Happy New Years Eve, everyone! We stocked up for the night at Joseph’s Beverage Center. It’s bonkers out there!
Josephs Beverage Center | 4129 Talmadge Rd | (419) 472-1421
ps. Don’t drink and drive! ABCO services is offering free towing and a ride home from midnight to 3 a.m. The number is 419-536-6123. Jot it down.
Friday night was the Second Annual ‘Tis the Secor Show at the Secor Building downtown. Highlights included an exhibit of works from 40+ local artists, open studios and live music.
One of my favorite pieces was front and center in the lobby—a portrait by Richard Reed of his friend Marty.
It’s beautifully done.
There was live music in the lobby including Toledo’s best experimental group, KDB.
After leaving the Secor show we met up with friends for drinks at Wesley’s in uptown. It’s a sure bet on Friday nights and features some of my favorite pro-Toledo decor, including the infamous “You Will Do Better in Toledo” sign, the original of which is sadly long gone.
We finished things up with a nightcap at The Attic on Adams—the new hotspot above Manos. Hope to see you there soon!
The Secor Building | 425 Jefferson St @ Superior | Downtown
KBD | myspace.com/kbdtoledo
Wesley’s | 1201 Adams Street | 419-255-3333
The Attic on Adams | 1701 Adams St. | 419-243-5350
J. graciously opened his home on Tuesday for his, now second, election night party. Guests brought a ton of food and tended the bar while others had their eyes glued to the TVs. Towards the end of the night revellers pushed out of the house, into the yard, and celebrated with some fresh air.
The parking lot to El Camino Real was packed last night… and so was the restaurant. I had a bean burrito with guacamole and D. had a taco and a couple of those chili relleno things he loves so much. And, we shared a pitcher of margaritas—my favorite reason to visit. It’s apparently a fave of a lot of Toledoans because there were some pretty tipsy folks out last night… like falling down on the ground tipsy.
El Camino Real | 2500 W Sylvania Ave | (419) 472-0700 | There’s one on the east-side too… google it.
P.S. Don’t drink and drive, K, thanks, bye.
I carry a bit of Bavarian blood in me and have visited Germany twice, BUT I’ve never been to a German-American festival. We’ve heard nothing but good things about the festival in Oregon and that raccoon mascot/logo is so damn nice… we grabbed our designated-driver/lawyer and drove over the river. The cornfield on both sides of the drive to the parking lot was a little ominous.
We ran into M. almost immediately, and of course, he was in lederhosen. He was also a few beers ahead of us so we got some tickets and started drinking. D. was able to finish the night off with a free glass mug by trying 7+ different beers. I tried to stick with old reliable Bitburger. Bitte ein Bit.
There was more to this festival than just beer. There was food, lots of it, pretzels and sausages and potato latkes/pancakes. There was quite a bit of dancing. And there was a parade!
But in the end, the real focus was on drinking bier. Except for our designated driver who had none. 
At one point, there were dancers on a giant cuckoo clock-styled stage. It was around this time that I started to realize the crowd was getting bigger.
Much bigger. And it was about this time that we decided it was time to go home.
But not without saying bye to the rollerderby girls. BYE!
German American Festival Society | Oak Shade Grove in Oregon, Ohio
Got back into town just in time for the Old West End Security Margarita Cruise down the Maumee. It was a good excuse to interact with the neighbors, under the guise of margaritas and fund-raising for the neighborhood security patrols.
…And they were great margaritas (ie. strong). There was mexican food as well—like salsa, burritos, and D.’s favored taquitos. I had a couple taquitos myself and they were pretty great. It’s safe to say by the end of the cruise most of the Sandpiper was three-sheets to the wind, except for Captain Greg.
Looking for more boating excursions in Toledo (can we rent boats for the day?), so if you know of anything please drop me a line.
Dinner at Manos’ kicked off our weekend. One of my favorite dishes is the baked feta… typing this is making me hungry.
The opening of Ottawa Tavern has been pushed back a week (thanks to Manos for letting us know), so after a short moment at Space 237 for their opening we drove straight to Frankie’s to see Sinker (above).
We chatted with friends over Dr. Reed’s. What’s a Dr. Reed? you ask… PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) + Ice + Lime + Straw.
Not Miller High Life.
Not lemon.
PBR, Ice, Lime, Straw. Period. It’s the drink of the summer, courtesy of D’s co-worker Harper.
Friday ended with the first ever show by the Secret Swords [2 parts Stylex + 1 part Shuttlecock = Secret Swords]. Keep your ears peeled.
Manos | 1701 Adams Street | (419) 244-4479
Sinker | myspace.com/sinkersinker
Secret Swords | myspace.com/secretswordsmusic
Did you know you can get pitchers of margaritas at Manhattan’s? Neither did I!
Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams St. | (419) 243-6675
M. & K. asked us out for sushi last night… which worked out well because I had been craving sushi for the past week. Sori Sushi, it was. As we walked in we were greeted by a cheery sign stating “Beer and Sake 1/2-off Wednesdays”. Nice.
That fried mess on the bottom right is vegetable tempura, which is always yummy. Our server was Sori, the restaurant’s co-owner and namesake. It’s her wonderful mixed media art that adorns the walls and menu designs. She has a super cute personality so stop in—the food is always excellent and the prices are even better, and remember Wednesdays for the drink special.
Sori Sushi | 5236 Monroe St | (419) 720-7674
One of the first events I attended after moving to Toledo was the Meet & Greet 2. I had no choice; my husband helped organize it. He later told me that he might feel guilty in some way if I didn’t enjoy Toledo and that prompted him to get more involved in the arts community. Sweet, right?
It’s been many Meet & Greets later and I’ve meet some really great people at these events. They happen about twice a year, with a main hub location and several area galleries connected by a bus loop. It’s presented by the Arts Commission and staffed by volunteers. Of course it’s free… and so are the drinks (at least at the main hub). Meet & Greet 7 was in the Davis Building last Friday and it was just as fun as any of the previous M&Gs with live music and a bunch of new faces.
Pictured above are Michael Moriarty (L), owner of the Davis Building and Marc Folk (R), Executive Director of the Arts Commission.
Bookmark CallingAllCreatives.com and look out for the next event.
