I’m tired and grumpy. An Aspen skiing vacation would be nice right about now. As long as I didn’t have to actually ski. I’m more of an après kind of girl. My idea of a good time is hanging out in the lodge in front of a roaring fire with an adult beverage. But with round trip airfare around $700, jetting out to Colorado is definitely not happening.
Luckily there’s Blue Canyon in Twinsburg, a spot much closer to home that can create the illusion of getting away and satisfy my taste for a rustic mountain retreat.
A Saturday evening spent there recently reminded me of just how much vacation vibe there is in the log cabin look, big stone hearth and antler accessories. If the husband and I had gotten a room- better yet a suite- next door at the Hilton Garden Inn , stayed overnight, and come back for Sunday brunch- after a dip in the whirlpool of course- we could have taken the get away fantasy to the next level.
But dinner was a wonderful taste trip in itself. Chef Brandt Evans does creative American food. That means he’s not shy about mixing in some Asian spice, Italian ingredients, and French style. We had scallops wrapped in salmon bacon, poached lobster with lemongrass scallion butter,
the polenta crusted calamari pictured here, with a sweet Thai chile and soy emulsion, pierogi filled with duck confit, and braised short ribs with smoked tomato spoon bread. Everything was lick the plate clean delicous. He has wines custom blended to go with his dishes and the pairings we tried at his recommendation really made the preparations sing.
Luckily there’s Blue Canyon in Twinsburg, a spot much closer to home that can create the illusion of getting away and satisfy my taste for a rustic mountain retreat.
A Saturday evening spent there recently reminded me of just how much vacation vibe there is in the log cabin look, big stone hearth and antler accessories. If the husband and I had gotten a room- better yet a suite- next door at the Hilton Garden Inn , stayed overnight, and come back for Sunday brunch- after a dip in the whirlpool of course- we could have taken the get away fantasy to the next level.But dinner was a wonderful taste trip in itself. Chef Brandt Evans does creative American food. That means he’s not shy about mixing in some Asian spice, Italian ingredients, and French style. We had scallops wrapped in salmon bacon, poached lobster with lemongrass scallion butter,
the polenta crusted calamari pictured here, with a sweet Thai chile and soy emulsion, pierogi filled with duck confit, and braised short ribs with smoked tomato spoon bread. Everything was lick the plate clean delicous. He has wines custom blended to go with his dishes and the pairings we tried at his recommendation really made the preparations sing. Although stuffed we still had to do dessert- smores on a stick with housemade marshmallows were ridiculously good. 
Some January specials make a Blue Canyon “holiday” even more of a bargain. Mondays are Date Night, with dinner for two priced at only $35. Wednesdays school employees and first responders- police, firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs- get 25 % off entrees. Thursdays are Ladies Night- aps and pizza are half price and drinks are discounted. A tasting event on January 20 features 20 wines for $20.
Photos courtesy of Brandt Evans and photographers Brad Ronevich and Steve Zorc
Photos courtesy of Brandt Evans and photographers Brad Ronevich and Steve Zorc
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