WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

Never have gotten back to Hibachi Master.

The cost and intestinal distress you mentioned should pretty much stop me from even pondering a visit

As mentioned elsewhere in this topic, Cincinnati has experienced an explosion of invividually owned Americanized-Mexican restaurants. One of the most successfully of these is now a mini chain, with each location named the sae as the chain: Margarita's. There was once many years ago just a single location on Beechmont near where I live, and it was at the time very, very good food at a great price. Now there are a dozen or so locations, including two downtown (Tower Place Mall alongside the foodcourt, and on 6th between Main and Sycamore)

I hadn't eaten there in many years due to the increased prices and lowered quality of the food, but due to their continued popularity decided to give them another chance today.

Unfortunately, it was just as I had reembered. The lowest priced lunch "special" was 6 dollars: the "Speedy Gonzalez" featuring a skimpy taco, the world's smallest enchilada, and either rice or beans. Everything was very bland and watery, with little or no spice at work. I left hungry and over 8 dollars poorer to boot.

I'd recommend skipping this establishment even if you're in the mood for Mexican....it will not satisfy you.

quote:

The second time I went into Langano, they had the injera flat on the plate, like one might place a doily under a fancy dessert. The oblong dish of meat and sauce was then placed atop that. I thought it odd to stack dishes atop food, and so I lifted it up and pulled the injera out before I chowed down

From what little I know, this sounds a bit odd. Maybe you were supposed to upend the dish onto the injera before eating? Do you think they had your meat prefilled into the dish and microwaved it?

This veers way off topic, but all the injera talk got me hungry so I found a recipe and made some the other nite. It's very simple and easy. The tot and I ate it wrapped around some leftover barbecued pork loin - nearly but not quite as good as what I had at BBQ Revue.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

As mentioned elsewhere in this topic, Cincinnati has experienced an explosion of invividually owned Americanized-Mexican restaurants. One of the most successfully of these is now a mini chain, with each location named the sae as the chain: Margarita's. There was once many years ago just a single location on Beechmont near where I live, and it was at the time very, very good food at a great price. Now there are a dozen or so locations, including two downtown (Tower Place Mall alongside the foodcourt, and on 6th between Main and Sycamore)

I hadn't eaten there in many years due to the increased prices and lowered quality of the food, but due to their continued popularity decided to give them another chance today.

Unfortunately, it was just as I had reembered. The lowest priced lunch "special" was 6 dollars: the "Speedy Gonzalez" featuring a skimpy taco, the world's smallest enchilada, and either rice or beans. Everything was very bland and watery, with little or no spice at work. I left hungry and over 8 dollars poorer to boot.

I'd recommend skipping this establishment even if you're in the mood for Mexican....it will not satisfy you.

No kidding. We ate at the Beechmont location a few weeks back. Bland food. Poor service. Brat kid at the table next to us. So easy to not consider them again. Try Rio Grande in Newport if you're in the mood for good Mexican.

quote:

Originally posted by Wallyum

Here's my take on the Wiener Haus. Ever seen the local commercials for the German butcher in the area where the kids all speak German at the commercial's end? One of their trucks was parked behind the restaurant last night. Looks like a locally run place, and the menu is tempting. (If you like that kind of stuff.) One of the things they serve is a garlic frank, which I'll forever remember as Saturday Baseball Game Of The Week food with my Dad and Grandfather when I was a kid. I'll have to take Dad out there some night when we're playing bachelor.

BillC and I got carry-out from the Wiener Haus at the Crestview Hills Town Center last evening. Bill had the Bratwurst Sandwich, the Wiener Haus Dog, and a Potato Pancake. I had the Schnitzel Sandwich and a Potato Pancake. They sell some German beers so I picked up a couple of dark ("Dunkel") Warsteiners to go.

The Wiener Haus is indeed a local place owned by the folks that own the German Cuisine butcher shop in Elsmere.

Bill said that the bratwurst was very good; German Cuisine's usual high quality sausage. He also commented that the mix of onions and red peppers that garnished the brat was quite tasty. The hotdog was also good (I had a bite).

The schnitzel is a thin, breaded "pork steak" and it was delicious. It was garnished with lettuce and tomato and Wiener Haus's "signature sauce". I loved the sauce which is thinner than mayo and tasted of dill which is always pleasing to me. The schnitzel was served on a roll which, in my opinion, didn't do much for the sandwich. In the future, I'm going to see if they'll put it on a couple of slices of rye and hold the tomato.

The potato pancake was better than most. Deep-fried with crispy edges and a soft center, it wasn't overwhelmed with too much of an onion flavor. Bill thought it was a tad too greasy, but I didn't notice that. A small side of apple sauce came with the pancakes.

The Wiener Haus has several varieties of sausage including Mettwurst, Polish Kielbasa, Italian Sausage, a Chicken and Apple Bratwurst, Beer Sausage and a spicier Mettwurst. Sandwiches include a Reuben and a breaded Cod Fish sandwich. There are a couple of salads and a vegetarian hotdog on the menu. Not many sides other than the pancake and fries.

They also offer Oktoberfest-style Cream Puffs which looked tempting but which don't fit into my diet plan right now .

When I got there at 5:30, most of their tables were occupied (it's a small place) and several people were waiting for carry-out which moved pretty quickly. I also liked the fact that they serve German beer.

We thought the Wiener Haus was worth another visit.

Sandy

Is Wiener Haus a chain, SttG?

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Is Wiener Haus a chain, SttG?

Not yet.

It is owned by Detlef Koeppe of German Cuisine fame and features butcher Stefan Neumann's finest goodies.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Is Wiener Haus a chain, SttG?

Nope, or should I say Nein. Alco251 is correct.

Alco, are you implying that they may expand?

TJ, have you ever gotten to the German Cuisine shop itself? Interesting place. Go on Saturdays and listen to all the native German speakers buying mass quantities of meat and European breads.

Well, Indian cuisine has finally arrived in Northern Kentucky. I had heard rumors that the woman who owns Apna Indian Restaurant on Ludlow in Clifton was planning to open a place in Florence. Finally we saw an ad (with coupon) in the Weekend section of the Enquirer. So, armed with the coupon, we went looking for Apna on Connector Drive in Florence, just off Mall Road. We drove the length of Connector and didn't see it. Lo and behold, however, we did see a banner for the Taj India Restaurant, right next to the Florence Cinemas. We decided to try the Taj.

The Taj India has only been open for a few weeks; still waiting for the liquor license. Despite that fact, and the fact we saw no ads for this place, they were doing brisk business. It's probably a case of "location, location, location" since it's located next to the Cinemas and near Barnes and Noble where it's bright yellow banner would be noticed by folks who might know and like Indian food.

It looks like a traditional Indian restaurant inside with tablecloths, real glassware, and a buffet setup (not in use on a Saturday night). The staff on the floor all appear to be from India and, for some of them, English was still a little shaky. Our waiter, however, sounded like a native American speaker. The menu is extensive including tandoori, biryani, curries and other traditional Indian restaurant dishes. There were lots of vegetarian dishes as well as many, many chicken and lamb dishes. There are no less than thirteen appetizers on the menu.

Bill ordered the Vegetarian Thali dinner which included a vegetable samosa (filled pastry), a lentil dish, a spinach and cheese dish, and a chickpea dish, and raita (a yoghurt/cucumber dish that cools the inflamed palate). He ordered it with medium heat. He also ordered a mango lassi.

I ordered an appetizer of Shammi kebab which are minced, spiced lamb patties served with chopped onions and green peppers and a trio of chutneys. I also ordered Chicken Tikka Makhni which is marinated chicken in a tomato, butter, and cream sauce, served with rice. I asked for mild heat. We also got a side of Nan, a tandoori baked bread.

Everything was quite good. I loved the flavorful Makhni sauce and sopped up all of it with the nan. I liked the flavor of the minced lamb patties but they were a little hard and tended to crumble under the fork.

Bill liked all of his dishes. I did too since he graciously invited me to taste them. The spinach and cheese combination (Sagg Paneer) which absolutely delicious. The medium heat had a cumulative effect and we were glad that the raita came with his dinner.

The whole dinner cost $33.51. Food was plentiful so that was quite reasonable. We overheard other diners commenting on how good their dinners were, so other items on the menu must have been equally successful.

As for Apna, we went looking for it on Connector after we left the Taj. After several passes, we found a sign in a window indicating that Apna Restaurant and Indian Grocery would be opening soon. The Apna will be down at the other end of Connector, almost next to the Cathay Kitchen. This rather obscure location may make it difficult for Apna to compete with Taj for Northern Kentucky's Indian food market. Judging from last night's turn out at the Taj, however, there may just be enough interest in Indian food in N.KY to make both places viable.

The Taj is located at 7677 Mall Road. Phone is 859 594-4825 and they have a carry-out menu.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I might be able to get over to Teranga (in a strip center on Vine just north of Galbraith in the Hartwell area) at some point.

I love Teranga, great Senegalese food. The only problem we've run into is that the wait for your food is considerable. Most of their business (at least on the two occasions we've been) is take-out, where people call ahead. Now, this was for dinner, not lunch, but I'd say that if you don't have at least a couple hours for your meal, it might be difficult.

That said, I really like their lamb, fried plantains and the deep-fried fish.

quote:

The second time I went into Langano, they had the injera flat on the plate, like one might place a doily under a fancy dessert. The oblong dish of meat and sauce was then placed atop that. I thought it odd to stack dishes atop food, and so I lifted it up and pulled the injera out before I chowed down

Huh, yeah, that's odd. I mean, yeah, we've had the food spooned out directly on the injera, as I understand that's traditional. But never food in dishes set on top of the bread.

We haven't made it to Langano yet, but it's definitely on the list. :)

J & W Bar-b-que
On Montgomery Rd. at Lawndale
(At border of Norwood and Pleasant Ridge in Cincinnati)
EDIT:Busuiness hours as of July 2006: Thursday-Saturday 11-8

Well, on my way back from a meeting, I’d thought I’d stop by a barbeque establishment that I have not eaten at for more than a year and give it a current go. J & W Bar-b-que is a local (to me anyway) “side of the road” joint that has been around for some 5 or so years. It used to reside across the street in the lot of a small pony keg where the large smoker/bbq pit ran late hours and was locked in at nite by huge metal wagon wheels. Quite a sight indeed. Well they decided to get a semi-permanent trailer and move across the street where patrons at least had a place to park. Keen idea that was.

Last time I ate here I had the pork tips by default as most of the menu was depleted, and was slightly disappointed. Thought I’d try again as this place qualifies in that gray area between cart food and brick and mortar restaurant and the sides last time were enough to come back for.

As I was there for lunch today, I was looking for something kinda in the Goldilocks realm (not too big, not too small—just right). They had shredded pork listed for $2.75 and I asked if it could be made into a sandwich w/bbq sauce. They happily accommodated me (I assume this is a common order) and I asked for a side of mac n cheese which was listed at 1.00, but I was charged only $0.75.



Well, for a total of $3.50, the portion size was huge as you can see (filled up a large size take away container!). I could have actually made two sandwiches from the meat that they provided for my one purchase. As for the food, the pulled pork seemed not to be brined prior to cooking, so there were parts that seemed drier than others, but the meat was doen to perfection. The smoke flavor was present, but not overwhelming. BBQ sauce options were mild and hot, and I went for the hot, which was spicy with a nice dose of vinegar, but not overly spicy for most folks. (I will order extra BBQ sauce next time I go as I ran out of sauce before I ran out of meat.) The pork was tender and definitely made with love, and would be something I could eat once a week for lunch all summer long should my waistline agree which I doubt.

The mac n cheese was creamy with large elbow macaroni noodles, making my guess that this too was made locally or on site and a local favorite. No small elbows to indicate box stuff, and no caking to say cooked to long.

Specials included bbq pigs feet and greens and cornbread for the die hards as well as a full line of pork, beef and chicken. Burgers and the like are also offered. Prices outside of the sandwiches are midrange, and I’ll have to go back to sample the ribs and a few other bits when I get a chance. Hours are kinda whacky and intermittent (but they are always there on Friday and Saturday for lunch through late dinner), but if you are ever in the Kenwood or Norwood area and care to pop down Montgomery Rd. for some reasonably priced rustic but good BBQ fare, I’d check it out.
(Oh, they do have a picnic table if you care to eat there. And by "a", I mean one).

Enjoy

quote:

Originally posted by Wallyum

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

As mentioned elsewhere in this topic, Cincinnati has experienced an explosion of invividually owned Americanized-Mexican restaurants. One of the most successfully of these is now a mini chain, with each location named the sae as the chain: Margarita's. There was once many years ago just a single location on Beechmont near where I live, and it was at the time very, very good food at a great price. Now there are a dozen or so locations, including two downtown (Tower Place Mall alongside the foodcourt, and on 6th between Main and Sycamore)

I hadn't eaten there in many years due to the increased prices and lowered quality of the food, but due to their continued popularity decided to give them another chance today.

Unfortunately, it was just as I had reembered. The lowest priced lunch "special" was 6 dollars: the "Speedy Gonzalez" featuring a skimpy taco, the world's smallest enchilada, and either rice or beans. Everything was very bland and watery, with little or no spice at work. I left hungry and over 8 dollars poorer to boot.

I'd recommend skipping this establishment even if you're in the mood for Mexican....it will not satisfy you.

No kidding. We ate at the Beechmont location a few weeks back. Bland food. Poor service. Brat kid at the table next to us. So easy to not consider them again. Try Rio Grande in Newport if you're in the mood for good Mexican.

Or Rincon Mexicano, in the Bigg's development in Eastgate. We've loved this place for years. Different staff every time. Great nachos. Terrific entrees, including Chicken mole', which isn't available everywhere. Highly recommended.

Just thought I'd mention that I stopped at City BBQ last Saturday for a post-launch meal only to find it closed. There's a sign on the door that says they closed early due to inoperable smokers, but the signs are gone and a guy who stopped as I was walking back to my van said they'd been closed since just after Mother's Day, which was right after I visited a few weeks back. This guy said that they were always busy, so it doesn't sound like that was the problem. Maybe they had a rent squabble like Johnny Rockets at NOTL. Too bad. The thought of another brisket sandwich had me pretty hopped up for BBQ again, but I rebounded nicely to Chipotle. (The lady gave me extra meat because she said I looked hungry. It's a gift I have honed through the years.)

I'll mail the president of City BBQ and see if he can tell me what's up...and if so, report back

I hope they are not gone - very good q, imho

I added some more info re: Dinks yesterday and today

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6637&whichpage=11#187468

I went ahead and called the main number for City BBQ and learned some things - good news and bad

The bad news: the franchise rights for Westchester have been terminated. Since there are legal implications to this, I couldn't blame the fellow I talked to on the phone for not telling me much more. He would say that he does not believe this location will reopen.

The good news: a new location will open in the late July to late August time frame at 3804 Paxton Road in Hyde Park. Looks to be in the Hyde Park Plaza Shopping Center. Right in my neck of the woods! :-) On th other hand, I suspect this means one of the other restaurants there went out of business....I'll report back when I know more

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I went ahead and called the main number for City BBQ and learned some things - good news and bad

The bad news: the franchise rights for Westchester have been terminated. Since there are legal implications to this, I couldn't blame the fellow I talked to on the phone for not telling me much more. He would say that he does not believe this location will reopen.

The good news: a new location will open in the late July to late August time frame at 3804 Paxton Road in Hyde Park. Looks to be in the Hyde Park Plaza Shopping Center. Right in my neck of the woods! :-) On th other hand, I suspect this means one of the other restaurants there went out of business....I'll report back when I know more

Well, that's closer to home, but that doesn't help curb my post-launch bbq lust.
Based on the way things looked up there, I'm going to say it will reopen as a different q establishment. Just a hunch.

I got an email reply from Rick Malir, the president of City BBQ and in addition to reiterating what the guy who answered the phone there had said yesterday, he added this additional tidbit in reference to the Westchester location:

"We hope to take over the restaurant in the very near future as a company owned restaurant"

Sounds good to me :-)

I met some friends last evening for dinner at AOI Japanese Cuisine at Newport on the Levee. The resaurant is on the "Valet Level", sort of across from Brio.

I have to say the food was very good, but apart from the sushi menu and a few dishes, it hardly seemed Japanese. Food was more on the order of fusion food which reflects the ownership. An article in the Enquirer indicates that it's owned by restraunteur Karl Heinz Braese and his wife Grace in collarboration with Shigeyoshi "Midori" Midorikawa, who is the executive chef at JoAn Japanese Restaurant in Erlanger.

Appetizers are generally in the $5.00 to $8.00 range. Sushi is about that range too. Entrees are priced from $8.00 to $32.00 (steak), but tend to hover around $15.00. Japanese beer is $5.00 for a regular-sized bottle.

There was a specials menu but they were already out of the shrimp dumplings I tried to order so I went with a cold thinly sliced duck breast which came with a mixed fruit chutney. One of my friends ordered the special "Surf and Turf Roll" which consisted of cooked broiled sirloin, steamed lobster claw, and asparagus with sushi rice in a seaweed wrapping. It was sliced into five pieces and drizzled with some sort of butter sauce. Both appetizers were absolutely delicious but they sure weren't sushi.

One friend ordered the barbecue pork entree which was thinly sliced pork loin with sauce that was neither too sweet or vinegary. Fruity, maybe? It also came with a steamed veggies.

Another friend had a much more traditional Japanese bowl of fried pork cutlet with boiled egg mixed in, over rice. The breading was very light (not unlike tempura breading), the pork was very tender, and the flavor was just wonderful.

The other friend and I both ordered Soba noodles in red miso sauce with beef. This dish had a pleasing earthy flavor and smelled heavenly. The beef was clearly a good cut of tender steak. There were a few pieces of asparagus added into this dish which was a perfect compliment but, again, not quite Japanese. This dish, by the way, was only $11.00 but I thought it was the best of the ones we tried.

We decided to split a clearly non-Japanese dessert of a small dark chocolate cake with a dark chocolate mousse core topped with whipped cream and sliced strawberries and kiwi, sitting in a raspberry sauce.

My meal which included an Asahi beer was $26.00 which isn't bad considering the quality of the food.

All said and done, it was good but it didn't dislodge my preference for Matsuya Japanese Restaurant in Florence which serves traditional Japanese in a comfortable, casual setting.

Here's a link to the menu:

www.newportonthelevee.com/directory/detail.aspx?id=6

Eminent Domain on the Levee...ack :-)

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden



All said and done, it was good but it didn't dislodge my preference for Matsuya Japanese Restaurant in Florence which serves traditional Japanese in a comfortable, casual setting.

I've been wanting to try Matsuya for a while, but sadly, we don't often get to the Florence area. What do you usually get there?

When we get a sushi craving, we usually head for Ando in Blue Ash, just off 71. Rather small place, but it's more traditional than what you described at AOI, plus you can ask for the list of Japanese appetizers. Someone is usually happy to help translate, it's a family owned and run place that is very friendly, and the sushi is fantastic.

quote:

Originally posted by arianej

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden




I've been wanting to try Matsuya for a while, but sadly, we don't often get to the Florence area. What do you usually get there?

Oh, it varies although there are some staple dishes I tend to go with. I've included a link to Matsuya's menu but it's been updated a bit since this was put on the web.

There is a flounder appetizer that features about five pieces of flounder with a tangy pickled plum in a light tempura-like batter. It is so good that it's hard for me to pass up each time we go there. I also get the agedashi dofu which is squares of fried tofu in a vinegary sauce with chopped scallions and a paste of mildly spicy pimento-like pepper. I also like the fried shumai which are shrimp balls that come with a thin dipping sauce, sort of like the sauce served with the tofu. I rarely use the sauce since the shrimp balls are so good by themselves.

For a main dish, I usually get the yaki soba, the miso ramen, or the shrimp and scallop dinner, all of which are excellent.

Sometimes on Friday evening, Bill and I order carry-out of a sushi dinner (which comes with miso soup and a salad) which we split. The sushi is excellent here too.

I can relate to the friendly atmosphere of your favorite place, Ando. Matsuya is in a small, modest strip mall off Dixie Hwy. The owner and chief sushi chef, Mr. Matsu****a (sp?) seems to be there every evening. Some of the wait-staff have been there for years and are very welcoming and helpful with the menu as well as the specials which are posted in Japanese. At least half, if not more, of the patrons are Japanese. There is a tatami room where families or groups are often seated. It doesn't have the corporate atmosphere of JoAn and feels like a neighborhood place. AOI was beautiful and had a rather hushed, formal feel to it. (My friends and I agreed that it had one of the most beautiful bathrooms we'd ever seen in a restaurant, hardly relevant to the food.)

There is a Japanese grocery next door to Matsuya, also owned by Matsuya's owner.

Any particularly interesting dishes at Ando?

www.cincinnati.com/dining/matsuya/

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Eminent Domain on the Levee...ack :-)

Yeah, the place has a soul-less quality to it and, IMO, some of the restaurants fit that description as well, although there is at least one exception, Cafe Istanbul. I have to admit I also like the fish at Mitchell's Fish Market even though that's a chain. I haven't been to the Pacific Moon at the Levee which might also be good since people rave about the original location in Montgomery. We went to the one in Montgomery a couple of times back in the '80s and liked it but we don't get out that way much any more. I do like some of Dewey's pizzas.

Bill and I went to the Bamboo Club which we found to have a bland, generic, mostly Chinese menu; way overpriced. I had lunch at Brio and thought it was an expensive disappointment. Claddagh is o.k. And then there's Johnny Rocket's (ho hum). Of course, there is a Cold-Stone Creamery there which has some of the blandest, most flavorless ice cream (ice-milk?) I've ever eaten. Not worth the calories. And Fat Fish Blue , which was also just o.k., went under.

Still, it's given Newport a kick in the pants and a whole lot of traffic which may help it overcome its, uh, "interesting" past.

Newports "interesting" past hopefully will never be forgotten. Someone will cash in on it someday. I have a collection of casino chips from the good 'ol day's. Mama worked at the White Horse Tavern and at the Beverly Hills Supper Clup for a while "back in the day". Say's the out of town "business" men tipped very well to the kitchen as well as the front. Has the Anchor Grill been mentioned yet? There's a place in Florence called Shakey's Pub that I would recommend. It's across the street from the Wildwood motel on Rt.42. This guy knows how to run a bar that really specializes in food. Good food not just your average pub grub! Pan fried chicken on Sunday's mmmmmm!

Newport's problem is that they concentrate the clean-up on one small spot and neglect the rest of the city. There are some spots that I'm leary of going into in the daytime, much less night, and I grew up playing ball down there. Trust me, the worthwhile traffic is in the levee area only. The traffic in the other parts of town is nothing but trouble. Nothing has changed, the locations have just shifted.

quote:

Originally posted by Pat T Hat

Newports "interesting" past hopefully will never be forgotten. Someone will cash in on it someday. I have a collection of casino chips from the good 'ol day's. Mama worked at the White Horse Tavern and at the Beverly Hills Supper Clup for a while "back in the day". Say's the out of town "business" men tipped very well to the kitchen as well as the front. Has the Anchor Grill been mentioned yet? There's a place in Florence called Shakey's Pub that I would recommend. It's across the street from the Wildwood motel on Rt.42. This guy knows how to run a bar that really specializes in food. Good food not just your average pub grub! Pan fried chicken on Sunday's mmmmmm!

There's a good book about the good ol' days of Newport called Razzle Dazzle by the late Hank Messick who was an investigative reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal and who got close enough to the situation to have his life threatened. Some of the names involved in the corruption will sound eerily familiar in a more contemporary way, if you know what I mean. It's worth a read. I borrowed it from the Kenton County Library. Phil's Books and Records may have some copies since Phil's bought out "For the Love of Books" which was the publisher. A few years back, Jeff Ruby invited some of the key figures back for the opening of the Tropicana, as a nostalgic touch. Seem harmless now but they were pretty bad boys back in the day.

The Enquirer featured an article on the Anchor Grill a few weeks ago. I pass on the way to work in the morning and I'd like to hear what you think of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Wallyum

Newport's problem is that they concentrate the clean-up on one small spot and neglect the rest of the city. There are some spots that I'm leary of going into in the daytime, much less night, and I grew up playing ball down there. Trust me, the worthwhile traffic is in the levee area only. The traffic in the other parts of town is nothing but trouble. Nothing has changed, the locations have just shifted.

Yeah, still lots of prostitution and drugs in certain parts of Newport. Recently Newport and Dayton have been plagued by an upsurge in heroin deaths among 18 to 25 year olds. It's moving over to Covington now.

I loved the Anchor! I've not been in a while but they use to rock a mean grill. I'd go there after shift when I use to bartend. Steak and eggs were my thing there. Always just right! I love it when you can get a place that fry's a perfect over medium egg. Steak was always just at medium too. Never had it so I'm not sure if the goetta is home made or that packaged dog food soaked in nitrates so many places use. Biscuits and gravy was a little above average. If Flo from "Alice" lived in NKY the Anchor is where she'd work! WAY back when, I use to go to the Pepper Pod but I hear they have gone down hill. I have to go up that way some time this week and I may check it out. I'm not even sure they're open anymore. Hmmm the Anchor for breakfast and the Pod for lunch. Now that's a plan!!! Thanks for the heads up on the book! I'll check out my library and see if it's on the shelf.

WOW! Did we get an unpleasant surprise for dinner last night! We made a return trip to The Brick House in O'Bryenville. Years ago it was known as The Brickyard and had some of the best pizza in Cincinnati. After closing, several restaurants failed in the same location, so someone came upon the bright idea of trying to do the Brickyard all over again. Well, apparently they're not trying too hard. Last night we went for pizza at around 6:30. We ordered pretzels as an appetizer since both kids were starving. They were fine, but they were out of the cheese sauce for dipping. Minor inconvenience. Both kids ordered small pepperoni pizzas, while my wife and I split a Greek pizza. Ten minutes after we ordered our waitress came out and informed us that they were out of pepperoni! They had enough to put four or five slices on my daughters pizza, and my son changed his order to sausage and bacon. When the pizzas came, neither of the kids finished more than a slice. Our Greek pizza was fine, but I'm not sure that will be enough to get us back, and at this rate I can't imagine them lasting out the summer. Used to be a nice place, with a pretty good jukebox and televisions tuned to baseball/football, but too much has changed for the worse (including the sauce) for us to consider putting them back into the regular rotation. Too bad. In their day they were right up there with the best, if not the best.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden
Any particularly interesting dishes at Ando?

Thanks for all the details! The flounder appetizer does sound good, and agedashi tofu is one of my favorites.

Ando has a relatively small menu, I think, but there's a few things we like to keep an eye out for... On the regular menu, they list an option called "santen-mori", a chef's choice of 3 appetizers. Ando-san will create something completely off the menu for it, and what we've received ranged from tiny grilled quail, some kind of small shrimp deep fried whole, asparagus spears wrapped with a thin slice of fish and tempura fried, a tartare of belly tuna, white tuna and scallions, with finely julienned nori on top (good lord, I love that one), cubes of bonito in a tangy cucumber dressing, thin slices of roast pork stuffed with something I don't recall but that was delicious, succuelent pieces of pork belly braised in soy sauce and sake, um...

Shoot, there's more, but I can't recall them all off the top of my head. If he's not busy (assuming you're seated at the bar) he'll explain to you what stuff is and will occasionally give us something that is a bit more traditional to see if we like it, and we generally do. Oh, there's a nice raw beef appetizer on the regular menu too, it comes to your table thinly sliced with a raw quail egg on the side for dipping.

Off the Japanese appetizer list, they have very large panko fried oysters when in season that were delicious, ankimo (monkfish liver) that's a bit like pate, and grilled squid with mayo dipping sauce that I liked. On the sushi list, they occasionally have specials written in Japanese and English, probably seasonal or special orders. The imported uni is wonderful stuff, sweet and creamy. I like the horse mackerel and bluefin tuna. To be quite honest, I haven't tried that much of their cooked food, we're too addicted to sushi!

We've been going to Ando for a while, back when they were still located in Lebanon. The new location in Blue Ash is, unfortunately, significantly smaller and they now have no back room but still get big parties of Japanese businessmen regularly. Also, I don't think they have a liquor license, but you can BYOB.