Cincinnati Restaurant Reviews

The perfect gift for the Cincinnati foody

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Everyone in Cincinnati probably knows about this. These Cincy favorites are obviously great presents for those of us who grew up in Cincinnati, moved away, and still want that hometown flavor.

Please don’t think I’m late to the party on this, I’ve known about these for a while, years. I never wrote about them because offering these faves as a mail order product was so blindingly brilliant, there didn’t seem to be anything to say.

But as I was talking about these with my girlfriend (also from Cincy) about it, and I really starting thinking about them as a phenomenon. Here’s the transcript from our gchat conversation

her: i'm buying my brothers skyline cravers gift baskets
Sent at 1:04 PM on Friday
me: i got one of those from t------ once
it's great
they will love
her: heck yeah. i love that these exist
me: my brother orders in ribs most years for the Super Bowl, I think
her: awesome
me: i wonder if other cities have that sort of thing
it seems so unique to cincy
where we have these very unique regional dishes
and lots of people who have moved away
but still want those dishes
i'm sure this is affected by my perspective, as a cincinnatian living away from cincy
***
me: there must be something about being from cincinnati
i feel like we share that so uniquely with our friends
her: so do i
next time someone from cincy gets married, we should get them a huge cincy gift basket. someone who's from there but not living there
like if j---- and t------- get married
me: yeah
Sent at 1:11 PM on Friday
her: the other cool thing. i just called them.. it's a 800 number but bc its a cincy thing i feel comfortable trying to figure out an easier route... anyway, i called them bc shipping is like $20. I was like, hey I'm from there. Can I just come get it from you direct when I'm home. They were like, sure no prob.

I hope you didn’t mind the poor cut and paste job.

Anyway, why do Cincinnati dishes warrant this? Here’s what I think.
1.) They are so unique, every time I share Montgomery Inn ribs or Skyline with an out-of-towner, it’s preceded by a long disclaimer about what to expect and how it's different taste. And there’s no telling how they’ll react. Over 50% don’t like it, but those who do really like it and get it right away. Don’t try this with Larosa’s though. Only people who’ve grown up with Larosa’s like it, no one else will.

2.) There are many former Cincinnatians out there, and though many of them claim they couldn’t wait to get out, there is some part of them that wishes they never left. This is how they relieve some of that. I’m speaking as someone who’s moved away, and I’m speaking for my age group, which I would call 25-35.

3.) The food’s good. In a straightforward, no-frills, Cincinnati kind of way.

I’m reminded of Portland, a city of similar size, that is known for it’s cuisine. I’ve even heard of one dish that is pretty exclusive to Portland—apparently they love tater tots. They have a dish called totchos—tater tots with nacho toppings.

But I’ve never heard about any restaurant or dish that is native to Portland outside the confines of Portland. Maybe that’s because I’ve been in the Midwest or on the East Coast my whole life. But no one talks about it. I know people talk about Cincinnati food, especially chili, in NYC and Chicago.

Does anyone know if any other city has a cuisine that warrants mail-ordering? I know my perspective is skewed, but I’m thinking that Cincy cuisine is the most loved regional food in the country, by people who no longer live in that region.

Nothing For Nada, Too Much at Boi Na Braza

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:01:00 +0000

In celebration of Mother’s Day, my father and I took my mom out to dinner on Saturday night. Our first thought was Nada, the new Mexican restaurant by David Cook, the man behind Boca. So we called in the afternoon to get a reservation. Whoever answered the phone said that the reservations were full, but they keep a portion of the room unreserved so we should try stopping by for on of those tables.

Now, maybe we read too much into this, but we thought this meant that it wouldn’t be hard or a long wait to get a table if we showed up without the reservation. What fools we were, apparently. We walk up and ask for a table for three, and we’re told an hour and a half wait.

This was a little annoying, simply for the fact that the phone conversation gave us the impression that getting a table wouldn’t be this hard. I’ll accept full responsibility for getting my hopes up, but it would have been nice if the maitre’ d had said, “we hold part of the room unreserved, but tonight, that could be a long wait if you get here around 7:30.”

Oh well, I’ll get over it. And I’ll try Nada again, at some point, because I’ve only heard good things. But I’ll be sure to get reservations ahead of time.

This situation also gave us the opportunity to walk from Nada to Boi Na Braza, which has been on my list for a while. The idea of a Brazilian stekhouse appeals to me, because the idea of having steak until I simply can’t fit anymore in my belly appeals to me. I’m an old Roman that way.

We had a nice walk over there, a good amount of people downtown on a Saturday night. And they were able to seat us almost immediately.

I was excited as we sat down. The room was lushly decorated, with thick carpets and dark wood walls. Gauchos (?) walked around with meat on swords! Just as I’d been told! And we passed one of the largest buffets I’d ever seen on the way to our table. No way I was passing that up. My parents were paying, so I was going to pig out.

I ordered the deluxe meal, which includes the buffet and the endless supply of meat. I went through the buffet first. The selection was impressive. Salamis and other dried meats. Many fresh cheeses. A selection of veggies. My personal favorite of the whole spread were the marinated artichoke hearts. I also loved the tomato and mozzarella salad, though I always do.

After I cleaned off that plate, I was ready to dig into some meat. I turned my disc over to green, which let the gauchos know that they should stop and ask if I wanted whatever they had skewered. It took maybe 30 seconds for the first one to stop by and ask. Honestly, I was disappointed. I expected 4 gauchos at my shoulder as soon as I flipped the disc over.

The first meat I tried was a garlic encrusted beef medallion. Not very good. Dry and overly garlicky, like it was hiding something under all that flavor. Then I had some pork, some chicken, and maybe one or two beefs. None of them was the meaty delights I had been dreaming of.

Finally, one of the gauchos came up and presented some prime rib. With this cut of meat, the deal is he begins to cut off a slice, then you grab that piece with tongs that are provided for you, and he finishes cutting. This presents a slab of meat unceremoniously splashing onto your plate. Saving countless ties, certainly.

I was excited about this cut. A straightforward cut of beef. This is when it finally occurred to me what had been nagging me since I started trying the meat. It wasn’t that good. The quality of the meat, that is. But also, it was overcooked. I realized that every piece of meat I tried suffered from this.

I was disappointed. I flipped my disc over to red, meaning that I was fine for now and didn’t want anymore meat. I continued to finish my prime rib, because, hey, it’s steak. But the gauchos kept coming up and asking me if I wanted what they were selling. At this point in the meal, this was really frustrating. Why have a system in place (the discs) if your employees weren’t going to follow it? This was really just a reflection of my greater disappointment at the meal, but it didn’t help the experience.

I tried a few more cuts of meat, but none of them changed my impression. Not even the filet mignon. By the time we left, I felt that I’d been stuffed to the gills, but not satisfied with anything I’d eaten. Except the artichoke hearts. The buffet was definitely worth it, but the whole Brazilian steakhouse experience was too much and not enough at the same time.

Sorry it’s been a while

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:30:00 +0000

To the few of you who have asked if I have stopped eating, I haven’t. That might be a good thing for my waist line, but I’ve just been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to blog much recently.

In all honesty, I haven’t been able to eat out much in Cincinnati recently. Which is a shame, because there is so many good things happening that I’ve missed a lot. A recent trip out to dinner near Fountain Square has shown me what I’ve been missing. I don’t know that I’ll be able to keep up with everything I’d like to, but let me just say that I think it’s a better time for folks who like eating out in Cincinnati than any time I can remember.

Insightful insights into the Montgomery Inn

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:17:00 +0000

Recently, Cincinnati's own Montgomery Inn Boathouse has been in the news because the president stopped there for some ribs. Which I guess is the reason that WKRC interviewed Dick Gregory about the restaurant.

I'll go on record and admit that I'm one of the few people in the world who's not a big fan of their barbeque sauce. I know, Sacrilege!

I'm actually not a big fan of barbeque sauces in general, especially sweet ones like Montomgery Inn's. When I go, I'll order a steak and enjoy it just as much as everyone else enjoys their ribs.

In a former life, when I was a freelance journalist, I had the opportunity to interview Dick Gregory. It was for a small feature in a local magazine about expensive drinks, and he really didn't need to take the time to talk to me, but he couldn't have been nicer. He gave me probably 15 minutes, when the interview could have been over in 5. I really appreciated that, and when he tell WKRC that he considers the restaurant business to be all about service, I know how much he believes in that philosophy.

Via Vite Opens

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:12:00 +0000

Alright, maybe the story of restaurants opening on the square is something I care about more than most. I've posted about Graeter's and Via Vite in the past, and I've been following, in general, the great amount of new dining and nightlife options around the Tyler Davidson Fountain.

Well, Via Vite is now open, joining Graeter's which has already opened on the square. For those who don't know much about it, Via Vite is owned and operated by the same family that own's Nicola's in Over-the-Rhine. A new restaurant by this family is something to be excited about.

I definitely want to try it out as soon as I can, but I'm afraid that won't be for a while. Anyone here gone to Via Vite and want to report back on it? Please do so in the comments section.

Cincy Pizza: Born and Bred

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:50:00 +0000

Here's a little fun fact for you: Halloween is one of the top five pizza delivery days in the year. This information comes to use courtesy of Pizza Today magazine, to which I unfortunately don't have a subscription.

I found this out thanks to this article in the Enquirer, which also lists some of the best independent pizzerias in the city.

I've had the amazing pizzas at Trotta's. I really ought to blog about that experience, but sufficed to say, it is definitely worth the trip. Look for a blog post about that in the future.

But, if you do plan on ordering in tomorrow, here are a couple of helpful links with tips for pizza delivery etiquette:

Tip the Pizza Guy is a helpful site, just remember it's written by a pizza guy. I especially like a Pizza guys' perspective on house numbers.

This article from the New York Times Magazine provides answers to the moral and ethical implications of ordering in during a rain storm. Finally, my questions have been answered!

Jean-Robert at Pigall's Rated Among the Country's Best

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:30:00 +0000

I went to enquirer.com today, as I do most mornings, and saw a picture of a crazy looking, wild-haired man. My first thought was that some sort of serial killer had been caught.

But lo and behold, Jean-Robert at Pigall's is one of the highest rated restaurants in the country!

That's great news, and not just becuase there haven't been any killing sprees in the area recently.

Of course, we've known for a while that this restaurant was good, and was getting noticed from national opinion-makers. This just further gets the word out there that some of the nation's finest dining is here in the Queen City.

Congrats, Jean-Robert!

What is up with Cincinnati and White Castle?

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:02:00 +0000

Seriously, this is disturbing. After hearing about local White Castles celebrating Valentine's Day, I thought that maybe we wouldn't have any White Castle specific news for a while. Well, I wish I was wrong.

Mayor Mark Mallory, in his infinite wisdom, decreed that yesterday was White Castle Day in Cincinnati. I'm sorry for the late notice, I'm sure you're upset that you missed your chance to celebrate this auspicious occasion.

If you were aware of this great event, what did you do to commemorate it?

Forget the Floor, Focus on the Food

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:25:00 +0000

In a recent Enquirer article, Jim Knippenberg profiles Knotty Pine on the Bayou in a piece that they’re calling Table with Tradition. I don’t know about tradition, but Knotty Pine on the Bayou is one of the more unique, and one of the best, dining options in the Cincinnati area.

I first ate there about two years ago, and absolutely fell in love with the place. First off, I was thankful just to have gotten there. I tried going with my Dad on a Monday, but they’re closed on Mondays. With no lights on, in the middle of a back country road in Wilder, KY, we drove around for almost an hour before realizing that we’d passed it and it was closed.

I returned later that week with a friend, and boy am I glad I did. This friend had some experience with Cajun and Creole food, I had none. She helped guide me, but the Cajun Sampler that Knippenberg mentions in his article is like Cajun 101.

The food is great. I tried frogs legs for the first time, and enjoyed the taste, but couldn’t get over the slimy feel of the meat. I don’t know if it’s actually slimy, or that’s just what my brain expected to feel.

The Gumbo and blackened steak and chicken were wonderful. I found the Cajun spices to compliment the meats well, but not overpower them. And the mélange of flavors in the gumbo worked well together.

Knippenberg talks a lot about the tilting floor, and it’s a notable part of the restaurant. But don’t let that, or the general pleasant atmosphere, take anything away from the food, which should be the highlight of your trip.

And it is a trip. For me, the easy drive from downtown Cincinnati into Wilder, was a highlight. It’s just 5 minutes from 275, but it feels like another world.

In my mind, I group Knotty Pine on the Bayou with Riverside Korean. Both serve a very specific type of food that I’d never tried before I went there. Both are in unassuming but enjoyable locations in Kentucky. And both serve some of the finest food in the area.

New Life on the Square

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:21:00 +0000

This is some really exciting news. We’ve known for a while that Nicola Pietosa would be opening a new restaurant on Fountain Square. But he starts sharing his vision in today’s article about Via Vite in the Enquirer.

For anyone who has ever eaten at Nicola’s in Over-The-Rhine, just hearing what Pietosa has planned for Via Vite should get you excited. One thing that he doesn’t mention, but I hope in my heart of hearts, is that he’ll be bringing the tomato foam appetizer dish with him from Nicola’s. That dish alone is worth a blog post at a later date.

This is also really a cool time for Fountain Square and downtown, but not a time without a little apprehension. Fountain Square has been redesigned and looks great. There are great restaurant options on, in and around Fountain Square, including new places on the way. Heck, even nightlife has returned to downtown. But will it last?

We’ve been waiting for the promised downtown revitalization for a while, and it always seems just on the horizon. I think the problem is that too many people have been waiting for the revitalization, and not enough people have been a part of it. And an easy way to be a part of it is to go to dinner downtown.

And go back to try someplace else a few weeks later.

And don’t give up if you see something that makes you a little uncomfortable.

I’m sorry, I went off on a little bit of a rant there. I’m just very excited that the owner of one of the best restaurants in the city is starting a new restaurant, and I want to see more great news like that occur in the area. What do you guys think about Via Vite, and about the developments going on around the square in general?

Restaurant Week Coming to Cincinnati

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:32:00 +0000

Well, it's been asked for, and now it's coming. Restaurant Week, that is. It's coming September 4th through 8th, so mark your calendars.

Details are as follows: the 25 restaurants participating will all offer a 3 course prix fixe dinner for $25.07. That number refers to the number of restaurants doing this, and the year. So next year, it will be one cent more, unless more restaurants join in.

The restaurants involved are all members of Greater Cincinnati Independents. The specific restaurants are Andy’s Mediterranean Grille, Behle Street Café, Bella Luna, Brown Dog Café, Daveed’s at 934, deSha’s American Tavern and Grille, Encore Bistro and Bar, The Grand Café, Hugo, Jean-Robert at Pigall’s, Jimmy D’s Steakhouse, Kona Bistro, Mesh, Mike & Jimmy’s Chophouse Grille, Nicholson’s, O’Bryon’s Irish Pub, One Restaurant and Lounge, Pho Paris, Polo Grille, Pompilios, The Pub at Crestview Hills, Red and Universal Grille.

Which ones are you going to hit up?

Kim Chi in Cincy

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:03:00 +0000

As anyone who has a taste for Asian cuisine in the Cincinnati area knows, probably the best place to find Korean food is Riverside Korean in Covington. The Post has just reported that the brother of Riverside's owner is opening his own place in downtown Cincinnati in the space that used to be Aioli.

This is great news for lovers of international cuisine, as well as for downtown. One thing that may be a welcome change is that the Aioli space is well laid out and spacious. If you've eaten at Riverside, you know that the space is cozy, to put it mildly.

It's All Happening in CVG

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:48:00 +0000

Here's some great news from our friends down in Louisville. The good folks behind the Molly Malone's Irish Pub and Restaurant are going to save the space formerly occupied by Jack Quinn's in Convington. The new spot will be called Molly Malone's of Covington.

I've been missing Jack Quinn's--it was a true Irish pub, much more authentic than Nicholson's (even though Nicholson's is supposedly Scottish, that place feels about as Scottish as a Frontgate catalog). I'd go to Jack Quinn's for their great fish and chips, and their live music. I hope that Molly Malone's doesn't stray too far from Quinn's proven formula. The only reason that place went out of business was mismanagement.

Has anyone been to Molly Malone's in Louisville and want to report on what it was like?

Profile of Ruby

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:48:00 +0000

I've not mentioned anything about the whole Jeff Ruby-OJ kerfuffle on purpose. Mainly because it was celebrity gossip, not restaurant news. But I did enjoy this article from the Louisville Courier Journal, profiling Mr. Ruby. It gives some good insights into his personality, and I feel I understand him a bit more.

It's often said that you can't hate a person after you understand where they come from. I've said some less than laudatory things about Jeff Ruby here, but I've never met him. I'm going off his public persona. So I'm glad I got a chance to read about him with this article.

I think that the spread of his empire to Louisville, Belterra and further outside of Cincinnati has produced mixed results in his original restaurant, the Precinct. But I still think that's a great steakhouse. It's hard to eat at any of his restaurants and not think about him, which I don't think is necessarily a good thing. I'd like to judge a restaurant on its own merits, but he makes that difficult. The same holds true with Jean-Robert de Cavel, but they just happen to be the two most important restaurateurs in the city.

Need some more Coaching

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:49:00 +0000

So tonight, I joined my father for dinner at the Coach and Four restaurant in Walnut Hills. It's in the Edgecliff building, which is, I believe, a condo building with some office space in it. It overlooks the Ohio River and Kentucky--a great view.

Of course, we asked to be seated outside. The first thing I saw when I walked out to the patio was a walker. That should tell you a bit about the clientele. This place would be a great place for a date, but I was the youngest person there by at least 20 years, I'd guess. (I'm 28.)

We were seated right underneath an exhaust port, so we had to talk over it the whole time. No good. Seems really stupid to me that you're going to ruin this great eating balcony with an expansive view of the river with this annoying and loud fan.

Alright, I should say the food was really good. I had a Caesar salad, and it was very good. The croutons stunk, a little too puffy. But great dressing.

I ordered the Coach Penne with grilled chicken. It's been a while since I had some pasta, but it sounded good. The pasta was okay, a little overcooked perhaps. The chicken was good, better. The "sauce" was the highlight, with sundried tomatoes, olive oil, pine nuts and broccoli. Very tasty.

I was looking around this nice little restaurant, and it's a good space. I think it'd make an awesome bar. It could be a better place, a better restaurant.

How many of you have been there? Did you have a better experience?

Mythic Gyros

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:36:00 +0000

So I used to live in New York city, and one thing I loved about living there was all the "street meat" vendors. I could get a filling meal for a few bucks that was absolutely delicious. There was one guy I always used to go to, a halal food stand one block north of Union Square. I always ordered the chicken with rice, and I always asked for extra white sauce.

I never really new what the white sauce was, but I think I may have finally figured it out. I have been going to this Greek place right across the street from Newport on the Levee called Mythos on the Levee. They serve wonderful gyros, and they have a great white sauce. I'm guessing it's a cucumber sauce, which is pretty common in Mediterranean cooking.

Now, this may not sound like someone who's knowledgeable about food. Actually, this whole blog may not sound that way. But I grew up in Cincinnati, and what we consider Greek food is chili. So I've got some learning to do on this subject.

I also suspect that the white sauce I had in New York is different than Mythos's, but they are similar, and my pita kind of reminded me of Union Square, which is a great memory.

Anyway, I really love this place. Apparently there are three locations in downtown Cincinnati as well. The pita bread is nice and fresh. The lamb meat is sweet and juicy and the cucumber sauce--well, I've already mentioned that. The whole thing is great.

They have crinkly fries, which have a nice cuteness to them. Don't taste particularly good, but they're kind of fun. I've eaten in, and carried out, and I find that Mythos is a great lunch spot. Good. Fast. Cheap.

I also know that Jordan Valley serves a mean mediterranean meal. Anyone know where I can find a good halal streetmeat vendor?

Deweys and Larosa's

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:04:00 +0000

So I just posted something about Dewey's salads, and that reminded me of something I was told last week.

I was at a presentation by the local Samuel Adams distributor. This presentation was put on by Ad2 Cincy, a local professional organization for folks 21-32 who are interested in advertising. The presenter was talking about the challenges of marketing Sam Adams, which is a more expensive beer, and also a better beer. So he was talking about convincing people to "trade up" to Sam Adams.

In the beginning this was hard, because no one knew what great beer tasted like. But then they gradually taught people what great beer tasted like. So anyway, this distributor obviously knows people at Larosa' and he mentioned that the people there were actually happy that Dewey's has shown up on the scene.

Seems counterintuitive, right? Well, they say that Dewey's has educated people in the area about gourmet pizza, allowing Larosa's to sell their own line of gourmet pizzas, at a higher price point than their other pies.

I find that interesting. Do you?

Defending MY Choice of Salad

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 03:44:00 +0000

A few months ago, I listed my votes for the Best of Cincinnati poll conducted by CityBeat magazine. Under best salad, I chose Skyline Chili. For which I received a good piece of criticism.

Anonymous said...

your vote for Skyline as "best salads" negatively taints all else I will read from you- have you no shame? or have you never actually eaten fresh greens?

I gotta say, that's a fair piece of criticism. I knew when I wrote it, I might have to explain myself, or risk losing credibility. So here it is.

I love Skyline's Greek salad. I usually get it a few times a week from the Skyline Chili Mainstrasse. Lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, pepperoncini and feta cheese. Not to mention the dressing. It's a great salad. Throw in some oyster crackers, and we're good to go.

I knew that their ingredients aren't the freshest, but I enjoy the salad so much, I just had to choose it. I get it almost every day, not to list it wouldn't have been right.

Having said that, the Greek Salad at Dewey's is awesome. If it was easier to get it, and cheaper, I might have voted for it. It's a great Greek Salad.

So, sorry if I disappointed you with that choice, but I hope you'll try this salad out. You'll agree it's tasty. Maybe not as great as Dewey's, or other spots, but it's great.

What are some of your favorite salads in town?

Graeter's Finally Coming to Fountain Square

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Wed, 23 May 2007 17:11:00 +0000

I've said in the past that I have concerns about downtown Cincinnati if a signature Cincinnati chain like Graeter's doesn't want to have a presence there.

Well, there's news today that my fears have been put to rest. Well, maybe not completely, but Graeter's is finally moving back downtown, onto Fountain Square.

I used to live downtown, and one Saturday afternoon I was out for a walk and three tourists stopped me and asked where the nearest Graeter's was. I had to tell them that there wasn't one downtown, and they couldn't believe it. "Downtown Cincinnati doesn't have a Graeter's?"

So now I can say that there is. Good news for everyone, don't you think?

Maribelle's Redux

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Wed, 02 May 2007 02:37:00 +0000

As loyal readers of this blog may know, (are you out there?) I'm a fan of Maribelle's Tavern. I don't want to toot my own horn too much, but I believe I had the first review of this restaurant, and I've heard many people say they enjoyed the place based on my recommendation.

Anyway, for the first time this weekend I ate in the bar area in the downstairs part of the restaurant. We watched the tail end of the NFL draft and part of the Reds game. I really liked eating at the bar, it was a very relaxed atmosphere. The look and feel of the place reminded me of what's come to be called as the Napa Valley style. But as I was sitting at the bar, all I could see were about 8 bottles of wine, which does not Napa Style make.

Anyway, this time I had the Roast Beef Ciabatta sandwich. This was a great sandwich, with horsey mayo and muenster cheese. The roast beef wasn't a deli slice either, it had the size and texture of a slice straight from the oven. The ciabatta, however, wasn't ciabatta like I know it. It was two slices from a large loaf of sourdough bread, with sesame seeds on it.

So, if you find yourself back there, like I did, you may want to try this sandwich out.

Red in Hyde Park Square

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 05:11:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to eat at Red in Hyde Park Square. I say I had the opportunity, because I don't think I would have eaten there had I not been invited. And that's because I knew it would be expensive, for one. It's on Hyde Park Square, for crying out loud.

But the second reason is that Red is in one of those restaurant blackholes, a location where no one can seem to find any success. I remember going to dinner at J. B. Winnberies in this location back when I was in high school, before a high school dance. I've gone to at least two other restaurants in this location as well.

But back to Red. It's a steak house, and I was in the mood for steak. I ordered the New York Strip with bearnaise and a baked potato. I had heard about their great tomato, mozzarella and basil salad made with all locally grown ingredients, so I asked why I didn't see it. LeeAnn, our energetic server, told us that since the ingredients weren't in season, it wasn't on the menu. She told us to come back in a few months to try it out.

And I'd be happy to. I enjoyed my meal. I realize, it's steak, it's not super tricky to prepare. But it was good steak, cooked to near perfection. A great cut of meat, almost as good as Ruby's.

It was an expensive meal, so for me, it's a great place to go with family.

One thing that I wanted to mention was the atmosphere. Previously, as I recall, there was a large fish tank that separated the bar from the dining room. Red has removed this separator, and it has opened the dining room up. It used to feel like you were eating in a barrel of a cannon, and it doesn't feel that way anymore.

Good News about Bella

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:21:00 +0000

Finally, there's word that something's happening at the restaurant space that used to hold Bella. This was a wonderful Modern Italian restaurant in one of the coolest spaces in Cincinnati. It's the location right next to the Aronoff, and I'm surprised it's taken this long for something to happen.

They're auctioning off the contents soon. And here comes the exciting news: David Falk is rumored to be the chef who'll be taking over the space. He's the chef at Boca, for those of you who don't know. One of the city's greatest chef's in one of the city's greatest locations. I hope that happens.

Ketchup

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 04:33:00 +0000

It's been almost two weeks since my last post, and I'm sorry. I definitely didn't mean to go AWOL for this long, but work got busy. I am going to do a better job of keeping up with posts going forward, but today I'll catch up on some links I've come across over the last few weeks that I wanted to post about, but didn't.

Some articles about food at Great American ballpark were run in the Enquirer around the time of Opening Day. I got a big kick out of them. This article serves up some info on the finer dining options at the ballpark. I've eaten at the Riverfront Club on more than one occasion, and I think it's great. It's not quite the same ballpark experience, but it's a good restaurant experience with an awesome view. They simulcast the 700 WLW broadcast of the game while you eat. I usually get the buffet, they always have good options. The cheese tray is particularly good, well worth it.

They even profile the executive chef of the ballpark.

The Machine Room Grille is a good place to get some food during the game. It has a true pub atmosphere, which is amazing when you think of the atmosphere of all of the eating establishments in the old Riverfront Stadium. Whenever I think of the Machine Room though, I think of how it was supposed to be open year round, but couldn't sustain enough customers when there wasn't any baseball. They didn't tell anyone, people showed up one day and saw a sign that said, basically "We're no longer open unless there's a game on."

Cin Weekly has stopped by one of my favorite little spots: Maribelle's Tavern. I'm still proud to say that this blog was the first to review this great spot. I'm pretty sure that's true, and I realize that doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot, but most media outlets have now written about it. I've also heard a lot of friends try it out and liked it.

Anything else I missed? Let me know what you're thinking about in the comments section, and I may get an idea for a posting. Also, I'm going to have some bonafide reviews coming up in the next few weeks.

Restaurant thoughts on Reds Opening Day, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:34:00 +0000

This post won't concentrate too much on the Cincinnati Reds and their great win over the Chicago Cubs. But I'll admit that I'm a huge baseball fan, a bigger Reds fan, and the Reds have dominated my thinking over the last week or so as I've gotten ready for another season. And I'll also admit that I think the Reds can have a very succssful year.

But other than that, I noticed a couple of interesting articles recently that made me think of the Reds. The first one is this one from the Boston Globe. They're catching up with Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who used to pitch for the Red Sox, then was traded to the Reds where he has done awesome.

It's cool to read how a non-Cincinnatian sees the city. Not just Bronson, but also Steve Morse, the Globe reporter. Check out how they both describe Mt. Adams:

"It's nice and chill up here. It is its own community, and I'm still right near the park," Arroyo says, pointing down the hill to the shiny, four-year-old Great American Ball Park by the river's edge. The lights of Kentucky shine across the water. The view is similar to peering into the valleys of Los Angeles, on a smaller, though still impressive, scale.

Arroyo talks about some of his favorite restaurants, including Teak Thai.

The other article is news that Jean-Robert de Cavel has decided to open a restaurant in the new Gateway Quarter of Over-the-Rhine. I'm not too interested in the neighborhood building aspect of this. (Actually, I am, but I don't think this blog is the place for it. And this can be a touchy subject to some, so I'm not going to touch it here.) Either way, this is probably a big coup for that area.

But what really got me thinking about the Reds was all the talk about Broadway Commons as a viable place for the current stadium to be built. Take a look at the third picture on this page, and you'll see the proposed area of benefit that this site would have created, pretty close to where the new Jean-Ro restaurant will be.

Anyway...Baseball's here! Are you as excited as I am?

The Results are In

noreply@blogger.com (David Moriarty) — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:19:00 +0000

Citybeat Magazine has released their 2007 Best of Cincinnati issue. They have quite an extensive list of foodie destinations on the list. Check it out here.

As you may remember, I voted on the Best of Cincinnat in February and listed the spots I voted for on this blog. Well, you can see that my answers weren't all that different from the Reader's Picks. That kind of surprises me.

Two things that I'm surprised to see, especially from readers of alternative magazines:
PF Changs is voted best Chinese
Zip's is voted best burgers

My goal now for next year is to change enough people's perceptions that some deserving restaurants fill those spaces.

It's fun to look at how my favorite restaurants did in the staff picks and readers picks. Which selections got you hot under the collar?

Photo taken by Kabir Bakie December 2004