Ohio Day Trip- Shopping in Hudson

Ohio Day Trip- Shopping in Hudson
Hudson, Ohio
January 23, 2010

‘Staycations’ are one of the ways to deal with harder economic times. More conservative travel budgets are pushing the travel addict to get their fix in shorter time periods, traveling to closer destinations. I’ve always been a firm believer in the ability to find something to do just about anywhere I end up. So, I’ve decided to focus on exploring my own state of Ohio for a while and taking advantage of all it has to offer by taking day and weekend trips. There are so many local places I’ve been planning to visit and activities that I’ve been meaning to do and now is the perfect time!

Hudson, Ohio is an affluent, historic suburb of Cleveland. The Main Street shopping district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Upscale restaurants and new shopping developments like the First & Main Shopping Complex make it a great place to spend an afternoon shopping or an evening enjoying good food and great wine.

For the middle of January, we had unusually warm weekend temperatures and my best friend Di and I decided to spend an afternoon shopping and dining in Hudson. We’d been to a wine festival in the summer sponsored by the Vue Restaurant and I’ve wanted to sample the cuisine ever since so I was happy to get the opportunity and make a day of it.
Our first stop was Hoopla Woman’s Accessories Shop at 50 West Streetsboro Street – I’d found this shop by accident one day when dropping off my computer at the tech place next door. I was totally blown away by their selection and great prices on the bold and hip accessories that I love so much! Di and I were like kids in a candy store trying on hats, sunglasses and necklaces while checking out how we looked with different bags on our shoulders. In the end I decided on purple sunglasses and a huge purple shoulder bag and Di got two hats and a black purse. At the register we were pleased to find out that bags were $5 off and sunglasses and hats were 50% off so we really found some great deals!

Next we drove through historic Hudson, passing by the square, City Hall and the historic shopping district. We pulled into the First & Main complex and drove around the area a little before parking. It is a mixed-use area with condos and housing, doctor’s offices, gyms and yoga studios, restaurants and shopping.

We first stopped at Jake’s Good Life at 41 Village Way, a store dedicated to the ‘Life is Good’ brand. I love to hike and bike and their tee shirts always appeal to me. I found a beautiful glass platter while Di sampled hand lotions. We browsed the store for a little bit before moving on.

Lunch at Vue Restaurant at 49 Village Way was next on the agenda. I was very excited to have a meal at a place that has won cuisine, wine list and decor awards and I was not disappointed. When we walked in, we were blown away by the art work, stained glass and unique lighting fixtures. The decor, done in deep red tones and with bold paintings, glasswork, lavish curtains and window treatments created a distinctive ambiance. The table settings featured oversized silver wear and glass bread plates in assorted colors. This is the type of restaurant you expect to find in an upscale and trendy city spot.

The lunch menu at the Vue offered an amazing selection and it was hard to decide what I wanted. I went back and forth between the Pizza Bianco with white truffles or the Butternut Squash Ravioli with foraged mushrooms. I finally decided on the lunch trio ($10) of pear salad, French onion soup and a turkey avocado wrap while Di got the trio, as well, except with chicken salad. We decided to share a side of truffle mac & cheese. The wine list (pages and pages of bottles) has won awards from Food & Wine Magazine as well as Wine Enthusiast and is recognized as one of the best in the area. We each tried a fabulous glass of Riesling ($9), which I don’t remember the name of- it sounded like Montoff. Everything was perfect! The bread with olive tapenade was a great way to start the meal. I loved how light and just slightly sweet the pear salad was. Di and I laughed at each other trying to gracefully eat French onion soup. The mac & cheese was so creamy that it has spoiled any future mac & cheese meals that don’t feature the gourmet elements of this dish! Even with the glass of wine and the decadent side, the bill for lunch was very reasonable for the overall food, wine and decor experience that the Vue presented.

By the end of the meal we were feeling very stuffed and needed to stroll it off. We decided to walk around the First & Main Shopping Complex and visit a few more of the shops. We walked by Talbots, Chicos, Ann Taylor Loft and other apparel shops before stopping at Heathers Heat & Flavor at 94 First Street. Heather’s is a shop that features dried herbs, hot sauces, mustards, salsas and just about any other sauce or spice you could possibly want. We both wished we weren’t so stuffed because there were product samples everywhere. Di and I tried tiny bites of sample barbeque sauces and sweet salsas, looked at the dry rubs, mustards and cute gift ideas. I decided to purchase a few of the quirkier items at the store including ‘Baconaise’, a vegetarian kosher bacon spread that I think will make great turkey wraps as well as a present for my husband, Heather’s Butt Rub, a spice rub that works well on grilled meats as well as made into a dip. I loved Heather’s and can’t wait to return with my husband, the true hot sauce lover of the family. We continued on, passed a delicious-smelling coffee place and visiting a toy shop before walking back to the car to head home.

Although Hudson is only about 25 minutes from my home in Akron, Ohio I hadn’t ever taken much time to explore the quaint, historic area. I was happy to get the chance to visit somewhere nearby to sample some food and visit a few shops. Di and I had a great time spending a mild winter afternoon doing a lot of our favorite things- shopping, eating good food and enjoying great wine!