Rehearsal Dinner, part 2

I received an email earlier today from Calvin's mom with some exciting news- the rehearsal dinner is booked!

You may recall from my earlier post that we have checked out a couple of places. Over Thanksgiving weekend, we went out to another wonderful dinner with Calvin's parents to Lola, (the new!) Iron Chef Michael Symon's flagship restaurant. Calvin and I had already been to Lolita and loved it, and we were really looking forward to visiting Lola.

Expectations were high. I've been to Lolita twice, and both times was thoroughly impressed by my meal. When Lola moved from Tremont (an area in Cleveland with lots of restaurants and galleries) across the river to E. 4th st. (by the House of Blues and other restaurants and nightlife; this is right downtown), Symon turned Lola into Lolita- a more casual, friendlier on the wallet version of Lola. But Lola is arguably the best restaurant in town, and Symon won "The Next Iron Chef" between the time that we made are reservation and actually ate our meal.

Sadly, I do not have pictures of our evening, as I left my camera at home and my cell phone is camera-free.

We were seated promptly at our table; at a neighboring booth was none other than Michael Ruhlman. Calvin's mom and I were discussing whether the chef himself would be working that night, but that question was quickly answered- he was. It turns out that Chef Symon spends a significant amount of time at each of his restaurants when they are open, and he tries to talk with every.single.person that sits at his tables. Yes, we did get to meet him(!) and talked with him briefly about having our rehearsal dinner at Lola. (Eeee! The teenage girl foodie in me is still really excited- this is the first celebrity I have ever really talked to!) Naturally, he thought it was a great idea.

After dinner, we met with the manager and saw the private dining room. Chic, modern, wonderful. The only question was whether it would be large enough. (At this point in time, we had decided it was either Lola or Lolita. Lola's dining room seats 30, and Lolita's, 45). We decided that only those directly involved (and their significant others- or parents, in the case of the flower girl and ring bearer) in the wedding would be invited to the rehearsal dinner- which leaves us at 27 for dinner. Given the close proximity of the restaurant to the hotel where guests will be staying, we figure that we can set up a time to meet guests at the bar after the rehearsal dinner.

So Lola it is.

And I am more than ecstatic about getting to taste some of the wonderfulness that comes out of that kitchen the night before I get married. (Holy cow! I'm getting married!)

Where are (did) you having your rehearsal dinner? Are (did) you including out of town guests, or restricting it to those involved in the wedding?

Rehearsal Dinner, part 1

In thinking about the rehearsal dinner, Calvin and I knew a couple of things that we wanted: in the city, locally owned, and amazing food. We also knew that the numbers for the rehearsal dinner would be on the smaller side, since we are inviting only those involved in the wedding.

Fortunately for us, Cleveland's local restaurant scene is absolutely amazing- it is in my mind one of the best things about the city. Unfortunately for us, that means there are lots of good options, which means that we had to go out to dinner to a number of them. Darn. But you do what you have to do for the sake of wedding planning. :-D

Our first stop was Jac's, located in the Warehouse district. The location is great, especially since it is only a couple of blocks away from the hotel where many members of the bridal party will be staying. A fairly new restaurant, it serves Mediterranean cuisine. Reviews of the food were good, although reviews of the service was mixed. So we decided to check it out.

Photo of Jac's

And while the food was good, service was absolutely abysmal. I worked as a server in college, so I understand when things are outside of the control of the server, but this was the worst service I have ever experienced anywhere, especially since the restaurant was mostly empty. Needless to say, we did not want to hold the rehearsal dinner there.

The next place we checked out was Fahrenheit. Located in Tremont (an area known for its art galleries and amazing restaurants), it has received excellent reviews.

Photo of Fahrenheit

The food was really good; I had the pumpkin ravioli, which was an excellent vegetarian dish. In this search for a good rehearsal dinner restaurant, it is important that there be at least one really good vegetarian option- the best man, after all, has to enjoy his meal. The atmosphere was nice, and the banquet room looked really good. Fahrenheit was definitely the frontrunner in the rehearsal dinner search, until this past weekend...