Hi there,
I went home (Virginia) earlier this week for a well-needed cultural infusion. I totally enjoyed the trip and I realized how much I missed:
1. WTOP all news (I can listen to this on-line but not as much fun as listening on the radio.
2.Jim Vance and Doreen Gentzler on WRC-TV News the NBC affiliate in Washington, DC. I only had to spend one day in Cleveland to appreciate the high level of sophistication of the local news in DC.
3.Grocery shopping at Giant Food and Safeway. I have Giant Eagle and Tops in Cleveland but I really miss Giant Food. I have yet to find meats that compare favorably with Giant Food in the DC area.
4. My mom’s home cooking. No one bakes bread like my mom and no one can do roast beef like mom. She had a ball cooking for me and I enjoyed every bite. I even ate roast beef for breakfast (I can eat eggs in Cleveland).
5. Local sports that feature the Redskins! This was awesome and I really miss the Red and Gold.
6. Sitting in traffic jams. It takes me about ten minutes to get to work in the morning and I miss sitting on those Potomac River bridges inching along into the city. The planes would be flying over on their way into National Airport. I really miss the DC traffic.
7. Good Vietnamese food. I longed for a bowl of pho from Pho 75 complete with tripe, fatty tendon and crispy tendon. It was yummy! I have found one passable Chinese restaurant in Cleveland and no good Vietnamese restaurants.
8.Hardee’s thickburgers! The closest Hardee’s is in Akron which is about 45 minutes away. Hardee’s thickburgers taste like they are fresh off the grill in the backyard and I love the red onions with mustard. Wendy’s, Burger King and McDonalds do not even come close.
Now there are a couple of things that I have been enjoying in Cleveland, that I will miss when I leave this place in four years (three if I do my fellowship elsewhere).
1. Lake Erie - I often have my cup of Joe from Dunkin Donuts while I sit on shore and watch the sunrise. Lake Erie is pretty neat. (I could be content doing the same thing on the shores of the Potomac River too.)
2.The wonderful view from my patio overlooking the tennis courts. It is very soothing to grab a book; sit on the patio and get some reading done. (I am getting great experience in just what I need in housing these days).
Natalie 
P.S. It was pretty neat to hang out with Linda Wilson too. I stopped by Lewisburg, WV on my way back to Cleveland.
I have a friend from Cleveland who recommends Minh Anh for Vietnamese.
I would guess it’s not as good as what you get in Virginia though.
Erica
Doc Nat!!!
Cleveland is NOTHING like the DC metro area so, try to make your cultural excursions as often as you can. That’s one of the reasons why I’m looking forward to moving to Rochester…maybe not as big as Cleveland but, culture abounds and, it’s only 3-4 hours from “The City That Never Sleeps”!!!
As far as Vietnamese food is concerned, it is not one of my favorites(not a fan of fish sauce at all!!!) but, there are several eateries friends of mine say are acceptable. One is out Mayfield road going towards Hillcrest Hospital(part of the Clinic) near the intersection of Mayfield and Richmond Rd. The other one is in Cleveland or Shaker Heights. I’ll get the names of them and get back with you. Hopefully we’ll be able to hang out before my move in May!!!