Quirky…but Interesting and Excellent!

Continuing our visit with our family in the Cleveland Ohio area, it was time for Sunday brunch.  Amy and David II had planned out this long weekend…and they did a fine job of it too… Laurie and I had no idea what we were about to experience but it definitely turned out to be another foodie and cultural adventure!

This is the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern.  It sure doesn’t grab your eye on first glance…

The Beachland Ballroom was built in 1950 as the Croatian Liberty Home, with the ballroom and tavern now occupying the original structure.  In 1976 the kitchen and back bar area were added.  The Liberty Home was active on many social and political fronts and it was a true Cleveland landmark. 

But where's the Beach?  Actually it's less than a ½ mile north of the Beachland Ballroom…

In fact, one of the nation's best known amusement parks -- Euclid Beach – was right at the north end of E. 156th Street.  Euclid Beach operated from 1894 until 1969 and "Beachland" became the slang name for the whole North Collinwood neighborhood in those days.  On E. 185th St. we still have the "Beachland Branch" of the Post Office as well as hardware stores, dry cleaners and other businesses with the "Beachland" name.  On Lakeshore Blvd. there is even a Beachland Presbyterian Church! 

 

Very little of the former Euclid Beach Park still exists.  The actual "beach" is still there, much of which is now the Euclid Beach State Park, a public swimming area.  As shown above, the old Euclid Beach Park archway entrance still remains, looking out of place and now serving as the entrance to a senior citizen high-rise apartment complex. 

For more information regarding the history of Euclid Beach Park, you can go  to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclid_Beach_Park.

Continuing with our Beachland Ballroom experience... Here's Amy, our grandson Emmett Lee, and David II… We’re getting ready to order brunch.

Ahhh…my namesakes!  This is David II with our other grandson, David III.

Here is Laurie, aka. Nana, and Amy, who is responsible for watching out for and civilizing all 3 of her ‘boys’…

Beachland Ballroom and Tavern is a very quirky place.  Believe it or not, Beachland Ballroom considers itself a top music venue rather than just a tavern and restaurant.  In 2000, this venue became Cleveland's most eclectic music club.  You can see the spotlights on the ceiling which are aimed at the stage area.

More impressive yet is the fact that the Ballroom and Tavern, (two different venues in the same building), have music of one type or another going on all the time!  Taking off on Labor Day, the action during the first week in September was/is as follows:  Tue, Sep 3 | 8 PM (7 PM door) - The Carpenter Ants and Cats On Holiday; Wed, Sep 4 | 8 PM (7 PM door) - Oktoberfest Accordion Extravaganza with Johnny Koenig / Kevin Solecki; Wed, Sep 4 | 8:30 PM (7:30 PM door) - Pearl & The Beard with Jack & The Bear; Thu, Sep 5 | 8:30 PM (7:30 PM door) - J. Roddy Walston & The Business with Taddy Porter; Fri, Sep 6 | 9 PM (8 PM door) – Floodwood featuring Al Schneir & Vinnie Amico of moe plus JP & The Chatfield Boys; Fri, Sep 6 | 9 PM (8 PM door) – Caveman with The Hedgehog's Dilemma: Sat, Sep 7 | 9 PM (8 PM door) - The Dictators NYC F__k You Pay Me with I Love Rich, and; Sat, Sep 7 | 9 PM (8:30 PM door) - Hazard Adams.

Now onto one very eclectic and interesting brunch!  Laurie had the Smoked Salmon and Latkes. ($8.00) Smoked salmon is served on house-made potato pancakes and then the salmon is topped with a poached free-range egg and the dish is served with lemon crème fraiche.  I'd never seen potato pancakes made with hash browns...but it worked! 

This is the Beachland Basic with an order of sausage gravy and a scratch-made buttermilk biscuit. ($6.50 + $5.00) It came with house-made sausage and Stone Oven Siciliano toast.  FYI…Wild Mushroom Gravy is also available.

For those of us who would like a cocktail with our brunch, Beachland Ballroom and Tavern has a nice full page brunch cocktail menu available.  How about a Russian Quaalude with vanilla vodka, Kahlua, Amaretto and Irish cream! ($7.00) Would you prefer a Hot Chocolate or Coffee Drink? ($5.00) Or…how about trying a champagne cocktail, ($5.00), or a Spicy Bloody Mary? ($6.00)

This is a full order of the Southland Ballroom and Tavern’s Deep South Biscuits and Gravy with home fries. ($8.00) Seasonal fruit also accompanies this dish…

This is one of our 2 orders of this offering.  It’s the House-Made Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich with Fried Chicken and Home Fries. ($6.50) The chicken is buttermilk marinated and the sandwich is served with pickles, whole grain mustard and natural Ohio honey.  FYI…Gluten free biscuits are available.

These are Emmett Lee’s Buckwheat Pancakes. ($8.00) These house-made pancakes are made from locally produced buckwheat and buttermilk and they’re served with seasonal fruit.  They are also accompanied with Ohio maple syrup and a choice of locally smoked bacon, house-made sausage, roasted Portobello mushrooms or the vegetable of the day.

Emmett went with this nice looking bacon as his side…

Other brunch items include: Savory Vegetable Tart du Jour ($8.00); Duck’s Egg Omelet and Toast ($8.00); Vegan Special ($8.50); Eggs Beachland ($9.50); Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad ($9.00); Chicken or Pinto Bean Chilaquiles ($8.00) and; the North Coast Turkey Sandwich. ($8.50)

This trendy offering is Beachland Ballroom and Tavern’s version of Chicken and Waffles. ($9.50) This is buttermilk fried chicken served over house-made waffles with sides of natural Ohio maple syrup and hot sauce.  FYI…gluten free waffles are available.

We truly enjoyed our brunch and our experience at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern!  The food was interesting and very good too.  Service was fine despite how busy the place was, the prices were fair and the setting was fun.  This restaurant is worth going out of your way if you’re anywhere in the Cleveland area.

The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern is located at 15711 Waterloo Road in Cleveland Ohio.  They serve lunch, dinner, brunch and lots of music too!  There is even a DJ on Sundays for the brunch event.  Phone: 216-383-1124.  Website: http://www.beachlandballroom.com/.

Just click on any of the food photos to enlarge them to better whet your appetite!

Thanks for stopping by for this family fun and food experience!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave