WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

Bonk


Tried Chicago Ron's (thanks for pointing that out, TJ).

I also got a hot dog plain (people always wonder why I do that and I tell them I want to taste the hot dog, not a bunch of other stuff I can get anywhere). It is a Vienna beef dog and it was very tasty. They do the poppy seed bun and everything.

They wrap fries in the hot dog, and those were also good. I can tell they double fried them because they were still crispy after my ride home.

 
Sounds like a pretty authentic place.  When I was trapped lived in the Chicago area way back when, the hot dogs always came wrapped together with the fries when it was a to-go order.
 
Brad

I know some places do that, especially near downtown.
 
Interestingly enough, I went back on Monday and they didn't do that. I ordered the hot dog and the gyro. Dog was still $2.75.
 
The gyro was the special of the day for $5, and while it was the same meat on a cylinder you see a lot of places, it was still very good.

I have serious doubts whether I will ever find a Thai restaurant in Cincinnati that I like better than Tan Thai - originally on Court Street downtown, now on Rt4 in Springdale.  I stop in there almost every time I am in that area.
 
That said, I have found my new favorite on the southeast side of town - Basil Thai in Newtown, in a strip mall location on Rt32 where two Indian eateries have failed.

Every time I go by there - usually on the way to or from soccer/softball practices with my kids -  there are few if any cars, so I had dismissed it for a long while.  This week I decided, ah what the heck, give them a try.  On both of my stops there, I was one of two total customers.  But with food this good and prices this low, the secret WILL get out, so get there before the crowds do.
 
So far, I have only had the pad khee mao (sometimes known as "drunken noodles" and basil fried rice, but both were absolutely wonderful renditions of the dishes, near the equal to Tan Thai.  The ingredients used were very fresh and top quality.   The real separator was flavor - so many Thai places I have been to the flavor is weak to nonexistent, but not here.  
 
I had always meant to get to Apsara in Blue Ash before it closed, but never made it.  Good news for those of you who miss Apsara - I am told Apsara's former chef runs the kitchen at Basil Thai
 
There is more good news when the check comes.  Thai places around town always seem to charge 2-3 dollars more than the closest americhinese equivalent dish runs at a Chinese carryout joint, but lunch here was only 6.50, which for the quality involved was imho a major STEAL.  Most of the good local Thai restaurants serving dinner charge over (often well over) 10 dollars for a plate of food, but many of Basil Thai's dishes (unless ordered with seafood as the protein of choice) are under 10 bucks.  Call this the icing on the cake.
 
My next trips back will be for for pad thai (they have multiple versions of this dish) and one of their curries 
 
Strongly recommended.  Get yourself over there pronto.
 
Update 20110504: I have been back a  few times since then, and can report that every single thing i have had has been better than average to great.   The regular fried rice is very good, but the basil rice is better, so stick with the basil.  The pad thai is on the sweet side, so skip that if you prefer a more savory version, or ask them to make it less sweet.  I found the curry to be flavorful but more watery than I prefer.  The pad see ewe was excellent.  The crab rangoons looked much like the standard issue flower-shaped ones you get any any americhinese carryout, but they had more seafood in them than you'd get elsewhere, which upped them a notch or two.  The garlic-pepper stir fry was also very, very good.   Go for lunch (mon-Fri only) rather than dinner, the prices are MUCH higher at dinner than at lunch.

TJ Jackson

I had always meant to get to Apsara in Blue Ash before it closed, but never made it.

 
Your wallet thanks you.
 
Did you notice any jackfruit dishes on the menu at Basil Thai? That is the one thing I miss about Apsara.

http://www.thaibasilcincy.com/menu.html
 
no jackfruit on the menu, but they do specials, and I bet with a advance reservation they'd at least consider making it for you.

A long, long time ago, before the kids, before I got into Roadfood even , The wife and I found this small and cozy Mexamerican restaurant on Beechmont.  Prices were low, quality was good, portions were large.  It was a single location joint where the owner/manager was around frequently and we never had a bad meal there. We were in there almost every week.
 
Over the next few years, we saw our visits drop off as we noticed that prices had risen steeply while quality and quantity had dropped off.   We noted that new locations were popping up around Cincinnati, and they seemed to be doing well.  Ah well, we thought, it was good while it lasted.
 
About two years ago, with food quality having taking a nose dive, they could barely get anyone in the door.  The many locations that had sprung up all over greater Cincinnati closed, one after another. 
 
About 6 months ago, the chain had closed all their restaurants except for one - they left their larger building purchased some years back and re-occupied the original small storefront location they had originally opened a decade ago.  Trying I suppose to recapture the magic that once was.
 
Recently that restaurant - called Margaritas - closed up for good.  The original location is being remodeled as a local sports bar called Muggbees.  It does not look very promising.
 
I miss Margaritas - the original.  Not the chain, never.  I always will.

Did Butterbee's for the second time on Friday, and despite the goofy, unoriginal name, the food is pretty good. The portions are enormous.
 
We split a five-piece chicken tenders for an appetizer. They're breaded and come with southwestern ranch. They were very good. The breading was tasty and crispy, and the sauce worked well with the tenders.
 
Cathy got a monstrous burger that she couldn't even eat half of. She said it was delicious. Thing that sucked a little was that she doesn't like red onions, so she asked if she could have onion straws instead. The waitress said there might be a surcharge, and we said that was OK. When the bill came, the surcharge was $2. Granted they gave her a ton of onion straws, but geez.
 
Anyway, I took a chance and got a chicken enchilada. I don't know why. But it was very good. Weird thing was they put the accompanying vegetables -- the lettuce, olives, jalepenos -- and also the sour cream on the top and all around it. There was so much of it that I couldn't even see the enchilada. There were also a ton of tortilla chips on top, and a side of salsa came with the platter.
 
The enchilada had to be 18 ounces. I barely finished half and I was stuffed for about five hours. It was stuffed with chicken and chili -- including kidney beans, strangely -- and I really enjoyed it. Cathy got a girly drink, I had a pop, and the bill was $39. I had a $5 coupon, so with tip we were out of there for $42 with two huge to-go boxes.
 
The service was great. The first time we went the service was almost too fast -- something that doesn't bother me, but I know some people hate having their main course arrive during the appetizer phase. This time the cadence was fine.
 
We went at 6 on a Friday, and the place was almost at capacity, but we did get in right away.

How does southwestern ranch dressing differ from the ordinary kind, that was invented in Alaska?

Haha, I didn't know it was invented there. That is kind of funny.
 
It has a little kick to it, although I can't put my finger on what's added to make it spicy. Maybe a hint of horseradish? Anyway, I really like it. 

jjjrfoodie

kimmykins


Thanks for all the suggestions re: the fish fry.  I am going to visit one of the well-regarded ones in Erlanger this Friday and report back what I find.

Did "Cod and God" as Liz calls it on "get in mah belly blogspot" here in Cincy at St. James Parish on Cheviot road tonite .  Well done fried fish on a nice salty crust rye that I can only surmise that they source from the Servatti's Bakery about 200 yds. down the road.  I love the Servatti pretzles.  I'd f&^(ing fall on a sword for the Servatti schneken and have shipped them as far as Cleveland many times this winter.

 
Actually the salt rye used at St. James fish fry is from North College Hill Bakery.
 

North College Hill Bakery - one of the best in the entire southwestern Ohio area.

I usually work through lunch, and very rarely get a chance to get an actual lunch, but was able to walk across Fountain Square on Thursday, and finally, got to try Tom & Chee.
OMG!! It was great!! I ordered a grilled bacon and bleu cheese sandwich, and a caprese salad. It was $7.00, total!!
Excellent, and one of the best meals I have had in a long time!
I hear they are open weekends, now as well.
 

On a barbecue board I read a positive review of the brisket at Olde Fort Pub in Fort Thomas, should anyone be interested.  I don't know if my August trip to Lebanon/Dayton will allow me a chance to visit but I'll certainly keep it in mind.
 
Brad

I'm heading down to Williamstown, Ky., Saturday afternoon. Does anyone know of anything decent between Florence and there?

Some time back, I stopped in to Rascal's Deli after hearing a lot of good about it about it.  I had a pastrami sandwich, matzo ball soup, and a knish.  Everything was very good albeit a bit harder a hit on the wallet than I'd have expected. The pastrami was to my palate (with very limited experience with good pastrami) better than what I'd had at Katz's in NYC.   Bottom line, it was a good experience, and after verifying that there is a kid's menu, and knowing my wife loves a good reuben, I decided I'd bring the whole family in at some point and then post a review.
 
Today was that visit.
 
I don't think things could have gone worse. 
 
First, I waited no longer than 5 minutes for my sandwich on the first visit.  On thiis visit, it was nearly 45 minutes before food hit our table.  The manager apologized to several other tables - regulars, I suppose - and explained how someone had gone home sick and etc but never came over to reassure us.  To make matters worse, several tables who came in after us - some WELL after us - were served well before we were.  Our drinks emptied well before this time was over and no effort wa smade by an unhurried wait staff to refill them
 
Second, nearly all our food was wrong and/or of poor quality.  The latkes served with my wife's reuben were old and cold, and she found little or no evidence of thousand island dressing on her sandwich.   The grilled onions my older daughter requested on her cheeseburger ended up on my younger daughter's grilled cheese, rendering it - to her - inedible.  The side order of grilled pastrami i ordered became a much more expensive pastrami sandwich (with those same sad old cold latkes), tho the waiter assured me he'd only charge me for the side order.  I ordered two knishes and got one.  We had the grilled cheese re-ordered and ate what we had gotten anyway, since we were extra hungry after waiting so long.  During this time, drinks were refilled after we specifically requested refills, and my wife's beverage was replaced with a root beer she did not want.  We decided to let it go.
 
I had to stand at the counter to get the bill, and when i got it, I noted that the waiter had charged me for the full pastrami sandwich, despite assuring me that he'd charge me for the much lower priced side order.  I took this to the manager, who was well aware of how long we'd waited and how badly our orders had gotten screwed up, and he insisted I pay the bill as listed, saying "you pay for what you got".  He made no offer to take anything off the bill despite our wait, poor service,  or all the screw-ups. 
 
Honestly, I still think the pastrami and knishes are very, very good there, certainly (in my mind) the best Cincinnati has to offer.  I will miss that.  But the prices are still extremely high for the portions they offer,  and after this completely shabby treatment, I/we will not be returning.  And by the 66% rating (as I write) this on Urbanspoon, I am guessing I am not alone; http://www.urbanspoon.com...als-NY-Deli-Cincinnati
 
Strongly not recommended

A new sign went up today at the restaurant on Vine St., downtown, that used to be Dink's, and Balboa's. It says "Turquoise", a Mediterranean and Turrkish Restaurant. It says "Coming Soon".

I finally got to stop in to try A Tavola Pizzerria
 
My expectations could not have been higher, so despite everything being pretty good, I was disappointed.
 
They have not been open long enough for me to draw any real conclusions, especially after only a single meal, but I'll throw out a few tidbits
 
First, the house made sausage packs (for me) a sizable amount of heat, definitely a hot rather than a sweet italian sausage.  Once I got beyond the heat I thought it had a good flavor
 
Second, the neither the sauce not the crust have much favor at all.  The overwhelming taste is the char from the wood oven, which I think would be somewhat pleasing if the crust and the sauce were more assertive in the flavor mix.
 
Third - that much-photographed oven is much bigger in person than it is in the photos.  very impressive.  There are seats directly in front of the oven, maybe 10 feet back, see if you can grab those if you want to watch the pizza-making show.
 
Fourth, the place is L-O-U-D, and this without any background music pumped in.  It was fairly crowded when I went (Jim Tarbell in attendance) but a few tables remained open the entire time I was there.  You had to lean in towards someone to get them to hear, or shout, or both.
 
Finally, service was as friendly as it could be, from top to bottom.  The staff was seemed genuinely bought in on hospitality, nothing was strained, no one was frowning.  The owner decided my first pie (a margherita) had come out too slowly, so he comped it.  I said I had no complaints and would be happy to pay for it, and he insisted otherwise, and I accepted.   
 
I hope to go back soon for the brussels sprout and house-made bacon pizza soon.  This combination is much ballyhooed at Motorino in NYC.
 
20110627 Update: I stopped in again this past Friday and thought about the brussels sprouts pizza but wanted a red-sauced pizza, so I ended up with a half pork shoulder and half soppressatta.  The pork shoulder was fine shreds of pulled smoked pork, good bbq basically.  The soppressata (not one of their normal listed available toppings) was very much like thick-sliced pepperoni, maybe slightly richer in flavor.  The sauce was slightly more flavorful but still lacking overall. The dough was thicker than on the previous visit and though charred still lacked external crispness.  Again, the flavor that dominated the pizza was the wood-fired char on the underside.   That said, it was still a good pizza, but it is well below the lofty expectations I had for this place.

Very, very good news (for me at least) this week
 
Longtime readers of this thread will remember that for several years, my very favorite lunch eatery downtown was Tan Thai on Court Street.  The owners sold the location a while back and reopened Tan Thai out in Springdale, and since I dont get out that way too often, I have missed it ever since.
 
Today, I stopped for lunch at Karma at the ol' Beechmont Mall (yeah, I know it has a new name) and lo and behold, the waiter who I always saw at Tan Thai was there, and he told me that Tan Thai had bought the place and was now running it.  They are not changing the name for now, but the menu is now Tan Thai's menu, which is (other than the Laotian specialties Karma did) fairly similar to Karma's.  He confirmed that that at one time the previous owners worked for Tan Thai, so there were some similar recipes.
 
I decided to get two of my old favorites, Kai Ka Prao and Thai Basil Fried Rice, and both were every bit as good as i remembered, maybe even better.  I had always felt Karma's food was very good, but this was a notch or two better.
 
Prices are very reasonable - about a dozen 6 dollar lunches as long as you go with chicken or tofu for your protein choice.  a bit more for pork, beef, or shrimp, and/or for a noodle-based dish 
 
Strongly recommended.   
 
I am so pumped! :-)
 
EDIT 20110701: Had the Pad Kee Mao and the chicken eggrolls and both were excellent.  These eggrolls LOOKED like the same generic eggrolls you get any any americhinese takeout joint, but they tasted a whole lot better. 

TJ - Any new downtown places strike your fancy recently?  Have you been to Silverglades on Main in a while?  I had a great sandwich there a while back but haven't had a chance to go recently since it is an eight block walk for me and it is 95 degrees out currently.

After 6 years downtown, I started a new job today in Queensgate; and am not sure I will be able to make too many forays into downtown ongoing
 
On the other hand, I have easier access to my car now, so I should be able to make wider foraging forays in the future.  Hoping to hit Dushmesh soon.

I made use of my newfound lunchtime freedom to get over to Findlay Market, but alas, they are closed on Monday
 
So I headed up the hill to Clifton and ended up at Mac's Pizza Pub, where I had last visited several years ago.  Free parking = bonus.  UC on summer break = bonus 2.
 
One strength of this pizza is it's sauce, which is only slightly sweet with a substantial tomato and garlic flavor.  Another strength is the range and quality of toppings - I had sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese on one half and the amount of SDTs (no, no, SDTs, not STDs) used was more than I'd generally get on a whole pizza.  That said, they should have been chopped into smaller pieces than the silver-dollar sized hunks.  The goat cheese was - despite being a double-charged topping - only sprinkled on lightly in tiny granules - there should be more, or the charge should be less. 
 
The weakness of this pie is it's crust, which was very soft and lacked any underside crispness, and was double the thickness one would expect from a thin-crust pizza.    It was also among the very greasiest pizzas I have ever eaten despite the fact that I ordered no meats.
 
Overall, I like this pizza, but on a followup visit I would probably ask them to use the next smaller size doughball to make my pizza so the undersize would be thinner and be cooked more thoroughly, but the flavor was excellent and I will return. 

Sounds pretty good -- a lack of garlic in the sauce is something that drives this former Chicagoan crazy about most pizzas around here. Although I still pretty much like all pizza except for Domino's and Little Caesar's.
 
Yeah, speaking of Clifton, I really need to get to Chicago Gyros, with UC being out for the summer. The downside is when they're not in classes, the temperature is usually about 140.

I am still enjoying my vastly increased lunch roaming radius to hit places I have never been able to get to at lunch before - and my favorite so far is Findlay Market.  5 minute drive, free parking, tremendous variety and value.....whats not to love?
 
On my most recent trip there, I had a gyro at Areti's, which is inside the main building.  For a mere 4.50, I was presented one of the best - and certainly the most meat-packed - ones I have ever had.  Very juicy, intensely flavorful, and there must have been a half pound of meat on there.  The pita was fresh and had been grilled, adding immensely to the flavor and texture of the wrap.  The only minus for me is that they don't have tahini, but then again, most gyro joints serve tzaziki instead, so this really isn't a complaint.
 
I told the lady at the counter that her gyro definiitely gives my favorite in town - Sebastians - a run for it's money, and she laughed, and said "Alex knows mine is better"  :-)
 
It might well be....I need to do some more, uhm, research.  Lots and lots of research.  :-)
 
Strongly recommended.
 
UPDATE 20110812: Took a friend who is a big fan and regular patron of Sebastian's with me to Aretis, and he agrees with me that this is a serious contender for the best gyro in Cincinnati - his comment was that if he were in the mood for a good gyro, he'd go to whichever was closest and not think he was settling for a lesser meal.  He also agreed that he thinks Areti's gives you more gyro meat than Sebastian's - a clear winner on quantity.    We also sampled Dojo Gelato's stuff, and it was excellent albeit quite expensive

If she is better than Sebastians/Alex it is truly a great deal and find.  How about her fries?

I have been a fan of Areti's for years, and I don't believe they offer fries. They were my go-to spot for lunch at Findlay on Saturdays (gyro, chips, and a canned soda for $6) until Pho Lang Thang opened. Dojo Gelato is always for dessert no matter where I eat lunch, however, and I usually pick up something for breakfast the next morning at Skirtz & Johnston. I'm simply amazed at how many wonderful food (and drink, since I can't not mention Market Wines) destinations have opened there within the past few years.

dlawson


I have been a fan of Areti's for years, and I don't believe they offer fries. They were my go-to spot for lunch at Findlay on Saturdays (gyro, chips, and a canned soda for $6) until Pho Lang Thang opened. Dojo Gelato is always for dessert no matter where I eat lunch, however, and I usually pick up something for breakfast the next morning at Skirtz & Johnston. I'm simply amazed at how many wonderful food (and drink, since I can't not mention Market Wines) destinations have opened there within the past few years.

I am eager to check out Pho Lang Thang.  I used to live 15 minutes way from Findlay now I am a little more than an hour away.  Are there some other Vietnamese restaurants offering Banh Mi sandwiches tween Cinci and Brown County?  My favorite Vietnamese place has been Song Long in Roselawn for more than a decade - I understand the dad has retired there and the mom is carrying on and training their youngest son for when she also retires in maybe three years - I had some misinformation a year ago about both the mom and dad retiring and closing the place entirely in a couple of years.

NYPIzzaNut


I am eager to check out Pho Lang Thang.  I used to live 15 minutes way from Findlay now I am a little more than an hour away.  Are there some other Vietnamese restaurants offering Banh Mi sandwiches tween Cinci and Brown County?

 
Unfortunately, I have no idea. I used to eat at Cilantro in Clifton on occasion, but I have not been back since Pho Lang Thang opened. (Cilantro isn't bad, just not as good, although they are cheaper and have several more noodle dish options. They don't offer bahn mi sandwiches, either.) I have never been to Song Long, so I will have to remedy that at some point. I am rarely in Roselawn, and Teranga is the only restaurant that I visit in that general area (also rarely, as my wife was not particularly impressed by it).
 
By the way, TJ...congratulations on the new job. If you are going to be making trips to Clifton for lunch, I would recommend Deep India above Dusmesh in terms of both price and quality, but definitely not for ambiance or decor. Deep is primarily geared towards takeout, even though they can seat about 20, and they do not have a buffet, ever (which is a huge plus in my book). Your lunch WILL come in a styrofoam container, you WILL have to eat with plastic utensils, you WILL be responsible for refilling your own drink, and you WILL have to contend with Cops or TMZ or wrestling or some such on the televisions. That said, we ignore all of these shortcomings since the food is so good and so plentiful, as we can almost always eat our fill at dinner and still have enough left over for lunches the next day. If you go in knowing what to expect (and can come to terms with it), I hope you won't be disappointed. We dine there at least once a week, and it is fast becoming the only Indian restaurant we visit (although there is something to be said for Dusmesh allowing you to BYOB, if you enjoy a beer or wine with your Indian food, and I do).

dlawson


I have been a fan of Areti's for years, and I don't believe they offer fries. They were my go-to spot for lunch at Findlay on Saturdays (gyro, chips, and a canned soda for $6) until Pho Lang Thang opened. Dojo Gelato is always for dessert no matter where I eat lunch, however, and I usually pick up something for breakfast the next morning at Skirtz & Johnston. I'm simply amazed at how many wonderful food (and drink, since I can't not mention Market Wines) destinations have opened there within the past few years.

 
Had Areti's a couple of months ago. Pretty good, lots of meat and the price wasn't had. The line gets pretty long at lunch on Saturday, but overall I was happy with their gyro.
 
Taste of Belgium at Findlay is quickly becoming my favorite place there. Huge, very tasty thin crust pizza slices are $3, and their waffles are excellent. We got one of those fresh the first time and fell in love with it. They sell five packs to go for $15, and that sounds like a lot, but they're incredibly filling as well as melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

We spent some time at Findlay Market yesterday and had lunch at Pho Lang Thang.
 
We had two pho soups (beef/chicken), two banh mi baguette sandwiches and fried and fresh spring rolls.
 
We had mixed opinions which is usual for our diverse group.
 
I did not think much of the baguette sandwiches - the baguette itself was nothing special.  I was expecting light,  crusty and chewy but it was just blah.  We had one with pork and one with the cold cuts.
 
They do not offer lemongrass with their pho which disappointed me - I thought the soups were just OK  - I did love the rolls - both types.  My friend from TN loved the baguette sandwiches.
 
We shopped and I got some black and whites from Adrian's Place (my wife loves these NY cookies) - since Starbuck's stopped selling them we had not seen them in Cinci for a good while.  We got take out gyros from Areti's and my wife loved hers as did I.  I agree they are most generous with their meat and the flavor is exceptional.  (Sebastian's take note!)
 
 

Empress Chili is coming to Florence in the old Gold Star Chili location on Dixie Highway near the corner of Dixie and Turfway.
 
Also noticed renovations on the old Fuddrucker's building.  No indications as to what's going in as of yet, but I can't imagine it being anything other than a restaurant.