WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

Glad to see you finally had an exemplary dining experience T.J. I love Troni's and get a pie about once a month when I am up Dayton way.

I went back down to Maya's Mexican place again last Saturday for lunch to see if the second time was same as the first.

Did the meat enchiladas with beans and rice and a side of a chile relleno.

Salsa is handmade and confirmed by the owner as are the chips. I was disappointed the meat in the enchilada was ground seasoned hamburger as opposed to slow cooked and pulled beef. My bone of contention came with the chile relleno. They are homemade and deepfried, but like the last time, are not accompanied by any red sauce over the top nor cheese. Even worse was the fact that like last time (tho I did not mention it) , the chiles had a slight hint of freezer burn. Not enough to turn you off, but enough to know that they must make big batches of these things and do not go through them at a rate that allows them to escape damage from freezing.

My plan is to go back soon and try the mole sauce as well as the tortilla soup. Then I'll see where I stand.

This is a great little local place, but it needs to be a little more consistant for me to recommend unless you feel adventerous.

jjjrfoodie

The menu...

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Realizing full well the Dayton folks may raise a righteous uproar that i posted this here (hehe), the Jackson clan went to Troni's after eldest daughter Beth won her soccer game (tournament/playoffs semifinal, final tommorrow, woo-hoo!) and I must say, this place is flat out excellent.

We ordered waaaay too much knowing we'd haul off leftovers for later. Lasagna for Beth and spaghetti with meat sauce for Katie were both proclaimed as among the best they had had. The wife loved the stuffed stromboli best while I preferred the old fashioned thin crust pizza (with a special sauce made of olive oil, crushed fresh tomatoes, and marsala wine - the flavor of the wine came through more strongly as the food cooled). We also had a thick-crusted sicilian with sliced sausage that was very, very good; but everyone preferred the crisp/chewy/airy think crust style better. The wife admitted that these were among the very best pizzas she had ever had, and this was easily top 5 for me as well.

Strongly recommend this place

Oh, if you are coming from Cincinnati - it's hard to spot, tucked into the corner of a small strip center. When you see a Papa Johns sign, you are right there.

TJ I am going to allow this blatant violation in my turf. Being as Troni's is north of Middletown....LOL However I would like to say that Troni's is well worth the trip north from Cincy. In this tough and getting tougher economy we live in it is imperative that all roadfooders frequent these great places regularly so they dont go out of business as many are. Save your fast food bucks and visit the Family places instead. I would rather eat the box a Troni's pizza comes in than a Domino's, Little Ceasear, or Papa John's Pizza. It took me 9 years to find a good Pizza in this town. Any time you guys would like to meet there the first 5 large thin crust are on me...Russ

Tan Thai Cuisine on Rt. 4/Springfield Pike has opened. It is near the old Sabor Peruano location between Kemper and Northland. My wife and I went for lunch on Wednesday and enjoyed it...nothing groundbreaking, but pretty good and pretty reasonably priced lunch entrees. There are perhaps 20 selections on the lunch menu between $6 and $8, most (if not all) with the option of chicken, beef, tofu, or pork (I think)...mainly noddle and curry dishes, with 5-6 "Chinese" selections for the less adventurous. The parking lot is large enough to accommodate the number of tables they have, which isn't many...I estimate they can seat 40-50 at most. We'll be back.

russ - hehe, thanks :-) I envy you for having such a wonderful pizzeria in your area. If Troni's were here, we'd rarely eat pizza anywhere else, I assure you

dl - ask them if they are related to the Tan Thai downtown....***EDIT*** I asked at the downtown location and they confirm - this is a new location of the same restaurant

All right...I have to try this Troni's. In two weeks we're going back to Oxford. Going to have to make a major detour.

I'm curious what everyone's top five pizzas in the area would be (Greater Cincinnati to Greater Dayton, I guess). I know the Cincinnati area is lacking a lot of great pizzerias, but there's still some good ones out there, and I'd be interested in what you folks' other top options are.

I would have to go with (keeping in mind I haven't tried Troni's):

1. Nikki's, Hebron, Ky.
2. Bourbon House and Pizzeria, Burlington, Ky.
3. BJ's, Tri-County Mall, Springdale, Ohio
4. Mac & Joe's, Oxford, Ohio
5. Chicago's Pizza, Fairfield, Ohio

I'd like to put in a word for Grammas Pizza, a western Clermont County (I think) small chain. We've ordered from there a couple times in the last few months, and find it very good. I admit to a weakness for LaRosa's, but Grammas is our new takeout place. Reasonably priced, and very good food.

Grabbed lunch at Chili Time in St. Bernard today (3-way and a cheese coney-yum!) and while cutting down Vine St. thru Elmwood Place, I notice El Original Restaurante Mexicano. Corner of Vine St (Route4) and Oak.
This place looks like mom and pop Mexican to the n'th degree. So I stopped outfront and squinted a peek in.

Looking thru the window it looks like four 4-top tables and a couple of deuces for seating . Thats it. Modelo signs indicate a liquor license.

Hours are 11am -8pm 7 days a week and even the days on the door schedule are written in Spanish.

I may give it a go tomorrow, but this definately a place where the food is either rediculously awesome and authentic, or it has you running for anti-biotics. Unpolished but homey decor.

No pain no gain.

jjjrfoodie

quote:

Originally posted by Bonk

All right...I have to try this Troni's. In two weeks we're going back to Oxford. Going to have to make a major detour.

I'm curious what everyone's top five pizzas in the area would be (Greater Cincinnati to Greater Dayton, I guess). I know the Cincinnati area is lacking a lot of great pizzerias, but there's still some good ones out there, and I'd be interested in what you folks' other top options are.

I would have to go with (keeping in mind I haven't tried Troni's):

1. Nikki's, Hebron, Ky.
2. Bourbon House and Pizzeria, Burlington, Ky.
3. BJ's, Tri-County Mall, Springdale, Ohio
4. Mac & Joe's, Oxford, Ohio
5. Chicago's Pizza, Fairfield, Ohio

Having been raised in Yonkers NY and almost living on pizza there for many years I have very definite ideas of what pizza should taste like. I have been to Nikkis and Grammas and La Rosas and frankly find their pizzas awful.

IMHO the two best pizza outfits in Greater Cinci and Dayton are Dewey's and Troni's. Nothing else compare to their quality and taste and consistency.

quote:

Originally posted by jjjrfoodie

Grabbed lunch at Chili Time in St. Bernard today (3-way and a cheese coney-yum!) and while cutting down Vine St. thru Elmwood Place, I notice El Original Restaurante Mexicano. Corner of Vine St (Route4) and Oak.
This place looks like mom and pop Mexican to the n'th degree. So I stopped outfront and squinted a peek in.

Looking thru the window it looks like four 4-top tables and a couple of deuces for seating . Thats it. Modelo signs indicate a liquor license.

Hours are 11am -8pm 7 days a week and even the days on the door schedule are written in Spanish.

I may give it a go tomorrow, but this definately a place where the food is either rediculously awesome and authentic, or it has you running for anti-biotics. Unpolished but homey decor.

No pain no gain.

jjjrfoodie

I love Chili Time... I used to eat there 2 or 3 times a week when I was a teenager at the Roselawn location before it closed. I still go to the St. Bernard location periodically just for some good eats... I usually go there after a long day at the Zoo with my family.

Their chili is pretty good and so are their double deckers...

quote:

Originally posted by NYPIzzaNut

quote:

Originally posted by Bonk

All right...I have to try this Troni's. In two weeks we're going back to Oxford. Going to have to make a major detour.

I'm curious what everyone's top five pizzas in the area would be (Greater Cincinnati to Greater Dayton, I guess). I know the Cincinnati area is lacking a lot of great pizzerias, but there's still some good ones out there, and I'd be interested in what you folks' other top options are.

I would have to go with (keeping in mind I haven't tried Troni's):

1. Nikki's, Hebron, Ky.
2. Bourbon House and Pizzeria, Burlington, Ky.
3. BJ's, Tri-County Mall, Springdale, Ohio
4. Mac & Joe's, Oxford, Ohio
5. Chicago's Pizza, Fairfield, Ohio

Having been raised in Yonkers NY and almost living on pizza there for many years I have very definite ideas of what pizza should taste like. I have been to Nikkis and Grammas and La Rosas and frankly find their pizzas awful.

IMHO the two best pizza outfits in Greater Cinci and Dayton are Dewey's and Troni's. Nothing else compare to their quality and taste and consistency.

I grew up on the west side of Chicago, which is why I'm big on Bourbon House and BJ's. I can eat Gramma's, don't like La Rosa's because of the sauce and the price, but Nikki's, awful? That's harsh.

But if we all liked the same thing life would be boring.

Nikkis crust does nothing for me - it is nothing like typical NY crust. That is its main deficiency and it simply ruins the pizza for me.

One of my coworkers claims that Nicky's pizzas are so greasy that they'll soak through the bottom of the box before he can get back to work with one. That's saying a lot considering we work in the big warehouse right directly behind them. It also doesn't help that the one time we had one delivered at work they couldn't find us. Stone Oven has a much better reputation with my coworkers.

I've been meaning to try Stone Oven for some time but it is kinda out of the way for me and the family....is it worth a trip from Mt Washington?

Also on the topic of pizza, I noted this weekend on a drive through Covington that both Germantown Pizza and Pizza Time are closed. I have no idea when they closed. The Germantown closing is especially said - they had been there for forever and a day. We ended up at[url='http://www.salvadorespizzeria.com/']Salvadore's[/url] (sed to be a Pasquale's, right? Good sauce, so-so crust, too much cheese. Not bad, not good either. The twisted breadsticks were pretty good. Don't go there if you avoid places that are not well cleaned/maintained.

For lunch Friday I ended up at my beloved Tan Thai and I was determined to order something I had never tried before because I'd never had a bad meal there no matter what I ordered. I ended up with my first serving ever of [url='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pad_see_ew']Pad see ew[/url], spice level 2 of 5. Not only was it absolutely fantastic, it is my new favorite dish there.

I also noted on Friday that Fresh - well, actually, they had recently rebranded themselves to "Southwest Fresh" and changed their menu to burritos, tacos, taco salads, etc etc - on the corner of 4th and Walnut has a sign up indicating they are closed permanently due to problems with the Bartlet Building (which has been in the news a lot lately due to non-payment of utilities and such, leaving tenants literlally in the dark)

For lunch today, we went to John Philips in Crestview Hills, and although the place was all but empty, the food was very good. My wife had an EXCELLENT 8oz filet mignon, and I had a very good spicy farfalle dish. I also had the crab and corn chowder, also very very good. Lunch prices were well under 10 dollars in most cases, with decent portion size. The filet was off the dinner menu and was $24 but imho well worth it - ultra tender, good outer crust indicative of a high heat broiler, and much more flavorful than the typical filet. Just before we left, they sat 3 adults at the booth next to ours (weird because the place was still empty as a mausoleum, and this is a big, big place) and all three ordered (without even glancing at the menu) the "crusted chicken". I am guessing this dish must also be pretty good, I'll try it on the next visit. Not a roadfood joint, not at all, but definitely good eats.

TJ, I will ask them about the downtown relation, and I will also try the Pad See Ew if it is on the menu. I can, at the very least, recommend the yellow curry at this point.

As far as pizza goes, I am partial to Adriatico's, but I realize that it is not very "convenient" due to its location and lack of a dining room.

Will miracles never cease? A very good pizzeria has come to the westside of Cincinnati. Noce's Pizzeria (New York style Pizzeria) next door to some of the best shrimp pad thai I've ever eaten. Takeout for lunch today at the suggestion of friend Pamela. Half Mattie Deluxe (Pepperoni, Sausage, Mushrooms, green peppers, onions & garlic) & Half white dream (garlic & oil, mozzarella, ricotta, tomato, broccoli & basic)... small... opens at 11... 4105B North Bend Road. 513.662.6623. I was most reluctant to try it... having been influenced by my luncbunch friend bob... am glad i took the plunge

quote:

Originally posted by franklee

Will miracles never cease? A very good pizzeria has come to the westside of Cincinnati. Noce's Pizzeria (New York style Pizzeria) next door to some of the best shrimp pad thai I've ever eaten. 4105B North Bend Road.

I assume this is in that small strip mall next to the UDF at the corner of North Bend and Westwood Northern. Wasn't there an Angilo's in there?

quote:

I assume this is in that small strip mall next to the UDF at the corner of North Bend and Westwood Northern. Wasn't there an Angilo's in there?

EDIT: Correct, it is in the Angilo's space . The comment about Thai food sent me off course.

Sorry.

jjjrfoodie

Noce's sounds like it is tween the Chinese takeout and the old Angelos in the strip center just below Westwood Northern - I cannot believe I am just now hearing about the place! Considering the fact that franklee and I often differ on pizza (and he was born and raised in Paris TN) I will have reserve judgment on the quality of the pies til I partake of their fare. Anyone who loads their pizza up the way franklee does and gets white sauce on half of it has to be suspect in their pizza acumen IMHO.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Also on the topic of pizza, I noted this weekend on a drive through Covington that both Germantown Pizza and Pizza Time are closed. I have no idea when they closed. The Germantown closing is especially said - they had been there for forever and a day.

For pizza on Dixie, my favorite is still Garzellis in Edgewood. Great pizza, calzones and grinders AND a full bar.

I was very fond of the Szechuan Wok in Silverton, which closed about one year ago (I think their last day was on a weekend in mid-November 2007.)

What Chinese place that has comparable food and perhaps ambiance can anyone recommend that is in the NE Cincinnati area, and preferably north of Cross County? (Butler or Warren would be even better, but I am not holding my breath.)

TIA!

I don't know any places north of Cross County but I really like Song Long in Roselawn... They have been open for at least 20yrs and their Vietnamese and Chinese food is very tasty... They are right by the corner of Section Rd and Reading Rd and across the street from the post office.

quote:

Originally posted by Bonk

All right...I have to try this Troni's. In two weeks we're going back to Oxford. Going to have to make a major detour.

I'm curious what everyone's top five pizzas in the area would be (Greater Cincinnati to Greater Dayton, I guess). I know the Cincinnati area is lacking a lot of great pizzerias, but there's still some good ones out there, and I'd be interested in what you folks' other top options are.

I would have to go with (keeping in mind I haven't tried Troni's):

1. Nikki's, Hebron, Ky.
2. Bourbon House and Pizzeria, Burlington, Ky.
3. BJ's, Tri-County Mall, Springdale, Ohio
4. Mac & Joe's, Oxford, Ohio
5. Chicago's Pizza, Fairfield, Ohio

Bourbon House is also one of my favorites - they have the BEST Chicago style I've had this far south of Chicago itself. The traditional crust isn't bad either. I've heard good things about Nikki's and will try that soon. I'm curious what you think of Stone Oven which is also in Hebron? I think it's pretty good New York style - always has a nice blackened crust like at John's in NYC. You know, Larosa's get's a bad rap, but for everyday pizza, there's nuthin' wrong with it. I am a total pizza-head and I've had FAR worse than Larosa's, believe me! Dewey's is just about my favorite around here - great chewy crust and really fresh toppings. So my top 5 would be:

Dewey's - Crestview Hills, KY
Stone Oven - Hebron, KY
Bourbon House - Burlington, KY
Riverfront Pizza - Covington, KY
Adriaticos - Clifton, OH (old college favorite)

For chains, I'll take Larosa's anyday. :-)

Now if you want to talk about the very BEST steak hoagie on the planet, go to Parker's Pizzeria in Georgetown, OH. It's in my hometown and I've never found a better "log" anywhere!

Since we are talking pizza ~

I can't wait to try Troni's, but I never get that far north. Well, never is a harsh word. If I ever am up that way, I can't wait to try it!!

I live in the Adriatico's delivery area, and I hate to burst any bubbles ... they are pretty good most of the time, but I've had disappointing pizzas. Usually because it tasted like the sauce had "turned" {kinda icky tasting...not the normal tasting sauce}. I have changed to ordering their "Zoni's" {calzones} that use the same dough, but I get the sauce on the side. They are very reasonable and still have free delivery.

Papa Dino's uses a pre-made crust, but their Greek Pizza is a fabulous delivery order, late at night. http://www.campusfood.com/restaurant.asp?restid=2592&campusid=383

Pomodori's wood-fired pizzas are the best in the Clifton area, but you cannot get them delivered. You have to pick them up. But you can order specialty pizzas, delivered, with different kinds of crusts. http://www.campusfood.com/menu/items.asp?restid=3015&campusid=383

Dewey's is pretty great. http://deweyspizza.com/menu I love it, but Pomi's was around before Dewey's.

Martino's on Vine has a pretty good pizza. Nothing amazing, but the prices are good. http://www.martinosonvine.com/ The website is not up to date, but on Tuesday they give you a pre-made crust, and have a small "fixins" bar, where you construct your own pizza for $4.99. Not a bad deal. There are other pizzas on the menu that are much better. The hoagies are one of the reasons to go. The whole hoagie is 2 feet long!!! The half hoagie is a foot long.

Another deal at Martino's, on Wednesday... you get a burger with cheese, fries and either a soft drink or draft beer for $4.00, with a "fixins" bar to put whatever you want on your burger. Seriously, that price is unbeatable!!! The prices are set for college students, on a budget, but anyone is welcome.

Does anyone know why Jalapenos closed?

quote:

Originally posted by Euched

I don't know any places north of Cross County but I really like Song Long in Roselawn... They have been open for at least 20yrs and their Vietnamese and Chinese food is very tasty... They are right by the corner of Section Rd and Reading Rd and across the street from the post office.

I simply love Song Long - I have been eating there for years and my favorite items are

LV4. Bun Bo Hue Soup

Our spicy lemongrass and beef broth with round rice noodles and sliced beef. (You can get your spice level from 1-10)

and

Goi Cuon (2 cold spring shrimp rolls)

They have many items on their menu that are great but I just fell in love with these two. And they are more than a meal - the soup bowl is HUGE!

Here is a link to part of their lunch menu (the prices may be out of date I think) from menuism.com:

http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/bOiW90PjCr25QMabBlKsEs-song-long-restaurant-cincinnati-oh#the-menu

quote:

Originally posted by Delilah77

Does anyone know why Jalapenos closed?

Which one?

The one downtown closed due to high food prices caused by high rent.
The one on Colerain Ave, closed due to lack of business.
The one on Montgomery Rd. in Kenwood just north of the mall is open last time I checked.

jjjrfoodie

TJ, I see that you have edited your earlier post, but the new Springdale Tan Thai location is indeed "related" to the downtown one, the main difference being that the Springdale location is open for both lunch and dinner. I had the Pad See Ew today, which was excellent. Thanks for the recommendation!

I was asking about the one on Hosbrook in Kenwood, jjrfoodie. It has been closed for a few weeks now, but the closing was sudden. I've looked online but couldn't find any information.

re: Jalapeno's
click[url='http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blog14&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a1921648a-c77d-4218-b8c1-5af7ab309046Post%3af09814f2-f6a6-48c2-b5c4-641902eeabcb&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com']here[/url]

quote:

Originally posted by NYPIzzaNut

quote:

Originally posted by Euched

I don't know any places north of Cross County but I really like Song Long in Roselawn... They have been open for at least 20yrs and their Vietnamese and Chinese food is very tasty... They are right by the corner of Section Rd and Reading Rd and across the street from the post office.

I simply love Song Long - I have been eating there for years and my favorite items are

LV4. Bun Bo Hue Soup

Our spicy lemongrass and beef broth with round rice noodles and sliced beef. (You can get your spice level from 1-10)

and

Goi Cuon (2 cold spring shrimp rolls)

They have many items on their menu that are great but I just fell in love with these two. And they are more than a meal - the soup bowl is HUGE!

Here is a link to part of their lunch menu (the prices may be out of date I think) from menuism.com:

http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/bOiW90PjCr25QMabBlKsEs-song-long-restaurant-cincinnati-oh#the-menu

I just recently checked out Song Long and have been back a couple of times. My favorites are:

CS4. Bo Tai Chanh A delicious cold beef salad and
VS4. Tom Thit Ram Pork and Shrimp in Black Pepper Sauce. I'll need a 12 step program to stop eating this.

As far as cold rolls go I prefer the ones from Chopsticks in West Chester. Their Banh Mi are great too as is any dish with chargrilled pork. If you are up that way and looking for Vietnamese north of 275 I highly recommend Chopsticks.

I'm up in Hamilton but whenever I have to hit Kenwood to go to Trader Joe's or the Apple Store I always swing by Song Long.