Chagrin Falls

So, this post got lost in the shuffle and I was shocked this morning to see that it had not already been published. Or written. (This trip was just before my job interview and my brother’s wedding, so I’m giving myself some grace.)

My bestie, Emily, and I met halfway in Chagrin Falls, OH, back in August on a beautiful Sunday morning. The quaint village–much like East Aurora–is just outside Cleveland, a short drive from the highway and smack-dab in the middle of Dayton, OH and East Aurora, NY.

We spent our day walking around the village during their weekly farmer’s market, eating a picnic lunch and stopping into boutiques. Sitting by the waterfall (!!) to have lunch was a highlight; East Aurora may be super cute, but we do not have a waterfall.

One thing Emily and I like to do when we’re together is go on a walk or a hike. There is a park near her house that we go to just about every time I’m visiting, called Sugar Creek. I love it and look forward to our walks and talks very much. She’s more outdoorsy than I am, and I’m more of a runner than she is, so our middle-paced, more-than-a-walk, less-than-a-hike is a perfect way for each of us to feel we got some exercise and quality time.

Just outside Chagrin Falls is a small park with a trail running through both a wooded area and a meadow. We enjoyed both the sun and the shade and walked 3-4 miles by the time we got back to our cars.

One thing Ohio is famous for is Jeni’s Ice Cream. I know I’ve blogged about this before, but if you’re new, Jeni’s is a ’boutique’ ice cream shop (started by Jeni, of course) with about five or six locations around the state, as well as new ‘scoop shops’ in Los Angeles, Nashville, Chicago, Charleston, St. Louis, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Her ice cream is all handcrafted and often features unique flavors like Goat Cheese with Red Berries and Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet. The Salty Caramel is the most popular flavor, and the best caramel I’ve ever had–if it weren’t so expensive to ship, I’d keep that stocked all year long! Just checking the website for this blog made my mouth water!

We stopped in for some cones and snapped a selfie in front. I’m always so thankful the scoopers behind the counter are patient and let me try so many flavors…I’m that girl! So indecisive. I know that purple scoop was Wildberry Lavender, another one of my faves.

After our ice cream, it was time to say goodbye. We grabbed sandwiches to-go from a local shop and headed to our cars. I left my house around 6:30 am, we both arrived around 10 am, departed around 4 pm and I was home again well before 8 pm. It sounds like a whirlwind, but it really wasn’t. We decided Chagrin Falls will be our ‘go-to’ meet-up indefinitely, whether it be for a girls’ day/overnight, or our annual New Year’s Eve get-together.

lunch at Jeni’s

We’re on the way home from Carmel and we stopped, of course, at Jeni’s in Dublin. Having some first-timers with us this time made it even more fun.

After pointing them out to the handlebar-mustached young guy behind the counter, they were handed samples of Salty Caramel, the most popular flavor.

We all sampled various flavored and made our selections.

I’ve always wanted the ‘One Night in Bangkok” sundae, but have never been able to stand the heat from the cayenne pepper in the peanut ice cream. I gave it another try today and didn’t think it was too bad, probably due to my increased intake of Buffalo wings of late…

The added peanuts, caramel sauce, banana and whipped cream help to tone it down. You even get a fortune cookie! My only regrets: not ‘trying’ Salty Caramel’ and ‘Wildberry Lavender.’ I know what they taste like, but no trip to Jeni’s seems complete without them.

I CORRECTLY predicted that the newbies would be boring and stick to ‘plain’ favors. Indeed, Abigail got a vanilla and chocolate cone, and Carolyn and Ben shared a ‘Mock Turtle’ sundae, which features vanilla with pecans and caramel and chocolate sauces. At least they liked them.

Andrew got a favorite, Whiskey and Pecans, in a fresh-made cone.

On the way out, we spied a leg lamp in a shop window…

best ice cream EVER

I don’t remember when I first discovered Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams–I was familiar with the OUTRAGEOUSLY priced pints ($10 each at Dorothy Lane Market!) before I first tried their “Salty Caramel” flavor at Susy’s house.

It was amazing. Salty Caramel is perhaps their best-selling flavor; it’s slightly creative without being too off the wall. That’s the thing about Jeni’s–they don’t have just plain vanilla or chocolate or cookie dough. They offer flavors like Ugandan Vanilla Bean and Riesling and Poached Pear. Seriously, they do. And they all taste exactly how they sound.

Andrew and I made a pit stop on our way up to NY Sunday. Jeni’s has seven (I think) locations in the Columbus area, and we always go to the High Street shop when we’re in Short North.

It’s on the corner of Lincoln and High Streets.

I love chalkboard signs. They make me want to have my own little shop so I can write on them.

This is what you see when you walk in. Well, not everyone gets to see a very indecisive Andrew looking much like ‘The Thinker.’ That’s it–he can’t give me any more crap about taking too long to decide what I want to eat. I now have proof he has his moments of indecision, too.

Thank goodness for the explanation of flavors! I’ve had Bangkok Peanut before, and it’s HOT.

I love that every flavor is so fresh. For example, the Lime Cardamom with Rhubarb you see above was just Lime Cardamom this spring when we were here for Dave’s track meet and stopped in Easter Sunday (They were open on Easter Sunday, of all days! while I thought it highly sacrilegious, I was happy to have some Jeni’s). It was yummy then, and it’s only better with the addition of rhubarb.

This is Jeni. I love funky glasses. I was actually a teensy bit disappointed when I got PRK a couple years ago knowing I wouldn’t need glasses for another 15 years. They can be such statement pieces without even trying. Anyway, about Jeni. She certainly looks proud of herself; and she should be. She’s doing something she loves and worked hard enough and was blessed with enough luck to actually make it big. You go, girl!

This is Andrew thoroughly enjoying his ice cream. He got Ugandan Vanilla Bean (his usual), Strawberries and Buttermilk, and something else. I can’t remember and it was hidden at the bottom of his cone. Side note: the t-shirt he’s wearing is from Homage, a vintage t-shirt store off Pearl Street behind Jeni’s. We stumbled upon it after dining at Tasi, a French bistro also behind Jeni’s, when we were here for the Family Life Marriage Conference a few months ago. Anyway, we LOVE Homage and Tasi. You must visit both next time you’re in C-bus.

I got Bourbon Buttered Pecan, Sour Cherries and Goat Cheese, and Pistachio and Honey–YUM. The Pistachio and Honey was awesome–I saved it for last. It was slightly salty, slightly sweet and a little nutty.

Loved it. The best part? Susy got me Jeni’s just-released ice cream COOKBOOK for my birthday! Cannot wait to make room in this tiny freezer here in the hotel to try out some recipes! Yes, I did bring my ice cream maker to the hotel. I figured, why not? I can’t bake and it’s summer and I knew I was getting the cookbook…