Restaurants & Reservations: Dining in Cincinnati

Green Papaya Supports the Red Cross on Sunday!

2010-01-21T22:23:00.003-05:00

One of our favorite restaurants is lending a hand on Sunday to those in need in Haiti. Green Papaya's owners in Hyde Park are donating all of their food on Sunday, and 100% of sales that day are being donated to the American Red Cross for disaster relief in Haiti. So come join everyone at Green Papaya (if it's too crowded there's always take-out!) and help support the Red Cross in a delicious way!

Hat tip to the Enquirer for this one!

Great Hyde Park Mexican restaurant? Bull-ogna!

2010-01-17T10:07:00.007-05:00

El Toro Restaurante Mexicano • 3816 Paxton Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45209 • (513) 321-4222

His Take

El Toro, a Mexican restaurant, is one of the latest results of the revolving-door that is Hyde Park Plaza. We stopped in for lunch the other day to finally give it a shot now that they’ve have time to settle in. And in short, we likely won’t be back. El Toro is basically a cheap version of Don Pablo's with the food and service to match the prices.

When we arrived for lunch around noon, we were quickly seated in a very sparsely populated restaurant. All of the booths have bull-horn cutouts on the back, and the walls are freshly painted with vibrant colors and attractive artwork. But unfortunately for them, it takes more than paint to really create ambiance. You need people for that, too.

Our server for lunch went through the motions of taking our order without having any real personality. There was no friendly greeting, no smile, no enthusiasm, nada. And even more annoyingly, he was clearly instructed to always refer to us as “amigos”. Now, I understand vein attempts to infuse Mexican culture into a fast-food Midwestern restaurant, but having a bored-to-death Caucasian saying “Are you ready to order, amigos? Can I get you anything else, amigos?” gets old really fast.

The menus at El Toro are enormous without good cause. They basically take your standard Mexican-fare dishes (e.g., burritos, enchiladas, chalupas, tostadas, etc.) and then give you every possible permutation of those dishes. Those combinations then have the super creative names of Special Lunch #1, Special Lunch #2, etc.

I ordered a Taco Salad Fajita — a tortilla bowl with fajita-style chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, etc. The strangest addition to it was refried beans in my salad. I’ve ordered my share of Southwest/Mexican salads from inauthentic Mexican restaurants over the years—in truth it’s one of my favorite kinds of salads—and they all have had black beans. So, when I see “beans” on the menu for a salad, I assume black beans. I was surprised to see refried beans in my salad, and having seen what it looks like after eating for a few minutes, I now know why no one else used refried beans in a salad. Bad idea. The rest of the salad tasted fine; nothing special, unless you really, really like iceberg lettuce. The tortilla bowl tasted pretty standard, and there were no accompaniments that come with the salad.

Other than the walls, the restaurant basically shots “low-budget”. We didn’t hear one outgoing, friendly server while we were there. The water glasses are Pizza-Hut style Pepsi cups, and even the bills look like they were rung up on a 25-year old cash register or calculator with ticker-tape.

As we sat and ate our meal, we concluded that El Toro is unlikely to last very long. If you’re craving Americanized Mexican food, you’re better off at Don Pablo's, though you’ll pay a little bit more depending on when you go and what you order. If you want something a little more high-end, head to Cactus Pear, where the dishes are more creative and better tasting, and the higher price gets you good, friendly service, too.

Her Take

We got hungry for lunch, and made a quick choice to try out El Toro, recently opened in Hyde Park Plaza, in the former Daybreak space. Just past noon on a Saturday, it was relatively empty; fewer than a quarter of the tables had people. The space its in feels like it could be a higher (middle?) end restaurant, but the El Toro decor seems to have been done on a tight budget. The tops of the booths curve up into horns (get it? Toro means bull, so...horns), there are pictures painted directly onto the walls, but that’s about it. The first indication that this is a fairly low-end restaurant is the candy on the register counter for sale. At some point I noticed that the entire waitstaff was male. I don’t know that it’s a big deal, or that it wasn’t just this particular shift, but the host, the waitstaff, the 11-ish year old kid behind the cash register who we assume came to work with his dad, every employee we saw was male, which just struck me as a little odd.

The menu is overwhelming. There is a page of lunch specials, also good on Saturdays, and priced between $5 and $7, but completely uninspiring. They are simply different combinations of standard menu items, and numbered. As in, “lunch special 4” might be one taco, one chalupa, and one burrito. What’s the precise difference between those three at this particular restaurant? It’s unclear. They’re never described on the menu. So looking for a bit of inspiration (and description!), we flipped past the lunch specials into the rest of the looooooooong menu. There is a section or two where the dishes have actual names, but there are more sections where everything is either numbered or lettered. In the vegetarian section, the dishes are A, B, C, instead of 1, 2, 3. There is also an a la carte section, so if you don’t like their combination of single items in the “specials,” you can create your own. They never actually explain what each item is, so if you don’t already know the difference, or if you realize that every restaurant you’ve ever been to defines these items a bit differently, you’re out of luck at El Toro.

The waiter (who greeted us with a very American accented “hola” and referred to both of us as “amigo”) brought us chips and salsa while we were still reading the menu. The chips were decent, and at least warm. The salsa had good flavor, but I prefer salsa to have actual chunks. It stays on the chips better that way. This stuff was pretty runny, and kept dripping off of the chips. (Also problematic because we had no plates on the table until our meals arrived, so it got a little messy.)

I ordered Veggie Fajitas. I got three plates: one with foil-wrapped, folded tortillas. One with pico de gallo, guacamole, shredded iceberg lettuce, rice-with-nothing-in-it, and a puddle of refried beans, and the third was a hot pan sizzling with my veggies: mostly onions, some green pepper strips, some tomatoes, and a few slices of button mushrooms. I took my foil-wrapped tortillas off of their plate so that I had a place to put my fajitas together. They were ok, but nothing particularly exciting. The veggies didn’t seem to have any seasoning, and everything else could have come from a jar, and I wouldn’t be surprised.

For chain tex-mex, I recommend Don Pablo’s. For a more upscale version, I recommend Cactus Pear. If you’re looking for cheap-with-table-service, then (and only then) El Toro is your spot.

The 3/50 Project - Saving Independent Restaurants (Among Others)

2009-05-04T22:37:00.003-04:00

McCormick & Schmick's Tax Relief Day

2009-04-15T12:11:00.003-04:00

McCormick & Schmick's • 1 East 5th Street • Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 721-9339‎

Short Take

Early Bird Special at Blue Water Grill?

2009-03-31T21:53:00.005-04:00

Blue Water Grill • 7453 Wooster Pike • Cincinnati, OH 45227 • (513) 272-0178

Short Take

We were really excited to try a new restaurant during Restaurant Week. We had a reservation for dinner at Blue Water Grill, formerly known as the Village Kitchen, near Mariemont. We arrived for a late-for-a-weeknight dinner, and were surprised to find...that we were the only ones in the restaurant below the age of 65. Including all visible serving staff and the hostess. We stood there for a couple of minutes trying to figure it all out, taking in the nursing home newsletter on the counter and the advertisements for Easter brunch, on a chalkboard, posted inside. We mostly felt really uncomfortable and out of place, enough so that we ended up leaving in our utter confusion that perhaps we had stumbled on a different Blue Water Grill.

Anyone have any insight into this restaurant? Did we miss out on a fantastic meal? Does it affiliate with a senior residence? Was this just entirely random? We're still scratching our heads over this one!

Brown Dog: Worth the Wait!

2009-03-22T21:27:00.003-04:00

Brown Dog Cafe • 4893 Pfeiffer Road • Blue Ash, OH 45242 • (513) 794-1610

His Take

The title says it all. We took a lot of flak from our readers when we left Brown Dog before being seated on Valentine’s day because of the long wait (even with a reservation), unannounced special menu, and no-gift-certificates policy. But as promised, we returned to see if the food was really as good as everyone had said it was.

Brown Dog Café is a tiny, tiny, one-room restaurant in a very non-descript shopping plaza right near I-71 at Pfeiffer. This is not a venue you are likely to accidentally walk past. But no worries, because there are clearly a group of local patrons who rely on the restaurant for a top notch meal whenever they fancy one. Having only seen the restaurant at capacity (and then some) on Valentine’s Day, we were surprised to find it only a little more than half full when we arrived on a Saturday evening for our second attempt. We were even more surprised at how small the restaurant is, with a capacity probably near 50. Naturally, we were seated quickly and politely without any wait.

Brown Dog’s service quickly proved to be the opposite at our experience at Bangkok Bistro (when they forgot to tell our server we existed for 15 minutes). Apparently, our server was busy when we arrived, so another server offered to take care of us. In the end, they both thought they were responsible, so we heard the specials twice (usually a good thing) and almost enjoyed our amuse twice (until they figured out what was happening). Our server(s) were friendly and knowledgeable, which always makes the night more enjoyable.

OK, on to the food...

Aside from the whitefish amuse and delicious bread (note for every other restaurant: warm break + olive oil = mmmmmm), our meal really started with the Mediterranean sampler maza. We’ve been to other places that served this kind of sampler, which usually includes hummus, olives, pita, roasted red peppers, etc. What struck me about Brown Dog’s rendition of the dish was that everything was piled together in a large boat. I suppose this presentation gives you a hint that it’s worth trying bits of each component with the others — and they couldn’t be more right! From the amazing olive tapenade and delicious peppers to the pita and artichokes, everything was so flavorful, I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a Mediterranean sampler. What a great start to our meal.

Next up was a simple Bibb lettuce salad with candied walnuts. It’s hard to go wrong with candied nuts, and the presentation was impressive, despite the relatively small portion size. Note: one salad per person, two people per appetizer.

For the main course, I decided to go with the evening’s special: a grilled swordfish with a spicy, brown mustard sauce and asparagus. The dish usually comes with garlic mashed potatoes. I’m not a huge mashed potatoes fan, and the kitchen was kind enough to swap them for “Brown Dog Fries.” The swordfish was a nice large portion cooked appropriately, and the mustard sauce was a terrific complement. Sadly, the “Brown Dog Fries” were a little disappointing for a restaurant-named dish. They weren’t bad, but we’ve grown to expect amazing things when a restaurant names a dish after itself — Honey with its Honey Fries is the perfect example. Brown Dog Fries were home-cut fries served with plain ketchup, nothing too exciting here.

Lest you think the meal ended on a down note, there is always dessert. And Brown Dog passed our dessert test with flying colors. I chose the Chocolate Banana Bread, largely because I wasn’t enticed by the espresso or ice cream in the Chocolate Tasting. The Chocolate Banana Bread has a liquid chocolate center that is sweet, rich, and satisfying. The caramelized bananas are a nice touch, too. This is one of the top desserts I’ve had anywhere in the area, so golf-clap for a perfect way to cap a fantastic meal.

We’ll be back, but most likely when we find someone else to pay :-)

Her Take

We went into Brown Dog on a recent Saturday night with a strike against it because of our experience there on Valentine’s Day, when we left before actually eating. Based on everything we had heard (and read here in the comments), we really still wanted to try it, so we made another reservation and headed in. It was the complete opposite from last time.

We were seated immediately, and there were a small handful of open tables. Our waitress came to greet us quickly to take drink orders and tell us about the specials. Shortly thereafter, a different waitress came over and repeated the specials. The first one came back a few minutes later with bread and a “gift from the chef,” a plate of two fancy spoons with a type of whitefish and a citrus sauce to cleanse our palettes before the meal. It had some kick and did its job! We also gave our orders to waitress-1.

As we were enjoying our first slices of warm bread with olive oil and roasted garlic (YUM!), waitress-2 came back, saw that we already had food, and handed off her plate of chef-gift to the hostess. She came over anyway to make sure we had given our orders to the other waitress as well. Apparently both said they would take our table, but then both took our table. Once they realized it, we were back to just one waitress.

A little while after enjoying some bread, our shared appetizer appeared. We ordered the Maza, a mix of olives, artichoke hearts, hummus, smoked peppers, olive tapenade, tomato salad, cucumber relish, feta, haloumi cheese, and pita with zaatar. Everything was delicious!! The olive tapenade was by far our favorite part. The haloumi didn’t have too much taste, and the “tomato salad” was more a pile of cherry tomatoes, but mixed with the other stuff, it didn’t matter. We could have used another couple of pieces of pita, but we managed to finish the whole plate anyway. This appetizer comes in a for-one size and a for-two size. We shared the for-one, because we wanted to have room to try more dishes!

Our (shared) salad was the Waldorf Bibb, which also came with granny smith apples, candied walnuts, celery, dried cherries, and a sweet onion dressing with chunks of swiss cheese. Unlike the appetizer, this one was a little smaller than expected, but still enough, especially with everything else we ate. It was an interesting mix of things I wouldn’t normally put together—especially the celery! It worked well. I thought I tasted pear in the salad, too, though, so I have a suspicion of pear in place of granny smith apples, but I’m not entirely positive.

My main course was Eggplant Bruschetta, slices of fried eggplant covered with roasted veggies and fresh mozzarella, and the whole thing on top of a parmesan risotto. Wow. It was fantastic. In spite of all the moisture, the outside of the eggplant was crispy. The risotto was creamy but not overly rich and heavy. There was more than enough mozzarella (and I seldom say that). The veggies on top helped the whole thing feel a little lighter. I couldn’t quite finish it (although I got close), and I was disappointed both that there wasn’t enough to take home, and with the knowledge that it wouldn’t be as good reheated anyway. Yum.

Even though we weren’t entirely hungry by the end of all that, we agreed to take a look at the dessert menu. We almost always share a dessert if we’re going to get one, but the one I wanted was really creamy, and he tries to stay away from those. So of course, we each ordered a dessert. I got a Chocolate Tasting. It was beautifully presented! There was homemade bittersweet chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, which was fantastic, even if the chips were smaller than the ones at Graeter’s. There was a white chocolate fondue with a sliced strawberry. I am the first to argue that white chocolate isn’t really chocolate, but the fondue was delicious anyway. And there was an espresso pot de crème, which turns out to be served in a kind of shot glass, sort of a cross between fudge and mousse, more the consistency of cream cheese. Thick chocolate-espresso with a spoon! What could be bad?! Nothing. It was fantastic.

We both commented that one of the great things about this meal was that it was fantastically paced. We were there for about an hour and a half, far longer than most restaurants, and they let us finish each course, and talk for a few minutes, before the next one arrived. It was comfortable and relaxed, the magical place between rushed and slow, and we enjoyed every bite. I hope I get to go back eventually!

Restaurant Week!

2009-03-15T11:09:00.004-04:00

Greater Cincinnati Independents

Short Take

It’s Restaurant Week! The coalition of Cincinnati Independent Restaurants is offering Spring Restaurant Week, a chance to try great restaurants at a lower-than-usual price! From March 16-22, check out the almost 30 different Restaurant Week menus available (and more are added each day). Most of them are offering a three-course meal for $26.09, with a few of the “more casual” participants offering dinner for two for $26.09. Although their website doesn’t mention it, most of these places do take reservations, and especially over the weekend, they’re probably a good idea, and even a necessity at some places.

The three-course menus differ by which three courses they offer. Some are doing appetizer, salad, and entrée, while others are doing appetizer/soup/salad, entrée, and dessert. Naturally, I gravitate towards the latter, although I certainly understand the idea of separating appetizers and salad -- although I’m not sure I understand it at the cost of dessert, but that’s just me.

The menus vary widely. I am disappointed in a few, such as Bella Luna. We’ve eaten there and had good meals, but their Restaurant Week menu offers no vegetarian (or even fish) entrée. It was crossed off our list for this week simply because there’s nothing I can eat! The same goes for Daveed’s (who, by the way, apparently thinks fish and scallops are vegetarian-friendly?!), Red (although, to be fair, they’re a steak house and therefore not typically so vegetarian friendly), and China Gourmet. I’m also a little disappointed with menus like Vineyard Café's and Hugo’s, which don’t give actual options, just one dish per course. While I understand that the chefs may want to present a certain mixture of foods, as someone who can only eat certain things, that makes eating more difficult. Even during Restaurant Week, most restaurants are offering at least some choices, which makes the ones that aren’t stand out.

We’re also psyched about the dinner-for-two for $26.09. That pricing makes it possible to potentially enjoy multiple Restaurant Week offerings without totally breaking the bank—and to feel like we’re getting our money’s worth, even at a lower-end restaurant.

Looking forward to this week! Please share your Restaurant Week experiences in the comments!

Sit and Enjoy at Coffee Emporium

2009-03-13T13:33:00.006-04:00

Coffee Emporium • 3316 Erie Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 321-5943

Her Take

I’m doing something unusual for me, and writing this review as I sit inside the restaurant. I go to Coffee Emporium with some regularity—enough that the woman who works the shift when I’m there knows my usual order. I am the kind of person who loves to sit in a coffee shop for hours and get work done, and Coffee Emporium (the East Hyde Park location) has become one of my usual places to do so. The downstairs is your typical independent coffee shop: fancifully decorated blackboard listing all their drinks, sign saying “friends don’t let friends go to Starbucks,” and lots of coffee and tea related merchandise, much of it local. The shop is in a converted row-house, so the enjoying-the-drink magic happens upstairs, in what I imagine started as the bedroom portion of the house. There is seating for about 25 spread across 9 tables (I’m sitting and counting, but I can’t take pictures since my phone isn’t the fancy one), although the exact configurations change from time to time. There is free wireless internet, one of my personal keys to a great coffee shop. It varies in noise level. Until about 10:30ish on a weekday, it is often somewhat noisy with groups, and it can be hard to get a table. After that, it is often quiet, with several individuals working, or groups of 2 or 3 meeting for coffee or lunch. They have Belgian waffles on Sunday mornings, and while I haven’t made it yet, I hear they are fantastic—and I would guess that the tables are full and noisy!

My drink of choice is a skim-dark-mocha. The dark refers to the chocolate; they also offer white and milk. One of my favorite policies is the bring-your-own-mug. They will charge you for a small, regardless of the size of your mug (up to a somewhat absurd 32 oz.), and fill your mug, even for the fancy drinks (like a mocha)! It’s fun to feel good about being environmentally conscious, and also get an extra $0.50 worth of mocha goodness. I usually eat lunch on my days working at Coffee Emporium as well. My usual choice is the Breakfast Burrito (no bacon), which is, of course, also available for lunch. Wrapped in a tortilla is egg, cheese, and potatoes, with salsa on the side. They warm it up when you order at the counter downstairs, and then bring it up to your table. The salsa has just a bit of kick to it to make it interesting, and it is a great filling lunch (or breakfast). They also have other sandwichy type foods; the spinach-ricotta pie is also very good, although not as filling. Today they had a special veggie wrap, roasted veggies with a bit of cheese in a wrap, but I stuck with my usual that I had been looking forward to.

There are also sometimes samples by the register, and today’s samples may prove to be my downfall. I had never tasted their cookies, but there were little pieces on a plate when I went to get my lunch. There were four different types of samples: chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter. I tasted three of them (with encouragement from the woman at the register), and wow. Those are some outstanding cookies. And I have high standards for cookies! They are soft and chewy, thick, and full of the chunks of things they are supposed to have in them (chocolate chips, mainly). In fact if this posting is delayed, it’s probably because I decided to go back downstairs for a chippy treat.

I mostly sit here on Fridays, although I have been known to appear on other random off-days of school as well. I’ll most definitely be back. I’ll be back for the laid back, coffee-smelling, relatively quite atmosphere, I’ll be back for the coffee and lunch and hopefully eventually waffles, and I suspect I’ll be back for the cookies.

You Just Can't Trust a Spring Roll

2009-03-03T06:01:00.000-05:00

Bangkok Bistro • 3506 Erie Ave • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-0707

His Take

As faithful readers might recall, we first sampled the fare from Bangkok Bistro at Taste of Cincinnati last year, and our experience with their veggie spring rolls was pretty disappointing. But after several readers posted encouraging comments about Bangkok Bistro, we decided to give it, and its spring rolls, a second chance. The good news is that we’ve seen the light and had a wonderful meal (not to mention leftovers) at Bangkok Bistro; the bad news is that our original take on their spring rolls continues to be spot on.

Bangkok Bistro is a larger than expected restaurant on the edge of Hyde Park (or Hyde Park East as some call it). You can tell from the aroma outside the restaurant why nearly every table was full on a Saturday night. Our experience that night had some high highs and low lows, but you’ll have to keep reading for the details.

We arrived at Bangkok Bistro hungry, nay starving. And as we have a habit of doing in such circumstances, we knew right away we needed an appetizer. We had made a reservation, but unfortunately were running about 20 minutes behind schedule. Luckily, this wasn’t a problem, and we were seated immediately when we arrived.

This leads us to our first low-point of the evening. We sat at our table studying the menus as we took in the organized chaos of the tables and servers around us. Ten minutes later, when we hadn’t met our server or even received water glasses, we knew something was amiss. And did I mention we were hungry? We politely grabbed one of the busboys walking by to inquire about ordering some food.

This is where the evening took its first turn. Normally, I expect someone else’s server/busboy to tell me “I’ll see if I can find someone...” and disappear again. This gentleman’s immediate response was “I’ll find out who it is; in the meantime, I can at least get you some water.” As a former management student, the idea of a restaurant employee being so proactive was surprisingly refreshing.

Anyhow, a moment later our server appeared. She was very friendly and apologized profusely, while explaining that the manager had forgotten to write down that we were seated. I gather our server’s tables were elsewhere, so she didn’t know we were there. Whether the story was true or not, we were happy to finally have someone’s attention and a chance to order food!

As I intimated earlier, we started our meal with the veggie spring rolls. We had initially wanted soup because it was mighty cold outside, but none of their soups were vegetarian -- even the vegetable soup, go figure. The spring rolls arrived about 5 minutes later and looked, well, like spring rolls. There were two in the order (ignore the missing one in the picture, like I said we were really hungry). The spring rolls were about as boring as boring can be. They tasted like a pile of lettuce with some bean sprouts and no seasoning. Even the sauce was very watery and had minimal taste. For two hungry people, this was a disturbing sign, but the smell of the restaurant gave us hope for the next course.

My main dish was a new menu item: Green Curry Pasta Salmon. The dish is basically a large salmon filet served over a mountain of angel hair with vegetables and a green curry sauce. When it arrived, I was impressed by the enormous serving size. Note to self: this is easily a dish to feed two or three people if you want to split it. All of Bangkok Bistro’s dishes can be ordered on a spiciness scale of 1 to 10. I went with 6 tonight, and the dish had enough kick to leave my mouth tingling afterwards, but not enough to make my eyes water and nose run. Overall, the dish was very tasty. The salmon was cooked appropriately, and the green curry sauce was delicious. I would have gladly traded some of the pasta for some more vegetables, but overall I was very pleased. As much as I enjoyed it, I think I’m more of a rice than pasta person when it comes to curry, so I’ll probably go back to one of the curry dishes next time. And despite the initial service and the spring rolls, there will be a next time. Thanks to all our commenters who stood by this place! We enjoyed our visit.

Her Take

I, too, was skeptical about trying Bangkok Bistro after our disappointing Taste. But since they’re nearby and we had heard more good things about the restaurant than bad, we decided it was worth a real shot.

They initially were below our (admittedly low) expectations. The man who seated us led us wordlessly to a table, put down the menus and walked away without a word. Unfortunately, as described to my left, his silence was not exactly a mark of rushing back up front to let our waitress know she had a new table. At first, we pondered the menu happily. We had never been to the actual restaurant, so it was fun to see what they had, how they described (or didn’t describe) their different curries and other dishes, and to figure out exactly what we wanted to eat. Except that once that was done, we were ready to ask questions, order, and eat. And drink some water.

Once our waitress finally arrived, she was good! The non-vegetarian soups (including not only a chicken-stock-vegetable, but a chicken-stock-miso!) were disappointing, but we figured it gave the spring rolls a chance to redeem themselves. The waitress was also helpful with other questions about dishes, happy to make substitutions (tofu and veggies for chicken and shrimp) and made sure that we knew that substitutions were doable on any dish. Except the soup, obviously.

For my main course, I ordered the drunken noodles: flat noodles with a brown sauce, basil, tofu, and veggies, spice level 5 on a scale of 1-10. She informed me that 5 was about the level of Tabasco. Since I don’t really ever use Tabasco, I nodded my head. The dish was great. There was tons of tofu, and lots of vegetables. I was bummed that I forgot to order mine minus-the-broccoli, but luckily Michael doesn’t mind being the receptor of a pile of rejected broccoli. If their spicing is consistent (which at many restaurants it isn’t), I would probably order a 4 next time, but spiciness is probably even more subjective than, say, opinions of spring rolls. The dish was very good, as were the leftovers the next day for lunch!

My one comment of our waitress (after her eventual arrival) was probably not her fault. We didn’t see her at any of the tables nearby ours, so we got the sense that her tables were pretty spread out. She came by to make sure we were enjoying our food, and again at the end of the meal. We didn’t really need anything else, but the fact that we didn’t see her much after we had food also meant that if we had needed anything, it would have been hard to find her. Not a terrible complaint, simply an observation.

My overall impression was that the food (aside from the spring rolls) was good, and the service was decent (once they realized we were there). I’m psyched to have found another good restaurant nearby, and I’m sure we’ll be going back again!

Noodles & Co: Where Fast Food is Fast, but far from Fast Food

2009-02-27T06:03:00.002-05:00

Noodles and Co. • 7800 Montgomery Road • Cincinnati, OH 45236 • (513) 791-6259

His Take

This post is one of the few about a restaurant I hadn't really planned to visit until literally 10 seconds before I turned into the parking lot. Noodles & Company is all about pasta (as the name makes obvious) and has the appearance of being just another neighborhood fast-food joint. But if that's what you are expecting, you're definitely in for a treat.

I visited the Noodles & Co. location across from the Kenwood mall as I was driving up Montgomery Road with a friend and starving. We were on our way elsewhere and didn't want to stop long enough to eat at Dewey's, Cheesecake, or some other dine-in spot along the way, but we weren't desperate enough to hit up a true fast-food joint. Noodles seemed like a decent compromise. I had seen the chain all over the place, but somehow had never been inside one.

The Noodles menu is based on several permutations of pasta, veggies, and proteins (chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu) -- 432 permutations to be precise. They've divided the menu by cuisine theme -- American, Asian, and Mediterranean. Each style has a few options for pastas, a soup, and a salad. Or just can make whatever combination you'd like.

I decided to start with a Chinese Chop Salad, which includes the usual fixings of sesame seeds, Asian vegetables, crispy wontons, and a sesame-soy dressing. The salad was bigger than I expected, but probably not big enough for a meal. I was impressed, though, because the ingredients looked and tasted very fresh and I've certainly had smaller, less tasty Asian salads for much more money. My friend opted for the smaller Cucumber and Tomato Salad, which is simply chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and onions with a little balsamic vinegar dressing. I didn't taste it, but it certainly looked fresh, and my friend was very content.

Since the name of the place is Noodles, I certainly wasn't going to leave without some pasta. My choice was the Pasta Fresca, one of their "Mediterranean" choices. The Pasta Fresca is penne with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, and onions in a balsamic vinegar, white wine, and garlic sauce.

Now, I'm not one to frequently order pasta at a restaurant, largely because I think I can do pasta at home just as well and for a fraction of the price. In other words, my expectations are pretty low for restaurant pasta because, seriously, how can you screw up pasta? That said, Noodles impressed me. The pasta was hot (which surprisingly doesn't always happen elsewhere), not drowned in oil (a la Pompilio's), and had exactly the flavor I wanted from those ingredients.

All in all, this was a successful, quick stop for lunch. It's inexpensive, fast, fresh, and generally pretty healthy -- a hard combination to come by on the road. If you need a quick lunch break, give this place a shot. You won't regret it.

Reliably Predictable Tex Mex at Don Pablo's

2009-02-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

Don Pablo's • 2692 Madison Road • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 631-1356
401 Riverboat Road • Newport, KY 41071 • (859) 261-8100

His Take

Don Pablo's is one of those chains for which sometimes you are just in the right mood. As the name implies, it's a Tex-Mex restaurant, which means chips, salsa, burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, fajitas, and every other variation of those words that seem to be introduced into the vernacular from time to time.

Generally, when we head to Don Pablo's we're hungry and feeling like fajitas. Sadly, I'm forced to avoid most of the cheesy items, which makes fajitas option numero uno. In the past, I've usually done either the steak or chicken fajitas (or sometimes both), but then I discovered a secret few carnivores know. At Don Pablos, the vegetarian portobello fajitas are far tastier than any of the meats they have. Shocking, I know.

While we've been to Don Pablos in a variety of cities, locally we've been to the Rookwood and Newport locations. As the pictures show, the Newport location has a great outdoor patio for the summer that overlooks the river. Like the Rookwood location, the Newport one is also decorated to accent its warehouse origins.

Meals at Don Pablos always start with chips and salsa. Their salsa is not the most amazing salsa you've likely ever had, but it's not bad, and if you're eating at Don Pablos, that's probably good enough for you.

I think Jessica has pretty much covered the details of the food, so I'll let you read and check out the pictures without further delay. Enjoy!

Her Take

I have been to Don Pablo’s at least a half dozen times in the last year or two, more because it’s convenient and good enough for a last minute dinner than because it’s really fantastic. The Rookwood location is in an old warehouse, and it still has a bit of that feel to it, but it has been decorated in a sort of funky Tex-Mex theme. The waitstaff is fairly non-notable. Sometimes they are a bit social with the tables, but more frequently they simply get their jobs done in a not particularly interesting fashion.

Meals at Don Pablo’s tend to start the same way. Instead of the bread and olive oil of many restaurants, they keep with their theme and bring chips and salsa to the table. It’s a never-ending basket, so if the table is as hungry as we usually are, it’s no problem for the waiter to continually refill both the chips and the salsa.

Because I am a creature of habit—but more because of a lack of vegetarian options—I tend to order the Portabella Fajitas. I get three plates with my order, and sometimes more, depending on the waiter. It comes with one dish of sizzling seasoned portabella, peppers, and onions, one dish of tortillas, and a third of all the other stuff, generally rice, refried beans, cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce. I say generally because the waiters do differ on one key point. When I ask whether the sides are all vegetarian, I have gotten more than one different answer.

There is a general consensus that the refried beans are, in fact, meat/pork-free, but the rice seems to be a bit of a mystery. Some have told me that it, too, is vegetarian, but others, as on my most recent visit, told me it was cooked with a chicken broth, making it decidedly not-vegetarian. In exchange, I got the corn bread, which brings my total number of dishes to four. A couple of other sides are also generally offered in exchange for the potentially-meaty-rice, but the corn bread is my favorite!

Once the vegetarian-ness has been sorted out, I thoroughly enjoy my meals at Don Pablo’s. The portabellas have good spices on them, and I generally leave stuffed. I can’t finish all the tortillas they bring, both because I get too full and because they are so messy to eat. After one or two (they’re small!) I tend to just mix the ingredients together on one of my several plates and eat it with a fork. The too-many-plates issue tends to be an issue only when everyone at the table orders fajitas, in which case multiply the 3-4 dishes per person by the number of people at the table, add chips and salsa and drinks, and, well, it’s a little crowded.

My most entertaining Don Pablo’s experience, by far, involved leaving before we ate. During the blackout in the fall, we showed up needing dinner, since without power, dinner was difficult at home. They had power, and they were crowded, but they had a couple of open tables. The hostess, however, warned us that they were out of a few things: chips and tortillas for starters. We laughed, since that meant few things on the menu were being served as usual…and we left to go elsewhere. But we generally go back again when we’re looking for something at the last minute. It isn’t the best in the city, but it’s reliable and certainly good enough for an unexciting and unadventurous night out.

A Sweet Time at Honey

2009-02-21T19:10:00.002-05:00

Honey • 4034 Hamilton Ave • Cincinnati, OH 45223 • (513) 541-4300

His Take

Given all the comments we've read and heard about Honey, this review will likely not be a surprise to many (if not all) of you: Honey is fantastic. It's not always easy to find small, well-run, upscale restaurants with terrific food and without the air of elitism you expect at four star restaurants. Honey takes the best of those features and leaves out the rest -- its food is excellent, the service is great, the price is reasonable, and there's not even a hint of arrogance despite the fact they must know they have a good thing going.

Honey's Northside location is less than ideal, but with a staffed parking lot right next to the restaurant (and charging a whopping $3.00), the neighborhood should not be anyone's excuse for missing this venue. My first impression when we arrived was surprise at the diversity of the clientele (e.g., jeans to sport-coats, 20s, 30s, 40s, and up) and the nonchalant, low-key decor for a restaurant we've heard talked-up so much.

The restaurant didn't fill up until closer to 8 on a Saturday night, which meant we were well into our wonderful meal by the time people started lining up for tables. The warm bread was a nice start, but we didn't waste any time getting down to appetizers. (sorry for the terrible pictures, but flash photography at dinner is, well, a little obnoxious)

Everyone we know has recommended the Honey Fries, so that was an obvious choice. Our second choice was a little more eclectic: a veggie and potato cake served with olives and an artichoke heart presented like an upside-down tree. The Honey Fries easily met their reputation. The mix of potatoes and the sweet honey sauce were mouthwatering. If McDonalds had these fries, they wouldn't need to sell burgers. The second dish was also very tasty. The potato cake was a delicious combination of carrots, squash, and potatoes, although not particularly large for sharing purposes. The artichoke heart was a little less exciting because they hadn't dressed it up in any particular way. So I'd recommend skipping that for something more exotic.

My entree for the evening was a grilled wild salmon served with a shrimp and cabbage spring roll. I love fish, so ordering salmon is not exactly "adventurous" for me (as many of you probably already realize). But this is easily one of the best pieces of fish I've ever had. The salmon melted on my tongue and wasn't overcooked at all (something far too easy to do). There wasn't a fancy sauce glazed over the fish or a bucket of oil drowning it--just the natural taste with a little bit of seasoning. The shrimp and cabbage spring roll was also a nice and usual accompaniment. The spring roll was fried and crispy, but not a particularly thick or heavy dough. The shrimp and cabbage worked very well together, though I had my doubts at first.

And then there was dessert. And it was chocolate. And it was goooooood. We're always suspicious of chocolate cakes served with fruit or liquor sauces, but Honey made the sauce a true accent, rather than an integral part of the dish. The cake was a tiny bit dry, but plenty rich and well worth ordering. Plus, I'm always impressed by caramelized artwork with dessert because I could never, ever do that at home.

All in all, this place is a winner. A great meal, relaxed atmosphere, and reasonable prices for as great as it is. We'll be back!

Her Take

Since my only other restaurant experience in the Northside was at Melt, I had high hopes for Honey. (Yes, those expectations are based on the simple basis that they are down the street from one another.) Also, it looked good driving past, I had heard good things about it, and their online sample menu made my mouth water. The food sounded not just good, but really creative and good, which I think is harder to find.

We called ahead on a Saturday evening for reservations, and were told they didn’t take any. We went early just in case, but just before 7:00, they were only about half full. That certainly changed throughout the night, and by the time we left a little after 8:00, the bar area was full beyond capacity with people waiting for tables. The restaurant is simple inside, with few decorations beyond small flowers on the tables. Our waitress brought us warm bread even before we ordered. The bread certainly gets bonus points for being warm, and it was good, although not the best I’ve had, and served with butter rather than any fancy olive oil. It may have been the (only) low point of the meal, and it was certainly better than at many other places!

The waitress read us somewhere around six different specials, and after she walked away I could remember parts of three of them. With that many specials, it would have been great to have them written down. But the menu itself was so appealing that I was happy enough to order from that! We started with two appetizers, mainly because we couldn’t agree. I really wanted to try the Honey Fries, and he wanted something more interesting (to which I readily agreed, while still pushing the fries). So we got both the Honey Fries (“sweet, Yukon, and Idaho, with chili lime honey”) and a carrot-squash-potato cake appetizer that also came with an eggplant dip, chick pea dip, artichoke heart, and olives. Except that the wording on the menu was far more complicated than “dip,” so we really had little idea of what we were getting, but…wow. It was fantastic. There was a wide range of flavors and they all came together deliciously.

The only problem was that there was also a basket of fries on the table, and we couldn’t decide which to eat first. The fries were great. They came out really hot, so while we tried them first, we came back to them after letting them cool down. They were sweet, and the dipping sauce was even more so. We ended up piling them on our plates, putting a little sauce over the top, and eating them with a fork, partly because they were hot, partly because they were small, and partly because it seemed a little more polite than shoving fries into our mouths at the speed we would have liked because they were so yummy.

But then there was more food. My main course was Wild Mushroom and Fresh Mozzarella Ravioli, served in a creamy sauce with caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar. And yet again…wow. I feel like I’m running out of words to describe this meal, because everything we tasted was fantastic! It was so much fun to go expecting a good dinner, and to get something truly delicious. The ravioli had a little more sauce than I would have liked, although if I had eaten a little less appetizer, I may have happily eaten the rest of the sauce with another piece of bread. Instead, I opted to stare longingly at the creaminess left behind while I contemplated dessert.

Like the specials, desserts were not on a menu, but required listening carefully. Or, in my case, listening selectively until I heard the word “chocolate” and then asking her to repeat that dessert. We got a flourless chocolate cake with Grand Marnier, served with raspberry sauce, chocolate sauce, and some strawberries. It was a little dry, but with a cake like that (and after a meal like that) I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and thoroughly enjoy it anyway.

The meal was fantastic. I can’t wait to go back. I’ll probably wait for an occasion (or a parental visit?), since it was a bit pricier than a typical dinner out, but in this case, it was absolutely worth it. The portions were good: not tiny and not enormous, and the food was fantastic. I can’t wait to go back. Did I say that already? Yeah, it was that good.

Missing: Brown Dog

2009-02-15T18:13:00.002-05:00

We were very excited for our Valentine's Day dinner at Brown Dog Cafe. We had made a reservation a little later in the evening than we would have liked, but still within the realm of reasonable, which was impossible at a lot of other places. We were also excited to put to good use a $50 gift card we had received for 30% off courtesy of the most recent Cincinnati Independents sale. Since Brown Dog Cafe is not exactly a pub-price kind of place, we were psyched to use the gift card to make dinner a little more reasonable. And then the world conspired against us.

We had chosen Brown Dog Cafe partly because we wanted to avoid all of the upscale restaurants that take advantage of the holiday to do a fixed menu at $100 per plate. Brown Dog's website had no mention of anything out of the ordinary for Valentine's Day, and they hadn't mentioned anything on the phone when we called to make a reservation.

And then we showed up. We were a couple of minutes early for our reservation, and the tiny atrium was packed with waiting patrons, as was the bar. The host, when he eventually came back to the stand, informed us (and the others waiting) that diners were taking longer than usual tonight, and that there would be a significant wait--even with a reservation. It was a little past 8:30pm at that point, and none of the six parties with reservations for 8:30pm had been seated. The wait was enough that they had stopped taking walk-ins for the night. The host walked away again immediately after delivering that news, which was fine, because there was no space for him with all the people waiting on their reservations. We then noticed the special menus. There were no prices printed on them, which meant that they were likely in the realm of 'if you have to ask, you can't afford it.' We then realized the implications of the (unannounced) special menu and our gift certificate, which conveniently has a 'not for use on holidays and special events' clause on it. Eventually, when the host returned (to let the next round of reservation arrivals know that they would be waiting), we asked whether we could use our gift certificate that night. Somehow, we weren't surprised when he said no.

The review of Brown Dog Cafe has therefore been postponed. Between the wait time, the special (limited) menu without prices, and the (unannounced) holiday invocation against our gift certificate, it wasn't in the cards for us. For the record, we simply crossed our own names off the list and left, because the host disappeared again. Hopefully it will make up for itself next time!

Indigo: Casual Gourmet Speaks for Itself

2009-01-18T14:19:00.003-05:00

Indigo • 2637 Erie Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 321-9952

His Take

I’ve been to Indigo on two occasions, both to meet up with friends and both based on someone else’s venue selection. Indigo’s dishes offer plenty of food, semi-decent taste, and reasonable prices — often all you can ask for in a neighborhood restaurant. So while I’ve been there twice and will probably end up back there again sometime, it’s unlikely I’d ever request we go there.

The restaurant prides itself on its Italian offerings, and pasta is usually where I head on their menu. The last time I was there it was absolutely frigid outside, and I came in longing for a hot bowl of soup. And that’s exactly how I started. Our server recommended their chicken soup, which she said was so popular that people come in just to get it for take-out. I thought the soup was pretty good, but far from amazing. The soup had plenty of vegetables and plenty of chicken in a fairly unsurprising broth. So while it didn’t blow me away, I’m not sure my homemade soup would come out much better, so it fit the bill just fine.

I will admit, though, that I spent plenty of time ogling the focaccia appetizer that the rest of the party devoured because all that melted cheese looked delicious. But I was busy warming up with my soup.

My main dish was the artichoke tomato sauce pasta. All of the pasta options on Indigo’s menu let you choose the pasta you want and select from a variety of different preparations, or “sauces” as Indigo uses the word. So, I chose the spinach fettucini noodles with their artichoke tomato sauce. The sauce includes black olives, garlic, and herbs in addition to the obvious tomatoes and artichokes. And I threw in grilled chicken just for good measure. The dish had plenty of pasta, and I never quite finished it. But my progress had more to do with being hungry than the taste of the food. The sauce wasn’t very impressive, although I liked the combination of the olives and artichokes. And the pasta itself was good, but nothing to write home about. So all in all it was . . . fine.

My only real qualm with the meal was the bread that came with the pasta. The bread had a very potent taste, which rubbed me the wrong way. I never quite figured out what it was, and it didn’t seem to phase anyone else with me, but I took one bite and then left the rest on the plate. Never a good sign.

So, in short, Indigo is fine. You won’t likely be amazed or dying to come back, but you’ll probably be back from time to time as will I. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Her Take

I have been to Indigo a handful of times, and I have always been satisfied with my meals there, although never blown away. I always intend to try one of their many creative salads, but I tend to be thrown off track by the variety of pastas, pizzas, and calzones, many of them interesting combinations, many of them vegetarian, and all of them more exciting than a salad. This trip was no exception, except that with the cold weather, I don’t think I ever really intended to have a salad.

On a middle-of-the-week night, the restaurant had some other tables occupied but was by no means full, and we were immediately seated at a table in the middle of the room. The décor is fairly non-notable; the neon “Indigo” sign in the front window kind of prevents the place from even appearing too upscale, and they call themselves “A Casual Gourmet Café.” Since we were all hungry, we immediately looked to the appetizer section. With the friend who dined with us that evening, I split the Focaccia Appetizer, an Italian flatbread split (the long way) and filled with melted mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and basil. I suppose it’s much more of a summery dish, but this is not the kind of place that seems to change the menu seasonally. They served it to us and it was yummy, regardless of the season. I was a little disappointed that the bread wasn’t warmer, and the whole sandwichy concoction fell apart somewhat in the eating process, but luckily, that didn’t impede the eating process too much.

Once we were slightly less ravenous, it was time for the main course. I ordered the Eggplant Lasagna. I am a lasagna lover, and finding meatless ones is a difficult task, so I will almost always order them when I find them that way. It was good and more than enough food, of course, but I felt like there was more sauce and ricotta than noodle or eggplant, which was a little sad. It was certainly good and warm, of course, but on my next trip I will probably return to their (Cincinnati Magazine) award winning calzones (or pizzas). I have had the black bean calzone before as well, which includes beans, cheese, and salsa inside the calzone, and it was TONS of food and delicious. I am noticing that this calzone isn’t tagged as vegetarian on their website, which means I would ask first, but I also see that the Blackened Chicken Pasta is tagged as vegetarian, so…well, I’d ask about the calzone.

None of us were so enthused that night about the idea of dessert, strangely, so I can’t report on it, other than to say that they advertise some amazing and rich sounding desserts under the glass tops of the tables.

I will certainly return to Indigo, if for no other reason than that their food is decent, the location is convenient, and one of these days, I’ll try one of their salads!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-18T11:59:00.002-05:00

His Take

Happy New Year, all! As we kick-off Restaurants & Reservations’ 2009 series, we thought we'd start by introducing ourselves to those of you that have been following the blog and those of you who are new to it. My name is Michael, and I’ve been living in Cincinnati for just over eight months. As you can probably tell from our previous reviews, I’m the carnivore in this relationship when we eat out. I love a good steak (or burger depending on the night), so you generally won’t find me settling for just pasta or a salad — especially when I’m hungry. I’m a big fan of ethnic foods, especially Asian cuisine and Middle Eastern, but I’m game to try almost anything. So, if you have a favorite place you think we should visit, don’t be shy! Enjoy the coming reviews...

Her Take

Happy New Year from this side too! We’re back, we have a (slightly) new design, and we have lots of reviews and new ideas to share with you in the coming months. I’m Jessica, and I’ve been living here in Cincy for about a year and a half. This blog was born out of our enjoyment of food, of course, and as a way to keep us trying all the great restaurants out there instead of just going back to the same old places. Dining out, I tend to stick to vegetarian dishes, but also fish—so don’t get confused when I lament the lack of vegetarian food and then settle on salmon! I like lots of random foods, but Italian tends to be my comfort food. I’m also a complete chocoholic, so I usually avoid fruity desserts in favor of something much, much richer. Suggestions are always appreciated! …And, we’re back!

Red: Steaks and Wine. The name says it all.

2008-12-01T23:20:00.001-05:00

Red • 2724 Erie Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-3200

His Take

Red is one of those special occasion restaurants where most of us just can’t afford to be regulars. Fortunately for us, we recently had such an occasion, and so we thought we’d share our visit to Red with our readers.

The name “Red” says it all--this restaurant is about steaks and wine with a few other dishes in case a non-red-meat-eater happens to be dragged there. But like most high-end steakhouses, Red isn’t just about the food and drink--the service, decor, and atmosphere are also outstanding.

Entering Red in Hyde Park Square, the first thing we noticed was that the restaurant is unusually dark. The lights are low and much of the decor is a deep red color, which gives the restaurant a rather closed-in feel, dark, exclusive feel.

From the moment you arrive at the restaurant, the Red staff are attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. From the parking valet, to the hostess, to the servers and bus boys (though I’m sure there’s a fancier name for them at an establishment like Red), each person seems to make it his/her job to ensure your visit is perfect.

Our meal started simply with salads all around. I ordered the Red House salad, which is your standard mixed greens salad spiced up with golden raisins, amaretto almonds, and potato gaufrettes with a sherry vinaigrette. While realistically the description probably sounds fancier than it really is, Red does a perfectly fine job of presenting a tasty salad with something a little out of the ordinary — in this case the waffled potatoes on top. Across the table from me, I’m told the Caesar salad was terrific with a delicious dressing, fresh lettuce, and real shaved parmesan.

And then it was time for the main event: steak. The seafood may be good; the pasta may be wonderful; but don’t waste your money if none of you are in the mood for real red meat. What makes a Red steak more “real” than at Max & Erma’s? Well, for starters, it has to do with the fact that when you order a steak medium-rare it actually comes out red hot in the middle as opposed to well...well-done.

My dish for the night was the Steak Grayson — a 10 oz. NY Strip topped with crispy onions with wild mushrooms and beef jus accompanying it. I ordered the steak medium as a test to see whether they actually cook meat correctly, and I was certainly not disappointed. The steak was warm and pinkish-red in the center with a slight amount of seasoning and juicy enough to melt in your mouth. I was ecstatic. I don’t treat myself to a fine steak like this one nearly often enough. (Technically, I suppose I more often let others treat me to one when possible!)

Across the table from me was another happy camper, who ordered the 7 oz. filet mignon with a side of grilled sweet potatoes, which were also fantastic. And even better was our company sitting at the other corner, who ordered the surf & turf — a 7 oz. filet with an 8 oz. lobster tail — and, poor us, couldn’t finish the lobster. So, I insisted I could help. The lobster was fantastic. The meat was soft and sweet even without the candle-lit melted butter.

Oh wait, did I say the steaks were the main event? My mis-steak (sorry, had to). We actually first heard Red recommended to us by friends who stop by frequently just for dessert. So, despite how filling the steaks and salads were, we were not about to stop there. Our table ordered two desserts: the caramel creme brulee and the “molten chocolate decadence” — as if we would ever turn down a name like that. I’m told the creme brulee was wonderful, and it was certainly presented creatively in a long narrow boat. But the chocolate cake was the real story. Though the portion was sadly designed for only one to maybe two people, the chocolate was rich and smooth; the berries were fresh; and the mouse accompaniment was sweet and silky. Yes, our friends were right: we may not be able to afford a Red steak every week, but we definitely can’t afford going too long without such a grand chocolate conclusion!

Her Take

Having walked through Hyde Park Square somewhere around zillions of times, we knew we wanted to try Red eventually, but it’s not exactly the type of place you just go when you’re hungry. Once we had the right occasion, we made reservations and headed out on a Saturday night. From the moment you pull up to the valet parking in the square, you know it’s an upscale restaurant, and the staff inside makes sure you don’t forget. They seem to be everywhere, ready to take you to your table, pull out (and push in) your chair behind you, take your coat to the coat check, and hand you menus. I think these tasks were, in fact, done by four different people.

They told us they specialized in steaks and wine, and based on the number of times they tried to convince our table to try wine, they were disappointed when we did not order any. Three of the four of us did order steaks, however, so hopefully that was consolation enough. A word for vegetarians (those who decide a steakhouse is a good idea): the menu online looks like it will have lots of options. However, we were told when the waiter came to tell us about specials that they did not have the ravioli, tortellini, or gnocchi. In other words, vegetarians were out of luck. There was one more veggie item on the menu, an artichoke sandwich of some kind, but it seems so insignificant next to a steak! I ordered fish. The bread was decent, two different kinds of rolls, but not particularly notable.

The meals all come with salads. Three out of four of us opted for the Red House Salad: golden raisins, amaretto almonds, charred onions, mixed greens, spiced potato gaufrettes, with an aged sherry vinaigrette. (For the record, the “gaufrettes” are spicy and fancy waffle cut potato chips, and delicious.) The salad was fantastic. There was a creative mix of ingredients, and unlike many restaurants, the salad was not drowning in dressing; there was about as much as I would have put on myself. With the fancy potato chips on top, it even looked really pretty coming out of the kitchen. Report on the Caesar salad was that it was also delicious and appropriately under-dressed, with a dressing that did not feel nearly as heavy or thick as most restaurant Caesar dressings, and nice-looking, big parmesan shavings on top.

After an appropriate interval (as in, not before we finished our salads or immediately upon clearing the plates), our meals arrived. I had pan seared mahi, which came with soba noodles in a soy sauce and citrus sauce. The noodles were good, but very salty, and the citrus somehow all was at the bottom of the pile, so I didn’t find it until late in the meal. The fish was good, but not particularly exciting; in addition the pan searing, there was not any discernable sauce or spice added to the fish itself. It was a good-sized portion, although the plate looked emptier than I am used to at restaurants—and not as beautifully garnished as I expected from an upscale place, but I was certainly incredibly full by the end.

Not that incredibly full stops me from ordering dessert. The desserts at Red (specifically the caramelized banana bread pudding) were highly recommended by friends, so we decided to indulge. As per usual, we got the most chocolatey* thing on the menu: molten chocolate decadence. Since the desserts are described by the waiter rather than printed on a menu, I didn’t let him get all the way through the description before deciding on the chocolate lava cake. I was pleasantly surprised, of course, to find out that it also came with chocolate mousse and some fresh berries. The dessert was very good, although like once before, we were a little disappointed to find no “lava” in the middle of the cake. While it was not particularly overcooked on the edges, the center was by no means gooey, which was a bit sad. The mousse was very good, and the berries allowed us to call the whole thing healthy, of course.

Overall, dinner at Red was very good. It is certainly expensive, and not a place I would go frequently. If I had another occasion, I might look for another restaurant, mainly because there are so many nice restaurants in the area, and I did not think that this one was SO amazing that I’m ready to make it my go-to fancy restaurant…but it was definitely a good one!

*Microsoft Word requests a change from “most chocolatey” to “chocolatiest.” Neither of which are in the computer’s dictionary. Just for the record.

We're voting for.......FREE FOOD!

2008-11-02T21:49:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't live in a cave, you already know that Tuesday, November 4 is Election Day (though it's on the 6th if you're voting for that other guy, right?). We tried to get the candidates to write a guest review of their favorite restaurant for us, but apparently they were busy with other things.

So instead, we've decided to compile for you a list of the wonderful free food you can collect on Election Day just by voting and visiting the venues below.

If you know of a place we've missed, please tell us in the comments or by email and we'll add it to our list!

Currito (UC location) -- Free burrito between 11am and 2pm with an "I voted" sticker

Ben & Jerry's -- Free scoop of ice cream between 5pm and 8pm (no sticker needed!)

Starbucks -- Free tall coffee if you tell them you voted.

Godiva (Kenwood Mall location) -- Free truffle with "I voted" sticker

2008-10-29T07:50:00.000-04:00

We've Moved! Sort of...

Restaurants & Reservations now has its own domain!

You can now visit us online at www.restaurantsandreservations.com

Don't feel like changing your bookmarks? No worries; Blogger will redirect you to our new site, so you'll never miss a review. And as always, you can still email us at CincyDining@mac.com.

Happy eating!

Ferrari's: The car company should be jealous

2008-10-29T06:10:00.004-04:00

Ferrari's Little Italy • 7677 Goff Terrace • Cincinnati, OH 45243 • (513) 272-2220

His Take

For those of you who read the comments on the blog, which we encourage you to do, you already know that we took a little bit of heat a few weeks ago when we recommended to a very pregnant (but no longer pregnant!) friend that Maggiano’s was the place to go if you want a delicious Fettucini Alfredo and plenty of it. So, we promised ourselves we would find an independent Italian restaurant that we liked. And now we have.

Ferrari’s was first recommended to me by a coworker, whose opinion was seconded in the comments here. It’s a surprisingly large restaurant and Italian grocery located in Madeira. The restaurant is in the back of a plaza, so you have to keep an eye out for the signs, rather than the actual building. We can prove we like this place because even though we’re just blogging about it now, we’ve already been there twice. And last time we brought friends (irrefutable proof we’re fans).

On our first visit, we arrived pretty late in the evening and the restaurant was pretty quiet. It was slightly too cold for us to enjoy the patio, but it looked like there were several parties out there. Our server was extremely friendly and helpful with navigating the menu. She answered questions about the portions and ingredients confidently and honestly. For example, she made sure we weren’t ordering grande portions of anything and even made me second guess my entree selection.

The first course for us was bread, and I was generally impressed. The bread looked and tasted homemade. There’s a poor picture below (low light), but you can see there were both sourdough and multigrain options, both of which were relatively dense and tasty. The downside was it was served room temperature and with butter. Fortunately, one of those problems was easily resolved with a request for oil. When the oil was delivered, our server had turned it into an oil/pesto/tomato mixture, which was one of the best tasting dips we’ve had in a restaurant.

Next up was the salad. The small salad was easily big enough for us to split, and it looked fresh with plenty of cheese, pine nuts, and cranberries. The dressing was very mild, but I don’t ask for much when it comes to a salad. This was far better than a few pieces of iceberg lettuce, some tomato, and drowning in oil. (If that’s your bag, try Pompilios.)

But the entree is always the most important part (except maybe dessert). I decided to go with chicken and ordered the Pollo Province--a sauteed chicken breast with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, and sherry over linguini. Our server cautioned me that some people find the dish too sweet because of the sherry, and I almost reconsidered. But I’m glad I didn’t. The dish was a delicious combination with plenty of perfectly cooked chicken pieces, a wonderful sauce, and only a small mountain of pasta.

While I’m glad I ordered the dish, I became very jealous when I tried my date’s eggplant parmigiana. It wasn’t the eggplant that caught my attention, but the marinara sauce was fantastic! Fortunately, when we went back with friends I had a chance to try more of it--this time with the Spaghettini Mediterranean. It’s normally served with artichoke hearts, portabello, and a garlic and olive oil sauce, but my friend and I ordered it with the marinara--a much better option. The red sauce has a deep flavor that is hard to find elsewhere, and that’s what will keep me coming back.

Well, that and the chocolate indulgence. Here’s a picture. You come up with the 1000 words. I’ll just leave it with mmmmmmmmmmmm...

Her Take

We most certainly listen to our commenters and friends! Ferrari’s was recently recommended by people commenting both on- and off-line. We had been searching for good, non-chain Italian in Cincinnati, but we struggled somewhat. We finally had a chance to go try Ferrari’s, and it certainly lived up to the recommendation! There was a brief moment of skepticism when we first walked in, because the main door is through a sort of grocery store, a counter area that functions as an Italian bakery/deli during the day. In the evening, it is simply the gateway to the actual restaurant.

Ferrari’s is several small/medium rooms, so it feels like a small, family-run place, even though in reality it is a fairly large restaurant. In addition to adding intimacy, the division of rooms also keeps the noise level down, which makes it feel more upscale than, say, Maggiano’s, which is a big restaurant that really feels like a big restaurant.

In any case, atmosphere is nice, but food is of supreme importance in a restaurant. The menu is fairly large at Ferrari’s, both in physical size and variety. Luckily, they serve bread while you peruse. The bread is good, but would be better warmed up. They serve with butter, but we discovered out that if you ask for olive oil, they will bring it out on a plate with a delicious tomatoey spice mixture that is far superior to the store-bought pats of butter you get otherwise.

We decided to start our meal splitting a salad. They have two sizes at Ferrari’s, which they call Piccola and Grande, which are in reality Big and Ginormous. We split a Piccola salad, and were shocked at how large it was. It seems that what they call “small” is a regular restaurant-sized portion. Grande is meant for sharing—if each person wants their own restaurant-sized portion! The Ferrari Salad (lettuce, dried cranberries, pine nuts, gorgonzola cheese, balsamic vinaigrette) was certainly yummy, although nothing overly thrilling.

I had eggplant parmesan as my main course, again the piccola. When it arrived at the table (in a reasonable, not too long not too short fashion), I was shocked to see how much food it was. There were two decent-sized pieces of eggplant, along with a large serving of ziti with tomato sauce. The eggplant was great. I find that eggplant parm often comes out somewhat soggy, and that was most definitely not the case here. It was deliciously crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. My only complaint was that it was too light on the cheese—but I love cheese. The tomato sauce on the pasta was great—flavorful, chunky, and there was plenty of it. Yum. About half the meal went home for a delicious leftovers lunch.

We somehow found room for dessert, especially after we had heard the waitress describe the “chocolate indulgence” to another table. (Actually, it may have been just uttering those two words together that convinced us.) It was baked and chocolatey and delicious, and really, that’s all that’s important to me in a rich chocolate dessert.

Ferrari’s is not an everyday Italian joint. It’s a little more upscale than that in both food quality (hooray!) and prices, but it’s not unreasonable or outrageous, especially for the amount of food on the plate. I can’t wait to go back!

China Gourmet: Finally a Chinese Restaurant That Lives Up to Its Name

2008-10-25T19:45:00.001-04:00

China Gourmet • 3340 Erie Ave • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-6612

His Take

A friend of ours heard us talking about finding a neighborhood Chinese place and recommended we check out China Gourmet. I had never noticed it before--largely because it occupies the basement/ground level of a nondescript plaza. But I’m always game for a recommendation, so I was keen to give it a try.

We visited China Gourmet late on a Thursday night for dinner, and the restaurant was largely empty, save for a few tables that wrapped up their meal shortly after we arrived. The restaurant was quiet, clean, and for a dark Chinese restaurant it had surprisingly contemporary lighting. The bar had a few patrons, most of whom I suspect were regular locals, and the LCD over the bar was tuned to the World Series.

We apparently came in from the back of the restaurant, since I gather they’ve oriented the hostess-stand to be near the parking lot. We were promptly seated and had our choice of a table or booth; we went with the latter. While I liked the decor--kind of a contemporary Chinese motif with even nicer contemporary silverware--I wasn’t at all impressed with the comfort of the booth. But I held out hope that the seating had little to do with the food. And I was right.

Our server greeted us with the usual drink and food menus, and we were surprised that the menu was much smaller than most Chinese restaurants. No doubt some of that is because it’s a much more upscale menu with a reasonable variety of dishes rather than listing separately every possible combination of proteins, vegetables, and sauces. That said, I couldn’t pick out what I wanted for dinner--nothing sounded so amazing, in part because there were minimal if any descriptions of each dish aside from the name. So, when our server came back, I asked him what I should order if I was in the mood for chicken with plenty of vegetables and a sauce with a little kick. Rather than point me to one dish or another, he suggested that I just let the chef throw together something not on the menu. He gave me my choice of sauces (I went with a garlic and black bean sauce) and said he’d throw in all the fresh vegetables he had. It sounded good to me, so I figured it was worth a shot. I was already impressed just by the service.

After we ordered, I was mildly disappointed not to have any Chinese noodles or other noshes brought over, but the wait was short enough that I almost didn’t notice. The food came out sizzling hot, and our server did an excellent plating job at our table. The staff overall were extremely nice and paid attention to little things like empty water glasses (which happen frequently with small glasses and lots of ice). But let’s talk about the food.

My dish came out with plenty of chicken and a mix of snow peas, bok choy, onions, and spinach in a mild black bean and garlic sauce. The chicken was much higher quality than what I find at places like First Wok, and the vegetables looked and tasted fresh. The sauce could have been spicier, but it definitely added more robust flavor to the meal. Overall, I’d say it was a very good dish--not amazing, but certainly above average.

And if only they had larger water glasses I’d be all set. I guess I’ll have to go back to ask. Shucks :-)

Her Take

Since the last time we tried a neighborhood Chinese place, we were mightily disappointed, I was not sure what to expect from China Gourmet. But it had been recommended by a friend who is a connoisseur of Chinese food, so off we went. While China Gourmet faces Erie Avenue in East Hyde Park, the main entrance is in the back, from the parking lot. It looks like a more upscale restaurant, with white tablecloths, a roaring fire, low lighting, and a fancy full bar. On a Thursday night, later than the usual dinner hour (have to get to the gym sometime!), it was fairly empty. We were among the younger diners; there were no kids and most patrons seemed at least one generation older than us, but again, who goes out to eat late-ish on a Thursday night?!

The menu was smaller than expected, with entrees taking only two small columns. One column was specials, which were all in the $18-30 range, and the other column was what you expect from an American Chinese restaurant, but fewer choices. We soon learned why the small amount of choice was fairly irrelevant. Each of us wanted something that was sort of on the menu, like a combination of two dishes or a tweak to something we saw. As it turns out, this is no problem for the chef at China Gourmet.

I asked for a combination of the Szechwan bean curd (mmmmm, tofu) and the Szechwan eggplant. The waiter asked how I liked my tofu, soft or crispy (crispy on the outside), and whether I wanted other vegetables in addition to the eggplant (anything but broccoli, of course). Soon enough, our custom dishes arrived. They make a big deal out of presentation, but not in the same way as Green Papaya. Instead, the server put down his big tray of food, and he made a point to dish out our first serving, putting some rice and main dish onto each of our plates—asking first whether we were sharing the two dishes or each having our own. I was impressed! It did make it harder to take pictures of what the food looked like upon arrival from the kitchen though.

It was delicious. Mine had just the right amount of kick, and an interesting variety of veggies: eggplant, water chestnuts, carrot, peapods, some kind of fancy mushrooms, and probably a couple other things I’m forgetting, in addition to big pieces of tofu. The portions were decent sized, but not overly enormous. I had enough leftovers for a small lunch the next day, which, of course, made me very happy.

The prices are reasonable. As stated above, the specials are on the pricier end, but the regular dishes are all in the $8-15 range, with a wide range of appetizers if you are so inclined as well. Eggrolls start at about $2-3, although we skipped to the main course this time.

I’m psyched to have found a good Chinese place! Of course, never satisfied, recommendations for others are always welcome, but I’ll be returning to China Gourmet!

Allyn's--Sometimes the name just doesn't even give you a clue

2008-10-15T07:50:00.002-04:00

Allyn's • 3538 Columbia Parkway • Cincinnati, OH 45226 • (513) 871-5779

His Take

Reliable southwestern cuisine can be hard to come by up north, but Allyn’s has been a favorite of mine since I first visited there a little over a year ago. Now, to clarify, we’re not talking about authentic Mexican cooking here, so commentators, it’s safe to close your jaw. We’re just talking about southwest seasoning, great flavor, and consistency. That’s what you’ll find at Allyn’s.

For those of you unfamiliar with it, Allyn’s is the single-level medium sized building that sits on the corner of Rt 50 (Columbia Parkway) and Hoge, right near Columbia-Tusculum, and has a large, funky, yellow and purple sign with its name. It advertises itself as “Cajun, Mexican” but they have a pretty decent variety on the menu. Their known locally for having the best eclectic mix of food you can find. For example, their website brags about winning:

Best Beer List . . . Best Cafe, Best Mexican, Best Quesadillas, Best Patio, Best Booth at Taste of Cincinnati, Best Crawfish Boil, Best Enchiladas . . . Best Turkey Chili, Best Place to find local musicians, Best Place to debut (Songwriter Night), Best Beer and Wine List, Best Margarita's, Best Eclectic Cuisine, Best Small Wine Shop, Best gator (as in alligator) . . .

Plus, they have a large beer and wine store inside the restaurant giving you more than 500 non-mixed drinks to choose from.

But let’s talk about the actual food. My favorite dish there is called the Pollo Asado Genghis Khan—a mix of chicken, black beans, peppers, and onions served inside a tortilla with rice and refried beans. The ingredients are pretty typical Mexican fare, but put them together with their house Mexican seasoning, salsa, and sauce, and the dish is hot and delicious with plenty of food to eat.

I must confess I might not have ever tried anything else at Allyn’s, but why mess with a good thing? The restaurant is also a pretty decent size with a variety of table settings (booths, high chairs, bar, back room, patio) and large, flat screen TV’s all over the place for entertainment. The service can be very hit or miss, but the food is solid and it’s definitely a great very casual place to go with a big group. I’ve been there multiple times with my old softball team after a game and the servers always seem to keep up with drinks and food. This is definitely a place worth checking out.

Her Take

I had never been to Allyn’s, and I was most excited to go because the Direct TV guy had been installing for hours, and at 9:00 at night, I was HUNGRY! The entrance is actually through the patio, where there were lots of people sitting and eating, and then through a small wine store associated with the restaurant. I quickly noticed that the hostess (and waitstaff) were dressed extremely casually. It was fitting for the restaurant though. My first impression of the restaurant itself was that it was really dark inside, which explains the lack of pictures. The décor looks like an attempted neighborhood bar, sort of like Cheers, in a way. It is almost as much a bar as a restaurant, but that may have also been because of where we were seated, just behind the bar. This proved to be both good (for watching football while eating) and bad (for listening to drunk people at the bar watching football while eating).

We quickly ordered something for starters, and we surprised ourselves by getting something healthy. Usually when we come in starving, the appetizer will be something at least one of us regrets later, but this time we each ordered a house salad, mine with balsamic vinaigrette on the side. It came the way I expected (which, sadly, is sometimes notable), but was not particularly exciting. A house salad seldom is, unfortunately.

For my meal, I ordered a tofu and black bean burrito. It came with chips, salsa, and some vegetarian refried beans, all next to a ginormous burrito with sauce on top. This was no pick-it-up burrito, but definitely a fork-and-knife burrito. It had all the necessary elements inside, except that it conformed to one of my main complaints about giant burritos: the stuff isn’t mixed together. Sadly, what that means is that I got bites that were exclusively beans and cheese (yum), but also bites that were exclusively tofu (booooooring). I can’t believe restaurants don’t mix the ingredients together before wrapping them up. I would be really excited to find a place that did that. In any case, my less generic complaint is that the tofu was not exciting. While I know that tofu as a food group is, in fact, boring, I also know that it’s possible to spice it up. Literally. Tofu will take on any flavor added to it, so cooking the tofu with some spices before tossing it into a tortilla would help the boring bites be a lot more interesting.

Complaints aside, I really enjoyed my meal. There were what seemed like zillions of vegetarian choices, and they weren’t mostly the just-bread-and-cheese mix that a lot of Tex-Mex places offer. The spices were interesting (Cajun), at least in the bites where they were. There was more than enough food, and it was definitely not overpriced. I could have done without the drunken sports fans at the bar, but I suppose that’s my fault for going out exhausted on a football night. I’m looking forward to a chance to go back!

MPF seeks Italian restaurant with good alfredo sauce for two...er, three

2008-09-23T21:47:00.006-04:00

We recently received an email from a (very pregnant) friend asking us for our opinion on the perfect restaurant to satisfy her craving:

I want to go to a nice Italian restaurant before the baby's born, so I looked at your blog and reread the reviews for Bella Luna, Maggiano's, Buca di Beppo, Trio, and Betta's. Did I miss one? In terms of chains I also thought of Olive Garden (love the salads).

So tell me, oh restaurant guru, which do you recommend? I'm going for a non-vegetarian, hearty, totally fattening alfredo sauce. :)

We love a good challenge, so we put our thinking caps on and debated amongst ourselves what to recommend. The verdict: Maggiano's (and don't forget the chocolate cake for dessert). Now, we're sure there are some of you who are shocked and dismayed that we would recommend a chain like Maggiano's for our friend here, but please, allow us to explain.

First and foremost, we've been struggling to find an Italian place in town that is reasonably priced and has a delicious sauce. We've been satisfied at most places we've tried (other than Pompilio's), but we haven't fallen in love with anything. In other words, your recommendations are much needed here.

Now, let's start with the runner-ups before we get to why Maggiano's won.

First runner up (who gets the crown if Maggiano's closes tomorrow): Olive Garden. We haven't formally reviewed Olive Garden here, because we haven't been to one locally, but we stopped at one last month while traveling and were reminded why we like it: good pasta, great endless salad, and buttery bread. Olive garden's pasta is plentiful and tasty, but the atmosphere and flavor just aren't anything amazing. You always feel like you're in a middle-of-the-road restaurant that happens to have white tablecloths.

The other finalists:

Trio--We probably don't need to tell you we love Trio. But I don't think we've ever had pasta there, and I wouldn't bank on them having an alfredo sauce if you just pick a random night to visit. If alfredo is what you crave, better count on finding it elsewhere.

Betta's--Betta's is good Italian at very reasonable prices. But it's just good, not great.

Buca di Beppo--This is always the place to bring a large group. Even though someone eight or nine months pregnant might be more than a little rotund, food for twelve still seems like overkill. The pasta there is adequate, but again, not amazing.

Bella Luna--Bella Luna is a little bit different than the other's. It's got a funkier atmosphere, a more interesting menu, but it also doesn't have huge portions or out-of-the-park taste. And we're betting you need a decent portion size :-)

Other places to consider: Macaroni Grill (but the one in Kenwood closed), Carrabba's (but it's a bit of a commute), and Brio (just avoid the weekend!).

So that takes us back to our winner for this competition: Maggiano's. Maggiano's has very good pasta. Some love it more than others, but I've never heard anyone say they really didn't like their dish. I think their sauce hits the spot, and the portions...oh my, the portions...will feed you and at least an extra person. So if you happen to be feeding yourself and an extra person, the portion should be just about right. And they have a pretty killer chocolate cake, too :-) So this place gets the taste points, portion points, atmosphere points, and dessert points. Haven't found a place yet to top that.........yet :-)

First Try, Last Try: First Wok

2008-09-11T22:20:00.002-04:00

First Wok • 3870 Paxton Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45209 • (513) 321-8388

His Take

Everybody needs a decent neighborhood Chinese restaurant that you can go to when you’re feeling lazy or take out from when you’re in a rush. In search of such a place, we tested out First Wok by the Bigg’s in Hyde Park Plaza..........We’re still looking for our neighborhood Chinese restaurant.

We should have known from the empty tables when we arrived that everyone else had figured out that First Wok leaves a lot to be desired, but we were foolishly optimistic.

The menu was pretty large, although I always get the feeling that these restaurants make it that why by listing every possible “Sweet & Sour [X]” dish separately. We started with veggie spring rolls, which were fine, but far from impressive.

Then we moved on to entrees. I ordered “Silver Chicken,” which is white meat chicken and snow peas in a sweet & hot brown sauce with silver noodles. What the description left out is (a) that the portion is enormous and (b) that the chicken is lightly fried. The dish tasted fine. Just fine. I was neither repulsed nor excited about the dish. The chicken wasn’t the quality of meat I had hoped for (though in fairness, it rarely is high quality at a neighborhood Chinese joint), the “spicy” facet mentioned on the menu was nonexistent, and the taste just wasn’t all that impressive. But other than that, it came out quickly, it didn’t make me sick, and it was relatively inexpensive.

All in all, we’ll keep looking for another Chinese restaurant in the area. Any suggestions?

Her Take

We were looking for a quick dinner on a recent evening, and hoping to find a new neighborhood gem—one of those inexpensive, quick places with remarkably good food. We headed over to First Wok in Hyde Park Plaza with high hopes.

When we walked in, we noticed a few things right away. There were about twenty tables. Including us, three were occupied. Granted it was a weeknight, but that was not encouraging. There was, however, a booming takeout business going on at the door. There was almost a constant flow of people in and out collecting their brown paper bags.

Hungry as always, we started our meal with the usual vegetable spring rolls. They were decent enough, but not particularly memorable. I suppose I should look for a new standard dish to order as an appetizer at Chinese-style restaurants, because spring rolls are seldom better than okay, but for now, they are a safe choice—and if I find really good ones, I’ll know I’ve found a winner of a restaurant!

I was a little disappointed with First Wok’s menu. Most Chinese restaurants are very flexible, and almost any protein can be put into almost any sauce, so that even if there is a wimpy vegetarian section (as there is at First Wok), I can ask for tofu and/or veggies in a sauce that appears elsewhere on the menu, and it’s no problem. That was not the case at First Wok, as the waitress told me in her limited English, which leads me to wonder whether their dishes are pre-made. In any case, I ended up ordering the Szechwan Tofu, which comes with white rice. They don’t have a brown rice option as so many places do now. The dish was far more boring than I expected. The menu claimed it would be spicy, but it wasn’t. I expected tofu and vegetables in a sauce. Instead I got a giant plate of tofu and sauce, with a few vegetables. They might as well have been garnish for how few there were, and I don’t think I have EVER complained about a lack of vegetables in my life. It’s on the record now (mom, are you listening?): there were not enough veggies in my dish at First Wok.

It’s sad, but I was even disappointed in the fortune cookies. They were pre-wrapped, destroying even the illusion that they were made on-site.

If you’re still considering a visit to First Wok, it looks like they also have a relatively inexpensive lunch buffet, and perhaps they do take-out better than eat-in, given the number of people who chose that option. But I don’t plan to try either of those options there any time soon.

Teak: No need for a view with food this good

2008-09-07T18:54:00.003-04:00

Teak Thai Cuisine • 1049-51 St. Gregory Street • Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 665-9800

His Take

Teak was actually the first restaurant I visited in Cincinnati. A friend of a friend took me there on my first night in town for an interview, and I was very impressed with the Mount Adams neighborhood and the restaurant itself. The full name is Teak Thai Cuisine, and the menu is full of various Thai, seafood, and sushi options--there’s something for just about everyone there.

My most recent visit was a chance to test out the scene on my own visitors and to get a more objective opinion; Teak passed with flying colors. Although frequently crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, the restaurant was almost entirely empty on our Thursday evening except for having an almost full--and extremely large--patio. The patio has seating for more than fifty patrons, with multiple tiers of seating, which makes the patio both comfortable and attractive. We sat outside because the interior was a little too cold and the weather was perfect for dining al fresco. Unfortunately, Teak’s location doesn’t have any views of the river or downtown, but the patio’s trees and tiers still make for a great location.

After spending some time perusing the quite lengthy menu, the four of us had settled on food for the evening. We started with a couple of different appetizers: vegetable spring rolls and crab puffs. The spring rolls were exactly what we wanted--a well stuffed roll with a nice crispy outside and tasty sauce to accompany it. The crab puffs--sometimes called Crab Rangoon in other cuisines--were also great, though they were stuffed with less cream cheese than other similar dishes I’ve tried.

Between the four of us there was a great variety of food for the main course: sweet & sour salmon; chicken with corn, snow peas, mushrooms, and carrots; beef stir-fry with vegetables; and massaman chicken curry. Teak lets you choose the spiciness of your dish on a scale of 1 to 10, and every dish comes with plenty of rice (or in our case a giant pot of it). However, the number you choose can be hit or miss--my 7 had a nice kick to it, but no flames that needed dousing, while another person’s 1 still had a noticeable kick.

My dish was the Massaman Chicken Curry, and it was fantastic. I confess it’s not the first time I’ve ordered it, but the dish is a favorite of mine and impresses me every time I order it at Teak. The curry is made with coconut milk, cinnamon, peanuts, and a tamarind sauce amongst other ingredients. It has a great rich taste and is served with potatoes and carrots, which makes for a very filling meal. With a spice level of 7, the taste is kicked up even more, but not to a level requiring much water and certainly not requiring milk to put out the flames.

A quick survey of the rest of the table found that everyone was thoroughly enjoying their meals, and Teak impressed even the pickiest of our eaters. If you need a mid-week destination or don’t mind a little wait on the weekends, Teak is well worth the short trek to Mount Adams.

Her Take

We wanted to take recent visitors to Mt. Adams, for the great view, the delicious food, to give them a glimpse into Cincinnati life, and because a friend of theirs had told them not to miss the MOUNTAIN in Cincinnati! We altered their expectations slightly, and we were on our way.

We decided to head to Teak on a Thursday night, because on a previous weekend visit, we waited over an hour for a table—an experience we would prefer not to repeat. This time, we walked right in. The restaurant itself was surprisingly empty, including the bar. Outside on the multi-level patio, however, tables were relatively full. I was a little nervous to sit outside, given my apparent attractiveness to all biting bugs, but it was remarkably not-buggy. The patio is great. It feels very informal, but the service is just as good as any indoor restaurant. There is no view of the city, but we sat surrounded by trees and plants, which in my book is just as good as a city overlook.

We started our meal with spring rolls. They were very good: not too greasy, and filled with a variety of veggies, not dominated by lettuce. The sauces served with the rolls were flavorful and did not overwhelm the rolls, and nothing was overly spicy.

Next up was the main course. I ordered Stir-fried Sweet and Sour Salmon, and no, that is not so easy to say. Teak is one of a few places I have been to recently where they ask diners to choose their preferred spice level on a scale of 1-10. I chose a very middling 5. (I realized afterwards that I should have gone with a Six, to complete the alliteration of my meal, but I was pretty flustered by that time.) In any case, it came out just right for me. There was a kick to my meal, but it was not so spicy that I couldn’t enjoy it. And I certainly did enjoy it (once I removed the broccoli).

The salmon came in one big piece on top, although I had expected it in smaller pieces. It was cooked perfectly: just about all the way through, but a bit less so toward the middle. It was also a HUGE piece of salmon! I got through most of it. In addition to the offensive broccoli, there were peppers, peapods, and onions, among other veggies, and of course a big bowl of rice for the table.

Portions were more than enough food, especially after our appetizers. We had talked about heading to Graeter’s after dinner, but that thought was (sadly) postponed, as we were all very full after Teak. They did, however, manage to end the meal on an even higher note than expected. Inside the check, there was an Andes Mint for each of us. While my date tried to hoard them all for himself, I managed to free them, and was excited to end dinner on with such a minty-chocolatey-sweet surprise. I can’t wait to go back again, but hopefully on another night without a long wait.

Don't need to travel far for this Vineyard

2008-09-01T20:00:00.001-04:00

Vineyard Cafe • 2653 Erie Ave • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-6167

His Take

A short while ago, on a not-too-balmy summer’s eve, we decided it was time for some fine dining al fresco to celebrate, well...I suppose nothing in particular, but we were sure we could find an excuse if we thought hard enough. We must have passed by the Vineyard Cafe in Hyde Park Square a hundred times this summer and always admired the food and crowd out on their patio without ever stopping by to eat. Sometimes, however, when you admire something from a distance too long, reality can be disappointing. And fortunately for us, sometimes it can still exceed your expectations. Welcome to the Vineyard Cafe.

We arrived at the Vineyard Cafe for dinner without a reservation on a beautiful weekday evening and had no trouble being seated on their patio. The patio sits on the corner of Edwards and Erie, and despite the steady traffic rolling through there, the restaurant was generally pretty quiet other than conversations, laughs, and the sounds of satisfied stomachs. The patio is relatively large and well equipped with large umbrellas to block the sun and chairs with enough padding to be comfortable.

Our server was very friendly and exceptionally helpful. My date couldn’t decide between a salad or seafood and asked for some recommendations. The response: BOTH! Well, almost. The server suggested adding a salmon filet to their seasonal salad. More on how that came out to the right.

I started my meal with a relatively basic salad: mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, red peppers, onions, and gorgonzola. The ingredients may sound basic, but the dish was delicious. Naturally, the liberal amount of raspberry vinagrette dressing might have something to do with that, but everything was remarkably fresh and there was plenty on the plate to share (not that I would dare consider such a thing!).

And now for the main course: Day Boat Scallops. For some reason I’ve been craving scallops lately, and the Vineyard Cafe helped me figure out why. When cooked just right, they melt in your mouth and are hard to beat. You can see from the amateur photo below that these scallops were enormous; two were plenty! The dish was served with sauteed spinach and artichoke, and the sauce you see pictured is a pine nut vinagrette. I’ve never heard of such a dressing, but this one is well worth trying.

Sad to say, we didn’t have room for dessert, but hopefully we’ll remedy that in the future!

Her Take

Although we are in and through Hyde Park Square all the time, somehow we had never stopped in at Vineyard Café. I had heard from friends that it was good, but a bit pricey, and we had not yet found an occasion for such a meal. We still haven’t settled on an occasion, but on a recent evening our curiosity got the best of us, and we headed over to Vineyard Café.

When we arrived, the patio was packed, but we were a little surprised to see that the inside was fairly empty. Luckily, there was an available table outside for us, since it was a nice night and clearly, that’s where all the excitement was. The inside clearly had all the upscale ambience. Outside always feels more laid back, but in this case there was even more contrast than usual. I was impressed with the age range of the restaurant. It seems that Vineyard does not cater to one particular age group, but to a little bit of everyone. The table that looks empty in the picture was soon filled, with a young couple and their toddler. While inside the toddler may have been slightly less welcome, outside she was an adorable distraction—and the restaurant produced a high chair immediately. There were older people, younger people, families, and couples on dates, really all types of diners.

Back to the food. Looking at the menu, I was torn. The seasonal salad sounded amazing (arugula, hazelnut, granny smith apple, goat cheese, lemon vinaigrette)—apples and goat cheese are a combination that will always make me happy—but so did the Herb Roasted Salmon (with mascarpone, red onion, couscous, apple wood bacon, tomato, and arugula, hold the bacon). When our waitress came over, I explained my dilemma. Her response: order both! Not one after the other, as I prefer to drive rather than roll home, but one on top of the other. So, I ordered the Seasonal Salad with salmon on top. It’s not on the menu, but it should be.

Sadly, we had no room for dessert. (Again: preference for not rolling self home.) As we had been warned, the meal was a little pricey. We did not order the most expensive things on the menu, but it was still a bit more than your routine night out, but not so much that we have to stop eating for any length of time afterwards—at least once we’re hungry again!

Brio: Follow the Crowd, or Better Yet, Beat Them There!

2008-08-31T11:27:00.003-04:00

Brio Tuscan Grille • One Levee Way • Newport, KY 41071 • (859) 431-0900

His Take

This was my second time eating at Brio’s and my third attempt to eat there. The restaurant is located at the Levee immediately adjacent to the Valet Parking station (because the underground garage is so far away?). It features a large bar, extra-large dining area, and a pretty decent size patio, too.

I must confess that I wasn’t particularly excited to be returning to Brio’s. On my first visit, my impression was that the Italian options were good, but not too special, and you paid more for the location and ambiance than the taste. However, because the food was decent and I felt like heading to the Levee, I wasn’t opposed to giving it a another try. It might be worth noting that my second and unsuccessful attempt to eat at Brio’s was on a Friday night last summer when we were told the wait would be about two hours. We politely took the pager and walked right in to Mitchell’s Fish Market and were seated immediately. Timing is everything, so aim to be at Brio’s no later than 8pm on a weekend night.

Anyhow, back to our most recent visit. We both remembered Brio’s being particularly cold, so we were a little excited at the chance to sit on their patio. Although the patio is next to the valet station, it was pretty quiet and very pleasant outside. As with any outdoor seating area, you need to check beforehand for the number of smokers if that bothers you, but it wasn’t much of a problem during our visit. Our server was prompt, friendly, and helpful, so we were off to a good start.

The bread arrived shortly after we ordered, and it was warm and delicious. I don’t think it was any particularly special type of bread, but there was a nice crust, just-doughy-enough center, and it was fresh from the oven. Note to other restaurants: please heat up your bread; it tastes so much better even if it’s store bought! We’ve also become big fans of oil with our bread rather than butter. Although Brio’s only brings you butter, we were very impressed by the tomato-chutney, herb, and oil mixture that our server brought out (no charge) when we requested some oil. Really delicious--they should use that for every table.

Next up was the salad. We split a seared Ahi Tuna Chopped Salad, which was terrific. Finding good salads, particularly as an appetizer, is very hit or miss. Restaurants seem to either put significant effort into making special salads or could care less about them. Fortunately, Brio’s is in the former category. The salad was a terrific mix of greens, veggies, feta, and of course, tuna. The tuna was appropriately seared on the outside and warm and red inside. Plus, the lemon vinaigrette was delicious, too. The server was great about having the kitchen split the salad for us, and my date is right, you almost always get more salad that way for the same price.

Then, there were the entrees. I had ordered the Pasta Brio--grilled chicken with mushrooms and rigatoni in a roasted red pepper sauce. The dish was very good. There was plenty of chicken and pasta (enough to take some home if you want) and the sauce was very tasty. That said, the dish wasn’t “spectacular,” “amazing,” “phenomenal,” or anything close to such superlatives. It was a good sauce, but you could probably come pretty close to this dish with a Foreman grill and a jar of Classico. I think I’m just hard to please when it comes to Italian. It’s all about the sauce for me, and this sauce was good, but just that.

Overall, we enjoyed eating at Brio’s. We were generally impressed by the food we ordered, the bread, the drinks, and the service, so we would not hesitate to return. If you’re heading to the Levee, you can’t go wrong with Brio’s--just know that other great options are around the corner if the wait gets too long!

Her Take

We were in the mood for a comfortable Italian dinner, so we decided to head to Brio Tuscan Grill at Newport on the Levee. I remember having been there for standard chain Italian, but slightly embarrassingly, that was kind of what I was in the mood for. We expected a wait, so we were pleasantly surprised to be told that there was no wait for tables on the patio. It was a bit warm outside, but not uncomfortably so, and surprisingly quiet, at least until the drummer up near Barnes & Noble got going.

The bread came out first, and it has become difficult to really impress us with bread, but this one had all the requirements. There were two types of bread, although one was more of a cracker with cheese and spices baked on. It was ok, but the actual bread was better, and more importantly, hot. It was nothing too exciting, but cut in thick slices with a good texture. It was served with plain butter, but we asked for olive oil, and I’m thrilled that we did! Our waitress brought out a plate that looked like it had tomato sauce on it, but it was actually a tomato and spices blend, to which she added a healthy amount of oil. It was delicious!

Next came our drinks and salads. We’re not usually big drinkers, but the mango bellini was hard to resist. It sounded fruity, cold, and delicious, and it was. We briefly considered a pitcher instead of two glasses. We definitely would have finished it (and enjoyed it!), but we stuck with one glass apiece.

We ordered the Seared Tuna Chopped Salad to share, and the waitress immediately offered to have it split in the kitchen, which is usually at least a neater option, and often one that results in bigger half-salads. We were not disappointed! We each had four slices of seared tuna on top of a mix of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, a few green beans, onion, and feta cheese, with a lemon vinaigrette. It was fantastic. By this point in the meal, everything had been far better—and more interesting—than anticipated, at least by me, so we were psyched.

The main course did not let us down, although I had already had enough food to be far from hungry. I had the Penne Mediterranean: mushrooms, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Like everything before it, I was thoroughly impressed. It was different enough to be interesting, but familiar enough to be the comfort food I had been looking for this time.

Overall, the meal far exceeded expectations, and because we had so much food, I have enough left for a fantastic lunch tomorrow!

We’re back from the land of crazy burritos

2008-08-22T22:15:00.002-04:00

Boloco • 71 Mount Auburn St • Cambridge, MA 02138 • (617) 354-5838‎

Our apologies to our readers who were left wondering what happened to us for the past two weeks. We took off for a roadtrip through the Northeast to visit friends, family, and fun places and the traveling took its toll on us. As we get back into shape with our blogging (and ourselves--turns out driving isn’t exactly a high-impact aerobic activity), we wanted to share at least one of our random discoveries along our trip.

As we wandered the streets of Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we passed by a restaurant with an unfamiliar name but an unmistakable appearance. See for yourself below. As we passed it, we both did a double take and in perfect unison turned to each other and said, “Was that...?” Without a word, we knew the answer was: Yes. A Currito by any other name smells just as...well, not necessarily sweet, but you get the idea.

Yet, strangely, the name on the door was BOLOCO Inspired Burritos. The font was the same; the menu was the same, the concept and decor were the same. So, what was up with the name?!

As the professional web-surfers we wish we were paid to be, we immediately pulled out my iPhone (yes, 3G, if you care) to check out boloco.com. The website was different than Currito’s, but still had the same feel. Nonetheless, there was no mention of “Currito” anywhere.

Well, when web-surfing doesn’t turn up the answer, there’s only one place to go: wikipedia. It turns out the concept of “inspired” burritos started in Boston with a place called The Wrap. The owners of The Wrap decided to rebrand the restaurant into the Boloco/Currito concept, but rather than try to take over the world, they decided to sell the franchise rights for the concept to new owners for restaurants outside of the Boston area. Those new restaurants with the new owners became Currito. In Boston, the same idea became Boloco--apparently “Boston Local Company” as opposed to Boston crazies.

So in the end, they’re basically the same thing by a different name. And of course, so long as it tastes good...do we really care about the name? I think not.

Everything Looks Great at Green Papaya

2008-08-06T22:19:00.003-04:00

Green Papaya • 2942 Wasson Road • Cincinnati, OH 45209 • (513) 731-0107

His Take

This was my first visit to Green Papaya, but it certainly won’t be my last. My date and I were hungry for a mid-day meal while running errands near Hyde Park Plaza, when she suggested we hit up Green Papaya for lunch. As soon as we entered Green Papaya, it was clear that this was a restaurant that paid attention to the whole package that a great restaurant needs to offer—service, food, and atmosphere. The restaurant’s vaulted ceiling with contrasting trusses, decorative umbrellas, and beautiful flowers gave a preview of the great food presentation they had in store. It felt like a fun venue with a well lit bar at one end and comfortable tables and booths throughout the restaurant.

I was in the mood for some variety with my meal, so I thought a box lunch would be appropriate. Rather than go with sushi or sashimi, I went for the Green Papaya version of Panera’s “Pick-Two”—you can choose two of their main entrees and also enjoy a spring roll, miso soup, rice, and orange wedges for dessert. I settled on a basil chicken dish and a yellow chicken curry. The two dishes were quite different, but they both had tremendous flavor, a variety of vegetables, and were a decent portion size, too. I’ve been to many a thai restaurant where the chef/owner simply throws together a recipe he’s used for years and dumps it on a plate for $8.95. Green Papaya is different. First, the food is terrific—not just above average, but way above average. Second, someone there has noticed that presentation counts. The miso soup is served in medium-sized, contemporary designed white bowls with a large spoon--the focus is entirely on the soup with no distractions on the bowl or saucer. The box meal is served in a compartmentalized tray with contrasting colors and perfect divisions for everything from the main dishes to the sauce to the rice. And it all looks and tastes great. And finally, the service was timely, but not rushed--exactly how a mid-week lunch should be.

Now more about the food. My basil chicken was served with broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and peppers--and of course plenty of basil. The chicken was real chicken and not the chicken-like substances found at low grade Chinese restaurants. It was properly cooked and not dried out. The chicken curry also came with a variety of vegetables including broccoli, peppers, and string beans in a tasty curry sauce. The box came with a small pyramid of brown rice and was more than enough food to keep me satisfied for the afternoon.

Overall, my visit to Green Papaya was a great one. This is definitely a place worth checking out; I’m sure I will do so again soon!

Her Take

I had been to Green Papaya before, but for dinner rather than lunch. The lunch menu has some different options, which is always fun to see. They also seem to do a fairly booming take-out service at lunch time. Even before our meal, I watched a number of people pick up food, sometimes a couple of bags full, and head out. I’m curious what the take-out presentation looks like, since they do such a great job with it for eat-in.

I was in the mood for sushi, but their lunch box specials looked more interesting, so I investigated the sushi options there. Unfortunately, they don’t allow lunchbox substitutions, and most of the sushi choices included some kind of seafood that I cannot eat. I settled on the sashimi lunchbox option (thinking, incorrectly, that I would get slices of fish on top of rice). It comes with soup, salad, an appetizer, and pad thai. It was a lot of food!

As expected, the presentation was beautiful. The soup came out first, and was fairly typical miso soup, or on the better end of miso, since there is certainly a range from tasteless to pretty good. (I have yet to taste a miso that is better than “pretty good.” If you have found one, let me know!) The lunchbox comes out on a many-segmented tray that looks like a far more complicated version of the Lunchables that my friends used to bring in elementary school. Each item had its own little section, including one for soy sauce. The only part with which I was a little disappointed was the sashimi itself, but that was my own confusion. I thought it would come over rice, but it was just a little pile of raw fish slices. I realize that doesn’t sound very appetizing, but once I got past the confusion of not having rice, it was very good. Mine had salmon, tuna, and flounder. Everything that came in the little sections was very good, although nothing was overly exciting—mostly due to the dishes themselves rather than the restaurant. Like miso, veggie dumplings, side salad, and pad thai are just not candidates in my book for high levels of excitement.

Green Papaya excels at presentation. Their food is very good as well, but it certainly seems to taste even better because it looks so pretty!

P.F. Chang's: So Much Food, So Little Heat

2008-08-01T10:38:00.003-04:00

P.F. Chang's China Bistro • 2633 Edmondson Road • Cincinnati, OH 45209 • (513) 531-4567

His Take

Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to find a decent Chinese restaurant? I get frustrated with all of the small ones that use Class Z chicken and beef that, well...shouldn’t be called beef. So we decided one night to go a little more upscale and go back to a chain I’ve enjoyed for years: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.

P.F. Chang’s has a location in the Rookwood shopping center. It’s a relatively large restaurant, but the food and service have always impressed me. We showed up on a weekend night and found the place pretty packed, but we only had to wait five or ten minutes for a table. Note to the temperature sensitive: the restaurant can be pretty frigid in certain places, so bring your parka (or at least a jacket).

We arrived pretty hungry (not that that’s unusual), so we quickly put in an order for the vegetarian dumplings, steamed. Dumplings are one of those dishes that are easy to make, but hard to impress with. P.F. Chang’s was up to the challenge. The dumplings were well cooked and seasoned and packed with vegetables. The chili sauce was great, too, but I could easily have eaten these without it.

From there it was on to the main course, which for me was Kung Pao Scallops with peanuts, chili peppers and scallions. The scallops were terrific, and I’m not one to frequently orders scallops. The dish was huge with maybe thirty scallops (seriously). These weren’t the largest day-boat scallops ever, but they were a pretty decent size. The sauce had a great kick to it, too. My only complaint was that it really came with zero vegetables. I’d rather have a few fewer scallops and some veggies to enjoy the sauce with, too. But it helps that my date is usually willing to share a few disfavored veggies with me (i.e., broccoli). The meal came with plenty of brown rice, and everything was served nice and hot, fresh from the kitchen.

Despite eating dinner in the arctic, the meal was great. P.F. Chang’s is definitely more expensive than most Chinese restaurants, but with good reason—better food, better service, better consistency. I once ordered take-out from a different location, and when the order was missing something, I ended leaving there with soups, appetizers, and one more free dish in addition to the dish they quickly corrected—all in the name of customer service. You just can’t go wrong with P.F. Chang’s. Just come hungry, and bring a coat!

Her Take

The night before moving day, we knew we were going out to eat, since the contents of the kitchen were all in cardboard boxes, and we knew we didn’t want to think too hard about where to go. We settled on P.F. Chang’s, even though we generally prefer independents, because it was close, easy, consistent, and we were really hungry, so those things were key.

I had never been to this particular PF Chang’s, and I have not been to one at all in years, so it was sort of like a new restaurant to me. The décor was a bit funky and modern, but still in keeping with the Asian-restaurant theme. The restaurant is big. Many restaurants prefer not to show their entire size in one room; Maggiano’s, for example, breaks up their massive space with half-walls, booths down the center, and separate rooms, probably so that it doesn’t feel so much like a warehouse, and also to keep the noise level down. PF Chang’s took no such precautions. The restaurant looks enormous, and it sounds like a room full of people. It is definitely a family-friendly place, but that does not help the noise level at all. This is not the place for an intimate date.

But having been surrounded by boxes all day, we didn’t come for the ambience, but instead for the food. When our waitress came to greet us, she immediately asked how spicy we like our food, mild, medium, or hot. After we told her medium, she started mixing together some assorted sauces that were already on the table. She never told us what they were…or what they were for. I don’t think that either one of us had any of the mystery sauce mixture.

We started our meal with steamed vegetable dumplings, in our usual attempt to fool ourselves into thinking we were eating healthy. (The other option on the veggie dumplings is pan-fried.) They were good, but not amazing, as one would expect steamed dumplings to be. They made us slightly less over-hungry, which was more the point.

I continued with Coconut Curry Vegetables, mixed vegetables, tofu, and peanuts in a coconut curry sauce, with brown rice. Other than the broccoli which was quickly removed, I thought it was very good. There was a coconut flavor to the whole thing (obviously), but it was not overpowering. I marveled at how much food we started with when our main courses appeared, but since we were moving the next day, we were obligated, of course, to finish everything off. It was great and I was full.

Take-home message: PF Chang’s has good food, but it is nothing out of the ordinary that could not be found at a good independent place…probably with a lot less noise and a lot more upscale atmosphere. But if you’re just looking for good food, it’s a safe bet! Just be warned that there are air conditioning vents with strong fans all across the ceiling, and if you’re underneath one of them…brrrr. Order a little extra spice in your mystery sauce to warm yourself up!

Hooray! Another day hot enough to Melt.

2008-07-23T11:38:00.001-04:00

Melt • 4165 Hamilton Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45223 • (513) 681-MELT

His Take

After reading “Her Take” on Melt, I was excited when we finally had an occasion that called for us to head to the Northside for lunch one afternoon. Sure enough, we made our way to Melt, and I can now judge for myself that the food at Melt is terrific, even if it sometimes only comes after a long, long wait.

When I stepped into Melt I was immediately taken aback by the size of the place--or perhaps it was the lack thereof. Just inside the door is the front counter, where you place your order. On a mid-week afternoon, there were a handful of people there in line to order. There’s also only a few tables in the front room; however, those “in-the-know” will head straight to the back, past the kitchen, where there is room for another 20 or so patrons.

Melt’s menu is terrific. It has a huge variety of sandwiches, salads, and, um...melts. Obviously you don’t need to go anywhere special if you just want a plain boring sandwich; Melt’s dishes are anything but boring. From the mixed greens salad accompaniment to the unique combinations on the sandwiches (note I said unique, not “weird”), the dishes go well beyond the taste you’d find at a normal sandwich shop. For example, I had a turkey sandwich called “the Rachel,” which is “turkey, rubykraut (red cabbage & apples), swiss, and tangy sauce melted on rye.” I dare you to find that sandwich anywhere else, largely because I’d never heard of “rubykraut” before visiting Melt. Here’s another great example: the Yeehaw BBQ, which is “your choice of chicken or tempeh, sliced red onion, roma tomato, and banana pepper rings drizzled with lots of BBQ, and melted w/smoked mozzarella on a whole wheat hoagie. Just one word: wow. I was more than impressed with my lunch, which tasted even better than it sounded.

There was, however, one problem with our visit: it took forever. We were warned when we ordered that they were very busy, so it could be a little bit before our orders would be up. Somehow, we just didn’t expect that a restaurant making sandwiches (not a particularly complicated meal) would take nearly 30 minutes to make the food. I’m told that kind of wait is very unusual, but I guess I’ll have to go back to find out. Shucks :-)

Her Take

Having been there on my own once before, I was psyched when we agreed to go to Melt for lunch on a recent weekday. I think I stood and read the menu for a full five minutes before ordering. It’s a lot to take in, but it was okay because there were a few people in front of us, so I didn’t hold things up while I perused the delicious-sounding options.

In the end, I settled on the same choice as last time, the Artichoke Melt: artichoke spinach spread, sliced tomato, and white cheddar melted on focaccia. There were so many things that sounded great, but I remembered the pure bliss of my previous meal there, and it had been so long that I just wanted that same amazing meal again. I suppose if I want to try more items on their menu, I’m going to have to start visiting more often! I’m okay with that.

I considered getting something from the halve-sies menu, where you can order a half sandwich and half soup or salad, but then I was reminded that their mixed greens on the side of the whole sandwich are actually a fairly large portion—enough for me, at least, to count as a decently-sized healthy component to my meal. (The maple-balsamic dressing? Yum.)

As stated to my left, the only real letdown of the meal was the wait time. We assumed we would have to wait a few minutes, because they do make sandwiches to order, mine had to be melted, and another friend we were with asked for the meat on her sandwich to be heated for longer than usual. (She’s pregnant and being understandably careful about everything.) But we certainly did not expect to wait almost a half an hour for our meals. It was a little sad that we had to cut short our lunch out so that we could get back to work on time. Melt is a fun place to just sit and talk, and the back room is fairly peaceful in a way that the front is not—the back does not have nearly as much foot traffic!

All in all, a place where delicious food trumps a longer than expected wait is still a good lunch spot in my book, and having been there before, I easily dismissed the wait as unusual. Simply put, I can’t wait to go back and prove that the timing is not consistently slow, but the food is consistently delicious.

Currito: I suppose it's how they serve Mexican in Thailand

2008-07-17T22:48:00.001-04:00

222 Calhoun Street • Cincinnati, OH 45219 • (513) 281-1500

His Take

I’m a big fan of the burrito/burrito bowl option for a quick lunch, but there’s only so much Chipotle, Baja, or California Tortilla that I can handle. Enter Currito, my new favorite place for a quick burrito. Located on Calhoun St right near UC, Currito offers burritos, burrito bowls, custom salads, and smoothies (not sure how they fit in) for a reasonable price, fairly quickly, and with terrific taste.

Although at peak lunch-time the restaurant can build a decent line, it moves quickly and the menu gives all the flexibility you need. The secret in my opinion is that they have some great combinations of food that you can pick from, or customize it anyway you want. For example, I’ve grown to love the Teriyaki burrito with caramelized onions, broccoli, carrots, and rice on a whole wheat tortilla with teriyaki sauce. They offer every burrito as a small, regular, or bowl (no tortilla).

Plus, you can always swap in brown rice, a whole wheat tortilla, or trade the rice for romaine usually for free. And now they offer burritos “crispy”, where they’ll grill the burrito on a flat grill to make the outside, well...crispy. And finally, anything you can get in a burrito, you can get in a salad. It just works.

In an unusual pairing for burritos, Currito also has several smoothie options, which can be based on either frozen yogurt, sorbet, or fruit juice. I’m a frequent visitor at Currito even though Chipotle is only a block or two away. Chipotle still has its own great taste, but Currito has five times as many great tastes, healthier options, and a shorter line. That wins in my book. Check it out!

Her Take

I am definitely a Chipotle fan, but I order more or less the same thing every time I go. Especially eating vegetarian, there is not a whole lot of variation on the black bean burrito/salad/taco theme. Same ingredients, different wrapper. (I love it anyway.) However, Currito did figure out how to vary the theme. Rather than stick with just the Tex-Mex style elements, they add ingredients and sauces from every different type of food you can think of.

They have the different styles of salad/burrito/bowl, and you get to pick your protein: chicken, steak, or tofu, but beyond that, the insides are up to you. There are two ways to go about ordering at Currito: make-your-own or order off the menu. The make-your-own is fairly obvious. Walk the line of ingredients and tell the server exactly what you want in your lunch. If you go for the burrito option, the biggest challenge will be biting into it. The menu route is great for the first few trips to Currito, to sort of wrap your mind around a Cajun Burrito, for example. It’s “cajun” by virtue of the Cajun spices and roasted corn salsa, I suppose. The other ingredients are fairly burrito-typical. I’ve also had the Summer Burrito, which has a mango salsa that is delicious. Each of their menu items seems to highlight a different theme around which you can build your own, personal burrito. Or as they say on their website, “burritos without borders.”

The limitation of the make-your-own burrito is knowing your options. Especially when there’s a long line behind you, it can be hard to come up with the exact creative combination of ingredients to make your perfect burrito (/salad/taco…), but practice makes perfect. As I found with Habanero, I try not to go too boring, but I also don’t like to try more than a couple of interesting elements per meal. Currito will still be there next week when you’re craving an Asian-Mediterranean-Cajun-Winter burrito bowl!

Pompilio's: The Air Has Left the Tire

2008-07-12T21:55:00.004-04:00

Pompilio's • 600 Washington Avenue • Newport, KY 41071 • (859) 581-3065

His Take

Strangely enough, we picked our most recent restaurant by reading the reviews...wait for it...on our own blog. Yes, that’s right. We were feeling indecisive about what we wanted and came across Pompilio’s while browsing our site. We had been at their tent for Taste of Cincinnati with positive results, so we decided to give the real thing a try.

Pompilio’s is located in Newport, just a few blocks from the Levee, and from the outside looks like a local, family run restaurant. By that I mean it does not have a huge presence, but has a reasonable amount of parking and people coming and going from the restaurant. Inside the decor was surprisingly more chain-like than local. I usually expect that family-run restaurants won’t pay as much attention to the atmosphere as a chain, but Pompilio’s was bright and in terrific shape—a positive start to our visit.

The wait was nonexistent even on a Friday night, and we were hungry, so the speedy seating was a bonus. The service felt pretty hit or miss. Most of the serving staff looked like they were enjoying themselves (as much as one working in food services can), but then there was our waitress, who clearly was pissed off at life or something. No smiles, no genuine “how is your evening going?”, just “Do you know what you want?”. Yes. A new server. That may sound harsh, but this server clearly broke the good thing that Pompilio’s had going.

But let’s get to the food. Our meals started out with the bread, which might as well have been store bought; the butter clearly was. It was plentiful, but tasteless, colorless, and odorless—kind of like carbon monoxide poisoning, though no terrible consequences beyond disappointment.

Next were the salads. Lettuce, cucumber, and tomato have never looked so boring. Good thing they include them in the price of the meal.

For my main dish I tried one of the night’s specials, which was a swordfish served over fettucini with artichokes, mushrooms, and a lemon butter sauce. The swordfish was cooked well, though looked like it took a bath in the oil before hitting the plate. The rest of the dish lacked any real noticeable seasoning aside from the shallow pool of butter and oil sitting in the dish. I can appreciate that butter and oil add flavor, but there’s a difference between adding flavor and adding something to be the flavor. This was pretty much just butter and swordfish for dinner. The noodles were actually pretty good, but it was hard to appreciate them when they look like they need to towel off before being eaten.

I feel bad writing such a negative review, but we felt very let down by Pompilio’s. I suspect the lasagna or basic Italian dishes would be better, but stay away from anything creative or risk some real disappointment. Maybe one day we’ll go back to try something simpler. But I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for the review.

Her Take

After enjoying their three-cheese tortellini at Taste of Cincinnati, I had high hopes for Pompilio’s. Having looked around on their menu and website, I thought they had a good variety of typical and more interesting Italian dishes, and I happily noted that they sold both bread and sauces—a good sign of both being really good! As we approached the restaurant (our second venture to northern Kentucky food in 2 weekends!), it looked cute and fairly nice from the outside. It was certainly cute from the inside as well, but we quickly realized it was more of a family-type place than a nice restaurant. No matter, we were hungry.

I was psyched for the lasagna on the menu. According to the description, there was only meat in the sauce, not the lasagna itself, and the sauce could be easily changed. Unfortunately, the waitress dashed my hopes. She was a bit older than waitresses tend to be, the type I’m used to seeing more in diners than restaurants, and I’m not sure I saw her smile the entire meal. In any case, when I asked whether the lasagna was vegetarian, she got confused, as if she had never heard the word before. I rephrased, “is there any meat in it, other than the sauce?” She replied that the sauce had meat in it. I tried to explain again, that I wanted a plain tomato sauce, without meat, and then she told me there would still be a little meat in the lasagna. She had to think about it really hard though. I’m still not sure I believe her, but I went the safe route and got something else. Still disappointed about the lasagna, I ordered the tilapia.

The bread came out right around when we ordered, and that was major disappointment #2. The bread was plain and entirely unexciting, clearly sliced on a bread machine and therefore in skinny slices, and had virtually no taste. It was served with plain, packaged butter. We moved our categorization more quickly from restaurant to diner-style.

The salads that came with the meal were equally eh. Iceberg lettuce seldom impresses me, even when served with two cucumber slices and a cherry tomato.

Remembering my good experience from Taste, I still had hopes for the main meal. My tilapia came seared, with olives, roasted peppers, spinach, garlic, and bowtie pasta. The menu omitted the stick of butter from the list of ingredients. The fish wasn’t bad, but there was a *bit* more oil than expected. The noodles were fine, but again, they were drowning in a pool on the bottom of the bowl. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoyed my meal. I just enjoyed it with the thought that I was eating in more of a diner than an Italian restaurant.

I’m not sure I would go to Pompilio’s again. If I went again, I would be more likely to order something in the “traditional Italian” mold, because those dishes are going to still be what I expect when served diner style. Having adjusted my expectations, I also will not go in expecting a high quality meal, but comfort food. And for that, it hits the spot.

Fresh food, friendly faces at Greenup Cafe

2008-07-08T09:02:00.005-04:00

Jean-Robert's Greenup Cafe • 308 Greenup Street • Covington, KY 41011 • (859) 261-3663

His Take

On our friends’ recommendation, we headed across the suspension bridge to Covington to visit Greenup Café. Having browsed their sample menu online with a variety of terrific sounding dishes, I was surprised when we arrived at what really looked like just a café—the kind of place where you ogle desserts and baked goods from the other side of the glass and order at the register. No doubt that’s what this place is like most of the day. However, the not-so-café part is really on the patio in back. With several tables, a relaxed, casual atmosphere, and of course great food and service, this is one café whose name doesn’t do it justice.

I’ll admit that outdoor dining doesn’t always appeal to me—for some reason finding a place that has comfy chairs, minimal traffic noise, and nothing flying into my food seems to be a challenge for many places. However, dining al fresco at Greenup was very enjoyable. Being behind the house shielded us from any road noise, and the patio has attractive gardens on either side. The furnishings were not the most comfortable, but far from painful.

The four of us started with a round of drinks—beer, wine, and prosecco between the four of us—and enjoyed the beautiful evening. Hungrier than usual (well that might not be entirely true, since we’re frequently hungry) we were so bold as to request bread for the table. My date’s description is pretty spot-on: it was OK. I’m always disappointed by how many restaurants see the initial bread as a chance to keep patrons busy and quiet until the food is ready rather than a chance to impress them from the beginning (I miss Tropicana).

Nonetheless, the food was served right on time—no rush, no delay. And the food was delicious. The seared salmon (one of three at the table) was cooked perfectly. Even without the sauce, the fish was wonderful, though perhaps a little small. The plum-ginger sauce was also excellent. I had expected a thin sauce, but this was almost compote texture, which I prefer. The side dishes were fine, but not particularly interesting—asparagus and roasted potatoes.

Our server and the chef were also very accommodating of special requests. For example, one of our friends ordered the salmon, but requested that the fish be cooked well done all the way through. His fish came out exactly as requested—or as another friend put it: "cooked enough to make the chef cry." Even more impressive was that all of the dishes came out at the same time, meaning the chef actually paid attention to which fish to start first, rather than letting the other two fish get cold or overcooked.

I suppose the idea behind the smaller portion was to prep us for dessert, and we, of course, were happy to oblige. The chocolate mousse/custard/fudge/whatever was fantastic—until the end, where it was a little watery and overloaded with coffee. The first 80% was worth remembering anyhow.

Overall, Greenup was a delightful place to spend the evening, and worth checking out if you’re in the area.

Her Take

For some reason, when friends suggested going to Jean-Robert’s Greenup Café for dinner, I ignored the word “café” and heard “name-of-chef.” I sort of assumed upscale-classy, so I was a little surprised to show up on Saturday night to…a café. Everyone working there was incredibly friendly, and they accommodated our request for an outside table with no problem. There are a few tables out front, but the main patio is in the back with a view of the grill. The inside (and outside) was very informal—the bakery area has a hand-written chalkboard menu, and the tables did not look very fancy.

The menu is fairly small, about 6 sandwiches and 8 entrees, and all of the entrees came with the same two sides, this week roasted potatoes and a carrot-broccoli mix, but there was a good mix of dishes to choose from. There was a range of meats, seafoods, and vegetarian dishes in each category. Our waiter was outgoing and more than willing to recommend different dishes, but we were fairly uncreative. Three of the four of us got the same dish (seared salmon—although I ordered it first), and the fourth got a slightly fancy tuna sandwich. I asked whether instead of the carrot-broccoli side (shh…I hate broccoli), I could have the mixed greens that came with the tuna sandwich, and the waiter said it would be no problem. I knew I liked the place!

After a few minutes when our meals had not yet arrived (and shouldn’t have—it was way too quick), we did ask our waiter for bread. He brought out a small plate of sourdough which was definitely good, but not particularly notable. One of our friends noted the lack of bread plates on the table, and since it was an outdoor (tablecloth-less) table, we really had no place to put the bread down. Which was fine, because we were so hungry that we weren’t planning to put it down, but…that’s not the point.

When the meals came out, the waiter reported that the menus were incorrect—the second side was not broccoli and carrots, but asparagus and carrots. He gave me the mixed greens anyway in addition to the other sides, which made me happy. I cannot identify the dressing on the greens, but it was flavorful and delicious, and surprisingly light for a restaurant serving. The fish was fantastic. The salmon had plenty of spices on top, mostly pepper, but also some other flavors, and a plum-ginger sauce. The sauce was thicker than I expected and not runny at all, but it was fantastic. The flavors all went together very well, and the only complaint was that the piece of fish was smaller than most restaurants would serve. It was, of course, plenty of food. The potato side was fairly unremarkable—perfectly fine but not memorable.

After we finished our meals, the waiter brought by the dessert tray. Earlier in the night we had seen a dessert that was green on top and brown on the bottom, and assuming it was mint and chocolate, we were disappointed to hear that it was gone—the one we saw was the last one left. Luckily, we were not disappointed by the leftovers. There were about four choices, but only one of them was chocolatey, and therefore my choice was easy. The waiter described it as a sort of custard/mousse hybrid. Our first few bites were excellent. It was much harder than a mousse, almost a soft fudge, and deliciously chocolatey. As we got toward the bottom of the dish, though, it got a little more watery and we discovered a slight hint of coffee. Whether it wasn’t mixed properly or wasn’t cooked quite right, it was sad that the bottom wasn’t nearly as good as the top, mainly because of the strange consistency.

Overall, the food was very good. I think it was actually overmatched with the atmosphere—the food seemed to belong to a stuffier restaurant, but this one was more than a little laid back. The prices were somewhere in between. There were a couple of service misses, like not bringing us bread initially, and not clearing our dinner dishes until after our desserts were served. I tend to overlook less-than-stellar service in favor of good food though, so I still give Greenup Café high marks, and I’m looking forward to the chance to try some other Jean-Robert restaurants in the area!

Wild Ginger: As Opposed to Domesticated Ginger?

2008-07-05T11:30:00.002-04:00

Wild Ginger • 3655 Edwards Road • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 533-9500

His Take

Wild Ginger is a Vietnamese, Thai, and Sushi restaurant with contemporary Asian decor, friendly staff, and delicious food. We must have driven past Wild Ginger a thousand times and always remarked “We should try that place sometime.” Well, sometime finally arrived when we were heading to Hyde Park Plaza and decided we should grab a bite beforehand.

The restaurant is relatively small with seating for maybe fifty including about a dozen seats at the bar. Fortunately, we only had to wait about five minutes, which proved to be not nearly enough time to even scour the large menu. The dishes vary from sushi and sashimi options to a long list of at least twenty creative stir fry dishes—all available with chicken, beef, veggies, tofu, shrimp, or seafood. There were also several original seafood dishes including the traditional Salmon Teriyaki and the more unique Three-flavored Walleye.

We started with a simple order of Veggie Spring Rolls. The two spring rolls came out quickly and were served with the traditional sweet thai chili sauce. The spring rolls were delicious, though a little bit greasy. They weren’t particularly large, but were a pretty standard size and were completely packed with veggies. The wrap was perfectly crisp, and it made a great start to the meal.

My dish for the night was Firecracker-style chicken stir fry. Firecracker-style includes a mix of vegetables such as broccoli, bamboo shoots, eggplant, peppers, and onions. For each stir-fry dish, they ask how spicy you’d like it on a scale of 1 to 10. Whether you can actually distinguish between two consecutive numbers, who knows, but I went with a 6 to make sure it had plenty of flavor, some kick, and the fire department could attend to more important causes. I could easily have gone to a 7 and probably an 8 with enough water.

My stir-fry was terrific. The sauce was delicious with just enough extra spice to leave my mouth tingling after each bite. The chicken pieces were large and all white meat, boneless pieces—none of those “is that really chicken?” pieces you’d find from a fast-food Asian place. The dish was easily large enough for two servings, but hey, I was hungry :-) It also came with a large portion of brown rice, which was served plain, but a nice accompaniment nonetheless.

Overall, I was impressed with the decor, the great menu, and the terrific food. We’ll definitely be back to this one!

NOTE: We included the link to the restaurant’s web site above, but the menu there is completely outdated and looks nothing like the new one (that’s a good thing!).

Her Take

We’ve been meaning to get to Wild Ginger for a while now, and the realization on a recent weeknight that the refrigerator was approaching empty was the perfect excuse. Several friends highly recommended Wild Ginger, and neither of us could believe that we’ve driven past it so many times without ever eating there.

We were both really hungry when we walked in, so we knew that we would be ordering an appetizer. There was a quick debate as to what we should start with, and we decided on vegetable spring rolls, more as the path of least resistance than because either of us was really excited about them. In any case, they came out fairly quickly, which was sort of the goal, and they were good. There were two in the serving, one for each of us, and they were of a decent size. Our biggest complaint was that they were quite greasy. I know that spring rolls are fried (although I like to pretend that because they are filled with veggies, they are actually healthy), but this was a kind of an icky amount of oil. But once I got over the slightly drippy rolls, they were very good and flavorful, with plenty of plum sauce.

It was a few minutes before our main dish appeared, which I appreciate when I am dining out. After much deliberation, I ordered the Cashew Stir Fry with tofu. It had cashews, pineapple, carrots, peppers, onions, and tofu as my protein. They have an extensive menu with a good twenty or so different stir fry options, and to each one you can choose to add chicken, steak, veggies, or tofu. You get to choose white or brown rice. You also get the choice of spice level. The waiter asks you to rate your preferred spicy-level on a scale from 1-10. I chose five, and I was very satisfied. It was hot enough that I drank a good bit of water, but not so hot that I inhaled a lot of plain rice. The dish was big, but not too big. I originally was going to eat about half and take the rest home, but I ultimately was enjoying it so much that I kept putting a little more from the main plate onto my plate until I had finished it. Oops. But a much-enjoyed oops!

My only real criticism of Wild Ginger was the service. The waiter did not seem to speak much English—or if he did, he did not let us know. He was never unfriendly, but was not exactly friendly, either. He came to take our order and to bring us the check, but never seemed to be particularly interested in ensuring that we had a good meal. In spite of that, we certainly did. The décor was modern and a little funky. I can’t describe it much better than that, but I liked it.

One word of warning if going to check out their menu online before heading over there: the menu has changed completely. We often look at a menu before we go, mainly to ensure that the picky one of us (yup, that’s me) will find something to eat. Their menu was extensive enough that we knew it wouldn’t be a problem, but when we arrived, the menus were completely new. It was still very long and comprehensive, and I debated about six different dishes before making my decision, but consider yourself warned that the dishes on the online menu—and the prices—are not the same in the restaurant.

Scenes From an Italian [Carrabba's] Restaurant

2008-06-30T20:05:00.001-04:00

Carrabba's Italian Grill • 7500 Beechmont Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45255 • (513) 233-0999

His Take

Last weekend we visited Carrabba’s Italian Grill at their location in Anderson on Beechmont Avenue. While Carrabba’s is a large chain with broad geographic reach, none of the four people in our party had ever been to one, so we figured it was worth a visit. Carrabba’s has the feel of a large Italian restaurant chain with an attractive, but no doubt replicable decor and the busy feel most chain restaurants have.

That said, Carrabba’s struck us as different from many chains in ways both good and not-so-good. For example, we’ll start with the menu. The menu is a good size with a variety of main dish options ranging from wood-fired specialty pizzas to traditional Italian dishes to meat and seafood coming off their grill. But the highlight of the menu is really the local specials prepared by each restaurant. The specials' descriptions sounded fantastic—creative dishes playing with Italian flavors and fresh seafood and meat.

Now on to the food. Unlike chains that nickel and dime you with every course, most of the dishes at Carrabba’s include both a salad and side dish. The salad options were a House, Italian, or Caesar salad. I started with the Italian salad. The salads were small, side portions, but perfectly adequate for starting the meal, especially given the lack of an additional charge. The Italian salad was a basic salad of mixed greens to which they add celery, carrots, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. While it wasn’t the most exciting salad I’ve ever had—and I don’t think Carrabba's expected it to be that either—it was certainly a fine start to the meal.

Another key component to starting a good Italian meal is the bread. The bread at Carrabba’s was fresh from the oven and served with a delicious olive oil and herbs combination. The server brought out a dish with rosemary, oregano, and basil and then covered it in oil—mmmmm. The bread itself was not particularly exciting, but definitely better than most places that serve stale bread made more of air than flour. Even when our server, Monte (as in Carlo), refilled our basket it was still fresh out of the oven.

And then came the real food. I ordered one of the restaurant’s specials, which was a three-part dish. The first part was a smaller portion of Carrabba’s award-winning Chicken Bryan—a grilled chicken breast with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, and a basil lemon butter sauce. This dish won Best Overall Dish at Taste-of-Cincinnati for the last two years, and I fully concur. The chicken was moist and the combination of the goat cheese and sundried tomatoes was delicious. I would not hesitate to order it again.

Part number two was another chicken dish—this time the grilled chicken was served with a fig and plum (I think) sauce. The sauce was simply phenomenal. It was rich, but not too overpowering, and the combination of flavors just hit the spot for me. I only wish it was on their regular menu, so I could order it again! You might have noticed by now that one of the ways Carrabba’s distinguishes itself is with its grill—an unusual fixture for an Italian restaurant. The grill proved to be a nice change from how other Italian restaurants cook their chicken, and I’d suggest ordering something off of it.

The third part of my dish was a pan-fried vegetable ravioli, which was also a tasty addition to the dish. The large ravioli was stuff full with veggies, and I would love to see this one on their regular menu, too.

The downside of ordering a three-part meal is that the portions are relatively small. In fact, all of the meals we saw looked smaller than expected until we realized that they were actually serving an appropriate amount of food instead of the go-ahead-and-gorge amount you find at a Cheesecake Factory or Maggiano’s. No one went away hungry, that’s for sure!

One of our friend’s ordered another chicken dish from the grill—this time stuffed with fontina cheese and topped with mushrooms. It sounded like a great combination to me, and she was not disappointed at all. Between the chicken and the side of cavatappi amatriciana (try pronouncing that one!), she still had to carry back leftovers. Although she was leaving town the next morning, I’m sure our friend who will actually get to finish the meal will be just as happy :-)

All in all, our Carrabba’s experience was a very positive one. It ranks high on my list of Italian chains, and if there were one closer to me, I’d probably frequent it more often. And now for a short disclaimer: Carrabba’s public relations agent encouraged us to try the restaurant and share our thoughts with our readers. Those of you in the marketing/PR field know that “encouragement” usually translates into a financial incentive, and indeed Carrabba’s was kind enough to subsidize a portion of our meal. That said, they asked us to provide our “honest review” and we’ve done our best to be objective—which is always a challenge after a good meal!

Her Take

We felt a little out of place as four of us walked into Carrabba’s over the weekend; we may have been the only ones in the restaurant who were between the ages of 5 and 35. In any case, we had driven all the way out to Anderson for good Italian food, and we were hopeful. The short wait on a Saturday night was encouraging, although by the time we finished dinner, around 8:30, there were empty tables.

We decided to start our meal with a pitcher of Sangria. I don’t consider that quite authentic Italian, but it was advertised on the table and sounded good, so we tried some. The red wine-based drink came in a pitcher with lots of ice, and our glasses started about one-third full of ice as well. So while they told us that the pitcher was about four glasses, if the ice were removed, I think it would be much less. The watered down Sangria was good, but not particularly exciting. There wasn’t much fruit, and especially by the end, there was way too much water.

Luckily, that wasn’t the end of the meal. The bread was pretty good, riding mainly on being warm and served with a great herb mixture in the olive oil for dipping, rather than on the plain bread itself. The salads came with the grilled entrees on the menu (which also cost $4-5 more) or was an additional $3 for regular entrees. When describing the salads, the waiter listed ingredients, and he was horrified to realize that he brought us salads with no croutons. All of us insisted that we didn’t really need croutons (see bread, above), but he wanted to go get them for us anyway. Alas, he came back to report that they were out of croutons. We all found it a little odd that an Italian restaurant would run out of croutons at all, but especially on a Saturday night, and especially when the bread was abundant. It’s not so hard to take Italian bread and cut it up and toast it into croutons. In any case, we enjoyed our crouton-free salads. A couple of us ordered the Caesar salad with dressing on the side, and we were grateful that we had done so. The dressing was so thick and creamy that I easily put plenty on my salad with a fork. Like the bread, it was good, but not particularly exciting in any way.

Luckily for all of us, the main course was better than any of what we had before it. I ordered the Ti Piace (create your own) Pizza, which comes with tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever ingredients you want to add, although they suggest no more than four for optimal cooking. I ordered mine with eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. It was delicious! There was plenty of cheese, which is important to me. The crust was flavorful, possibly even with a little cheese in the dough. It was cooked well. It is a ten-inch pizza, meaning that after bread and a salad, I took home the last two or three slices, and I’m looking forward to eating them at lunch tomorrow!

Throughout the meal, our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable, giving suggestions on different meals and listing with relative ease the ingredients in a variety of dishes. He came back to check on us frequently, and was generally a very good waiter for this type of restaurant. By “this type of restaurant,” I’m a little stumped. I might compare it to Maggiano’s; in terms of price they are similar, but for the same price, Maggiano’s serves almost twice as much food—there are always leftovers there, whereas half our party took nothing home from Carrabba’s. Carrabba’s is also a bit lacking on the atmosphere—inside the restaurant was fairly generic and not as upscale as the menu (and prices) show that they are trying to be.

In sum, Carrabba’s is a decent Italian restaurant. Everything is certainly at least adequate, and the main courses that we ordered were all very good. It is not high on the excitement scale, but it is predictable, which is sometimes nice when looking for a restaurant. One big setback is the location; it will likely be a long time before I return to Carrabba’s, if for no other reason than the food was not good, different, or exciting enough to justify the long 20-25 minute drive east.

All-You-Can-Eat at Amol India

2008-06-27T22:46:00.005-04:00

Amol India • 354 Ludlow Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45220 • (513) 961-3600

His Take

One afternoon last week we found ourselves in Clifton looking to try a new restaurant. As we drove down Ludlow Street, we found ourselves entering Little India—an inexplainable collection of Indian restaurants and an Indian market all within a block of each other. I love Indian food, but haven’t tried any yet in Cincinnati, so off we went into Amol India.

Amol India is located between Habanero and the Indian market that all share the same parking lot off Ludlow Street. You can enter either from Ludlow Street, where the front of the restaurant is, or from the parking lot. Our first impression of the restaurant was a warm one—by which I mean the hallway at the back entrance made us wonder whether the restaurant was actually air conditioned. Fortunately, as we made our way to a table, the front of the house felt much cooler and we decided they must have just been having trouble with the A/C because it was 90+ degrees outside.

Like almost every Indian restaurant I’ve ever visited, Amol India has a large lunch buffet spread with a collection of traditional meat, veggie, and bread dishes including Saag Paneer, Chicken Tandoori, Chicken Curry and Vindaloo, Vegetable Samosas, Naan, and more. I was impressed by the number of options and couldn’t wait to see how they tasted.

Fortunately, there was no wait at all for lunch—in fact, the restaurant seemed pretty empty even at 1pm—and my stomach was not disappointed. Each dish I tried was full of flavor, well cooked, and still warm (something many buffets just can’t handle). The chicken Curry and Chicken Vindaloo had plenty of kick to them, and the Naan was fresh out of the oven.

While the food was up to snuff, the service left a little to be desired. We quickly got the impression that our server was not too happy to be working in this restaurant. We half wondered whether this was a typical family-run establishment and the daughter-cum-hostess didn’t exactly wake up one morning dying to be a server. That said, given it was a lunch buffet, there wasn’t much work for the servers to do, and they did a fine job of keeping our water glasses full. The buffet was reasonable at about $9 per person.

We enjoyed the food and variety for our first visit, but given the other Indian (and other foreign) cuisine in the immediate area, we’ll probably try other places before frequenting Amol again.

Her Take

Bored with bringing leftovers and sandwiches for lunch at work every day, we decided on a change of pace and a longer lunch break. We were already in Clifton, so we figured that we’d try out one of the (many) ethnic restaurants on Ludlow. We chose Indian food, and ended up at Amol India mainly because I turned into the Habanero parking lot, and they share the lot.

Our first impression of Amol India was less than positive: on a 90 degree day, the air conditioning did not seem to be working. It was uncomfortably hot, but only in the back of the restaurant, where the buffet was set up. In the front, where we were sitting, it was a bit warmer than is typical, but it was not unpleasant.

We took a look at the menu, and it was a fairly standard Indian restaurant menu: a large vegetarian section, lots of options, and reasonably priced. But we knew we were going for the lunch buffet, as did just about everyone else in the restaurant. Their lunch buffet was $8.50 for all-you-can-eat, and it had Naan, flavored rice, four vegetarian dishes, four carnivorous dishes, two soups, and some fruit and yogurt sauces for dessert. I was impressed!

The Naan was good. They brought out a new batch just before one of my trips to the buffet, and the fresh from the oven ones were fantastic. I’m usually a big fan of flavored Naan, but these plain ones were good enough for me. I also had good servings of the Coley Masala (chick peas in a red sauce) and Saag Pneer (cheese cubes in a creamy spinach sauce). Both had a little bit of an after-kick, but nothing too spicy. The spinach sauce was very good on its own, but I wish there had been more cheese cubes. My first trip to the buffet, I thought I was just getting the bottom of the pot, and that other people had picked out the cheese, but right after they refilled it (my second trip to the buffet), there really wasn’t much more cheese. It was good anyway.

I was certainly stuffed by the time I left! I wouldn’t say this was the absolute best Indian food I’ve ever had, but it was a buffet with lots of selection, and the food was certainly good. The service was fine on the surface—our water glasses were constantly refilled, and empty plates would be removed before you returned from the buffet (again), but the waitresses did not seem so happy to be there. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt—they were working in a lightly air conditioned restaurant, and it was quite warm in parts—but smiling or greeting customers would be a nice improvement. Nonetheless, the food was good, it was convenient, and I’m sure we’ll be back to check out what’s on the buffet another day!

Bella Luna: Deliciously Decorative

2008-06-24T20:42:00.006-04:00

Bella Luna • 4632 Eastern Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45226 • (513) 871-5862

His Take

Somewhat hidden on Eastern Avenue far from the more touristy cuisine of Hyde Park, Mount Lookout, and Mount Adam, Bella Luna is a reliable destination for good quality Italian food in a neighborhood the restaurant easily overshadows. We last visited Bella Luna when a couple of friends brought us there nearly a year ago. Our recollection involved a busy, but not overcrowded restaurant with great food and very friendly service. Returning on a Sunday evening meant the important parts of that recollection (the food and service) was accurate, but the venue was much, much quieter than on a Friday night. The restaurant is fairly large, but closes down its back dining room on Sundays (and presumably other slow nights) to scale down to meet demand.

The food on this occasion hit the mark as usual. I had potato gnocchi with a bolognese sauce. The gnocchi was perfect—small enough pieces that most were bite-size and cooked so they were easily sliced through with little effort. And the sauce was a great complement—very meaty and flavorful. The portions were just on the larger size of average—finish-able if you’re hungry and not really big enough to share.

Our meal started with salads (free) and bread. While the salads were nothing special, I thought the bread was delicious. A nice Italian bread with plentiful seasoning on top, it went down pretty quickly with the oil and balsamic vinegar dish the server prepared.

Overall, I share my date’s sentiments about the food and service. Great food, but way too fast even for a Sunday night. Nonetheless, I’m sure we’ll be back!

Her Take

Sunday night is not usually the best time to try out a restaurant, but birthdays cannot be moved, so Sunday night, we were off to Bella Luna. In truth, we had eaten there once before, but it was so long ago that we didn’t remember details and it was as if we were trying it again, for the first time.

We were surprised to have a wait for a table, but then realized that they seem to anticipate light traffic flow on Sundays and close some of their dining rooms. We only waited about five minutes. One of the first things we noticed on the table was the lamp. It was a sailboat, like something you would expect in a little boy’s room. The three plates on the table were each entirely different and non-coordinating patterns. We had a discussion about whether they simply bought things haphazard at yard sales, which is what it looked like, or whether there was some overarching plan for the décor. In any case, it was funky, but still managed through the tablecloths, art on the walls, and lighting, to look somewhat upscale.

Each of our entrees came with a salad. We had seen bread around the room, so we were a little disappointed when the bread came out with our salads instead of before them. We do like to give bread the attention it’s due. It was pretty good, small slices of Italian bread, but nothing to rave about. The house salads were small and unexciting: fancy lettuce, a little tomato, and a standard dressing on the side.

The meal, however, made up for it. I read the menu and decided on the mushroom and gorgonzola ravioli in a red pepper and gorgonzola sauce. I then realized that it was the same dish that I had tried at Taste of Cincinnati…and I was psyched! The full version of the dish was three very big raviolis that had enough cheese inside to be stringy when I pulled off each bite, but not so much cheese as to overpower the sauce. It was at least as good as I remember it being a few weeks ago, which is certainly good enough for me!

We passed on dessert, since we had leftovers of a giant birthday cake waiting for us at home. My biggest complaint about the meal was the pacing. We were out of the restaurant in about a half an hour. With the bread coming out with the salads, and then the main dish pretty close on the heels of the salad, and then the check as soon as we said we didn’t want dessert or coffee, it felt like we were being rushed out—even though it was a Sunday night with empty tables nearby. I’ll go back for the food, and hope that somehow the craziness of a busier night means a more leisurely meal…with food that’s just as good as a slow night!

Aglamesis Brothers: Hard to Spell, Easy to Enjoy

2008-06-17T16:33:00.004-04:00

Aglamesis Brothers • 3046 Madison Road • Cincinnati, OH 45209 • (513) 531-5196

His Take

I’ve been on the hunt for the best sorbet or ice I can find, and I think I found a new winner. We stopped into Aglamesis Brothers in Oakley Square one evening for a change of pace from our usual Graeters stalking. Despite being arch ice cream rivals, Aglamesis is nothing like Graeters in taste, decor, or service. When we stepped inside the ice cream store we immediately felt like someone had transported us back several decades into a quaint shop reflecting the original Aglamesis Brothers idea. The servers greeted us with a friendly smile and brought us menus filled with delicious dessert options. The focus seemed to be more on the experience than just the ice cream.

After browsing a surprisingly large menu, i settled on something called a Raspberry Crush, which is raspberry ice with crushed raspberries in their own syrup on top. And wow. I had never before tasted an ice or sorbet that was so indistinguishable from premium ice cream. The raspberry ice was delicious and the crushed raspberries were the perfect complement to an already terrific dish.

If you love ice cream, but are afraid to venture beyond Graeter’s (which we still love!), Aglamesis Brothers is definitely worth your time.

Her Take

In case you hadn’t figured it out yet, I love dessert, and especially good ice cream. I was pretty sure it wasn’t possible to improve on Graeter’s ice cream, but I have heard people rave about Aglamesis Bros., so I felt obligated to try it out. In addition to the time machine feeling of the inside of the ice cream parlor (definitely a parlor. Or maybe a shoppe…), I was most thrown by the instruction that if we were eating in, to have a seat and they would bring us menus. That was not the service I was expecting for ice cream, but it was nice! It does make it harder to look at the ice cream when choosing and to get samples, but that can be done at the counter if you’re willing to get up from your pink chair with a heart on the back.

The ice cream was, of course, very good. The chocolate was rich as it should be, but I think I have gotten used to Graeter’s. I love the enormous chunks of chocolate that Graeter’s calls chips (and I call mini candy bars), and Aglamesis just doesn’t measure up there. However, I can vouch that my date loved their sorbet, and was questioning for hours whether it was really sorbet, or actually cream. (The verdict: really sorbet. Just really, really good sorbet.) My first choice would still be Graeter’s. But I’m not one to turn down any good ice cream. Second best is still darn good, and I’ll be happy to go back and try more flavors!

Tropicana: Fresh Squeezed Has Nothing On This Place!

2008-06-10T21:04:00.003-04:00

Jeff Ruby's Tropicana • 1 Levee Way • Newport, KY 41071 • (859) 491-8900

UPDATE: This restaurant is permanently closed. Stay tuned for details on what will replace it.

His Take

We decided it had been a little while since we visited the Levee, so when we scoured the directory for an interesting new place to try, Tropicana jumped out at us. We made a reservation on the early side (7:15), though it didn’t look like we necessarily needed one.

When you walk into Tropicana, you immediately get the sense that this is a place serious about food and service. The servers are wearing white aprons and butchers’ jackets (the white coats) and the hostess dresses to make an impression (see right for more details). Our server was very nice and extremely knowledgeable when it came to questions about wine, cheese, and steak (what else do you need?).

We arrived plenty hungry and decided to start with salads and wine, holding out hope that there would be bread, too (we weren’t disappointed). My salad was a “steakhouse salad,” which was more or less a standard fare salad with fancy greens, some cut up veggies, and a nice large toasted crouton on top. The salad tasted quite good, and while it certainly isn’t a dish about which I would get too excited, it did the job well, looked appealing, and tasted just fine.

And then there was the bread. Oh, the bread. The bread was divine. I’m a huge fan of delicious bread, and this is some of the best free bread I’ve ever had. The first set of slices that came out were a homemade rye that was nice and thick with terrific flavor. I get tired of the same old sliced french bread that has more air than dough, so this was a relief and a delight. Along with butter they served a mushroom and torte spread that had a few other items in it. It didn’t have a particularly strong taste, but the bread needed no accompaniment. The sourdough came later and was quite good, too, but the rye was better. OK, enough about the bread; let’s get to the good stuff.

Steak. Center cut filet mignon to be precise. I gave Tropicana’s chef the ultimate test: I trusted that when I ordered my steak medium, I would actually receive a steak that was red hot in the very center, pink for most of the inside, and charred on the outside. As Emeril would say: BAM! The steak was cooked perfectly and had a terrific dusting of house spices on the outside. This was the best, tenderest, most delicious steak I’ve had in a long while—and if you’ve been reading this blog, you know I’ve been disappointed elsewhere on more than one occasion.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time to try their dessert, but we made the server recite the list anyhow just to tempt us. The list included traditional favorites such as key lime pie and a more tempting double chocolate cheesecake.

Even worse, we found out...they’re closing! June 26th to be precise. So if you’ve never been there, set a date to stop by before they’re gone—you’ll thank us later :-)

Her Take

In a sentence, stop reading and go make your reservation at Tropicana! With only two and a half weeks until the restaurant closes, you don’t want to miss out on this one.

We decided to try Tropicana, not realizing at the time that it was a restaurant on the way out: they close their doors at the end of the month due to an ongoing lawsuit with Tropicana Entertainment over use of the name Tropicana. The restaurant certainly does not present itself as one on its last legs. Tropicana is clearly a restaurant aimed at the young professional crowd, which is who filled the tables on a recent Saturday night. The few older parties stood out, but there were two different bachelorette outing groups who seemed to fit right in. The image of the restaurant can be embodied by its hostess. She wore a white short-sleeved jacket (impractical but cute), black satin short-shorts, and black high heeled pumps. Now, I’ve never thought of black satin shorts at all, and certainly not as formal wear. But somehow, it worked, and that was my lasting image of what this restaurant is trying to project.

I started my meal with a Caesar salad, which always runs the risk of being incredibly boring, but it was great. It came with a “parmesan frico” which turned out to be a sort of baked circle of cheese on top of the salad, like a flat cheese crouton. It was a nice touch on a too-often ordinary salad.

The arrival of our salads was also when our bread came to the table. We were given several slices of a rye, along with butter and another topping that had herbs and things, but I missed the description of exactly what it was. We were told there was also a sourdough, and that it would be brought to us as soon as it was out of the oven. Both breads were fantastic with a perfect texture. The rye had sea salt around the crust, which gave it a distinction from most breads, and the slices were good and thick. The sourdough was less exciting, and not overly sourdough flavored, but still very good.

Then came the entrees, and wow. I ordered the Black Iron Seared Tuna, which came with “green apple, wasabi tobiko, and mango.” I wasn’t exactly certain what wasabi tobiko was, but I went with it, and I’m so glad that I did. My first bite of tuna had me doing what a good tuna steak should: I did a double take and checked that I was really eating fish and not beef. The mango topping made it sweet, and the greens with apple sticks on the side were, I assume, the mystery wasabi tobiko, and they were good as well. It’s rare that a salad, or even just side greens, can make me rave, but these were different and interesting and flavorful, and they just contributed to the overall impressiveness of the meal.

I have to admit that I almost ordered the Manchego Ravioli. In the end, I decided that in a place that specializes in meat and fish, I should order one or the other. Since it comes as both a main course and an appetizer (“tapa-tizer”), I would happily have done that smaller portion, but as my date and dairy don’t get along, I had to pass. Perhaps I’ll get back there in the next few weeks for a taste. We also didn’t get to dessert, but I personally thought the chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce sounded best. There were others, but I tend to zone out on non-chocolate desserts.

In short, Jeff Ruby’s Tropicana is not cheap, but it is one of the best meals I’ve had in a Cincinnati restaurant. If you have an occasion (or the budget for a great meal) in the next few weeks, try Tropicana before it disappears!

Max & Erma's: Whoop Dee Do.

2008-06-07T18:22:00.001-04:00

Max & Erma's • 7800 Montgomery Rd. • Cincinnati, OH 45236 • (513) 794-0100

His Take

As strange as this may sound, this was actually supposed to be a review of Romano’s Macaroni Grill—particularly the one across from Kenwood Towne Centre on Montgomery. There was only one problem: it closed. Caught off guard, we found ourselves driving through the parking lot hungry and distraught that they had closed a perfectly decent Italian chain without consulting us first. In our haste to find food, we drove past Max & Erma’s. I hadn’t been to one of their restaurants in years, and my date had never been, so we decided to check it out.

Max & Erma’s could be compared to other mid-scale eateries including TGI Friday’s and Ruby Tuesday’s only it’s a little quieter and a little darker than both with a menu that is a little less exciting than either. Nevertheless we only took a couple of minutes to narrow down the choices and decided to start with Black Bean Rollups, which are small tortillas filled with beans and veggies and served with salsa and a Tex-Mex dressing.

Shortly after placing our order, the restaurant manager came over to speak with us. While we’re accustomed to managers coming over to say hi and check on the meal at finer establishments, we were caught off guard to have the manager come over at M&E’s before we even ate anything! It turns out, the manager came over to inform us that our server’s family member had been in a car accident, so the manager would be covering our table for the duration of our visit. The manager was very nice and made a concerted effort to make sure our food came out promptly and that we had a positive experience despite the change in the batting lineup. And with that, on to the food...

The Black Bean Rollups arrived shortly after we ordered them. They come five to a plate for appetizers, which was an ample serving for us to split and both be happy. The rollups were pretty good, particularly with some additional pico de gallo added to them.

My entree for the evening was a burger with sauteed mushrooms and guacamole (just a spur of the moment decision). The burger was decent, but nothing too exciting. It was right around a half-pound (though they’ll claim it was 10 oz.) and came served with fries and some trimmings. I ordered the burger done “medium,” but it most certainly came out well-done. It’s just hard to find a restaurant that knows how to properly cook a burger these days. I guess I have to leave it to the Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris, and Palm’s of the world (or my dad) to cook meat the way it was ordered. Even the bun was pretty lame—straight from the plastic bag at the grocery store I’m sure. It doesn’t take much to make things a little more exciting; even toasting the bun would have been a good start. But alas, it was just a big burger (at least it was big!). It also came with fries, which were nothing special to write about either.

BUT, there was a happy ending—if you like chocolate. We noticed the table next to us devouring an enormous piece of chocolate cake, so we decided to inquire about it by asking the manager for a dessert recommendation. Interestingly, the manager’s favorite was the banana cream pie, which is supposedly “made from scratch” on-site. However, she also said the chocolate cake was very rich even though it was prepared elsewhere. She was right. The cake met the necessary criteria for a repeat visit: big, rich, delicious frosting, chocolate (duh), and something at least moderately unique (crushed oreo crumbs)—all at a very reasonable price. So we just might be back eventually to try something new for dinner and something familiar for dessert!

Her Take

I have driven past Max & Erma’s many times since moving to Cincinnati, but I had never set foot in one, until we discovered that our intended destination, Macaroni Grill, no longer existed, and we were in Kenwood and hungry, and wanted to be a bit more adventurous than our usual standbys of Cheesecake Factory or Maggianos. He described it to me in a comparison with TGI Fridays, and I don’t think he was that far off. It has the same type of menu spanning almost every type of food (except, strangely, pastas), it has similar nostalgic American pop culture décor on the walls, and it has that chain restaurant feeling of uncertainty of how nice a restaurant it really is.

I had a little bit of trouble picking an entrée. There is almost nothing vegetarian on the menu, so while the menu was many pages long, I was immediately narrowed down to about two choices. I decided on the “ultimate combo,” choosing a loaded baked potato (minus the bacon) and the village salad (also minus the bacon). We weren’t sure how full I’d be on those items, so we added the black bean roll-ups appetizer.

The roll-ups were great, and a little different. It was the typical tex-mex ingredients, beans, veggies, and pico de gallo, but rolling them in mini tortillas was at least a new, creative presentation. Impressively, they stayed together and nothing fell out, but they also left a good chunk of empty space at the end of each roll, making that less of a feat.

My combo initially came out wrong—both parts with bacon—but since our waitress had left in a hurry (see column to left), probably just as she put our order in, we dismiss that mistake as unusual. The manager was a little horrified and corrected the order disturbingly quickly. I had another meal in under two minutes. Neither part of mine was all that exciting, but they were certainly good. No complaints, but no raves either.

We decided to splurge on the chocolate cake afterwards, because it looked great, and really, we’re bad at turning down desserts anyway. The restaurant is known for its cookies, although apparently the dough is made at a central location and not in each restaurant. The menu did say that if you order the cookies at the beginning of your meal, they come out fresh as soon as you’re done. Unfortunately, one order of cookies was a half-dozen, which we decided was more than we needed. Instead, we decided we needed a giant piece of chocolate cake. “Giant” is actually a bit smaller than Cheesecake Factory-sized, but still hard work for two. (We rose to the challenge.) It was layers of cake alternating with mousse, and a fudgy outside with Oreo crumbs on the bottom. The cake layers were okay, but it was made up for by the mousse layers which were great. All in all, a good, rich dessert. Even though the manager said most of the desserts were made off-site. As another creative spin on a standby dessert, they advertise a make-your-own sundae bar in a bathtub. The bathtub is there, but it has glass over it, so the toppings are actually on top of the tub. Nonetheless, a fun idea.

I won’t be rushing back to Max & Erma’s, but it’s certainly a good place for little kids, big groups, or a predictable meal with friends. Or when you’re in a parking lot, hungry, with a last minute change of plans.

Habañero: Lunch with a Kick

2008-06-05T18:05:00.004-04:00

Habanero • 358 Ludlow Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45220 • (513) 961-6800

His Take

I’ve made it to Habañero twice in the last couple of weeks, and I think it’s a great lunch spot with tasty food, interesting combinations, and a good value. My first impression when I walked in was that the menu was really enormous with not much logic to its layout. Fortunately, we had a few minutes in line, so I scanned most of it before settling on a dish: the Latin Steak Plate.

The Latin Steak Plate is basically a Latin Steak Salad—flank steak on a bed of greens with beans, salsa, and cheese. The dish was a generous size for lunch with plenty of steak and a delicious mango-jalapeño salsa. Like most mid-scale restaurants, the steak was too well done and a little dried out, but it was seasoned surprisingly well, so it still had a latin taste to it and wasn’t a turn off. The rest of the salad was also very fresh, and the crisp greens separated this place from the majority of restaurants that can’t figure out how to make a salad particularly appetizing.

While the salad was good, the chips were great. I can’t quite describe what makes these chips different than the chips I’ve had at every other latin restaurant, but they were delicious and lighter tasting than most others. The salsa was fine, though a little too liquidy for my cohort and I.

On my second visit, I gave them another shot at cooking a great steak and ordered the Arroyo Hondo—a burrito with “hand-rubbed spiced flank steak” and “smoky-tomato chipotle salsa.” The steak was about the same as on my first visit—overcooked, but still well seasoned. Fortunately, with the delicious chipotle salsa, I hardly noticed that the steak was a little dry, and the rest of the burrito (beans & rice) was satisfying and tasty. So based on my experience, only order the steak if you like it well-done. Otherwise, maybe I’ll try chicken next time.

Having been there in the middle of lunch-time, I was surprised that the line was so short and moved so quickly. While parking can be a little tricky at peak times because the restaurant shares the lot with a couple of other vendors, you can definitely get in and out during a short lunch break. And don’t be surprised if you run into me there, because I will definitely be back.

Her Take

I have been known to say that I love Chipotle. At the same time, I am always on a quest for a more exciting burrito or at the very least, a more locally owned burrito joint. A few times this year I have visited Habañero in Clifton, and while it's usually good, I think the quality is only as consistent as the person helping from behind the counter.

Last week I had a plain old veggie burrito salad, and I was a little disappointed. I felt like the counter-guy offered me hardly any options; I had been there enough times to know that there were lots of choices, but not often enough to know them by name and ask for them. My burrito plate was a bit boring: lettuce, beans, tomatoes, onions, cheese, salsa. I was less than impressed, but I also blamed myself for getting a boring burrito and not pushing him to offer me more interesting things to put inside. For example, there are about six different kinds of salsa, varying from fruity to tart. Another time I was there, I thought the goat cheese-and-carmalized onion mix would be delicious. It definitely was, but it also didn’t really match with my burrito. Lesson learned: go for the interesting things, but not too interesting!

This time, I decided on a signature item, the Chuba Cabre, which includes “cinnamon-roasted squash, pinto beans, rice, apple green chile salsa.” Mine also had lettuce, tomatoes, medium sauce, and, of course, cheddar cheese. It was fantastic. After my first bite, I said something along the lines of “This squash is delicious! I don’t think I’ve ever said that before.” I’m not big on cooked vegetables, but as a friend of mine has learned with her cooked carrots, if you add cinnamon, I like it better. (Note: rule does not apply to broccoli; there is no way to make that edible for me.) It was full of interesting flavors: the cinnamon and tart green apple worked really well together, and the rice and beans gave it the volume to fill me up and feel like a meal. I loved it.

It was a special, so it also came with chips and salsa! Their chips are homemade, fried, and thick. They remind me a little of Chinese noodles that come with soup, but probably mainly in their fried-ness. They are very good, but not exactly what you expect. The salsa is good, but not my favorite part. I like fresh salsa where each item is easily identifiable. By which I mean pico de gallo. This is more blended and smooth with only a few chunks, and there isn’t quite enough to go with all the chips. Which means, obviously, that I ate as much as I could.

Habañero gets crowded right at lunch time. It’s on Ludlow, with a free parking lot shared with another restaurant, but even that lot will fill up around noon, but somehow, the line is never more than a few people long—not quite long enough to figure out what you want! I’ve never had a problem finding a table, although on one visit, an employee loudly told those in line that there would be a 10-minute wait for a table once they had food. There was no wait, and I’m convinced he did it to make the lingerers who were done eating look around and leave. It worked! If you need a lunchtime (or dinnertime, but I’ve only been for lunch) pick-me-up, they also have beer, margaritas, mojitos, sangria, and smoothies (with or without rum). I haven’t tried them, as I usually come between classes, but they’re there.

I noticed on the Newport on the Levee page that there is a new branch of Habañero that just opened there, but the Habañero webpage does not yet mention it. I assume the Newport website people wouldn’t lie, so let us know how the new location is! I’m going to keep going to the Clifton one for a quick, delicious, and interesting lunch…as long as I order wisely and boldly.

Can't Judge a Restaurant by its Awning: Kona Bistro

2008-05-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

Kona Bistro • 3012 Madison Road • Cincinnati, OH 45209 • (513) 842-KONA (5662)

His Take

We decided at the last minute on a Saturday night to head out for dinner and quickly settled on Kona Bistro—a place neither of us had been previously and a place that sounded like we could get in pretty quickly. The first thing I noticed about the restaurant was the excellent decor. The entire restaurant was painted with bright colors that made the mood feel lighter and suggested a real energy coming from the restaurant’s designer. Fortunately, the energy didn’t stop with the walls and carried straight on into the dishes we ordered, which all came out looking terrific, fun, and tasty. Unfortunately, looks can sometimes be deceiving.

We started our meal by ordering an appetizer, salads, and entrees. The appetizer was a mediterranean sampler—pita with hummus, feta, tomatoes, etc., which we assumed would come out pretty quickly. It did arrive fast, but was easily outdone by the salads, which showed up almost immediately. A little thrown off by the order of the dishes, we nevertheless looked forward to wonderful looking food.

The salads were simple, fresh, and well presented, though the taste was nothing to write home about. The bigger concern was that we had both asked for dressing on the side and neither of our salads matched that request. Minus one point for attention to detail.

The appetizer fits a similar description. It was well plated and everything tasted fine, but therein lies the problem: it was just fine. The hummus tasted like regular store-bought hummus, as did the other items on the plate. All in all, it filled our stomachs, but left us a little disappointed.

Our entrees arrived looking even better than the two dishes before them. I ordered a flank steak served with a chipotle-mole sauce. The description sounded amazing on the menu, but as I ate my first two bites I realized that my imagination had clearly done a better job of seasoning the dish than the chef. Neither the steak, nor the sauce had any seasoning that stood out. The chipotle-mole sauce could easily have been outdone at Chipotle or even Taco-Bell (gasp!).

In the end, we had set our sights high and Kona Bistro fell far short. The place and the food look and feel fun, but the food appears better than it tastes. All in all, it was fine…and that’s about it.

Her Take

I was excited to try Kona Bistro, because I’ve driven past it many times in Oakley Square, and I’ve heard that it’s pretty good. We finally decided to go try it, and I called late Saturday afternoon for a reservation, figuring that a Saturday night would be busy. I was told that they do not take reservations for parties smaller than five, but that they were not busy, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I was a bit surprised, and also skeptical, having been fed the same line and then enduring an over-an-hour wait at other places. Nonetheless, we went and found that at 7:30 on a Saturday night, it was only about half-full. Dewey’s, right next door, looked completely packed, so it wasn’t the night or the neighborhood as we first suspected.

Walking into Kona Bistro, we immediately noticed that it's bright and just a little funky, but it seems to me that the clientele did not quite match the restaurant itself. We seemed to be the only diners in our twenties, younger than most by at least 15-20 years. Regardless, the menu looked fantastic, but unlike our success with sharing three courses at Teller’s a few days ago, we really wanted different dishes this time. We split an appetizer, each had a little salad, and each had our own entrée.

For our starter, we had the Mediterranean Munchies, which included hummus, baba ghanouj, feta cheese, tomatoes, and pita. Except, it didn’t come out first. Our salads were the first plates delivered to the table. We ordered the little salads--mixed greens with tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette. We were both amused to see that the salads came out with each item separated on the plate: a pile of greens, a pile of tomatoes, and a slice of bread. It was like an assemble your own salad! We had asked for dressing on the side and that didn’t happen, but it was a perfectly decent salad.

About three bites into the salads, the appetizer arrived, so we had salad plates, appetizer plates, and the appetizer dish all on the table at once. The Mediterranean Munchies were not all that exciting. Everything was perfectly decent and nothing was bad, but nothing had much flavor. It just wasn’t particularly interesting, and all of the items on the plate had the potential to be fantastic. Sadly, nothing was.

We were still finishing up the appetizer plate when dinner appeared, so we were stuck with the dilemma of whether to finish what we were eating and have the meal cool off or just move on. The choice was not one that either one of us likes to make, and we were not impressed that they could get food on the table so quickly. I like to eat one course at a time! My main course was “roasted butternut squash, raisins, walnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and roasted red pepper blended with ziti pasta in a zesty chevre cream sauce.” It was pretty good, but not quite up to the level of “zest” that I expected from the description. I like the completely random mix of things that I would never have considered putting in a pasta dish, and the cream sauce was light, at least by cream sauce standards. It was difficult to order. As I tried to tell the waiter what I wanted, I found myself reading that two-line description above. It turns out that although I didn’t notice this until it was time to order, the menu has no names for many of its dishes. Some have unique words near the beginning of the description, like “jambalaya” or “Indian stuffed burrito,” but mine was just a list of ingredients, which was awkward to order.

Overall, Kona Bistro was an adequate restaurant. The food was decent, but didn’t make that jump to good food that I expect from any restaurant. There was nothing particularly unique about most of the flavors, and the service was paced fairly awfully. The waiter came frequently to refill our glasses, but too frequently when it came to bringing our food, and, of course, he was nowhere to be found when we were ready to pay the bill. I’m not planning to return any time soon, and it’s unlikely I’ll be encouraging anyone else to head over there either.

A "Taste of" What's to Come? Time will tell...

2008-05-26T10:46:00.010-04:00

Taste of Cincinnati 2008 • Fifth Street, from Race Street to Broadway in Downtown Cincinnati

His Take
Like all good hungry people in Cincinnati, we made our way downtown over the weekend for the Taste of Cincinnati 2008. With five blocks of side-by-side vendors serving small, inexpensive dishes of everything from overpriced water ($3.25 for a bottle!) and beer to burgers, crab cakes, and chicken curry, the ToC was a ton of fun and a great chance for us to sample a few new places.

First victim, please…

Arloi Dee: Thai Bistro & Asian Cuisine • 4920 Socialville Foster Rd. • Mason, OH 45040 • (513) 229-3996/7

We don’t usually review places outside 275, but Arloi Dee is only about 10 minutes further, the menu at ToC looked good, and I was pretty hungry, so we’re making an exception. I ordered the Chicken Curry with Rice from a a list of traditional Thai selections including Veggie Phad Thai, California Rolls, and Spring Rolls. The Chicken Curry was delicious—loads of flavor and plenty of kick to leave you looking for the closest watering hole if you’re a spciy-heat-lightweight. The rice was well cooked, the chicken was tasty, and the curry left me wanting more. So while you can’t necessarily judge a restaurant by its $4 sample at a fair, I wouldn’t hesitate to stop by if I was in the area.

Bangkok Bistro • 3506 Erie Ave • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-0707

With the edge of my hunger satisfied, we started looking for some smaller, appetizer-like dishes to try. That’s when we discovered the dollar-spring rolls at Bagkok Bistro. In the few hours that we spent at ToC, I don’t think we saw anything that came close in value to these spring rolls—and they were a pretty decent size, too! The problem was that while nothing touched them in terms of value, almost everything beat them in terms of taste. The spring rolls were pretty bland and lacked any semblance of seasoning or flavor. Even the accompanying chili sauce didn’t have much taste to it. That said, the spring rolls certainly didn’t leave a bad taste in our mouths; rather, they just didn’t leave any taste at all—kind of like eating a slice of plain bread. I hate to jump to conclusions based on such a small sample, but since the point of ToC is to advertise, I can’t say I’ll be looking to find Bangkok Bistro anytime soon.

At this point we'd like to send a shout-out to the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, the only vendor kind enough to give out a much desired treat for free! OK, it was water, but still the stall next door had bottles of the same H2O (though I'm sure they'd dispute that) for more than $3! The water was clear, cold, and tasted just fine—even after we discovered it was coming from a fire hydrant. Who knew hydrant water was that clean? I was impressed. Now back to the food...

Behle Street Cafe • 50 E. RiverCenter Blvd. • Covington, KY 41011 • (513) 291-4100

Fortunately, my next stop was much more successful. After another lap of the ToC, I was hungry for more, and I set my sights the crab cakes at Behle Street. We haven’t really reviewed anything across the river outside of Newport yet, but we’re determined to fix that. Behle Street Cafe is just across the river from downtown, and based of my admittedly short experience is well worth a visit. The crab cakes that I tried were delicious. The crab was tender and deliciously seasoned. The outside of the cake was cooked just right—not burnt, but crisp enough to keep its shape even after a bite. The accompanying sauce was also terrific and added just a little bit of kick to the dish. This one’s a winner, and I hope to find it again.

Mama Vita’s Ristorante Italiano • 6405 Branch-Hill Guinea Road • Loveland, OH 45140 • (513) 697-9705

Sticking with the roller-coaster pattern, along came a dish that was one of the downers of the day. There are lots of ways to describe great bruschetta, but soggy is not usually among them. The bruschetta we ordered had fresh, ripe tomatoes, but apparently someone either neglected to fully toast the bread or just chose the wrong kind because this bread almost collapsed in our hand (good thing the mini-bruschettas were bite size). As another venue outside 275, we think you can probably skip this one.

Embrace Sweets • Cincinnati, OH • (513) 921–0079
Available at Findlay Market • 1801 Race St • Cincinnati, OH 45202

Having been disappointed by the bruschetta, we knew we couldn’t leave on a low note. In true form, we headed for dessert. On our first lap we had spotted the booth for Findlay Market, which featured Embrace’s Brownie Bar, and that’s where we headed. Embrace’s brownie bar featured their scrumptious (a word used too infrequently) brownies with your choice of any or all toppings including S’mores (mini-marshemellows and graham cracker crumbs), nuts, coconut, sprinkles, and chocolate or caramel sauces. We went for the chocolate brownie with chocolate syrup, s’mores, and sprinkles. It was fantastic. Good brownies are hard to find, but this one is worth a good search. We’ve put a visit to Findlay Market in our calendars to make sure we can find them again!

Taste from Belgium • (859) 380-6226
Available at Findlay Market • 1801 Race St • Cincinnati, OH 45202

As good as the Embrace brownie was, I still needed more. Conveniently, the next table down from Embrace Sweets was Taste from Belgium. Having been to Brussels to dine on beer, waffles, and chocolate (do you need a more compelling reason to go?), I’m always suspicious of places advertising “Belgian” waffles. Finally...FINALLY, I have found one that does not disappoint! In true Belgian form, the waffles were made with a sweet sugar and vanilla batter, and topping them with chocolate sauce never hurts :-) The waffles were perfectly browned, and never became even remotely soggy from the chocolate sauce. They were absolutely delicious! There was one small detail that they really need to fix, though—Hershey’s does not equal Belgian chocolate sauce. The waffle was terrific, but adding Hershey’s syrup to such a great dessert wasn’t exactly the cherry-on-top we wanted. Nonetheless, we’ll be looking around the city for these waffles in the future.

Her Take

We were going to meet some friends at Taste of Cincinnati. We didn’t pick a place to meet, but basically left it as “it’s only five blocks. We’ll find you.” What we failed to account for was the wall-to-wall crowd packed into five blocks, sometimes walking at a normal speed, sometimes barely walking, and sometimes standing in line for a few minutes for food that was (hopefully) really worth it. My one complaint about this awesome event, where almost fifty restaurants set up booths with small tasting portions of a few dishes available for sale, was that it was not restricted to local establishments. Given the name of the event, “Taste of Cincinnati,” I was surprised to also see restaurants that exist all over the country. We avoided those.

Pompilios's • 600 Washington Ave. • Newport, KY 41071 • (859) 581-3065

I started with a bang. I saw the Pompilio’s booth, and remembered that it has been recommended to us right here on Restaurants and Reservations. They had a dish that looked delicious to me, so I decided to give it a try. The Cheese Tortellini with Three Cheese Cream Sauce was a little heavier than what I should have started with at this food fest, but it was definitely worth it. The portion was generous for tasting, so I can only imagine the portion sizes at the actual restaurant. The sauce was not only cheesy, but had more flavor, vegetables, and a kick. I loved it, and only wished I had some good bread to sop up the extra sauce!

Bangkok Bistro

My next stop was the Bangkok Bistro booth where they had dollar Veggie Spring Rolls. That seemed like a deal, so we each got one. Sadly, that meant we were each disappointed. They had very little flavor, even for veggie spring rolls. The sweet and sour sauce was equally uninspiring. A similar one could be found in any grocery store. All in all, they were hot, which was nice, but highly unexciting. An all around letdown, especially because Bangkok Bistro is one of the few restaurants whose booths we visited that is close to where we live, but we likely won’t be heading over that way any time

After these dishes we ran into my friends, heading the other direction. One told me, “Best hamburgers I have had in a long time were at the Rusty Bucket tent. I am definitely going to be going there sometime soon.” Another recommended the Sam Adams summer beer, and after my sip of hers, I’ll second that recommendation. So since we didn’t get to the Rusty Bucket booth, I’m passing along his words of praise.

Then we took a Wii Fit interlude. They had those tents set up towards the middle of the fair, and had a pretty constant flow of traffic in the 8-ish stations they had set up for trying it out. I played soccer badly, not quite avoiding the shoes thrown at my head, while missing the headers of many of the soccer balls. He wobbled to get balls into a hole, with slightly (only slightly) more success. Not edible, but lots of fun. And then I was hungry again.

We considered the honey roasted corn on the cob, but the line at Eddie’s Southern Style BBQ was so long that we decided we (okay, I) didn’t have the patience. My friends had recommended that, too. Next time. Also with a really long line that we didn’t feel like waiting in was Indigo, with a pirate-themed booth that does not resemble the Hyde Park restaurant at all.

Bella Luna Cafe • 4632 Eastern Ave • Cincinnati, OH 45226 • (513) 871-5862

We got to the end and turned around to go back to some things that had looked good, but we skipped the first time through. I got Portobello Ravioli with a Gorgonzola-Red Pepper sauce from Bella Luna’s. Yum. It was one giant ravioli, so while the portion was smaller than that of my tortellini, it was delicious anyway. The ravioli was so over-stuffed that I didn’t feel deprived by having only one, and there was a perfect amount of cheese on top. Coming from a cheese-lover, that means there was a lot. I’m looking forward to going to the real Bella Luna’s to have more!

Mama Vita’s Ristorante Italiano

As we headed toward some good desserts we had seen earlier, we wanted one more little thing. We thought that the Mama Vita’s bruschetta would fit the bill, so we stopped there to split an order (four small slices of bread topped with tomatoes, garlic, and basil). After the first bite, neither of us was happy. The bread managed to be soggy and stale all at once. The tomato mixture on the top was good, and I should have just eaten that without the bread, but I pressed on anyway. I’m considering giving them the benefit of the doubt, that they were preparing lots of brushcetta for this event, and making the toasts individually for each order was impossible. And yet, some of the other booths managed to have their dishes come out quite perfectly, so chances are we won’t be driving out to Loveland any time soon to give Mama Vita’s another try.

Embrace Sweets

Finally, it was time for dessert. We started with the brownie bowls at Embrace Sweets, which was part of the Findlay Market booth. They describe it as a brownie sundae without the ice cream. We got chocolate syrup and s’more toppings (mini marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs) and sprinkles. I think it would have been even better with ice cream, but that’s just me. The brownie was decent, but hard to taste on its own underneath all the stuff on top. It was pretty good, but nothing too exciting. I’d happily eat something else from Embrace that was less covered up with stuff to really see how good their baked goods are, because it was hard to tell from this one. It was really only half a brownie, a small triangle, so naturally, we had another dessert afterwards.

Taste from Belgium

We went to the Taste of Belgium part of the Findlay booth to have waffles. They were giving out samples in front, so of course we sampled before we got in line. The sample was fantastic! It tasted like a good waffle with lots of butter and a bit of vanilla (I think) and sugar, possibly right in the batter. We ordered the one with chocolate syrup. Unfortunately, we realized after we ordered that the chocolate syrup was Hershey’s Syrup. Now, I have a bottle of it in the fridge, because it makes yummy daily chocolate milk. But when I’m topping something even a little gourmet, or ice cream, or anything where I’m really going to taste the syrup itself, Hershey’s is the last thing I use. It’s not exactly the best chocolate syrup out there. So the waffle lost points with me for that. With a good chocolate topping, it would have been amazing. Instead, it was just pretty darn good. I’ll take it, and I’ll visit them again when I finally get to Findlay Market…eventually.

Also, I’m already looking forward to the variety of food and people-watching available at next year’s Taste of Cincinnati!

Teller's: Quality You Can Bank On

2008-05-22T23:16:00.002-04:00

Teller's of Hyde Park • 2710 Erie Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 321-4721

His Take

We’re back! After weeks of crazy schedules and much traveling, we finally returned home and decided to hit the restaurant scene starting with Teller’s—a venue I’ve heard frequently mentioned and one that a reader suggested for dining al fresco. Tellers, as the name might suggest, is located inside an old bank. The front of the building has tall columns that shout “Fort Knox,” but once inside the only part of the bank that is left is the thick, steel door to “The Vault”—now a private dining area that can be reserved for special functions and large groups.

We sat upstairs on the second floor overlooking the bar, which has two large televisions easily visible from almost anywhere inside the restaurant. We had hoped to eat out on the patio, but the evening air proved a little too chilly for us, and it didn’t look like they had the heaters turned on. Down on the first floor is an expansive bar area with several large bar-height tables that can be used for drinks during happy hour or meals just as well. While we didn’t get to enjoy the patio, we poked our heads out there to take a look. The patio has about a dozen large tables with big umbrellas and a separate bar. There was a pretty decent crowd for a Thursday night, but you could easily get a server or bartender’s attention. The only problem we saw is that it looks like smoking is allowed on the patio. Even though we were technically inside the restaurant, with the doors to the patio wide open, cigarette smoke wafted into the restaurant once or twice during our meal. So, if you’re extremely smoke sensitive, make sure you stay away from tables near the patio.

When we arrived at Teller’s, we were already starving, so we spent all of 30 seconds deciding that we desperately needed an appetizer. We debated whether they give each table complementary bread (they don’t), and then settled on Hummus for our starter. I’ll let my date go into more details, but the hummus was terrific by all accounts (get it...accounts...in the bank...at Teller’s? Sorry, had to.).

Dish number two was the Raspberry Goat Cheese Salad. It’s hard to make a salad really, really exciting. This salad was certainly tasty, but what impressed me the most was the presentation. We had told our server that we wanted to split the salad; usually that means we get one salad with two extra plates. Instead, Teller’s kitchen staff served us the salad pre-split on two plates. Now this might not excite you very much, but when I tell you that each plate was easily a big enough salad to compete with a single portion at most restaurants you might see why I was impressed. In other words, their salads are large and splitting one is the way to go if you can.

Dish number three is where it’s all at—the entree. We ordered a Black Bean and Maize Orzo, and wow, what a dish. For those not familiar, orzo is the tiny pasta shapes that look like supersized rice. The dish had a tomato sauce base and enough spices to give you just a little kick that lasts throughout the rest of the meal. Again, we split the dish, and again, we each had plenty of food to eat. The orzo was cooked perfectly and along with the beans and other vegetables inside, it was filling, satisfying, and extremely tasty.

Sad to say, we didn’t have enough room left for dessert (which by now you know disappointed us greatly), but we’ll just have to go back for more!

Her Take

I was excited to go back to Teller’s. I had been there a couple of times in the past, but, sadly, that was way before we had started sharing our restaurant experiences. Everything I had eaten there in the past I remember as being good, but somehow it was even better this time than I remembered! The name comes from the building’s original use: if you examine the outside of the building, it was formerly the home of the Hyde Park Savings Bank. Upstairs there are more tables and a great patio. The patio is not huge, but there are both tables and a separate bar from the one inside—complete with its own big screen TV.

Both of us walked in starving for a late-ish dinner on a Thursday night. The restaurant was not full by any means (although I have seen it packed on the weekends), but there were certainly many other people there when we arrived. We picked an appetizer almost at random, hoping we could make it to the main meal without eating our napkins. We chose the white bean hummus with zaatar-dusted pita bread, and wow. I recently lived for almost a year in the Middle East, where pita and hummus began, and they’ve got nothing on Teller’s! The white bean hummus had just a little bit of kick, but not too much. There were a few olives on top, and for those who like olives, they were great on top of a few bites. Our biggest complaint, of course, is that there was hummus left in the bowl when we finished our pita! I suggest asking for extra pita :-)

We then shared a salad, the Raspberry Goat Cheese salad, which had warm, hazelnut crusted goat cheese on top of a salad with tomatoes, squash, and zucchini with a raspberry vinaigrette. I’m the first to admit that I’m picky about vegetables, and zucchini is near the top of my disliked-veggie list. I was all ready to pick it off, but then we discovered that there wasn’t enough to be worth picking it off, even for me! The salad was mainly lettuce, with a few shreds of squash and zucchini on top (think shredded carrot shaped, but slightly thicker and longer), and a sprinkling of little tomato pieces. There was plenty of cheese. I thought the salad was delicious, but I did not think it was worth their listing the veggies for the little bits that were included. The wafer that came with it was fairly non-notable. Also, we were still really excited about the hummus, so almost anything that followed it was not going to be quite as good.

The main dish, Black Bean and Maize Orzo, was a little spicy for me, but it was good. See my left for details! All in all, we had a fantastic meal. We were both ravenous when we walked in, but quite stuffed, and very happy, by the time we left.

Craving a Burger? Try Arthur's.

2008-05-18T19:00:00.002-04:00

Arthur's • 3516 Edwards Road • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-5543

His Take

I'm speechless. It could be because I'm so amazed by this restaurant. Or, it could be because I've never been there. You decide.

Her Take

Arthur’s is probably best described as a neighborhood hamburger joint. It reminds me somewhat of Zips, except that Arthur’s seems to be trying harder to be a little bit more. There is a full menu, including sandwiches, salads, and entrees, but the main feature is clearly the burgers. There are almost ten different kinds of burgers, each with different toppings, including two different kinds of veggie burgers, a rare find, and a turkey burger. Beyond the hamburgers specifically listed on the menu, there is a list of about twenty different toppings that can be added to a plain burger for 50 cents each, although our waiter claimed they only charge for the first three additions. The toppings include anything you can think of that one might put on a burger, such as several different kinds of cheese, a bunch of different veggies, and then also those things I wouldn’t usually think to put on a burger, like boursin cheese or caramelized onions.

Burgers all come with fries and a pickle. Although the friend I went with substituted a small salad for the fries. I enjoyed my fries. They were thick, but still crispy on the outside and chewy enough in the middle. The hamburger bun (or in my case, the spicy black bean burger bun) was not notable, but it was about the right size for my burger, which I find to be somewhat of a rarity. I finished it in the same bite as I finished my burger. The burger comes with lettuce and tomato, which are not listed on the menu. The burger itself was good, but not particularly exciting, which I suppose is at least partly my fault for eating vegetarian at a burger joint. I was happy enough! The waiters were vigilant about refilling water glasses, which I generally appreciate. My friend appreciated it less, as they more than once tried to refill his lemonade with water, but he guarded it well.

At lunchtime on a weekday it was crowded; we had to wait a few minutes for a table, although not the full 10 minutes that they quoted. It was certainly good food, and not expensive, but it was lacking the homey neighborhood feel of a true neighborhood hamburger joint, and felt sort of like a cross between a diner and a nicer restaurant. I’ll go back if a friend has an urge for a burger when we’re in Hyde Park Square, but I’m not in a rush.

Eat at Melt. It is great.

2008-05-07T13:53:00.003-04:00

Melt • 4165 Hamilton Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45223 • (513) 681-MELT

His Take

Well a certain someone couldn't wait just a little longer for me to get back into town to try a new place, but I suppose I can't blame her for not making our readers wait any longer. I will say this much, though: I received a text message the other day that read: "I've had 2 bites. This place is fantastic!..." And with that, I'll leave you to the good stuff...

Her Take

Several people had independently recommended Melt to me, so when I needed food mid-paper-writing, I decided to take their advice and explore the Northside. First, I couldn’t believe how close it was. On a map, it looked to me like Northside was pretty far away, but once I got into my car, I discovered it was only about five minutes from Clifton, up Ludlow. There was plenty of parking, which always makes me more excited about a new restaurant.

Once inside, I had to apologize to the person behind the desk at least twice, because I felt like I was taking so long to decide. There are so many choices!! As someone who usually eats vegetarian, I’m used to having only one or two choices for a good sandwich. A good half of their extensive sandwich, soup, and salad menu was vegetarian—and creative—and a number of those were vegan as well. I settled on the Artichoke Melt: spinach-artichoke spread, tomato, and white cheddar on focaccia. All sandwiches come with a side: sun chips, mixed greens, or ginger rainbow slaw. I decided to go boring with the mixed greens, but with an intresting sounding maple vinaigrette. (Yes, my threshold for interesting is lower during reading week.)

Everything was amazing. I was sort of amazed that this cute little café served such a delicious sandwich—and that I had never thought to use spinach-artichoke dip as a spread on a sandwich! I was sitting by myself, which is more conducive to paper writing, but the tables were close together. At the table next to me, I overheard the comment, “we should come here more often. It’s delicious!” I couldn’t agree more.

The restaurant has 6-8 tables up front that you see when you first walk in. There is more seating in the back of the restaurant, and scattered throughout are shelves of books, magazines, and cookbooks. Just beyond the back room is a door to a back patio, featuring one of my favorite things about outdoor café seating: a no smoking sign.

A couple of hours (and several pages of essay writing) later, I decided it was snack time, and I had one of their giant (!) vegan chocolate chip cookies. I was a little nervous—vegan cookies cannot use regular eggs or chocolate chips, but I was pleasantly surprised. The chocolate chips were dark chocolate, which I generally prefer anyway, the egg substitute was not noticeable, and the whole wheat flour gave them an interesting taste. I am a bit picky about my chocolate chip cookies, but I was impressed! They were soft and yummy, and most importantly with more hours of paper writing to come, they were big, so it lasted for a while.

There were so many other things on the menu I want to try, a coffee shop a couple of doors away that looked enticing, and probably more to explore, so I will certainly be returning to Northside and to Melt. Great recommendation!

I Never Thought I'd Look Forward to Awakening

2008-04-21T21:12:00.001-04:00

Awakenings Coffee & Tea • 2734 Erie Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 321-2525

His Take

There are coffee shops and then there are coffee shops. What separates the two is a combination of character, service, and taste (having a great wine selection and amazing desserts is probably in there, too). Having said that, it should be obvious to anyone who’s been to Awakenings that it definitely falls in the second category. (For clarity, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are in the first category, though Starbucks desperately tries to get into the second one.)

Located in beautiful, eclectic Hyde Park Square, Awakenings is a terrific destination for a cup of coffee, lunch, dessert, wine, or just setting up camp to work/study and utilize their free wireless network (a rarity these days, though Starbucks is making good progress). I certainly can’t count the number of times I’ve been there, but I’ll share a few good examples of what I love about the place.

First, on a cold winter (or spring?) day when you need to get out of the house or office for a few, but can’t last long without a warm drink, Awakenings is the perfect place to patronize. While I confess to not being a coffee drinker (which means most of you will immediately jump to “Her Take” I suspect), their hot chocolate is certainly up to the task. They have a very reasonable amount of seating for a coffee shop, and there are always people there chatting, reading, typing, and often conducting business (go figure).

While I’ve never had lunch there (their panini-maker was broken at one point), their desserts are phenomenal. Now, I can’t really give them credit for making the desserts (check out Frieda's Bakery for that (and here’s some interesting background on Frieda’s)), but I can certainly credit them for finding an amazing supplier for delicious desserts! Naturally, I recommend anything chocolaty in their array. Awakenings also frequently has samples of their desserts available, and I always make a point to try them…twice.

Between the atmosphere, the friendly staff, and the selection, you really can’t go wrong stopping by Awakenings. And with the weather slowly warming up, the outdoor seats alongside the square will be in high demand soon!

Her Take

Awakenings is one of my standby study places. I’m not sure I should share that, since I get so much done there because I’m surrounded by people I don’t know. I have tried many different things there, and none of them has been bad. My most frequent drink is a café mocha (or the Awakenings equivalent), which I thoroughly enjoy. The hot chocolate is rich, and the fruit smoothies (“frappes”) are good—although I ordered one thinking it was made with real fruit, and was disappointed to see that it was just fruit juice and ice.

The highlight for me is the desserts. Everything I’ve had (all brought in from Frieda’s Bakery) has been delicious, although my judgment tends to be limited to those things highest in chocolate content. I also check the counter frequently when I’m sitting there for a few hours—there are often samples sitting out!

They have a small lunch menu of a few panini choices each day. They are not particularly exciting, but they certainly hit the spot, especially on days when you’re settled into your work or the free wireless internet and hungry, or in need of justifying another dessert with something meal-like before it.

Awakenings also has the unique feature of being a wine bar in addition to a coffee shops. They host frequent wine tastings, and one wall of the café is lined with all different wines. The tastings are about $20 for four tastes. I’ve never done it, but I’ve been there during the events. They seem to be a draw for few, but an added bonus for others who stop in and stay for the wine. The walls are decorated with rotating exhibits of local artists in varying mediums (and talents). I love that the décor seems to change between each of my visits.

I love Awakenings as a local coffee shop. In my mind, it has what any good café should: yummy drinks, fantastic desserts, and free wireless internet. Everything else is a bonus!

Nothing like dining al fresco in the summer...

2008-04-09T08:59:00.003-04:00

With spring (and eventually summer we hope) starting to make its appearance, it's about time for us to start exploring the best venues with outdoor seating. Does anyone have any recommendations for places we can check out with a nice patio, rooftop, or other outdoor seating area? Use the comments below to give us ideas, and we'll be sure to report back when it gets a little warmer!

Cumin: Not just another spice on the rack

2008-04-07T12:14:00.009-04:00

Cumin • 3520 Erie Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-8714

His Take

Cumin has been hyped a lot in the press and blogosphere, most recently finishing seventh in Cincinnati Magazine's Top Ten Restaurants (March 2008). So, we decided to judge for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

Cumin is located in a small plaza bordering a residential neighborhood near the edge of Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout. The restaurant is easy to overlook while passing by, and though it doesn’t have much in the way of a parking lot, it wasn’t difficult to find an on-street space within a couple of blocks.

When we walked inside we were immediately impressed with the modern design and also surprised at the small size of the restaurant. With a small bar area on the right separated by a half-wall from the slightly larger restaurant area on the left, the layout was great given the size of the place. I fully concur with my esteemed partner’s opinion that the music level later in the evening was perfect. Loud enough to entertain to the bar; quiet enough not to interrupt the diners. Plus, it looked like there was a nice patio out front for when the weather warms up. It was too cold for us to enjoy it, but they had place settings out even though we didn’t see any heaters.

Our meal overall had very high highs and a pretty low low. We started with a phenomenal tandoori mushroom appetizer based on our server’s recommendation, which completely blew us away (see her description on right). The size was borderline big enough to share and certainly tamable by an individual.

From there we went to the “Chef’s Greens” salad. Notwithstanding the name, it was a relatively uninspiring dish that certainly didn’t speak to the chef’s best abilities. Primarily composed of a little lettuce with some cashews and pistachios, the only part of the salad you couldn’t easily make at home in 30 seconds was the tandoori apple. While tasty, the apple was far too small a part of the dish to prove much excitement, and the Madras dressing was barely noticeable on the plate. In short, while the salad doesn’t necessarily constitute a strike against Cumin, it certainly doesn’t match the hype.

Our main dish (chickpeas) and the black-pepper and garlic naan were much more appetizing. Flavorful, rich, and well balanced, these dishes were exactly the quality we had hoped for from such positive restaurant reviews. The rice and chickpeas were cooked perfectly and the seasoning in the sauce was excellent.

Then there was dessert. Despite my date warning that Indian restaurant desserts are often too unusually seasoned to really satisfy, we just couldn’t resist a “Freshly Baked Soft Molten Chocolate Cake.” My mouth was watering just reading the name, so naturally we ordered one to share. The suspense built even more when our server came by and placed two spoons on the table—a very positive sign for a “molten” cake. The dessert arrived in two pieces on a rectangular dish. The first was a coffee-cup with an obvious chocolate cake baked inside. The second piece was a “white wine-saffron poached seckel pear” neatly slivered and spread next to the cup.

We each grabbed our spoons and went straight for the chocolate, scooping up a somewhat drier than expected piece of crust. Our first reaction was “Ouch! Hot!,” followed by being unimpressed by the dessert. But knowing this was “molten” cake, we knew the best was yet to come. Or so we thought. A few minutes later, having reached the bottom of the cup without finding anything remotely “molten” we reached a disappointing conclusion: the dessert had been so overcooked that any “molten” chocolate had simply baked into an unimpressive, overly hot, dry cake—bad enough we decided we had to go out for a second dessert because we couldn’t end the meal like that! Off to Awakenings we went...

Her Take

We were impressed as soon as we walked into Cumin. It bills itself as “Indian-Fusion,” and the décor is modern with a slight Indian flair. Looking around, we were not surprised that it has made Cincinnati Magazine’s list of top ten restaurants in Cincinnati. We had early reservations; we made them a few hours before and they would not give us anything later, but the restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived around 6 on a Saturday night. By 7:30, it was still not full, but filling fast. Around 7, live music started in the bar area, but it was music of an ideal nature for a restaurant: loud enough to provide entertainment at the bar and some atmosphere throughout the restaurant, but quiet enough that we could continue our conversation at the table.

We asked the waiter for recommendations on appetizers. He suggested the tandoori mushrooms, even before he knew that one of us eats vegetarian. We took his suggestion—and we were thrilled that we did! There is no understating how much we loved this appetizer. The six large mushrooms were cooked in a tandoori sauce and placed around the edge of the dish. In the middle were two sauces, a tamarind date sauce and a mint chutney. We both preferred the tamarind date sauce, but both were outstanding. Neither one of us expected to be blown away by this dish, but we both were, which certainly raised the bar for the rest of dinner.

The awesome appetizer was followed by a decent salad, but it was not nearly as good or as exciting as the mushrooms. For our main course, we split Chana Pindi (a chickpea dish) and garlic and pepper naan. Both were excellent. The chickpeas were delicious, although because they were lacking in the surprise factor of the mushrooms, we didn’t get quite as excited about them. The naan was fantastic: flavorful and soft, exactly as it should be! As far as dessert, see the description to my left. My only comment: I was skeptical about getting my kind of chocolaty, rich dessert at an Indian restaurant in the first place.

The service was, well, technically flawless. Our waiter appeared when we needed him, and disappeared when we didn’t. He made some wonderful recommendations. Except that he really seemed to have a brick wall for a personality. The plates (which were funky-modern—I loved them) had far more personality than our waiter. I didn’t see a smile the entire evening, which was a bit off-putting. The owner was visible the entire evening. He was sometimes near the hostess stand, sometimes greeting diners who he recognized, and sometimes wandering around the empty tables, straightening a plate or a chair here and there. However, he never approached any of the tables. We kept waiting for him to come over and greet us or another table, and he never did. It felt like the staff was following a set of rules to a tee, but they needed to loosen up.

The food is great! Go for the food, go for the ambience, go for the décor. Ignore the staff; they will ignore you anyway, unless you need something. It is a great restaurant for a date or a small group, but in the small dining room, a large or noisy group would be overwhelming and distracting to other diners. And I’ll pass on our waiter’s recommendation: order the mushrooms!

Pacific Moon: Home of the Six-Fingered Chopsticks Man

2008-04-06T10:16:00.012-04:00

Pacific Moon on the Levee • 1 Levee Way #2125 • Newport, KY 41071 • (859) 261-MOON (6666)

UPDATE: This restaurant is permanently closed. Stay tuned for details on what will replace it.

His Take

Located on the Levee just above Cafe Istanbul, Pacific Moon is an Asian-fusion restaurant serving a wide variety of Asian-inspired dishes including Dim Sum (traditional Chinese brunch) and a full sushi menu. We went there with a group of four on a Friday afternoon, and as expected, it was relatively empty at such an off-peak time.

Pacific Moon’s food was delicious. Around the table we had various starters, soups, and entrees. The first round at the table was both Vegetarian Hot & Sour Miso Soup and Chinese Vegetable Miso Soup. The former was apparently pretty spicy but very good, and the latter was much, much milder.

The meal became much more interesting when our friends had their Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They seemed to be enjoying them until one of our friends suddenly commented, “Wow, that’s hot!” in an alarming tone. Sure enough, the “minced spiced chicken” with the lettuce wraps had been cooked with some seriously hot peppers (somewhere in the Chili–Thai family), and the peppers had been served with the chicken. Our friend’s mouth was basically en fuego after accidentally eating one of the peppers (whole, not minced). Actually, scratch that, her entire head was on fire including her by then very red neck from the heat. Note to Chef: peppers that hot should probably be removed before serving!

My date and I shared the Vegetarian Kung Po Chicken. Yes, that’s Vegetarian Chicken—i.e., wheat protein chicken-wannabe. The dish was terrific. Loads of flavor and a great variety of classic Chinese vegetables. The “chicken” I could have done without (or done with real chicken!). But see next column for a more positive reaction.

Pacific Moon’s decor is a mix of contemporary and traditional design including a series of flat screen TVs near the bar and frosted glass-enclosed stalls in the restrooms (now there’s an idea that takes some getting used to). The meals are served with both modern silverware and chopsticks, which leads me to my favorite part (normally that’s dessert, but not at this meal).

After we finished eating (and our friend was still looking for a bucket for her head), I noticed a drawing on the packaging for the chopsticks trying to indicate how to hold them. I’ve always wondered what the “proper” way to use chopsticks is, so I studied the picture for a moment and tried to emulate it with my chopsticks. I struggled for a few minutes to match the picture, when I realized why the picture makes it look so easy: the man in the picture has six fingers! I checked again, and yes, I still only had five, which means I’ll have to get by with my less-efficient means of using chopsticks. But be sure to check out those diagrams closely in the future.

All in all, the food and atmosphere were great. So if you’re a flexible eater or don’t mind asking detailed questions of your server, Pacific Moon is a great place to add to your list sometime!

Her Take

I think it’s safe to say that we are going to remember the events of this lunch long after we forget the details of the food. The food was certainly very good. While there is disagreement to my left, I thought that the veggie-wheat-protein-fake-chicken was very good. It certainly was not chicken, but it took me a little while to be convinced of that. The protein-substance certainly looked like chicken, which given some past experiences, is a good start. It didn’t taste quite like chicken, but the texture was not too far off. It was one of those dishes that vegetarians will think is a good approximation, and meat-eaters will think is kind of odd.

One friend at the table also decided to try sticky rice, having heard reports that it was great. We found it first on the Dim Sum menu, so she added that to the order at the last minute. Our waiter assured her it was vegetarian. The food arrived in shifts. Much of the dim sum (for half of the table) came first, including the sticky rice. She took the first part out of its leaf-wrap and took a bite. The rice itself was very good, although there were some mysterious brown lumps in it. She asked the waiter again, just for good measure, whether it was, in fact, vegetarian. He assured us, again, that it was. So she got up the courage to try a mysterious brown lump, and quickly concluded that whatever variety of meat it was (and she did not want to pause to consider that), it was not vegetarian. Our carnivorous friend tried a bite, and agreed: this was meat. We brought the waiter back again, and he took the dish off the table. The eventual explanation: the dim sum sticky rice has meat in it, which we figured out the hard way. The one on the regular menu is just rice. He brought out two of those and apologized profusely, several times. Mostly she was sad not to have the rice on the table after eating a hot pepper…

The every day dim sum menu is new. On the weekends, they serve it from a cart that wanders around the dining room, showing you your dishes before you choose them. On weekdays, it is a paper menu where you mark what you want, much like most sushi menus. The dishes a friend got from that menu were larger than expected, and a lot for the $2-3 for most items on that menu. Especially for more adventurous eaters, this menu looks great! The names of dishes are fairly unappetizing, but the descriptions are decent.

We definitely had an entertaining and eventful meal at Pacific Moon! I will happily go back, although I will be sure to ask lots of questions about my meal and watch out for peppers.

Shadowbox: Come for the Show, Come Early for the Food!

2008-04-05T14:58:00.012-04:00

Shadowbox • 1 Levee Way #4101 • Newport, KY 41071 • (859) 957-7625

His Take

This venue may be a little atypical for our blog because it’s really more about the music and comedy than about the food, but seeing as we did actually eat there and we thought it’d be of interest to our readers, we decided to share our thoughts.

Shadowbox, officially a “sketch comedy and rock n’ roll club,” is located on the 4th floor of Newport on the Levee (next to the movie theater) and has shows (with food and drink) Thursday through Saturday. Each show is a combination of sketch comedy scenes and rock n’ roll cover pieces, and the format alternates back and forth between the band (stage right (i.e., your left)) and the comedy (stage left (let’s hope you can figure this one out)).

The doors to the shows open about 45 minutes before curtain call, which gives you plenty of opportunity to get comfy, order a reasonably-priced lunch/dinner, and of course start downing your drinks. In addition to a menu with a pretty decent variety, you can order your food in advance to make sure it’s ready when you arrive. Note: once the show starts you can’t order any more food because the actors/musicians do double-duty as servers (adding to the entertainment).

We went with a group of four for a lunchtime show (12–12:45pm). We were pretty hungry when we arrived, so we ordered a pizza and nachos for us to share as we enjoyed the show. The pizza was a “Shadowbox Pizza” (read: make your own) with mushrooms and onions. It was about an 8-inch pizza on a thin crust. Plus, they slice it like a grid into true individual pieces (about 2-inch sqaures), which makes it very easy to eat, especially with a group. It tasted pretty decent, too. The Nachos were about the best I’ve ever had. The cheese, onions, tomatoes, and black olives were tossed on top before baking the nachos in the oven. The nachos were much less greasy than most you find, and they came with a pico de gallo-style salsa (mild).

Alongside the great food were very personable and entertaining actors/servers, who did their best to keep everyone happy and of course let the rest of the theater know when guests were there for their first time—”Hey everyone, guess what?! There’s a couple of virgins over here!”

The food was good, the comedy was pretty funny, and the rock n’ roll was jamming. So who says your first time can’t be fun? :-)

Her Take

When we walked into Shadowbox, I was not expecting to be impressed by the food. We were going for a lunchbox show, and I figured we would get an appetizer to hold us over, and then “real food” afterwards at another restaurant on the Levee. I am happy to report that my expectations were a little low this time!

The lunchbox show is at noon, but doors open at 11:15, and they serve food until the show starts. It’s a 45 minute show including a mix of best-of-Shadowbox sketches and songs, and new material. The evening program is at dinner time, and food and drinks can be ordered before the show and at the intermission. The servers are also the actors, singers, comedians, and stagehands, so during the show itself, they’re busy—and you’ll be distracted from your hunger!

Our table of four could not agree on just one dish, and we were all hungry when we arrived. Passing on late-morning drinks (although our waiter did his best to convince us every time he came to the table), we ordered a mushroom-and-onion-pizza and nachos for the table. As I mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised! The pizza was a personal size, and the taste came mainly from the seasoning and toppings, rather than the thin crust. The middle pieces were a little soggy and difficult to hold, but still good. The nachos were impressive—not greasy at all. The creation was apparently baked, based on the slightly burnt corners on two or three chips, but otherwise done to perfection. There was a fantastic ratio of toppings-to-chips: we finished everything on the plate, with none of those sad, topping-less chips left over. A friend who had been there before said that their signature drink, “the freak,” is deliciously fruity, and not overly strong. It’s on my list to try when I’m there a little later in the day.

Seating is around tables for about 8 people, and if your party is smaller than that, they may add another party at your table. It might have been awkward, but the group that joined our party of four did not arrive until shortly before showtime, so we mainly ignored one another. One of the people in their party ordered a salad, which looked to be heaped on a standard-sized paper (plastic?) plate. It was right before the lights went down, so I didn’t get a good look, but I didn’t notice anything particularly exciting about it—although it did come with a good-sized piece of foccacia.

Suffice it to say that none of us was hungry when we left Shadowbox. We had a mid-day dose of comedy and music, and better food than any of us had been expecting. I, for one, had the reaction that they probably hope for from the Lunchbox: I am looking forward to finding a time to go to a full evening show!

Palomino: Cincinnati's best "European-inspired regional American Cuisine"

2008-04-04T10:44:00.008-04:00

Palomino • 505 Vine Street • Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 381-1300

Her Take

A visiting family friend offered to take me to dinner, and since his conference was downtown, we were headed to a downtown restaurant. He chose Palomino. I had never been, but I had heard that it fit right in with the other upscale downtown dining establishments. Even on a Monday night, it was crowded with businesspeople, conference-goers, and, at least in the bar area, fans stopping in after Reds opening day.

As crowded as it was, the service was great. Our waitress came for drink orders right away, and—not deterred by waters all around—she soon came back with a great basket of bread and the list of specials. The bread wasn’t warm, but might as well have been—it was very good restaurant bread. Instead of butter, it came with a (cold) tomato-basil sauce that resembled turning our bread into bruschetta. We ordered a salad to share and our entrees and settled in to catch up and munch on bread.

Our Grilled Wild Mushrooms came to the table looking suspiciously like a salad, even though it was from the appetizers section of the menu. We did not particularly care; it was great. Grilled mushrooms on top of field greens, with walnuts and gorgonzola cheese, in a portion certainly big enough to share as an appetizer/salad hybrid course. Just as we finished the dish our meals came to the table. I had one of the specials, an asiago-encrusted tilapia with mashed potatoes and green beans. I don’t get excited about green beans (and I usually leave them behind), but I did eat a few of them—dipped liberally in the creamy, cheesy sauce. The mashed potatoes were good, but nothing special, although the sauce again helped. The fish was delicious. It was not fishy, and it was cooked perfectly, with a crusty outside and a soft center. It was one of those meals when we did not feel uncomfortably full at the end—but there was no chance we were ordering dessert.

We did, however, order drinks after dinner so that we could stay and talk a little longer. My friend got coffee, and although it was not on the menu, I asked for hot chocolate. Caffeine and I are not good friends in the evening. They were happy to oblige, and I am happy to report that they did a good job with my drink. It was not the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had (you’ll have to go over to Europe for that), but it was pleasantly creamy. Watery hot chocolate makes me sad.

All in all, Palomino does exactly what it sets out to do: it delivers a high quality meal for those willing to spend a little more in the heart of downtown. Main courses range from about $15 to $25, with a few things a little more, and a few a little less. Leftovers are less likely than in other places because the dishes are not so oversized. The food is delicious. I figured I would return when someone else came to town and wanted to take me out for a good meal!

Her Take 2

As it turned out, I was to go back to Palomino a couple of days later, during the same conference, with a different group. This time we ate lunch rather than dinner, so I had a chance to try out their lunch menu. It took me a few minutes to realize that it was, in fact, a different menu. There are not that many differences. I would have to compare them side by side to see if there is a difference in pricing on the same dishes, and many of the same dishes are offered for both meals. However, at lunch, they offer reasonably priced combos of small portions of pasta, soup, salad, or sandwiches. All four of us decided to do combos.

I had a salad with chevre and pumpkin seeds and a gorgonzola pasta. They came out in two small bowls (think cup-of-soup style bowls) on one long plate. We were all impressed with the presentation. It meant that there was no waiting on the part of salad-less members of the party for others to finish their first course, and it meant that people (me) who like starting with the hot part of the meal could do so without attracting (too many) weird looks from friends while leaving the salad for afterwards. Both dishes were very good, and both made excellent use of flavorful cheeses, something I love.

After lunch, we decided to get dessert. Not because we were still hungry, but because the friend treating lunch insisted that we look at the dessert menu. Two of us were going to split the chocolate torte. When we told our server the order, he said they were fairly small, so we ended up getting two. Ultimately, we were each thrilled to have our own, because they were fantastic. The outside was cooked, and the middle was gooey and delicious. Plus, vanilla ice cream (way better than average) and cut strawberries came on the side. I am not easily impressed by desserts, but this one certainly blew me away.

The restaurant was crowded at lunchtime on a weekday, and while we were seated immediately, they apologized for seating us at a large table. The four of us were seated at a table that would fit six comfortably, and probably more. Luckily, the food and service were great, so we didn’t much mind spreading out.

Between my two visits in the last week, my advice would be to try Palominos…and see if you can save room for dessert!

When you wish you could control the Ingredients...

2008-03-31T16:55:00.006-04:00

Ingredients • 21 East Fifth Street • Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 • (513) 852-2740

His Take

Ever get to lunchtime and crave a good, fresh, filling salad? I do all the time, and when I'm downtown the answer to that craving is easy: Ingredients. Located on the ground level inside the Westin hotel across from Fountain Square, Ingredients lets you customize what you want in your salad and makes it for you on the spot. The ingredients are fresh and ripe, not to mention the more than a dozen different salad dressings (yes, fat free ones, too).

But the appeal of Ingredients doesn't end with salads. They also have several cold & hot sandwich options as well as brick oven pizzas. But trust me, people go there for the salads. For those familiar with the national chain Cosi, it's pretty similar. Like Cosi, the crowd at lunch can be pretty big, so if you go in a group have someone scout for a table while the rest of you order.

All in all, it's about the freshest food you can find downtown for lunch, and while it's definitely more expensive than "eating fresh" at Subway, well...you get what you pay for!

Her Take

He’s got me on this one. He went to lunch with future colleagues while I sat in class, so I’m definitely jealous he got there before I did. It looks like a cross between fun and cafeteria, with a great downtown location across the street from Fountain Square. If you’re keeping track, that also puts it across the street from a Graeter’s, which is always a plus in my book.

Welcome to Maggiano's! Have dinner tonight, with a bonus lunch for tomorrow!

2008-03-30T21:19:00.008-04:00

Maggiano's Little Italy • 7875 Montgomery Road • Cincinnati, OH 45236 • (513) 794-0670

His Take

When I'm hungry and in the mood for Italian, Maggiano's is always one of the first places that comes to mind. Their food is delicious; their portions are generous to say the least; and the location is convenient for most people with plenty of parking even valet).

Every dish that I've had at Maggiano's has been great. While I try not to order something that will require rolling me home, I usually lose that motivation as soon as I see the menu and start thinking with my stomach. Their menu has an excellent variety of options: They have pasta with at least half-a-dozen different sauces (Meat Sauce, Marinara, Red/White Clam, Alfredo, Arrabbiata, etc.); a variety of chicken dishes (parm, saltimbocca, Marsala, etc.); and plenty of baked dishes (lasagna, manicotti, etc.) in addition to other foods. With so many options, I'm willing to bet you could pretty much design your dish from scratch using ingredients found anywhere on the menu and they would be happy to oblige (well maybe not "happy" if I were the chef making 200 different meals at the same time!).

That said, I've always wondered why they didn't make a custom-pasta option available on the menu, particularly for vegetarians. It would be a nice improvement to see the sauces or at least each dish labeled as to whether it's vegetarian.

And then there is dessert. Oh yes, save room, because you won't see desserts this large at too many other places. I'm a big fan of their chocolate cake and tiramisu, but I doubt you'll go wrong with any of them.

Maggiano's caters well to parties of all sizes. I've been there on dates, with small groups, and groups of more than 20 for lunch and dinner, and the service is always terrific. The serving and hosting staff are always very friendly and attentive.

So if you're craving Italian and leftovers, Maggiano's should be high on your list!

Her Take

I always look forward to dinner at Maggiano’s. Wherever I am, it is a predictably good, rich meal with enough to take home and eat as another meal tomorrow. I tend to forget, though, that once I sit down and open the menu, I am always just a little disappointed.

Maggiano’s is a big, family-style Italian chain. Their food is very good, but what I forget is that it is uncreative, and the menu makes it difficult to eat either a vegetarian meal or a healthful meal, let alone a combination of the two. I have tried many different things on their menu. The mushroom appetizer is great. The Caesar salad is several sizes bigger than you expect (and with more dressing than I could eat in a week). For a main course, I tend to have some form of pasta. Most recently, it was the Rigatoni D, pasta with mushrooms and onions in a marsala cream sauce (and mine: minus the chicken). It was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed dipping the bread into my sauce as well. I definitely felt that cream sauce, and I had enough to bring home for lunch the next day! Not that it stopped me from ordering dessert… Three of us split one slice of Chocolate Zuccotto Cake, which was more than enough for each of us. I love this cake, and it’s even better when there are enough of us around the table with forks that I can enjoy the cake without being overwhelmed by the slice the size of my head.

Maggiano’s is also wonderful about catering to allergies. A close friend of mine is allergic to about every third food item. When she mentions these allergies to our waitress, someone from the kitchen is always sent to our table. This chef (or chef-representative, we’re still debating that one) talks to her about her meal choice and ensures that there are no ingredients in it that she cannot eat. We have no idea how much time he actually spends in the kitchen between running around to all of the tables with food allergies, but it is apparently enough: it makes Maggiano’s a restaurant that this friend is highly comfortable eating at, and so far, so good!

Maggiano’s also has a family style menu, where there are even larger portions meant to be shared with a large group. One word of advice: if going with a large group—or just a date—make reservations! The wait on a Saturday night can be two hours or more. It helps that it’s attached to Kenwood Mall, giving you something to do while you wait for a table, but shopping on an empty stomach can get ugly. It is a good place for groups or for couples—last time I was there, we rolled our eyes at several couples getting awfully cozy in their booths. There is better Italian food out there, but Maggiano’s is consistent and convenient, which makes it an obvious choice for a predictable dinner out.

I Love Graeter’s Ice Cream!

2008-03-28T14:01:00.012-04:00

Graeter's Ice Cream
Hyde Park Square • 2704 Erie Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 321-6221
Mariemont Square • 6918 Wooster Pike • Cincinnati, OH 45227 • (513) 272-0859
Kenwood • 7369 Kenwood Road • Cincinnati, OH 45236 • (513) 793-5665

His Take

Mmmmm...Graeter's—a familiar line to anyone who knows anyone who's been there. I love ice cream, and while I've been to some great creameries whose locals swear by the hometown favorite (e.g., Handel's in NE Ohio, the Creamery at Penn State), I definitely think Graeter's can hold its own with the best of them.

My personal favorite is the Black Raspberry Chunk with deliciously huge chunks of chocolate. But no matter what your favorite flavor is, you really can't go wrong here. For the dairy-challenged, their sorbet is excellent, too, though their selection leaves a little to be desired.

But come summer time (or even a warm spring evening), you better watch out for the lines of people out the door. While the lines move quickly, Graeter's always knows how to draw a crowd. So if you've never been to one and you find yourself near one with a long line of drooling people, the answer is "Yes, they know something you don't." And you should make haste to fix that :-)

Her Take

While not a restaurant per se, I could not in good faith write about Cincinnati food without covering Graeter’s ice cream. Graeter’s may surpass Dewey’s as my favorite place to take out-of-towners for local food.

When I first moved to Cincinnati, a friend told me on my first Graeter’s trip to order “something with chips.” I quickly learned that she was right, and I have passed on that wisdom many times. Graeter’s chocolate chips are not chips so much as chunks, and many of them are a literal mouthful of good dark chocolate. As an open chocoholic, my favorite flavors are the chocolate chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, and chocolate chip cookie dough. They are famous for their black raspberry chip, which is also great; I simply prefer my ice cream not in fruity flavors, although many will disagree. They also have seasonal flavors that rotate every month, such as peppermint in the winter and strawberry in the summer, and many, many more. They have a full seasonal flavor calendar on their website!

They also have a full chocolate and pastry counter. I have given their chocolates as hospitality gifts, and it is always appreciated, and a good thing to bring as a piece of Cincinnati. Their chocolate displays change frequently, for every holiday, major and minor alike. There are always samples on the counter.

With no hesitancy at all, I absolutely recommend Graeter’s. It may be my favorite place to eat in Cincinnati, and it’s certainly my favorite tourist attraction.

Shanghai Mama’s: Standard Chinese Food in the Heart of Downtown

2008-03-28T13:56:00.015-04:00

Shanghai Mama's • 216 E. 6th Street • Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 241-7777

Her Take

Shanghai Mama’s is a casual Chinese restaurant right downtown, a couple blocks from Fountain Square. I was there with a big group on a weeknight. The restaurant was fairly empty, and we got a few less-than-pleased looks from other diners when our group got a little loud. Nonetheless, the staff was happy to have a big group, and they were attentive and helpful throughout the meal.

I had the Vegetarian Cashew Chicken, and it was perfectly good, although not fantastic. I have had vegetarian-meat in the past when I was concerned that they had actually put meat on my plate because the taste and texture was fairly accurate. This was not one of those times. I think I would have liked my meal better if it had been more accurately billed as Cashew Tofu. While not always named accurately or in beautiful English (our favorite name on the menu was “Ho Fun”), the menu at Shanghai Mama’s is definitely extensive with plenty of options for carnivores and vegetarians alike.

Most of their meals seem to come in a big bowl, and there was not all that much difference between some of the soups and the dishes, aside from noodles instead of rice. I had a taste of a friend’s Buddha Bowl, and I liked it a lot. It was a good mix of noodles and vegetables with a little broth. Although it was billed as a soup, most of it was more effectively eaten with chopsticks or a fork than with a spoon.

As we were there for a birthday celebration, someone in the group had brought a cake. The restaurant was accommodating, and they brought us plates and forks so that we could cut it and eat it at our table, even though we had brought it in from outside.

Shanghai Mama’s was fairly quiet, although that was probably also due to it being a Tuesday night, and the restaurant being fairly empty. The other patrons were couples. I would recommend Shanghai Mama’s as decent Chinese food downtown, although I plan to continue to explore for other Chinese places—I’m not convinced that there aren’t better ones around.

His Take

While I wasn't around for the recent big group visit to Shanghai Mama's, I was there several months ago for lunch, so I'll do my best to share my recollections from that visit. I went to Shanghai Mama's with a group of about six for a lunch gathering during the week. I'd never heard of the restaurant before then, but we went on the recommendation of a co-working of mine. And it was a great choice.

The first thing you notice at a weekday lunch there is the crowd. Word is out about the place, so there is always a pretty solid lunchtime crowd. That said, turnover in the kitchen and at the tables tends to be relatively quick given the business lunchers and the speedy cooking, so the wait is usually not a problem.

The food is served in large portions (though a hungry person can certainly devour any dish) with excellent flavor and a great variety on the menu, particularly for dinner. The lunch menu is somewhat condensed to facilitate the quick turnover, but there are plenty of options.

This is definitely some of the best Chinese food you can find downtown for lunch, so if you're in the area, make it a point to stop by sometime soon!

Comfortable Neighborhood Pizza and Pasta at Betta’s Italian Oven

2008-03-28T13:46:00.009-04:00

Betta's Italian Oven • 3764 Montgomery Road • Cincinnati, OH 45212 • (513) 631-6836

Her Take

Betta’s feels like your neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our big group of twenty-somethings did not feel out of place among the couples and families that filled in some of the other tables. In a casual atmosphere, the food is solidly good, but not particularly amazing.

Betta’s boasts a brick oven, and the pizza we shared as an appetizer was very good. It reminded me, yet again, that when a restaurant has a specialty (in this case, brick oven pizza), it may be wisest to order that specialty as your meal. I, of course, did not. I had eggplant parmesan. It was good, but again, not fabulous. It came with a generous side of spaghetti, much of which I took home. The portions are big, but not huge. Many of us faced the dilemma of deciding whether to try to finish our dish or take home less than a full meal of leftovers.

The highlight of the meal for me was dessert. The birthday girl wanted cheesecake, and I couldn’t let her eat dessert alone. We went up to look at the dessert case, and my decision was simple. I generally order whatever dessert has the highest concentration of chocolate, so the “chocolate spoon cake” looked to be right up my alley. We asked for extra forks so that my friends could help me with it. Apparently we should have taken a cue from the name of the dessert and asked for spoons. It was a gooey and delicious chocolate cake—the inside resembled pudding more than cake. We’re pretty sure it was fully cooked the way it was, although the consistency made us a little nervous at first. It was delicious, and for a little while, I regretted asking for extra forks that made me share. After I realized how rich it was, I regretted it a little less.

Betta’s certainly is not the best Italian I’ve had, but as a neighborhood place, it is good enough. I’m not sure I’d seek it out again, but I wouldn’t avoid it if my friends are going back, either.

His Take

It seems I'm being left out of some of these restaurant visits lately, which I can probably blame on a lack of time in-town. Consequently, I've never been to Betta's, but hopefully a certain person (see left) will take me there sometime, so I can do my own review :-)

All the freshest fish without the smell: Mitchell's Fish Market at the Levee

2008-03-27T16:59:00.006-04:00

Mitchell's Fish Market • One Levee Way • Newport, Kentucky 41071 • (859) 291-7454

His Take

Mitchell's Fish Market is one of our regular seafood joints because their dishes are fresh, delicious, and reasonably priced every time we visit. Like other large, upscale seafood chains (think M&S or Legal), Mitchell's menu has both a list of freshly delivered fish that can be cooked to your liking and a set of signature dishes.

One of my favorites is their Cedar Plank Salmon served with a variety of vegetables (eggplant, asparagus) and, you guessed it...served on a cedar plank (the significance of which I'm not sure I fully grasp—and no, I didn't try to eat it). I'm also a big fan of their fish cooked "Shang Hai" style, which translates into steaming the fish with ginger and scallions and adding spinach and rice with a rice wine soy sauce—trust me...try it.

Mitchell's can get crowded at peak teams (Friday, Saturday nights), but you can always kill time next door at Barnes & Noble or any of the other Levee shops. Plus, they tend to conservatively measure wait times. The last time we were there we walked out of Mitchell's with our pager for a 20-30 minute wait and by the time we hit B&N the pager was buzzing. Even at peak times, though, the wait at Mitchell's is almost non-existent compared to other Levee venues like Brio. So if you have your heart set on Brio and then discover there's a 2-hour wait (been there, done that), don't waste your time. Just head up the stairs to Mitchell's and you'll never look back!

Her Take

We seldom head to Newport on the Levee intending to eat at Mitchell’s, but somehow we keep ending up there. I’m glad we do! I’ve been there several times, both with a group and as a couple, and it’s great either way. In nice weather, the patio is a great place to eat, especially if you like people-watching, and don’t mind a little more noise. Inside has more of a feel of a nice restaurant, but it is a little less expensive than the high-end fish places.

I have been there enough times that I have tasted several different things on the menu, and all of them have been very good. A friend ordered the steak and shrimp combo, and he could not believe how much food came on the plate, but for the most part, the portions are just on the large size of reasonable. I can clean my plate and I am certainly full, but I do not feel that I need to be rolled home, as I have dining out on other occasions.

Overall, Mitchell’s is certainly a solid choice for a romantic date or a meal with friends or family, although it is certainly on the quieter side, and therefore probably not ideal for younger children. Although I don’t plan my trips to Mitchell’s in advance, I am never disappointed with my meal there!