A commoner drinks (and dines) at Mike’s Horseshoe Bar, Madison, Wis.

In my hometown, when you hear the phrase “horseshoe bar” you probably think of a place where you can build your own open-faced sandwich covered with fries and smothered with cheese sauce.  But in almost every other place in the world, I imagine one would expect a place that has a bar shaped like an actual horseshoe. 

Nailed it (pun intended).

That’s exactly what you'll find inside Mike’s Horseshoe Bar and Grill in Madison, Wis.  And on my search for the best friendly, neighborhood taverns in town, Mike’s was among the best.

Random observations from three months in Greater Cleveland

Imagine my surprise when I recently checked my blog statistics (yes, I actually do that … it’s amazing to learn how many countries I get “hits” from) and discovered it’s been about two months since my last post.

I offer no excuses for my recent blogging blight, but I do have reasons, with working out of state being the prominent one. Fortunately, extended time at any work site gives me the opportunity to learn more in depth about the area I’m temporarily living in every Monday through Friday. Every place has its gems … and its duds.  Here are just a few of my takeaways from approximately three months immersed in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio: