Buffalo/Cleveland

Yeah, that's the downside to what I guess are "craft donuts". The days of getting a dozen for 10 bucks are over.

 

Got back last night. Just a quick thanks again for all of the recommendations. Kids had a great time, we ate well and I had plenty of good fermented offerings. Here's a quick rundown of what we squeezed into 3 days:

Buffalo:
- Peace, Love & Little Donuts -- Kids really liked that they could make their own creations. They're obviously small donuts and add up quick price-wise.
- Niagra Falls -- Nothing fancy here. Took the ride on the Mist which will make for a good memory.
- Buffalo Museum of Science -- Kind of an off setup. It looked as though it was a museum in the middle of a high school? It ended up being pretty interactive which kept the kids engaged. They had more fun that I expected.
- Churn Soft Serve -- This place cranks out some seriously good ice cream. I got some coffee ice cream creation with a side of cold brew to wake me up from the drive. Would definitely go back again but holy shit it was expensive. Worth it though. Taco place next door looked cool. Come to think of it there were quite a few places on that strip that we'd like to check out next time.
- Tin Man Brewing -- Met some friends here for dinner and loved it. Chicken/pork belly sandwich was ridiculously good. Wish they had a bit more variety than IPA's as their brown was really good but IPA's are what pay the bills so I get it.
- Public Espresso -- We hit this on the way out of Buffalo the following morning. My wife ran in and grabbed me a cold brew which ended up being the standout cup of coffee on the trip for me.

Cleveland:
- Fat Head's -- We decided to hit the Middleburg Heights spot since a buddy I used to trade with works in the back. Awesome spot. Beers were good and food was too much to finish. Not a lot to be said that hasn't been said about FH. It's a go-to for people coming through town for a reason.
- Cleveland Aquarium -- You guys were right in that the place is small. You could easily burn through here in a half hour. That said, I appreciated the way they converted an old building into the different exhibits. We've been to aquariums all around the country and while others definitely offered up more exotic animals, this place had a different kind of charm to it. Not sure I'd say it's worth the price but it's definitely more memorable than others we've visited.
- Phoenix Coffee Co. -- Nothing special on the cold brew front.
- Brewnuts -- Goddamn, these things were massive. How anyone could eat 2 of these is beyond me. We got there as they opened at 4pm and snagged a half dozen. Grabbed a couple pints of Bodhi which was a bonus. The dude behind the counter came out and handed us another half dozen he made to showcase this weekend's specials. Said he needed to make 6 for pictures and that they were on the house. Can't beat that. I also got a cup of cold brew. Not sure the story behind the process but it tasted like it was filtered through a chocolate donut. Wasn't my thing. Regardless, killer spot. Pricey as all hell but there's no chance you're leaving this place hungry.
- Masthead -- Probably the best beers I had on the trip. The IPA's were mostly awesome (the strawberry milkshake was too much for me by that point) with the single origin coffee stout being the standout. The pizza was as basic as it gets but was f'ing phenomenal. We'd have dinner there 2 times a month easy if we were from the area.
- Sweetie's -- At this point, I gave up trying to figure out where Big Fun Toy Store was located or if it was still actually open. There was a Sweetie's candy store near the hotel so we went there. Never been a fan of candy but my wife was losing her shit over some of the things they had. Good for obviously kids and immature spouses.
- Now That's Class -- You guys don't care but the Slough Feg show was a blast. The place was a dive and I wouldn't ask for anything different. Memorable night with endless killer riffs.

We did Cedar Point on Friday. Didn't get a chance to eat or drink outside of there. Weather was nearly perfect but I was nursing a hangover from drinking/headbanging the night before. Small City would've put me over the edge. Next time!

 

I did a quick google search and it was within 5 minutes of where we were at. I'll keep that in mind next time.