It's Christmas in July and there are plenty of celebrations this weekend. If you're looking for a place to celebrate check out this list below:

Melt Bar and Grilled – (14718 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood) They have 4 kegs of Great Lakes Brewery Christmas Ale that they tapped this morning at 11 am. Last year they had two kegs and they were out in 8 hours.

Great Lakes Brewery – (2516 Market Ave., Cleveland) They'll have Christmas Ale all weekend. On Monday they will have there annual celebration. This event is already sold out so stop by this weekend for some Xmas Ale.

The Winking Lizard – The Lizard will have GLBC Xmas Ale and Christmas Cookies. I heard Santa might stop by as well. Always a fun place to hang out!

Put-in-Bay – The place with the largest Christmas in July celebration. The bars will be decorated in holiday decor serving holiday drinks. It feels just like Christmas at Put-in-Bay this weekend, except it's 80 degrees)

McCarthy's Ale House – (16918 Detroit Ave., Lakewood) Costume party tonight with a variety holiday beverages.

West Park Station – (17015 Lorain Ave., Cleveland) They'll not only have Great Lakes Christmas Ale but they will also have Goose Island Christmas Ale.

While many local restaurants are struggling to stay afloat in this sluggish economy, Cleveland's own "Iron Chef" winner Michael Symon, is making plans to open two new restaurants in Northeast Ohio. The new restaurants will be located in the suburbs of Cleveland, and will feature menus that are different from those at his existing restaurants, Lola and Lolita.

Bar Symon will open in June in Avon Lake where the old Swingos Grand Tavern once was. It described as a casual and comfortable tavern, and will feature rotisserie items ranging from $9 to $18. The drink menu will feature 100 beers from around the world, 40 of them artisinal brews available on tap, and a wine list of about 25 bottles.

On the east side, Symon plans to open up The B Spot in Woodmere, a former Cold Stone Creamery location. Here Symon says that the emphasis will be on simple foods, and that the menu will include "maybe 10 burgers plus fries, milkshakes, a couple of salads and around 20 beers on tap."

This fall you'll also be able to pick up the chef's first cookbook - "Symon Says: Live to Cook" - which he co-authored with Michael Ruhlman of Cleveland Heights.

If you're looking for the perfect dessert or appetizer to make for your sweetie this Valentine's Day, consider this recipe for Coeur a La Creme with fresh raspberry compliments of the Black Sheep Inn of Western New York. One of the Inn's signature dishes, Coeur a La Creme is delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients-
Coeur a la creme:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened or mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt

Topping:

1/3 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Special equipment: 2 (1/3 cup) ceramic coeur a la creme molds and cheesecloth
1/3 cup sour cream or whole milk cream on top yogurt
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, with a bit of the rind grated in
Pinch sea salt

Topping:
1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed (other berries are a delicious change if you prefer
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Special equipment: 2 (1/3 cup) ceramic Coeur a la creme molds and cheesecloth

Directions:

Cleveland Independents, a group of 80 local independent restaurants, is launching a new campaign in an effort to support the local economy. The "Oh, Honey" campaign launches on February 14 - Valentine's Day - and promotes the use of local honey.

Member restaurants will each create dishes that use honey as an ingredient, allowing them to show off their own unique interpretations of how honey can be creatively used in their recipes.

Newly elected Cleveland Independents President and chef/owner of Fire Food & Drink Douglas Katz says:

“Unlike chain restaurants, independent restaurants are encouraged to promote their creativity. They may alter their menus on a whim, if they see fit, something that is impossible for a chain restaurant to accomplish. We believe that our food-driven campaigns are a great way for customers to experience the difference. Our involvement with local purveyor Ohio Honey reinforces the importance of buying local from a fresh ingredient standpoint and also helps support the northeast Ohio economy."

For a complete listing of member restaurants and more information about Cleveland Independents, visit www.clevelandindependents.com.

This month features the ultimate battle in breakfast food freebies, with both Denny's and IHOP restaurants attempting to lure in customers by offering free food.

On Tuesday, February 3, Denny's (NASDAQ: DENN) is offering a free a Grand Slam and coupon book to all customers that show up between 6am and 2pm. If you're not a frequent Denny's visitor, a Grand Slam consists of 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, 2 sausages, 2 slices of bacon.

On Tuesday, February 24 it's National Pancake Day at IHOP, where from 7am to 10pm all customers will be treated to a free short stack of pancakes. For those of you who don't know what a short stack is, its three pancakes. All they ask is that you consider making a donation to a local children's hospital, through the Children's Miracle Network or other means.

So which deal will you go for? Dennys or IHOP, or both? Me? I'll be staying home. No free meal is worth the inevitably long wait at either restaurant.

Ciarán Duffy has been wowing guests at the fabulous Tristan restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina with his delicious signature chocolate BBQ sauces, proving once and for all that BBQ can be a part of a gourmet meal. Guests often want to know the recipe, and as the executive chef says, "One lady wanted to take home a gallon of it." Now, even if you'll never get the chance to dine at Tristan, you can enjoy the luxurious taste and comfort of Tristan's Chocolate BBQ sauce at home.

Available for just $8 per bottle, Tristan's Chocolate BBQ sauce can be ordered online and shipped right to your door. There are three delicious variations to choose from, including: Chocolate BBQ Sauce, Chocolate Chili BBQ Sauce, and Chocolate Pomegranate Sauce.

How many of your Facebook friends are you actually really friends with? Not many, if you're like most people. So why exactly are they your "friend"? You probably don't have a good answer, except that it's cool to collect a bunch of buddies. Burger King, however, wants you to ditch the worthless friends and they're willing to bribe you to do it.

For every 10 friends you remove, the application will send a notification to the ex-friend via News Feed informing them that the user's love of Whoppers surpasses that of they're like for them. Ouch.

First BK began offering the "Flame" spray so we can all smell like burgers, now they're encouraging people to ditch friends by bribing them with fast food. Hmm... I wonder what they'll be up to next!

Part 1 of Fitness Series

Next time you are at the mall, in the grocery store or at work, take a look around. Most people I see are heavier than they should be. Many people know they are out of shape and genuinely want to change. One major problem is that our American consumer mentality approves of it. Even young children are fat. There are many reasons that obesity is on the rise and seems to getting worse. I would imagine that adults would give reasons such as: I am too busy to cook healthy meals and the drive-through is a more time convenient way to feed my family. I don't have time to exercise. My spouse and I both work and are too tired to exercise when the work day is over. I do not know where to start with a fitness regimen. I cannot afford a gym membership in today's economy. The excuses could go on and on, and some of them are almost valid. Hopefully, after reading this column, readers will realize that most of the rational are completely bogus. If you have time to sit here and read this article, you have the 15 or 20 minutes it would take to start living a more weight conscious lifestyle. As with any other exercise program, please get a physical from your physician and tell them about your intentions of starting a workout routine.

The Big Egg, once a late-night hot spot on the city's west side, shut down in 2002 after a series of santiation violations issued by the Cleveland Health Department. The restaurant was once known for its 24-hour operation and iconic egg-shaped menus, and was a popular spot to grab a bite to eat in the wee hours of the morning after most bars closed.

The new restaurant won't be owned by the original owners. Jimmy and Ahmad Lababidi will reopen the restaurant at its former location, 5107 Detroit Ave., and received permission from the previous owner to reuse the name.

Yea, but will they still have the Egg-Shaped menu?

While the new owners are aiming to eventually get the Big Egg back to 24-hour operation, in the beginning the hours will be 6 am to 9pm.

Following the Big Egg's closure in 2002, a Vietnamese restaurant known as Long Phung moved in and did some renovations to the building's interior, so when the restaurant is reopened it won't look quite the same as people remember.

Jimmy Lababidi said, "The menu is not yet finished, but it will be popular American food at good prices."

The Fabulous Food Show was held at the I-X Center this past weekend, November 14-16. This annual culinary event hosted several popular celebrity chefs, as well as over 150 different food exhibitors. There were many free samples being handed out, and also a wine a beer tasting event.

One of the celebrity chefs, Curtis Stone, put on live demonstration of his cooking talents. It was very entertaining, keeping the entire crowd involved throughout the feature, and even allowed several people from the audience to go onstage and help. The atmosphere and crowd involvement helped to form this show which was definitely not the typical culinary performance.

The exhibitors had many booths set up in aisles that ran throughout the I-X Center. Some local companies and many others more widespread were lined up together to show and sample their product to the visitors.

Bubba's Bar-B-Q & Catering is a local, and world famous restaurant named for Al "Bubba" Baker, , the former Cleveland Brown. This bbq featured samples of their food and handed out pamphlets for the restaurant which included a menu and the location of the establishment.