Following the Quest for Fire opening at the TMA, we checked into the Ottawa Tavern for another of their amazing FREE shows. The Black Atlantic are from Holland and were fresh off a stint at South by Southwest (SXSW). Sangsara are a heavily-lauded group local to Toledo. But, Big Kitty (video above) were my favorite of the night.

Big Kitty hail from Chattanooga, Tennessee and were simply precious.

The Ottawa Tavern was PACKED. I love how successful the bar has become, yet I hope this level of attendance subsides for the sake of the regulars! And the staff, for that matter.

Ottawa Tavern | 1817 Adams Street (Uptown) | (419) 725-5483

Friday night was the Quest for Fire opening at The Toledo Museum of Art’s Community Gallery.

The show featured works from Toledo-area artists that reinterpreted art in the permanent collection of the museum. The above is based upon this piece of art.

The gallery was packed with guests enjoying the really fantastic show, curated by Jerry Gray of Bozarts Gallery (which I’ve posted about a couple times over the past year) and Kerry Krow.

It was great to see how local artists re-think and re-mix works from greats like Picasso and Rosenquist.

Mediums include painting, photography, sculpture and digital works. Many of the artists are exhibiting additional personal works for context, providing a glimpse of where they are coming from.

This show is up through May 2nd, so I highly suggest you check it out (if you weren’t one of the many in attendance this weekend) as a gentle reminder of how much talent this great city has to offer. Congrats to Jerry Gray, Kerry Krow, and The Museum staff for allowing this to happen.

The Toledo Museum of Art | FREE | 2445 Monroe Street | (419) 255-8000

I’ve never seen fresh almonds before! The Middle East Market on Dorr is pretty epic. The food is amazing and the new location is great.

Question: What do you actually *do* with fresh almonds?

Middle East Market | 5303 Dorr Street | (419) 531-3999

Gloria’s Tamales? How about GLORIOUS Tamales! A tip from the *interwebs* brought us here for dinner tonight.

It’s a little spot where you either order at the window or drive-thru. After picking up a bottle of tequila to make our own margaritas, we brought our booty home to eat.

I ordered a cheese quesadilla and a chicken burrito. I could barely eat a quarter of the burrito… so large! Going with the namesake, D. picked one of each of the tamales (chicken, pork, and beef). His favorite is the pork but the others we pretty great as well. The pico de gallo was soooo fresh and delicious, so don’t forget to order some on the side. As I type this, D. and I are full and the fridge holds some yummy goodness for tomorrow… and possibly beyond!

Gloria’s Tamales | 5004 Lewis Avenue | (419) 476-1000

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo’s spring fundraiser was last Saturday.

There was a huge bar in the middle of the main room, yummy bites to eat from Myles Baker Street (and I spotted pizza later in the night), live bands all night (including a local fave-Kentucky Khrome)…

… acrobatics performed by lovely people painted up…

…and, some pretty cool artworks up for auction.

Toward the end of the night, guests started to jump on the trampoline… at least until they were scolded. Alcohol and trampolines don’t mix. YouTube should have taught you that!

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo

A few weekends ago, we awoke to a particularly dreary Saturday. That afternoon, D. and I took a drive and ended up at Schmucker’s. The “GOOD FOOD” sign certainly lures the crowd in.

There were no free tables, so we grabbed seats at the counter… which was nice because we had cooks and waitresses to watch, and amuse us, unlike the sorry weather outside.

The burgers were great. Dustin loved his fries, but I ordered my burger without. Instead, I grabbed a slice of pecan pie to go! Schumcker’s has been “a Toledo dining tradition since 1948″.

Schmucker’s Restaurant | 2103 N. Reynolds Road | (419) 535-9116

It’s here!

This past Friday was the opening night of Har Simrit Singh’s one-man-show at Bozarts Gallery, downtown.

The gallery was packed with people nibbling food, drinking wine, and enjoying some really great artwork.

The works were a mix of portraits and fine lettering with strong color choices, in a nice flat graphic style.

You can check it out for yourself at the closing party on Saturday, March 27th, from 6pm on. Sometimes the closing parties at Bozarts are even more packed!

Bozarts Gallery | 151 S. St. Clair | Downtown in the Warehouse District

The gallery is across the street from the Erie Street Market’s parking lot.