WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

Ernieson: I don't think it is about overall city populations, rather I think it is more about how many active, posting roadfood members there are in each city.

There are far more of these located in and aroun Cincinnati then in and around Las Vegas

That said, if some dedicated poster took it upon himself to create a Las Vegas thread and put the effort into keeping it updated and active, I believe that slowly and over time you'd see more and more Las Vegas area folks register just to post in that thread, and eventually, the Las Vegas thread would ovetake and surpass this one in terms of number of posts.

I think that's true of any area, region, or town, really - with enthusiasm and effort. All I did was get the ball rolling, really - there are TONS of great contributors in Cincinnati now.

quote:

Originally posted by CincyKid

Has anybody eaten at the Country Inn on Beechmont Avenue? They have really good breakfast and it's relatively inexpensive. They always have daily specials too.

Is that the little diner on the left hand side of the road as you drive eastward from I-275, maybe 1-2 miles?

quote:

Originally posted by dlawson

Mayura is gone. Opening soon: The Bombay Oven.

The guy who owned Mayura in it's heyday {Swami}, sold Mayura when he decided to open the Blue Ash branch of Cactus Pear. He still owns the Clifton and Blue Ash Cactus Pear restaurants.

I have heard nothing about the transition. However~

New on Ludlow {from CinWeekly}~

FORMER UNO'S NOW OLIVES
The former Pizzeria Uno on Ludlow is getting some new life.

Scott and Maria Crawford hope to open Olives Restaurant, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, on Aug. 1. Scott says American fare - burgers, chicken, steaks and fish - will be on the restaurant's menu. Dinner entrées will range from $12-$22 with $3-$8 brunch options available on Saturday and Sunday.

"We're very much gearing everything here toward customer service," he says.

Olives will be open will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 513-221-4200 or visit www.olivesonludlow.com.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I hoofed it the 7 blocks to All Rise (the place is right next to all the county judicial facilities, ala when the judge enters the court chambers the bailiff says "ALL RISE")
-there are "blue plate" type specials available every day on a schedule, an entree and two sides for 4.95.

I have not been there yet, but my friend, who works downtown, tried ALL RISE, and she had the special, Chicken Fried Steak, for $4.95.

She said the CFS was a fritter, the gravy bland, the mashed potatoes lukewarm, and the green beans from a can. She said, although not great, for $4.95 {in downtown Cincinnati}, it wasn't "horrible"

But, she said she would be back to try some other menu items. She thought she should have ordered the cod sandwich, because others were ordering it, and it looked good.

My friend's consensus was it was worth going back for the fact that the prices were reasonable for lunch and the variety of menu items was worth another try.

Hey, how many places downtown survive on much less?

Here I am posting three posts in a row, but I have to mention my disappointment in the "new and improved" downtown.

Check out these websites. Cadillac Ranch. Obviously for partying, not for food~

http://www.cadillacranchcincinnati.com/

Can you click on anything? I can't. [|)]

And, Vinyl, which tries to be chic and wonderful, ....
can you do anything on their website?

http://www.vinylcincinnati.com/

It's a "groovy restaurant", but you cannot access a menu.

Groovy Cool

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520

New on Ludlow {from CinWeekly}~

FORMER UNO'S NOW OLIVES
The former Pizzeria Uno on Ludlow is getting some new life.

Scott and Maria Crawford hope to open Olives Restaurant, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, on Aug. 1. Scott says American fare - burgers, chicken, steaks and fish - will be on the restaurant's menu. Dinner entrées will range from $12-$22 with $3-$8 brunch options available on Saturday and Sunday.

"We're very much gearing everything here toward customer service," he says.

Olives will be open will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 513-221-4200 or visit www.olivesonludlow.com.

I read about Olives a while back, and noticed over the weekend that the exterior signs were finally up. I'm definitely interested in the Sunday bruch, especially if they're open at 8:00 AM, since Honey and Slims don't open until 11:00.

I also read that the former Bella location downtown will be home to a "high end Mexican restaurant" called Nada. No word on when it will open, but I'm curious to see the result.

The new Mythos on Vine St said that it will be open as of today, July 25th. It is in a former convenience store location, so it will be strictly takeout. The one by the Aronoff Center has pretty decent food, nothing spectacular, and not terribly expensive. Good choice to buy and eat on the Square and listen to all the jackhammers and workers swear at each other.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

quote:

Originally posted by CincyKid

Has anybody eaten at the Country Inn on Beechmont Avenue? They have really good breakfast and it's relatively inexpensive. They always have daily specials too.

Is that the little diner on the left hand side of the road as you drive eastward from I-275, maybe 1-2 miles?

Yep, that's the place... definitely worth checking out.

quote:

Originally posted by dlawson

I also read that the former Bella location downtown will be home to a "high end Mexican restaurant" called Nada. No word on when it will open, but I'm curious to see the result.

Here's some info on Nada from Polly Campbell~
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070711/ENT01/707110304/

And I just read that two new restaurants are opening in the former Jack Quinn's and Donna's Diner in Covington~
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070724/NEWS0103/307240025/

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

It's right across from the courthouse building - Michaelangelo's

Have you been lurking all this time, Alco? Haven't seen you (or wallyum) posting in a while

Speak of the devil and he'll pop up. Eventually.
We tried Michalangelo's one night before a Red's game. They use an interesting conveyor oven that looks like a mini-version of the one I ran at Godfather's a "few" years back. We had my son and a friend with us, so we ordered a whole pepperoni pie and each got a 20 ounce drink for $20. I wound up eating both of my slices, and one each from my wife and son. The crust was nicely crisped on the bottom, but still flexible enough to be folded. The sauce had a nice spicy kick to it and each slice dripped grease. Not a fancy pizza, but good enough that I've been wanting to get back for a second try ever since. Pepperoni, green olive and bacon this time.

My 13-year-old son, Ian, came to work with me Tuesday (he likes to do filing, paper recycling, copier filling, and other tasks for my coworkers who sometimes reward him with a pittance or a snack; go figure), and I gave him his choice of lunch places near our office here in the Tri-County area.

He chose somewhere I'd never gone, New Orleans to Go, a new place at Kemper and Northland in the same strip center as LuLu's Noodles (a favorite of mine).

First impression: Nice clean restaurant, very friendly staff. Several tables and a cutesy "Mardi Gras" decor. Menu includes a variety of 7- and 11-inch Po' Boys
(Oyster, Shrimp, Catfish, Roast & Gravy, etc.), fried seafood plates, jambalaya, red beans & rice, etc.

Ian, who never met a shrimp he didn't like, ordered the 7-inch shrimp Po' Boy ($7.25), while I ordered the oyster ($8.95). Sandwiches are dressed with lettuce, tomato, and mayo and come with BBQ chips. They were out of Luzianne brewed iced tea, so I just had water.

We immediately noted a good omen: The seafood was breaded and put in the fryer when we ordered, so it was freshly cooked.

The sandwiches were delivered to our table. The French bread was sturdy with a nice chew. Seafood portions were generous on each sandwich. The shrimp on Ian's sandwich were small, but perfectly fried -- tender and sweet, without an excess of breading. They were literally falling out of the sandwich. Oysters were plump and tender, again expertly breaded and fried. While not as abundant as Ian's shrimp, I had no "just bread" bites.

We were quite pleased. I noted that the place wasn't very full, and in conversation with coworkers who have tried it I have heard a couple of tales of "uneven" performance, but no problems that they felt was anything more than just working the bugs out.

I'll go back. I'll want to try the jambalaya and red beans, plus I'd like to upgrade a sandwich order from chips to sweet potato fries. Golly, even their "Cajun" wings sound intriguing!

Below are links to an article about the restaurant from the Enquirer and to the place's website -- such as it is.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/BIZ01/706200337/1076/BIZ

http://www.neworleanstogopoboysandmo.com/

quote:

Originally posted by jmckee

My 13-year-old son, Ian, came to work with me Tuesday (he likes to do filing, paper recycling, copier filling, and other tasks for my coworkers who sometimes reward him with a pittance or a snack; go figure), and I gave him his choice of lunch places near our office here in the Tri-County area.

He chose somewhere I'd never gone, New Orleans to Go, a new place at Kemper and Northland in the same strip center as LuLu's Noodles (a favorite of mine).

First impression: Nice clean restaurant, very friendly staff. Several tables and a cutesy "Mardi Gras" decor. Menu includes a variety of 7- and 11-inch Po' Boys
(Oyster, Shrimp, Catfish, Roast & Gravy, etc.), fried seafood plates, jambalaya, red beans & rice, etc.

Ian, who never met a shrimp he didn't like, ordered the 7-inch shrimp Po' Boy ($7.25), while I ordered the oyster ($8.95). Sandwiches are dressed with lettuce, tomato, and mayo and come with BBQ chips. They were out of Luzianne brewed iced tea, so I just had water.

We immediately noted a good omen: The seafood was breaded and put in the fryer when we ordered, so it was freshly cooked.

The sandwiches were delivered to our table. The French bread was sturdy with a nice chew. Seafood portions were generous on each sandwich. The shrimp on Ian's sandwich were small, but perfectly fried -- tender and sweet, without an excess of breading. They were literally falling out of the sandwich. Oysters were plump and tender, again expertly breaded and fried. While not as abundant as Ian's shrimp, I had no "just bread" bites.

We were quite pleased. I noted that the place wasn't very full, and in conversation with coworkers who have tried it I have heard a couple of tales of "uneven" performance, but no problems that they felt was anything more than just working the bugs out.

I'll go back. I'll want to try the jambalaya and red beans, plus I'd like to upgrade a sandwich order from chips to sweet potato fries. Golly, even their "Cajun" wings sound intriguing!

Below are links to an article about the restaurant from the Enquirer and to the place's website -- such as it is.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/BIZ01/706200337/1076/BIZ

http://www.neworleanstogopoboysandmo.com/

Ding Ding Ding, I think I found me a winner!

I will definately have to check this one out, Thanks

I honestly don't think of Jeff Ruby's as a carryout joint. Really. Nor Roadfood, for that matter. But I have heard many times this is good eats.......and that's what we're talking about here :-)

But with the wife being unwilling to eat at downtown restaurants and Ruby's only open evenings (ie they open when I am heading out to pick up my little ones) I will get few if any chances to eat there, unless I find time to do it on my own. Mortons....same story. The Phoenix...same story....etc, etc.

So tonight, since I had to stay dontown and was waiting on a batch process to complete, I called in and got carryout from Jeff Ruby's. I didn't heave the heart to have them drop a 30 dollar steak into a styrofoam box, so instead I snagged some of their apps and a side that have gotten gotten good reviews on the Net. I ended up with a crabcake, a bowl of crab bisque, and their Potatoes Anna. Around 22 bucks total with tax.

The service I got on my little carryout stop was very good, suprising since I don't figure a swanky big-money steakhouse gets much call for carryout. First, the valet asked if he could hold my keys while I was inside just in case a cop questioned why my car was parked where it was. The Folks inside answered all my questions without batting an eye, and treated me with the same decorum I saw them give to the fellows in suits who had walked in just ahead of me. They also accomodated me with a carryout menu. Finally....the carryout bag....it's just a bag, right, no big deal?.......it's a logo'ed canvas carryall with a zipper and a wooden handle, something I'd probably expect to pay 5 bucks or more for in a department store.

The food was very good, falling short of great.

The tiny crabcake had cooled by the time I got back, and in hindsight is probably not a good item to carryout. At 10 bucks, not a good value either, but probably 95% or more crabmeat and tasted good. I wish the pan frying had crisped it a bit more. I grade this one on a curve due to the amount of time it had sat before I consumed it.

The crab bisque was the winner, hands down. Rich, creamy, lots of chunks of crabmeat, and plenty of it. A bargain for 6 bucks. Made a good "sauce" to use on the other two items.

The Potatoes Anna (6 bucks) had been noted in a bunch of online reviews as special, and it certain looks special but taste-wise it's basically home fries (thin slice style, not the cubed variety) artistically arranged into a wreathe-like shape with many layers. It needed seasoning - had none that I could tell. The crispy outward facing part was good, the innards not so much. Kinda greasy. The portion (like sides at many major steakhouses) was large, easily suitable for 2-3 folks to share.

Definitely worth a trip back. Gonna snag an order of the 7 cheese mac n cheese next time, and some more bisque.

The menu: http://www.jeffruby.com/index.php?affiliate_uid=rubys&level2=menu

While I realize Ruby's isn't Roadfood nor does steak make for great carry out, having tried many things at many of his different restaurants, I LOVE the bisque. Also, the raw bar, mac n cheese and if available, the mashed potatoes with lobster are GREAT possibilities for carryout.

The Ruby's Cincinnati menu shows a potato souffle "with shrimp and crabmeat" - is that it?

It looks like the Waterfront has the mashed with lobster:
http://www.jeffruby.com/index.php?affiliate_uid=waterfront&level2=menu

and Ruby's Louisville
http://www.jeffruby.com/index.php?affiliate_uid=louisville&level2=menu

but not any of the other Ruby's

The lunchbunch tried BD's Mongolian Barbecue, apparently a national chain, at its Beaver Creek (OH) location yesterday. Stir-fry buffet. under $8.00... you choose your meat/veggies/sauce(s) .. take it up to a 7 foot long grill... mine was shrimp, pasta, eggs, cayenne pepper and chili sauce. Excellent! Cheese soup was also great. Shiitake mushroom soup was good. Soup and salad bar $2 extra. They have a blackberry soda which all of us liked a lot. I also liked the rice pudding. I recommend it... meat choices include all the regular plus seafood and lamb... And I don't usually care much for chain restaurants...

I work less than A mile from new orleans to go and have never seen it. I buy signs in the same strip mall and I will have to stop by there at lunch today. Thanks for the review !!

I also work less than a mile from New Orleans To Go, and went for lunch today.

I'll echo everything jmckee said. Shrimp cooked to order, mildly but very well spiced, with generous portions. I would have preferred remoulade to mayonnaise, but only because that's how they serve most shrimp po'boys in my wife's hometown of Lafayette, LA. Up here, I'll take what I can get.

I upgraded to the sweet fries, and they live up to their name. They are fried just long enough to have a light crisp to them, and are then dusted with sugar (!) and served with a side of apple butter. They are delectable, perhaps too much so, as they seem more like a dessert than a side dish.

I did not see a drink fountain, only a cooler with bottled water and Pepsi products. A 7" shrimp po'boy, sweet fries, and water came to $9.38...not cheap, but it definitely hit the spot.

Yeah..Ruby has been changing around some items on his menus. You use to be able to get lobster and mash at Tropicana as well. Have had the shrimp and crab potato as well and enjoy it as well.

I had lunch @ the All Rise diner on Friday... I thought it was pretty good! My husband had a burger (and asked for the grilled onions - good call!); I did the appetizer sampler with cheese, fried pickles and chicken. I thought it was pretty tasty. We'll definitely go back!

Hi all:
Been lurking on here for a few days now and was able to read through the first and last 10 pages. I noticed all the recent posts re:hotdoggin it, and wanted to suggest you all try Kyoto, it's neighbor. I've only lived in cincy about a year, but found this gem of a restaurant a couple months ago. The sushi is not the BEST I have ever had, but most of their rolls are between 3.50 and 4.50, and are very good, price notwithstanding. I only found out about the roll prices because I asked if they had any specials, and she circled a large selection of rolls and told me the prices verbally (the "retail" prices range between 4.95-8.95.) They also have a fantastic lunch bento box featuring hibachi chicken, california roll, spring roll, tempura, miso and salad for 9.95. I always have them substitute the california roll with a spicy salmon roll and they do so without a subbing charge. The food is really delicious before knowing the value, and even more so when the final bill arrives.

By the way, great thread. I am so pleased to have found it so I can do some culinary exploring now.

Kim

Welcome aboard KK :-)

In that same area (more or less), what do you think of
Metro Bagels
Flying Pizza
Cheeseburger Cafe
Taco Casa

oh...belated welcome as well to Mr Brown!

dlawson and jmckee have given two reviews of NewOrleansToGo and I ate lunch there the same afternoon as dlawson did with the same cheerful kitchen staff. The restaurant was clean and the oyster po boy sandwich I had was top notch. Fresh fried to perfection and I also had the sweet fries. It took me a minute to adjust after the sugar cinnamon sprinkle hit the tongue in stead of the salt I was ready for they had just opened and were already out of the iced tea which makes me wonder if they make tea or the big pot just sits in the kitchen all the time. overall a good experience and I will go again.

I forgot to note the unavailability of the iced tea in my review. It does seem odd that they would be out of iced tea for the whole week, and I would think the profit margin would be higher on non-bottled drinks. I'll likely go for lunch again this coming Friday, and we'll see if tea is available then.

We seem to have a groundswell of support for this fledgling eatery!

Thanks for the welcome, TJ. I actually haven't tried any of the aforementioned eateries, but have been eyeballing Cheeseburger Cafe for a week or so now. I have eaten at the "sister" restaurant, Skip's Bagel Cafe (or Deli), and it is pretty good. The sandwiches have a nice thick layer of meat which is always nice when you have a thick starch.

I actually wanted to recommend another deli. "Decent Deli" is located at Cornell and Kenwood, in the strip mall behind the Arbys. I have been pretty impressed. An aquaintance of mine is from New York and he eats there at least once or twice a week. I have had the gyro (delicious!) and a wonderful corned beef sandwich. Also sandwiches also come with a potato cake which was really tasty. If any of you have been to Shapiro's in Indy, it has a similar flavor, though the meat is not quite as thick. Also, I have heard people rave about the matzo ball soup, but have yet to try it. You can get a sandwich and potato cake for 4.50 or 5.50, I think.

I spent the day at Children's Hospital today, and was craving some good food. I headed down burnett ave to forest and then over to vine.

S&S BBQ was on my mind - Out of Business
I passed two other places that were not open.

I got down to mitchell and was totally disappointed.

So I ended up going to Camp Washington Chili instead.

Goetta & chili yummmers

Yall know of any other bbq joints round Childrens??

has anyone ever tried Ritchie's Restaurant at the corner of forest vine and woolper?? Fried Chicken and sides, fried fish and shrimp. I will have to go back and try it next week since I will be at children's some more next week.

Found myself stuck at work late again, and once again, it was Ruby's sides for dinner

14 bucks and change got me 1 order each of their 7-cheese mac n cheese and house potato souffle, which includes plenty of crab and shrimp. The mac-n-cheese was easily the best I have ever had. For 6 bucks, it had to be :-) The potato souffle? Think your basic seasoned mashed potatoes with some chunks of shrimp and crab - mostly shrimp - mixed in. Not bad, but nowhere near worth the 8 dollar expense. Also, neither portion was sized as advertised - it was plenty for one, but not for two.

They threw in about a pound of house bread....decently good, chewy-crust white and a *wonderful* thick salted rye. And some butter. I wish I had had this last time with the soup! :-)

Aside: Could I have had a more carb-y meal?

If I get stuck with late duty again, I think I'll hit Morton's for their 12 dollar lobster bisque. I can't imagine that possibly being a good value unless the serving potion is a quart or more, but what the hey, I'll do it just to end my curiosity about it.

Tom of Tom's Pot Pies told me that starting this week, he is going be open evenings 5-10. I didn't ask, but figure this is a temporary deal to see if there is any business in the evening.

So ....hey! You folks in downtown in the evening who complain (and rightfully so I might add) that all the good eating closes up by 5 - go get you a Pot Pie before he changes his mind and goes back to lunch only hours!

quote:

Originally posted by CajunKing



Yall know of any other bbq joints round Childrens??

has anyone ever tried Ritchie's Restaurant at the corner of forest vine and woolper?? Fried Chicken and sides, fried fish and shrimp. I will have to go back and try it next week since I will be at children's some more next week.

I haven't eaten at Richie's for years, but it wasn't very good when I have eaten there.

If you have a chance to go down to Findlay Market, Mr. Pig's is open Wed. - Sun. {109 West Elder St., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45210, (513) 651-2251}. Mr. Pig has passed, but his restaurant is still open. Also inside Findlay is Ms. Helen's and Aunt Flora's.

I have not eaten here, but there is a trailer set up on the corner of Gilbert Ave. and Curtis St., one block south of McMillan that sells BBQ.

On McMillan, right past Gilbert {915 E. McMillan, 513-281-2064) is a new place called Flingz. I haven't tried this either, but they advertise "fish, wings, BBQ & thingz". The menu I have seen only has whiting, wings and rib tips, with sides of cajun fries, green beans, baked beans slaw and mac & cheese.

I can't endorse the last two places, since I haven't been there, but they aren't too far from Children's.

I live, and work close to Children's if you need other recommendations.