through downtown Cleveland to Momocho (1835 Fulton Rd., Cleveland, OH), a "modern" Mexican establishment featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on the Food Network. It's a show my wife and I, well mostly me, watch religiously. After finding seating at the bar I took in the atmosphere surrounded by suburbanites served a hipster waitstaff, as the couple next to me pointed out. I guess popularity comes at a price, but if the suburbanite crowds bring in the business without your restaurant losing its original charm then I don't see a problem. I ordered the guacamole with blue crab, corn and chile chipotle served with a heaping bowl of warm tortilla chips. I proceeded to devour the light green, creamy goodness that is "guac." The chile chipotle's smoked flavor was balanced with the juiciness of corn and the fresh lime taste of the crab. It was one of the more adventurous guacamoles I've ever had. Not wanted to fill up on guac, I stopped midway and had the remainder boxed up for late night snacking.

Labels: Cleveland Biz Trip

posted by Dre' @ 10/02/2010 04:18:00 PM