Ride Home Rants
Ride Home Rants
Exploring Willoughby: From Penguin Joy to Local Delights and Entertainment
Are penguins the happiest animals on Earth? Buckle up for an amusing and heartwarming discussion as we kick off this episode of Ride Home Rants with our dynamic guests sharing their quirky takes on this question, along with their favorite beverages. From coffee aficionados to those with unique drink concoctions, we set the stage for an engaging exploration of Willoughby, Ohio, and its vibrant local culture.
Craving some culinary adventures? Our guests guide us through their top dining spots in downtown Willoughby. You'll hear colorful anecdotes about Kleifeld's diner, Hook and Hoof, Wild Goose, Nora's, and Mickey's—each offering a unique flavor that makes this town a food lover's paradise. Late-night cravings? The Fungry truck has you covered, and our personal stories will have you laughing and salivating in equal measure.
Looking for the perfect hangout spot? Whether it's the cozy charm of Sol, the lively atmosphere of an Irish pub, or the airy vibes of Ballentine, our guests have got you covered. We wrap up with a spirited discussion on enhancing Willoughby's entertainment scene. Picture a rooftop bar, a bustling farmer's market, and even a comedy club, all adding to the town's charm. Tune in for a blend of camaraderie, personal stories, and vibrant local culture that will leave you eager to visit Willoughby yourself!
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Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. This is, as always, your host, mike Bono. Yes, I'm back. Biddy has been filling in for me. I've had a lot going on, but I am back for this one.
Speaker 1:We have a special episode with a great group of guests here today. We're going to be doing the All Things Willoughby Ohio show. I'm going to let my guests introduce themselves right after this, but first a couple of new sponsors we got to get in, and that is Buddy's Beard Care. Buddy's Beard Care provides premium men's grooming products at an affordable price. Products are made right here in Ohio and Buddy's Beard Care supports local. The majority of their supplies are from other Ohio based companies. You can find them on social media at BuddiesBeardCare, or online at BuddiesBeardCarecom. Use the promo code Bono15 and he will give you 15% off.
Speaker 1:Second one here is from former guest of the show, matt Lando Landowski, and that is Sweet Hand Sports. Elevate your game with Sweet Hand Sports. Our sports gloves are designed for champions, providing ultimate grip and durability. Achieve greatness with every match. Choose Sweet Hand Sports for the winning edge. Grip your victory at SweetHandSportscom. Use the promo code Bono10 and he will save you 10%. They are not just batting gloves anymore. They do have golf gloves. I was able to use this one, unfortunately with my golf game. Nothing can help it, but it was a phenomenal glove Fits well, completely breathable and just a phenomenal fit.
Speaker 1:The last sponsor we have here is brand new and that is Deemed Fit. Deemed Fit is a first responder owned and operated company. It is prevented, prevented, provided to support first responders, especially those who worked during the covid pandemic. All of their proceeds go to helping first responders and veterans. Go to deemed fitco. Use the promo code Mike Bono and you will save 20%. That all being said, now let's get into my ragtag group of guests here. We're going to start with Bill, and Bill, I need your first and last name to answer. Are penguins always happy or no, and do you drink coffee, tea or neither?
Speaker 2:There's gotta be a 50 intro here for us, 100%. But Bill from Cleveland Ohio, why not? Penguins are always happy, for sure. They seem to be always kind of strutting around and, uh, personally, big coffee drinking myself, haven't really dabbled in the tea too much I got you, I got you next up.
Speaker 1:You've heard him, uh, hosting a few of the shows in my absence, and that is fitty everybody.
Speaker 5:Everybody knows me, I'm john fitty fo coney. I think penguins are always happy until they encounter a predator, and then they're probably not really happy because I don't think they can fight at all. And I'm a big coffee guy. Don't mind tea, but I prefer coffee just with cream, no sugar.
Speaker 1:I gotcha Move it right along Duncan.
Speaker 6:Duncan Williams, originally from West Virginia, been living in Cleveland for five, six, seven years Penguins always look too confused to be happy or sad. But if I want to guess, because I'm originally from West Virginia, I've been living in Cleveland for five, six, seven years Penguins always look too confused to be happy or sad. But if I want to guess because I'm in a good mood today, I want to believe that they're happy all the time and I probably live on coffee any which way I can get it. You want to throw peanut butter in there, for all I care, I'm taking it. Sugar cream, none.
Speaker 1:Done Peanut butter. I might have to draw a line on that one. All right, next up we got mike we're doing?
Speaker 3:uh, mike shields, uh, born and raised in menor, ohio, um polar bears and orcas, you can't be happy. You're living on the edge. Uh, I don't think there's any way you can settle in a good day. You, you're always kind of in trouble. Uh, coffee and tea, I, I drink both. Uh, so irish family always drinking tea, cream and sugar and coffee in any form gotcha next on the list.
Speaker 7:We got rusty hey, rusty bliss from will be ohio and um, you know what. They can be happy, they can be sad, but they're all dressed up to kill in those tuxedos all day long. So you know, penguins, I'm gonna say they're, they're confident, they're, they're confidently happy. And then, um, coffee, coffee, black. Nothing fancy, none of that foo-foo stuff, just the high-test stuff. And let's get the day started.
Speaker 1:I got you Foo-foo stuff that's going to stick with me for the rest of the night.
Speaker 8:Of course it is I appreciate that, rusty.
Speaker 1:Next up we got Wendy.
Speaker 4:Hey everyone. Wendy Kunash, I'm also from Cleveland, Spent the last 20 plus years in Willoughby and do I think penguins are happy all the time? No, I don't. I know a lot about penguins because it happens to be my favorite creature ever, so I'm glad we're touching on this one today. I'm so excited. They're soulmates for life. The female penguin does the hunting for food, and the male just so y'all know.
Speaker 1:If you didn't know, actually sits on the egg all day long until that thing hatches. And I do drink coffee, black, and tea plain as well. All righty Penguins are my favorite animal too, so I get, I get it.
Speaker 8:Uh, last but not least, we got Jordan. Uh, jordan Wetson and I just completed my first year of living in Willoughby full-time, and penguins are definitely not always happy. Uh, sea lions, we forgot about sea lions. Those also eat penguins, poor penguins. And um, yeah, coffee, tea doesn't matter, I'll drink it straight. You know black, I'll drink coffee with honey, with sugar. Um, a yuppie coffee, I'll have it any anyway. Tea is good too, too, especially with honey, so, and a little bit of lemon. So, yeah, I enjoy it all.
Speaker 1:All right, you know what? Just because pity's here, I'll actually answer these questions too as well. Penguins are always happy. You can't not be happy. They make me happy when I see them. So penguins are always happy and I drink coffee any way. I'm like any, which way I can get it, typically, if I'm being picky three creams, three sugars. Yes, I'm down to the specific three creams, three sugars. Uh, and yeah, I mean I'll have tea if I have a lot of shows in a row and I need to rest up my vocal cords. But that's about it. Other than that, yeah, but coffee. This man right here runs on caffeine and nicotine. That's the only way I can. I can function anymore at this age, but we're going to get rolling here. Vinny, we'll actually start with you. What is your favorite restaurant in all of Willoughby? It doesn't have to be just downtown, it doesn't have to be just downtown.
Speaker 5:I am going to go with Manhattan Deli in the uptown off of Psalm Center. You can't go wrong with it. Cool little patio, great food. Love their Ruben. So I'm going to go Manhattan Deli alright, wendy, let's go to you next.
Speaker 4:Sage Downtown Willoughby, my favorite alright, mike, what about you?
Speaker 3:You're muted.
Speaker 8:You're on mute.
Speaker 1:You're muted Rookie there he is yeah, all right, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna class it up a little bit.
Speaker 6:I'm gonna go with bumpers I'll tell you what.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you go up there on monday, you grab a burger double three 350 and uh, and the wings there can't, can't go wrong, and my son loves the all-you-can-eat crab.
Speaker 1:All-you-can-eat crab. You have me, I'm there. I don't even care, I've never been there, I'm there.
Speaker 8:I've never heard of bumpers. This is my first time. It's a volleyball bar. Okay, that's the one.
Speaker 6:They're all summer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's on the backside of Willoughby. All right, bill, what about you? Someone got to say Seoul, so I'll throw it out there. Probably best patio in downtown Willoughby, good food. Really enjoy the atmosphere. We'll go with Seoul.
Speaker 7:All right, rusty, all right, I'm going to challenge you on the best patio and I'm gonna say nora's um because I'm unofficially I guess I'm unofficially partial coin anyway. But um, and they, they're just they. Yeah, my daughter's next to me arguing with me, telling me the wild goose is better, but um, it's I like nora's. Nora's is, the patio is awesome, the people are great and it's you know, it's just, it's a fun, fun place and it's survived. The boys have done a good job surviving through the different name changes. So yeah, norris.
Speaker 1:All right, jordan, the newcomer to Willoughby, what about you?
Speaker 8:I am also going to go with Nora's. Every time we're on the patio at Nora's it's a good time. I have a very distinct order. I'm not sure if these foods go together, but I get a purple Guinness with the mini corn dogs and that's my go-to. I like soul too, but just make sure that you don't have at least every time I've been at soul. I like Soul too, but just make sure that you don't have at least every time I've been at Soul. Every time I'm at Soul, I feel like the service is just a little bit slow. It's just like if you don't have plans to be somewhere, soul's great, but if you're in a rush, I'd skip Soul. That's just me personally. That's my experience. But yeah, norris, definitely Norris.
Speaker 1:All right, Duncan, round us out here.
Speaker 6:Probably going to take two just because they haven't been mentioned. You did say Wild Goose. It's probably the place I'd probably go to the most. You're talking pizzas or wings or sports, anything like that, and then you know, a mile outside of downtown Willoughby, crowley's best burger, probably in all of Cleveland, anywhere you can get it. The nastiest, juiciest, dirtiest burger of all time will make you go horizontal when you're done, as it should.
Speaker 1:That was probably the weirdest, most accurate description of a burger I've ever heard. You're welcome. Nastiest, disgustingest. Most greasiest delicious burger greasiest delicious burger, as it should be, as it should be. But we're gonna say with you, duncan, since you're full of analogies here yeah and is are not a fan.
Speaker 6:I don't go just because I'm busy and the time it takes to do all that. Usually when I'm running to Willoughby it's to grab a quick bite, watch the end of a game, take my daughter out or whatnot. Haven't done the movie theater much. Not against it, though. All right, jordan, what about you?
Speaker 8:Yeah, no, I like Regal Theaters, theaters. I think they're clean, I think they do a nice job. The only problem is is that I don't have a whole lot of time to go to the movies, so the last movie I saw was deadpool 3, deadpool Wolverine, and yeah, it was a good time. Um, I've always liked the theaters. I like the recliners, I like the, the concessions. They're pretty good when you're not sneaking in food. Definitely, definitely when you're not sneaking in food.
Speaker 8:Sometimes I play by the rules, sometimes I play a little game, sometimes you take a quick trip to Mark's and load up on candy.
Speaker 1:Actually, rusty. What about you? Yeah?
Speaker 5:Rusty might be frozen.
Speaker 1:Rusty's frozen, so we'll come back to him. Bill, what about you?
Speaker 2:Unfortunately can't play in this one. Never been to the Willoughby Theater. When I'm going to the theater, typically more out by Cleveland area, so I drove by. It looks nice, we'll go with that.
Speaker 1:I got you. I think we got Rusty back. Rusty, what about you?
Speaker 7:Regal's Nice man. I mean I don't get a chance to go a lot, but you know the kids go um, I don't know who said it, because we were pulling in the drive. In the internet it's kind of wonky here, but um, uh, we went and saw the uh deadpool wolverine movie and you know it's, it's fun. It's not really crowded there anymore because they offer so many different movie times and you know I won't buy anything. I mean, sometimes I'll buy stuff there to eat, but I usually eat there or before I get there alright, mike, what about you?
Speaker 3:it's been ages. I love going to the movies. I've been to the one in willoughby, uh, but it's been a long time. The same thing probably with duncan. Just doesn't seem to have the spare time between going to all my kids, sporting events, mine and and all that. So but yeah, you can't go wrong going to the movies gotcha wendy, what about you?
Speaker 4:yeah, I'm gonna agree with the majority here. You know, know they've got a ton of movie time so it's never super packed anytime you want to go. Tons of flexibility, lots of scheduling. But I love the recliners, since they enhance the whole place with those Game changer and super easy to bring in your own pop. You can bring in a water bottle. You can even carry in your cups with you. Now they in a water bottle, you can even carry in your cups with you. Now they serve alcohol there too. You have to buy it, but very easy because no one's checking your stuff anymore. And, honestly, the people that work there are kind of lax. They're like it's okay, go ahead, so I enjoy it. It's not that expensive. You can even get those discount gift cards at bj's next door or even costco. Save some big money there.
Speaker 1:Yep, two for one pricing all right pretty round us out yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 5:We love that movie theater. Um, we go there pretty decent amount. I've probably been there my three and a half years being up here, probably like eight or nine times. I think the last one we went to see we went at 10 am on a Sunday, like it was great. So, yeah, I love that movie theater. I think it's phenomenal. The service sometimes at the concessions is slow so you better have like a good 15 minute buffer in there. But yeah, solid, solid movie theater.
Speaker 1:All right, so next up here, peter video. We're to stay with you. What is your favorite downtown willoughby restaurant food? Uh, this is just uh rating the food, nothing else my favorite food in downtown willoughby.
Speaker 5:Um, let's see, I'm probably going to go with I gotta go at Kleifeld's. They have like the best breakfast food ever. It's old school in there. It's small, it's kind of sticky. The food's like $7.99 for breakfast weekdays like $5.99 yeah no, they do take cards. Now, duncan, they do take cards. They're moving up, but I love Kleifeld's diner for breakfast and to me they have the best food okay, wendy, what about you?
Speaker 4:I'm staying hook and hoof on this one. I mean I love Sage, but hook and hoof. They got some good stuff on their menu and they do like chef specials and chef dinner. I mean they're up there pretty tasty all right, okay, bill, what about you?
Speaker 2:I already mentioned soul should have known the downtown uh will be restaurant was coming. But I'll kind of double up and say wild goose as well. I think it's been mentioned once or twice before. But the pizzas they obviously got the oven back there cook them. You can kind of see them if you're sitting at the bar a bunch of different specialty type pizzas and stuff like that as well. So, um, good place, go catch a game, eat some pizza, get some wings and stuff like that as well. But we'll say a wild goose there, all right mike, what about you?
Speaker 3:I'm going to go. Shepherd's pie at Norris Can't go wrong. Wild goose is a close second. I do like the specialty pizzas there. I tend to eat those later at night so they taste really good.
Speaker 1:But yeah, shepherd's pie at Norris Rusty, what about you?
Speaker 7:Wings at the goose. They're the best. The goose sauce with the wings hands down the best, rusty you're set up there, man it looks like you're getting ready to host like an in-person
Speaker 8:podcast. I'm a little jealous.
Speaker 7:It's an aviation thing, that's a work in progress and you'll all you'll know about it.
Speaker 1:I was going to say I'm a little jealous. I think his setup is better than mine, right?
Speaker 7:now it's actually dueling it's dueling microphone, mike wow it's not as good, but it's all I got.
Speaker 1:Jordan, what about you?
Speaker 8:can I say ice cream? Can I say Mickey's ice cream?
Speaker 6:because their lemon cheesecake bar ice cream.
Speaker 8:Can I say mickey's ice cream, because they're their lemon cheesecake bar ice cream. When they have it is phenomenal. It's like if I go downtown willoughby whether it's nora's wild goose like you gotta hit the trifecta.
Speaker 8:I guess of the the people who own, who own those uh restaurants, because it's like the same family and I think they own fiona's as well- yeah, coins yeah, every time and they own probably, yeah, so it's like and and also, what's funny is that, um, I work for channel 19, news for cleveland 19, and my anchor, she's the cousin, uh, like, she's a family member of of them, of that. You know that family. She's a member of that family. So, um, yeah, so like, if I go to wild goose and get the wings, it's like oh, next logical step is let's go to mickey's and like, completely be a glutton and get three scoops of the lemon cheesecake bar and then like regret it, but not regret it at the same time, and be like, oh god, I like I'm so fat I got to stop talking to myself and then, just like when I walked, I walked over here.
Speaker 8:It's okay. Yeah, so Mickey's, I love Mickey's. I mean, if they weren't seasonal, I think like I would, it would be really bad. I think I'd go there every week. But thank God their season is about to end so I could take a break. But maybe I'll just go and buy uh pints and stack my freezer full with a lemon cheesecake bar there you go.
Speaker 1:I'll say you just gotta embrace. Everybody's got that inner fat person in them. I'm just letting mine loose now I've given up on that. I don't care, uh, yeah.
Speaker 7:Well, that's another show for another day, uh, but we're forgetting something, though what we're forgetting something, though I don't know if you're going to go into it later with what your late night rescue food downtown will be. But going back to our friends that have the other establishments, the Fungry truck yeah, it's good. Now the food truck isn't just the food truck and that's a combo of you know the, the coins dave, who is the one of the owners at seoul, they're all in on the fungry truck and they set up where the original, where the old mickeys was, in the little shack. They have a like a late night depot. It's basically the little building that feeds the fungry truck, but you can roll in there till everybody's closed and grab a bite to eat on your way home.
Speaker 7:It's it's awesome, mean, when you're hammered you're going to eat anything anyway, but it's still good food.
Speaker 8:You're listen, you're just saving lives Cause I didn't know anything about this, not that I knew like but like we'll be out and it'll be like one o'clock and wild goose is like, oh no, like it's closed and we we're like, what are we gonna eat? And then we like settle for dominoes or wait in line at taco bell for an hour because, that's the only until two, right?
Speaker 4:no, it's open till two in the morning, yeah jordan doesn't stop start partying until about four or five, so he needs two.
Speaker 1:That was dinner, all right. All right, donkey. What about you for your restaurant? Where am I?
Speaker 6:took my good ones, but some hidden ones. If you ever go to Michael's across from Fiona's the little bake shop they have cinnamon rolls that are probably the size of your head. They're kind of ridiculous. Right behind it is the sushi spot Real songs, yep. And then if you go all the way down at the end, if you go across the street, you got Ola Taco. That's got. The rooftop down there used to be closed, though. Uh, I know polpo.
Speaker 8:I know polpo closed up yesterday okay.
Speaker 6:So I used to like some of those spots, but there's so many, I mean everybody's gonna have a choice gotcha.
Speaker 1:So, duncan, what about you for this one? What is your favorite downtown Willoughby place for drinks? Who has the best drinks to get?
Speaker 6:Shoot. This is like this might be cutting my own throat here. Who's my favorite friend man? What day of the week? Let's start with a day of the week Any day, If any wrote this one.
Speaker 1:I got nothing on this one man. What day of the week. Let's start with a day of the week Any day.
Speaker 5:If Finney wrote this one, I got to have done this one.
Speaker 6:Whatever comes to mind, duncan just fire it off, Because they need some pub. I would say malarkey's on a Monday. You'll get everything for a buck. That's why there's only five people in there, though.
Speaker 1:They got this. They're getting their moment.
Speaker 6:They are getting their moment.
Speaker 1:That's the best way to drink is when there's not that many people in there, and right. No witnesses. I love how I said I have nothing to do with this. As I'm holding my whiskey, I just realized that it's fine, Jordan. What about you?
Speaker 8:Alcoholic drink? I'm guessing, yeah, it. Uh jordan. What about you? Uh, alcoholic drink? I'm guessing, yeah, sticking with, sticking with nora's. Uh, that purple guinness I it's my, it's my go-to. I mean, like everywhere else, like 1899, the drinks are cheap. Uh, it's a good place for me to get a rolling rock, but if I'm feeling kind of like, you know, just want to like sitting and actually enjoy a drink and a patio, or uh, the food, it's, it's nora's and the purple gu Guinness. I also went to the, that new brewery that opened up in Willoughby brewing company. What's that slow tortoise or what's the name of?
Speaker 7:that one.
Speaker 4:Tricky tortoise. Yeah, we went there.
Speaker 8:We went there after the 5k in the downtown will be 5k a couple of weeks ago and that was. It was pretty nice it was, it was pretty cool, but for right now it's still Norris, norris, my top choice If I'm going to go and, you know, have a night out or have a couple of drinks All right, rusty.
Speaker 7:Norris or the goose. I mean, dude, I'm simple, I just need whiskey. Give me crown and Coke or something, you know anything. And I mean I got to put a disclaimer out here. They do sponsor our team too, but you know, I mean it's they book in. We joke around and I joke around with Seamus and McPath, but their place is bookend downtown Willoughby. So you're going to go to either one of them anyway, but I mean it's just for so long it's just been the go-to. And I mean I'd rather stay at home and drink, but if I got to go out and I'm in downtown Willoughby and it's close and it's safe, yeah I'll drink there. And then my car knows it's two rights and a left to get to the house.
Speaker 1:So there you go.
Speaker 3:You know what about you? So malarkey's, I have a soft spot for it's where I actually asked my wife out for the first time a good long time ago. So definitely, and I like a pint of Guinness. So probably between that and Nora's I do have another soft spot. So Jason over at Wetzel's is a good friend of the family. He grew up with my brother-in-law, so we like to stop in there and obviously spend some time in there.
Speaker 6:Stop going to wetlands with my friends, stop working there bill.
Speaker 1:What about you I?
Speaker 2:might be stealing cities here, because every time I go out with him we find find ourselves over here getting a drink. But I'll say, frank and tony's just a dive bar of all dive bars. Go there and get a drink. The atmosphere is great. Do some touch tunes. I think they got over there as well. Nothing fancy at all, but a good place to go hang out and have a drink.
Speaker 4:Gotcha, wendy. What about you? Yeah, you know, it really just kind of depends on what you're in the mood for. You know, because if you want just to just go out, meet up with a couple of guys. Or you know because if you want just to just go out, meet up with a couple guys, or you know a bunch of girls, whatever, and you just want shot in a beer kind of place or just chill, be out on the patio, I'm gonna say nora's, I'm gonna say frank and tony's, I'm gonna say wild goose for sure. Um, if you want more of like the mixed drinks and you want to lounge and kind of socialize a little tiny bit, I'm going to say soul, non-alcoholic cava cocktails and expensive Go to Hook and Hook. So it really just kind of depends on what you're in the flavor for. But for the most part I think it's pretty easy to say that's a fun.
Speaker 4:1899. I forgot about that one too. They got the music and those are that's a fun. $18.99. I forgot about that one too. They got the music and stuff. That's pretty fun there too. Cheap Good times.
Speaker 1:I got you Biddy. What about you?
Speaker 5:I'm going to go with. This is hard. This is hard because I do love Wetzel's, but I'm going to go with because their drinks are so unique. I'm going to go with because their drinks are so unique. I'm going to go with the Yard on Third. And you ain't lived till you've seen somebody try to drink that trash can. Gigantic red solo cup, that only the most mammoth human being on Earth could drink. So they got some interesting drinks. I'm going to say the Yard on Third. Okay.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you forget about them because they're kind of a seasonal joint too, everybody forgets about them and they're hidden. They did have a cool event this summer, though. They had midget wrestling out there, which was kind of neat. It's kind of funny. They had the whole ring, the whole thing, set up in the road. It was hilarious. I could have walked in there and been like Andre the Giant with these guys.
Speaker 1:It was hilarious. I'd pay to see that. You going in there with a bunch of Andre the Giant thing of that that I would do. That would be awesome. I'd pay good money for that. There we off there rusty, that's just saying now. Now, that's all that's playing through my head. Is you, andre the gining? A bunch of people at a wrestling ring? That's just but finny. Which of the bars and restaurants in downtown willoughby has the best overall atmosphere and vibe?
Speaker 5:I gotta go back to what Bill said. It's Frank and Tony's man five-star dive bar, that is. That is like one of the best places. Atmosphere. Bill and I went there back in the spring with Drew and uh Taco Bob and it was like three in the afternoon. It was like wing day. I didn't know if it was 2 am. I was in Youngstown, warren, downtown Cleveland. I don't even know where I was. When I went in there. They had Metallica, little John playing. It was packed, people were dancing and their food is actually pretty good and the drinks are great and the bartenders are hilarious. So five-star dive bar, frank and Tony's, aka Fats.
Speaker 1:All right, wendy, what about you?
Speaker 4:I'm saying the Goose. I think it caters to every age and no matter your personality, whoever you're with, I mean, you could be there for a bachelor party, you could be there for bachelorettes, whatever, or just going for a few beers. I'm saying the goose for sure, welcomes everybody.
Speaker 1:All right, Bill, I'm going to put a restriction on yours.
Speaker 2:You can't say the same thing as Freddie, if I can, frank and Tony's for sure. But I hate to go back to Seoul. But going to go back, I think that's the atmosphere back there. You get a little bit tucked back in the woods a little bit. You got a nice patio. Even the inside is just really nice. So we'll say that, a little bit different than Frank and Tony's, for sure, but we'll go with Sol there. Okay, mike, what about?
Speaker 3:you, I'm going right back to the Irish bar, so I'm making the Irish pub in Norris. Yeah, to be honest, yeah, I mean, like I said, malarkey's used to be the kind of place that we spent when I was young. We used to be in there all the time. I think I've clearly aged out. I've gone in there a couple of times now and it's a it's a tough, it's a tough fit. So, yeah, it's gotta be a gotta be Norris.
Speaker 1:All right, rusty.
Speaker 7:Norris, easy, I mean, for me, and when you mentioned the atmosphere, you have a choice of really three. You've got the patio, you've got the nice sit down and you have the bar and and they got a real cool Tuesday trivia night there too, which were two back to back week champions there. But anyway, no, the atmosphere is awesome. I mean, they, you, you have, and they'll keep that patio open as long as they can, which is nice. It gives you an outlet, the service is great, the people that work there are awesome. But you get that, that choice of three.
Speaker 7:If you want to sit at a bar, sit at the bar. You want to sit at a high top, sit there. If you want to go, sit down, it's nice. The one thing that I you know that's kind of neat is they're pretty much all the restaurants and all the the pubs on erie street all open up their windows now on the street, and so they open everything up, so you're basically sitting on the street, which is really nice too, and the way they did it at norris, you got a couple little barrel tables or you have a an open booth at the end there, so that adds to it too, so you have a fourth wall there as far as the atmosphere, but, um, it's norris.
Speaker 7:I mean, it's pretty simple and, like I said, I, with the kids, I'm going to spend a lot of time at home, but when we're out, after our practices or after our games, not just because they sponsor us, but because we know them and they're, you know, it's, they've all, it's just where we go, it's where they want to go. I got real picky kids man, so they want what they want to eat.
Speaker 8:They're going to go eat, but, um, yeah, it's norris either, with the kids being picky. Uh, jordan, what about you? I like valentine, for atmosphere too, I think valentine's a really good place. Um, you know, somebody mentioned that they open up the windows. Like pretty much everywhere opens up the windows or takes out the windows. I think valentine on a you know just on, even on a weeknight, just going there on a nice summer night, or even like a kind of like a warmer fall night, they got they have it open. The atmosphere is nice, the drinks are good, the food is really good too. Like it's rare, like I don't think you can really say too much and this speaks to how great that downtown area is when you think about it. Like you really can't say too much bad about any of the businesses.
Speaker 8:We can say Norris all day long. But if Norris isn't on the table for me or isn't an option, I'm great going to Ballantyne as well, or I'm great going over to Wild Goose, or I'm great going wherever somebody suggests. Not every place is always going to be 100 on their game, unfortunately, but like I've had more good experiences in downtown willoughby at different locations than I've had that, so like I mean valentine's still a great spot to go to and just enjoy a, you know, a nice decent atmosphere and and have a drink and get something to eat.
Speaker 1:All right, duncan, what about you?
Speaker 6:Like you guys said, I thought most of downtown Willoughby did a really good job of you know, when we're saying windows, most of these restaurants don't have windows, they have to garage doors and they hit a button and that thing rolls up, the whole wall disappears and everybody's basically sitting on the sidewalk, which is a fantastic move for all those businesses to do. I'm a big fan. Obviously, I'm always going to rep some goose. I've been there too many times but I do love 1899 on a weekday evening. I don't know why. I just like the vibes on a weekday evening. We haven't mentioned it yet, but my wife's favorite place is is uh pranzo is the italian restaurant right there on the street which is you know, I mean, it's smaller but it's very good, um, so yeah, those spots all right, we're gonna stay with you for this one.
Speaker 1:I have a feeling with being the family man. I know the answer to this question, but do you do the farmer's market on saturday much?
Speaker 6:uh, I've definitely done it multiple times. Am I like a consistent go every time? No, um, one of my greatest holidays in willoughby is the summer car show, and I would sit there for nine hours straight if I could. Um, so if I had to choose between those two, I'll definitely go car show, but we do do farmer's market pretty often. I got you jordan, what about?
Speaker 8:you. No, I've never been to the farmer's market in downtown willow east, never, never. I didn't even know it was a thing until just like five seconds ago. So no, I haven't checked out the farmer's market, gotcha all right, rusty yeah, um, we go.
Speaker 7:I don't go as much anymore. My oldest son, who 21, him and his girlfriend go all the time. I fly on Saturday mornings so by the time I get back, it's a sports this, a sports that, but um, so the kids are keeping up with it and they love it, which I think is kind of neat, and they'll come and fill the kitchen up with all kinds of goodies that they bring back from it and it's, it's gotten bigger, um of goodies that they bring back from it, and it's, it's gotten bigger um, and it's, it's, it's a great thing in downtown at the at that end and especially this time of year. So if you do have time saturday mornings, check it out okay, uh, mike, what about you?
Speaker 3:have not spent a lot of time at the farmer's market. Um, you know, I I uh see you saturdays, weekends especially, even even early, it always seems I'm on the run, the kids are on the run, so just uh have not made it down there, okay, bill hate to say I've never been there either.
Speaker 2:I'm a big farmer's market guy, so we'll definitely put it on the list. Try to get to them around the cleveland area. Um, love hitting them around here so. So we'll definitely make my way up there, but I've never been there yet.
Speaker 1:Bill, you look like a farmer's market kind of guy. I'm just going to say it there. You strike me as a farmer's market kind of guy. But Wendy, what about you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I go, I do. I don't go every week, but I do try to go and see all the new stuff that comes in too. You got a lot of vendors that have been popping up lately, bringing in all their little creative crafty things too and additional little snacks. So yeah, it's pretty diversified, it's pretty nice and I think it's pretty affordable as well. I don't think they're outrageously priced at all, so it's pretty. It's not too crowded either. I know that's usually what people's hang up is about DTW too, especially on a weekend. It's really not that bad at all. It's you're movable, definitely.
Speaker 1:OK, all right, biddy ran us out.
Speaker 5:Yeah, man, we love the farmer's market. Go get some fresh lettuce, you know. You can go buy steaks, chicken there. They have pies. We get their desserts. My wife's bought some stuff there, like jewelry and all that. But there's actually this spot there. I want to. I forget where they're out of exactly, but they got these little containers of honey, but they're flavored honey and we get the one mixed in with cinnamon. It is awesome. It's like a cream spread. You can put it on your toast and stuff. But big fan of the farmer's market, we always go to Michael's and get, get pastries and things like that too. So Willoughby farmer's market spectacular. I had a feeling.
Speaker 1:you went there frequently for sure, but this one's for you, finney. One word to describe Willoughby is Incredible. Wendy, what about you?
Speaker 4:Welcoming.
Speaker 1:Bill.
Speaker 2:Oh it's tough. I'll say diverse. I said one word Diverse. Diverse. We'll say. Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 1:Mike, what about you? I'm going to go eclectic, eclectic, all right. Rusty, courteous, hmm, all right, jordan, unique, hey duncan adaptive all right, a lot of great, great words there for Willoughby. Duncan, if you could see any one thing added to downtown Willoughby, what would it be?
Speaker 6:I would like them to block off the street every Thursday through Sunday. Just do it every weekend. Don't even worry about cars driving through downtown. Maybe even have some little trolley thing that went through the middle of the road and that's all people can jump on. We never have to worry about a car driving through. I think that would make it slick. Also, I've been saying since I moved here one of the bars just needs to have a rooftop bar. Just one Right there in the main square talking Ballantyne or Lark, where you're talking valentine larkies or one of them need to have a rooftop bar. I love it. I love rooftop bars. We have the patio scene. We're killing the patios. One of them. Put a rooftop bar in. That'd be the best. There is all right, jordan second that I would love a record store.
Speaker 8:I think record store would make me super happy. Just to be downtown on a saturday, go to fiona's or arabica and then shoot across the street and just blow my money on a bunch of wax. That would make me happier than a pig in blank all right, rusty.
Speaker 7:Um, this plays up. Your in your wheelhouse a little bit. Don't die on us. It's all right. I'm just choking on my own spit. We're all right, we're good. We've got a lot of bars. We've got a lot of restaurants Nothing wrong with that, because they all have their own little niche.
Speaker 7:We don't have any comedy clubs, okay. So I just took my oldest. We went down to Hilarity's the other night this was actually the hell night in downtown where we had both concerts, the Indians game, and then we went. We went to Hilarity's and Pickwick, which was great. There was nobody there, but you have the, you know the nice restaurant with the kind of speakeasy type of comedy club downstairs. I would kind of hope they would have done something like that with the old Willoughby Brewing Company, but you basically have a redo of exactly what they had there before.
Speaker 7:It hasn't really changed a whole lot, but something like that. I mean it's and I know during the middle of the week it's kind of hard to you know you're not going to have a whole lot of acts in there during the middle of the week. It's kind of hard to you know you're not going to have a whole lot of acts in there during the middle of the week, but you've got to have the food. Like, downtown Pickwick has great food, so the restaurant alone can survive, but you have that extra added niche. I think that brings in a different.
Speaker 7:You know, somebody mentioned the city being diverse. It does. It brings in a whole different, not just the the bar scene, but you bring in people for other reasons and you can, you can play off of that. So you have a lot of places, have the stage and they may have somebody pop in for one or two things, but it's not intimate, it's a bar, it's wide open. You know you don't have that intimate scene like that and I think something like that would be, would be really unique, and you could draw. I mean, now let, it's a double-edged sword. I don't want to draw any more people to downtown Willoughby. There's a lot of people in downtown Willoughby. We need to draw people to the North end too, but we're just talking. You know that's a whole. That's another question I'm sure you'll have. But yeah, something like a comedy club type of deal, kind of like pickwick and uh, frolic has downtown with hilarity, something that like that would be really neat I.
Speaker 1:I love that answer, not because I'm a comedian and I want more comedy clubs, but uh, my wife and I've always kicked around the idea of opening up a comedy club somewhere and running it. We even have the name of it. You you know, her being full Irish, me being full Italian, and we'd call it the Emerald boot. Uh, for Emerald for Irish, the boot for, obviously, italy, and have it half. You know, italian food, irish food, irish drinks and comedy. I don't think you can go wrong with that. I'm just saying anybody steals that idea I'm going to be so pissed, but that is our idea.
Speaker 1:But Mike what about you go?
Speaker 3:ahead. I don't know that I'm adding anything terribly original, but I'm kind of stuck on Duncan's pedestrianizing downtown Willoughby. I think that would be phenomenal. I was fortunate I did a study abroad in Galway in Ireland and they pedestrianized big portions of the city and it just changed what it was like being down there. It was awesome. So I'm going to piggyback on Duncan on that one. All right, Bill bill what about you?
Speaker 2:uh, you guys are jumping on my bandwagon there. For sure I think the adult do it. I'll add to it a little bit say, really, the designated drinking area, open it up? Yeah, a little bit uh the door, I think you call it. But I've heard of different areas that have the designated drinking outdoors. They've been doing that a lot. They love bar hopping. So pedestrianize it, like you guys are saying. Have the designated drinking area kind of throughout downtown, it would be great.
Speaker 1:All right, wendy, what about you?
Speaker 4:I would love to see an old school arcade place. You know, give us all of the pinball machines, the old school games you know Pac-Man, super Mario. Bring them all back.
Speaker 8:We'd be the only ones there. Well, I don't care.
Speaker 4:Hey, that's okay, that's okay, I mean you'd be surprised Ohio.
Speaker 8:City has. What Is it 16-bit or is it 8 bit? Ohio city has a they have a, they have an old school arcade, you know, and all the games are free and it's um it's an environment. So, like the last time I was in there, it was a lot of like college age kids, a lot of diverse group just hanging, lounging, playing, you know pac-man moral comm. So I love that.
Speaker 4:It'd be a really good idea in downtown I've actually even have like a bowling alley, you know like bowling and like bocce. They could have that. They can have darts pool table. I mean you could, they should have turned that tricky tortoise into that. That's what they should have done that place is massive.
Speaker 4:Yes, because we're all down there anyway, and who doesn't want to go over there and play some games and then go check out the bars after? I mean, I don't know. We should talk to them, we should actually all right, we're taking the next council meeting, should we?
Speaker 5:just become best friends. Are we opening the bar?
Speaker 2:Yes, the Emerald Boot, the Emerald.
Speaker 7:Boot, yes, yes, the Emerald Boot, the Emerald Boot and bowling Comedy only on the weekend. Bowling on a rooftop.
Speaker 5:Yeah, over the road all right, pretty all right, but if you have any original ideas after all, that let's see what you got you know what I would say honestly just add more parking, just add more parking add another parking lot instead of building more apartments
Speaker 8:but you know more. But you know, the problem with more parking is that more parking needs more cars, which means we don't really have more parking which is going to stink. We have to put in a lot more parking.
Speaker 5:They need to tear down the old bank and make it a parking lot which bank? The one next to Ola Taco.
Speaker 3:I enjoy the hunt.
Speaker 7:That's not gonna happen. The other old citizens bank is about to um, I guess, time out on its historical um status that it had, and that may be your parking lot, which is going to be centrally located.
Speaker 5:So I'm just. I'm just for more, more parking, because, especially with the new apartments going down there and townhouses just need more parking, because, especially with the new apartments going down there and townhouses just need more parking yeah, I enjoy the hunt I enjoy the hunt for the parking yeah I'll, yeah, I'll block traffic, I don't care whatever happens, the nice thing
Speaker 8:though the nice thing is like I have a friend who lives right down the road from downtown will be, so we'll just park at his house and we'll walk nice it's like a 10 minute walk.
Speaker 1:I mean it's not that bad you know, I feel like that's cheating jordan, I feel like that's that's tricking the system, but I like it, I'm with it, I'm with it. Uh, it's actually gonna bring me because we're running a little bit late, low on time here, but I wouldn't this actually bring me to my last question, since you brought it up, and what do you think of all the new apartments that have been built and are building in downtown willoughby? You think it's good or bad for town?
Speaker 5:I mean I think it's great. I mean it is because there's more people coming to town. I mean, well, wendy can talk about that from the real estate perspective. It's a booming town, right. Everybody wants to be there. That's why it's so expensive. But I think it's fine. I think it adds to the, to the atmosphere and stuff. I just just need more parking.
Speaker 4:But I think it's great they, they had like a garage idea, right, didn't they have like a?
Speaker 7:that was gonna be behind the old fifth third bank. But they can't build on that ah, got it, got it.
Speaker 4:I knew something was in the works and it was like poopoo or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, got it all right, miss real estate agent, what do you think of all the new apartments and buildings going in?
Speaker 4:oh, I love it. I mean we need housing, I mean period, we need housing and that's just not okay, duncan, so not everybody's gonna get a deal like you did off market.
Speaker 4:But nice spin, well done, but we do need housing and you know what? They got. All that lands over there, so do something with it for sure, because that is just bringing money in. People are spending money and the city is making money. People are paying taxes. It's all good stuff, but do we get a little congested with the parking? Yeah, parking is the biggest issue, so to speak, in downtown Willoughby, but I'm a big fan. Yeah, apartments, whatever Throw them all up, who cares? They'll be filled. They'll be filled for sure, and the people will pay for them. It's sick, but they do. It's expensive.
Speaker 2:I think that was over to me. I'll say I love it. That's my favorite type of living Living walkable to a place like downtown Willoughby. I've been living over in Lakewood Edgewater area walkable myself. I love it over here. I think Willoughby obviously could use some apartments and stuff, as long as they keep up with the crowd control New restaurants, bars coming, parking and stuff like that. But the more people that come, I think obviously the more money that they'll be putting into the area.
Speaker 1:So, uh, definitely for it all right, mike, what about you?
Speaker 3:yeah, I think it just changes when you, when you actually have people living down there, I just think it changes the environment. I think it really adds to it. So you know, I think it's a it really does kind of polish off a look down there.
Speaker 1:All right, rusty.
Speaker 7:I'm kind of torn on it, just because I like to have I mean I'm with the kids and with the family. It's like you want to have. I like my space, I like downtown for what they've done and I know the city has kind of morphed away from its family-centric side. When you see, as a coach, you see the sports, the rec department side of it kind of going on the wane, you know you don't have as many things available to the kids and the families because, yeah, they're making money hand over fist somewhere with the apartments going up. I'm on Kirtland Road so they're bookending me and then stuff in downtown Willoughby. You know, yeah, they're making money on it, but what are they doing with it? I mean, where is it going? The city tax, the local tax, has gone up, which it does. Our property values have gone up, which means our property tax has gone up. Property values have gone up, which means our property tax has gone up. But it's just some of it.
Speaker 7:I agree that they're, you know, depending on your family, you know breakdown of what you are. If it's just a new, a young couple starting out, or maybe you don't want to have a big family, it's perfect and it's awesome because you're close to everything you need. If you want more space. Yeah, the city's kind of gone away from what it was, but you know it, and through sports and with the kids it it's kind of drifted a little bit away from the family-centric side to a more convenient, you know modernized, you know you got everything right here. So I, it's just, you know it's all good, nothing negative. It's just that you know it's all good, nothing negative. It's just that you, you know some days you're for it, some days you're like man, another thing of apartments right here. I mean you know he wanted parking. They threw a whole bunch of apartments down on second street and it could have been parking, but it's just. But everything goes vertical too. So you know the aesthetics of it. Sometimes it looks good. I mean I'm the stuff next to the courthouse. Yeah, I don't think that stuff looks really pleasing at all. But the other stuff, like the stuff here at the end of the road on Mentor Avenue hopefully this one doesn't burn down they're doing a good job with it and the people that live there are are enjoying it too, which is awesome. I mean that's, that's what you want, right? So now they have the fireworks right in their backyard every year. But you know it's I wouldn't say torn, it's just it's different it's.
Speaker 7:You know change is hard with a lot of things, but you know, you see it. As far as with the family stuff and the kids, yeah, they take a few things away. They're closing the pool in downtown Willoughby. They're not going to put another pool in, so you're going to go to Osborne and it's tricky it's. You know it's only three and a half miles from my house to that pool. But you know you're dealing with the tracks, you're dealing with traffic, you're dealing with Lost Nation Road, them in lost nation road. So you know they make it tricky. But you know we find a way here in in town to um, to make the best of it and make other things work and then maybe, who knows, other ideas spawn off of that. So who knows, I've talked too much no, you're good, I mean you're.
Speaker 1:You're on the show with rant in the name, so we're good. We're good. We're good with long winded answers, we're all right. I got to get my shots in when I can. That's fine.
Speaker 7:You're the one that's got to go to bed dreaming of foo, foo coffee.
Speaker 1:I just forgot about that. Thank you for that. It's back. All right, Jordan, what about you?
Speaker 8:To be honest with you, I, you, you, I really don't have an answer. I really don't know. I don't even know where these new apartments are. Are these the condos that burnt down last year, or is this somewhere else?
Speaker 5:I know they're rebuilding them.
Speaker 8:The school, the old school, oh, the old school, okay. No, I mean just on the surface. I think it's like it's probably a great thing for the downtown area and the business owners. You know that more people presumably will go to those restaurants and shops and support those restaurants and shops. I think it's going to make things a little bit.
Speaker 8:You know, on the weekends it'd probably make wait times for a beer a little bit harder, and that's just being selfish, but you know, I think that the reality is is that you know, we've got a growing population and people need places to live, and this is not just here, it's everywhere. And you know, finding a place to live and I think also, like these new apartments probably are going to bring in a younger demographic in which I think, something, something downtown Willoughby would want the business owners in downtown Willoughby would want. Something downtown willoughby would want the business owners in downtown willoughby would want, whether it's people going to get uh coffee or, you know, going out for drinks on friday and saturday night. So, um, I can see where it could be like, I can see where you could be split on it, uh, but truthfully, like I, I'll reserve my opinion, I guess, until everything's done all right, duncan round us out here yeah, I think that the size of downtown Willoughby does probably tap out on how many people can really hold in downtown Willoughby on Erie Street.
Speaker 6:But at some point, you know, I like the new houses that are being built in the apartment building and the one that's restructured, but how much more could it handle? I don't know. And we all talk about parking and it's very true Like it is getting busier, but like if we're all looking to go do something, if you show me an empty parking lot, I'm going to show you a place that I probably don't want to go to. So it's kind of that double edged sword. If you want to have Willoughby be a cool place, parking is going to be a little bit tough because people are going to figure it out.
Speaker 6:You know, when I first moved here six years ago, Willoughby was this little borough of Cleveland that kind of had its own deal, its own families, its own same 10 places. That was a great little hideaway. And now it's kind of like the tourist attraction of everybody that I talk to down there is intentionally going out of their way from downtown Cleveland or Lakewood or south of the city or wherever to come to Willoughby instead of going maybe even downtown Cleveland. So it is that double-edged sword. I like the new houses, but the size of the downtown itself I don't know if it can handle much more.
Speaker 1:Okay, not a bad way to end it here, but we are going to end on that one and, with the new apartments going in, that is actually going to do it for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. I want to thank all of my guests Johnny Duncan, mike, jordan, rusty, wendy and Bill. I think I got everybody in on that one. Thank you, guys for joining all the listeners out there. Go and check out willoughby. If you haven't check out everything you've heard on the show here and, as always, if you enjoyed the show, be a friend, tell a friend. If you didn't tell them anyways, they might like it just because you didn't. That's gonna do it for me and I will see y'all next week.
