Twelve O One

I've now dined at 1201 State twice and had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Dave, and head chef, Bill. I'll be writing a full review covering their vision, concept, etc for Erie Life Magazine. For now, let me highlight some of what I discovered.

The first thing I've heard from a number of people who have visited the restaurant is it's a bit expensive. I have to admit, I said the same thing. Then I discovered that everything is fresh. They do things like freshly squeeze orange juice, make their own caramel sauce, make all deserts in house. If you're looking for the freshest of ingredients, this is your restaurant. Of course making sure everything is fresh is expensive - from purchasing to labor. Additionally they fly in the fish and meats to ensure a great product.

So what did I think? It's fabulous food. I still haven't tried desert. My favorite so far is the lobster ravioli - fresh lobster in it! The wine selection is better than most other places in Erie, especially the selection they offer by the glass. They have a reserve wine list for those with more discerning tastes. They also offer an eclectic array of beer, along with the standards for those who so desire.

What I found most pleasing was that Dave told me "No" is not in their vocabulary. If there is something specific you want, they will do what they can to accomodate you. All of the servers know how each item is prepared and how it tastes so they can give you recommendations and let you know if something can be altered for you.

The decor is another bonus for Erie. There is an urban feel to both the inside and outside of the restaurant. They've included a fountain behind the bar for added atmosphere.

1201 is a great addition to downtown Erie.

WebKnowHow Press : Could Open Source Ideas Save Erie, Pennsylvania

WebKnowHow Press : Could Open Source Ideas Save Erie, Pennsylvania

This is a neat tool. I've been jumping around the site and offering comments here and there. I encourage everyone in Erie to get involved.

Check it out here: www.erieideas.com

Downtown Improvement

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Gallery Night at nine area galleries. It was a coordinated effort among the participants and turned into a fabulous evening.

There were several displays that I would not have gotten around to seeing had it not been for the special event. One that impressed me immensely was the show at the Erie Art Museum - Ray Howlett's Light and Space Sculptures. I was awed by the knowledge to create such spectacular objects. One of the other openings was at a gallery I didn't even know existed: Tarsus Gallery at 1510 West 12th Street.

Another participant was Urraro Gallery. While at that gallery, I learned "Too Many Variables" by Deborah Sementelli was to be the final show at their current location. What I was excited to discover was that the Urraros had purchased a building on State Street and were in the process of remodeling it for a new gallery plus studio space. The building they purchased is in between Cellblock and Twelve-o-One.

Speaking of Twelve-o-One: I visited the newest downtown restaurant two weekends ago. My review will be posted soon.

New Wharton awards promote campus start-ups - Small Biz - USATODAY.com

Here's an interesting way to keep our students from leaving Erie. With the high number of universities in the Erie area, what would it take to implement a program similar to this here?

New Wharton awards promote campus start-ups - Small Biz - USATODAY.com

What are your thoughts and ideas?

Cities look to small firms for big growth - Small Biz - USATODAY.com

Cities look to small firms for big growth - Small Biz - USATODAY.com

It seems San Francisco at least gets it. Encouraging small businesses to expand and succeed is a key to long-term success for Erie. As long as we continue to emphasize our few large employers and neglect the bulk of our business community, we aren't going to grow as a community. It's the small businesses that hold up our economy and offer employment to over half of the residents in Erie.

Is there Brain Gain in Erie

I'd like to know why people are in Erie. Have you always lived in Erie, moved away and returned, or relocated to Erie. Each person has his or her own story of why (s)he's in Erie. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to let me know about you.

I left Erie in 1985 to go away to college. I was all pumped for big-city life and to get out of this town. I moved to Arlington, VA (outside Washington DC). I loved DC. There are museums and nightlife and lots of excitement. I got to see President Ronald Reagan speak. I attended marches. I sat out on the "mall" watching the White House buzz with activity during some particularly turbulent times. I also managed to go to classes, edit the college paper, and graduate on time.

It wasn't until I joined "the real world" that I realized I didn't like living outside Washington DC. The traffic is horrendous! I worked 10 miles away from my apartment, but it took 45-60 minutes to get there. I was always broke because it cost so much to rent an apartment, buy food and gas, let alone find any money to visit my friends. Then the final straw broke (actually it was 3 straws that broke at one time).

I was working as the associate manager for a retail store and was informed I would have to open on Black Friday (the Thursday after Thanksgiving) and close on Christmas Eve. Now, we Guelchers get together each Thanksgiving for an all-out celebration. Everyone is home if at all possible. I wasn't going to be able to make either holiday and that broke my heart. Then, to top it all off, my grandmother had a heart attack.

I decided then and there that my family is much more important than any job, big city, or pretty much anything else for that matter. I quit, moved back to Erie without a job lined up and haven't looked back. Sure it was a bit of a struggle to find that first job. But, now I'm happy, surrounded by family and friends and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

As an aside...I do like to travel a lot so I get my fill of what everywhere else can offer while enjoying the home I have come to love.

Young Leaders

It was a good weekend for Brain Gain Erie…

A big thank you to Dennis from Erie Blogs for finding our Brain Gain site and giving us a mention on Saturday. I’d also like to thank John Gallagher for volunteering to help with Brain Gain Erie by sharing his success stories.

Today I’m highlighting our future leaders. Young Erie Professionals (yep!) honors Erie leaders, under 40 each year. This is the third year for the Generation-E Awards. Previous winners include Jacob Rouch, the president and CEO of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership and Debra Steiner, director of the Gannon Small Business Development Center.

This year’s winners have all enhanced the quality of life in Erie and have made positive contributions to our community. A complete list of winners can be found here. The award ceremony is being held on March 30, 2007 at the Avalon in downtown Erie.

The honorees have helped coordinate Celebrate Erie, arranged fundraising activities for a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the community, and started their own companies. These young leaders also bring music, entertainment and life to Erie through their entrepreneurial attitudes and belief in the success that seems to radiate from each of them.