WhereToEat: Cincinnati and N.Ky (open chat)

I have noted the many "themed" food events over at Washington Platform for years now, and I finally decided to participate in one because a favorite food of mine was the theme - crab
 
(and I wanted a break from all the pizza I have been eating - scroll a few posts back to see my ongoing notes)
 
So I picked up a crab bisque (9.50) and a crabcake po boy (10.75) for carryout. I am not a fan of 20 dollar lunches but I'll splurge on occasion for something special (related reminder to self - still need to get over to Jean Robert's and to Boi Na Braza for lunch once each)
 
I did not finish either item......the crabcake "po boy" was mostly filler, poorly seasoned, came on a kaiser roll rather than on a po boy roll, and had only shreds rather than chunks of crabmeat.....the crab bisque had good baseline flavor and a decent amount of shredded crabmeat in it but about 3 to 4 times the amount of salt it should have.  
 
Both were so bad that the two things I did finish were the dinner roll that came with the soiup and the limp, soggy fries that came with the "po boy"
 
I also tried to order a different side = they have a half dozen or so sides all priced at 2.25, and I figured they'd let me swap for the fries that I knew would not fare well on the trip back to work.  Nope.  A dollar extra, even though the sides are all the same price when ordered ala carte.   Thats just sad.
 
Strongly not recommended

One type of cuisine that is widely available in Cincinnati but I have only just started to sample in the last couple of years is Indian, and I have to say, I am still very much a newbie with this ethnic food. 
 
There is one thing I am curious about tho - I understand the basic difference between southern and northern Indian cuisine, and a now know MOST of the Indian restaurants in Cincinnati serve Northern Indian cuisine, and a few (like Anand) serve both.  I have mainly sampled northern indian food - kormas, makhani, curry, the various flatbreads like naan and poori, and etc.  But at every place I have been, the taste\texture\look is almost exactly the same.  I mean - dead on.  Its like they are all named differently but really one big restaurant chain "under the hood".   I know some of them are owned by the same family, and in these cases, the menu is an exact line by line copy from one eatery to the next, but even the ones that are not in this same ownership group seem to have the exact same recipes.
 
Are there any Indian restaurants in Cincinnati that really "break the mold"?  For this purpose, I am not counting Southern Indian restaurants (Ammas, Anand, etc) because I know the menus with dosas and idlis and such are different.  I'm only talking about the northern indian ones.
 
I know some of you have a ton more experience with Indian cuisine than I have and can help me out with this so I don't have to sample every single one by myself (family refuses to go eat Indian, so I go when I am on my own, which isnt too often)

I think you're right - Indian has become a really generic format and is sort of the same deal as all of the look alike Mexican mini-chains or the Chinese buffets. Every joint has naan, every place has red tandoor chicken, pav bhaji, etc. I don't have anything to tell you...
 

so I don't have to sample every single one by myself (family refuses to go eat Indian, so I go when I am on my own, which isnt too often)

 
It's strange, isn't it? Indian repulses some people. My wife won't touch the stuff. I think of it as very accessible but I think some people just don't get the spices.
 
I suspect a base requirement for what you want is to avoid buffets and order off the menu, with the help of a waiter or staff person whom you can ask for recommendations.

I actually like the Indian lunch buffets because it enables me to taste things I normally would not dream of ordering without breaking the bank to do it.  My only rule is I try and go as close to the opening time of the buffet as I can so that I know I am getting items that are relatively fresh.  But I do agree that most of the restaurants in town seem very cookie cutter.  I was at Akash the othere day and tried some new items I haven't had before - some I liked, some I didn't.  I think it is a good way to get a wide taste variety of the food.

The Blue Ash location of Cactus Pear (where Swamy, of Mayura fame, is involved on a daily basis) regularly has some Indian dishes on both the lunch and dinner menus. My wife is a huge fan of their saag paneer, which has a "chopped" texture to it rather than the paste you find at most places, and I enjoy their yellow lentil dish (and Mayura was the only other local place I have ever seen it on the menu). I have never seen any Indian options at the Clifton location.
 
Sankalp (on U.S. 42 just north of 275, by House of Sun) also offers both Northern and Southern cuisine, and on my only visit to date, I found the lunch buffet to have much more varied offerings than most places. Unfortunately, it was also several dollars more expensive than most places.

We enjoyed Sankalp immensely.  And the Indian grocery next door.

MY wife and I ate at the Platform many years ago with some friends.  My conclusion was that if the prices were cut in half and the quality doubled, I still doubt I would ever go back.  Not surprising that you had a bad visit there.
 

TJ Jackson


I have noted the many "themed" food events over at Washington Platform for years now, and I finally decided to participate in one because a favorite food of mine was the theme - crab

(and I wanted a break from all the pizza I have been eating - scroll a few posts back to see my ongoing notes)

So I picked up a crab bisque (9.50) and a crabcake po boy (10.75) for carryout. I am not a fan of 20 dollar lunches but I'll splurge on occasion for something special (related reminder to self - still need to get over to Jean Robert's and to Boi Na Braza for lunch once each)

I did not finish either item......the crabcake "po boy" was mostly filler, poorly seasoned, came on a kaiser roll rather than on a po boy roll, and had only shreds rather than chunks of crabmeat.....the crab bisque had good baseline flavor and a decent amount of shredded crabmeat in it but about 3 to 4 times the amount of salt it should have.  

Both were so bad that the two things I did finish were the dinner roll that came with the soiup and the limp, soggy fries that came with the "po boy"

I also tried to order a different side = they have a half dozen or so sides all priced at 2.25, and I figured they'd let me swap for the fries that I knew would not fare well on the trip back to work.  Nope.  A dollar extra, even though the sides are all the same price when ordered ala carte.   Thats just sad.

Strongly not recommended

I know you guys talked about doing lunch at Smoq off of Rt. 4 a couple of pages ago, so we went a week and a half back. To say we came away impressed was an understatement.
 
We knew we were ordering too much when we both got an appetizer and an entree, but we figured leftovers always make a good midnight snack. So we got the fried ribs and the andouille corndogs for appetizers.
 
The ribs were $6.95 for five big pieces. They were slightly breaded and were one of the highlights of the meal. The meat was still very tender.
 
The corn dogs were very good. I think there were six two-bite sized sausages and they cost about $6.
 
I ordered the brisket, which is a favorite of mine but something I don't order often because I come away disappointed too often when I get it around here. The brisket there was excellent. It was incredibly tender and had just a little bit of fat on it to make it even more tasty.
 
It also came with two huge sides. I got the red beans and rice and the hickory chips. I liked both, but I wish I had gone with the mac and cheese that Cathy got. That was the best side we had between us.
 
Cathy got the chicken and waffle, something we'd seen numerous times on TV but had never actually tried. It came with a huge chicken breast -- probably six ounces -- and the waffle was sweet potato flavored. It came with butter and maple syrup. I tried the waffle and the chicken and thought it was great, and Cathy absolutely loved it.
 
And unlimited cornbread is served with dinner. We ate all four pieces and got more. Cornbread is another thing I'm a little picky about because it usually isn't moist enough. No problem with that here. It almost fell apart it was so moist.
 
I got sweet tea, and Cathy got pop. We'd been outside all afternoon so after I drained my first glass the waitress brought me a pitcher. It was delicious.
 
The service was very efficient and the waitress very nice. The bill was $52 and we gave her $65.
 
The portions were huge overall. We had enough leftovers for a full meal for both of us and a lunch that Monday for Cathy.
 
I can't wait to go back. Very highly recommended.

Bonk


I know you guys talked about doing lunch at Smoq off of Rt. 4 a couple of pages ago, so we went a week and a half back. To say we came away impressed was an understatement.

We knew we were ordering too much when we both got an appetizer and an entree, but we figured leftovers always make a good midnight snack. So we got the fried ribs and the andouille corndogs for appetizers.

The ribs were $6.95 for five big pieces. They were slightly breaded and were one of the highlights of the meal. The meat was still very tender.

The corn dogs were very good. I think there were six two-bite sized sausages and they cost about $6.

I ordered the brisket, which is a favorite of mine but something I don't order often because I come away disappointed too often when I get it around here. The brisket there was excellent. It was incredibly tender and had just a little bit of fat on it to make it even more tasty.

It also came with two huge sides. I got the red beans and rice and the hickory chips. I liked both, but I wish I had gone with the mac and cheese that Cathy got. That was the best side we had between us.

Cathy got the chicken and waffle, something we'd seen numerous times on TV but had never actually tried. It came with a huge chicken breast -- probably six ounces -- and the waffle was sweet potato flavored. It came with butter and maple syrup. I tried the waffle and the chicken and thought it was great, and Cathy absolutely loved it.

And unlimited cornbread is served with dinner. We ate all four pieces and got more. Cornbread is another thing I'm a little picky about because it usually isn't moist enough. No problem with that here. It almost fell apart it was so moist.

I got sweet tea, and Cathy got pop. We'd been outside all afternoon so after I drained my first glass the waitress brought me a pitcher. It was delicious.

The service was very efficient and the waitress very nice. The bill was $52 and we gave her $65.

The portions were huge overall. We had enough leftovers for a full meal for both of us and a lunch that Monday for Cathy.

I can't wait to go back. Very highly recommended.

We have been there twice and have never been disappointed.

I found my new favorite NY Style pie in Cincinnati...and it is made in a....I cant believe I am writing this.....a conveyor style oven
 
A few posts back (page 90 right now) I have a survey of local pizzas I am compiling, and my notes on this place - Cosmic Pizza (yeah, I had never heard of it before either) are in there

If this has been reported, I missed it, but:
 
I am deeply sorry to report that Woe Is Me Barbecue on Glen Este-Withamsville Road has closed.

jmckee


If this has been reported, I missed it, but:

I am deeply sorry to report that Woe Is Me Barbecue on Glen Este-Withamsville Road has closed.

THAT SUCKS! I got their stuff a couple of times when I worked around there last year. I really liked it. I suppose the sheeple went to City BBQ instead.

donw9876

jmckee


If this has been reported, I missed it, but:

I am deeply sorry to report that Woe Is Me Barbecue on Glen Este-Withamsville Road has closed.

THAT SUCKS! I got their stuff a couple of times when I worked around there last year. I really liked it. I suppose the sheeple went to City BBQ instead.

I suspect you're right. Drive past City BBQ any time of day and you will not smell wood smoke. I've had their food -- it's insipid.

TJ Jackson



There is one thing I am curious about tho - I understand the basic difference between southern and northern Indian cuisine, and a now know MOST of the Indian restaurants in Cincinnati serve Northern Indian cuisine, and a few (like Anand) serve both.  I have mainly sampled northern indian food - kormas, makhani, curry, the various flatbreads like naan and poori, and etc.  But at every place I have been, the taste\texture\look is almost exactly the same.  I mean - dead on.  Its like they are all named differently but really one big restaurant chain "under the hood".   I know some of them are owned by the same family, and in these cases, the menu is an exact line by line copy from one eatery to the next, but even the ones that are not in this same ownership group seem to have the exact same recipes.

TJ, you are spot on with your summation.
 
There is a Sri Lankan restaurant locally (whose name escapes me) that I have been to multiple times that does give diners a better idea of the South Indian flavors and spices, but southern Indian cuisine tends to be spicer adn contain less dairy than its northern counterpart.
 
Also, having been to India more times than I can count, what you find locally in Cincy varies greatly from what you actually find in India.  During my time in Gujarat and Ahmedabad up north, it was most vegetarian with a lot of dal use and local veggies and spices we do not see here.  Goan cuisine offered a lot of seafood since it was on the coast and had Portugese roots for example.
 
Having dined at most the the local Indian spots here, if I want something different, I head up to Tandoor India in Blue Ash were I have been going for close to 10 years.  The owners Varsha and Naren also own an Indian market in Sharonville and if I ask real nice (and they aren't slammed) they will often cook dishes that are not on the menu for me if Naren is working the kitchen. That puts you in the chef's hands, but allows you try and taste things not found anywhere else locally.
 
Shoot me note TJ if you every want to take a run up that way and I'll join you for a Saturday lunch or early dinner and act as liason. LOL.
 

TJ reported three months ago about the Sonny's Three Meat Burgers sign.
 
Guess I'll find out what those meats are exactly, since the place is now open and I'm going to check it out.

Does anyone recommend and eat regularly at the Brown Dog Cafe?
 
My wife and I were running an errand around Sharonville this week. We stopped in there at supper time because I had seen some glowing reviews of the place. We wanted a quick bite. A "cafe" called "The Brown Dog" in a strip mall seems like just the thing, a bit more upscale than fast food.
 
We were seated instantly by the friendly server in an otherwise empty restaurant. We were handed menus.

Oh my gosh. $18 for a hamburger,  the only sandwich and the very cheapest thing on the menu besides appetizers. Most entrees were nailed at around $24-$30.
 
For prices like this we will go to a regular steak house, sorry.
 
We demurely walked out, explaining to the server that we made a mistake. The server did say that their food was "fantastic", and I will accept that. But these are special occasional level prices for us. The outside appearance and the name of the place spells "casual dining" and at these prices it's not casual - you'd better mean it.
 
This place was vacant (on a Friday evening) when we got there. Methinks the owners need to review the marketing and positioning realities of a small restaurant.

The old Dynasty Buffet in Florence has a new sign for the Firebowl Grill, claiming it is the ultimate hibachi buffet (or something like that). It doesn't look like they're open as of yet.

Bonk
TJ reported three months ago about the Sonny's Three Meat Burgers sign. Guess I'll find out what those meats are exactly, since the place is now open and I'm going to check it out.

 
The three meats are supposed to be beef, chicken, and lamb.  I can understand beef and lamb, as Middle Easterners eat this as kufta kebabs, but chicken??  Considering the price of lamb compared to beef and chicken, I don't think he can put too much in, without it being too expensive.  I ended up going to Wok Express and Squeaky's Chicago Beef and Dogs this weekend, so I didn't get a chance to stop by, but will also soon.

X

I went on Friday. I got the bacon cheeseburger combo and it was about $6. The burger was huge and it comes with a small fry and a drink.
 
The burger was big and I liked how the cheese was thoroughly melted. It was definitely one of the more interesting and unique-tasting burgers I've ever had. I could taste the lamb and there was a spice that I couldn't put my finger on.
 
I thought it was pretty good, the prices weren't bad and I think I would go back to try other items. That said, we were the only people in there at 5:30 on a Friday during grand opening week, so I'm thinking this place may not last long. The parking in that lot is extremely limited, it's tough to get in and out of there anyway because it's in a crowded area of Beechmont and it Malia's was better and didn't make it in that spot.

Regarding Sonny's Three Meat Burgers

tikkanen

The three meats are supposed to be beef, chicken, and lamb

Verified.  They have a big sign front and center behind the front counter declaring it is a blend of the three, plus unnamed spices. 
 

Bonk

I went on Friday. I got the bacon cheeseburger combo and it was about $6. The burger was huge and it comes with a small fry and a drink.

The burger was big and I liked how the cheese was thoroughly melted. It was definitely one of the more interesting and unique-tasting burgers I've ever had. I could taste the lamb and there was a spice that I couldn't put my finger on.

I went in there last week and indeed, the burger is quite large and filling.  It is griddled, and the bun is sized appropriately to the size of the patty.  The most prominent meat taste was the lamb, and if one was not told chicken had been added, I doubt most folks would know.  The most prominent spice was black pepper, but overall the taste and texture was very similar to the pressed gyro "roll" one sees on vertical rotating spits at the typical gyro joint - only in burger shape and size.  The texture was a lot more firm and the grind a lot more fine than I think most folks would like in a burger, and because of the presence of the chicken, I dont think you'd ever be able to get one of these burgers cooked to anything but well done.
 
Overall, I thought it was interesting and different but not good enough to make me a regular
 
They appear to have ambitions to start a breakfast service at some point, and there is even a breakfast menu prominently displayed behind the counter, but they are not doing that yet.
 
They also had a steam table off to the side with items not on the menu - some kind of salisbury steak type thing on the night of my visit - but no attempt was made to let me know there were other foods available - not even a hand printed sign or an employee asking me if I'd like to try the "special".  I had to ask about it.  How can they sell that which the customer does not even know about?  Seemed off to me.
 
Another oddity - they present the burgers for purchase ONLY in a combo.  I asked if I could purchase just the burger and the employees had to call their boss and ask not only if they could sell a sandwich without a drink and side, but also how much that'd be.  Nice thing about the combo, tho - the side can be chili, fries, OR a potato pancake.     
 
All this was on their third day of operation, so it might be a bit unfair to judge them so early.  I will try to go back for at least one more try in a few weeks

Happy New Year to all!  Does anyone have any leads on a new good downtown lunch place?  Has anyone tried Turquoise on Vine yet?  Also I noticed that the Lunch on Main sandwich joint is switching to a hot dog format and will be sourcing Avril Bleh dogs full time on the menu (they had a separate menu of these for a while).  I'm excited to see what kinds of unique combinations they can create. 

I don't get downtown too  much anymore, Westsider, so I doubt I can be of much help. 
 
That said
 
--I will continue to recommend, that you take the trek up to Court Street for Raya's falafel and schawarma, and for Thai at Bangkok Express. 
 
--The banh mi at Le's inside the Library is passably good and quite cheap, but skip anything fried as it has been sitting for a while
 
--there is a new Greek place on Court street in the old Post building: Greek to Me: http://greektome.net/2011prassinomenu.html (but go to Raya's instead)
 
--there may be a Panera finally downtown (yeah, I know...a chain, but at least one that is slightly better than the average): http://cincinnati.com/blo...closed-downtown-arbys/
 
--have you tried the que/grilled items at Fins and Feathers?  I neve rmade it there prior to leaving downtown.  The rest of the menu looks meh, but if they have good bbq......
 
--the Teriyaki at Sakkio of Japan and the ultra-thin custom-made pizzas at Ingredients remain two of my favorite cheap lunches downtown.  Don't forget that when they aren't swamped, the pizza-makers can (so be nice!) add items from the extensive selection available on the salad bar - sun dried tomatoes, for example
 

I did make a stop tonight at Just Q'in in Newtown, and it was fabulous
 
The ribs were not fall of the bone tender, they were more the "lightly tug" type.  I am accustomed when getting ribs that they will contain some dry and chewier-than-jerky parts, but there was nothing on these bones but moist, flavorful meat and soft bits of fat with a think bark.  The smoke flavor was on the mild side, despite a prominent red smoke ring inside. 
 
The pulled pork was also moist, tender, and delicately flavored, a mixture of the inner and outer pieces, with the bits of outside bark adding a textural contrast and some flavor.   Like the ribs, they easily passed the "no sauce needed" test, but I think it could stand just a little more salt and spice to help bring out the flavor of the pork.  Be advised that the pulled pork sandwich is sauced from a squeeze bottle by default, so if you want your sauce on the side, ask for it that way.
 
I also had the mac and cheese, which was among the very best I have ever had, with the perfect balance of cheese, pasta, and pepper.  I'd prefer the pasta a little firmer, but this is a very minor quibble.  It was immensely flavorful and deeply satisfying.  They have  a side called BBQ green Beans on the menu.  This, I most definitely have to try....I have never heard of such a thing.
 
Prices were perhaps a bit higher than one might expect for the portion served and for it being strictly carryout, but about right given the quality.  Brisket and pulled pork is available by the pound, tho this option is not listed on their menu at this time
 
Hours are a bit limited - lunchtime through early dinner - but the owner says he will expand their hours during the warmer seasons 

Highly recommended.

I am glad to hear about Just Q'in, TJ. It's now a Must Try for us.

Looks like a new location of The Original Pancake House is going in at the old Pizza Hut at 8 Mile and Beechmont in Anderson
 
Also, I had a coney over at Eastside Chli the other night - the chili itself has good flavor but the cheese is a little off and the bun is not up to the challenge of containing the chili.  The menu indicates they do tamales - will be back to try those.
 
The Curry in a Hurry location at Anderson Crossings (former Beechmont Mall) looks like it is a long way off from completion
 
I am certain we all are very excited :-) about the possibility of a Jack in the Box coming to Cincinnati: http://communitypress.cin...umbia-Twp-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text||s
 

I've stopped into Caribe (http://www.urbanspoon.com...yout-Cincinnati)  3 or 4 times in the past 6 months, and I like it a little better each time I visit.
 
The place is kinda hard to spot, so when you see the UDF on the corner of Glenway and Cleves-Warsaw, you're right there. Prices have risen a little this year, just like they have pretty much everywhere, but even with the increase, everything on the very limited menu here is dirt cheap, and I mean that as a compliment.The best deal on the menu is the combo - rice topped with one of 4 everyday stews (two chicken-based and two vegetarian) plus an empanada for 4.50, up recently from 4.00. I have not tried the vegetarian stews, but the citrus chicken is good and the curry-laden coconut chicken is wonderful, flavorful and chock full of chicken, potatoes, and perfectly cooked chickpeas.
 
There are usually a half dozen or so empanadas available, and you can choose any of them to pair with your combo. They usually have vegetarian, chicken, chorizo (listed on the menu as pork) and ground beef, with each type generally but not always available as regular or spicey. The "spicy" is a bit of a misnomer here, though, because the hottest of the bunch (the spicy pork) is not even as spicy-hot as a typical "medium" buffalo wing, for sake of comparison. The spicy chicken is not hot at all, more like a mild curry chicken, very similar in flavor to the coconut chicken stew. The beef is just mildly spiced ground beef, good but not great. The best of the lot is the spicy pork - the flavor of the chorizo mix is just outstanding.
 
The menu also offers two cheap add-on items - potato cakes or tostones, which are deep fried mashed unripe plantains, both liberally salted. The tostones are the "carribean" choice here, obviously, but the potato cakes are much better in my opinion - everything the McDonalds 'hash brown" patty wishes it were, but isn't - even though these start frozen, they are deep fried when you place your order, are tasty as all get out, and a steal at a 1.25
 
The owner runs the place by himself, and although he is not himself from the Carribean, he says he got all his recipes from his wife, who grew up down there. He is very friendly and accommodating.
 
Two caveats - hours are a little weird (Wed through Sat only), and it is a cash only business.
 
Strongly recommended

TJ Jackson


I did make a stop tonight at Just Q'in in Newtown, and it was fabulous

The ribs were not fall of the bone tender, they were more the "lightly tug" type.  I am accustomed when getting ribs that they will contain some dry and chewier-than-jerky parts, but there was nothing on these bones but moist, flavorful meat and soft bits of fat with a think bark.  The smoke flavor was on the mild side, despite a prominent red smoke ring inside. 

The pulled pork was also moist, tender, and delicately flavored, a mixture of the inner and outer pieces, with the bits of outside bark adding a textural contrast and some flavor.   Like the ribs, they easily passed the "no sauce needed" test, but I think it could stand just a little more salt and spice to help bring out the flavor of the pork.  Be advised that the pulled pork sandwich is sauced from a squeeze bottle by default, so if you want your sauce on the side, ask for it that way.

I also had the mac and cheese, which was among the very best I have ever had, with the perfect balance of cheese, pasta, and pepper.  I'd prefer the pasta a little firmer, but this is a very minor quibble.  It was immensely flavorful and deeply satisfying.  They have  a side called BBQ green Beans on the menu.  This, I most definitely have to try....I have never heard of such a thing.

Prices were perhaps a bit higher than one might expect for the portion served and for it being strictly carryout, but about right given the quality.  Brisket and pulled pork is available by the pound, tho this option is not listed on their menu at this time

Hours are a bit limited - lunchtime through early dinner - but the owner says he will expand their hours during the warmer seasons 

Highly recommended.

 
TJ
 
Qued ribs are supposed to have a little tug to them.  If they are to the point of fall off the bones (no tug to them) they have been over cooked or cooked to doneness then held in steam table or wrapped in foil in a hotbox until they are past done.
 
What is the address for Just in que??

CajunKing

Qued ribs are supposed to have a little tug to them.  If they are to the point of fall off the bones (no tug to them) they have been over cooked or cooked to doneness then held in steam table or wrapped in foil in a hotbox until they are past done.

I agree...I wasn't complaining, I was supplying a detail :-). 
 

CajunKing

What is the address for Just Q'in??

Address and more......http://www.urbanspoon.com...in-Barbeque-Cincinnati

tikkanen

Bonk
TJ reported three months ago about the Sonny's Three Meat Burgers sign. Guess I'll find out what those meats are exactly, since the place is now open and I'm going to check it out.

The three meats are supposed to be beef, chicken, and lamb.  I can understand beef and lamb, as Middle Easterners eat this as kufta kebabs, but chicken??  Considering the price of lamb compared to beef and chicken, I don't think he can put too much in, without it being too expensive.  I ended up going to Wok Express and Squeaky's Chicago Beef and Dogs this weekend, so I didn't get a chance to stop by, but will also soon.

 
Hadn't heard of Squeaky's. I looked it up after seeing your post...as a Chicago transplant I have to ask what your thoughts are on the place. I see the reviews are all very positive.