…if you voted for wine me, dine me as the “best blog” in City Beat’s Best of Cincinnati poll.  I’ve been in the top three for the past several years (in great company, I might add) and hope you folks still enjoy me enough to place me in the top three again!

To vote, go here: http://citybeat-survey.wehaaserver.com/survey-2-best_of_cincinnati_2011.html – you’ll find me under “Public Eye” and “Blogs”.

I appreciate that you read. I appreciate your vote in past years, and hope you’ll continue to read and comment.

Cheers!

Valentine’s Day is not a popular holiday at chez wmdm.  Two people who love each other, but don’t buy into the whole roses, chocolates, and high expectations of a Hallmark holiday– well, that doesn’t really add up to Valentine’s romance.  Throw in my travel schedule, his theater schedule, our social schedule– it was amazing that neither of us had plans for February 14th.  So what do we do?  Well, we actually have a tradition– we head to Dixie Chili.  He orders two cheese coneys and a Greek salad, and I order an Alligator and a Greek salad* and enjoy the fact that, often, we’re the only people in the restaurant who aren’t working there.  It’s kind of nice.  Maybe we’ll get dressed up this year.

So no, we do not go to other sorts of restaurants.  We don’t buy each other jewelry or chocolate or overpriced roses (I have, however, been known to go to Kroger the day after and buy half price roses. Which are really *regular* price roses, and occasionally I pick up some of those red hot candies for 50 cents).  Please know that 364 other days of the year, chances are you’ll find me supporting a local restaurant (okay, that’s a huge exaggeration), but on Valentine’s Day, I don’t want to battle with triple the regular number of customers for a special menu.  And neither should you. So, savvy wmdm reader, what should you do for Valentine’s Day?

• Buy local desserts to augment a home-cooked meal.  I have several suggestions: Shalini Latour’s delicious chocolates, particularly any that involve chilis.  They’re subtly hot and chocolatey.  Available all around town.  Queen City Cookies are a natural fit for Valentine’s Day, too, but I recommend the Chipotle Chocolate miniature cookies as an alternative for their regular, icing-covered cookies.  They, too, are subtly hot and pretty addictive. You can grab those at their store in Findlay Market.  Also, Nancakes is doing a cute little promotion with tiny, bite-sized carrot cakes in a heart-shaped box.  You can pick those up at Remke/Bigg’s and Nordstrom’s eBar.
• Go see a movie. Seriously. No one sees movies on Valentine’s Day.  There are a ton of Oscar nominees to see, and I highly recommend The Artist.
• If you’re going to go out, go someplace that isn’t  a Valentine’s destination.  That could be your local greasy spoon, a bar that has food or a pizza place.  Hit up any one of the amazing Indian, Thai, Ethiopian– you name it– restaurants in town.  Most people think Valentine’s = high end place.  Hit something moderate to low end (which no one ever does) and you’ll have a less crowded experience.  I’d hit up Brij Mohan, Shaan Indian, Sichuan Bistro, Arloi Dee– you get the idea.

*Subject to change. 

BBQ Cajun Shrimp

You all know how I feel about chain restaurants– in general, if I want a decent meal out, I avoid them and instead prefer to give my money to local restaurants. I understand the appeal of chains– consistency, familiarity, often family-friendliness. You know what you’re going to get, your kids may have a favorite, the price is reasonable. But what if I were to tell you, my chain-fond friend, that there is a restaurant in Milford that has the cozy, familiar feel of a chain with better food– and it’s locally owned?

Copper Blue fits this bill. Located in Milford, it has an expansive menu of American favorites that appeal to diners with slightly more adventurous palates (black bean dip, fish tacos) and those with not-so-adventurous palates (chicken thumbs, french fries).  They have a fairly extensive craft beer list (and macros too) and even the occasional cocktail.  The menu is almost too expansive– making it difficult to choose– but we managed to decide.

To start, we tried the BBQ Cajun shrimp, which reminded me  a bit of the Flippin’ Good Shrimp from York Street Cafe– a spicy, buttery shrimp appetizer served on toasted French bread.  This dish was a bit on the greasy side, but very flavorful– and the shrimp were tender and not overcooked.  I could easily make this an entree, paired with a side salad.

We each picked an entree– a salad for me, and a burger for The Better Half.  I chose steak salad, intrigued by the pairing of hand-cut fries and steak.  I liked the salad, but could have done without the fries– while handcut, they got a bit soggy with the combination of juices from the perfectly cooked, well-seasoned steak (a pleasant surprise) and the salad dressing.  I’d order the salad again, but ask for the fries on the side (or not at all).  Their salad dressings are all homemade, and I liked their tangy white balsamic vinagrette, which worked quite well with the steak, shallots, blue cheese and sunflower seeds on the salad.  It was a nice twist on a classic steak salad.

The Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger had plenty of thick-cut maple bacon and smoked cheddar, as well as standard burger fixings.  It is a step up from a typical, run-of-the-mill cheeseburger, and the ingredients as a whole were very good.  The bun was a bit on the soft side, so for the last quarter or so of the burger, it had to be eaten with knife and fork instead of hands– which, in my mind, is a major burger failing.  Still, it was a delicious burger, served with slightly-too-thick hand-cut fries: I give them credit for hand-cutting the fries, but I personally prefer them a bit thinner.

A friend dining with us got the buffalo macaroni and cheese, which was nice and spicy, and the cheese wasn’t from a box.  I think that’s what Copper Blue boils down to:  solid, if not-quite innovative food that is prepared with care.  Instead of relying on pre-made mixes, dips, and frozen fries, they make their own.  It’s a trend I support, and a great place to take your kids that isn’t TGI O’Chilibee’s (to quote a reader of mine)* but is still comfortable enough that you know that the entire family will enjoy it.

(I am aware that your average wmdm reader probably isn’t taking their kids to those chain, American restaurants anyway, as many of you regale me with stories of your kids eating beets and sushi and all sorts of things. Just to be clear.)

Bilog, a cafe in Wyoming run by former P&G chemist Elizabeth Piocos, has opened as of last Friday (after an original opening date of August).  They feature coffee, tea, gelato and an assortment of internationally-flavored sandwiches.  The gelato is house-made, and the menu will be continuously changing.  Haven’t tried it yet, but will let you know when I do.

Taste of Belgium, which somehow won “Best Brunch” in Metromix without actually being open on Sundays, will now be open on Sundays for brunch starting February 12.

The Wine Cellar, the long-standing wine bar in Mt. Adams, has closed but is moving.  Neither a new location nor opening date has been announced.

Bakersfield is opening officially tonight.

By popular Facebook demand, I’m posting the recipe for Gorgamole that I made for Super Bowl Sunday.  Yes, it sounds a bit like the villain on the Smurfs, but I assure you, it’s delicious.  We go to a Super Bowl party every year, and the hostess always asks very early on what I’ll bring– and I never really know until the day of. This year, The Better Half requested Nigella Lawson’s Roqueamole– I switched it up a little to excellent results.  You can also mash this together by hand instead of using a food processor, but I like the almost fluffy texture the food processor provides.

Gorgamole

1/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup sour cream (I used light, as I didn’t want full fat in the fridge– you could use regular as well)
3 medium sized avocados, halved, with the flesh scooped out and seed removed
juice of half a lime
Six pepperocini (or more to taste), sliced
Sriracha, to taste (I used about a tablespoon and a half)
salt
Chopped chives & smoked paprika, for garnish

In a food processor (or by hand), pulse the sour cream, gorgonzola, avocados, lime juice, pepperocini slices and sriracha until chunky, but well-combined. Add salt to taste and transfer into a bowl, garnishing with smoked paprika and chopped chives.  Serve with blue corn tortilla chips, pita chips, or crudites.

Looks like Findings of a Flaneur wandered into Bakersfield and got some great pictures. You can see more on their blog.  Thanks for sending these photos to me!

The space recently vacated by Mayberry at 915Vine Street will be quickly replaced by Burnell’s, run by Chef Nathan Jolley.  He will serve lunch (including soups and fresh-baked cookies) Mondays-Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m and dinner (which will remain BYOB) Thursdays-Saturdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Jolley is formerly of Teller’s in Hyde Park, and anticipates Burrell’s opening on Monday, February 6.

Whoever washes the napkins at restaurants must hate me.

I am a card-carrying member of the Red Lipstick club (which I learned about from one of my readers, who introduced herself and her friend to me at Japp’s and was super impressed that I was wearing red lipstick). I’ve been wearing it for as long as I can remember– from my days selling cosmetics through last night. I don’t always wear it, and when I look at photographs of myself without it, it feels like something is missing.  Red lipstick never fails to garner compliments, and it always puts me in a better mood. It can be a little tricky to find the right red for you, but when you do, just a little will brighten up your whole face. Bonus? If you get the right formula– usually matte, none of those “smudgeproof” ones– they resist coming off while eating or drinking.

That is, until you wipe your lips with a napkin.

So, apologies both to the men reading this and to the folks who discover the telltale signs that I’ve been somewhere via my napkin, but I’m going to be encouraging more readers to become members of the Red Lipstick Club.

Tonight, Amy Scalia from Cincy Chic, a few other bloggers and I will learn a little more about red lipstick from my friend Nancy at FACEing/brideFACE, and you can get in on the fun. “Go Red” on Facebook by posting a pic of yourself wearing your best red lip to the Cincy Chic wall. You’ll be entered to win TWICE if you make that photo your profile pic! One participant will be selected to win two swagbag tickets (which are sold-out, so this is the only way people can still get these tickets!) Feb. 3 Lady in Red event  – a $50 gift certificate to Stone Creek, and a personalized FACEing makeup class gift certificate. (Photo must be posted by 5pm EST Feb. 2 to the Cincy Chic wall, and profile photo must remain participant’s featured profile picture until 5pm EST Feb. 2).

Green Dog Cafe is opening a new restaurant, Buz, next to their location in Columbia-Tusculum.  It’ll be a table-service, slightly higher end restaurant (as opposed to Green Dog’s counter service) and will open on February 20th.

Bakersfield in Over-the-Rhine had a soft opening on Saturday night, so the early February date is approaching.

Roxy’s relocation will be to the Hanke Building in Over-the-Rhine.

Mayberry has served its last dinner in its Vine Street location and will be re-opening on February 8th on Main Street, in the former Courtyard Cafe space.

I have more fun making cocktails than drinking them.    Everyone has their cooking niche, and though I think I’ve got some skills all around, I get the geekiest when I’m talking about creating items for cocktails.  I’ve made my own maraschino cherries, my own ginger syrup (recipe to come), my own cream soda syrup, grenadine and bitters are happening this weekend (thank you, Colonel De, for finally getting in quinine!).  There’s nothing quite like making a well-balanced cocktail from homemade ingredients, particularly for someone whose cocktail experience has been subpar– that is, until they met you. Lucky them!  The first time I made a daiquiri– simple syrup, lime and rum– for Terry, it was a revelation.  I’ll never forget the look on his face, and that’s really why I enjoy it so much.

Making my own cocktail supplies is my elementary way of getting into canning, something I fell in love with as a kid (though, strangely, no one in my family did it– I just read about it frequently and found the idea of pulling jars of preserves or green beans or something else out of the pantry that you canned yourself romantic. Blame Little House on the Prairie).  The art of canning and pickling isn’t lost, but it certainly isn’t something that is done as often at home as it used to be, when the fruits of the home garden were preserved for use over the winter.  Now, I don’t have a home garden, but pickling and preserving (even just the refrigerator sort of pickle) has definitely piqued my interest in doing some real canning once we have a bounty of spring produce.  Jams, jellies… oh yes.

But back to pickled onions.  They’re similar to pickling red onions, but the brine is a little different.  These are easy to make, and not just good for cocktails– they’re great on a crudite tray, as a garnish, or straight out of the jar.  No judgment.  The light of the refrigerator illuminates the best of us.

16 oz pearl onions, either fresh or frozen.

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup regular vinegar

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon pickling spices (Get the Colonel’s)

canning jars

butcher’s twine

cheesecloth

If your onions are fresh, peel them.  If they’re frozen, pick out any that may not be whole.  You want only the ones that are whole and plump (that goes for the fresh ones, too).  To be honest, it’s easier to use frozen (and they taste just as good, though they might not be as crisp) as the fresh are a bit fussy to peel. Some of us like to peel. Pick whichever you like.

Place pickling spice in a square of cheesecloth, and tie tightly with butcher’s twine. Make sure the twine is long enough so you can tie one end around the handle of the pot (for easy removal).

In a large saucepan, combine all of the liquid ingredients, sugar and the pickling spice bundle and heat to a simmer.  Add the onions, and boil for just a minute.  Remove spice bundle. Pour into sterilized pint jars, place the covers on top, and allow them to come to room temperature.  Refrigerate once they’re at room temperature and they’ll keep for about three weeks.

Use them to garnish a Gibson, which is simply a Martini garnished with the onion instead of an olive, or just fish them out with a fork at midnight.  Your secret is safe with me.