Year in Review - 10 of My Favorite Things from 2011

I got to do a lot of exploring around town this year, and I thought I'd share some of my favorite things from this year. (but I'm not Oprah, so I'm not giving anything away - you'll have to check these things out on your own!)  Here are my 10 favorite things/places/etc. for 2011. (in no particular order)

Restaurant Review: Vegan Night at Washington Place Bistro

I ended up at Washington Place Bistro's inaugural vegan night accidentally last week.  I'd been at a Yelp event that had really light bites and rather than spending an hour in the car arguing about where to go afterwards (which is generally how any food related decisions are made in my life), I made the managerial decision to go to Washington Place Bistro.  Through the wonders of technology, I was able to make a last minute reservation for 9:00 pm using my Open Table app on my iPhone.

Despite the fact that we were late (have you driven down Euclid Avenue lately?  how many lights are there exactly?!) we were seated without a fuss and had an incredibly attentive (but not in an overbearing way) server.

I ordered what I think is the best drink at Washington Place Bistro - a Moscow mule, and my boyfriend ordered...something?  Beer, maybe.  But I was much more intent on drinking my delicious drink than anything else. 

Surprisingly Vegan - Cupcakes from Vegan Sweet Tooth

Ok, so the title of this post might be a little misleading.  Clearly, I know that cupcakes from Vegan Sweet Tooth are vegan, but...they are so good, even your most skeptical meat eating or vegan hating friends won't be able to tell the difference.  Really!

I stopped by VST after volunteering this past Saturday, in search of some baked goodies to take with me to a party.  I know that they frequently sell out of just about everything on weekends, so when I showed up at their mall kiosk in Eton on Chagrin, I didn't have high hopes.  Thank goodness there were some mini cupcakes left, though!  But there really wasn't much else left, except a a few regular sized cupcakes, quite a few gluten free cupcakes, come cake pops (made with my nemesis - red food dye - can't wait until that trend passes or bakeries find a way to make delicious treats without tons of dye that I'm allergic to), and a raspberry cheesecake.

I could have eaten the whole box of cupcakes on my way home (the picture makes them looks bigger than they are - they're about a two bite treat), but I restrained myself and only ate a carrot cake cupcake. (after picking off the carrot - down with dye!)  And it was good!  Admittedly, not the best carrot cake cupcake I've ever eaten, but...still pretty darn good.  My favorite flavor from Vegan Sweet Tooth continues to be chocolate with peanut butter frosting.  I can't even describe how good it is.  And honestly, the chocolate cupcakes I've had from VST are some of the best cupcakes I've ever eaten.  You'd never know they're dairy and animal product free.  Flavors vary, but if you stop by, I'm sure you're bound to find something that sounds delicious.

These little babies were a hit at the party!  No one could tell they were vegan!  The next time you're looking for some tasty little treats for yourself or for an event, be sure to check out Vegan Sweet Tooth!