Casa Roja Out; Gamekeeper's Cottage In

The folks behind Gamekeeper's Taverne will try their hand at another dining concept inside the quaint red building at 79 West St. in Chagrin Falls. What started in 2008 as Village Exchange and later that year as West End Bistro, most recently became Casa Roja. While its June 2015 opening looked promising with a menu of Spanish-style tapas, Gamekeeper's Taverne owners closed the doors last month.

But the space won't sit empty for long. Gamekeeper's Taverne has plans to revamp it in time for the iconic Chagrin Falls restaurant's 40th anniversary this spring. "I know for sure it is going to be called Gamekeeper's Cottage," says general manager Bob Humphrey.

Foodies can expect a wide array of mouthwatering options at Gamekeeper's Cottage along with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. "It's primarily going to be a lot of sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, salads with salmon or chicken," says Humphrey. "We want to do kind of a more family-friendly style place."

Although the main focus will be on the food, Gamekeeper's Cottage will have a full wine list and happy hours. "If it is not open for lunch during the week, then we might open at like 2:30 and do an aggressive happy hour," says Humphrey. "When we opened the Casa concept, we kind of did a happy hour from 2:30 to 6 p.m to catch that crowd that wanted to do happy hour."

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In the Mix

Strobe lights, loud music and plentiful mixed drinks transform the usually clean-cut atrium of the  Cleveland Museum of Art into a nightclub for one evening every month.

"It’s one of the only places you can go for a happy hour, to hear music, and be in this spectacular space," says Charity D'Amato, founder of the design studio Chartreuse. "It’s not just a bar you’re going to ... it is this large museum with very recognizable works of art that you can go and sort of hang out with."

The art museum hosts Mix events the first Friday of every month, each with a different theme ranging from masquerade balls to the apocalypse. All in one night, guests can cut loose on the disco-ball-adorned dance floor, unwind at the cocktail bar and peruse the galleries of centuries-old works as they please.

"It's about getting people into the galleries in a relaxed setting,"says Aaron Petersal, director of membership and visitor experience at the museum.

Since the museum started hosting the event last October, it has steadily been growing, now drawing more than 1,200 people each month.

The theme for the next event on June 7 is Mix: Connections, highlighting the relationship between the CMA and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland. To show how modern artists are influenced by those of the past, you’ll get to see contemporary artist Kate Gilmore’s work compared to her inspiration, Jackson Pollock. Gilmore’s work is currently on display at MOCA, but there will also be a live rendering of her performance art piece Hold on Her at CMA.

Get the best of both museums with a free trolley that runs all night. Take in electronic artists Radio People at MOCA and check out other artworks on display as part of the museum's own WtF (Welcome to Friday) series. Keep the music going back over at CMA, where DJs Charles McGraw and Darrick Grant will spin funk and soul records until 9 p.m.

The connections theme trickles into the cocktail menu with custom blends such as Rusty Nails, a Scotch-based drink to pair with a piece on display at the museum by Damian Ortega titled Controller of the Universe, featuring carpentry and gardening tools suspended in mid-air.

D'Amato attended one of her first Mix events in November and has been back for a few times since then. "It was just a cool way of gathering young professionals who are interested in art on a Friday night and kicking off the weekend," she says.

Members to either museum can attend the happy hour for free.  Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Call 216-421-7350 or visit ClevelandArt.org/MIX for tickets.

A Happy Hour Mission

It’s my first summer working in downtown Cleveland, so some friends of mine and I made it our mission to sample downtown restaurants by hitting up their happy hours. We tried a new place each week, exploring some of the city’s best dining for a fraction of the usual cost.

I’m singling out those that stood out to us, but I encourage you to strike out on a happy hour path of your own. Some places were mediocre, but most offered delicious food and drinks at reasonable prices.

Our first stop was Chinato on East 4th Street. I was a fan of Zach Bruell’s restaurants already, but Chinato’s 4:30-6:30 p.m. happy hour still left a lasting impression. I chose a white wine ($5) and shared three appetizers with a friend for $5 each, enough to fill two grumbling stomachs. The gnocchi dish was perfect: light, tender and buttery. A panini served with fries and fennel sausage pizza rounded out our carb trio. Drinks range from $3 for Great Lakes drafts to $5 for featured wine and cocktails.

Bar Louie on West 6th Street surprised us with fabulous $5 select appetizers during the 4-7 p.m. weekday happy hour. We opted for spinach and artichoke dip and the bruschetta pomodoro. The dip, made fresh in the kitchen, is heavier on the green than cream, just how I like it. When I needed advice, our server pointed out her favorite martinis and suggested the best cocktails for my taste. I went with a Pom Peche martini ($5), a light, peach alternative to the bitter original.

Zocalo stood out for mixing drink specials with a prime location. Many restaurants only serve happy hour at the bar, but at Zocalo, you can enjoy it on the patio, where the East 4th street scene is exciting after a day in an office. My sugar-rimmed mangrita (mango margarita) was sweet and tropical, fruity rather than cool. The large bowl of fresh chips never ran out, even though we never stopped munching. For atmosphere and great prices, including $5 margaritas and $5 select appetizers, Zocalo’s 2-7 p.m. happy hour is a hot spot.

The Greenhouse Tavern, across the street, remained a happy hour quest left unfinished. We chose to sit on the rooftop patio, a great summer destination, but that meant we couldn’t order food or enjoy any drink discounts. At the first-floor bar, the 5-7 p.m. happy hour includes reduced prices on menu items and drinks and an exclusive: the moule frites (mussels and fries, $13) are only offered on the happy hour menu.

Taming the Tab

I stopped by Light Bistro in Ohio City for happy hour recently and discovered that co-owners Chef Matthew Mathlage and Erich Dietrich have made it even happier. Show up Monday through Friday between 4:30-6:30 pm. and you can order selected lunchtime salads, sandwiches, and burgers at mid-day prices. These options plus daily drink specials and a bar menu of small plates makes for some seriously appealing bargains.

My companion and I had three cocktails- two whiskey sours for him, one sloe gin fizz for me- and shared a trio of dishes: crispy buttermilk-coated fried chicken livers with a few forkfuls of garlic spinach; big flavored pork belly on brioche with fennel slaw; and a round of charred flatbread topped with oven roasted tomatoes, pesto, and provolone. The total cost was only $28.40 plus tip.

Light’s also partnering with Grovewood Tavern on the east side for another great deal. Spend $60 on meals at each place between now and May 15, mail in your receipts, and you’ll get two $20 gift certificates, each good for your next dinners at these restaurants. In other words- enjoy yourself to the tune of $120 and you get a gift worth $40…with lots of good food and good times thrown in. Click here for details.

Deals like these can mean the difference between staying home or going out. These folks know that money’s tight for many people, and they’re in the same boat. To help themselves and get us in the door, they’re making it more affordable to eat at their restaurants. And that’s an economic survival strategy that’s easy for me to support.