What’s New At Put-in-Bay For 2021?

Every year there are new things going on on the islands. This year is no exception as you may have read in Put-in-Bay News June 2021. Here are some of the things we can report on.

One of the most exciting new things this season is the Put-in-Bay Floating Tiki owned and operated by Captain Miranda Krueger. Departing from The Boardwalk Dock, The Floating Tiki offers up to six people the opportunity to float on open water, listen to favorite tunes, enjoy the sights and sit back and relax with their favorite beverages. Sunset cruises are also available. Check out the Floating Tiki at www.pibfloatingtiki.com or the Put-in-Bay attractions page for more helpful tips for visiting Put-in-Bay.

Also New at Put-in-Bay the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center, the new addition is open. Some of the exhibits have been changed, plus there’s a beautiful inside turtle pond exhibit with a waterfall built by the renowned Greg Wittstock the Pond Guy, Ed Beaulieu the Pond Professor, Coyote Peterson, and Team Aquascapes.

Cameo Pizza has a new delivery car. You can’t miss the pizza graphics on the side! If you enjoy gemstone mining at Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center, you’re going to love the new huge bags of gems. We couldn’t believe what we came up with after emptying the bag in the slurry. The return of Skydiving At Put-in-Bay is another thrilling attraction!

Put-in-Bay Golf Carts is expanding. Customers will now be able to rent the island’s newest golf carts at their Delaware Avenue location in front of The Edgewater Hotel At Bay Lodging Resort, the former poolside Buckeye Bar is now SJ’s Hideaway. Put-in-Bay Yacht Club bartender Sean Koltiska is the bar manager and tending bar there.

Rob and Maria from the Black Squirrel and the Bike Shop have taken over the foodservice operation at the South Bass Island State Park. The Nut Shack will be serving breakfast and lunch. Smoked meats will be available while supplies last. Put-in-Bay Yacht Club is hosting a new event, “Mayfly Fest,” on June 26th. the accompanying the special “Mayfly Stew” (also known as Abbie and Ed Skoch’s Onion Soup).

Speaking of the Yacht Club, it has a new cooler by the bar that allows all the beer and wine selections to be on display. Outside, there’s a new fire pit for the cool evenings. The Put-in-Bay Volunteer Fire Dept. has a new quality used high-pressure compressor and fill station to complement their self-contained breathing apparatus units. There’s a new home going in at the corner of Concord and Langram in the Village. June Stoiber has a new car.

Subway at the Bay is opening 24 hours a day from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That might be a first for an island restaurant. Pasquale’s has changed directions at their cafe. Customers now order at the counter and can take their meals to go or find a table for themselves. There’s a new addition to the Boathouse block, the Picnic Basket. They will sell to-go beverages, fine wine, cheese, and tobacco products. Look for more about this new venture on our Put-in-Bay Information Page.

You’ll notice the face of Edgewater Hotel looks a bit different. After Mama Maria’s moved out, Lester Lopez leased the kitchen for Lester’s Tacos andNew At Put-in-Bay - Photo of tacos from Lester's Taco Shop Pizzaria. We here the Taco’s Al Pastor are to die for and they have the Best Put-in-Bay Pizza! They are open very ate into the morning hours on weekends and the $9.95 full breakfast with no waiting has been a big hit!

Susie Metzner Gazdick has started a new flower business on the island called Blüte Farm. She is growing a field of flowers on East Point that will be for sale in just a few weeks. Contact her by calling (216) 337-5535 or getting in touch with her via Instagram. Quite a few new things to check out for Put-in-Bay 2021!

Put-in-Bay Tips Training

Heineman is the instructor for TIPS Training on Put-in-Bay. Training in Intervention Procedures for Servers of alcohol is intended for servers of alcohol, owners, and managers. This summer’s training is to be held at the Niagara Conference Center on Monday, June 14th, or Tuesday, June 15th, at 8:30 a.m.

The three-hour course includes The effects of alcohol on the body, the server’s response to the intoxicated customer, and the server’s legal and civil responsibilities. This information is reinforced with role-playing and a written test. The cost is $60 per person and protects the server and the management with a certification that is valid for two years. While this is not new at Put-in-Bay it is a very important part of ongoing training for local staff.

Please call Steve at (419) 341-2501 to take advantage of this important and proven-effective training. Social Distancing will be practiced and a face mask is suggested

New At Put-in-Bay Your Nose “Knows” a Lot About Wine 

Our eyes [when we observe a beautiful glass 2/3 full of a rich red], our taste buds [as the liquid passes across our tongue geared to sense sweet, tart, bitter, and umami (protein) while wine is sipped] and sense of touch [when the wine is swished in our mouths] all play important parts in our appreciation of this beverage so many of us love. However, our sense of smell is integral, and probably key, to our appreciation of wine.

Remember the last time you had a terrible head cold and nothing tasted right? Without experience fully the aromas in wine, it is virtually impossible to enjoy all its attributes. Our sense of smell is very complex. The human noses can detect and remember over 10,000 different aromas, but unless we practice or pay very close attention, most of them are not consciously recognized.

However, while not knowingly remembered, they are often imprinted in our memories, even subconsciously. Have you ever walked into a room where fresh bread is being baked and a vision of your grandmother’s house at Thanksgiving popped into your mind? Has another smell, noticed while you were walking down a street evoked a memory of a childhood experience? Or when you walk through a stand of pine trees, does that remind you of Christmas with the family? Scientists say that of all our senses, that of smell is the most powerful and triggers the most intense memories of any of the senses we humans use.

Our sense of smell is technically about volatile chemicals that activate nerve endings and trigger our brains’ reactions. Those sensors are located in the frontal part of our brains. Some other interesting tidbits: in terms of gender, women have a stronger sense of smell than do men [sorry fellows!]. And our sense of smell is stronger in the spring and summer as well as after exercise because of increased moisture in the nose.

So, to best enjoy wine, consider the following the next time you pop a cork. Fill your glass no more than 2/3 full. First, just take a quick sip. Think about what you just tasted. THEN, slosh the wine and release that volatiles. While the wine is still moving, put your nose into the rim, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Then sip. There will be a discernable difference between what you experience from the two sips of wine.

While the perception of aromas is very personal, based on lots of “expert” observations, here are some aromas you might notice in that glass: Riesling: apricot and peach Sauvignon Blanc: fresh cut grass Syrah: raspberry, black pepper, and spice Cabernet Sauvignon: old leather, smoke, cedar, black cherry Ice Wines: honey, pear, peaches Cabernet Franc: bell pepper, raspberry, black currant

Pinot Noir: cloves, tea leaves, raspberry, violets Pinot Gris/Grigio: green apple, pear But as was hinted earlier in this column, the key to identifying and enjoying all the aromas in wine is research via practice, practice, practice. So, plan to visit a couple of local wineries soon. Order a couple of different varieties and try to perfect your “Scents of Wine.” Homework for your high school or college biology class was never this much fun.
For additional information: dwinchell@OhioWines.org