WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

Yes, we just went to Dink's for lunch today, and he has copies of The Downtowner all over the place, with some of them open to the article.

You really need to try Shanghai Mama's at a different time of day. Lunch moves at a frenetic pace, and I find the old guy more entertaining than anything else, although I can see how he could rub people the wrong way. I don't recall ever seeing him at dinner time, however, and it's an infinitely more relaxed experience...unless Noodle Boy makes an appearance, which is an experience not to be missed. I've made more than a few late night weekend visits as well, since they're open until 3:00 AM (or is it 2:30?) on Friday and Saturday.

I have to disagree with you about their pricing as well; as far as the dinner menu goes, I'm not sure anything on the menu is over $10, and the noodle/rice bowls on the right side of the menu tend to be more than enough food for most people. I can typically finish the entire bowl, at the expense of dessert.

Expensive is relative.

10 bucks would be a bargain for steak and/or lobster, but rice and noodles are both very, very inexpensive ingredients.

What do you have against Quatman's?

I have a low tolerance for greasiness, and both the burgers and the atmosphere at Quatman's exceed that tolerance. My (extended) family are huge fans of the place, but my wife and I have been underwhelmed every time we've been there. I can appreciate that it's an excellent bargain if you enjoy the burgers, though...especially since a canned beer, something I also have a low tolerance for, qualifies as the drink for the combo meal.

Personally, I would much rather spend an extra couple of bucks at Arthur's on Burger Madness days. I have yet to go to Mansion Hill for the food, but your photos definitely make a compelling argument for them.

Geting back to pizza for a moment, LaRosa's also exceeds my greasiness tolerance, although I've never been a fan of their sauce, either. Mac's isn't bad, but I'm not a fan of their crust, and I'm not sure who is responsible for that. We generally opt for either Adriatico's or Dewey's, occasionally throwing Northside's NYPD Pizza into the mix. Of those three, NYPD is my least favorite, but they are also the least expensive.

I would encourage you to try both the thin crust and the stuffed pizza at Mio's, particularly from the location in my neighborhood (Mt Washington)

I too do not like LaRosa's

I've been to a few of the Mio's locations. I was less than impressed with the Western Hills location, but the ones in Oakley and Milford were okay. I'm usually not a fan of thin crust, and Mio's was no exception. Aside from the terrible Uno's location at Union Centre, their stuffed crust is the closest thing I've found to Chicago-style pizza, and while it's good, it's just not close enough. We try to visit Chicago at least once a year for the original Uno's and/or Giordano's and IKEA, although we won't need to make special trips for the latter much longer.

What does everyone think about Issue 5 passing? Personally, I'm looking forward to spending more time at The Comet in particular. I'm a fan of their salsas, queso, and beer selection, but that amount of smoke in that amount of space often makes for an intolerable combination.

I have found that Mio's does vary quite a bit by location, but the Mt Washington location is pretty consistently excellent

I hate the Uno's franchise locations.....never a good meal there.

No opinion on Issue 5

I just discovered that Vincenzo's (on Chester Road in Springdale) has closed. When I was working in that area, I often went to their original location, a former gas station on Route 4 that held around 30 people, for Lenten lunches. They typically offered three choices of fish with salad, a side of pasta, and bread for $8.

The enormous new location lost much of its charm, and prices were more than a little out of line, but the food was still good. Their parmesan peppercorn salad dressing was one of my favorites, although I have since moved on to the Greek dressings at Dewey's and Melt, and the Athenian Greek at Doc Green's.

Speaking of Doc Green's, it is well worth the trek to Crestview Hills. At the time it opened, it was the only franchise location outside of the original three in the Atlanta area, although they have since opened several more. My only complaint is that, unless you are on a diet, it is difficult to make a full meal out of a large salad. Fortunately, Wiener Haus is just across the parking lot, and grilled sausages with potato cakes solve that problem.

As for other Crestview Hills eateries, we have yet to visit Argentine Bean, and it appears doomed. They really belong somewhere like Hyde Park Square. On two separate Saturdays around 7:00 PM, I have been able to count the number of patrons on one hand. One of the persistent complaints is that it is cost-prohibitive to try to make a meal out of tapas, and the Pub No. 3 does a much better job of pulling people in for drinks and appetizers (although it does have a much better location).

Finally, Jalapeno's is opening another location in the old Aioli spot downtown. Apparently, the two Margarita's locations five blocks apart are not enough to satisfy downtown's Mexican cravings.

I don't like being the victim of secondhand smoke, and I am now anxious to re-visit Quatman's, Anderson Twp. Pub, the Pine Club and other places I've avoided because of the smoke. I loved my burger at Mansion Hill Tavern, but the smoke will keep me from coming back. I'm very glad issue 5 passed.

BillC and I had dinner at the Pacific Moon during Tall Stacks. We also found it pricey for food that was just a cut above mediocre. Service was also so-so. I thought the menu was rather limited. Yesterday in the Enquirer, Polly Campbell gave it a lukewarm review, but commented that the owners would undoubtedly correct all problems because of their long reputation for quality food and service.

Well, that snowballed. My apologies.

We dined in Clifton yet again this past weekend. Try as we might, my wife and I never seem to get enough of Habanero. It's a refreshing independent change from the burrito chain locations quickly populating the University Village area, including the dull Boloco, the rice-laden Chipotle, and the impending Salsarita's. They have no Web site (and have a posted sign indicating as much), and the review in Cincinnati.com's dining section is a bit dated; fried plantains are no longer available, and the draught beer selection is considerably improved, although the prices they list remain the same.

The myriad salsas are the main draw, allowing for flavor combinations the chains could only dream of. The salsa sampler ($3.95 for three salsas and unlimited chips, although you have to ask for them since it isn't posted) is the best way to experience several of them in one sitting. The chips, made from flour instead of corn, are high on thickness and low on salt, and (unlike Chipotle's chips) don't get in the way of the flavors in the salsas. I have made a meal out of the salsa sampler on several occasions, particularly when I know I couldn't come close to finishing a burrito or deep-fried chimichanga.

The pork chimichanga is wonderful. The chicken is not. The Arroyo Hondo is my favorite specialty burrito, although I usually opt to save a buck by creating my own steak burrito. Quesadillas are a bit bland, and tacos are prohibitively expensive when compared to the amount of food you get with every other dish. Chips and house salsa (which is also marvelous) can be added for $1.00, and the meal really isn't complete without it. Microbreweries like Great Lakes and Flying Dog are tap fixtures, but I wouldn't mind if they stole a page from Dewey's playbook and addded Bell's to the list. Prices are in line with the chains (around $9 for a burrito, chips, and soda), but the quality and imagination is immeasurably better.

Habanero is located on Ludlow less than two blocks from the Esquire. They have a free parking lot, a luxury in this area, but they have the misfortune of sharing it with Amol India, which stations a guard in the lot and will have you towed if you set foot in archrival Ambar India next door. This foolishness really deserves its own post, but for now, I'll save myself the time of typing that up and simply recommend Mayura at the top of the hill, which is better than all of the other Clifton-area Indian restaurants combined. For Latin-American fare, as Habanero bills themselves, just head down the Clifton hill, away from University Village, and take a left on Ludlow.

Thanks for returning to the topic. A few posts that really got away from the main theme of Cincinnati area food are gone. If anyone wants to discuss the political issues surrounding Food service or related business, feel free to start a thread on the Misc. Forum.

Last time I checked, Swami sold off or closed the Mayura to focus on the Cactus Pear restaurant venture origanally started by Elliot Jablonski.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

jjjrfoodie

BTW, Ambar and Tandoor are what I stand by locally for any and all tastes.

I remember hearing something about Mayura being sold, but it definitely hasn't been closed. My buddy's girlfriend, a former Miss Mangalore and Miss Bangalore, agrees that Mayura is the best one in Clifton, so I have the support of a high-ranking Indian citizen as far as that's concerned.

My wife and I also love Hi Bombay! on Fields Ertel, which occupies the former La Salsa spot in the plaza alongside the entrance to Kings Automall.

I'm still not sure what to make of Cactus Pear even after dining there on a number of occasions. They annoyed me when they were charging an extra $1.50 for salsa (which is excellent, by the way) during the "tomato shortage" a couple of years ago, and entering through the dingy, smoky bar isn't the most welcoming experience. The tortilla soup and blue corn enchiladas are phenomenal, however. I have not been to the Blue Ash/Kenwood location yet.

One more closing to report: Red Star Tavern at the Deerfield Towne Center. Frankly, every restaurant in that development bores me. Copeland's was the only spot on that stretch of Mason-Montgomery that we frequented, due in no small part to my Louisiana-born wife, but that has now been replaced by the Brazilian steakhouse with dinner prices that rival car payments. It looks delicious, but I'll opt for Boca or one of Jean-Robert's places if I want to spend that much.

quote:

Originally posted by jjjrfoodie

Last time I checked, Swami sold off or closed the Mayura to focus on the Cactus Pear restaurant venture origanally started by Elliot Jablonski.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

jjjrfoodie

BTW, Ambar and Tandoor are what I stand by locally for any and all tastes.

Yes, Swami did sell Mayura to focus on the new Blue Ash location of Cactus Pear. I find Cactus Pear to be over-priced for the quality and quantity of food.

I tried McCormick & Schmick's Sunday night. The food was good, but our server could barely speak English, so there were a few mistakes in service. Their menu changes daily, and the $1.95 appetizers {during happy hour} will bring me back to try it again.

The reports that Vicenzo's on Chester Rd had closed prompted me to stop by this afternoon around 4pm after work. Employee in company chef togs out front smoking as I pulled in the lot. No cars, but restaurant did not open til 5pm. Door was locked behind employee as I got out of the car so I have no answer as to whether the place is still open but no closed sign and activity, which is good sign. . Vicenzo's corp. truck and a few cars around back, and tables were fully setup with tablecloths and utensils.
Sounds like a call to CSI:Roadfood is in order. :)
I'll keep you posted.

Jerry

Jerry, I got the closing information from www.dineoutoften.com, the Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Association's site. The right sidebar lists all of the fairly recent closings, and Vincenzo's is at the top of the list.

If this is not the case, please let us know! I have not personally verified the status of Vincenzo's, but I can verify a majority of the closings on that list, especially the ones that weren't as well publicized (Za, Phoenicia).

Well, let's hope that this one time, the closings listing is wrong....Vincenzo's is a very, very good place for dinner from what I hear.....but lordie, Chester Road does not seem to have a good history as far as restaurants there remaining open....

Yeahh, Chester Road has largely been a disaster for as long as I can remember. Ta Han (Mongolian BBQ) and Tokyo have hung in there, but the former Bombay Bicycle Club and Silla locations are cursed. I used to frequent both Ta Han and Tokyo when I worked in the area, but haven't been to either one in at least a year.

As I had to work this morning and was out Tri-County/Fairfield way, I'd thought I'd swing by Le's Vietenamese restaurant as some had posted eariler and give it a try for a lunch take-away.

I too wanted to try their Banh Mi sandwidich and also gave the Eggrolls (Springrolls by any other name) a try.



As you can see by the pic, the quality of the food was very very good. The sandwich was $3.50 and for that I got the BBQ pork Banh Mi (#36) on a good sized fresh french roll. It came with carrot shreds and cabbage dipped in the nuac nom sauce as garnish (take THAT Wendy's-et all FF!.) It was delicious if you are looking for a change from the regular FF fare.

Egg (nee Spring) rolls were very tasty but anemic. They came with hot sauce and nuam noc dipping sauce.

I need to go back to try the pho and a few other dishes prior to a true thumbsup or thumbs down declaration. The menu is rife with typos, and , as mentioned earlier, the guy out front took my order and then went into the kitchen and whipped it up.

Hours are 11-9 everyday but closed Sunday.
www.le-vietnamesecuisine.com

If your are out at Jungle Jim's or in the area, drop by and grab a Banh Mi to go if nothing else. It's worth it for the snack on the way home.

Jerry

The pics looks great.

I wasn't even aware there was a restaurant anywhere on crescentville road....mostly non-retail businesses and some homes along there

The website says the restaurant is vegetarian, but the menu has a lot of non vegetarian dishes, including the pork in your sandwich. Odd.

Actually, it says they are "vetetarian". {lol }

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

The pics looks great.

I wasn't even aware there was a restaurant anywhere on crescentville road....mostly non-retail busiensses and some homes along there

There was a great little pizza place called Slice of Italy in that space in the 80's and 90's when I worked out there. They were totally about lunch business and were the only place in Cincy that I knew of that sold slices. They were gone when I came back to town in 2002.

The Le's pictures do look great, and I think I'll check it out for dinner at some point this week. I hope they can make it in that location. There used to be a Quizno's in that plaza that seemed to do well enough during weekday lunch hours, but it closed a couple of years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520

Actually, it says they are "vetetarian". {lol }

And the English on the carry-out menu is not much better...

They are in the wing nearest to Crescentville across from Gateway Tire. The Gold Star Chili restaurant seems to be the only shop that survives (even there since from when I worked out that way out in 1990) , but something tells me they (GS owners) may own the plaza.

Dlawson, I'd go with the beef or chicken pho or take a look at the little picture book when you go in and note the number that corresponds to the menu # on an item that interests you. The vermicelli and spicy beef soup looks good as well #29.

I'll try and get back this week for a carrout dinner of a few items as my workday ends at 3:30pm daily(--too early for true dinner).

Cute place and clean.
Now that the underpass on Rte 747 is done, access is a lot quicker and easier.

Good luck.
Jerry

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520

Actually, it says they are "vetetarian". {lol }

And the English on the carry-out menu is not much better...

They are in the wing nearest to Crescentville across from Gateway Tire. The Gold Star Chili restaurant seems to be the only shop that survives (even there since from when I worked out that way out in 1990) , but something tells me they (GS owners) may own the plaza.

Dlawson, I'd go with the beef or chicken pho or take a look at the little picture book when you go in and note the number that corresponds to the menu # on an item that interests you. The vermicelli and spicy beef soup looks good as well #29.

I'll try and get back this week for a carrout dinner of a few items as my workday ends at 3:30pm daily(--too early for true dinner).

Cute place and clean.
Now that the underpass on Rte 747 is done, access is a lot quicker and easier.

Good luck.
Jerry

Sounds like their menu/ordering system works the same way as Cilantro's (in Clifton, across from Hughes High School) does. The "sandwich" aspect is what is most intriguing to me about Le's, since Cilantro keeps things a bit more traditional and doesn't offer anything like that. I'm getting to the point where I want to try it as soon as possible, and I'll be up that way tomorrow, so if you plan on picking up dinner around 6:00, you might see me there.

quote:

Originally posted by jjjrfoodie

As I had to work this morning and was out Tri-County/Fairfield way, I'd thought I'd swing by Le's Vietenamese restaurant as some had posted eariler and give it a try for a lunch take-away.

I too wanted to try their Banh Mi sandwidich and also gave the Eggrolls (Springrolls by any other name) a try.

Great picture, and thanks! I'm in that area regularly (good backroad route between Costco and Jungle Jim's) and have passed by this place but haven't had a chance to pop in yet. The menu looks good, and I am ecstatic to see they've got beef tendon and fatty brisket in the pho bowls. Looking forward to trying the banh mi as well!

It looks like the item about Vincenzo's closing has been updated for clarity on the www.dineoutoften.com site, unless I've just been reading it wrong all along. It says:

Vincenzo's in Springdale has Closed. It's new location is 11525 Chester Road, once a Texas Roadhouse. It has a private party room, a dining room that holds 100, a bar, a place to wait, and they take credit cards.

Basically, the "Closed" notice applied to their original location on Springfield Pike, the old gas station. The new location on Chester Road is alive and well for now!

I'm grabbing a sandwich at Le's for dinner tonight. I know you probably want opinions on menu items that haven't been reviewed yet, but the BBQ pork sandwich that Jerry got is just too hard to pass up, so I'm going with that. I can at least tell you if he's full of it.

quote:

Originally posted by dlawson

It looks like the item about Vincenzo's closing has been updated for clarity on the www.dineoutoften.com site, unless I've just been reading it wrong all along. It says:

Basically, the "Closed" notice applied to their original location on Springfield Pike, the old gas station. The new location on Chester Road is alive and well for now!

I'm grabbing a sandwich at Le's for dinner tonight. I know you probably want opinions on menu items that haven't been reviewed yet, but the BBQ pork sandwich that Jerry got is just too hard to pass up, so I'm going with that. I can at least tell you if he's full of it.

I think you are correct. They are just noting the move. BTW, the gas staion that was the former Vicenzo's and prior to that Germano's (now located in Olde Montgomery ) has been torn down. It is now just a hole in the ground. Tis' sad indeed.

Enjoy your dining experience dlawson. I'm not making any promises, but the owner Long Le is also the fellow at the door who goes in back and cooks. He had a restaurant in NYC so he seems to know his stuff.

I usually like to try out a place 2 or 3 times before I pass any "try this out" messages along.

If you've got a little cash to spend, try a few of the items or at least a second sandwich. If you just do a fly-by, I will do guniea pig duty this week. I promise.

Enjoy
Jerry

Just a fly-by tonight, and it's a mixed bag. I only got the pork sandwich. It's in the former Quizno's location and is a nice, clean place.

The pork itself was good, if a little fatty. The sandwich on the whole seemed a bit dry due to the amount of carrots he piled on, which were definitely not dipped in any sort of sauce before or after. This sandwich is definitely incomplete without it, and I probably should have asked for a side of sauce to either pour over the sandwich or use as a sort of French dip. Perhaps it's a standard condiment if you dine in, but the only thing that was thrown in the to go bag was a packet of soy sauce (and, I confess, I broke down and used some of it).

In summary, bread and vegetables were nice and fresh, meat was well cooked but slightly fatty, and the lack of sauce really hurt. Still, the sandwich is a very good value for the price, and I'm not soured to the point where I don't want to try some of the other menu items.

Veggies should have been dipped in Nuoc Cham sauce (mine were) or it at least should have been given as a side sauce.
http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_sau_nuoccham.html

They also will give you the hot red chili sauce ( aka Sriracha Chili Sauce) if you ask.
http://www.hotsauceblog.com/hotsaucearchives/sriracha-chili-sauce/

I found the meat a little fatty too and wondered if the shredded pork sandwich solved that. I try it out and compare.

Hey, Nothing ventured, nothing gained---and it was only tree-fiddy plus gas.


Jerry

I ate at the Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio for the first time last Saturday night. My friend who lives in nearby West Chester joined me. He had not eaten there previously because he heard it was overpriced and not very good. But, all three of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We each ordered different dishes (ham, lamb and Chicken Oscar) and all three were happy with our choices. And the signature sauerkraut balls were good enough that we went through two orders of them. Unfortunately, we were all too full to get dessert.

With drinks, the total was $90.00. Not too bad, considering the quality of the food. My buddy, who is a salesman and has customers in the area, says he will definitely be back.

The former Graeter's location downtown near 4th and walnut is now home to Paula's Cafe, a soup/salad/sandwich joint with moderate prices.

I had a cuban sandwich....good tasty sandwich.....bread *might* be authentic, pork was lunchmeat-thin rather than a slice knife carved off a roast, toasted in an oven but not pressed....a bit pricey (7 bucks) for the size

I'll probably stop back in sometime next week for a pastrami or corned beef deli sandwich (6 bucks)

We enjoyed a Graeters ice cream cone on the way home from Christmas shopping this morning. Mocha Chip and Butter Pecan in a Waffle Cone.

I received a book today... EATING YOUR WAY ACROSS KENTUCKY ! 101 must places to eat. (2006 by Gary P. West) A book of restaurant reviews. Listed for your part of the Commonwealth are:

Beehive Tavern----- Augusta, KY
Biancke's -------------Cynthiana,KY
Chat-N-Nibble -------- Eminence,KY
Country Grill -------- Dry Ridge,KY
Hutchison's Grocery--- Maysville,KY
Delite's Downtown----- Ft Mitchell,KY
Greyhound Tavern ----- Maysville,KY
Two Rivers Restaurant- Carrollton,KY

Since I can't recall ever visiting any of the above, we may make some day trips out this Spring to fill in our knowledge of the area.
AL

Another place I stopped at last weekend was Schneider's Candy Store in Bellevue, Kentucky. Schneider's appeared in the 1999 Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A. for their caramel apples and opera cream candy. Unfortunately, it was too late in the year for caramel apples, but I did buy a one pound box of opera creams, which were quite good. But the highlight for me were the buckeyes. I love peanut butter desserts in general and these buckeyes were especially rich and creamy. I plan on mail ordering more for the holidays.

http://www.schneiderscandies.com/

quote:

I received a book today... EATING YOUR WAY ACROSS KENTUCKY ! 101 must places to eat

Delite's Downtown----- Ft Mitchell,KY
Greyhound Tavern ----- Maysville,KY

These two are transposed. Greyhound is in Ft. Mitchell, DeLite's is in Maysville.

ALCO,

Thanks for the correction. It is a publishing error in the book. The Index has it the way I listed it...the actual reviews have the restaurants located in the correct cities, as you mentioned.

I will send a correction to the publisher. Thanks again.
AL

I looked on Schneiders site as I had never heard of opera creams.To my delight I saw Kentucky creams-a candy my Dad would bring back from there when he was traveling.Can just taste them now...

annpeeples-
Thanks for the tip on the Kentucky creams. As long as I am mail ordering the buckeyes from Schneider's, I might as well get some of those, too!

domstead:

Skyline Chili actually sounds good. I think next time I'm in Cincinnati I might just have to go there. Does anyone else know of a good and healthy place to eat in Cincinnati?

Boris
berlikh@gloriajeans.com
http://www.gloriajeans.com

Thought I'd report back about the trip to Le's for lunch. I had the pho tai and I regret to say... disappointing. The broth was watery and low on flavor (but they do provide hoisin sauce and chili sauce at the table, which helped), there didn't seem to be enough cilantro (and none was provided with the dish of bean sprouts and herbs, which were looking a tad limp themselves), and the amount of meat was rather skimpy for the price. Also, no beef tendon in my bowl, despite the menu description.

I don't think I'd order that again, which is sad because I love a good bowl of pho. I can find better in Dayton, and it certainly doesn't even begin to compare to pho we've had in Chicago and San Francisco. Maybe I'll just stick to the sandwiches. :(

A lady (one of the owners?) told me that they're going to be starting a lunch buffet on Wednesdays, I think it was, plus all-you-can-eat on Saturdays. (Don't hold me to that, I may have misremembered.) I'm not that enthusiastic about buffets though, particularly when it comes to Chinese/Vietnamese food, which doesn't always adapt well to sitting in a steam tray under hot lamps. Might be that business is hurting, because from 11:45am-1pm there wasn't another customer in the place except us.

Boris, I'm afraid Skyline doesn't meet either of those criteria...good or healthy. ;)

If "healthy" is a big concern, I highly recommend Melt on Hamilton Avenue in Northside. They specialize in sandwiches, hot and cold, and also have salads, homemade soups, and homemade ice cream on the menu. You can find their Web site (with a complete menu) here: http://meltnorthside.com/melt_home.html

My favorite hot sandwich is the muffaletta, which bears no resemblance to a "real" Louisiana one. It consists of turkey, olive tapenade, roasted red peppers, and provolone melted on focaccia bread. My favorite cold sandwich is the Helen of Troy, which is hummus, feta, olive tapenade, tomato, and red onions on multigrain bread. (Yes, I'm a huge fan of olive tapenades.) Sandwiches come with your choice of slaw, mixed greens, or Sun Chips. Their fresh-brewed iced black tea with mint is excellent, and with free refills, it's a better deal than any of the bottled drinks and sodas in the cooler. If you are making a dinner out of it, I highly recommend adding soup or a full salad, since the sandwiches really are more of a lunch-sized portion, my only complaint about the place.

The restaurant itself is very bohemian, with mismatched everything. The front room seats around 16 people, but there is additional seating down the hallway in the back. As is typical with Northside businesses, there is a table with all kinds of Northside-related material: community events, art shows, other local businesses. Parking is readily available at the meters out front, or in the parking lot across the street (50 cents per hour).

I've eaten there at least a dozen times in the past year, and there has only been one hiccup: an electrical problem once knocked out the oven, making cold sandwiches the only menu option that day. It wasn't an issue for me since I had my eye on the Helen of Troy anyway, but my buddy was disappointed that he couldn't get the Yeehaw BBQ. It's one of my favorite places in Northside.

The Morton's of Chicago downtown is starting to offer lunch, so I'll certainly head over there soon to see if they make a burger worth the outrageous price they'll certainly charge.

Just noticed they do a lobster bisque as well. So much for my weekly lunch budget

Morton's was running a "Steak and Seafood Dinner for Two" promotion for $99 before Thanksgiving, which included two appetizers, two salads, two filets, two vegetable sides, and two desserts. I had the coupon bookmarked and forgot all about it until your post.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

The Morton's of Chicago downtown is starting to offer lunch, so I'll certainly head over there soon to see if they make a burger worth the outrageous price they'll certainly charge.

Just noticed they do a lobster bisque as well. So much for my weekly lunch budget

TJ

I just saw this too, Steak Burger and Lobster Bisque, let me know if you need a lunch loan

I would love to go there for lunch but, I am never in downtown during that time of day that I am not working.

I sent a correction note to the Publisher of the book of Kentucky "Must Eats" about the Table of Contents error noted in an earlier post. I did happen to see this review of the Maysville entries while I was doing that note. This more or less reinforces the write-up give the places in the book.

http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2006/11/06/local_news/3373eating.txt

TJ,
I looked at the Louisville Morton's menu for Lunch. As you can see from the list I copied, there are no prices included in the descriptions. Infact there are no descriptions!! Please do report your findings when you try the Morton's Lunch.

From the Menu-Starters:
Smoked Pacific Salmon
Colossal Shrimp Cocktail
Broiled Sea Scallops
Colossal Shrimp Alexander
Oysters on the Half Shell
Baked Five Onion Soup
Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Cocktail
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
Lobster Bisque
Tuna Tartare
Morton's Salad
Caesar Salad
Spinach Salad
Sliced Beefsteak Tomato
Center Cut Iceberg

Daily Specials:
Monday - Classic Homestyle Meatloaf
Tuesday - Lemon Oregano Chicken
Wednesday - Prime Chopped Steak
Thursday - Roasted Boneless Prime Rib
Friday - Grilled Colossal Shrimp & Sea Scallops

Salads, Sandwiches, Pasta and Lunch Specials:
Warm Steak Salad
Salad of Grilled Colossal Shrimp
Chopped Salad
Stacked Prime New York Strip Steak
Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
Chicken Christopher
"Not so Big" Filet
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Tenderloin Medallions al Forno Morton's Prime Sirloin Burger
Grilled Ribeye Steak
Chicken Piccata
Sliced Prime Steak Sandwich

Morton's Signature Entrées
Double Cut Filet Mignon
Porterhouse Steak
Double Porterhouse Steak
New York Strip Steak
Chicago Style Bone-In Ribeye
Domestic Double Rib Lamb Chops
Broiled Salmon Fillet
Colossal Shrimp Alexander
Lobster Tail
Jumbo Lobster Tail
Whole Baked Maine Lobster

Morton's "Slightly Smaller" Steaks
Filet Oskar
Filet Diane
Ribeye Steak
Cajun Ribeye Steak

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

The former Graeter's location downtown near 4th and walnut is now home to Paula's Cafe, a soup/salad/sandwich joint with moderate prices.

I had a cuban sandwich....good tasty sandwich.....bread *might* be authentic, pork was lunchmeat-thin rather than a slice knife carved off a roast, toasted in an oven but not pressed....a bit pricey (7 bucks) for the size

I'll probably stop back in sometime next week for a pastrami or corned beef deli sandwich (6 bucks)

Paula has had a cafe down at Findley market for a while. She makes very good food. Her reuben sandwich is justifiably famous. She also sells real roasted turkey, homemade mustard and sauerkraut, baked goods, and killer breakfast biscuit sandwiches.

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

Morton's menu for Lunch.....there are no prices

With good reason. :-) too frightening

a side order of hash browns runs 8-9 bucks on the dinner menu I have in my desk, so I have to imagine the burger will be about 15 bucks, maybe more.

I'm wondering if Morton's Lobster Bisque will be anything as good as the late, great Maisonette's was. That was worth nearly any price.

It turns out I didn't read the Morton's news announcement correctly - they will be open for lunch on exactly 4 days and ONLY those 4 days: 12/14, 12/15, 12/21, and 12/22.

It's in the news piece I sourced this from (http://cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/a1/20061206/ENT0105/612060329/), I just didn't notice that part....not sure I will make it given those restrictions

quote:

Originally posted by Robin Hood

Her reuben sandwich is justifiably famous.

I just had this reuben (Paula's) today....6.95 with chips, no pickle.....very, very small sandwich, toasted, not buttered and grilled. Not tasty. I was very underwhelmed.....the sandwich I received should have cost around 3 dollars.

I am thinking that the quality at the 4th street location simply does not match quality at the Findlay location

I will stop back for the roasted turkey, see how that goes.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

It turns out I didn't read the Morton's news announcement correctly - they will be open for lunch on exactly 4 days and ONLY those 4 days: 12/14, 12/15, 12/21, and 12/22.

It's in the news piece I sourced this from (http://cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/a1/20061206/ENT0105/612060329/), I just didn't notice that part....not sure I will make it given those restrictions

They do this every year to take advantage of holiday shopping and downtown holiday decoration visitors; but, also to get some business for luncheon holiday parties from downtown businesses.

Now that this thread has strayed into the high rent district, I thought I'd share my dining adventure at the Napa Grille in Hyde Park (located where J's Seafood used to be.) I met some friends for dinner. We had a couple of birthdays in the group and someone chose Napa for some fancy dining.

The quick and dirty is that most of what we ordered was pretty tasty, especially one of the appetizers. Overall, however our "dining experience" was overpriced and pretentious. It's the kind of place where you find menu items such as "Toasted Almond-Stuffed Dates in Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Balsamic Reduction...$8". This was, in fact, the best dish of the evening. It was really, really good. The Traditional Bruschetta was good but not worth the 9 bucks.

The entree menu is extensive and pricey. The Seared Diver Scallops sounded good until we found out you get 3 scallops for $26. One of our party got the Mongolian Pork Chops which were basted with a hoisin wasabi mixture that was delicious. She got a couple of big chops for $19, so it wasn't a bad deal at this place. I had the Petite Filet which was indeed petite (6 oz., but it looked smaller). It was grilled perfectly (medium rare) but was encrusted with way too much salt which overpowered the meat.

Wine flights had been a feature of this place but the waiter mentioned that they had discontinued their wine flight special. The wine list is extensive and some wines are very expensive. They did let us try a small amount of a wine before we ordered it. They serve half glasses of wine which are small...3 oz. The evening we were there, all wine served by the glass was being offered at half price. Napa Grille prides itself on its recommended wine pairings, so when my friend found her wine to be too light to stand up to the Mongolian Pork Chops, they provided another wine and did not charge her for the wine they originally recommended.

We got 2 free desserts because of the birthdays. They were large, with a scoop of ice cream atop a dense piece of chocolate cake that was filled with a dark chocolate syrup. The waiter brought us extra plates so we could share. The desserts were so rich, we didn't finish them.

The service was attentive to the point of distraction. The waiter was a charming young fellow eager to be helpful and to show off his knowlege of the menu and the wine list. He was such a nice guy, we didn't let on that he was driving us nuts.

We do these "fancy" dinners a few times a year to celebrate our birthdays. So far, the best restaurants have been Honey in Northside, the York Street Cafe in Newport, and Tink's in Clifton.

Here's a link to the website, but I'm not recommending this restaraunt:

http:/www.napagrille.com

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden

So far, the best restaurants have been Honey in Northside, the York Street Cafe in Newport, and Tink's in Clifton.

I love all three of these places, although I find the quality of Honey's Sunday brunch to be more consistent than their entrees, which are a little too experimental at times. We have brunch there at least once a month.

Tink's just had a nice write-up in the Enquirer this past week. Despite being "right up the street" from us, we haven't been in almost a year. I highly recommend the prawns with cheddar hominy entree if it's still on the menu.

quote:

I love all three of these places, although I find the quality of Honey's Sunday brunch to be more consistent than their entrees, which are a little too experimental at times. We have brunch there at least once a month.

I saw the write-up on Tink's. I really enjoyed our dinner there. My birthday's up next and I'd like to revisit Tink's or Honey. We really quizzed the waiter at Honey about the menu offerings. Some of the combinations sounded a little too wierd and we passed them up. Not one of us was disappointed with the dishes we did order, and the desserts were fabulous.

cajunking - A question:

Have you ever eaten at the Watkins Barrel in Lawrenceburg, IN? It's at the same location where the Whiskey Barrel was several years ago. We loved the burgers at the Whiskey Barrel. They were grilled with sweet onion, very juicy, and not greasy. We get to Lawrenceburg during sprint car racing season and we're interested in finding a casual place to have supper before the race. (We'd prefer to avoid the salty metts and the gooey nachos at the track.) I'd like to know if the Watkins Barrel is worth a try. We also miss Whiskey Island which had pretty good fish. Thanks for any help.

Just heard that Jean-Robert deCavel will be moving PhoParis from Oakley to the old Scalea's location on Greenup St. in Covington.

Here is the link:
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061212/BIZ01/612120329/-1/CINCI

NKY just continues to flourish, while Cincy flounders {IMO}.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden

cajunking - A question:

Have you ever eaten at the Watkins Barrel in Lawrenceburg, IN? It's at the same location where the Whiskey Barrel was several years ago. We loved the burgers at the Whiskey Barrel. They were grilled with sweet onion, very juicy, and not greasy. We get to Lawrenceburg during sprint car racing season and we're interested in finding a casual place to have supper before the race. (We'd prefer to avoid the salty metts and the gooey nachos at the track.) I'd like to know if the Watkins Barrel is worth a try. We also miss Whiskey Island which had pretty good fish. Thanks for any help.

Watkins barrell and Whiskey Barrell were two different places.

Watkins Barrell never impressed me at all and has been closed for some time now, the building was recently torn down for the new US 50 expansion across Tanner's Creek.

Whiskey Barrell was good but alas it too is gone, for a while it was a little italian place, but that too is gone, now it is being rehabbed and will be another mexican food place sometime this spring.

If you liked Whiskey Barrell, you might try it's parent restaurant
"Whiskey's" located at the corner of US 50 and Front Street. The food has been good, the BBQ is good too.

Unfortunately SE Indiana does not have much in the way of good food places to eat at. That is why I love living so close to Cincy.

My picks for the area are:

Whiskey's - Steaks, BBQ
Applewood - Ny Strip stuffed with Boursin cheese, Steakhouse soup
Delaney's - Daily specials are usually always good

Acapulco's - Mexican (L'burg and Aurora have them, Aurora is better)
(yes it is a "chain", but they do have some real good and authentic foods)

Aurora has a new BBQ place open called Big Daddy's BBQ & Lil Mama's Fixins, I have been there several times.

I have tried:

Ribs, very disappointing TOOOOO much rub, rub had an off taste to it
Shoulder, not too bad
Chicken, not too bad

Fixins - not worth it


Other than that, we got fast food

quote:

Originally posted by cajunking
[


Watkins barrell and Whiskey Barrell were two different places.

Watkins Barrell never impressed me at all and has been closed for some time now, the building was recently torn down for the new US 50 expansion across Tanner's Creek.


My picks for the area are:

Whiskey's - Steaks, BBQ
Applewood - Ny Strip stuffed with Boursin cheese, Steakhouse soup
Delaney's - Daily specials are usually always good

cjk - Thanks for your response.

I'm pretty sure that Whiskey Barrell was at the same location where Watkins Barrell went later. Before that, it was an old-fashioned working man's bar and lunch place called Bud and Norma Lee's. Not that it matters since they razed the building. Sure do miss those hamburgers though.

I worked in the 'burg for a number of years and used to eat a Whiskey's pretty regularly and I really enjoyed the daily specials as well as the ribs and peanut slaw. We've also enjoyed the Applewood for grilled fish and steaks and a view of the river. Had a couple of disappointing meals at Delaney's but that was a few years ago so maybe it has improved.

Sounds like we'll probably have to stick with one of those, or go to Penn Station if we're running late.

Thanks again.

Sandy

More caveats about the lunch available at Morton's downtown

The lunch menu shown online at Mortons.com is NOT available - all you can get is a "Prix fixe" with limited selection options. You can't just buy a sandwich or an appetizer or a soup - you have to buy an entire multi course meal

So much for my lobster bisque or hamburger :-) but my wallet is a lot happier, on the other hand