Five days later....

Here I am, with my stinky foot in my mouth. The snow is long melted, and the rain has washed even the white dust of salt from our vehicles. While a little snow on Monday might keep the brave culinary scene of Cleveland quiet, a great re-birth of invigorated souls marched downtown in mass to the tune of sold out, over booked, and... gasp... a wait for a table.

The first annual restaurant week was a resounding success for the Wonder Bar. Close to 70% of our food sales came from customers ordering off our generous special restaurant week menu. Thursday, Friday and Saturday all caused me great joy with a bar full of restaurant patrons eating and drinking. There happiness a bloom and percolated with the now motivational sounds of Miles Davis. I’ve never been so happy to hear that Lola is booked full!! Knowing in turn that is why these lost soles wandered into the Wonder Bar, I mean since you parked at least we can validate your parking, but no! We made some friends that is for sure. Hopefully they will wander back to E. 4th street in search of some great happening, some hopeless daydream, some culinary epiphany and remember, "oh yeah, the Wonder Bar.... the food there ‘don’t suck’ " and we will be there to welcome them with open arms, icy cold martinis, and heart warming flatbread like the mother of a runaway child.

What have we learned this week. Basically that mass marketing works very well. So does a sense of community, and discounts. Hopefully the second annual restaurant week is being planned somewhere out there already.