WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

Valle Verde Taqueria has opened on 6700 block of Vine in Elmwood Place next to the Mexican grocery that has been there for some time.  Hole in the wall in a fairly depressed neighborhood, but if you are always on the lookout for authentic Mexican food like me, give it a try.  If you are a non-Hispanic, you will be in the minority there.  Had 3 tacos for lunch and I was not disappointed.  Homemade corn tortillas, your choice of meats, lots of cilantro and onions.  Real deal green and red hot sauce upon request.  The al Pastor was beautiful.  The Asada steak taco had small tender bits of beef that were crunchy on a few edges -nice.  The Barbacoa was plentiful, tender and flavorful.  My lunch partner gave good marks to his enchiladas, beans, rice. 

Has anyone been to The Green Plantain lately? There is a Yelp review as recent as November 22, but I tried placing a takeout order today, and the phone/fax number listed on their Web site just rings and rings. I found two other phone numbers through a Google search, but both have been disconnected.

Some misc updates, all downtown-ish

First, that 'healthy italian' restaurant is already open.  Looks interesting - salads and paninis and (probabbly the same) slices of pizza.  Most interesting to me is that an available ingredient is proscuitto di parma - on sandwiches and on pizza.  Will check it out soon

Second, Polly has two reports of interest

--Mullane's is reopening at a new location (1222 Race  St): http://cincinnati.com/blo.../mullanes-coming-back/

--Busken's Bakery downtown is reopening at the former Mythos Location on 7th between Walnut and Main: http://cincinnati.com/blo...12/07/busken-downtown/

and sorry DLawson, I have not made it up to Green Plantain yet.  Lots of competition in that area for latin-ish fare....hope they are just closed on a fluke

Walked by Burrito Joe's on Main St. ~ It has a "For Lease" sign in the window.
 
TJ~What & where is the "healthy Italian" restaurant?

Greetings everyone--this is my first post, so I hope I'm doing it OK.

I would welcome suggestions for good inexpensive restaurants on or near the west side of Cincinnati. I know about Price Hill Chili, Sebastian's, J&J's, and Les Flick's. Good food at a restaurant with character. Thanks in advance! John

JC - welcome to the thread

I realize that the west side of Cincinnati is indeed closer than the east side to your stated location (San Fran) but I'd think after traveling that far, what would a few more miles (to the east side) matter? :-)

Seriously, tho - let me add Trotta's Pizza Drive-In to your list, as well as Noce's Pizza on North Bend Road. 

You've already named my absolute west side favorite - Sebastian's

Soozy - nice to meet you finally, and the pizza was delicious as always but next time I want to get the garlic on top of the cheese so it toasts up a bit - and definitely well done to firm up that center crust a bit

Hi TJ, thanks for your response to my question. Not far in miles, but for some, like my parents on the west side, other parts of Cincinnati are worlds away. They don't like leaving 45238 except in an emergency. A great, inexpensive, senior-friendly restaurant might qualify!

I actually grew up in Cinci but haven't been back much in years. Didn't Trotta's used to be a car wash, and then a drive-in pony-keg (is that the right term)? I'm looking forward to checking it out, and exploring some of the other great roadfood in Cincinnati--often about half the price of the SF Bay Area for the same quality.

Best wishes,
John

TJ Jackson


JC - welcome to the thread

I realize that the west side of Cincinnati is indeed closer than the east side to your stated location (San Fran) but I'd think after traveling that far, what would a few more miles (to the east side) matter? :-)

Seriously, tho - let me add Trotta's Pizza Drive-In to your list, as well as Noce's Pizza on North Bend Road. 

You've already named my absolute west side favorite - Sebastian's

Soozy - nice to meet you finally, and the pizza was delicious as always but next time I want to get the garlic on top of the cheese so it toasts up a bit - and definitely well done to firm up that center crust a bit

jcroedel
Not far in miles, but for some, like my parents on the west side, other parts of Cincinnati are worlds away. They don't like leaving 45238 except in an emergency. A great, inexpensive, senior-friendly restaurant might qualify!

Sadly, this is a tall order for the West Side. My parents live in 45238 as well, but we rarely eat in that part of town. Most of the restaurants meet two of your three criteria, inexpensive and senior-friendly. The only one I might add would be Ron's Roost, which isn't great, just...inoffensive?

I agree with Noce's and Sebastian's. I have never been to Les Flick's, but am surprised to find it is still open, as I didn't expect it to last much longer after the tragedy involving him and his daughter so many years ago.

You personally may want to check out what Northside has to offer these days, jcroedel. I have run into a number of San Francisco people (in person and online) who rave about restaurants like Melt (inexpensive), The Comet (inexpensive, and more of a bar that serves food), and Honey (moderate). The easiest way to get there from the West Side is to take Montana ALL the way down (past the I-74 ramp), at which point it will turn into West Fork. Go through the light at Colerain, at which point it will turn into Virginia. Take the first right on Chase and follow it to Hamilton. A left turn will take you up the hill towards The Comet, and a right will take you to Melt and Honey, along with all of the other shopping.

Has anyone tried "Woe is me" bbq in eastgate? I believe they just opened a few months ago. Was planing on taking the family there today to try it out. Read an eastside vibe and fox 19 review of the place. seems like it might be a good carolina bbq joint. I tend to believe reviews from here alot more then others tho lol.

I have mentioned it on this thread:

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/tm.aspx?m=523987&high=

They had operated out of a van - I did not care for their food but I am not a fan of this style of bbq and sides - they are also at Findlay Market (it is a franchise operation).

I just learned they opened up in a brick and mortar facility that previously housed Here Piggy Piggy:

http://woeismefood.com/home

Let us know how you like it.

thank you for the quick reply. we will prob skip it then.

Looks like we will be heading to Cambells Barn. Since it pleases all the family. TO bad the still smoking bbq guy is closed for the season. I am craving some good bbq.

He will do ribs to order from his house in Owensville if you are interested.

baughman


thank you for the quick reply. we will prob skip it then.

Looks like we will be heading to Cambells Barn. Since it pleases all the family. TO bad the still smoking bbq guy is closed for the season. I am craving some good bbq.

Is this the place you are talking about?:

 
http://www.campbellsbarn.com/

What are your favorites there?

ya thats the place. I blame the new laptop for not spelling it right.

Its my go to spot for fried chicken now. Been there a cpl of times and as was posted by TJ? Have never had a bad meal. The breakfast buffet is pretty good also. Not a huge buffett by any means but qood.

 I use to love the IGA Fried chicken here in Blanchester but they closed over a year ago and now has  a Save Alot. There fried chicken just isnt the same.

I have yet to make the Hitching Post or any of the other top Fried chicken places in town tho.

Cockrells here in Blanchester has a reputation for good fried chicken, and I must say it is bland as can be. All tho I must say its one of only 2 places I will get liver and onions. There and the Houstons in Mason. With the Houston coming way out on top.

I ate at Capri Tavola downtown before Christmas.  It is a new pizza place next to Subway on Walnut between 4th and 5th (took the spot of the old Balboa's).  I ordered a slice of cheese, a slice of pepperoni and wedding soup.  Two other companions ordered the meatball sub and spaghetti and meatballs.   The results were underwhelming at best.  This was shopping mall pizza and pasta, nothing more.  Maybe a step up from Balboa's, but not very far.  The Lucy Blue buffet on 7th is still the best deal downtown.

So I have been meaning to mention what I would consider this little gem for a while but finally remembered to bring my camera and have gotten off my lazy bum to get it posted.  I will start off by saying that I am by no means a sushi expert, but I enjoy it when I get it so I can't comment on bad versus good sushi only what my taste buds like.

Kyojin Seafood Buffet
12140 Royal Point Dr
Cincinnati, OH‎ - (513) 683-2628‎


The front of the restaurant.

This little baby is nestled in just back from Fields Ertel Rd right next to what used to be a Circuit City and it can be somewhat hard to see from the road. Their pricing for lunch is 9.95 Mon-Sat and 13.95 on Sun and dinner is 16.95 Mon-Thur and 19.95 Fri-Sun. I have never actually been for the dinner but always for lunch as it is a much better deal.  They have carryout orders as well but I have never actually seen someone do carry out.



They have 2 sections of seafood. One containing mostly sushi and sashimi with a few rolls at the end, and another with just rolls and many different varieties at that. The sushi and sashimi consists of items such as salmon, squid, tuna, shrimp among a few others. The rolls range from your typical California and Avocado to ones that I have not seen elsewhere such as the Boston and Cincinnati rolls. Each one is labeled and has a description of the ingredients so you always know what you are getting.  They have a few things that I particularly like such as an Egg roll which I have never seen before, which is slightly sweet and a Sweet Potato roll that is ever so slightly crunchy.


View of all the different rolls that they have on 1 section.


Plate 1 of 3: Favorites being the Eel Roll, Salmon, Egg Roll, Sweet Potato Roll, Coconut Chicken, Coconut Dumpling, Red Bean Buns.


Close up of an Egg Roll.

They have a hibachi grill where you can get orders done at no extra charge, but I have never actually tried it myself so I can't comment as to the quality behind it. They also have 1 table of hot buffet items that has your typical General Tso's, crab rangoon, pot stickers, rice, lo mein and a few other staples. Most of the items are not good and are far inferior to what you will get elsewhere but there are a few standouts in the Coconut Chicken, Coconut Dumplings, and Red Bean Buns which I think are all fantastic. They have an additional table with a few cold items such as crab salad, smoked fish, mussels, shrimp, and a few others items that have always been fairly fresh when I have gotten them.


Hibachi Grill on the right side of picture and station for rolling sushi to the left behind some salad items.


View from the table that they always sit me at. The hot buffet and cold buffet table.

They have a small salad bar table that I have always looked at but never gotten as I am mainly there for sushi. Most of the items look fresh enough with standard salad bar items with what seems like a lot of fruit mixed in. They have 2 little portions of dessert with a refrigerated case full of the standard Chinese desserts which are usually terrible and a case of ice cream. This is a nice change from typical Chinese buffets that only have soft serve and the mint choc. chip is quite good.


Ice Cream station on it's side!

If you are in the Cinci area and want what I would consider to be good quality sushi it is certainly worth a try and even if you are a serious sushi person it might be worth a try as I don't know how well it compares to other places but I know it serves me well. 

I haven't been on Roadfood a while, but I've got a few pictures from places we've been in the past several months.  First up is Richie's Fast Food Restaurant, which has a few locations in the Cincinnati area.  Despite the name, it's not really a burgers-n-fries type of place.  It's mostly soul food carry out, lots of fried chicken (mild or spicy!), fried fish and accompanying side dishes.  (Cole slaw, potato salad, collard greens, red beans and rice and I forget what else...)

This is the snack platter, two pieces of chicken with broasted potato wedges and a roll.

Most of the time when I get fried chicken in and around the Dayton area, it's a bit underseasoned for my taste.  (I like a lot of pepper and a touch of cayenne.  A lot of places just seem to use oodles of salt.)  I got the spicy version, which was nicely seasoned and not too hot.  I have a pretty good heat tolerance, though.  When we went (early lunch, weekday) the chicken was already cooked and sitting under a hot lamp, which isn't ideal.  But despite that, it was still nice and crisp.  The potato wedges were very tasty, too-- very fluffy on the inside, like eating deep-fried mashed potatoes.  :)

The red beans and rice side order:
 
As you can see, it's quite a small serving but very good.  I could see eating a bowl of this for lunch all by itself, and it'd be especially good in cold weather.

Richie's Fast Food Restaurant
4871 Reading Rd.
Cincinnati

soccer,  I agree on the thumbs up for Kyojin.  It is a buffet with a wide variety of california rolls and sushi.  If you like sushi, it's a really good bargain.

We had lunch at Kyojin yesterday...amazing selections of sushi and other goodies.  If you're a sushi lover, this is a must.  We noticed many people using chopsticks (not us), and I took this as a sign that they know Japanese food.  This is definitely a cut above most buffets.  Interestingly, they had a sign posted that they "have the power" to impose a 30-50% surcharge on diners who waste 5 or more pieces of sushi.  I've seen the horrendous waste at other buffets, and I find it interesting that they forewarn you.  We are not buffet people, but I am looking forward to a return visit here.  I was told by a friend that the set up is the same for dinner, only 2x the price, so the 9.95 lunch is definitely a bargain. 

Guy Fieri's bringing "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" to Cincy in March! Here's the Enquirer piece: http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2010/01/18/where-should-diners-drive-ins-and-dives-visit-here/

Where should he go, folks? Terry's Turf Club is apparently in the running.

I'm thinking Jim Dandy's, New Orleans To Go, and Camp Washington Chili for starters. Shame the Root Beer Stand's not open in March.....

I could well be wrong, but I think Margarita's has gone out of business

The ones downtown?

The Margarita's in Erlanger has been closed for several weeks. What's odd is that all their patio furniture is still out and the temporary banners (happy hour 4-7 and that type of thing) are still up. There appears to be a notice on the front door, but I haven't stopped to see what it says.

As a follow-up to my question above, The Green Plantain is indeed still open. I drove by it last night on the way to/from Jungle Jim's.

My wife and I went to Kinneret Cafe earlier this week, on Plainfield Road near the Galbraith intersection. I have been meaning to try it for months; the CityBeat review was positive, and the prices and corresponding portions sounded more than fair...unlike, say, Andy's Mediterranean Grill. They do not have anywhere near the menu options that Andy's does, however, since they are kosher and primarily vegetarian, with a few fish dishes. We both went with the Mediterranean Plate, which consisted of hummus (excellent), falafel (okay), babaganoush (okay), grape leaves (excellent), Israeli salad (very good), and pita bread (excellent, and the freshest I've ever had).  You can view an image of it at their Web site ( www.kinneretcafe.com ) under the "Israeli Entrees" section.

It was a healthy amount of food for the price. We each had leftovers of hummus, babaganoush, and salad, all of which we took home. Although there was no wait, seating is at a premium (I think they have 8 tables for 4 people each), and parking even more so...there are maybe 6 spots out front. I suppose you could park at the Dillonvale Shopping Center across the street and walk over if necessary. Recommended if you have a taste for Mediterranean food.

TJ Jackson


I could well be wrong, but I think Margarita's has gone out of business

They are toast.  Not surprising since I thought their food was bad and the cleanliness of their restaurants was worse. 
 
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100122/BIZ01/1230330/2-more-stores-close-at-Tower-Place

TJ Jackson


I could well be wrong, but I think Margarita's has gone out of business

I walked past the one on Sixth Street downtown today and it was open for business. "Walked past" are the operative words; you'd have to drag me in to get me to eat there.

soozycue520

Walked by Burrito Joe's on Main St. ~ It has a "For Lease" sign in the window.

According to Polly's blog, this location is already reopening - that was quick! - as a breakfast and lunch spot connected to Bouchard's in the Findlay Market....sounds like this might be quite good.

Link: http://cincinnati.com/blo...010/02/03/coming-soon/

Well, sad to say, but I am done with Capri Tavola

I gave them a lot of chances since they are just a half block away from work, but nothing has worked out. 

I've tried 4-5 different slices, including the white slice, and none have been better than meh.  I've tried two different sandwiches, and the prosciutto/arugula/mozz was at least good but at almost 8 bucks and sized like a half sandwich elsewhere, not worthy of a repeat.   A cup of lobster bisque was near as thin as water and tasted like paste, with nary a bit of lobster in sight.  A chocolate chip cookie I was given as a freebie when my wait was excessive - a nice touch, mind you - tasted no better than store bought and featured an uncooked center.

a few side notes

- I did stop into the new Mr Sushi on 6th between as I heard they also offered yakitori and dumplings and such, but near as i can tell those are only available for dinner, and pricey - 10 bucks for a yakitori stick and 5 bucks for 4 dumplings.  Place was PACKED.

- it looks like the space that used to be NY NY Deli on Sycamore is being remodeled, tho I could not yet tell if they were
putting in an eatery.

- Packzis are available at Servatii's right now, I would imagine at all their locations, but for not much longer

- local blogger GetInMahBelly had a fairly glowing review of Raya's on Court Street.  I was not all that impressed with the gyro I ate there this past summer but after this review I'll have to get back there for a falafel with tahini.  The woman running the place used to work with Ned over at Jordan Valley, very friendly, she's the one who hooked me on tahini in place of tzatziki in the first place

- the chicken wild rice soup at the Elm Street Deli is every bit as good (identical, near as i can tell) as the excellent chicken wild rice soup I enjoyed frequently from the now defunct Tobey's in the Cincinnati Enquirer building back in the late 90's.  The price is about a dollar higher than I'd expect, but the flavor and quality are top notch.

EMAIL
--------------------------------
To: Citybeat
From: TJ Jackson
Date: 2010-02-04
Subject: Review of Campbell's Barn 2010-02-03
--------------------------------

Link: http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-19914-campbells-barn-%28review%29.html

You will note within the body of the review that the writer refers to (and then derides) a post on the website roadfood.com declaring the cobbler at this restaurant to be the best the writer of said post had ever had
 
I was the writer of said post, and I stand by my declaration.
 
Firmly.
 
It has been months since I was last at Campbell’s Barn -- business took me close by several times in the latter half of 2009, but not since -- but I can tell you that every dish we had while there – the fried chicken especially, which the writer turned her nose up to – ranged from good to excellent.
 
Now, she says they do not make their cobbler in house.  If so, thats some sad news for me.  The cobbler I had, the one about which I made my declaration on Roadfood, was undoubtedly homemade.  And excellent. 
 
The specialties of the house are the chicken and the prime rib, both of which she ignored despite the fact that both are highlighted quite clearly as the house specialties (on an admittedly too-big menu), and both are quite good. 
 
I also wonder a bit about the writer’s judgment.  She asked if the cobbler was made in house, was told no, was therefore disappointed as duly noted in the review, but then ordered it anyway?  Why?  She avoided the chicken when it was not prepared in a manner to her exact liking, yet went ahead with a cobbler despite it too not being prepared to her liking?  I don’t buy the 15 minute wait, as it is a 30+ minute drive to even get there, traffic permitting, from Cincinnati
 
Quite frankly, several roadfooders have been to and commented on Campbell’s Barn, as have other members of my family, and I have heard nothing but praise from all these folks for this place. 
 
I don’t doubt that her review was truthful based on her experience on her visit, perhaps colored a bit by unreasonable expectations (any restaurant in a barn setting is REQUIRED to pan fry their fried chicken? why?) but I am also being truthful when I say that her experience was nothing like what I (and others I have spoken with) have experienced.

Sincerely,

TJ Jackson

Talk about timing!  We were at Campbell's Barn today.  Photos and report follow on:


Southwest Ohio and Environs (Open Chat)