WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

Yes and most old grandfathered places have plans afoot to make them accessible. But not all. Thanks for the info.

We've been meaning to try the Sichaun Bistro in Mason for a while now ever since we heard they had a special menu, but only got around to it recently. The place is very small and located in a strip mall, but nice and bright on the inside. The night we went, it was packed with Asian couples and family groups, which is usually a good sign.

Had the cumin lamb, which was tasty but had a VERY strong cumin flavor, deep fried tilapia in some sort of sweet and sour sauce, yushang eggplant, yushang pork, a steamed pork belly and sweet potato dish and the homestyle beef tendon. Parents were expecting something a bit fancier and more banquet style, perhaps more complex flavors in some of the dishes like the tendon and the pork belly dish. The yushang pork looked nothing like the picture on the website and lacked any chilies whatsoever. It wasn't bad, but it was pretty unremarkable, like ordinary Chinese take-out-- somewhat disappointing.

Gallery of very large pictures here:
http://www.sichuanbistro.com/gallery.php

They have a regular menu as well, but we didn't get anything from it. If you go, definitely print out the Sichaun specialties menu (on the website in .pdf) to take with you, because they didn't give us that particular menu but they had another shorter list of specialities. We ordered from both, and they didn't have a problem with it.

All in all okay, but they were swamped that night and service was a bit unreliable-- we never did get the hot tea we ordered (!), our first entree came without rice (!) and we had to stop someone to ask for it. We had to ask for water, too. They were out of the jellyfish appetizer and the duck entrees. I'd like to try them again, but maybe on a weekday night when they're hopefully less busy.

We're from Dayton and there aren't a lot of choices for a decent Chinese restaurant. I'm willing to put up with some grief for good food, but I'm not sure I'll be able to convince my parents to try this place again. :(


Sichaun Bistro
7888 Mason-Montgomery Rd.
Mason, OH 45040
http://www.sichuanbistro.com

In the same strip, there's a Mei Japanese market that also has a small sushi bar, and a taqueria further down. Has anyone tried those?

What can I say... I love hummus... and I really love the hummus at Aladdins. Enough so that I would take a monthly drive to Columbus on the weekend to have lunch there (and shop at Easton). Well with gas prices the way they are , that's some pretty pricey ground up beans. So I was thrilled to see that Aladdins opened a chain in West Chester, off Union Center Blvd about a month ago. We headed over as soon as I had heard the word, and the food is as good as the one in Columbus, all though the space is a little smaller, but still has a nice/contemporary feel. It is in the strip center at the opposite end from Chipotle, and if you are a vegetarian, be ready for more than the normal 2 menu selections you get at most restaurants... Falafels are delicious and spicey, and the pita bread is paper thin and the perfect thing to hold a salad with the greatest homemade dressings. Desserts are amazing concoctions that rival Cheesecake factory in complexity and size, but I'm always so full, that the only time I get to try one, is if I'm with a group.

So after having Aladdins, I decided I needed to head up Fields Ertle/Mason Montgomery way to eat at Taz. Similar yet different menus, and very different dining rooms. Taz is located in the old Fazoli's behind Frisch's. The dining room has been transformed to have a typical bazaar/middle eastern feel, and is fun. Our waitress was very good, and again the food was very good, and we had a ton for the price. I got the Supreme Gyro which was LOADED with the traditional Beef/Lamb gyro meat, and I honestly could not finish it, half came home. With rice as a side dish and a ice tea, my lunch was only 7.50. Tried their Falafel as well, and they were good, but not as flavorful as Aladdins. The menu is large and there is a busy take out service. The staff was really friendly, and I know I'll be back.

Now for Incahoots.. I have eatten there 5 times since they opened, and each time the food has gotten progressively worse.. It's a shame , as I really gave them rave reviews when they opened, and I couldn't wait to go back. Well the last time were were there, on a Monday evening, at 6 pm, we were the only customers. The fish special, which is what I normally ordered, was dry and tasteless. My companions salad was still good, but they forgot to include dressing and it took 10 minutes to flag down a waitress to get the dressing... I know the place was empty, so they were all in back chatting... we could hear them.... Then I wanted to order dessert. The first and second time we were there I ordered their cheesecake. The waitress had mentioned that they were trying different ones from different suppliers and to let them know what I thought. Well it was delicious. Great vanilla flavor, wonderful smooth texture, terrific crust. I told her it was a winner. So I was hopeful that it was the same this last time... Wrong! What I got was something like the Jello pudding no bake fluffy cheesecake. It was tasteless and looked cheap. I called the waitress over and asked what the deal was... seems the other one was too expensive, so they switched suppliers again. They replaced it with their brownie sundae. Which also felt cheap and average. Frisch's hot fudge cake is a better cake and a better deal. I think that was the last visit.. too many other good places to choose from... especially with Cactus Pear right down the way!

I just got back from Taste of Cincinnati. I have to report that Fifth Street is not the right idea for such a large festival.

Let me preface by saying, I have attended this festival since it was a small gathering on Court Street. When the festival became more populous, they moved it to Central Parkway. With it's middle "island", it was a perfect place for a festival.

Last year, they decided to move it to Fifth Street to showcase the "New & Improved" {$42 million} Fountain Square. IMO, a bad idea. Last year, I attended early on Monday {Memorial Day}, and didn't have a problem. But this year, trying to battle the crowds on Saturday and Sunday was not only obnoxious, but at times, almost impossible.

The Taste of Cincinnati has always been a question of the weather. If the weather was not so great, it was easy to maneuver. Good weather brings out the masses. At least on Central Parkway, you had some room to move around. On Fifth Strret, there is no place to go, except Fountain Square, if you are near it. This is always a problem I've had at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. It really has never been "family friendly" because of the lack of space.

Okay, on to the food, that I could, or could not get to. I really wanted to try Balboa's {the new Philly steak/NY Pizza place}. Obviously, they were new this year. A Philly steak sandwich was $3.00, and a slice was $2.00. Each had a different line, that went on forever the 3 times I passed the booth. You couldn't buy both at the same time. The booth was in a crowded area, so the lines went in different directions BEHIND the booth. By the third time I passed the booth, people were cutting in line. Confusion and drunkenness reigned. It was chaos.

Central Parkway probably wouldn't have helped the confusion at Balboa's booth, but the crowdedness didn't help the situation. I'll try Balboa's the next time I am downtown.

Eddie's Southern BBQ, and Pit to Plate ran out of ribs early, but Pit to Plate's brisket was good{for festival food}. Lazlo's Iron Skillet's Stuffed Cabbage Roll & Hungarian Cucumber Salad were both a highlight {and the booth was not very crowded}. Mythos had two booths, and their souvlaki {both chicken & pork} were excellent. Behle Street had a good crab cake. Bella Luna's italian sausage sliders were good, as well.

Obviously, I did get to try some food. I just think that Central Parkway was a better idea. Yes, Cincinnati's "finest" hotels and restaurants are not showcased on Central Parkway, but a food festival doesn't have to have the hotels and restaurants right on their doorsteps.

Cincinnati has always {IMHO} tried to focus on the center, and has not give any props to the outer areas, that could thrive if given the chance.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox {for the moment!}

Viva la Taste of Cincinnati!

Long time lurker hereWe live in Anderson and have tried the Foreign Exchange a couple of times. Not bad --not great. I like Bancock Bistro better but it is more of a drive. The menu is a hoot--very opinionated.

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520

I just got back from Taste of Cincinnati. I have to report that Fifth Street is not the right idea for such a large festival.

Let me preface by saying, I have attended this festival since it was a small gathering on Court Street. When the festival became more populous, they moved it to Central Parkway. With it's middle "island", it was a perfect place for a festival.

Last year, they decided to move it to Fifth Street to showcase the "New & Improved" {$42 million} Fountain Square. IMO, a bad idea. Last year, I attended early on Monday {Memorial Day}, and didn't have a problem. But this year, trying to battle the crowds on Saturday and Sunday was not only obnoxious, but at times, almost impossible.

The Taste of Cincinnati has always been a question of the weather. If the weather was not so great, it was easy to maneuver. Good weather brings out the masses. At least on Central Parkway, you had some room to move around. On Fifth Strret, there is no place to go, except Fountain Square, if you are near it. This is always a problem I've had at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. It really has never been "family friendly" because of the lack of space.

Okay, on to the food, that I could, or could not get to. I really wanted to try Balboa's {the new Philly steak/NY Pizza place}. Obviously, they were new this year. A Philly steak sandwich was $3.00, and a slice was $2.00. Each had a different line, that went on forever the 3 times I passed the booth. You couldn't buy both at the same time. The booth was in a crowded area, so the lines went in different directions BEHIND the booth. By the third time I passed the booth, people were cutting in line. Confusion and drunkenness reigned. It was chaos.

Central Parkway probably wouldn't have helped the confusion at Balboa's booth, but the crowdedness didn't help the situation. I'll try Balboa's the next time I am downtown.

Eddie's Southern BBQ, and Pit to Plate ran out of ribs early, but Pit to Plate's brisket was good{for festival food}. Lazlo's Iron Skillet's Stuffed Cabbage Roll & Hungarian Cucumber Salad were both a highlight {and the booth was not very crowded}. Mythos had two booths, and their souvlaki {both chicken & pork} were excellent. Behle Street had a good crab cake. Bella Luna's italian sausage sliders were good, as well.

Obviously, I did get to try some food. I just think that Central Parkway was a better idea. Yes, Cincinnati's "finest" hotels and restaurants are not showcased on Central Parkway, but a food festival doesn't have to have the hotels and restaurants right on their doorsteps.

Cincinnati has always {IMHO} tried to focus on the center, and has not give any props to the outer areas, that could thrive if given the chance.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox {for the moment!}

Viva la Taste of Cincinnati!

You're absolutely right. In fact, that's the main reason we didn't go this year. The weather wasn't great when we went last year, and the congestion was bad then. I can't imagine how bad it must've been with good weather.

Leave it to Cincinnati to take something that's actually successful and screw it up.

Oh well, we're going to Blue Ash this weekend for SummerBration to eat some BBQ.

http://blueashoh.qscend.com/filestorage/87/195/287/657/SB_restaurants.pdf

I went to Taste on Sunday about 5PM with a group, one of which had a stroller. It was crowded, and there were a couple exceptionally tight spots, but I was ready for it. I didn't find it too much of a bother.

The event is really no longer about showcasing Cincinnati food. It's a street festival. That's a shame, but it's still a fun time. If the crowds bother you, shoot for a non-peak time.

Balboa's line was their own fault. They simply weren't cranking out the food fast enough. I'm sure it was their first time at an event like that. I went to the location downtown, and it took several minutes to get my food, and I was the only person waiting. It is delicious though.

NYPIzzaNut - I do *not* think Terry's is handicap accessible. It's a very old building, and my recollection is more than one step into the place.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

...the mongolian grille in crescent springs

quote:

Originally posted by Ghaz

That would be Empire Buffet. It's OK, nothing really special.

I finally got there last night, dragging the kids (current ages: 5 and 6.5) along for the ride (the wife was over at her mom's house. I calculated that though the kids are not kid americhinese food fans (yet) that there'd be some fully american food in there for them to eat, as well as cut up fruit and the like....and I was right. While they happily munched on pizza that they proclaimed "the best ever" *laugh*, battered chicken pieces, mandarin orangle slices, and dark blue jello cubes; I loaded up on the mongolian grill.

The mongolian grill station was far smaller than than the one I had grown fond of in the Forest Park plaza, but was still pretty good. The old man manning the station obviously did not want to talk, but he did identify the different sauces and explain that none of them were hot, pointing to a pot of red chilis to add heat if I wanted it. The mongolian sauce was the best, I thought. A number of the veggies were not ones I recognized, and I was disappointed not to find any bell pepper, shallots, or green onion. Nonetheless, all the veggies that were there seemed very crisp and fresh, and the resulting stirfrys (I had 3) were quite good

I very much liked the circular arrangements of the buffet overall, and even the girls commented on how "cool" it looked. The number of selections was quite extensive, but puzzlingly, no steamed or pan fried dumplings. They included a small dingy-looking display of sushi. I doubt very much I'd partake in that sushi even if I were a sushi fan.

Did the SummerBration thing yesterday with a couple of friends. We went around 3:30, and there was no crowd, food was reasonably priced and very good.

I'm a brisket man, so I had two brisket sandwiches. One from The BBQ Cabin and one from Walt's BBQ. The Walt's BBQ one was fine, but the BBQ Cabin one was absolutely delicious. It had just the right portion of fat, and was like biting into butter. For $4 in a festival-type setting, both were well worth it.

I also had a smoked sausage from City BBQ. The guy running it told us a City BBQ was going in at Eastgate across from Chick Filet, which pleased me. The sausage was huge and juicy, and again, was a bargain at $4.

One mistake I made was getting a pop for $3. They sell the 20 oz. bottles at SummerBration, and Papa John's has a booth set up in front of its store, which is not on the grounds, so they were selling bottles for $1. I should've remembered that from Taste of Blue Ash, but I didn't. If you go to either of these, go to Papa John's and get the cheap pop. Or sneak one in.

One other thing we tried, and I apologize to the black family running the booth but I didn't catch the name of the tent, nor is the name of the place on the site link, but we tried a deep fried Oreo. Man is that good. The Oreo was softened, I assume by the deep-frying process, but it still tasted like an Oreo, only with elephant ear-type batter encasing it. Great stuff, and I only lost five years off of my life.

Beer's expensive for those that like to drink while at festivals (I saw $6 for bottles of Miller Chill), but drink beer at home and go to appreciate the food. Highly recommended and way better than Taste in just about every way.

"I went to Taste on Sunday about 5PM with a group, one of which had a stroller. It was crowded, and there were a couple exceptionally tight spots, but I was ready for it. I didn't find it too much of a bother.

The event is really no longer about showcasing Cincinnati food. It's a street festival. That's a shame, but it's still a fun time. If the crowds bother you, shoot for a non-peak time.

Balboa's line was their own fault. They simply weren't cranking out the food fast enough. I'm sure it was their first time at an event like that. I went to the location downtown, and it took several minutes to get my food, and I was the only person waiting. It is delicious though."


Hi All,

I read alot of what you guys scribe in this forum and agree with many opinions. Unfortunately, I think some opinions are not given with the proper information at hand.

Krazy, I am glad you think the food at Balboas is good. I agree whole heartedly. I go there for lunch at least once a week and sure the wait can be a few minutes longer than going to some other places. Obviously, I keep going back because the food clearly out weighs the wait.

Everytime I am there, I talk to the folks that run it and combined with knowing something about the pizza biz through my brother -in-law (pizza shop owner in Jersey), I can tell you that your assessment of their service at the Taste is way off.

I was at the Taste on Sunday when it was packed and they ran out of pizza slices every few minutes. This is because people were buying 3,4, and 5 slices at a time. They had far more demand for their product than LaRosas had for theirs. It takes time to make a quality product unlike some of the other pizza you get around here.

These people were pounding out as many cheese steaks and slices as physically possible.

Not to mention, where in this town were you going to get a slice of pizza that size and quality for 2 bucks. I think everyone else realized that and that is why their lines were outrageously long.

I'm amending my previous post. Went back to Terry's Turf Club and there are MANY steps to the front door. However, this is a new restaurant in an old building, and I'm pretty sure that they must have a way of accommodating handicapped people or they couldn't have opened, old building or not. Anyone who needs this sort of accommodation should probably call first and find out what they have. It's a great place to eat! We also went to the Cafe Mediterranean in the Anderson Towne Center last week. It's in the old Cici's Pizza location. Very nicely decorated and the food was well done. We ordered too much food..the entrees were huge and we ordered excellent baba ganoush as an appetizer. Next time, I'd get a couple appetizers and split an entree. We ordered some grilled lamb dishes which were very, very good and well seasoned. But with a drink apiece, an app and 2 entrees, the bill was $63. Too much for a casual dinner, IMHO. So I'd be smarter about what I ordered next time.

quote:

Originally posted by Bonk

if you haven't been the Feldy's recently (Anderson Tavern, is that what it's called now?), they've changed their menu pretty drastically to become more Roadfoodish. Less fancy stuff, more sandwiches/saratoga chips/cheesesticks, etc.

I'd highly recommend giving it a shot, if you haven't in a while.

The prices and portions are excellent, and the food's tremendous. I fancy the Italian sandwich with Saratoga chips, which taste great dipped in their house BBQ sauce. The sauce is tangy but sweet.

I stopped in there today. At 4.25, the kid's meals are waaaAAAy overpriced, but I went with your recommendation of the Mad Italian with saratoga chips and thought it was pretty good. Still too high priced at 8.50, though.

quote:

Originally posted by yonkersnyc

I read alot of what you guys scribe in this forum and agree with many opinions. Unfortunately, I think some opinions are not given with the proper information at hand.

Quite on the contrary, I find the opinions on here for the most part to be very well informed. In any case, there's also the whole "beauty in the eye of the beholder" thing....not everyone is going to agree on everything, even a shared experience.

quote:

Originally posted by yonkersnyc

Krazy, I am glad you think the food at Balboas is good. I agree whole heartedly.

I don't know if I have come out and said this yet, but the food at Balboa's, even when I leave price out of the equation, has underwhelmed me. The steaks are VERY salty, and the pizza lacks substance and flavor.

quote:

Originally posted by yonkersnyc

I can tell you that your assessment of their service at the Taste is way off.

Again, no, the folks who are reporting on the Taste have been there before, done that before. Unlike the folks at Balboas - and I don't mean that badly, being a vendor there for the first time was I am sure a learning experience. Simply casting RF poster opinions and observations aside is to do them a disservice.

TJ - Try the cheese sticks if you get a chance. They're like egg rolls stuffed with cheese. About the best I've ever had.

Some miscellaneous items

All Rise Cafe - my beloved cheap cheeseburger paradise is no more. I walked up there for my cheeseburger and arguably the best fries in town to find it had been replaced with "Jerusalem Cafe" which serves a very limited Mediterranean menu, including a tiny Mediterranean buffet (6.99) at lunch. I was too heartbroken to stay. I consoled myself with another great meal at Tan Thai, my new favorite lunch downtown

Remke's Market - A recent death in the family meant eating a lot of potluck this week, with various family members bringing in various dishes and other items they picked up. Although the food was naturally not my focus, I did note that the fried chicken from the deli at Remke's market (I think these are all in Northern Kentucky) was suprisingly good. Big pieces, little or no spicing, very juicy, very good outer crunch.

Oceanaire - all indications prior to their opening were that they'd be doing lunch and dinner, but in fact, they currently do not plan to open for lunch until September, which is far off enough that I wonder if they might not do it at all. Sad.

Italian Ice - The old Foodie Report has gone belly up, and now Polly Campbell runs[url='http://beta.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blog14']a blog all her own[/url], with no other contributors. Today's entry mentions that there is an italian ice place in Anderson. Check the entry out at (the link is too darn long to post, so you'll have to manually past it together): http://beta.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blog14&plckController=Blog
&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost
&plckPostId=Blog%3a1921648a-c77d-4218-b8c1-5af7ab309046Post%3acc8b9456-521d-4f0a-aeb4-f28ef32e75cb
&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com
(why the permalink has to be so lengthy, I have no freakin idea. sorry.)

Plate Full of Soul - is still not open, but the outside has been painted an eye-catching bright red and tangerine.

Baba G's Steak and Lemonade - I walked up into the Gateway Quarter today since the temp and humidity weren't so bad, and explored a bit. When I saw Baba G's a block away, naturally I had to stop in to try an Italian beef, but there were unexpectedly closed. I called later to see if this was a fluke, and indeed, they had a family emergency of some kind. I walked by Lavomatic on the way back, seemed pretty crowded, but really out of place for the neighborhood

Did anyone ever review Decent Deli in Blue Ash? They used to put a lazy suzan on the table with thick pickle slices-not chips-home made, fresh ground horse radish and home made kraut.. Last time I went you had to ask but the server gave me a plate piled with them.
Great deli sandwiches and as a side you get a huge deep fried potatoe cake (they puff up and are the size of a small plate)
britt

I have not been to the Decent Deli since the dad passed away - the children now run it.

Their sandwiches and meats are first rate and their potato pancakes are to die for - as long as they are fresh out of the fryer - do not get one if it has been sitting under a heat lamp for very long.

I adore their soups too - especially their sweet and sour cabbage soup and beef barley soup and chicken noodle soup and matzo ball soups

If you happen to be in the Georgetown area on a Saturday this summer you might enjoy this:

From: "The Home Place" <thehomeplace@emypeople.net> A
To: Undisclosed-Recipient@,
Subject: We're expecting you for lunch!
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:56:37 -0400
Something new at
The Home Place!!

Starting this Saturday, June 14, there will be a chicken barbecue every Saturday from 10:00 - 3:00. Tentative plans are to continue throughout this summer. The menu includes: grilled organic chicken, baked beans, cole slaw, pie, and homemade ice cream and beverages.

The inside story: Two young men with a heart for God and missions are undertaking this project to help fund an upcoming missions trip. It's a brand new endeavor so we're just learning about quantities. Come early to make sure we're not sold out!!

The Home Place - (937)378-3400
7771 US RT. 68
Georgetown, OH 45121
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm,
Saturday: 9am-4pm

This establishment is owned and run by a wonderful Mennonite family and their chicken lunches will be unbelievably scrumpious. I have partaken of this fare in the past and the Mennonite family whose chicken lunch I have eaten in the past will be supervising this new venture to be sure it is done right and meets their rigid standards for deliciousness and wholesomeness. Once you have this kind of lunch you will return - rest assured.

The Home Place sells fantastic baked goods and Amish and Mennonite furniture.

TJ - Where's the Gateway Quarter? I'm always up for trying Italian beef.

I don't have a good definition of it, but it's been talked about of late in relation to the opening of Lavomatic and Grammers - so, the area of Over-The_Rhine near Vine and 14th street, more or less

www.gatewayquarter.com defines it as more or less around 12th and Vine

I think a better definition is "we're buying up a bunch of heavily distressed property in an otherwise heavily distressed neighborhood, fixing it up, and trying to market it to young professionals as high end living, and this is the name we came up with for that purpose"

But I'm cynical :-)

Also - there is another Baba G's up in Clifton somewhere - might be an easier bet to get to

Oh, OK. Thanks. ;)

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson
Remke's Market - A recent death in the family meant eating a lot of potluck this week, with various family members bringing in various dishes and other items they picked up. Although the food was naturally not my focus, I did note that the fried chicken from the deli at Remke's market (I think these are all in Northern Kentucky) was suprisingly good. Big pieces, little or no spicing, very juicy, very good outer crunch.

Yes, Remke's has some very good fried chicken. Also a very good place to get food items produced down here in Kentucky. They do have one store over in Deer Park, but the remaining seven stores are spread across Northern Kentucky.

http://www.remkes.com/

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

(why the permalink has to be so lengthy, I have no freakin idea. sorry.)

I would have sent you a PM, but I can't find out where that feature is on this site. (no PMs, no last unread post, ugh)

Anyway, you can use http://tinyurl.com/ to shorten any URL. Give it a shot next time.

Chris

I think that neighborhood is improving, TJ. I live a block from the Gateway Quarter, and we all feel the effects of more police patrols and less crime.

Meanwhile, you made me miss the old Jerusalem Cafe in Clifton. Now that was good Mediterranean.

Julie

Good to hear, Julie....although the cynic in me cannot get by the fact that this is a developer buying cheap/distressed property, pushing out the poor and the sick, fixing it up a bit, then marketing it almost as if it were "Indian Hill South", more or less

Also....welcome to the forum!



I wonder if this new Jerusalem Cafe is run by the same people as the one you are referring to? Hmm...maybe you could grab a lunch over there and give us a report....

Now....tell us all about Baba G's Steak and Lemonade! It's got to be right next door to you :-)

TJ, I am often conflicted in living down here. I have a pretty great place, but where are the poor/sick going to go? And this ISN'T Indian Hill South-- never will be-- so I know people are going to move here and be a bit shocked and perhaps disappointed. Ah, well.

I wish I could grab a lunch at the new Jerusalem Cafe-- the story on the old one is that the old woman who owned it (very sweet, never let you leave hungry) got sick and they had to close the place down. They had the best lentil soup I've ever had. I took a friend there, who's Egyptian, and he swore the food tasted like his mother's. I consider that high praise.

Baba G's isn't right next door to me, and I also haven't tried it. Maybe I'll have to walk down and try it... lord knows I love a good steak.

Terry and I also tried Balboa's-- I'll post a full review soon-- but I was still underwhelmed, and I waited 45 minutes for the privilege to eat it! They were so, so not prepared for what seemed to be a fairly typical late-night crowd.

Looks like the El Coyote in Edgewood has closed it's doors:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080618/NEWS0103/305230033/

Made a trip to Terry's Turf Club last nite and it was totally worth the effort.
Popped in about 6:30pm and it was pretty quiet. By 7:00pm there were10 people waiting for tables (my living room is larger than the whole dining area, so keep that in mind ) and that pace kept up til we left.

Had a burger with bacon and blue cheese and it was out of this world. I asked about who supplies thier buns as the square potato-bun like buns were great, but the new server did not know.

Next time I need a decadent burger fix I know where to head.

jjjrfoodie

Two nights of eating out and had good dinners each time. Tuesday, we revisited Maribelle's on Eastern Ave. We snagged a table on their patio, which incidentally is smokefree, and felt lucky, since it was an absolutely gorgeous evening. My husband and I split a Mediterranean platter as an appetizer. It featured hummus and pitas, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives and feta cheese. More than enough for 2. David got a chicken salad sandwich and the hot slaw, which he said was superb. I know the chicken salad was great, because I got 1/2 on excellent toasted Shadeau wheat bread and a bowl of gazpacho which was very refreshing. Last night, we went to Pelican's Reef on Beechmont to have dinner with friends. I felt sorry we'd never been; the love the place and it's in our neighborhood. It's got a good neighborhood feel about it. I had Blue Marlin, which came as a sandwich, but I ordered it without bread. It was a generous and very well-prepared portion, and with it, I got sweet potato fries. My husband had the sea scallop special, which was also nicely cooked and flavored. The scallops weren't big, but as sea scallops go, they were a decent size and there were lots of them. We'll go back...it was very nice.

Maribelle's was pretty awesome when we went a couple of months ago. Great burgers.

Y'know, I've passed Pelican's Reef about a billion times since I moved to the east si-ede, and I've never stopped. I assumed it was a bar. I like seafood, the gf doesn't.

Did they have a decent number of non-seafood items on the menu?

I lived in Cincy briefly...I liked Zips for burgers and chili. It's in Mt. Pleasant. Great food, especially with a hangover!

Zip's is in Mt. Lookout, and I agree about the burgers. There were several non-fish items on Pelican Reef's menu, including a cajun seasoned rib eye on the specials menu. I don't remember the others, as I was really interested in ordering fish.

wats 13,
Zip's is in Mt. Lookout. Welcome to Roadfood!!

I tried Rusty Bucket Tavern in Rookwood Pavilion. I took my daughter, son-in-law & 2 grandkids. It was pretty good. We had deep-fried pickles as an appetizer, which were VERY good dill pickles spears that were hand-battered and deep fried. The kids had never tried them, and were a little suspicious, but they ended up asking for more! My daughter had a hamburger. We are both very picky about burgers, not liking pre-formed, frozen patties. These were hand pattied, and irregular shaped. Although I thought it was kinda small, it was a very good burger. SIL had a "Codwich"; granddaughter had a very good mac & cheese {definitely not Kraft}; grandson had nachos with good chili {yes, I tried everything!!}. And I had the "Corner Tavern Wrap", with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, Feta cheese, pepperoncinis and Greek dressing in a garlic and herb tortilla. It was all very good, and can recommend it, even though it's a "chain". The quality of everything was very good.

http://www.rustybuckettavern.com/menu.html

I also went to Primavista, again, this week. I seriously think this is one of the best fine dining establishments in Cincinnati, and I personally think it has the best view. They start your meal with bread & garlic puree' and roasted garlic cloves. YUM!! This time I had the Pollo con Carciofi e Pancetta {Chicken, artichokes & pancetta in garlic scallion butter w/ angel hair pasta which came with a side salad and a side of greeen beans for $19.99 ~ not a bad deal!!} I still think the best dish there is Scallopine alla Discepoli {Sauteed veal scallopine with shrimp, mushrooms, artichokes and capers in a sherry garlic butter sauce for $29.99 ~the shrimp are huge!!} I highly recommend Primavista.

http://www.pvista.com/menu.htm

EDIT: SUDIE & ALL..
Pelican's Reef has a website:
http://www.thepelicansreef.com/

Hey Sudie-->"Last night, we went to Pelican's Reef on Beechmont to have dinner with friends. I felt sorry we'd never been; the love the place and it's in our neighborhood. It's got a good neighborhood feel about it. I had Blue Marlin, which came as a sandwich, but I ordered it without bread."

Did ya get the Bay Corn with that Blue Marlin sandwich?

http://www.thepelicansreef.com/mnu-p3.html

No I didn't get the Bay Corn at Pelican's Reef, but my friend did and gave me a bite...next time, for sure! Incidentally, our friends had brought her brother to PR the week before and he loved the seafood! High praise, considering he's originally from Boston and manages S.N.O.B in Charleston; I'd say the guy knows his seafood. And thanks, hutt and soozycue for the PR website!

Sudie - Sounds good, we'll give it a shot sometime soon.

Soozy - Ah, yes, Primavista. Used to love taking dates there when I was younger. I always thought considering the view and the quality and portions of the food, the price was pretty good. I have to get back there sometime.

And thanks for the links -- the Pelican's Reef menu looks pretty non-seafood-lover friendly.

ooops! thanks for the correction about Zips' location. I knew it didn't sound completely right but I couldn't think of anything else.

thanks for the welcoming! I love this forum thing!

quote:

Originally posted by Bonk

Tried the Bourbon House and Pizzeria in Burlington with my girlfriend last night after reading about the deep dish pizza in The Enquirer. We had the fried pickles as an appetizer and a three-meat (pepperoni, sausage, and bacon) deep dish pizza.

The pickles were outstanding, and only $3.25 for five spears. We got the medium deep dish for like $18, and it was excellent, not to mention I'll have enough left over to last me all week. I somehow managed to eat two pieces. My girlfriend couldn't finish one.

They sprinkled parmesan on the crust, which I thought was a nice touch, and you could tell the cook was from Chicago because of the sausage. They must've gotten the sausage from back home because the spicy flavor was unmistakable.

Very good pie, and for Chicago transplants: They have 312 on draft! 312 is a wheat beer made by Goose Island, and they sell a 32 oz. for about $4.

Service was a little slow (it looked like one waitress was running the entire dining area), but not unreasonably so.

I'd recommend it pretty highly to Chicago transplants. The only drawback is most Chicago restaurants away from the windy city hang pictures, jerseys, and/or other memorabilia (like Hotdogginit), and here they definitely want you to remember you're in the Cincinnati area.

Well, I had been meaning to try this place (Bonk's review is from June 2007) for quite some time, and since we were going to be in the area around lunchtime today, I looked up their website and got their address. Err, addresses. Seems they now have a second location about 4-5 miles from the original

Website: http://www.bourbonandpizza.com/
Menu: http://www.bourbonandpizza.com/documents/menu.pdf

We started off with a garlic bread w/ cheese, which was simple but good. The accompanying sauce was very bitter. The waitress indicated that they had two different pizza sauces and that the sauce on the deep dish (The "Chicago's Favorite", w/ sausage, mushrooms, and onion) and the small thin-crust cheese pizza for the kiddies were sauced with the OTHER sauce, which she also preferred. My wife later commented that the sauce accompanying the garlic bread had beer in it. It did have that beer bitterness to it, but I doubted that.....

Both pizzas were very good. The deep dish was MUCH better than any stuffed pizza I have gotten at Mio's, and the wife pronounced it, in all seriousness, the best pizza she has ever eaten. The crust in particular was marked better than Mio's - pleny of flavor, a certain crispness to the exterior, and better texture throughout. We both managed to eat two very thick slices of the 12" pie, and took haf of it home.

Since the original location is clearly a bar in it's heart and soul, we'll probably check out the other location for our next visit, which we are VERY much looking forward to.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

(Ghaz and other NKYians - get over there!)

In other news....i've been on a Thai kick lately.....briefly:

Ban Thai in Eastgate: not bad, not great, Tried the fried rice and pad thai. The fried rice was so-so, and the pad thai had a STRONG fishy flavor and aroma - i guess they went nuts with the fish sauce - and I couldn't tolerate more than a few bites

Amarin in Hyde Park: I had always thought Amarin was a white tablecloth place, but this joint was small and laid back. I had only the basil fried rice and the gyoza (fried pork dumplings). Neither was very impressive, and the pork fillign in the dumpings was sorta foamy - not sure how to better express it - and did not have a good taste.

Ruthai Thai: Located just off Mt Lookout Square, and only open for dinner. Best thai I have had, exceeding even the quality of my beloved Tan Thai downtown. This is a tiny hole in the wall but they have the white tablecloths, candles, fancy dishes, etc etc and prices to match. Both the pad thai and the basil fried rice was out-freaking-standing and when my wife had the leftover rice later, she grudgingly admitted that it was the best fried rice she'd ever had. (One week, two personal bests, hehe - I may make a roadfooder of her eventually after all). I will be back soon for some of the curry dishes. I highly recommend any of you who are a fan of Lemon Grass or other quality Thai places in town to check this place out.....oh, and I cannot speak for the quality of the sushi, but they have that too.

quote:

Originally posted by jjjrfoodie

Made a trip to Terry's Turf Club last nite and it was totally worth the effort.

Oddly, I may live closer to Terry's Turf Club than any other Roadfooder, just 2-3 miles away in fact, but it was not til yesterday afternoon that I finally made it in. I concur - this is an outstanding burger, top 3 for Cincinnati, perhaps the king of them all. The fries on the other hand definitely need a lot of work - despite being skin on, fresh cut, and with a good potatoe-y taste; they are limp, very greasy, and nowhere near crisp. Anyone who has not been in here yet should definitely take the time for a visit - but yeah, skip the fries (or if burger without fries is a sacrilege where you come from, ask for the fries to be well done)

I found the owner to be very upfront and accomodating. He said he'd like to improve the fries but does not feel he is able to get them crisp. He also indicated he uses a seasoning mix on his burgers that includes dark and white chocolate powders, which he feels forms a sheathe to hold in the burger juices when he flips them over. I can certainly concur that my MR cheesburger burger was dripping with juices

Next time, I will try one of the more exotic toppings or sauces - this time, I just wanted a basic cheeseburger to compare to others I have had. This month, he has grilled crabmeat to top your already enormous 2-handed burger. If you can unhinge your jaw, it sounds pretty good.

TJ - I believe the other Bourbon House is just a delivery-carry out joint. You might want to check that out before you go.

But I'm glad you liked it. Definitely one of my favorite pies in the tri-state.

If you're near Tri-County Mall sometime, give BJ's a shot. Their pizza is outstanding.

TJ, I work a stones throw from Lavo and I assure you it is not Indian Hill south. It is however the tide turning, people coming to their senses and shunning the automobile focused suburban sprawl and recycling wonderful historic buildings. This article may shed some light on the subject.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/06/16/suburb.city/index.html?iref=hpmostpop

TJ, surprised to hear it took you so long to get to TTC, I have been going to TTC since it opened. As you noted, since Polly Campbell wrote it up timing is the key, I suggest calling ahead, asking how busy they are and avoiding the rush. I was there last night, fries were not as bad as you described, they seem to vary a little, he might be experimenting, the last time they were a little crisper and it looked like he was double frying as in Pommes Frites, the twice fried method. I'll quiz him some more and report back, here is a recipe.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_18661,00.html

Have you tried the frites at JeanRo Bistro? They are twice fried.

Vudutu, I was there (TTC = Terry's Turf Club) last night as well, right around 5pm. It was not crowded - maybe 6 customers total - so no problem there.

I liked the fries, actually - but they could be better - a lot better. I guess I did not emphasize the taste and freshness enough.

My opportunities to get over there are limited, or I would have gone sooner. I am not often "on my own" at dinnertime or on the weekends, which is when Terry's is open.

I will try to get over to Jeanro soon - I don't generally have 20 bucks for lunch, though :-)

TJ,
Good timing, the time frame to avoid at TTC is from about 6 until 8 or 9, or call. You can get a sandwich and frites for less than a tenner.

http://jeanrobertgroup.com/bistro/lunch

JeanRo actually has a great lunch menu. I am already burned out on the Lavo menu, had lunch there today, 25$ for two, and not enough choices, I want to try Tom's Pot Pies next, or a trip back to JeanRos, have not been for lunch in ages.

TJ (or any other east siders) - Have you tried either Great Scott (Amelia) or Putter's (Milford)? I saw coupons in Reach for both, and I'm trying to decide which one to sample.

I have not yet been to either, mostly because both seem to be more a bar than a restaraunt, and I'm not a bar guy. Obviously, I made an exception for Terry's this week :-)

Anyway - please go and report back! :-)

The CVG Burger Guys didn't like Putter's which probably means it is pretty good.
http://cvgburgerguys.blogspot.com/2006/12/putters-tavern-and-grill.html

Thanks for the link -- I knew nothing of either place and now I least have one opinion. I'm not exactly sure what to make of 1 1/2-year-old comments at a different location though, but I think I'll try something other than the burgers.

I think those guys died from a bad burger, last time I had looked they had not posted in almost a year.

They just posted a couple days ago after roughly a year absence

I'd never heard of them before, but it's kind of a cool blog.

I'll bet Burgertime was their favorite video game growing up.

OK, so we had to choose between Putter's, Great Scott, and Pelican's Reef. My gf doesn't like seafood, and there were some unusual items on the Putter's menu online, so we decided to go there.

It's right off the Milford exit off of I-275. We sort of double dated with a married couple that we hang out with.

We had the Foursome appetizer (everything is in golf terminology), which consisted of two big chicken tenders, three onion rings, three cheesesticks, and four small potato skins. Not a bad deal. I thought the tenders were good -- juicy, and the breading was excellent -- the cheesesticks were above average, and the potato skins were average. At $10, it was a lot of food for two.

I had the Italian hoagie, which I thought was very flavorful. I liked the baguette bread it was served on, and the price was about right at $7. The Saratoga chips it came with were also very good. Crisp the way I like them.

My gf got the barbeque chicken pizza (which I always argue is not actually a pizza, since it comes with barbeque sauce and not pizza sauce), and she said it was quite good. I don't do BBQ pizza, so I take her at her word. It was $7, and she only finished half, so at that price it's a good deal. If you like that sort of thing.

Our friends got a mushroom and swiss burger and a three-meat pizza. Both said their items were good, and again, looking at the portions the prices were very reasonable.

Service was good and the atmosphere was fine (sports bar with multiple TVs showing multiple sporting events).

Didn't knock my socks off, but good food at a good price (we got out for $29 plus a $7 tip with two soft drinks, the appetizer sampler, a sandwich and a pizza), so we'll definitely be back.

It was kind of dead at 9 p.m., which surprised me for a Saturday. Especially with the Reds playing.

I still want to try the other two in the next month.

The winemedineme blog is reporting that Pacific Moon has closed down

Having heard so much over time about the "huge" and "wonderful" burritos at the Comet in Northside, I finally ventured in there after an evening appointment in that area.

I had a standard chicken burrito (chicken, rice, mont jack, onions, salsa - they were out of tomatoes and lettuce) and it was underwhelming. Not bad at all, just not very tasty. The size was also disappointing - it was roughly 2/3 the size of the standard Chipotle burrito

Nothing against the place, but it does not seem worthy of a special stop just to eat there.

I have some more details about-- seems to be related to nonpayment of taxes.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Having heard so much over time about the "huge" and "wonderful" burritos at the Comet in Northside, I finally ventured in there after an evening appointment in that area.

I had a standard chicken burrito (chicken, rice, mont jack, onions, salsa - they were out of tomatoes and lettuce) and it was underwhelming. Not bad at all, just not very tasty. The size was also disappointing - it was roughly 2/3 the size of the standard Chipotle burrito

Nothing against the place, but it does not seem worthy of a special stop just to eat there.

I agree with you, although I still eat there fairly regularly because I enjoy the fresh-made salsas and the refrigerators of beer, the kitchen is open until 1:30 A.M., and it's within walking distance of my house. I definitely would never use "huge" or "wonderful" to describe the burritos there...but I would for Habanero, which gets most of our burrito business.

Now see, dl, there's another place I need to get to :-)

I reviewed Habanero fairly recently-- my only complaint is that they're not open late. I've been eating there basically since they opened and it's still true love for me.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

The winemedineme blog is reporting that Pacific Moon has closed down

I am quite saddened by this. I've know Alex and Barbara for close to 10 years and was a weekly diner and bi-monthly dim-sum diner at the Montgomery Rd. restaurant. Once they moved to NOTL, the hours were constantly changing, and while closer to my residence, I only made it once and was disappointed by the new attitude and product.
They certainly seemed to shun their very faithful local following in the hope of being chic and trendy.

I'll get the skinny this weekend when I see a close mutal freind in the restuarant biz.

jjjrfoodie

quote:

Originally posted by winemedineme

I reviewed Habanero fairly recently-- my only complaint is that they're not open late. I've been eating there basically since they opened and it's still true love for me.

Same here. We are there at least once a week (no lie) because we are regularly in need of a late dinner. The Clifton location is open 11-11 every day, great for us on weeknights, not so great for late nights on the weekends.

The Levee location is open until midnight on Friday and Saturday, but the extra hour isn't worth contending with the parking or the usual Levee clientele. Curiously, aside from a brief blurb on the home page, there's no information about the Levee location on their site. I guess they've been too busy to update it.

I made a trip to Mr. Gene's Hotdog House last night around 6:00pm or so to grab a bite for dinner and see where the food they serve stands these days.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=4864

It's summer, it's hot, but no crowd was to be found at the stand on a Monday. :-) Since the neighborhood is quite rough these days, I wanted a daylight run and nixed the digital camera for fear of attracting unwanted panhandling and hassling.

I had a hot mett with chili, cheese, diced fresh onions and mustard, fries and a chocolate shake.

Mett was undergrilled,lacked very much chili and overall was pretty mediocre-- Not bad, not great. The fries were steakhouse style and were very fresh and hot, which placed them above the metts in the flavor catagory sadly. The shake was a run of the mill shake that could be found at any dairy based convenience mart. Again, nothing blew me away.

Considering I was panhandled twice while I ate at the picnic tables, and when i gave one guy some change, he looked at me and said. "Well that ain't enough for bus fare." (I was going to ask for the change back since he seemed so disappointed, but thought better of it.)

I'll give it a go again in the early fall, but the neighboorhood and it's characters combined with an average product make me want to move along to seeking another urban roadfood joint for now.

jjjrfoodie

Triple J~

I am sorry to hear about your "not so great" experience at Mr. Gene's. I have never been there, although I live not so far away, but thought that I might like try it soon. The hot mett with chili sounded interesting. If I end up there, I will let you know.

I wanted to mention that I went to Newtown Farm Market the other day. Although the fresh corn is not out yet, I still have to say I love this place. When they have local produce, they have a sign above the produce that says "local". They tell you where everything is from {i.e. Georgia corn & peaches}, and give samples. They have Amish products, local cheeses & breads. All employees are ready to give any information needed. The kind of service they provide is not readily available any more.

Also, although I did not enjoy any on this particular trip, they have frozen custard. I usually take my grandkids during fresh corn on the cob season {I will probably be back soon} to have the frozen custard, see the talking parrots and buy some great food. It is definitely a short road trip worth taking.