Amateur Foodies

Lunch Out @ Fortune

2012-01-16T21:10:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, while house hunting, Sarah said she wanted to go get some spicy food. She wanted something Asian. Probably Thai. We headed for Nida's - my favorite Thai spot so far - only to find that they were closed at lunch time on Saturday at their Short North location (we should have just gone down to North Market). Well, a similar scenario this weekend led us to Fortune, which I'd heard great things about. It did not disappoint!

The Food: The menu is a bit overwhelming because there are so many options - and we had to ask for the full menu because they first just brought us a lunch menu without any of the Szechuan offerings. And then it's tough because so much sounds good! We went with some mala string beans to start, and asked them to mix in a bit of the Spicy Pot of Gold (fried tofu). It cost $2 more but it was fantastic. There must have been half a head of sliced garlic, several jalapenos, and a handful of dried red chiles. Add the Szechuan peppercorns (not super fresh, so not much numbing) and well cooked beans and we were excited! Then we ordered some cold noodles, which frankly weren't that good (too vinegary, but soon forgotten, because...). The pork in garlic sauce - sweet, salty, nice texture differences with strips of celery, very savory - was a suggestion from the waitress and very tasty.

The Ingredients: Nothing of note in terms of organic, local, etc. that we're aware of. We'll have to ask next time, but doubtful.

The Story, Setting, & Service: It's going to take some time to get used to so many good things coming in strip malls. The ambiance here is nonexistent, but the people were very nice (a menu change took help from a 2nd server).

The Last Bite: We're feeling pretty confident that this place is going to be consistently making us happy, and we're already looking forward to returning. I almost went for lunch today, the day after. If you don't like spicy food, be careful. But, the taste is wonderful!

Breakfast Out @ Katalina's

2011-12-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

My wife and I were pretty steady food bloggers in Cincinnati for a year or so before we ran out of places we really wanted to review and life happened in some major ways. We've just moved to Columbus and Katalina's was recommended to us as a great breakfast place - and indeed it was! It inspired us!

We were inspired late in the meal :)

The Food: We ordered the pork and egg sandwich and a country egg sandwich - two big egg sandwiches that are on crusty, buttery bread and packed full of flavorful ingredients. The meats were tasty, the cheese was gooey, the other toppings were all good. We also had the sweet and spicy bacon on the side, and that was pretty darn yummy as well (I wonder if they use regular sugar and if it would taste even better with brown).

The Ingredients: Not sure about any local, organic, or other notable options. They do sell some of their staples which is kind of cute.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Harrison West was on our list of neighborhoods to check out while house hunting, so we started here (turns out it's probably out of our price range). Katalina's is small and frankly I was surprised we didn't have to wait at 11am on a (slightly drizzly/snowy) Saturday. You order up front, the folks were real nice, and then find a seat. They've got a grip of outdoor seating, so mental note for the spring/summer/fall. Food came quick. And again, it was good!

The Last Bite: The breakfast sandwiches are legit. Highly recommended that you go eat one. I know we'll be back.

Live from Columbus

2011-12-17T20:28:00.000-05:00

Well, the blog has been dormant for quite some time now - pregnancy, babydom, job change, moving, and more will do that to you. But we're getting settled in to Columbus and a truly great breakfast sandwich at Katalina's Cafe Corner today inspired us to think about getting back in the game.

If you're still following our RSS feed from Cincinnati, hi again. Our posts will likely be much less frequent than when we were in top form, and they'll be about Columbus food, so be forewarned. If you've found us in Columbus, cool. We found blogging to be a fun way to learn about our city and to get connected to great resources about what and where to eat.

I'm going to try to keep the blogging low maintenance, and the reviews will be short as a result. The brevity may make us indistinguishable - I think our thoughtful reviews were what stood out in the past. But, better something than nothing, right?!

Here's to more sharing and learning ahead...

Existential Eating #49

2011-04-02T10:18:00.000-04:00

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future Existential Eating strips, please email or comment below. Sadly, our current collective imagination will run dry. If its related to food, it can be the topic of an Existential Eating comic strip. Just share your idea and Ramsey will do his best to draw it up (probably, someday).

Existential Eating #48

2011-03-26T14:18:00.001-04:00

Existential Eating #47

2011-03-19T09:35:00.000-04:00

Existential Eating #46

2011-03-12T09:20:00.000-05:00

Existential Eating #45

2011-03-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

Local Meat & Cheese CSA

2011-03-02T12:37:00.000-05:00

We run a local meat and cheese CSA for about 35 people/families called the Good Eaton Club, and there are now spots available if anyone is interested.

You can order your choice of beef, pork, and chicken, as well as eggs, cheese and butter. Orders are in advance for a 6 month period (April-September in this case) and you can choose what you want for each month.

If you're interested, there's lots more info at www.goodeatonclub.com and I can email you the order form to fill out.

Existential Eating #44

2011-02-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

Existential Eating #43

2011-02-05T09:49:00.001-05:00

Existential Eating #42

2011-01-29T09:25:00.000-05:00

Existential Eating #41

2011-01-22T10:41:00.001-05:00

Existential Eating #40

2011-01-14T10:41:00.007-05:00

Existential Eating #39

2011-01-01T12:16:00.001-05:00

Existential Eating #38

2010-12-25T12:16:00.000-05:00

Existential Eating #37

2010-12-18T12:16:00.001-05:00

Existential Eating #36

2010-12-11T08:16:00.000-05:00

Dinner Out @ Via Vite

2010-12-07T13:17:00.001-05:00

We'd had a restaurant.com coupon for a while for Via Vite, and a 7:30pm concert:nova show at the Mercantile Library last night was a perfect opportunity to eat and then walk across the square to the event. I'd heard mixed reviews, and now that I've been I'd say I'm not surprised. There was nothing terribly wrong, but nothing excitingly right either - par for the course.

The Food: We ordered the grilled asparagus salad to share, and then two pasta dishes - pappardelle and tortellini - for our mains.

The asparagus comes with roasted beets and goat cheese. The presentation was nice, but that was probably the best thing. Salt was helpful on everything we had, and in general there just wasn't much flavor popping from this plate. Shame on us for ordering asparagus out of season, I suppose, and thankfully if you put enough goat cheese on anything it can't be horrible (and they do give you a lot of goat cheese).

We ordered the pappardelle in part because it was house-made (only a couple of the pastas are), and it comes with Italian sausage the waitress said is from Findlay Market (I'd guess Kroeger & Son's, but can't say that for sure). It was a "pasta e fagioli," which basically means that it's got beans in it, something that I would have liked to have known initially (I just Googled it) because, try as I might, I just am not that big of a fan of beans as a main component of dishes. There were big cherry tomatoes that had been cooked with the sauce as well, and they were one of my favorite things. The pasta was cooked well, and overall the dish was solid, but the flavors just did not pop at all for me. I was hoping for more.

The tortellini was another "fresh" pasta option, and it was my preferred dish. It was very creamy, as the menu noted, and had sundried tomatoes and basil. The tortellini were filled with what I believe was ricotta cheese, but I didn't ask so can't be sure. The pastas were delicate and the cheese sauce was very savory. I'd say it was a couple notches above a good macaroni and cheese (the creamy cheese sauce reminded us of mac & cheese), but again, nothing special.

The Ingredients: There is a quote prominently on the menu from the chef saying that they "never take shortcuts and import the finest products that Italy has to offer." I wonder where they get their tomatoes? Seriously though, nothing on the menu about local or organic ingredients.

The Story, Setting, & Service: The space is quite nice - open, well put together, modern and sharp without being over-the-top. Windows onto the square are a plus, except that when seated next to the window we were cold the entire meal. I'm generally a warm person, so if you're a cold person, definitely ask for a table away from the glass. Service was fine, nothing notably good or bad.

If you planned ahead and got a reservation outside or upstairs overlooking the square on a busy day, I think that could be pretty cool. On this night, it didn't add much since it was dead - in large part due to the fact it was very chilly out.

The Last Bite: I'm not sure what I'd order if I went back - maybe try the penne with bolognese, which the waitress said was good and there are some other good reviews about. But, realistically, I don't think we'll go back. There are plenty of places in the same price range where I'm confident I'll get a better meal, and while Fountain Square is an understandable draw - especially if you have someone in from out of town - it's just not my thing. Disappointing but true, this was probably our only visit.

Existential Eating #35

2010-12-04T12:26:00.000-05:00

Lunch Out @ T.J.'s Korean Restaurant

2010-12-03T15:59:00.001-05:00

I walked by this place on Court Street the first time a week ago and then did a double take before stopping to go in, look at the menu, and ask the lone patron how it was. He said great - with a look and a tone like he'd stumbled upon something that only he knew about and he was very happy about. I was on my way to a different lunch spot, otherwise I would have tried it on the spot no question.

Today my friend/colleague and I stopped in for lunch and I am so happy this place exists! I've lamented for a while not having a good, affordable Korean place in town - and it seems like this is going to fill the void. Sung and Riverside are both great, but they're also both pretty expensive for an "everyday" meal. I haven't been to Bento Korean (I've heard mixed reviews unfortunately), so that's on my list to try as well.

T.J. took our orders and was very kind and energetic. There was a woman doing the cooking who brought us our food - she was also very nice. We ordered "Vegetable Bi Bim Bap" (in parentheses because it also has beef in it, although that's not listed on the menu sheets) and Pork Bul Go Gi. At $8 and $6 respectively, both had plenty of food, and T.J.'s thus propelled itself into my cheap-Asian-take-out-go-to list - Thai Express and Cilantro being my two main choices (I'm still seeking a consistent Chinese spot).

The bi bim bap comes in a large bowl with a fried egg and runny yolk - sprinkled with sesame seeds and nori pieces - on top of beautiful, separated helpings of bean sprouts, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, and beef. All of this is on top of a mound of rice (which is not crispy as it is in the frequent variation - dolsot bibimbap, although it did definitely have sesame oil in it). They give you a sauce on the side that is sweet and spicy and thick and brings everything together once you mix it all up. Great flavors! I asked if they had any tsiracha or anything for the side to spice it up even more (my friend thought it was hot enough), but I'm not sure if they understood and said no.

The pork (we split both dishes) is wonderfully juicy with this Korean barbecue-esque sauce and cooked with onions. With rice and a small portion of snap peas and cabbage too - along with a small salad (ranch or Italian dressing options :), one pot sticker, and two bites of "T.J.s Chicken" (a sesame chicken-esque boneless bite with a thick sweetish sauce), this is an absolute steal for $6. I thought the bi bim bap was solid, but this meat was bursting with flavor!

As if all that isn't enough, both dishes also come with a small bowl of soup - seemed like an egg drop variation.

I will definitely be back here, and probably sooner rather than later. I want to try everything on the menu (I am posting a picture of the menu here too), but I'll certainly be getting that bulgogi again. Get over here and help make sure this place sticks around - please!

Lunch In @ Pho Lang Thang

2010-11-23T08:10:00.001-05:00

Count me as one of the many who waited patiently for Pho Lang Thang to open up at Findlay Market. I had just eaten lunch prior to a trip to Findlay a few weeks back when they had a soft opening, but this weekend I knew the time had come. I'd hoped to be wowed, or at least thoroughly pleased, by my visit, but it turns out I'm still in the boat of being patient and hopeful. It's clear they've got some kinks to work out, and they're very new, so grace is clearly in order.

The Food: I asked for the most flavorful thing on the menu, and the young woman at the register quickly suggested the banh mi thit nuong - a baguette sandwich with grilled lemongrass marinated meat, garlic butter mayo, do chua (pickled daikon and carrots), cucumber, and cilantro. They asked if I wanted jalapenos and pate as well, and I went for it. I also ordered goi cuon or "salad rolls" with sliced pork, whole shrimp, vermicelli noodles, cilantro, and lettuce wrapped in rice paper with a sauce on the side.

I hate to say it, because I wanted so much to love it, but the sandwich was disappointing. I told them to choose whatever meat was the most flavorful, and I'm not sure if it was a mistake or on purpose, but I got mostly beef and some pork too. Neither really stood out, so no recommendation there. The bummer was that the sandwich just wasn't that flavorful. Nothing popped. Maybe it needs more of the mayo, maybe a higher ingredients to bread ratio, maybe more salt, maybe all of the above. I put some sriracha on after I ate the first half and that helped a bit (I could barely taste the jalapenos - maybe that'll change when they're in season next year), but something was still left to be desired.

The best thing I got was the order of salad rolls. The shrimp were perfectly cooked - not tough - and the slice of pork adds some additional weight to sink your teeth into. The hoisin and peanut dipping sauce was pretty thick (too molasses like for my taste), and the peanuts were nearly nonexistent. If I could have Pho Lang Thang's roll with Cilantro's sauce, I'd be especially happy.

The Ingredients: Nothing noted about local or organic ingredients. They do make note of some vegan and vegetarian options, which I'm sure many people will appreciate.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Several of the initial reviews have noted this, so I guess I'm going to have to pile on. I ordered my food at 1:20 and was told it'd be ready in 30 minutes. That's a long time to wait for take out. When I was told that, I thought "ok, they'll under-promise and over-deliver." I actually waited 40 minutes.

The space they have at Findlay is quite large, with lots of tables to the right and left of the kitchen and counter. I don't know if they have too many tables and not enough cooking space, or they haven't been well prepared (banh mi and salad rolls shouldn't require anything other than composition of pre-made ingredients), or they don't have enough staff, or all of the above. But, they've got their work cut out for them.

The Last Bite: I think they'll get things figured out because they seemed like nice people and there plenty of good signs - a thorough menu with plenty of options, a well put together restaurant space, etc. But, for the mean time, I'm still a Cilantro guy. But with my office in OTR and no banh mi at Cilantro, I'm looking forward to Pho Lang Thang living up to its potential.

Dinner Out @ VanZandt Restaurant and Tavern

2010-11-22T08:21:00.002-05:00

Cincinnati Magazine's 40 best burgers article a while back was fantastic because, even for someone like me who pays probably too much attention to dining options in our fair city, it unearthed several new places to try. One of the top choices popped out quickly for me, a Northsider now - North College Hill's ZanZandt Restaurant and Tavern, which was ranked 5th. Sarah and I finally made it up this past week, and while I don't think it's the 5th best burger in the city, it was very good and it's worth a visit.

The Food: We went for the burgers and we ordered the burgers. They did have some other food on the menu, but I didn't really pay any attention. They have an 8oz. and a 16oz. option, and then it's a build your own situation, with about 20 toppings to choose from. Burgers start at $8 and then each ingredient adds 50 cents to a dollar. Two burgers (fries come free) cost us $21. But I digress...

I got my burger with bacon, gorgonzola, and sauteed onions and asked for it cooked medium. When the meal arrives open-faced, the potato-chive bun stands out as unique and they aren't skimping on the toppings. Cutting into my sandwich, it clearly was done past medium, and the juiciness did suffer (Sarah's was overcooked a bit too). But, that is a relatively small quibble with an otherwise very tasty burger. They don't do anything too special to their patties that I could tell, but this is a great tasting burger. All of the ingredients could be identified and nothing overshadowed anything else.

I'd put this burger in the same category as a Gordo's burger, if you've been there. Ours definitely weren't in the Terry's ballpark, but maybe the Cincinnati Magazine folks went on a particularly good night.

The fries are the kind that are battered a bit - we thought they were done in the same oil as the onion straws, and that was not a bad thing.

The Ingredients: Nothing local or organic here that we heard about or saw.

The Story, Setting, & Service: We arrived at about 5:30 for dinner, so there was no one in the bar area, and in the dining room in the back (which we didn't know existed at first - it's kind of hidden around a corner) there were only a couple people. It has a bar and grill feel, with nice new decor and a a couple flat screen TVs at the bar. The service was prompt and kind, nothing notable really.

They just celebrated their 1 year anniversary, but I hadn't heard of it until the Cincinnati Magazine article. I haven't heard anyone talk about it, and as close as it is, that's too bad. Hopefully the word will get out, because it'd be great to have this option near by for years to come.

The Last Bite: I can't speak to anything else on the menu, but VanZandt is worth a trip for their burgers. Load it up or keep it simple - either way you won't leave disappointed.

Existential Eating #34

2010-11-21T12:12:00.000-05:00

Lunch Out @ Mekong Thai

2010-11-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

I've been kicking around the idea of buying an e-reader, and a buddy of mine is as well, so we scooted up to Barnes & Noble in Kenwood to check out the Nook. We wanted to grab a lunch afterward, so I did a quick Yelp search on places close by - Mekong Thai stood out with respectable reviews, great proximity, and low prices. I don't know how often I'll return, but the dishes we had were good, and I'd recommend it if you want an alternative to the chains in the area - whether you're a local or a shopper.

The Food: The menu is pretty straightforward, with mostly Thai and then some Vietnamese mixed in as well. I ordered the pad kee-mao and my friend ordered the yellow curry. We had a starter of fried tofu too.

The pad kee-mao was very tasty, and quite spicy too. A few reviews said that they weren't joking about their heat, and I found that to be the case. It is a 1-3 scale, and if you don't really like it hot, don't get a 3. Others also mentioned that it was pretty oily, but I didn't find it to be that bad at all. The noodles were well prepared - cooked, but not overly slimy like is sometimes the case - and the big pieces of basil added a nice flavor. I found that a bit of soy sauce brought out more flavors, as is the case when you add a bit of salt and sugar to just about anything. I went the veggie route and chose tofu to go with the broccoli and cabbage. I would definitely order this again.

I can't say as much about the yellow curry because I only had one bite, but apparently it was quite tasty - buttery and flavorful, which I can attest to. The fried tofu we had was simple and good as well - it came with a nice peanut sauce that we both enjoyed.

The Ingredients: Nothing notable here - no local or organic options listed.

The Story, Setting, & Service: The restaurant is very simple with about 10-15 booths lined up in a narrow space. There is a TV at one end that had ESPN on at lunch time. There must have been another TV or a radio in the foyer though, because when I noticed the sounds it was Barack Obama talking while I was clearly watching SportsCenter. Who knows, maybe Barack just gave up and decided to pursue his true passion.

The waitress was kind and knowledgeable, and our food came quickly (it was a late lunch, so there were only a few other people there).

The Last Bite: I'm interested in trying more of their menu, and since Trader Joe's is just down the street and it is a regular stop for us, I am likely to be in the area again. But, I'd definitely confidently order that pad kee-mao again and be plenty happy.

Existential Eating #33

2010-11-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

Existential Eating #32

2010-11-06T13:24:00.000-04:00

Existential Eating #31

2010-10-28T14:17:00.000-04:00

Yelping It

2010-10-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

I thought some of you may be interested in the fact that I've been using Yelp more lately. It's a couple steps simpler than writing a blog post of the quality I've attempted to maintain here, and that has been attractive lately.

Here is my profile if you're interested in seeing a handful of reviews that haven't made it here to the actual blog.

If you haven't used Yelp, I'd recommend it. I've found it to be a good community of folks that share their opinions and help you learn about new possibilities. It certainly has vastly more functionality than Urbanspoon (although Urbanspoon has its benefits too).

Existential Eating #30

2010-10-22T09:47:00.000-04:00

Existential Eating #29

2010-10-16T09:36:00.000-04:00

Existential Eating #28

2010-10-08T10:10:00.000-04:00

Dinner In (the car) @ Taqueria Yolandita

2010-10-03T20:04:00.001-04:00

I caught this place out of the corner of my eye on the way to a poker game up Queen City Boulevard a couple months back. I didn't notice the taco truck at first, just Tienda la Centro Americana next door (a little grocery) - luckily one of the people in the car does some organizing with Latina/o folks in the city and mentioned they had tacos there, and that they were pretty good. So, I've been wanting to go back for a while now, but never could overcome my fear of the unknown streets of the West side until tonight - and I'm glad I did.

The Food: On the side of the trailer there are pictures of tacos, quesadillas, tortas, and burritos, each for $6-7. The woman (could it be Yolandita of Taqueria Yolandita fame?) rattled off the standard list of taco meats available (chorizo, tongue, chicken, etc.) and we ordered 2 barbacoa, 2 carne asada, and 2 al pastor tacos - a grand total of $12.

Sarah and I both agree, the barbacoa choice was the best. The meat was moist and flavorful and wasn't nearly as fatty as what I've gotten used to a Taqueria Mercado (which I still like, but it is a bit offputting). Al pastor was second, with more flavor but the texture wasn't as good. And the carne asada was our least favorite - not horrible, but definitely overcooked and pretty tough, without too much flavor.

All the tacos come traditionally with cilantro, avocado, and onion. The key limes on the side were juicy for the squeezing, and they also put lemon and radish in the carry out container - something we hadn't seen before. Also, both the red and green salsas were quite tasty, adding a nice burst of flavor and kick of heat to all the meats.

The Ingredients: No idea. Hard to imagine organic, local meat was being served - but maybe I'm just a hater (99% probably not).

The Story, Setting, & Service: If you want a TRUE taco truck experience, this is the only one in Cincinnati that we're aware of. I want to like Senor Roy's, but that's just not traditional (and wasn't good when I went). All of the trucks taco or otherwise - at least that I'm aware of so far in Cincinnati, are catering to a more upscale/American clientele. In the original sense, trucks were a cheap way to start a business and often meet some ethnic or working class group right where they're at rather than try to hold down a lease.

Taqueria Yolandita, planted squarely in the middle of nowhere on the near West side, is by all appearances as authentic as they come. Oh, and you can buy perfume from a suitcase off the counter too if you're stopping by on your way to a hot date and need to freshen up. It's also next door to a Mexican grocery that isn't huge, but seems to have a good little collection of foodstuffs if you're interested in more than the "Mexican" aisle at your local Kroger. Hours are 10-6pm every day of the week, although the proprietor said she goes to church on Sunday night, so they close a little early.

This trip left us wondering if there are other gems on the West side, which really isn't far from our house in Northside at all, but we're just too afraid of getting lost to find them. If you've got suggestions, please let us know.

The Last Bite: I suppose we might try a burrito or torta someday, but there doesn't seem to be any reason to stray from the tacos here. Next time, we'll likely get a whole bunch of barbacoa ones and pig out happily, knowing we're part of a very small number of people who even know this place exists (until you go and tell all your friends - which you'll probably want to).

Existential Eating #27

2010-09-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

Dinner In @ NorthSlice Pizza

2010-09-20T09:46:00.000-04:00

When I heard NorthSlice was opening, we put up a post spreading the word. Northside shines on Independence Day weekend, and that's when NorthSlice opened up. So far, they've been rocking the pizza window - no dining room just yet. We've had a chance to stop by for a few slices, and recently ordered a full pie. This pizza is worth driving across town for, but thankfully, we live right around the corner!

The Food: The only thing we've had (the only thing they make thus far, I think), is pizza. Our classic order is pepperoni and green olives, and this time we got one half with cheese. What stands out about this pizza stands out right away - the freshness and flavor of the ingredients really pop. We were told before that they don't cook the sauce, and the tomatoes are a bit tangy and sweet, very good. They go pretty light on the cheese and ingredients, which also leads to the sauce standing out. Plenty of fresh herbs on top of the pizza add to toppings we chose. Just as we'd been expecting, the crust is not too thick, not too thin. But because that crust is doused in herbs and salt and crunchy cornmeal, it has a nice crunch (especially around the edges) and a great taste. Overall, it comes together quite nicely.

The Ingredients: When we spoke with Mike, the owner, initially, he talked about buying local ingredients, doing his own herb garden, and more. I'm not sure how that's panned out so far. Next time I see him I'll try to get some more info on how the sourcing is going.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Read all about the story of NorthSlice in our original post. We're excited that they appear to have gotten off to a good start, and are hopeful for more over time. As I mentioned above, it's only a pizza window right now, but you can peek in at the graffiti walls and see the hip logo and know it'll be a cool hang out some time soon. The owner is a really nice guy who has been a fixture in Northside for many, many years, and I've had nothing but smiles and kindness from the other folks I've encountered so far.

The Last Bite: This is definitely the best pizza in Northside. It's true that it is more expensive than NYPD, but the quality is simply far better. Whether you're stopping by for a quick slice mid-day or late-night, or ordering a whole pizza for dinner, you won't be disappointed by the fresh flavors at NorthSlice. For convenience plus taste, this has clearly moved into our number one ranking for pizza in Cincinnati. Check the menu in the slideshow below.

NorthSlice Pizza

Existential Eating #26

2010-09-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Dinner In @ Thai Namtip

2010-09-15T09:16:00.000-04:00

I had a quick (unsuccessful) tryst with an Android phone, and it certainly does have some nice toys. The Yelp app was one of them, and when we plugged in "thai" searching nearby our house, Thai Namtip came up as the closest option. As it turns out, the map was wrong and its not as close as we thought, but since we'd already put the call-in order in, we gave it a shot. If you're a West-sider in particular, then you'll definitely want to read on, as there aren't as many Asian options on your side of town.

The Food: We ordered a pad thai with tofu and a panang curry with chicken over the phone, without even seeing a menu. After snagging a to go menu, I can say they do have a full, if pretty typical, selection of dishes to choose from.

The pad thai was solid. It didn't jump out at me in any major way. Not as sweet as the way I like it, but you can't make everyone happy. If you like it spicy, I'd go for a pretty high number on their scale - they didn't seem to trust me that I wanted a kick. As for the curry, it was flavorful and had a decent stock of vegetables - cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. Those veggies were overcooked though, which may have simply been a function of us driving home for 15 minutes, but I don't think so. Plenty of flavor though, and definitely not bad.

We also ordered spring rolls, which were nicely filled and crunchy. I didn't like their sauce as much as Thai Express' (although I didn't take specific notes, so I can't remember why exactly) - Thai Express is my gold standard generally in this town.

The Ingredients: No mention of local, organic, or sustainable ingredients. If we ever go back, I'll ask, but I would be very surprised if this was something they do and don't publicize.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Thai Namtip is sitting in a strip mall just as North Bend Road takes a bend, about 3.5 miles southwest of College Hill. We got our food to go, but while it is unassuming on the outside, it is quite large and well decorated on the inside.

Probably the most surprising thing to me was that they had a sushi bar as well. I have been seeing this more and more lately, after my recent read of Zen of Sushi, which in part discusses the expansion of American interest in sushi to the Midwest, I am especially in interested in what kind of operation they run. Could the fish possibly be fresh? Could the sushi chef possibly be good? Who knows.

The Last Bite: If you live on the west side, then this may be your best option for thai food. As is for us, we can make it to Clifton or Hyde Park in just as much time, where there are better options, so I doubt we'll go to Thai Namtip again any time soon. But, nice to know that the option is there. I'd be satisfied sticking with pad thai and curry at Thai Namtip, but if I go again I'll probably give the sushi a try and branch out a bit on the menu after talking to them about any specialties they may have.

Existential Eating #25

2010-09-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

How to Eat Sushi: A Book Report

2010-09-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

I really enjoyed reading Fuchsia Dunlop's Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper recently - an autobiography where Fuchsia tells of her culinary and cultural travels over a decade or so in many of China's provinces. So if you like one book and you want to find another one that is similar, what do you do? I'm sure there is some sort of fancy web-based software or algorithm, but I went the old fashioned route. I called a librarian.

See, I've been really digging the downtown public library lately - they have an amazing collection of cookbooks, and of course, much, much more. So, now I have a couple of autobiographical food-related books on India due to some clever catalog search tools by said librarian. And yet, my most recent book, Zen of Sushi, I found the old fashioned way - browsing the meager shelves at the Northside branch around the corner from my house.

Zen of Sushi follows a group of students at the California Sushi Academy in Los Angeles as they go through a 12 week course, and along the way you learn everything from the science to the art of sushi. There are a whole lot of learnings in this book, but here's some quick, simple things I gleaned that I bet you might be interested in if you ever go out for sushi:

- don't rub your chopsticks together to get rid of the splinters, its considered rude
- eat at the bar so you can get to know your sushi chef, and they can get to know you
- order "omakase," putting it in the chef's hands to choose the best, freshest options for you
- it's typical to eat nigiri (rice with something - usually fish - on top of it) by picking it up with your hand - the rice may fall apart if picked up with chopsticks, but sashimi is picked up with chopsticks
- disposable wooden chopsticks are horrible for the environment, take your own or ask if they have plastic ones you can use
- miso soup comes last, not first
- dip your fish in the soy sauce, not the rice, and don't put ginger in the soy sauce
- crisp nori is prized, so if you aren't sitting at the bar don't order a typical roll because by the time it gets to you the nori will already be too moist
- ginger is for cleansing your palette between fish, not an appetizer
- eel sauce is sweet and tasty, and it's made with eel brains
- if you're interested in more of this basic etiquette, stop in at the library and read the appendix of this book - it'll take you 5 minutes

Got any food-related book suggestions?

Existential Eating #24

2010-09-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Lunch Out @ Grand Oriental

2010-08-31T17:07:00.000-04:00

After an awesome first dim sum experience in San Francisco recently, I was writing a post about it and was about to say "it's too bad we don't have a place with dim sum in Cincinnati," and then - as one should do when one wants to be sure about information on anything - I googled. And it turns out, you can get the dim sum experience (the fact that it is an experience is key - it is more than just the food), at Grand Oriental on Fields Ertel just off I-71. A group of six of us went this past Sunday and we had a great time - I'd recommend you try it too.

The Food: At Grand Oriental, you don't choose food from a menu, you choose it from carts. Each cart carries 10 or 12 options - one carries silver steaming containers, another has plates of meats and buns, another has rice soup, and the list goes on. As each cart comes by, the waitress shows you what she has and does her best to explain what is in each dish (some waitresses spoke better English than others). I said to our car as we were coming in that I think the trick is to be patient, review all of your options, and then choose. But, so many things look appealing, and the people offering the food seem to want you to take it so much, that I forgot my own advice and just ordered constantly. Thankfully, while in SF it was about $70 for 2 of us at lunch, this was $70 for 6 (you can ask the prices, but they don't have numbers right on them, so if you're not careful you could go overboard).

In our first round of choices we took sticky rice, which is (duh) sticky rice with some sort of beef and comes wrapped in a lotus leaf and was very good. Next was BBQ pork, which is glistening red on the outside and in a brown sauce and quite tasty. I realize only now that I did't try the ribs with black bean sauce, but I did have the bean curd meat roll and it had a unique texture that I liked and bet I would like even more if I had it again. Texture is big with authentic Chinese food, and while it may take some getting used to for many people, it is definitely worth an attempt or three.

In another wave of ordering we got shark's fin dumpling (not actually shark's fin, they just look that way - its shrimp and cilantro), which was an excellent example of how well done we've found dim sum shrimp dishes to be. They're so succulent and delicate, never overcooked. Jellyfish was offered, and I'd never had that, so what the heck (it reminded me of the texture of pickled radishes that is called for in some pad thai recipes - kind of firmly gelatinous - I liked it). At some point we got some spring rolls that were normal and good, as well as two uses of the same BBQ pork - one that was cooked in a roll that was glazed with something very sweet and another in a steamed bun. Niether of these were big hits at our table - the balance of sugar and salt didn't seem quite right. Oh, and a shrimp and chives dumpling that was another great choice.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things - we ate a whole lot of bites. And just as we were thinking we were done, we were brought some sesame balls for dessert - they're a doughy ball a bit smaller than a racquetball that is rolled in sesame seeds and has a sweet red bean paste in side. It tastes almost like fig, but not so strong. I actually like it best without the bean inside, but it was good either way. We were sure it was over until one more plate arrived which was a delicious bite sized custard tart - just barely sweet and at the same time accentuating the egg that made the custard possible.

All in all, an excellent meal!

The Ingredients: There is no menu on Saturdays and Sundays when they serve dim sum (although after we asked our our 20th question they gave us a list of the offerings and their prices), but there was no mention of any local or organic ingredients - and since that usually leads to higher prices, most places usually tell you, so I'm going to guess they don't use any. But, we will definitely be back, so we'll ask next time.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Grand Oriental is located in between a car wash and a HH Gregg (go left at the entrance after the car wash - you can't see it easily if you just came from 71), and it is easy to get lost out amongst all the strip malls. From the outside it is nothing special, but when you walk in it is actually full of character. Ornate walls that are carved so you can see through them are painted with reds and blacks and gold, and help the space feel cozy and expansive at the same time.

You sit down at Grand Oriental, and simultaneously your drink order is being taken as waitresses with carts are lining up around your table. With at least 400 people at the place we ate in SF, there were at least a dozen different kinds of carts. There were only a handful here, but that makes much more sense seeing as there were maybe 50 people in the restaurant. Going with a group turned out to be a good decision because you get to sample a lot of food without paying too much.

The staff here was very friendly, and really seemed to enjoy that we were enjoying ourselves. We were talking on the way home about how much of a difference that makes, when the staff enjoy themselves and smile. One of the owners, Kenny, helped explain what several dishes were, and then happily brought us 2 desserts on the house. He seemed to particularly enjoy our reactions to eating things that are clearly not on the average menu - I'm thinking of the jellyfish first. Explaining that some things are acquired tastes, he told us that someday we'd like the chicken's feet too. I believe him. As we were paying, the other owner, Kenny's brother Henry, recommended an article from the Wall Street Journal on dim sum which I haven't read yet, but I'll check out soon. Between the owners and the waitresses, they made this meal a lot of fun and we really appreciated it.

The Last Bite: Other reviewers had noted that the BBQ pork was a favorite, and everyone at our table really enjoyed that dish. But, the sticky rice, shark's fins dumpling, and bean curd meat roll were all happily gobbled up, amongst others. The experience is different and fun, and if you haven't tried it I think you simply must.

Lunch Out @ Pomodori's

2010-08-30T08:08:00.001-04:00

I used to pick up pizza by the slice every now and then from Pomodori's several years back, and Sarah remembered it being good many years ago, but neither of us had visited in a long, long time. Restaurant.com provided the ridiculously cheap coupon (I think it was $3 for a $25 coupon), and we decided to give it a go. We've visited enough pizza places in the past several months to have a pretty good idea of what spots may stay in our rotation, and it doesn't look like Pomodori's will be on that list.

The Food: We started with the Bruschetta Caprese - a crusty ciabatta with halved grape tomatoes, bits of fresh mozzarella, and herbs. It was fine, but there was something about the flavors that just didn't quite mesh. It could have used more salt. Then, about half way through eating this and deciding on pizza, we realized that the coupon makes it so you have to order $35 of food, so we ordered enough for 2 lunches for 2.

A caesar salad was our next choice, and it was straightforward and good.

For pizzas, we picked from the wood-fired choices - a "Spinach" (which is not nearly so simple - it has mushrooms, red onion, garlic, and bacon) and a traditional "Margherita." We had a problem with the Margherita - there was a very bitter aftertaste that we are pretty sure came from the tomato sauce. It made it hard to enjoy any of that pizza. For a pizza place to have sauce that has gone bad, that is pretty disappointing. Plus, the "fresh mozzarella" did not have have the consistency of what we know as fresh mozzarella. It seemed more like the typical mozzarella you'd find often find shredded and ready for pizza topping. But, the Spinach pizza was actually quite good. Every bite was buttery and the crust was nicely bubbly and soft. This was the only redeeming part of the meal.

The Ingredients: No mention of local or organic ingredients here. Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, while they talk about fresh ingredients on their menu in several places, we were served some not-so-fresh options.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Pomodori's is located across the street from the humongous chunk of vacant land between McMillan and Calhoun streets in Clifton (what the heck is going on up there - weren't they supposed to build a park or something?). It's sort of an odd shaped building (inside and out), but it has plenty of parking. The service was fine, nothing of note.

The Last Bite: There are so many better pizzas within minutes of Pomodori's (ZZ's, Dewey's, and Adriaticos to name a few), let alone further away, that I don't think we'll return. But, I can see how students around UC might make the choice. If you do go, we'd recommend the "Spinach" pizza.

Existential Eating #23

2010-08-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

Lunch Out @ Cathay Kitchen

2010-08-27T08:00:00.003-04:00

After a recent trip to San Francisco, where we were blown away by an exciting dim sum lunch, as I was writing the post-trip blog post, I googled dim sum in Cincinnati. The clearest option for dim sum (carts and all) was Grand Oriental, but Cathay Kitchen was also listed as a choice. Since we were meeting some friends for lunch, Cathay Kitchen was a closer option (they were at the Florence Antique Mall, which was their favorite part of the trip) and we went for it. I even called ahead to make sure they had dim sum, but I should have known better when the response was a yes, but not a confident one. This trip turned up some respectable, somewhat authentic Chinese food - but not carts and options galore for dim sum.

The Food: We had hoped not to order off a menu at all, but since there were no carts (more below on the setting), we settled in for a more typical meal. The one note of dim sum on the menu was a starter of dim sum, which we ordered. We also chose some chicken curry pot stickers and shumai dumplings, trying to recreate the multitude of appetizer options we had come in hopes of. Then, we ordered 3 entrees to split - Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, and sweet and sour pork.

The chicken pot stickers came first and were straightforward and good. They came with a simple gyoza-esque sauce that was mostly soy sauce. Next up were the shumai dumplings, which are one of the many kinds of beautiful looking bites that are about the size of a marshmallow. The dough that holds the pork inside is twisted at the top and they came in a steamy silver container. One member of our table (cough *Ben* cough), bit into one just a bit too quickly and then just about spat it back out it was so hot (not spicy hot, but the juices inside the dumpling were scalding). After learning from that mistake, we all made little holes to let out some steam and then enjoyed the dumplings just fine. Lastly, the dim sum, which was made up of two different dumplings - one was a light shrimp offering and the other was some sort of sausage with water chesnuts that looked like a little tree stump. Both of these were just OK in my opinion.

Our three entrees came out and we dug in. The Mongolian beef was probably my favorite option - the meat was very tender and along with stir-fried onions and chili peppers it had just a bit of a kick. Kung pao chicken (which I've been meaning to cook for a while, as it is Ezra Klein's favorite - and then I just learned his recipe was adapted, just barely, from Fuschia Dunlop's) is a simple dish, and they did a nice job with small, succulent pieces of chicken to go with the peanuts and chilies in a brown sauce. I led our dining team astray a bit with the choice of sweet and sour pork. I was imagining some of the pork I'd been reading about at over-the-top Chinese banquets, not pork that was battered just like sweet and sour chicken at Panda Express at the mall. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't very exciting either.

The lunch specials also came with egg rolls, which were standard.

The Ingredients: Nothing listed as local or organic here, and the language barrier was pretty substantial with our server, so I don't think we would have gotten far in asking. If we ever return, maybe we'll try.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Cathay Kitchen is smack dab in the middle of a strip mall, just off the interstate. It's next to an empty storefront and several other small businesses. We walked in to a completely empty dining room at noon (which did have about 5 tables full at 1:30 when we left). Needless to say, this is not a place you'd likely come for a romantic dinner (even if the website tells you that's the case).

Our server was kind and smiled sheepishly just about every time we talked (the language barrier was substantial). There was another staff person who came over to answer some of our questions when we asked about what was the most authentic on the menu, what she liked, that sort of thing.

The Last Bite: It's highly unlikely we'll be back to Cathay Kitchen because it is so out of the way for us and doesn't have anything special that we could tell. If it was in Cincinnati and within 10 minutes of Northside then it just might be the best Chinese restaurant around (until I try Chung Ching in College Hill, which I've heard is good). If we do go back, we'd probably stick to the Mongolian beef.

Tasty Links #14

2010-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

These links are awful old, but that doesn't make them awful. I've been not posting this for too long...

1) The politics of sustainability in academia (hat tip: Twilight Greenaway) They'r complicated - and the Farm Bureau has a lot to do with it.
2) A great review of Farm Fresh Delivery by wine me, dine me. Another excellent option to increase your local food consumption, especially if you're busy!
3) Maybe you caught this in Saveur, but Barry Estabrook's explanation of how food get's to your plate is very cool.

And now your video - very loosely connected to food...

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Dinner Out @ Yat Ka Mein

2010-08-25T07:30:00.000-04:00

I had been to Yat Ka Mein one time several years back, and since that was before I was really, truly paying attention to what I was eating, and certainly before I'd read Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper and been really interested in Chinese food, it was time for a return visit. I've been on the lookout for some authentic options, and I was hoping this visit might take me in the right direction. A recent trip to Cathay Kitchen in search of dim sum did not turn out as planned (post coming soon), but Yat Ka Mein did not disappoint - in fact, it was very good!

The Food: Taking a quick scan of the dinner menu, Yat Ka Mein has a good mix of typical American Chinese options - sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, etc. But, they've also got enough things you probably have not heard of that made me believe their might be a higher level of authenticity here.

We ordered the brisket soup, ho fun with chicken, and veggie fried rice (so we'd have something with a bit of vegetables). The ho fun came out first, and it had tender chicken, thick tasty noodles, and was was covered in a light gravy-like brown sauce. I added sriracha to give it a kick, while the crisp bean sprouts and carrots add texture. Our brisket soup followed quickly, and had a lightly aromatic broth (I bit into a small piece of anise that gave away that secret). This was very good - Sarah tasted first and said "oh, you're going to like this." Meat was flaking apart, and went well with the Chinese broccoli and thin ramen-esque noodles. Finally, the fried rice was simple and tasty and came with lots of veggies - we found zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, onion, napa, bean sprouts, peas, scallion, and carrot. It tasted super fresh, and was the best fried rice I've had in quite some time.

To top it all off, even the fortune cookies tasted good!

The Ingredients: There was nothing on the menu about local or organic ingredients. Par usual, we'll have to ask the next time we come. It always feels like it would be an extra imposition/hassle to ask about ingredients on the first trip to a place, especially one where you're paying $8 for an entree. But, ask we will - on the next trip, and then we'll update the post.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Sitting in the same strip mall as the Aveda Institute and Penn Station, it would be easy to live around the corner from Yat Ka Mein and never give it a second thought. It's also a stone's throw from Wild Ginger and Lemon Grass - two Thai places - and a handful of other restaurants.

They proudly advertise "noodles for your noodle," and their kids menu is "for the growing noodle," showing their sense of humor. Our server was very nice, and had a jovial, helpful energy. He said their Cantonese, but they have food from several Chinese provinces as well as other places across Asia. If you're in the neighborhood, they deliver for $2 as well.

The Last Bite: Yat Ka Mein offers a simple, pleasant ambiance and kind service. The food is fresh and tasty, and has some great flavors happening. We'll definitely order the beef brisket noodle soup bowl again - the meat was tender, the broth had great depth, and the anise made it a bit aromatic as well. Interesting flavors that are not easy to find in Cincinnati.

Lunch Out @ Lucky John Slow Market

2010-08-23T14:35:00.000-04:00

Lucky John Slow Market opened in Walnut Hills within the past year or so, and serves a lunch/early dinner menu along with its offerings as a local market with everything from produce to household items. We went in on a quiet Thursday for a late lunch recently, and found the food to be quite good. With minimal foot traffic in their area, it will be interesting to see how LJSM does, and how well they are embraced by the surrounding neighbors. Their commitment to local, sustainable food is definitely to be applauded!

The Food: Even though I was a vegetarian for a few years, when I see a menu that is all veggie, I do get a bit worried. I've been to enough places in town with a vegetarian where the options are super weak, that I'm a bit gun shy I suppose. But, with the "haute vegetarian movement" on the rise, where vegetables are being discussed as the next pork belly, it's about time there are more solid options in town. And from what we can tell, these are indeed those solid options.

I ordered the BLT with "bacon," which the server described as being one of the most flavorful dishes on the menu. It had fresh heirloom tomatoes that were great, as well as a garlic mayo and black pepper jam that gave it some interesting kick. In fact, I would have liked more of those condiments. The fake bacon wasn't an offense to the real thing, and while it was a bit tough, it did add a nice texture of crispness to go with the soft oat nut bread. I wouldn't rave about it, but this is a nice lunch option, especially for a vegetarian.

Sarah chose the chick pea and spinach wrap, which came with paneer, roasted peppers, and seasonal herbs inside. This was the big winner of our lunch - it was very flavorful, full of fresh ingredients, and was filling without being heavy. Also, I'd never had paneer (a cheese probably most famously a part of saag paneer at your local Indian restaurant) used in that way, and thought it was done quite well.

Lunches come with side options as well, and we chose the kale. It was lightly dressed with a vinaigrette and the vegetable was bright green and extremely fresh. We got a bit burnt out on greens from our CSA last year, so it was refreshing to have them be so tasty. There were also a handful of green grapes on each of our plates.

The Ingredients: Many of the ingredients are sourced locally, and are available for purchase in the store that the cafe sits in. The menu doesn't explicitly state where everything is from, but they seemed to happy to answer any of our questions. We were glad to see another local option for buying local produce and other sustainable products.

The Story, Setting, & Service: As I mentioned above, we went on a Thursday at about 1pm, and Walnut Hills was very quiet at that time. There was one other pair of diners at LJSM when we were there, and they were in a lively conversation with the chef/owner's son. I was on the lookout for the owner's son, because one of LJSM's vendors' (Trades Point Creamery) sales folks I've exchanged some emails with had been talking up both the place and the idea behind it, and in the process had mentioned that the owner's son was likely soon coming back from New York City, where he went after going to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

The interior of LJSM is simple and eclectic at the same time, and with just a couple of booths, it is cozy as well. The service was very nice, and while we'd heard concerns that they lived up to their name a bit too much and that food was very slow to arrive, we didn't have that problem.

The Last Bite: Lucky John Slow Market is worth a stop, especially if local food is a priority for you, and even more so if you are a vegetarian or love vegetarian food. We'll likely return to LJSM, but it's hard to imagine it being a frequent stop because its not super convenient for us Northsiders. The spinach and chickpea wrap is great go to ordering option, one we happily endorse.

Existential Eating #22

2010-08-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Dinner In @ Lemon Grass

2010-08-18T08:17:00.000-04:00

Lemon Grass is solid, dependable, and makes Sarah's favorite pad thai in town to date. Lately we've been using it as a take out option, but they also have space to dine in. This post has been in draft form for a long minute, so I'm glad it is finally making its way to you! It's a simple one.

The Food: As I said above, Sarah loves the pad thai at Lemon Grass (it reminds her of the pad thai she loves best, at her old haunt in Sarasota called Thailand), while my favorite continues to be at Thai Express. And Sarah was out of town when I made this order, so this is a Gavin only review, and I tend to enjoy Lemon Grass' curries the most.

I ordered a pad thai, spring rolls, and sesame noodles, although my typical order is curry (I am especially a fan of their massaman). The starter, sesame noodles, was very sweet and covered in a thick peanut sauce. There was a crunch from the scallions and iceburg lettuce at the bottom of the to go container, and small bites of chicken on top. I usually think of sesame noodles as being a round lo mein-style, but theirs are made with a flat egg noodle, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds as garnish. The noodles were a bit overcooked too unfortunately.

I had straightforward but good spring rolls and dipping sauce (which is thicker than the sauce at Thai Express), and then ate the pad thai. Lemon Grass' version of this thai standby has quite a bit of egg, and has noodles that I felt were less sticky, but more slimy in texture. Also, their pad thai is not nearly as sweet as at Thai Express. They also use a bit of cilantro, and I've found that I need to go a bit higher on the spicy scale at Lemon Grass then at other spots locally to get something as hot as I like it.

The Ingredients: There's nothing on the Lemon Grass menu about local or organic ingredients. I'll have to ask on the next trip.

The Story, Setting, & Service: The interior is very simple - no frills, and smells great. It's always calm and quiet inside, and yet there always seem to be people coming through. I've gone many, many times and have never had a wait. The service is straightforward. Maybe most important of all, Lemon Grass is open Sundays and Mondays, making it one of the few options to choose from on both of those days.

The Last Bite: Honestly, most of the time we end up at Lemon Grass because it's the only place open - it's become a Sunday dinner option a few times recently. I've never had anything bad at Lemon Grass, and that consistency means something these days. Plus, with reasonable prices and a favorite Thai dish as well in our household, we will certainly be back. Do you have a favorite Thai place we should try?

San Francisco Eating: In a Nutshell

2010-08-16T09:36:00.000-04:00

The final vacation post (about 3 weeks after the fact) is here! Funny how vacation leads to more work. If you missed it, here were some thoughts after our trip, and here was the write up on Chicago eating. I took virtually no notes in SF, so these will be very basic write-ups - hopefully enough for you to get the gist though. Nearly every place we ate did a great job of listing all of the local ingredients they source - it is very much the norm out there. Because so many menus have already changed since when we were there, I won't talk much about this because I don't know where things were from now...

Range - I asked the folks whose house we stayed at for a recommendation near their house that we could walk to on the night we arrived in the city (in what I believe is called Corona Heights), and they said Range. We didn't know until after we'd gone that it has gotten great reviews and would be recommended by so many people. It's a cozy, well-designed place and we got a table fairly quickly on a Wednesday night. This turned out to be our favorite of a few places I'll broadly group as "California cuisine" - along with Ad Hoc and Chez Panisse. We had delicious salmon and ravioli appetizers - both were delicate, savory, and colorful. Then, because we'd never had so many people recommend roast chicken until we started asking around about SF restaurants, we tried theirs to see what Californian's are doing that others don't seem to be. And the verdict: that was some excellent bird! The skin was crispy and flavorful, the meat was moist and fresh, and it came with a "stuffing" with a chevre-esque cheese, large toasted bread crumbs, and chunks of trumpet mushrooms. Maybe it tasted so good because we didn't build it up too much? But it also set a high bar for the rest of the trip - a bar that frankly, was met less than we'd hoped. (No pics, it was too dark)

Tartine Bakery - This was one of the places people told us to go before, during, and after our trip. We walked the dog down and ordered a small sampling of options. Sarah just said "I've been thinking about that lemon tart with the pansy on top. That was the best tart of the season so far." That gives you an idea that just thinking about the place, our mouths are watering. A ham (from Niman Ranch) and cheese croissant was melt in your mouth good. A fruit tart was chewy and soft and crumbly in all the right ways. And that lemon tart was, well - I'm not sure how you'd improve upon it frankly. Sarah also got a cappuccino, and we sat outside and watched the world go by. This area of the Mission is flush with culinary options, we'd highly recommend you stop through.

Ferry Building - Probably the most recommended place of all was this spot. It's down on the water, near downtown SF, and is full of all sorts of things to make a foodie drool. We wanted to pick up some food to cook breakfasts (it was kind of exhausting to eat out for every. single. meal.), and we'd heard they had some street food options on Thursdays, so off we went. There are all kinds of treasures to be found at the Ferry Market, where, in typical SF style, everything is absolutely gorgeous - almost too perfect. We bought a sampling of cured meats from Boccalone Salumeria to nibble on while driving out to wine country the next day, a cornucopia of mushrooms from Far West Fungi (and cheap too!), and picked up bread, cheese, produce, and more. The lines for the street food were out of control, so we just walked out back for a bit and took some photographs of the water and bridge. In retrospect, I wish we would have waited it out because we never did make it to Hapa Ramen - one of the hot street food places that I was really hoping to try. We also thought about going back on Saturday when they apparently have a stunning farmer's market. One way or the other, if you are in SF, you will probably want to check out the Ferry Building.

Delfina Pizzeria - One person told us that they had better pizza at another spot, but this stuff would sure be tough to beat. We got a specialty pizza that they don't serve every day at this spot just up the street from Tartine. It had spring onions and guanciale, but the thing that made it so darn good was the panna (Italian for cream). It's crust was perfectly bubbly too, and overall this was one heck of a pie. Our starter was a fresh mozzarella filled with cream called burratta, and it was very good too. Plus, the server was really nice - she explained the health care tax that was on our bill, and gave us some recommendations of other places to try while we were in town. Also, if you have a girlfriend who works at Pizzeria Delfina and you are reading this, she wants you to take her to Chez Pannise.

Omnivore Books - No, Omnivore Books is not a restaurant. But, it will get you as hungry as one, and will inspire you more than lots of restaurants put together. I actually stopped in 3 times during our stay in SF - never quite finding the right time to go and stay for a bit until the last visit. They ship in cookbooks from Britain, and that, along with the owner's excellent taste, leads to an excellent bookstore experience. I love bookstores, and I love food, so this is an amazing combo. We bought a couple gifts for folks we stayed with here, and I am definitely going to be placing orders from them in the future because they had all kinds of cookbooks that I have never seen - and I have haunted darn near every local book store's cookbook shelves.

Chez Panisse - This was our most highly anticipated reservation of our vacation. I kept calling it a pilgrimage, and I don't think that's an overstatement. Chez Panisse was really, by nearly every account, the progenitor of fresh, seasonal, local foods as a way to be for restaurants in the United States. It's an institution. And because of all that, I am very happy to say that I've eaten there. Now, unless I am blown away by evidence, I find it very unlikely that I'll want to return. The menu of the night (you don't choose, they do) started us off with a tomato salad with a basil mayonnaise. It was probably the best thing we ate. That was followed by shrimp and potato something, and then a main course of quail, succotash, and corn fritters (pictured above). On all the dishes the presentation was nothing special - lazy even. The quail was good, but definitely not amazing. In general, the food was okay, but we really were hoping to be wowed. The coolest thing? Eavesdropping on the table next to us (mistakenly at first, but then we couldn't help ourselves). The president of UC Berkeley was definitely there. We're pretty sure another guy was a past president. And one guy who talked the most and the loudest appeared to be a current ambassador (we think from Mexico) and a past Exxon-Mobil exec. My favorite line was when one of them said that in Latin America when there is unrest with students, they start revolutions - when there is unrest with students in the U.S. they start new classes. It was part of a larger point about the need for more funding for public education or else there'd be trouble. Sad but true, on a number of fronts. Anyway, Chez Panisse was disappointing. I wish someone out of all the people I told we were going would have given us a heads up, but I understand they didn't want to burst my bubble. My guess is that they fill the place almost no matter what they do at this point, so they're not hungry (pun intended). Bummer.

Ad Hoc - We arrived at Ad Hoc in Napa Valley after a longish, sort of unfruitful day in wine country. It was also the day after our trip to Chez Panisse, so we were hoping big names (Ad Hoc is a Thomas Keller place) might redeem themselves. I'd seen the sign before on the website, but had never read what it says above "ad hoc" - "temporary relief from hunger." It took a second to process that, and then it was clear - we were hoping for way more than temporary relief from hunger with a $50 fixed price/fixed menu. If we wanted a temporary relief from hunger we'd eat a granola bar or hot dog or something. Anyway... arriving early, we walked down the street to a wine bar and got a couple of flights. At 5pm (we didn't want to get back to the city too late) we walked back and were seated soon thereafter. One thing was clear from the beginning - we were not going to be lingering at this place for hours. They have plates in front of you and move dishes away very quickly. Our whole meal ended up being an hour and 15 minutes. An iceberg lettuce salad was okay, and was followed by the main course - a strip steak with carmelized onions, greens, and baked then fried potatoes with a chili aioli (or mayo, can't remember). The entree was good. Huge portions. We could have made it at home pretty easily, and hoped for more from a place with a big name national chef. A cheese course came next, and we weren't big fans of how bitter and earthy the soft cheese was. The dessert was a fruit tart on puff pastry - another huge portion, but uninspired. By the end of the day, we were just glad to be going home. It was only okay, and for the second night in a row we couldn't choose our courses and weren't too happy with what was chosen for us.

Tacubaya - This is a spot over in a outdoor mall-style area of Berkeley that I'd never been to before. A new place opened by the same people who run the acclaimed Dona Tomas in Oakland, we had high hopes for Tacubaya. Walking in, the food looked delicious - in true Bay Area style everything was perfectly in place and well put together. Unfortunately, the food wasn't as good as it looked. Fortunately, we were there with an old friend and the conversation made up for the tacos, ceviche, sopas, and guacamole. My favorite taste may have been my horchata, a sweet rice-based drink I'd never tried. I noticed a big vat of it at Taqueria Mercado 3 the last time I was there, so I'll be drinking it again soon. The sopa you see in the picture was our favorite choice - it had the most going on with potatoes and chorizo and more. Everything else tasted fresh enough, but just didn't pop. Also, it took us about 30 minutes to get a taco they'd forgotten originally - I asked probably 3 times (it's self seating, but they have staff who come around), and finally went straight to the cooks, who looked at me like I was doing them wrong even though I was nice about it. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Remedy - We headed over to Remedy after Tacubaya for a quick coffee at this new spot in Oakland. This was the old stomping ground of the friend we we met for Mexican, and the current stomping ground of the friends we were meeting for Burmese later that evening. Not much to say here except this seems like a hip spot and we were all happy with our drinks - a tea, a chai, and an espresso if I remember correctly. I thought the logo for the coffee brand they carry (Ritual) really stood out too. Remedy seems to be part of the trend of coffee places really taking their brewing seriously - they had a series of Hario drippers set up, and some other nice looking machinery.

Pizzailo - We didn't eat here, although this was one of the places that had been on the recommended list by a few folks. But, we did stop in for some cocktails. Nearly every place we went had craft cocktail options, something that seems to be making its way to Cincinnati slowly but surely. I like a good drink as much as the next guy, but I tend to prefer to spend my dollars on food, not beverage. So, this refreshing orange and whiskey thing I had was notably fun. We sat out back with our friends Mandara and Jake on a rusty old table next to the kitchen garden and a stone's throw from the restaurant's chickens. All the locavore places we've been or heard about, this was a first. I'd love to go back and try the food sometime, it looked very good on our walk-bys.

Marc 49 - Our foursome headed over to Burmese Superstar, but there was a 40 minute wait, so we walked down the street to this wine bar. They were super accommodating, helping us get tables and chairs set up outside. We ordered a bottle of Flying Winemakers, which Jake had had before and everyone was quite happy. There was a little chug needed when the restaurant called to say our table was ready, but I don't think anyone was too disappointed.

Burma Superstar - This restaurant was one of several that was noted as part of a new set of excellent places in Oakland we heard from a handful of folks about. The original is in San Francisco, and apparently it is very difficult to get a table there. I was a little worried, because I was reading San Francisco Magazine when I got to town and the reviewer was not too high on this new outpost of what sounds like a long time favorite/standard in SF. But, I gave our hosts a couple opportunities to get out of it and they were confident, so we went. When you look at Yelp or read other reviews, everyone talks about the tea leaf salad (photo to the left), which I believe won a James Beard Award (for salads?). That's what we started with - it starts out in parts like you see, and then they mix it up at the table. It was pretty darn good - not sure if I think it lives up to all the hype, but it was solid. Then we sampled a few different rice and noodle dishes, with tofu and meat, off the menu. At some point along the way we ordered 2 very large beers (like the steins at Hofbrauhaus), and got into an animated conversation and capitalism and social security, and so my exact recollections of the dishes are a bit hazy. I can say I was impressed by the offerings of different kinds of rice - a coconut one and a couple others - which added a nice flavor that typical white or brown usually don't. I also remember there was a boatload of garlic, and that in general there was a lot of flavor going on. This was one time where we thought "to hell with all this California cuisine, let's get the ethnic food we simply do not have access to in Cincinnati that has big flavors!" Big thanks to our hosts, who helped us find a great meal to go with some hearty conversation.

Yank Sing - I think the best thing to come out of our trip to Ad Hoc was the server telling us about dim sum at Yank Sing. We almost went to Namu, but they had a breakfast menu and we wanted lunch. So, we went to Yank Sing, and boy are we glad we did. Here's how it went down. It's in a skyscraper downtown - we pulled up in perfect parking and walked into a side entrance into a dead empty hallway. We turned the corner to another empty hall, but a security guard was there. We went up and asked where Yank Sing was (we'd seen a sign outside, so we knew we were in the right place), she pointed directly behind us and BAM! There, in the middle of a food court/atrium of a downtown building were hundreds of people sitting at tables. We snaked our way into the restaurant itself, where we saw hundreds more people. The energy was palpable. We asked for a table for two, but they said we'd have to wait. Then, some sort of language barrier thing happened because when the hostess told a server to find us two seats at the bar, she took us to a table for two. We hadn't even gotten settled in our seats yet and someone was pouring us waters and setting our table, while someone else was offering us dumplings of some sort. Then another person was hawking breaded shrimp on wooden skewers - we took 'em! Then we took some pot stickers, and then some dumplings, and then ordered some tea. Within about two minutes we had a table full of food and we'd barely even taken a breath. It was great! It didn't hurt that the food was full of delicious flavors and textures, and that there were constantly carts of eye candy making their way by you, with seemingly endless options to choose from. It was like appetizer heaven. Even as we were finishing up eating, more new things were coming by. The only downside whatsoever was that it was more expensive than we thought and we probably should have been asking the prices. But, we will certainly get better at choosing on future visits, and no matter what, we probably can't go wrong. I just wrote "too bad there's no dim sum place in Cincinnati!" and then did googled it just to be sure. And now Sarah and I are excited - it looks like there are some options here. I'm writing this on Saturday night and we very well may be eating dim sum tomorrow.

Humphry Slocombe - This was one of two ice cream places recommended to us - the other is coming shortly. It's ice cream, so to say it's bad would be silly. But, we've had way better. The ice cream was really waxy, and left your palette with a very odd mouthfeel. We won't be heading back.

Philz Coffee - Like the ice cream place above, Philz was a spur of the moment stop. We'd been told this coffee was fantastic and needed a little pick me up. You go up to order, and instead of them saying "what would you like?" they say "what do you like?" They caught on quickly that we hadn't been to Philz before, and apparently the Philz coffee experience is different. "Do you like it dark or light? What do you like about a latte? How sweet do you like your mocha?" I'm not exactly a coffee aficionado, so it caught me off guard a bit - but then my drink came, and it was very, very good. Sarah's was too. With so many different coffees, and so many different people with different likes and dislikes, it makes sense that someone would communicate with you to close the loop.

Dametra - We drove down to meet a long time family friend in Carmel, or officially, Carmel-by-the-Sea. It's about 2.5 hours south of SF and right on the ocean. It gave us an excuse to drive even further down the coast to check out Big Sur, as well as to walk on the beach and see a sea otter playing and dolphins swimming in the distance. And it also gave us a chance to hear Antonio (from the kitchen) singing at Dametra's, a Mediterranean restaurant, as the proprietor played a sitar-esque instrument. And then, later, they sang again! Seriously, the people here were very nice. They went out of their way to thank everyone for coming - it was almost over the top. But, they seemed genuine and so I think everyone appreciated it. Carmel is a very wealthy town, so I have to imagine they're aiming for a big score of a tip every now and then, and hey, I can't blame them! We ordered Monterrey Bay calamari and smoked salmon appetizers, and a Greek platter to share as an entree. It was a ton of food! Everything was better than average, but the people were so nice and there was enough food that it was an experience that made us happy in the end. We'll probably go back if we're in town, if only to be given a hearty handshake and a happy smile.

Tataki - We wrote a while back about trying to ask a sushi place in Cincinnati about the source of their fish. It did not go so well. So, when someone told us about a sustainable sushi place in SF, we were excited. We've been really enjoying sushi, but also getting more and more in tune with the fact that the way we're eating at sushi places is not very good for the ocean at all. I'd say our trips to both SF and Chicago were like looking into the future for Cincinnati - more restaurants can and will source locally and sustainably, and more places will need to be able to answer where they get their products or they'll suffer. That came out sounding kind of mean, but we're killing our planet here so it is about time we get serious about this. For what it's worth, Tataki is the only sustainable sushi place in SF, so those Bay Area folks have some future coming their way as well. And in the future, you will feel great about eating your food. We sure did at Tataki! They have the same sushi guides (download a pocket guide here) that we had just seen and picked up at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the same book we ordered recently on sale too. They tell you where everything comes from, and how it was caught. Oh, and it tasted great too! Definitely spread the word.

Bi-rite Creamery - This is another one of the many excellent food options in the Mission around 18th Street between Dolores and Guerrero (or thereabouts). They also have a grocery across the street where we picked up some delicious peaches. Sarah and I both liked Bi-rite better than Humphry Slocumb, but we also both felt strongly that we are blessed with such awesome ice cream and gelato (Graeter's, Jeni's, Dojo, etc.) in Ohio that we are pampered. So, if its great ice cream you're looking for, we say stay here.

Zuni Café - On our last night in the city, we decided to go to another old SF standard, Zuni Cafe. We got there and sat in the bar area (at a table) and checked out the menu. The regular menu was expensive enough (and frankly not interesting enough) that we decided to simply go for some oysters. The owner of Omnivore Books had recommended we do that, and so here we were. We asked the server to bring us a sampling of options, and she brought us 2 Kusshi, 2 Marin Miyagi, 2 Drake's Bay, 2 Humboldt Kuma, 2 Beau Soleil, and 2 Pacific oysters. I can't remember having any oysters, so I'm not really sure what to compare them to or how to talk about them. But, Sarah assures me they were good, and I always like trying new things, so I was happy. We had a glass of white wine each as well, and that was it. We were off to find ramen!

Halu - Ever since I found out about Momofuku in NYC, and especially after getting the cookbook, I've been really digging ramen. Call it a throwback, but we got some Ichiban packets at CAM and when you throw some pork belly and bean sprouts and fish cake slices and other goodness on top of those noodles and that broth, good things happen. I just did another google to be sure I wasn't missing Japanese ramen in Cincinnati (it looks like there may be an option in Florence), but in general this is not something that is easily accessible or notable in our town. We went to a couple places that were closed on Tuesday night, and kept looking through the Yelp ramen options as we drove. Halu was the spot we ended up at, and although they aren't really a noodle joint first and foremost, they did have ramen. We ordered a couple of skewers (the yakitori were there specialty) that were tasty, and a bowl of pork and bowl of fried chicken ramen. Both had flavor and depth to the broth that can't be matched by the packets we've been using, but I still like it the way I make it best. No matter, it was great to have some more unique flavors and another restaurant option in SF that we don't have in Cincinnati before we left town.

So those were our SF eats! Now, to get back in the rhythm here in Cincinnati. Here are more pics if you're interested...

Existential Eating #21

2010-08-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

Chicago Eating: In a Nutshell

2010-08-10T20:20:00.001-04:00

Ever since going on vacation a couple weeks back, it's been a bit overwhelming to take on the task of relating and sharing all these experiences. So, rather than continue to wish I'd write a book, I'm instead going to write little abstracts of each place we visited, sharing just the top line information (a couple may be longer because I took more notes). Not the template of typical Amateur Foodies review, but still helpful and interesting I hope. So, here you have it, our trip to Chicago in a nutshell...

Giordano's - We got into town on a night when Sarah's parents were also in town, as well as a long time friend of Sarah's. Adding my Aunt Julie, our humble host, we were in search of Chicago style pizza where we could seat 6 and not wait forever. After a few calls, Giordano's was chosen for its location - a short walk from Southport & Henderson - as well as for its Chicago-style pizza. I think Sarah and I agreed that the food was just okay. It wasn't horrible, and it wasn't fantastic. The crust was kind of cracker-like on both the deep and thin crust options. We did get in and out easily on a Friday night, and the service was fine. Probably won't return, but not bummed out we went.

Smoque - I think it may have been the Time Out Chicago with BBQ on the cover that got us thinking about it, and after the idea was planted, it was hard to let go of. We were active Yelp users in Chicago because with the number of people who use it, the review system gives you more info than a simple like/don't like on Urbanspoon. Yelpers seemed high on Smoque, and after our visit there I can see why. We could smell the place from the car about 50 yards away, and the scent inside is amazing - as you get closer to the register the smokiness increases. We ordered a 1/2 chicken with slaw, peach cobbler, and mac and cheese, and a 1/2 slab of St. Louis ribs. Suzanne ordered a 1/2 brisket sandwich and BBQ beans. We all liked the good vinegary slaw, and their well balanced sauce that is pretty tangy. The brisket was very good - nicely charred on edges. Really good mac and cheese - creamy, with bread crumbs to add texture. Very smoky BBQ beans had big chunks of onion. I really enjoyed the peach cobbler - it had almonds and other sweet carmelized goodness on top - even with the canned peaches. It really was more of a crisp than a cobbler, and was an excellent finish to a great barbecue lunch.

Uncommon Ground - Not much to say here at all. They were on my list to visit because I read a blog about their rooftop garden a while back. We just happened to be walking by, and decided to stop in for a drink. I had a "beermosa" (a Bell's Oberon with fresh squeezed orange juice) and Sarah and Suzanne got classic mimosas. A chill spot so close to Wrigley Field, and the menu looked good too for future reference.

Sun Wah - A photo of sliced duck on a list of the best 100 things Time Out Chicago ate in 2009 caught my eye, and after reading some reviews, I was smitten. In an area with lots of other Asian restaurants - the smells were quite strong - Sun Wah looks fairly unassuming from the outside. But, they recently remodeled and have a huge space, they could definitely seat hundreds of people. We were interested in a number of things on the menu, but all of the reviews raved about the duck, so that's what we went straight for. They bring out a whole duck, carve it in front of you. Our carver, Laura, who is a part-owner, was very helpful and answered all of our questions - while effortlessly carving a duck. She placed succulent slivers of meat, all adorned with perfectly crispy skin, on a platter. Steamed buns, hoisin, and pickled daikon and carrots came on separate plates. Adding sriracha for heat, these were extremely similar to Momofuku pork buns. The duck carcass is taken away and then they bring you duck soup (which was just ok) and finally, an excellent duck fried rice - using all of the parts of the bird. There were 4 of us for dinner, and at $35, we almost felt like we were stealing from them! The ducks are farm-raised in Middleburg, Indiana, where they've gotten their ducks for 22 years. They gave us some mango ice cream to finish and we left as very happy customers. This is both an experience and a meal, definitely worth trying.

Lao Sze Chuan - We heard there was a street festival going on in Chinatown, so we decided to make our way in that direction. Luckily, The Reader had a list of some Chinese places that helped us dig through the mountains of potential spots. After looking at some other reviews online, we chose Lao Sze Chuan. After some run around parking on such a busy day - the streets were packed - we arrive. They have an overwhelmingly large menu, so were a bit intimidated off the bat. It didn't help that our waiter didn't speak very good English. After attempting to get some recommendations we settled upon appetizers - string beans with spicy black bean sauce and pork pot stickers, and entrees - ma po tofu, and Tony's chicken. There are a lot of chiles representing how hot the food is, which I'm always unsure whether I should believe or not. I should have believed them. This food was hot! For instance, the spicy cabbage starter they brought was salty, buttery, and then bam, hot! Super meaty pot stickers came accompanied by a twosome of sauces in containers similar to the threesome at most Indian places - one was a very vinegary dark sauce/dressing and the other was super red chile oil. I made a little mix with some soy sauce and found the pot stickers to be very good. In the string beans app the green chiles look the same as the beans, so the heat sneaks up on you - they had a good texture and flavor though. The ma po tofu was mentioned in a few reviews, so that's why we ordered it. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. It was very spicy, and there wasn't much else going on in terms of flavors or texture (that we could distinguish). Also, I just don't like silken tofu that much. The chicken was like popcorn chicken and had some interesting flavors that I could not place - it would have been even better with more of the flavored sauce that made the dish so interesting. I was sweating from very early on in the meal, and kept wondering "can you get used to heat like this?!?" I'm now about halfway through Fuchsia Dunlop's Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China (which is a great read so far), and I really wish I had another stab at that menu. It'll probably take another trip to a big city, because I'm not aware of any Sichuanese food around.

Avec - This was a place that came highly recommended from a well-connected foodie we recently chatted with at a wedding. It's definitely the hippest place we went to in Chicago, and has an interesting menu. They have a James Beard award winning chef, and several nominations also adorn the wall in the back of the space. All the reviews raved about the chorizo-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates, so those were an easy menu choice. We tried to order the sardines - I was excited because I can't recall ever having them and keep reading about them - but they were out. We also chose a rigatoni pasta and a focaccia bread with cheese and herbs. The dates were very good - sweet and spicy and smoky, with varied textures as well. Sarah hit it on the head when she said that our pasta was as summery as you can get for a hot pasta. It had mandolined pieces of garlic, was aromatic from fennel, crusty from breadcrumbs, sweet from the balsamic reduction, had big oyster mushrooms, and the marscapone added a nice creaminess. We could smell the cheese in the focaccia from 2 seats away. It was a unique blend of cheeses, and combined with the buttery bread (the closest texture I can think of is batura at an Indian place crossed with the browning flour tortilla of a quesadilla), the cross between mozzarella and the plasticyness of American (which Sarah and I both love, so that's a compliment) was quite tasty. Overall, Avec was not pretentious when it certainly could be. Our server (at the bar) was very nice. Oh, and we couldn't help ourselves - we got dessert too - a blueberry-passionfruit tart with lemon-verbana ice cream. It was a very herby ice cream, and they definitely don't skimp on the berries. We left at midnight on a Monday and there was a steady crowd up until we left.

Ann Sather's - This is a quick shout out to my Aunt Julie's downstairs neighbor, Clara, who runs the Ann Sather's on Belmont. She was generous enough to stop by with some of their famous cinnamon rolls, which we absolutely did not pick at and eat for 3 days until we had finished them off. She also brought by sangria and apple-cinnamon bread - an excellent neighbor!

Intelligentsia - Les from the Espresso Guild raved to us about Intelligentsia's coffee when we discussed direct trade, baristas, and more in a post earlier this year. Sarah had an ice coffee and I had an iced mocha. They were indeed very, very good. We also picked up a small bag of coffee to bring home.

George's Ice Cream - Interestingly, finding great ice cream in both Chicago and San Francisco seemed to be a challenge. There wasn't a clear favorite or special place that everyone and anyone would rave about (as it is here with Graeter's, and more recently Jeni's). The folks at Intelligentsia suggested George's so we gave it a shot. In sum, we thought the pint of mint chocolate chip we got was good, but not amazing. The notable fact was that they use a boatload of cream, and it tastes the part.

Tio Luis - I've been writing these roughly in the order of when we went to them on our trip. If I were writing in the order of the best food to the worst, Tio Luis would probably be at the very top. This was a solid experience from start to finish. Searching for the best taco, Tio Luis was named over and over again, and they have earned their reputation. Friendly service and warm chips with a good spicy salsa (everything seemed tame compared to the heat at Lao Sze Chuan) greeted us. We got straight to it and ordered - ceviche tostada, and al pastor and carne asada tacos. When it all came, I couldn't help but just try a bit of each piece of meat - it was super flavorful! Juicy limes and a couple of hot sauce options added to the flavors as well. The delicious ceviche led Sarah to say it "might be the best one I've had in the states, wow!" It had big hunks of fish - they were not skimping on tilapia - and fresh veggies too. The sweet taste in al pastor caught me off guard at first - it was chunks of pineapple (a bit too sweet for Sarah, but she added a little salt and it balanced it well) to go with carmelized onions. I asked after the meal and they told me that was normal for al pastor (typically on a spit like a gyros with a pineapple dripping down) - it's not something I've had here in Cincinnati, but I did then see that in other spots in both Chicago and California. The carne asada was top notch as well. And the focus was clearly on the meat, with not much cilantro and not much onion, and simple yellow corn tortillas. I was feeling so bad for the people at McDonald's across the street - this is way better for equally cheap. It was the best thing we'd eaten so far on the trip, and the bar has now been set for tacos. They were all very flavorful, moist, and I'm not sure how they could be improved. I'm not sure if there was anything better anywhere we went, and I don't think we spent more than $25. Don't miss this place if you go!

Art of Pizza - Several years back I got caught by the "best pizza in the city" on the awning at Art of Pizza. I know, I know, a lot of places make such a claim. Well, from what I can tell, AoP backs it up. The Tribune did an extensive story that they prominently place on their counter stating that this is the best stuff in town. We just had to stop by, even though it was only for a single slice each. Great cheese, and a flaky, buttery crust that is 1/2 way to quiche crust from pizza crust. If they had a nicer dining room, this is where we would have come earlier in the trip with our group. I haven't had better pie yet in Chicago, and since it is so good I'd have to hear a very strong case to make a change.

Hot Doug's - On our last visit, we went to Superdawg's, and drove by the line at Hot Doug's and decided against it because of the wait. This time, we arrived in line at 10:35 AM on a Tuesday, 5 minutes after they open. The line just kept getting longer, but after a 35 minute wait we were standing in front of Doug, placing our order. He was a super nice guy, making you feel like you had barely waited when you got to the head of the line. There were three of us, and we ordered a corn dog, a couple Chicago dogs, and I also had a ribeye steak dog. My Aunt Julie had had the corn dog before, and she said it was better this time than it was last. I liked the bun (Rosen's), which was not too thick, and kinda squishy in that way that you like processed white bread to be so you can turn the flour into sugar very quickly. For as popular as this place is, it is super cheap - 1.75 for "the dog," a classic Chicago dog with all the fixings. They give you tons of fresh cut fries, which were much better than Superdawg's. And of course, they have great dogs themselves - a nice snap, very meaty - mmmm. The Chicago dogs were well balanced, had lots of celery salt, and you could fit them in your mouth without dislocating your jaw, which was nice. My ribeye dog came with brie cheese and a garlic aioli and it was more expensive ($7 I think), but very satisfying. If you're wondering how they cut off the line, we asked. They serve everyone in line at 4pm. So, I imagine they're still taking orders until about 5pm most days. Is it worth it to wait that long for a hot dog? At least once, yes.

So, there are our food travels in Chicago! I should say that we (obviously) did not get in to Alinea. So, we're thinking of planning a special trip in the coming month. Now, for more pics if you're interested...

Existential Eating #20

2010-08-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Existential Eating #19

2010-08-02T10:06:00.000-04:00

Some Quick Travel Thoughts and Observations

2010-07-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Well, we're back from vacation! It feels great to be home!

Posts on the Chicago and SF food will be coming next week, but in the mean time I thought I'd share a short list of thoughts and observations we took while on the road that I thought you might like to file away for future travels, or just some perspective on being at home in Cincinnati. They're very simple, and maybe you'll disagree, but here they are:

1. Be sure to add parking, tolls, public transportation, and taxes to your budget. Probably the biggest expense we forgot to add to our budget was parking. We are so pampered by meters that get between 15 minutes and 2 hours per quarter a pop in Cincinnati, and never needing to spend more than $10 even for an event if you'll walk a bit. At $2 an hour at most meters, and plenty of spots (like Navy Pier in Chi) that have automatic $20 rates, you'd be smart to add in a daily parking cost and bring a few rolls of quarters too. If you want to take the Skyway into Chicago or are going across any bridges and back in SF, you'll need some extra dough there as well. Oh, and even if you rent a car like we did, you'll still want to ride the El in Chicago and BART or the trolley's or Muni in SF, so plan a few bucks for this as well. As for taxes - they're at 10.25% in Chicago and 9.5% in SF. And while it looks like those taxes are going to good use in such beautifully kept cities, it does start to add up notably.

2. Be prepared when you go to wine country. I know, I know, "be prepared" should be a given all by itself. But, somehow all of our preparation did not carry over into our journey into Sonoma and Napa. We had a few suggestions from folks, and mapped them on Google (which somehow missed our final destination of Ad Hoc and our journey home in this saved version), and that was it. The first one was closed, and when we got lost we were in a bit of trouble. We have become so heavily reliant on our smartphones, that when even Verizon didn't have service, we were in a bit of trouble without a good old fashioned map. Then, the first place we went gave us stingily small pours and had a person assigned to talk to us. So, we're standing inside on a beautiful day, being ushered in and out of a spot where 3 small tastes was $10 and we were gone in 20 minutes. From there we weren't too happy with the no-so-nice folks in Healdsburg, and when we arrived in Napa there were expensive tastings and, even worse, traffic. We did have a couple nice flights at a spot in Yountsville before our dinner, but simply put - we needed a plan. On future trips, we'll:

call ahead to check on hours, prices, whether or not they have outdoor seating, and if it is okay to eat a packed lunch or if they have food
be sure to also ask about varietals and pick in advance what we want to taste
not stand there and talk to the people who work at the vineyard/winery - go sit down, or ask for privacy
sit outside, even if they don't have formal seating (on days as gorgeous as the one we had, there's just no sense in being indoors)
ask for the flights all at once, so that we can compare one wine to the next

3. We are pampered with great food, and much of it at very good prices in Cincinnati. We'll be sharing some of our thoughts on the places we visited - many of which came with high acclaim - in the coming week, but in short, we've got a great restaurant town here in Cincinnati, and we should be happy and proud to be so lucky. There are, without a doubt, lots of things you simply cannot get here - especially when it comes to ethnic food - but by and large we are blessed to have amazing food that is extremely affordable! Many, many times we went to places that were supposed to be the best and came out feeling like we could do the same or better in Cincinnati. It's a classic small city inferiority complex, I think, to always think the grass is greener somewhere bigger, but we should stand tall!

4. I say go with the young hot chefs when you're in the big city. This is not yet a highly developed theory, but here it is in its current stage. We had less than stellar experiences at spots that were supposed to be can't miss (again, more coming soon). We trusted big names too much. Our server at one of the restaurants said that she thought a particular restaurant we asked about used to be amazing, but when they moved to a new location they got lazy because they knew, almost no matter what, they'd do brisk business every day. This is purely opinion, and I don't have nearly enough experiential knowledge to say this with any certainty, but until I have reason to think otherwise, I'm going to be seeking out the hot new folks who are clearly on the rise and aiming for the top. They won't be lazy, and you might be eating history in the making. If I had to do SF over again, in particular, I'd pay more attention to this article by a reviewer, Josh Sens, who seemed awfully tough based on the reviews of his I read while I was in town - I like tough.

A related thought - I wish we'd added together a few pretty expensive meals at prices where I didn't feel quite right asking for something else because either a) there was nothing else on the menu, it was fixed price, fixed menu, or b) it wasn't that it was that bad, it just wasn't that good. Had we gone to just one really, really expensive spot (we did not, sadly, get in to Alinea), where I would have had no hesitation whatsoever to ask for my money's worth, I bet we would have gotten more bang for our collective buck.

And there you have it - random thoughts they are. Hopefully you'll find them interesting. More coming soon!

Existential Eating #18

2010-07-25T12:46:00.001-04:00

Posting has definitely been slow during vacation... But that's how it should be! :) This is hot off the presses, and look for more from our travels in the coming week...

A Sampling of Chicago

2010-07-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

Some shots of our visit so far. Full posts on restaurants will come, at some point...

Existential Eating #17

2010-07-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

Foodie Vacation, Coming Up - Got Suggestions for Chicago and/or SF?!

2010-07-13T20:03:00.000-04:00

Sarah and I are going to Chicago and San Francisco in the coming weeks for what we hope will be an amazing foodie vacation! We've been gathering suggestions about places to go, and I thought I'd share what we've been told so far, and see if people had thoughts about our current list or wanted to add new ideas. Maybe you'll find this list useful on your own trip in the future. So here's what we've got, what do you think?

San Francisco/Bay Area - We planned to go a bit more all out in SF, since we're likely not to be back for quite some time. We have developed our own hierarchy based on what we've heard and researched on the places below, but would love your thoughts...

Chez Panisse - the one reservation we have, and probably the most expensive meal we'll eat - a pilgrimage of sorts you could say
Frances - new place, lots of acclaim
Boulettes Larder - gem everyone should visit, $15-20 brunch, but so worth it
18 Reasons - food-related space, look at their calendar, that corridor is cool (18th St. between Guerrero and Delores), they also host dinners/tastings
Tartine - generally regarded as best bakery in the city
Pizzeria Delfina - good pizza for cheap
Flower+Water - Italian place nominated for James Beard award
A16 - another "Italian"/California cuisine that is really good
Aziza - Moroccan place worth checking out, great chef, about to have a show on TBS
Dosa - Cali Indian place in the Mission, affordable
Zuni Cafe - get roasted chicken if you go, but lots of others do what they do pretty well, known for being solid and consistent for a long time (I asked about this one)
Tataki - sustainable sushi (there are lots of small sushi places around too)
Slanted Door - Vietnamese, Out the Door is downtown in mall food court, good for cheap
Namu - up and coming, 3 brothers, Korean influence, off the beaten path, not expensive, big flavors
Ferry Building Marketplace - farmer's market is big on Saturdays, on Thursdays they have food stands set up
see if Underground Market is happening while we're in town, very trendy, not sure if its worth the hype
ForageSF.com - Foraging is really hip right now - go to foragesf.wordpress.com and see if they're having a dinner while in town
street food - use Twitter for this, check out Outside In event, good to find a place where a lot of them are, Off the Grid: A Roaming Mobile Food Service
Tacubaya is THE taqueria to go to
Dynamo Donuts in Mission
Camino in Oakland is supposed to be have a great brunch
Bar Jules is supposed to have a great brunch too
4505 Meats - Ryan Farr, has stand at Ferry on Thursdays, most butcher events are one time
Avedano's in Bernal Heights - small butcher (Dave Budwith?)
Hapa Ramen - pop up restaurant, server in bars, follow on Twitter
look at Tablehopper (weekly listing)

Dona Tomas - or their taquieria, Tacubaya, which some say is better
Pizzaiolo - or a newer spot they opened, Boot & Shoe
Burma Superstar
Camino
Riva Cucina
Chop Bar
an article that talks about the East Bay/SF question
Asia de Cuba

Bi-rite Creamery - get salted caramel
Philz Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee - at Ferry Building, was said to be the best coffee in the world by a magazine recently
Ad Hoc - Thomas Keller's spot in Napa

Chicago - I should say from the top that I have been following a bunch of Chicago blogs, and one of the Time Out Chicago food folks was kind enough to send us this link to this package they put together, but in general we're going to play this more by ear (and spend less money). That said, we did specifically hear about:

Alinea - we have been on the waiting list forever. We're hopeful we get a spot this weekend. It is thought by many to be the best restaurant in the US right now.
Table Fifty-Two

Do you have a favorite place - from street food or dive to fancy pants or decadent?! Any and all thoughts are appreciated. We're very, very excited!

Oh, and yes, we plan to blog it to share in the joy. :)

My (One and Only?) Chance at Food Network Stardom

2010-07-12T09:46:00.001-04:00

A little over a month ago, I got an email about a casting call seeking a host for a new TV show about food. They asked for some simple info and a photo, so I emailed them back. That evening I got a call asking if I could make a 3-5 minute video in the next 3-5 days, introducing myself and some cheap, good food. It was supposed to be a real find, so my first of several disclaimers is that I played it up a bit for the cameras. This is based on a true story...

I know, the video is 8 minutes. Turns out, it is really, really hard to make a 5 minute video. We cut out the last 3 minutes unfortunately for the final version.

I could ramble for a bit with all the details, but I'm going to just share a few thoughts and then let it be.

I have a great job. I enjoy my work, and am passionate about it. So, its not at all like I was out looking. A unique opportunity came knocking and I answered the door. It was a lot of fun.
Thanks to the awesome team of folks who helped out with this! We had a brainstorming session to get the ideas flowing and start the planning process, and Ryan did the majority of the work - filming and then editing on a very tight timeline. Thanks everyone, especially you Ryan!!
Thanks to the folks at Melt, Picnic and Pantry, Dojo Gelato, and Blooms and Berries for letting us take some shots on your home turf - I really appreciate it!
I don't know if they contacted other folks in town, or how specific this outreach was (this was the only sign of this I found online - I got the same notice). There are certainly a number of local food bloggers with far more experience than I, so I didn't do this (nor do I share this) thinking I'm some kind of expert. They contacted me, I gave it a shot. That's about it.
There has been no word from the casting folks. I am putting this out there about a month after I sent the video, and since they told me that I wouldn't hear back unless they were interested, I take it they aren't interested. Who knows, maybe they aren't done with their process yet, and by posting this I'm killing my chances. Oh well, I've been wanting to share this for a while, so I'm spilling the beans.

I'm sure I'm forgetting other key details, so if you've got questions, throw them in the comments and I'd be happy to answer.

So there you have it! It's a little bit embarrassing to put myself out there like this, but it's more fun, so I'll get over it. Hopefully you'll enjoy...

Existential Eating #16

2010-07-10T10:58:00.000-04:00

Dinner Out @ Dancing Wasabi

2010-07-07T08:45:00.000-04:00

We've been to Ichiban a few times recently, and each time we have gone we've walked by an overflow of people next door at Dancing Wasabi. Because we've been so happy with Ichiban, we hesitated to go to Dancing Wasabi - why mess with a good thing? Now that we've gone to both, comparing the two is like apples and oranges. Ichiban is clearly our choice, but maybe you're a Dancing Wasabi person.

The Food: The big draw at Dancing Wasabi, like at Ichiban, is the half price sushi. We barely glanced at the non-sushi menu, so I can't say anything about it. For sushi they have a full 8.5x11" sheet with room for both the typical rolls and space to write in what you'd like from their lengthy list of specialty rolls on a separate menu. We chose a solid sampling of items (check the camera phone picture on the left). Here's what we thought:

Salmon nigiri - It's all about comparison with sushi - and since we've had a fair amount of it recently, I am confident in saying that this fish had a disappointingly bland taste. Its color was so pale, it could not have been wild caught. This had been my favorite sushi bite at a few places, but the nigiri here disappointed.
Tuna nigiri - Similar to the salmon, the tuna was just ok. Definitely not freshest. We went on a Thursday, could that have been our mistake (what's the day Anthony Bourdain said not to order fish?)?
Mackerel nigiri - I read recently that this is one of the best sustainable sushi options, so I wanted to give it a try. It was definitely the fishiest flavor of the nigiri, and it's got a much more notable texture than the smooth salmon or tuna bites I've been getting used to. I don't have much to compare this to, but it was about the same as above - definitely did not blow me away.
Smoked salmon nigiri - Sarah said it was good. Typical, but good. In my experience, it's pretty hard to screw up smoked salmon.
Spicy tuna roll - This is one of our go to rolls, which we try just about everywhere we go. Their version was fairly spicy, but had a mealy texture, almost like canned tuna - not so good.
Crunch roll - We found this roll to be average. It is made with spicy crab and cucumber-topped cooked shrimp with wasabi dressing and tempura flakes. I wrote down while we were there that there was "nothing bam about it." Also, I couldn't taste the crab.
Shrimp tempura roll - This is (and was) a pretty straightforward roll. They make theirs with shrimp and crab stick, and its solid.
Volcano roll - Unfortunately, I don't see this on the menu online (maybe it was the Fire Scallop Roll?), and I can't recall exactly what was on it. It comes in tin foil, and is essentially rolls smothered in a relatively spicy sauce, with slivers of scallop on top. There is definitely a crunch from the cucumber, and I don't remember any of the other ingredients standing out. But, this was surprisingly good - when they showed up with what appeared to be a tin foil reservoir filled with red hot cheese whiz, I wasn't so sure what to think.
Red double roll - This was another item that is not on the online menu (note to blogger self: always, always write down all the ingredients, even if they say the menu is online). It was by far the best looking roll on our plate, and was a bit sweet on the outside. This was another one of our tasty options, with a few different kinds of fish spread across the rolls.

I should say that across the board, these weren't very good looking rolls, which isn't surprising considering how many they must be churning out during the madness that is half price sushi at Dancing Wasabi. The quality wasn't that different from Soho Sushi, which is kind of sad to say, honestly. I'm generally all for supporting artisans, but if they aren't given the time and space to work effectively, their craft will inevitably suffer.

The rolls also weren't very fresh tasting and didn't have the snappy, crispness of the best rolls we've had recently.

The Ingredients: Regular readers (I know you're out there somewhere, Mom) may remember that we ordered a guide to sustainable sushi recently. We carted it along dutifully to this, our first trip with access to such great information. Only to find (surprise, surprise) that the server didn't know where anything came from, and neither did anyone else working at the time. So, using the book was officially a bust. But, they were kind enough to share that they order from Yamasho and True World Foods, and suggested I call and talk to Charlie, the owner, or come see him on a Sunday when they aren't so full and aren't doing 1/2 price sushi. This was a good learning experience - if we want to know where our sushi comes from in the future, we need to plan ahead and make some phone calls. I'm confident this would be the case for many to most places, not just Dancing Wasabi.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Again, the big draw here is 1/2 price sushi, which you can get every day except Sunday from 5pm-2am (which is better than at Ichiban, which only has 1/2 price on Wed-Thurs from 5pm-1am and Fri-Sat from 9pm-2am).

I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't what I walked into - it is, in fact, almost the exact opposite of Ichiban next door. It is a small, cramped space that was loud and packed - mostly with young and youngish patrons, making it feel an awful lot like a college bar. They have a couple of big screen TVs that made it hard for me to keep my eyes off of Sportscenter, and a weird hodge podge of modern art and sports photography/memorabilia on the walls that made me wonder who their interior decorator was.

We were seated quickly after a short wait, and the guy came out and found us, which was nice. Our server was no nonsense and nice enough too.

The Last Bite: I can't see any reason we'd go back to Dancing Wasabi, unfortunately. We never like to not like places, but this was a disappointment. Plus, with just a little bit of foresight and planning so that you hit the 1/2 price days and times, you can get better food and better atmosphere for the same price just next door. If we ever do go back, we'd likely order the Volcano and Red Double rolls again.

Lunch In @ Cafe de Paris

2010-07-06T09:30:00.001-04:00

The first time I went to Cafe de Paris - a small place on beautiful Garfield Place just a block away from the main branch of the Public Library - I thought it was very good. My second visit was not as impressive, but it's comfortable vibe and prime location makes it a lunch choice worth knowing about for downtowners.

The Food: It smells great when you walk into Cafe de Paris, and what I remember most from my first visit was the freshness of the food. I asked for whatever they thought was the best tasting thing on the menu, and they gave me a chicken salad sandwich with brie cheese, greens, green peppers, sprouts, and tomato on a fluffy baguette. It came with a simple, fresh Greek salad that had a light vinaigrette, crumbled feta, banana and green peppers, red onion, tomato, and olive. The baguette was light and crusty, and there was an earthy flavor from the brie. But, it quite simply was not as flavorful as I'd hoped. Less bread and more ingredients probably would have helped, and it definitely was not bad. I just had a memory in my head of all that freshness adding up to very flavorful food, and in this case it was not to be.

The Ingredients: Nothing on the menu about local or organic ingredients. It was a quick stop in for lunch - I'll have to ask more when I go back.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Cafe de Paris has a cute, comfortable inside seating area - a mix of colorful large canvas paintings and photography prints adorn the walls. There is bar seating as well, and patrons can also sit outside at a handful of tables on the sidewalk. Most diners appeared to be crossing the street to the large area in the middle of Garfield Place that has seating, landscaped gardens, and is a wifi spot.

The staff at Cafe de Paris is very nice - another of the breed of restaurants in the city which I so appreciate: where the people actually appear to enjoy working there. I've been reading Heat by Bill Buford, which is in part about his adventures at Mario Batali's Babbo. The machismo lore of restaurant kitchens simply does not appeal to me at all.

The Last Bite: I'll head back to Cafe de Paris for the atmosphere and the shady, quite location. But, I won't be returning often unless my next experience with the food improves. Especially with Jean-Robert's Table scheduled to open soon or later just around the corner, this could be a nice little hub for French-inspired choices in Cincinnati.

Late Night In @ Mayday

2010-07-05T09:30:00.001-04:00

We're not late owls in general, but last week we found ourselves disappointed by the fridge's options and went out into the world to seek happy bellies. We'd been to Mayday before, but it was just as they were getting started and we wanted to give it another shot. They've got some good stuff going on over there, and it's a unique choice at just about any hour. There's still room for improvement, but especially at 11pm on a Tuesday you'll be happy it exists.

The Food: At Mayday, it is all about the hot dogs. You can either build your own, or choose from their suggested combinations. I went with a "signature dog" and Sarah built her own. Sarah ordered horseradish, raw onion, and sweet green relish with pickle on the side on her dog, which comes on a house-made pretzel bun. The horseradish turns out to be horseradish mayo, and she thought it would be nice if that was clear and that they would have straight up horseradish. I ordered the Mayday Dog, which comes with carmelized onion, grilled peppers, spicy mustard, house ketchup, and house relish. The spicy mustard is quite sweet as well (it reminds me of Woeber's sweet & spicy), and I don't even really like green peppers, so it's my own fault for ordering them. In general, the toppings erred on the sweet side more than the spicy, and I would have been happy with louder flavors across the board.

We both agreed that overall both the hot dog and the bun taste good. The dog didn't have that casing snap that is familiar and, in our opinion, desired. With a bun that is fairly dense, and just a bit sweet, if you want toppings and bun and dog in a bite, it is bound to be a big one. It wasn't way off, but in our opinion, they could get a better balanced dog, that has a better bun/dog/topping ratio if they tweak it just a bit more.

It's notable that these dogs range from $4.50 to $6.50, so if you're one of the people who simply cannot believe the price of Senate's hot dogs, not to worry - Mayday dogs are more in the range you'd expect. They also come with a side of either Husman's potato chips (noted on the menu as locally made) or mixed greens with homemade basil vinaigrette dressing. The chips were, well, chips. And the salad was ok, and a nice option to make you feel better about eating a big hot dog, but it was overdressed (probably much earlier in the night), and I agree with Sarah's assessment to just ask for it on the side.

The Ingredients: The menu doesn't say much other than what to order, but we found all of the information about ingredient sources and origin to be great! Avril-Bleh & Sons Meat Market supplies the all beef hot dogs, and the Chef Aaron Cross makes the pretzel buns fresh daily. It'd be great if they'd share the sources of the other ingredients on the menu as well.

The Story, Setting, & Service: The first time we went to Mayday they had recently started doing hot dogs, and frankly (pun intended), it could have better. They forgot the hot dog in one of our hot dogs, and we weren't too excited about the combinations we got. But, it's only a couple minutes from our house, and they've got some cool ingredients, so we thought we'd give it a try again.

You pick up an order form at the bar, circle all the things you want, and then the bartender tallies up your bill. You walk the now-stamped order around the corner to the kitchen (it's sort of a Comet-esque process) and in a few minutes - hot dogs!

Mayday is in the space where Gypsy Hut used to be, and it is still pretty much the same overall. As an avid ping pong player, I love that they have a table upstairs, and the non-initiated can choose from a number of indoor and outdoor seating options. The space is very hipster/garage/warehouse feeling, and honestly, it looks somewhere between rough around the edges and a mess (we've never understood, for instance, why the trash pile on the side of the building can't be enclosed or in some way diminished - it's an eyesore for sure). But, on my last couple visits it has felt on the unpolished side, and the vibe is decidedly Northside hipster. The reviewer from Metromix may have said it best, saying "I'm probably not cool enough to come here on a regular basis."

There are a number of indications that these folks are skilled artists - from stenciled art to eye-catching flyers, which makes you feel like you're at a insider's hangout. Posters advertising Mayday's events focus on sexy ladies in almost every instance, but I think most people would be lying if they said they didn't want to take a second look. With bingo nights and drunk spelling bees, they've got some pretty cool ideas that would be worth checking out.

The most recent event info is loud and proud on the front of Sidewinder Coffee & Tea - the owner there is a part-owner at Mayday too. These are clearly folks that are connected in the community. When I asked about how the hot dog eating contest went at the May 1st Mayday party that was advertised behind the bar, they told me not enough people wanted to participate and instead gave the glut of dogs to CAIN.

It was great to be able to grab a late bite to eat, and with NorthSlice Pizza coming soon, there will be another option. Now, if someone can just open a thai/noodle place in the neighborhood that is solid, I'll be all set!

The Last Bite: We'll head back to Mayday, if for no other reason than to try to construct the perfect hot dog. With a number interesting ingredients to choose from, we're bound to get it right sometime soon. My next try: spicy mustard, banana peppers, carmelized onions, and beer cheese. Hey, why not?

Existential Eating #15

2010-07-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

What We Buy & Where We Buy It (Got Suggestions for Us?!)

2010-07-01T15:57:00.003-04:00

In a recent post, I wrote about our decision to buy local over organic when we have to choose. That reminded me that I'd been thinking about writing this post for quite a while.

As a result of helping run a local meat CSA, we get a fair amount of questions about where we buy different items and ingredients. Plus, Sarah is an awesome cook (and I dabble a bit myself), so keeping her with plenty of supplies is always the way to go. We have spent a fair amount of time looking for the best quality/taste, price, and source (ideally local and organic), so we enjoy sharing this information. This post is an attempt to share what we buy and where we buy it - it's split into 4 sections if you want to scroll down below: produce, meat, dairy, and other. If you have thoughts on ingredients or options we should consider, we'd love to hear from you in the comments or via email! I should say from the top that we do our best to buy local and organic products and recognize that this is not a choice available to everyone because of the cost involved. At the same time, we've been surprised how many items that we believe are more sustainable and responsible choices can be purchased at the same, or even less, cost with a bit of searching. So, here you have it...

Produce - Sarah is growing us an amazing garden for the 2nd year at our place in Northside, so we get a number of veggies straight from the ground. But, here's our order of preference from there:

Findlay Market - We usually have more time on the weekends, plus we can get far more than just produce, making it a great one stop shop. We usually make a list of what we need and then choose the spot that has the freshest, best looking options - almost always from the local area under the roof on the north side of the market. Over time you learn who specializes in what, and often get into a bit of a pattern. Findlay is also great for items that haven't quite hit yet in the garden, like tomatoes that were started in a green house or other choices that other simply got in the ground first. We've also gotten into the habit of going to Madison's Markets (since they stock Snowville's milk - see below) and often buy things there when we can't find a local option on produce. We do also go to the Northside Farmer's Market occasionally, although it seems that our weeknights are so frequently filled that we don't go there as much as you think we would.
Picnic and Pantry - This is a new addition to our shopping routine, as it just opened. With it being so close to our house, and stocking a lot of local products, we are really hoping to see it succeed. So, we've decided to spend a good chunk of our produce dollars at P&P. They're open later than the farmer's market, and every day, so they're more convenient too.
Trader Joe's - As we wade into the murky chain store waters, TJ's has definitely risen to the top of the list for us. It may be owned by Germans, but when local options don't exist, TJ's often comes through with a plethora of organic options at reasonable prices. We buy a lot of our fruit here when we can't get it anywhere locally (either because they're not in season - apples, or not available - oranges).
Kroger - We got hooked on the Hyde Park store back before we were consciously seeking local products first. It's a solid store, and the produce section has grown substantially. They also have some local options now too. We often end up with a small list of items we can't find for some reason or another and then buy a thing or two at Kroger while we're there. Organic cilantro is also an ingredient that Kroger always seems to have and we often buy when we don't have a local choice.
Jungle Jim's - Every once and a while we'll need some "exotic" produce that nobody else has, in which case we'll usually end up taking a trip to Jungle Jim's. It's more of a destination than a regular stopping place, but boy is it a good destination.

This is all, of course, based on a summer routine. Once winter hits, we get more produce from the retailers who ship in from afar, and less locally. By freezing (we didn't particularly care for canning), we'll make some things last until next year. We didn't do it last year, but we're thinking that at the end of the growing season when there are farmers with loads of one thing, we'll buy a whole lot for cheap and then preserve.

Meat - We get a large portion of our meat from the Eaton Farm because of the aforementioned local meat CSA called the Good Eaton Club. But here it is, one by one, our meat sources:

Beef - We get most all of our cuts of beef from the Eaton's, but in the event that we want something else, we have frequented Busch's Country Corner at Findlay Market - especially for New York strip steaks. They've often got Ohio-raised beef, and since we're at Findlay a lot, we've found it is a fine place to stop.
Chicken - The Eaton's are our main source, but the one thing we like to get independently that they don't do is chicken wings. The last several times we've gotten our wings, they were Amish-grown chickens from Luken's Fish, Poultry, and Seafood. I seem to remember them telling me the Amish farm is in Ohio, but I could be wrong. If we're in a pinch for a whole bird, or for cut up breasts, Busch's Country Corner also has Amish birds, and they are kind enough to de-bone the breasts (which is pretty cool to watch as well).
Pork - Again, most of our pork comes from the Eaton's, but the one other item that we buy frequently is bacon. Kroeger and Sons Meats at Findlay Market has become our go to option for their nitrate-free thin-sliced bacon from pigs in Indiana. We've also certainly had Kroeger's sausages plenty of times (but we'd love other suggestions for places to get good sausages around town too!).
Lamb - We don't eat a lot of lamb, and our freezer was stocked for quite a while after we got half of one (or was it half of a half?) from Doug Weber at Mud Foot Farm in Amelia, a connection through friends here in town. I am a bit sheepish to admit, but I am still coming around to the taste of lamb - it is just a bit gamey for me. I have found the New Zealand lamb from Kroeger & Sons Meats to be more mild, so when we make our favorite kabob recipe, we often opt for a pound of the ground lamb from here.
Seafood/Fish - Because of all the meat we get through the CSA, it doesn't seem like we go for seafood or fish too often these days. Trader Joe's has a number of good frozen fish options that have been a consistent choice, and we've bought our lobster from Luken's at Findlay. I feel pretty ignorant still in this area, so want to do more research to find out about what the best choices are for a land-locked Ohioan when it comes to seafood and fish. I bought a book called Sustainable Sushi recently, and printed out a pocket guide with a similar purpose, to start paying closer attention while eating out, but I'd also like to figure out how to shop for shrimp (which we've mainly bought at Kroger, honestly), and salmon (it's my understanding that wild Alaskan is best, and farmed is to be avoided at all costs) - our most frequently purchased items in this category. Also, as we get more into sushi, I'd like to find out where the best spot is for sushi grade fish for home cooking.
Other - I recently found veal bones from Eckerlin Meats, we've gotten duck from Heist Fish and Poultry (although the next time we buy a duck, we'll find a local source - anybody know a good one?), and that's about all the meats I can think of that we've purchased any time recently (no rabbit, although I want to soon, etc.). The last thing I'll add here is that we'd love to find locally raised and processed lunch meat. We've heard you can get ham at the Northside Farmer's Market, but we don't really eat sliced ham. I'd love to find sliced turkey, corned beef, and salami in particular. I know, I know - I can just make my own. But if we all follow that logic to its conclusion, we'd all be farmers!

All of that said, we are still looking for a favorite butcher! Any suggestions would be greatly, greatly appreciated. There are so many cookbook recipes, especially old editions or ones written by foreigners, where they tell you to "ask your butcher" or "have your butcher" do this or that. We've tried a whole lot of places and have found that consistently either the people working at the meat counter aren't that knowledgeable, or more often, they aren't very nice about answering questions or helping out. We'd love to find a person who we could trust to be honest about the source of their meat, and also who can tell us about different cuts, their uses, and then be willing to do any of the work that they are more equipped to do before we take our order home. All of this also goes for a good fishmonger too - we don't buy fish as much as I think we'd like to, in large part because we haven't found the right place.

Dairy - Here's what we get and where we get it:

Milk - We have been buying Snowville Creamery for a while now (which is also the milk used in the now famous Jeni's Ice Creams), and we almost always buy it from Madison's Markets. In a pinch, we do stop through the Whole Foods in Hyde Park too. Recently, Madison's also started carrying Traders Point Creamery milk, which raised some questions for us that are still unanswered. See that story just below in yogurt. Finally, our trip to a farm recently got us thinking about true school, old school milk - straight from a cow. Imagine that!
Cheese - I've been looking for a while for a good "every day cheese" that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Before the local/organic switch, we'd get the bags of shredded cheddar cheese from Kroger that are dirt cheap. We like a $15-20/lb. cheese for a special occasion every now and then, but when it comes to throwing something on a burrito or sandwich, it's nice to have something less expensive. We've generally settled on Gibb's Cheese and Sausage at Findlay Market - they have an Amish mild cheddar that isn't my favorite, but they'll shred it when you order more than a pound and it's definitely affordable. Avril-Bleh & Sons Meat Market on Court Street downtown is another option that has some Amish choices, but its not as convenient as Gibb's. Both places have been inconsistent with their answers about where things come from and whats in them though, so if you have a line on some affordable cheddar/jack/straightforward cheese that tastes pretty good, please do share.
Yogurt - This is a staple for us, and we most commonly get ours from Trader Joe's (I like vanilla low fat, Sarah gets plain). It's organic and at under $3 has been hard to beat. Then we met Craig Sanders from Traders Point Creamery - he was handing out samples of grass-fed, organic yogurt from their dairy in Indiana. It was very good, but also very expensive. We emailed back and forth a couple times (and I think another post with more depth is still needed), and he was generous enough to share this piece from Chicago blogger Grant Kessler at myfoodshed.com. The writer explores the cost of a few different kinds of milk, all of which are somewhere along the spectrum of being sustainable/organic. Traders Point is the most expensive option, but it raises a great question about what you are willing to spend for something. It's pretty well documented how little we pay for food compared to our parent and grandparents, so a big part of the process of being conscious about what you are buying and eating is recognizing that we are not paying the true cost of cheap food. But since I'm not advocating getting ripped off on the other end either, Sarah and I have had an ongoing conversation about how much is too much, and where are we willing to spend more. When it comes to yogurt, we went back to TJ's for the time being, but that may change. After a recent conversation in the comment section about the cost of Jeni's ice cream, I bit the bullet and bought (what may have been my favorite ice cream ever - Mackenzie Creamery Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries) a pint recently. It is funny how we're willing to pay more for some things and recognize the differentiation from one to the next (not just with food, of course, but lots of products), but not with others.
Eggs - Our eggs come from the Eaton's, but if we run out we'll stop at a farmers' market, Picnic and Pantry, or in an act of desperation, Kroger or Whole Foods.
Other - We'd love to find a good source for local butter! We churned some recently and it was the best butter I've ever had. I'd love to replicate that consistently at our house.

Other - There are a bunch of other items that we buy regularly or semi-regularly (if that's a time period). Here are some of those others:

Herbs - many come from Sarah's garden, but when that's not possible, we always go to the great folks at Herbs & Spice & Everything Nice. They have a host of conventional and organic options and you can get as much or as little as you like.
Baking Ingredients and General Foodstuffs - We have a stock of flour left from Tim King in my hometown of Bluffton, Ohio. And when that's gone, I know we have a line on some options from Carriage House Farms. Because that takes a bit of work though, we have leaned on Hyde Park Kroger's organic section, and this has been something that has also taken us to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Whole Foods is sort of our last resort, and is where we have found things like organic pickles, condiments, broths and various pantry items that we haven't found in other spots. Oh, and we've been getting our extra firm organic tofu from TJ's (we've found that if you freeze it and then thaw it, it becomes more porous and then crisps up more easily and sucks in flavors as well).
Ethnic foods - I could go on and on about this section, but I'll keep it short. Here are our commonly visited stores and what we get there (in no particular order):

Saigon Market at Findlay Market - Because we're at Findlay so frequently, this is a go to spot for a number of staples - sesame and peanut oil, sriracha, bean sprouts, etc. It's sort of a catch all, but is best for Chinese food ingredients. We pick up most of our noodles for Thai and Vietnamese food here too.
CAM - We've been going here now for some of those items I just mentioned from Saigon. It's so large that you can get items here for a wide variety of Asian cuisines. They've got loads of choices for things that there are only one of at other places - dumplings or steamed buns or rice for instance.
Jungle Jim's - I mentioned their produce above, but one of the coolest parts of JJ's is that they have rows and rows of ethnic food options. Chances are, if there is an ingredient you simply can't find anywhere else, you should check at JJ's. We go out every few months with a list we've been keeping and knock it out.
Dean's Mediterranean Imports at Findlay Market- This is where we come for falafel, a variety of different cous cous options, Greek yogurt, more olive (and other) oil options, and more. It's also where we duck in to grab a samosa or empanada when we're hungry pre/during shopping.
Ottugi Foodmart - Just outside of Findlay, on the corner of Central Parkway and Findlay, is this Korean Market. It's where we've bought our soba and udon noodles and a handful of spices and sauces we couldn't find otherwise. We don't come here as often, but it's worth having on the radar.
Francis International Market - I've only been here once, as it was just introduced to me as "the Filipino store in Northside" - to which I responded "we have a Filipino store in Northside?!" The signage is darn near non-existent, and I have no idea if it is actually a Filipino-owned/themed store, but it certainly does exist. Plus, they said they're open until 9pm during the week, so we may never have to be more than 2 minutes away from an emergency jicama or other random ingredient to finish off one of the recipes we're trying out.

A large number of these choices are based on the fact that we've found what we think is the best price/quality ratio. We also factor in the ease of not just access, but consistent access (i.e. if we lived by Jungle Jim's, I'm sure we'd do more shopping there), and sometimes even order online when we've been told to be excited about a product and we trust the source.

If you'd like to do some of your own research, we'd highly recommend the CinciLocavore list on Yahoo, which has an awesome database that you can access after you become a member of the group. For the DIYer, this is a great place to find out about different local producers and what they offer. The challenge then becomes contacting people or finding retail outlets, then deciding based on quality and other factors (like how easy the product was to get). Realistically, this can be a tedious process, and is something that most people won't do. We've also experienced the sad but true reality of some producers not being honest all the time, or simply being difficult to deal with (as with many vendors, like the butchers I noted above).

So, is there a spot we just have to know about? An ingredient you've been searching for and cannot find? A person or place that makes doing your shopping that much more enjoyable that you'd like to share? Share or ask - we love these sorts of things!

Why Buy Local Over Organic

2010-06-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

A couple of years ago, when we started making the switch to buying almost exclusively local and/or organic products, we asked the question - local or organic, which is better? Invariably, the answer we've gotten and found has been "it depends."

Of course it depends, and it'd be great to buy all local, organic items, but if you have to choose I recommend local over organic. The reality is that most of us consumers aren't going to have the time to look into every item we purchase every time, or spend substantially greater time and energy to find the perfect product, so it is helpful to have some black and white answers to questions that do not have a middle ground (as in, do I buy the local pickles that aren't organic or the organic pickles that aren't local). I've decided (until I'm persuaded otherwise) that local should be the top priority for the following reasons:

A lot of local producers don't have organic certification, but their practices are just as good as (and in many cases better than) certified organic products.
Especially with the organic items you get from chain stores (though not exclusively, by any means), the mass production of those items is done by raising/growing the product as part of a monoculture that can do great damage to the soils and spread disease.
If your organic items travel substantially to get to you, they are very often produced with such a large carbon footprint that it's arguable whether the benefit of the organic process is outweighed by the detriment of the journey.
I'm actually working on a longer post about this, but by buying local you are supporting our local economy (and God knows we need it).

There is a lot more that could be said about this topic, but my sense is that for a lot of people, having a quick, easy answer to a frequently asked question may be helpful. We certainly do our best to learn more about our food than what is on the label - by talking to the vendor, the producer, visiting the source, and more - and we'd encourage you to do the same. That is the only way to truly know that you are making the right choice.

Scoop: NorthSlice Pizza - A New Restaurant Coming Soon to Northside

2010-06-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

Finally, pizza by the slice, not just at late, late night (but that too) in my neighborhood in Cincinnati! And they plan to open in time for Northside's famous 4th of July parade (actually on the 3rd this year).

Turns out that Northside Community Council meetings (3rd Mondays at 7pm) are a great way to get the scoop on what's happening in the neighborhood - imagine that! Last time, we brought you news on The Painted Fish opening in the old Gajah Wong space on Spring Grove, and now we've got the dish on NorthSlice Pizza going in the old Portofino location near the corner of Chase and Hamilton.

NorthSlice will be open all week for lunch (starting around 11am), dinner, and beyond - every night when the dining room closes there'll be a window for late night ordering. Did I mention they'd have pizza by the slice all day and night?! Ever since living in New York City way back when, I've been wishing that a respectable NY style pizza by the slice place would be somewhere near me in Cincinnati. I am very hopeful this'll be just that place. They'll be keeping it pretty simple to start, and will be doing mostly Italian - pizza (whose crust will not be super thin, but definitely not thick either), calzones, subs, soups, salads, gelato/sorbetto, and canoli. A deli case will be stocked with things like olive salad, prepared cold pasta salad, cheeses by the pound, things like that. There will be bottled beverages along with fountain Coke, and while they won't have a liquor license, you're welcome to BYOB. They're open to ideas, and do plan to deliver someday.

Mike Aug is a 10 year Northside resident and has a great combination of clearly caring about the neighborhood as well as a background that includes a number of food-related connections. The inspiration for NorthSlice came from No Anchovies - a sliced pizza hangout in the 90's where Sitwell's is now on Ludlow. He'd like to have his spot be a similar hangout, and even has a couple items they used to have in the shop now. Mike told me about how No Anchovies was the first place hip hop shows were in town, before things to moved to Top Cats eventually - sounds like a happenin' place to be!

Mike has worked at the Northside Tavern since it opened, helped open Madison's Markets, put the kitchen in the Gypsy Hut (that's where NorthSlice started, then they were doing it out of the Hideaway), and has always felt a part of the community. He went to high school with Darren from Shake It Records and has known Dave from the Comet for years - he's wanted to be a business owner and add to the community himself. Outside of Northside, Mike's also started a deli in Athens in 1990, opened two different Party Source stores, opened the Wild Oats cheese counter, and worked for various distributors, including selling European imported goods to Jungle Jim's. He definitely wants to work with other businesses and be a part of the neighborhood, and even plans pizzas with names to reflect the local flavor.

As you can tell from above, Mike knows good ingredients. They'll be some specialty items - sundried tomatoes, feta, etc. - that you can't get at NYPD (the other pizza place just off Hamilton, which is pretty standard), as well as using fresh herbs (and growing their own soon). He also says they don't cook the sauce, will be roasting the mushrooms before they go on the pie, and they'll be using local and seasonal as much as they can. Mike said "everybody says better ingredients make a better pizza, but they don't always do it" - he's clearly planning on living up to that statement. NorthSlice will also be vegan friendly, and they'll be trying to pay attention to different dietary needs.

It's all coming together quite quickly, and they've already been taking some pizza over to Northside Tavern in the evening. The whole operation is a local one - the work being done is by neighborhood guys, a lot of people are biking to work - sounds like a nice community-based setup.

I'm really excited to have this place around the corner from our house - good luck to Mike and everyone working around the clock to get up and running by the parade!

Existential Eating #14

2010-06-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

Lunch Out @ Soho Sushi

2010-06-24T10:08:00.000-04:00

Soho Sushi is not your typical sushi place, and they're not trying to be. They opened recently in the Tower Place Mall (with a storefront on 4th Street), and although we were a bit skeptical about the concept - they use a few machines to automate the process, and are arguably more like a Chipotle than what you probably know as a sushi restaurant - it was actually pretty darn good. We'll have to try the chicken or steak on a roll on a future visit, but some more familiar options were quite tasty.

The Food: We've done a handful of sushi reviews in the past month or so, and I've found the bullet formatting you'll find below to be the best way to talk about each item in an easy to read format:

Soho California roll - The use plenty of crab, and in general they don't seem to skimp on the ingredients at Soho. There are some places lately where I've had a hard time tasting the fish or crab, so its nice to have it loud and clear here. Not too much rice, which again is appreciated. If anything we've been overwhelmed by it recently. It does stand out that these are not particularly good looking rolls - the ends are messy and even the best pieces aren't particularly tight and compact. But, that's not why you should go to Soho Sushi. This roll had avocado, cucumber and sesame seeds in it and was topped with wasabi mayo and yakisoba sauce, and was truly full of flavor.
Spicy salmon roll - Sarah particularly liked the cream cheese, but there was too much scallion in a couple of my bites (I suggested they cut it more finely to ease the texture). This was another across the board comment - bite to bite things can vary quite a bit, as the construction of the rolls happens so fast. You know when you're at Chipotle (or any build your own place) and they put most of one ingredient on one side and you're in a long line so you're trying to decide whether to say anything - that will happen to you here. But, you'll get over it because they used lots of salmon and carrots (yes, carrots) and topped the roll with spicy mayo and a sesame seed mix (black and white) that was delicious.
Tempura shrimp roll - Not much to say here except the roll had avocado and asparagus in it - I've never seen the latter before in a roll. This was one of those times that I thought maybe I would try a steak roll sometime soon - its not the norm, but it's not bad either.
Spicy tuna roll - Like with the salmon, lots of thick cut scallion in some bites. Again with plenty of tuna to match the avocado, cucumber, and a spicy mayo topping. Not my favorite spicy tuna roll ever, but satisfying nonetheless.

The Ingredients: With only 2 raw items on the menu (the back of their shirts read "not just raw fish" and "that's how we roll") - tuna and salmon - that is what stands out as far as ingredients go. They're talking about doing seasonal ingredients, and would like to buy local (I'm starting to hear this from most everyone at every restaurant I go to - which is a good thing! But, I'm certainly planning to follow up and see what follow through is like as well). After some feedback they got different nori, are changing their process for rice (see below), and definitely seem open to ideas. You may also be interested to know that they can indeed do inside out rolls, and you are encouraged to make whatever roll you'd like out of the ingredients. We saw one guy make what was dubbed on the spot "The John Roll" - if I remember correctly it had steak, tempura chicken, and salmon (maybe there were vegetables too, but I was too amazed at the meat additions to pay attention after that).

The Story, Setting, & Service: A friend of ours went to school with one of the owners of Soho Sushi, so we had it on our radar for a while. We also told them about our connection after we got our food, so a couple of the co-owners did come by and chat with us. They've been fairly active on Twitter and Facebook as well, so tracking their progress from before opening has been easy for anyone.

The most notable thing about what they're doing is their technology, which their staff uses efficiently to make the speed of ordering quite impressive. Once you tell them what you'd like, you'll have your food in hand almost as soon as you pay. It made me wonder how fast other sushi places downtown go at lunch time - anybody ever tried to get in and out of Mr. Sushi in a hurry? They have a machine that puts the rice on the nori, a machine to cut the sushi, and even just invested in a rice tumbler after hearing concerns about the heat of the rice from some customers and a Metromix review (see the slideshow below for photos of the machinery).

Their space is open and clean - it's where that tea place used to be (I never did go in there) in the mall. They've got crisp images of Shun knives on the walls - this was pretty cool for us because our main chef's knife is a Shun - and a fountain adds to the Asian feel of tranquility. The menu board is big and bold when you walk in, and they have clear glass that separates you from the handiwork that goes into creating your rolls.

At $26 for 4 rolls, it's not exactly cheap. But, they are quite generous with their portions of meat and other fillings, so you'll get more bang for your buck than at other sushi places. They told us they know that its hard to get full on sushi, so they wanted to try to have larger helpings.

And the owners, both from Dayton, clearly have their eye on something bigger than just downtown Cincinnati. They're thinking about expanding to other parts of the city, and there was definitely a glimmer in their eye when they mentioned growth.

Lastly, if you're not walking from downtown, street parking can be hard to find, so aim for the $1 city parking lot at 5th and Race, or park under Fountain Square.

The Last Bite: Soho Sushi is clearly worth a trip, and if you're a downtowner looking for quick lunch options, your choices just expanded in a cool new direction. If you're a sushi traditionalist, Soho is probably going to drive you a bit batty - the rolls aren't perfectly crafted, and there are no sushi chefs in the first place. But, if you can get past that and just focus on what's in your mouth, I think you'll have to admit its good. Who knows whether they'll be able to sustain and expand, but from an outsider's perspective it does look like they're on to something. Sarah and I will be back, and we're likely to jump on the Soho California roll again because they give you plenty of delicious crab meat.

Lunch Out @ Balboa's

2010-06-23T10:06:00.000-04:00

Sarah first came to Balboa's in O'Bryonville after being lured in by the 1/2 price lunch sign that is hanging across the front railing. The pizza was good enough to warrant a visit by the two of us one day on the way home from Rookwood, and when we met for lunch last week and were looking for a cheap option, Balboa's was the pick. It's definitely not perfect, but for an affordable lunch option, it's hard to beat.

The Food: There is no lunch menu at Balboa's, but with half off of everything except the seafood, the prices are better than typical lunch specials anyway. I actually read bad reviews after our visit, making me even more glad we stuck with what we knew to be good - the pizza. We ordered a large with 1/2 green olives and pepperoni, and 1/2 margherita - basil and tomato. At 18", the pizza seems even bigger than the slight variation from a typical Dewey's (17") or ZZ's (16"). It's the closest thing I can think of to a New York style slice available in Cincinnati, even though it wasn't quite crispy enough to fold (next time we'll ask them to leave it in a bit longer). Balboa's pizza has a very thin crust, that expands out to a bubbly edge, and the sauce is a bit sweeter than the norm. Both halves of the pie tasted good, and we had enough leftovers for an additional meal.

Another reason we ate Balboa's twice - we also ordered a large grilled caesar salad, which was a meal in and of itself. Two full heads of romaine lettuce, lightly grilled, came with caesar dressing, parmesan, and croutons on top. They bring you a knife to cut up the lettuce yourself, which can be a bit of a chore, but no big deal. The dressing was creamy but not thick, and while there was a bit too much for my taste, I think it was mostly a function of us not tossing the salad after cutting it up. Bite-size croutons were classic and crunchy, and the grill does add a bit of flavor.

The Ingredients: Nothing noted about local or organic ingredients. For easy things like the basil on the pizza, it would be great if this was something Balboa's would consider.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Again, the real draw here is 1/2 off at lunch on Monday through Thursday. But, in addition, they're currently advertising the World Cup games they're showing all summer on 4 TV's at 2 bars. They've also got lots of space and natural light in the building, with vaulted ceilings and exposed ductwork. There's also 2 pool tables and another TV upstairs, as well as more seating. It's a good, clean option for pool, and the service was attentive (there weren't too many people when we went on a Thursday at noon).

The Last Bite: The pizza at Balboa's is the reason to stop in - Sarah and I agree. They don't do it by the slice like in NYC, but you won't be disappointed by a whole pie. For the price at lunch, this is a great place to know about. If you split up what we ordered on this trip, you could probably happily feed 4 people for $20 - that's not something you can say very often.

Dinner Out @ Orchids at Palm Court

2010-06-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

Orchids at Palm Court probably does not need an introduction for many Amateur Foodies readers. Named Cincinnati's #1 Restaurant by Cincinnati Magazine the past 2 years, Chef Todd Kelly (interviewed here by Epi-ventures) has led Orchid's to a clear spot as the restaurant to beat in the Queen City. And if our visit was any indication, stealing their perch is not going to be easy for anyone in town.

The Food: There were a number of things on the menu (which changes frequently) we'd never heard of, and as much as we pay attention to food and eat out, that is always impressive. We spent a while deciding on what to order, and then dove right in.

We ordered four first courses because this portion of the menu really jumped out to us as the most interesting. The Maine Lobster Salad, Braised Pork Belly, Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, and Marinated Yellowtail Tuna. But before any of our orders came, an amuse-bouche! The salmon tartare - with crispy potato crouton on the bottom, as well as micro greens, ginger, cucumber water, lime oil, and salmon roe - was a great way to get us started. As we discussed the menu with the server, we knew Copper River salmon had just arrived, and it was clear the kitchen was ready to play.

The tuna and foie gras came first. With a nice buttery edge to the fish and sweet potato shavings on top, we had the first of what would be several opportunities to taste truly exquisite flavor combinations. Small pieces of soy sauce-flavored jelly worked well with the smoky Worcestershire aioli, brussel sprouts, and bacon. While they did know it was Sarah's birthday, we also may have gotten some blogger love as a syrupy sweet wine came along with foie gras, which was like a continuation of the foie's flavor. Foie gras was sitting on top of a sour cream pancake and was covered in a rich sauce of pear mostarda, and small pieces of cocoa nib and dried corn primarily added texture to the dish. We found the foie gras to be good, but not great - not as seared as one would like in a perfect world. This was the "least awesome" of the four first courses.

Next up were the lobster salad - which I didn't realize until I'd had a bite was a play on traditional egg salad - and pork belly. The lobster was topped with a creme fraiche and caviar cream, an organic egg, and parsley, and also had thin strips of brick paper (like phyllo dough) for added texture. Every bite was moist and cool, and the white wine they paired it with was perfect (I feel like we should mention this was when we started to wonder if they knew we were bloggers - wine pairings were brought without asking, which the server explained at the end of the night as being because of Sarah's birthday. More likely it's because a friend of ours that used to work there called to let them know we were coming - we didn't know this until after the evening). The pork belly had caraway micro greens, more of the soy sauce jelly pieces, cider and miso. When you got a bit of everything at once it was crunchy, oozy, salty, sweet, and chewy at the same time. It was as we were savoring these dishes that we felt like we could taste the season changing from spring to summer in every bite. It also seemed clear to us that this was, indeed, the best restaurant in Cincinnati.

For entrees, we had seared scallops and a prime ribeye from Niman Ranch (also a supplier for Chipotle). The scallops came with a curry oil that was great, and had unagi (barbecue eel) on its side to go with carrots, microgreens, almonds, and a quail egg and orange on top, all on a bed of potato puree. They brought us a white Bordeaux that was like a Sauvignon Blanc - it was fresh and tingly with a nice balance, and went very well with the sweet scallop. I liked the scallops, but wasn't sure about the fishy flavor the unagi brought - however when I added very small bits of unagi it added to the other sweet things that were happening and wasn't so bad. It was another excellent dish in terms of varied textures, the crunchiness from the almonds was a nice touch. Our steak turned out to be what we thought of as the only normal thing we'd had during the whole meal, and as a result it was the only thing we weren't excited about. Red wine was matched well, but the hedgehog mushrooms and black truffle gnocchi simply did not wow. They'd set an awful high bar at this point. The steak also comes with a lobster mac and cheese that was aromatic for what it was, but was nothing to write home about either. This dish was most happily consumed as leftovers in a never-to-be-matched steak omlette the next morning.

We'd been told we must save room for dessert, so we did box up our steak and move on to the sweet options. There were some amazing desserts to choose from, but we chose the one they suggested "if you're a chocoholic." A macaroon-esque almond cookie was my favorite part of the very rich dessert. Sarah enjoyed the fluffy mouse that was adorned with a homemade Crunch bar, whipped cream, and a raspberry sauce.

Along with our check, the server brought a treat from the pastry chef before we left - trio of candies - a jelly, a macaroon, and a chocolate with peanut butter inside that was topped with gold dust.

The Ingredients: There were a number of sources noted on the menu, but it was hard to get a sense of how many were local. I hadn't heard of many of the producers, and some Googling based on the menu that's online currently (which is exactly or very close to the same) didn't get me much more information. Orchids also notes organic ingredients in a few places, and in general, it is clear they are paying close attention to top notch ingredients.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Our server was a smiler, and he really helped break down our biggest concern - that Orchids would be stuffy and overly pretentious. To be realistic, sitting in a dining room like they have at the Hilton Netherland Plaza, you'll never feel at home (unless you are very, very wealthy) - it's just a matter of whether it feels good to try on such opulence for a night, or if it makes you uncomfortable.

We've gone to the hotel bar a couple times before, and when we've peaked into Orchids its been darn near empty. When we sat down, there were a handful of other diner's present, and since it was just a bit before a Reds game, the full bar made it feel lively. By the time we were done eating, there were only three others at the restaurant, but by that time we were so smitten by the food that the atmosphere was an afterthought.

A beautiful orchid-strewn centerpiece, a cushy circular booth, live piano playing in the back, staff that regularly use their Table Crumbers - it is the ceaseless attention to detail that takes this from more than an amazing meal and up to an overall special experience. Sarah went to the bathroom, they came by and took her barely used, but no longer perfectly folded napkin, and replaced it before she came back. They were patient with us as we ate slowly and savored every bite, delivering dishes at just the right time, every time. And speaking of delivering dishes - the entrees come underneath dome covers on platters, and the staff take the domes off at exactly the same time. I saw them do it at other tables, so knew it was coming, and was still impressed.

The Last Bite (hereby beginning what will become an Amateur Foodies outro tradition - Sarah and I both always leave the best bite on our plates for last, so this will be the last word on the food, including our favorite last bites): Orchid's is a place that you simply have to go if you love food and want to sample the best. We took the opportunity of Sarah's last day of school/birthday as our special occasion to warrant a trip. It's actually not that much more expensive than most of the other "nice" restaurants in town, and you can even skip the entrees and just do first and second courses to make it more affordable. The combination of a truly decadent room, top notch service, and amazing food make this a place you can't make any more excuses not to visit. I may never forget the Maine Lobster Salad, and Sarah couldn't stop talking about both the tuna and the pork belly.

Existential Eating #13 Revisited

2010-06-21T09:54:00.000-04:00

Last week, we had a contest of sorts to give a caption to the comic below. Well, congratulations to holly may! She'll be receiving some olives shortly. Here's the new version of the comic...

Tasty Links #13

2010-06-18T13:27:00.000-04:00

1) So I can't eat all the salt I want?! Funny, it was an Alton Brown cookbook that made me think it was ok.
2) How to properly heat your pan. The link at the beginning to a piece by Harold McGee in the NY Times is worth a read as well.
3) I'm still not sure where to get the chicken wings in Cincinnati, but these look pretty good for another home recipe.

And your video...

Lunch In @ Island Frydays

2010-06-17T14:13:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a change up - a new food option with big flavors has been open on Short Vine in Clifton for about a year now - it's a Jamaican spot called Island Frydays and it does not disappoint. I had spotted it a while back, but just got to lunch there earlier this week. Here's a quick post about the food, which I definitely recommend.

The Food: Lately, I rarely choose what I'm going to order. Instead, I ask the server/proprietor to give me the best thing on the menu. Sometimes I'll add that I want the thing with the most flavor. Sometimes I get a rambling answer, but usually I know I'm on to something when there is a quick, unequivocal response like, in this case, "the jerk chicken." I often push a little after that - "you're sure?" When they stick to their guns, you can usually tell you're about to eat something good. They do ask if you want dark or white meat, to which I replied - whatever has the most flavor. I started out as a white meat eater, but slowly but surely I've learned that there is no comparison - dark meat is clearly the winner, and they did not lead me astray.

There is a large for $10, but for $8 the small plate is plenty for one person. Rice and beans, steamed veggies, plantains, and chicken all come stuffed in a styrofoam container for take out. Let me start by simply saying this is some of the best chicken I've had period, in quite a while. And it was the best jerk chicken I've eaten in years. I've had jerk chicken that's been too dry, but this was moist and very flavorful - spicy from the pepper, sweet, salty, and blackened, adding up to well rounded bites every single time. I usually don't eat the skin, but this was too flavorful to pass up. The only thing I'd do differently is ask them not to chop it (or to chop it as little as possible) because there were a number of little bites of bone I had to be careful of. But this chicken was so good, I was intent on eating every possible morsel.

A UC News Record review on Island Fryday's website suggested to ask for gravy on the rice and pinto beans, and it was definitely the right move since they were pretty bland standing alone. With the sauce, they were quite tasty. The vegetables included cabbage, green beans, peas, corn, and carrots. With enough salt and butter to have some flavor, these did not match the chicken's star power, and settle for being unobtrusive. The plantains were standard - if you want a lot order a side with a small, because it only comes with a couple bites. I like them more crispy, so I personally wouldn't bother.

I'm excited to go back to try the oxtail and a number of other dishes at Island Fryday's - if they are anywhere near as good as the jerk chicken, I'll be very happy.

The Ingredients: Nothing about local or organic on the menu. I was quickly in and out on this trip, but plan to ask more about where they get everything on my next trip. And the next trip won't be far away.

The Story, Setting, & Service: This was a quick trip in and out for a to go order, so not much to say on this front. The staff was friendly and quick, the space was bright with sun, and the yellow exterior seems to glow all the way to the inside. There are a few seats if you want to sit down and enjoy your meal while you listen to some reggae on the radio.

Just up the hill from OTR, this is a quick hop, skip, and a jump for me at lunch time. There's no need to call ahead, the food is ready so fast. I look forward to my next trip to Island Frydays - you should try it too.

Dinner Out @ Jo An Japanese

2010-06-16T09:58:00.000-04:00

Most times, you go to a restaurant and find that some of what others have said jives with your experience, and other times not so much. In the case of our trip to Jo An Japanese, it was exactly what we'd been told to expect. Yes, it's smack dab in the middle of an office park. And yes, it very likely has the best sushi in Cincinnati (well, Erlanger, Kentucky actually).

The Food: I should say from the start the we barely even looked at the non-sushi menu. A quick order of sashimi salad (small bits of tuna, salmon, shrimp, and yellowtail mixed in with wakame) tided over our hunger, and it was fantastic. At most places, less wakame with no fish is about the same cost ($6). But we were here on a mission: sushi. Choices are made from a paper sheet where you mark what you want (is this really necessary - why don't they just ask you what'd like and save the paper?) as well as another menu with a front and back for specialty rolls. Here's what we ordered, and what we thought of it. With so many items, a bulleted list seems sensible:

Salmon nigiri sushi - As you may recall from our last post about sushi, I've been trending toward the "less is more" approach on sushi. It's hard to pass up all the fancy and colorful combinations that are available, but every time I take a bite where I can't taste the fish, I move one step closer to being an all nigiri/sashimi guy. This salmon was colorful, and had none of the mealiness to the meat that you sometimes get - these were smooth bites, with no tearing through anything needed.
Spicy tuna roll - Scallions added a crunch, and overall this roll had a nice texture. It was not too spicy, which is in part why it may be Sarahs new favorite spicy tuna roll in town (it used to be Bangkok Bistro).
Spicy shrimp roll - A clean, crisp snap from the cucumber, went well with the spicy mayo that adds a kick. This was the roll that led me to thinking how strikingly well put together Jo An's rolls were, after just eating Bangkok Bistro's sushi.
Salmon crunch roll - Texture in food can be so underutilized. From the crunch in our wedding cake to the tempura crunch in this roll - we are really enjoying what crunch can add to just about anything. This roll also had a lot of sesame seeds on the outside, which were very tasty. But, this was one roll where a bit too much rice made it hard for me to taste the fish on a couple bites. That said, the salmon, crunch, and avocado paired so well together - this was my favorite choice of the night.
Spicy baked slamon roll - I just mentioned the avacado, and on this roll - where it is sliced thin and laid on top of each piece, it became clear that this tropical vegetable really was delicious. The masago (capelin roe) also added a different texture to this roll.
Jo An roll - This was one of those double-wide size rolls where you're not sure if you should (or even could) eat it all in one bite. It was very tasty, and we liked that soybean paper - which held the roll together, but also was barely distinguishable in taste and broke easily as we chose the multiple bite method. With salmon, tuna, yellowtail, avocado, and tobiko (flying fish roe) on top, there is a lot going on here. The plate is then covered with a pattern of spicy mayonnaise and a hoisin-esque brown sauce, and the total package is something you'll want to taste.

In general, we thought all of the rolls had a buttery taste and mouth feel that was quite enjoyable.

A couple of small additional notes. First, they use ginger that is ginger colored, not pink. I always like that, makes me feel like I'm ingesting one less unnecessary substance. Second, I was surprised to learn that the salmon was from Norway. I assumed a top place would use something Pacific. The refrain again: lots yet to learn about sushi.

The Ingredients: No mention of any local or organic ingredients on the menu. I will say that there were some types of fish and roe that I hadn't noticed on a menu before. That's not saying too much, because I still have a lot of learning to do about sushi (in fact, I just ordered this book today), but it is to say that the menu at Jo An is substantial.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Jo An's is hard to find - Google maps on my phone got it wrong the first time. It's totally nondescript - check the barely visible sign in the slideshow below. There was even a janitor vacuuming in the entry of the office building when we went in - everything about this place said "we don't exist." A hot towel is brought when you sit down, which is a nice touch (remember when Delta did that?). The service is straightforward. One of the staff asked if we were food bloggers - that camera can be a giveaway! Muzak/easy listening on the radio. There were a few other folks there when we arrived at about 8:15, and there was only one other person at 9. Not a busy spot on a Wednesday night. On the way out we noticed that they serve a lunch too - $12 for sushi and what they said was a great deal. It's chef choice, so who knows. They also had non-sushi options for $8.

I doubt we'll go back to Jo An's often. If we're going out only for the sushi, then we will. But most times, we like the full package, and Jo An's offers so little in the way of ambiance that it's probably not ever going to get a lot of traffic - especially being in Erlanger. Hopefully the city sushi places will step up their game to make the drive totally unnecessary, but for now you should at least go once.

Existential Eating #13

2010-06-13T10:00:00.013-04:00

This week for Existential Eating we have a contest. We'll post the best caption for the comic below (purely our opinion) next week AND the winner will be sent a jar of tasty olives! Here's a few and then a blank one for you...

Dinner Out @ Bangkok Bistro

2010-06-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

I honestly can't remember how it started, but Bangkok Bistro has been a go to restaurant of mine for almost as long as I've lived in Cincinnati (10 years). For at least a couple years, I was a more serious regular - going once a week or every two at most. Over the past few years though, it's become part of a long list of places Sarah and I go sometimes, but not all that often. But, as with any old standard, I'm always happy when I sit down and order the same thing I've ordered for a decade that is always, always good.

The Food: There are two regular dishes we always order. First, the "General Fare" Thai Basil Sauce, which is stir-fried with broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, onions, and green peppers (although we remember to ask for no green peppers about every fourth time we go - nothing against Bangkok Bistro, we just don't like green peppers very much). You can get it with any meat, but we always get it with tofu. Second is Laad Na Noodles, which is a flat, wide rice noodle that comes with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables (same as the Thai Basil, sans peppers).

At some point along the way, we also got into the habit of ordering sushi to start. In general, Bangkok's spicy tuna roll has been a favorite of ours. Unfortunately, I think it is suffering in the context of paying more attention to our sushi. On this most recent trip the roll was not tightly wrapped and had an awful lot of rice. It wasn't bad, but it's definitely been better.

Thankfully, the entrees arrived and made everything right. The Thai Basil is the star. They pack it wish basil and garlic, and no small amount of sugar, and it really packs a punch of flavor. Tofu is cooked just right, and the vegetables all get a nice coating of the savory brown sauce. Sarah probably had the quote that hits it most on the end - "there are flavors that hit you all over the place." Next, Bangkok's laad na noodles are done differently than anywhere I've eaten them before or since. Most places do some variation on the noodles with Chinese broccoli and a thick brown sauce. I suppose BB's may be a more Americanized version, but I don't care what you call it, these are some tasty noodles. Again, no shortage of sugar, and the crunchy carrots add a nice texture to the bites. As is almost always the case (at just about any restaurant), the shrimp could be cooked less. Overall, both the Thai Basil and the Laad Na Noodles are trustworthy standbys that I'm always pleased to put in my mouth.

The Ingredients: There's nothing on Bangkok's menu about local or organic ingredients. They did add brown rice a few years back, which is a nice, healthy addition. But, beyond that, nothing I'm aware of. Whichever is the first Thai place in town to jump on board the local train will probably win my heart for many years to come, so I'm hopeful Bangkok Bistro will be the one.

The Story, Setting, & Service: As I said above, I've been coming here for quite a while. My friend Ali, through whom I met Sarah many years back, and I would eat here almost obsessively. It was about the only place I'd spend $15 an entree when I was 23 and I think it made me feel all grown up to be spending such a large amount. Ah, the memories.

The service at Bangkok Bistro has been through a phase or two, but there aren't many places in town that I would say haven't. On this visit, and the last several I can remember, the service has been pleasant and straightforward. They've got a few folks on staff there who have been there for as long as I've been going, so they must be doing something right.

And as far as setting goes, this is one of the BB perks. They have a small outdoor eating space in front of the restaurant, which gives you, the diner, a great vantage point to watch the comings and goings of what I call "little Hyde Park Square." If you go during the day or early evening, you're only a short drive up the hill to beautiful Ault Park - which is a destination in and of itself if you haven't strolled through its gardens, enjoyed its vista views, or hiked its trails. On a gorgeous night like the one we had, sitting outside as the sun is falling, it's a pretty sweet set up. Inside, the restaurant is simple and calm, and there is plenty of space, so you never bump into anybody's chair.

If Bangkok Bistro keeps Thai Basil and Laad Na Noodles on the menu, we will always go back. Every once in a while, we may even try something else. As far as a consistently tasty Thai place that you can count on, I'd say this is a sure shot every time.

Brunch Out @ 10 West

2010-06-10T14:21:00.000-04:00

Other than an April Fool's post on McDonald's, we don't really do chains here at Amateur Foodies. We're big on local. So it is with mixed feelings that we'll put up this short post on 10 West, the hotel restaurant of the Marriot in Covington. And yes, Orchids at Palm Court is a hotel restaurant, but somehow the non-hotel branding plus the fact that it's amazingly good (post from a recent visit coming soon!) make me not feel so bad about posting it. This one was a trip with Sarah and friends only, so let me publicly state my ghostwriter status now.

The Food: They have a regular menu, but they also have a buffet for $14.95 - they'll make you omelettes, waffles, or fried eggs on the spot as part of that buffet. The buffet also comes with coffee, and they made us a carafe of ice coffee at no additional cost.

All the basic hotel options exist, plus lox and cream cheese, lots of meats, different styles of scrambled eggs, pancakes, strawberry fruit smoothies, muffins, danish, and more. On the extensive side for a typical buffet, but still typical. As for the taste? Definitely better than what you'd expect for a Marriott - fresh fried eggs add a nice touch, and in general we walked away happy.

The Ingredients: Nothing here about local or organic ingredients.

The Story, Setting, & Service: The reason to go to 10 West is very simple. It has a stunning view of Cincinnati. And, with a Restaurant.com coupon, because you can go for a ridiculously low price. Right now they have a deal on $25 gift certificates that cost only $2. That's just wrong.

Service was good and attentive - not too many other people there to worry about, so we were a priority.

10 West won't make it into our list of regular spots, but it's a bit of a bummer how few restaurants in Cincinnati take advantage of our awesome skyline. As a result, just about anywhere with sustenance plus view equals somewhere we might go, especially with guests in town or something - maybe just for a quick drink.

Tasty Links #12

2010-06-09T09:41:00.001-04:00

1) Tom Philpott's response to Michael Pollan's piece. A GREAT take.
2) NPR's Marketplace on food bloggers.
3) How many farmers' markets are too many? Hat tip: Richard Stewart at Carriage House Farm.

And your video (hat tip: Ezra Klein)...

Dinner Out @ ZZ's Pizza

2010-06-08T09:43:00.003-04:00

What actually got me to ZZ's Pizza was a Restaurant.com coupon (hat tip: wine me, dine me - thanks for getting me to pay attention to these deals!) - nothing too big, just a $10 gift certificate that cost me $4. Since we already wanted to go, that's money in the bank! As we were heading toward Walnut Hills, I was thinking how this would have to be awful good pizza to warrant bringing the restaurant back into existence - and with the same recipes as the first go round. Now I know, this is fantastic pizza!

The Food: We ordered a couple pizzas so that we could sample the goods, and also ordered a caesar salad to get a sense of whether or not ZZ's could be a solid replacement for our typical Dewey's order. First, we got the Shitake Mushroom Pizza - it has goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, shiitakes, and onions on a sourdough crust with olive oil and basil. Next, we wanted to sample the whole wheat and honey crust, so we had our regular - pepperoni and green olives.

The salad came out first, and had a light, flavorful dressing that was just a bit tangy. With grated parmesan on top, and standard crispy croutons, this salad was a pleasant surprise at a pizza place. But, the stars of the show soon arrived.

Both pizzas were good looking for the get go, and they were as easy on the mouth/tummy as they were on the eyes. We had red sauce on our pepperoni and olive pizza, and it was very flavorful. I love Adriatico's spicy sauce, but this had just a hint of spiciness and was more up Sarah's alley. The crust on both pizzas was done just right too, with a nice crunch but also a good chewiness. But what was probably most impressive was the balance. On both pies you could really clearly taste each ingredient, and at the same time the bases (crust, sauce, and cheese) were notably good. It's all too common that a pizza has too much of one thing, but these were great all around.

They also have a number of interesting ingredient options - including lobster and gouda. So, I'm not dead set on my regular order quite yet.

The Ingredients: While there was nothing on the menu about local or organic items, we did learn a few tidbits of information that you may be interested in. They have whole wheat crust, which is made up the street at Giminetti Baking Company. It tasted so good, I figured it was 25% whole wheat or so, but they told us it is 75-80% whole wheat - in terms of eating a healthier pizza, that's a significant step in the right direction! We also noted that the ingredients really tasted quite fresh at ZZ's, which isn't always the case, particularly at pizza joints that tend to stockpile ingredients for the long haul, often to a flavor seekers demise.

The Story, Setting, & Service: As I mentioned at the top, ZZ's has the unique distinction of opening and the closing again several years later. Polly Campbell explained this a bit, but the best explanation I've read comes directly from the source - the back of the menu (and also on the About Us part of ZZ's web page). I'll refrain from repeating the story myself, but will say that one of the original owner's was there when we were, so it's clear they're keeping an eye on things!

The service was solid - one server for a nearly empty weekday night, but he was very nice and had a good sense of humor. At one point one of the owners came out of the back (the kitchen can be seen through a glass window, but my back was to it). We got to talking a bit after I overheard him talking about the Taste of Cincinnati. There was some buzz about how the Taste is not so accessible because of how expensive it is for small businesses. We tend not to even go because of how often the food is poor and mass produced by mostly chain places, but it was great to hear that ZZ's really enjoyed doing Taste, and thought it was worth it as a small guy. I am really hopeful that it will become affordable to others in future years so that the event will only continue to grow.

Finally, ZZ's has a small triangular interior and a number of great prints of Cincinnati locations on the walls. They're on Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills, just down the hill from where it hits McMillan. The neighborhood has struggled, so there's not a ton of foot traffic at the store front. Hopefully, people will learn its worth the trip and local folks will embrace it as well.

I was thinking this pizza would have to be "bring back the dead" good. And as it turns out, zombies may come back to life after eating this pie. Adriatico's is solidly in first place in our pizza rotation, but especially for specialty ingredients, ZZ's is either tied or in a close second. You should definitely go give this place a try.

Where are the Best Wings in Cincinnati? (Dinner Out @ Mulligan's)

2010-06-07T09:40:00.001-04:00

While this post does contain a review of Mulligan's, this is really an opportunity to ask the question: Where are the best wings in Cincinnati? If you already know the answer, skip down and write a comment so I can end my quest. In this case, the search led to a place that met some non-food related criteria (namely a TV with sound to watch the Lakers/Suns, which had the added bonus of being outside). If you'd like to read about a not-so-good restaurant/bar that typifies what we usually won't go to, then keep on reading. I should also say, since I don't think Mulligan's is attempting whatsoever to be a good restaurant (it's a bar!) the following explanation of a train wreck is not meant to be too haterific.

The Food: We asked the bartender if the wings were good and he asked if we liked Frickers' wings. I do like Frickers' wings, which are breaded - so we chose to order half breaded and half "naked." At Mulligan's, you order by the pound, and we went with 1 pound of each (side note: we decided while 1 pound is 6-7 wings at Mulligan's, with the skimpy wings at BW3s, which we've resolved not to eat any more unless they're free because they are so small those chickens simply had to have horrible lives, a pound would probably be like 20 wings at BW3s).

We were feeling frisky because it was the day before two, count 'em two, momentous occasions - Sarah's birthday and her last day of school. So, we went nuts and also ordered beer cheese and loaded tater tots. And then, beer. One redeeming fact about Mulligan's is that they do have about 20 beers on tap, many of them quite good. We got Bell's Oberon, an excellent summer brew.

The wings all came "naked" and were literally swimming in sauce, but actually didn't taste too bad. As it turns out, nothing like Frickers' though. Oh, and the medium garlic is just the medium with a bit of minced garlic mixed in, barely changing the flavor (I know, stunning). "Loaded" tater tots weren't too loaded with cheese or bacon, and were generally forgettable. Believe it or not, the beer cheese was the redeeming part of the meal. It was like a big cup of melted Boursin - only orange, and a bit spicier.

The Ingredients: If they have any local or organic ingredients, I'm pretty sure it's by mistake. In fact, I think I saw the Sysco truck pull up as we were leaving (no, not really). They did give us "Naturally Fresh" blue cheese - and by "Naturally Fresh" they mean "the furthest possible thing from natural and/or fresh, which we can still call Naturally Fresh because what passes for honest labeling in this country is obscene." I recently sent this to Mark Bittman, who has started a feature on his newly revamped blog called "This #$!% Has Got to Stop."

The Story, Setting, & Service: As I mentioned above, the story here is that we were seeking out great wings to eat while watching a basketball game. We went to O'Bryon's (the AC was icy cold, and the outside was too smoky), then Balboa's (no atmosphere, there was almost no one there, and the music was bad), then we were on our way to the Oakley Pub or Ichiban (though, no sound their either) when we decided to check out Mulligan's. It had a nice combo of the game, sound on the TV, and eating outside on a beautiful night.

We were both starving and not in the mood to wait for a server, so we just went straight to the bar, asked if their wings were any good, then went forward with ordering. The bartender literally ran back to his spot inside after delivering our food to us, and he seemed like a really nice guy.

Their outdoor area is crazy big, and complete with dead trees in outdoor planters, cornhole, and pool tables, it's like a huge college bar smack dab in the middle of college-less Hyde Park. The clientele is largely made up of young men that led Sarah to say things like "boat shoes plus dip - that's just attractive," and point out people that still had their badges on from work. Otherwise, it was a healthy, diverse mix of preppies in button downs and khaki pants and preppies in t-shirts, hats, and khaki shorts.

I should say too, I agree with Hyde Park Foodie's review 100%.

As these were definitely not the best wings in Cincinnati, and I think I can still conjure up the unavoidable smell of vomit when I remember first walking into the outdoor space at Mulligan's, I think it is safe to say that I won't be going back. Hopefully, those of you who go to Mulligan's will receive this post as a sort of badge of honor that yes, you do frequent a place that is clearly a dump, in the same way that I loved my first car dearly - a 1989 Chevy Nova that became charming precisely because it lacked anything approaching classiness.

Existential Eating #12

2010-06-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Lunch Out @ Deli Seven20

2010-06-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

This'll be a quick post for a quick lunch downtown last week. You will never walk by Deli Seven20 and stumble in by mistake, so when I noticed it hadn't been reviewed on Urbanspoon it seemed like I had to do the city a service. While it's tucked away in a nondescript office building at 720 Pete Rose Way, it's worth taking the time to find.

The Food: I've only ever had the sandwiches, but all of my experiences have been good, and the people I've recommended this new school deli to seem to have been quite happy as well. My favorites are the "ring dang doo" (roast pork loin, smoked gouda, roasted red peppers, and sweet chili mayo on focaccia) and the "genevieve" (roast turkey, brie, and Toni’s jalapeño jelly on focaccia). On this trip, I went for the ring dang doo. I've been really digging smoky gouda lately - we've made some amazing cheeseburgers on grills at friends' recently - and the sweet chili mayo is quite tasty. It looks a lot like the sandwiches at Melt we just had, but the taste is all its own. You won't be disappointed.

Sandwiches come with home made potato chips - both sweet and regular potatoes I do believe! Oh, and some good pickles as well.

The Ingredients: Nothing on the menu about local or organic ingredients, and when I asked they said they get everything from their supplier. For a place that is so clearly interested in high quality flavor combinations, it would be great if they took their work to the next level. Maybe introduce it slowly for the office park crowd and see if folks will pay the additional cost on an item or two that are well designed and clearly explained on the menu.

The Story, Setting, & Service: Deli720, as I mentioned above, is in an office building down by the river. The view from the atrium style interior of the building is quite refreshing, like a top notch Marriott or Holiday Inn Express. Unfortunately, no pool (but there were a few putt putt golf holes). Seriously though, you don't come to Deli Seven20 for the decor or the atmosphere, you come to get your food and go. They're always on time with the orders, and the folks are nice as well.

Especially if you work downtown, adding Deli Seven20 to your lunch rotation would be a good bet. I'm confident you'll be consistently happy with quality food and a very reasonable price.

Tour: Milk and Honey Farm

2010-06-02T11:30:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, on a Mother's Day make-up, we had the opportunity to spend some time at Mary Lou and Tom Shaw's Milk and Honey Farm. They generously showed us around their property, which includes 13 acres that they use for growing plants and raising animals, and 39 acres of wetlands. It is truly a special place, and we're happy to share our experience with you.

The Location: Milk and Honey Farm is located between Mount Sterling and Washington Courthouse.

The Goods: Milk and Honey Farm isn't currently producing products for public consumption - so the bulk of this post is in "The Story" and slideshow below. They do what they do for themselves, family, friends, and neighbors.

The Story: My mom has known Mary Lou for many years, and I met her once quite a while ago at Dragonfly in Columbus. So, when my mom gave us a quick snippet on the farm - they have dairy cows, 39 acres of wetlands, chickens, and more - we jumped at the chance to go check it out. We were in for a treat.

These are clearly the kind of people who like to get things done. While they're technically retired, I walked around all afternoon thinking to myself how this would be way too much work for me! And from the way they described what they're working on, their are plenty of new projects in the pipeline to keep them busy.

Without going into too much detail, the Shaw's moved into their current property after Mary Lou's mother passed away - she had been living there previously. Before that, they had lived in a gorgeous house they built about 30 years ago across the road. Since moving into their current home, they've learned just about everything they need to know about running a farm, mostly because they've figured it out from scratch - talking to friends and neighbors, looking at books and websites, you name it. Tom told me about one of his upcoming undertakings - building a chicken plucker! He got plans for the Whizbang Chicken Plucker (and here are other Whizbang books and tutorials, like how to butcher a chicken), and intends to put one together soon.

It's as though they started asking the question "Where does X come from?" and then went about answering that question with a hands on experience. Where does milk come from? Dairy cows. And they're proud of themselves for advancing from hand-milking to an electric bucket milker this year! Where does butter come from? Churning the cream from the milk of course. Could they buy it at the store, sure. But why not churn it?! I'm in the picture on the right doing my share of the labor - and after about 15 minutes of churning, we had the best butter I can ever recall tasting. They also make cheese, yogurt, and kefir from the milk they get from their cows.

If they can do it themselves, Mary Lou and Tom probably have. At Milk and Honey Farm they've got chickens and bees and a huge garden with everything from hops (for the beer they make) to lettuce (which they were kind enough to share) and much more. They built a big sun room/greenhouse on the side of their barn that was growing the largest chard any of us could remember seeing. They have horses and donkeys too. And at the top I mentioned the 39 acres of reclaimed wetlands - unfortunately over 90% of Ohio's wetlands have been destroyed, so that our aquifers don't properly refill with water and wildlife don't have habitats to prosper.

Their place is special in large part because of all the smart projects and processes that they've undertaken to get connected with their land and what they put into their bodies. But, what really brings it all together is Mary Lou and Tom's infectious energy and thoughtfulness. They answered every question we asked, regardless of how stupid they may have seemed as the asker ("How do you make cheese?" or "What's the purpose of a donkey if it's not going to carry anything?"), and they are quite simply doing the best they can to be good stewards of the Earth. That is something they have to teach all of us, and something I have been happy to spend more time thinking about since our visit.

A big thank you to Mary Lou and Tom for their generosity! They're not available to do tours in general (you can tell, they have a lot going on!), so if you want to reach out to them for any reason, please email us and we'll pass the communication along. Check out some more photos from the trip below...