Our First Night in Cleveland, Ohio On East 4th Street

So we made it to Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday to begin our Positively Cleveland experience. Even though Del got in during the evening, our excellent hosts had things lined up for us to start our experience. Cleveland is a city with a lot of history and with that history comes even more character. Our plans kept us busy every day, but Saturday evening still had something in store.

Our hotel room was booked at the Double Tree Lakeside which is a couple of blocks from the Rock & Roll hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center, and the restaurants and entertainment of East 4^th Street. We made our way to Public Square and had dinner at Pura Vida by Brandt Evans.

This is a new establishment that sits across the street from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in public square. The restaurant has a modern flair, great ambiance, and excellent food. We enjoyed our meal, and even had a special treat, tempura friend short rib prepared just for us which is not on their menu, but needs to be. As another appetizer we tried the smoked duck confit nachos, a modern take on the classic nacho, tasty. We had a great meal, and took a while trying to figure what we wanted off of the dinner menu, it all looked good. I had the crab cakes and Kristin did the house pasta, again both tasty. Pura Vida means “live for today” which goes in hand with their fresh ingredients, many exclusive to Pura Vida.

But a great meal is not complete without a great dining experience. The restaurant is beautiful. It has a modern look, but what is neat is the lighting. It has a multi-colored lighting system that changes throughout the course of your meal. It can be changed to fit the day, or can cycle giving a dazzling light show and a seductive dining experience. Pura Vida also has a great bar and outdoor seating for those warmer spring and summer days.

What else is great about this location is its proximity to happening venues. After our meal, we had tickets waiting for us at the House of Blues. That night had a band by the name of Gaelic Storm rocking it with Irish folk music, and it was a happening spot. Tickets were sold out, and people were having a great time. Nothing is better than live music, happy people, and lots of beer. Plus the building and its ddecor is just neat. Check the House of Blues listing of local shows.

We were tired after this, and needed to get rest for our adventures the next day, but had a great introductory night to the great city of Cleveland, Ohio.

Our trip was provided by Positively Cleveland.