The Mega Cincinnati Post

Here’s a little rundown of the places I’ve been hitting recently down here in Cincy.

Slims - This place is mega-hip in a very relaxed way. Maybe similar to the Winds but I haven’t been there. Erin and I had one of our best waiters ever at Slims. He was a killer friendly quirky guy and really knew his stuff. Most of the food is locally grown and tasted delicious. The three course dinner started with mini sloppy joe sandwiches. Luckily Erin’s a veggie so I got two! It was my big day. We had the most perfect cornbread ever so the guy gave us the recipe. Have you ever heard of such a crazy thing—a restaurant giving away its secrets just because you wanted it!

Via Vite - The first time I was there was opening night and it was packed the crap out. This is the restaurant that opened right on Fountain Square. I don’t think there could be a more prime location. Erin called ahead but the owner was a total jerk and said he didn’t see that we had and basically said tough luck. The hostess was very apologetic and said she remembered the call and would try to find a seat for us as soon as she could. Doesn’t that seem a little backwards? Shouldn’t the owner be the one that tries to smooth things over when an employee starts messing up. Oh well. We left. All the L.A. looking kids in Cincinnati were there and giving us funny looks. I went back with some other people a week or two later late on a Thursday night and it was much better. We had pizza and some Christian Morlein (I wish Dayton had hometown beer). I liked it. The coolest thing about this place is how it looks—extremely mod and hip.

Keystone - I’ve been back there like half a dozen times. It’s really becoming the neighborhood bar in a way. Call me up, we’ll go some time.

Zip’s - I love Zip’s. It’s not possible to go to this little Mt. Lookout pub and not have a nice happy full belly afterward. They’ve had the best burgers in the City since the 1920’s or something and I don’t think they’ve upgraded the interior since then either which is great to me. Their bar is in a back room dubbed the “Code Room”. Is that a reference to Prohibition times? This place has loads of character and is busy non-stop (which is kinda crappy of course).

Covington Chili - I’ve been exploring a lot of the little hole-in-the-wall, most people I know wouldn’t go to sort of places lately. CC is on Madison—a street that still has a functioning commercial strip on it. I rode my bike down there the other day and had a little Cincy-style chili for breakfast; the place is a perfect dump. Each booth has is own personal jukebox. They’re old, old, old. Adjusting the volume is as easy as selecting either the hi, mid or low button. It had Cabo Wabo by Van Halen so I was impressed. The food was good and the place was only mildly smokey so it hit a good chord with me.

Country Inn - Another perfect dump. Newport’s version of Madison St. in Covington is Monmouth St. And I may like it a touch more even. The Country Inn was pretty full when I went. Real people were there (not the L.A. kids). I had eggs and meat—pretty much their specialty.

La Mexicana - I like this little Mexican place on Monmouth. It’s in a tiny storefront and was pretty dead when I arrived but was bustling by the time I left. I’m not sure what it was but it just had a little bit of a different taste than the usual Mex joint. I’m happy to have discovered a place like this close enough to ride my bike to if I want.

Arnold’s - Have I already talked about this place? Anyhow, it’s the oldest bar in Cincy and has been operating since Civil War times. That’s a mind bender. The first time I went there was a nice cold winter night with Erin and her sister. We sat near the bar but the patio was open. It’s covered and heated in cold weather so you can still get a semi-outdoor feel. We had some more of the Morlein. I went back later for lunch. I had a burger as is appropriate at such an eatery but it was kinda weak. Condiments in the small packets? Please. The more entrée-ish items looked good though. We’ll see. Either way it’s still a good place to hang out.

Betta’s - There’s a Betta’s in Mt. Lookout I’ve been to but the one we’re discussing here is the one owned by the son of the one in ML. His location in Norwood is new because the old building burnt down a year or two ago. I go to Norwood proper (not Rookwood) rarely so it made for a nice little exploration. The chicken parm and pizza were excellent. The interior felt really warm and it was nice sitting at a table near the window were pedestrians and traffic buzzed by. While trying to figure out how to enter the parking lot behind the building we took a wrong turn and found ourselves in one of the most picturesque neighborhoods. Norwood is definitely cooler than most realize. I mean they have a scooter store so that should say something right away.

Mokka - Erin really wanted to check this quirky 5th St. (Newport) breakfast place out. It’s in a pink art deco building that looks like it used to have some connection to mob activity. The breakfast was good but the service was fairly lousy. One of the waitresses was loud and annoying the entire time—almost going from table to table to say obnoxious stupid things. Erin gave her a sour look when she said something gay to her. That was the end of her attempts with us.

Molly Malone’s - We went there around holiday time last month. It’s right around the corner from Keystone and is kinda similar—a pretty cool bar and grill. This is in a much larger building though and has action on all three or four floors. When we left I saw band playing on the top floor. Cool. Keystone is better but this is still a tasty option.

Habit’s Cafe - I’ve never been to a bar and grill that has an hour and 15 minute wait. I wanted to jump across the street to Oakley Pub and Grill but we waited it out. Drew, who was previously pretty ticked about the wait changed his mind when we got a free round of drinks. That’s what I’m talking about, taking care of the customer. The food was good and cheap, the setting was cool.

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse - We played it classy this night. We valeted the car at Jeff Ruby’s flagship restaurant on Walnut St. in downtown Cincy. We were with some of Erin’s family for this one. The steak was pretty sensational. The thing fell apart as I cut it. Mmm. More Morlein and wine. The interior was designed by some person who did the interior of some famous Vegas casino. It looked like it too. I’m not saying that was bad. It was over the top in a good way. I really want to check out Pine Club more than usual now as I read an article where Ruby said he would’ve never gotten into the steak business if it wasn’t for the PC.

Nada - A upscale Mexican place? No, that’s not an oxymoron. The owner of Boca opened this cool restaurant/night spot near the renovated Fountain Square a month or so ago. We went on opening night just for drinks directly after Ruby’s. Erin and I went back later late one night for apps and drinks. I’d like to have dinner there sometime, it looks great.

Bang - I’ve been wanting to get in this cool nightclub for a while. I rarely go to these sort of places but this place seemed real NYC (not that I would know). The site will tell you more than I can. I just like that they have hand-made Rookwood tiling…

The Pavilion - This place is better in the summer but I think Mt. Adams in general is. It has four stories of decks with bars on each that look over the city and river. It’s a bar and grill, night club or music venue depending on the time of day you’re there (or what part). I’d like to go there more next summer, sit on the top deck and watch boats float down the river.

Skyline (Clifton) - Because there is a difference between the Clifton one and the others! If you’re here it means you’ve had a good night and want it to last another hour or so. This place still has character and isn’t like the plastic looking Skylines in the suburbs. We drove through Over-the-Rhine instead of taking the highway to get up to Clifton that night and someone got murdered down there. Yeah, we’re that tough.

Currito - Another Clifton (area) place. It’s similar to Chipotle but has a few more options which was nice. I want to check out a ton of places around UC. There’s so much character up around there.

Scotti’s Italian Restaurant - It’s more expensive than it should be but a lot of Italian place are. The experience and ambiance are out of this world. It was very Tony. The restroom was downstairs in what looked to be overflow seating. I almost would’ve rather eaten down there. I love basements. If you’re big on Italian check this place out, I’d love to know what you think of the setting.

Campanello’s - I hit up this little family Italian place one night by myself. I first went to the Carew Tower observation deck and looked around at the city. I then talked to a stupid girl in the lobby that thought it was one of the tallest buildings in the world. I informed her that indeed it was not and it would be lucky to be in the top 300 tallest. Whatever, then I walked over to Campanello’s to have a great dinner and some red wine. Tasty tasty.

The Stand - This place is cool to chill at after having dinner in Mt. Lookout or even just going there for the heck of it. The group is usually pretty mellow—no college kids ready and willing to fight. I love their retro dark red wallpaper. A quality place to spend an evening. Nice website too.

John Henry’s—Not Coco’s but Not Bad

Friday night was a funny night. I’m not sure how it happened but we went to three separate restaurants, one directly after the other. And this wasn’t bar hopping. I finally did John Henry’s. It was a little more pricey than I thought it would be which is fine but it better live up to the expense. I had their hanger steak, fairly small but tasty. The mashed potatoes could’ve been more velvety, I’m not really into cutting them with my fork. Why is this a common problem with a lot of eateries? Is it just a matter of making sure they’re warmer when served? We sat in the east dining room which is a decent place to spend an evening. The lighting was dim and a large window looked out onto 5th Street—quite nice. The service was okay. I’m just having trouble finding places that stack up against Coco’s. Everything about that place is firing at 100% at all times. John Henry’s was pretty okay—I would go back but I won’t be dying until the next opportunity comes up.

For the homemade pumpkin pie we headed east to Bunny’s Hasty Tasty Pancake House. This place is representative of everything I love about small little diners. It has the right feel, the right air about it. The regulars stared a little at us a little knowing that we weren’t. There’s nothing trendy or fashionable about it—so basically it’s perfect. I’ve been scouring Newport, Covington and Over-the-Rhine for places like it. I’ve found a few but I’m not sure they quite compete.

For whatever reason we ended up at Elsa’s next. It was busy busy busy and people were in TGIF mode. Those Bad Juan’s are stronger than I remember! One sip and I immediately knew there was tons of the good stuff in it. Their warm chips and salsa are about the best you’ll find anywhere. Don Pablo’s, just try to match them!

We jumped over to my friend’s. He has a classic basement in a classic Belmont house. I grew up living in a basement so something about them feels real darn good to me. We spun records for a while and strummed a few songs ourselves. Give the below a click.

No Tickets Required Here

I’ve wanted to go to Tickets in Fairborn for the past few years. A weird desire, I know. I was a little nervous to go inside the first time I noticed the place so I continued on down the street to Giovanni’s. Does anyone else experience that? Fear of going into little neighborhood bars/restaurants for the first time? I’m nervous the locals might eat me. No, but you know what I mean, right? No? There should be a term for that. Restaurant trepidation. Coined here, kids.

So, before you got me sidetracked I was relating that I had restaurant trepidation about Tickets. The windows are tinted. Come on, why? But I went in a few weeks ago. And it was okay. I didn’t die and the food was decent too. The places kinda skews toward the Greek side in addition to normal pub grub. So I got a nice gyro and fry. It was tasty and the pricing was appropriate. I went with people of varying palettes so the review may be better or worse depending upon which of us you talk to. The interior is fairly dim and authentic (old). If I ever find myself hungry in Fairborn again I’ll definitely give it another go. It’s the sorta place where you could sit around at the bar for hours. I like that. Plus I’ve got a little soft spot for Fairborn. It’s no Tank’s or Stockyard Inn but certainly a valid place to have a sandwich and drink.

I Love Me Some Old Houses

I’ve been looking at houses lately. I thought about the whole condo thing but it’s lacking three things—space, a small backyard and the inability to be loud as heck. A downtown condo would be nice for its location and ease but those don’t matter quite as much to me. I’m in a great situation too, a monthly rent situation (no house to sell) and everyone else is dropping the prices of their homes like a hot potato.

I love old houses. What charm, what character, what baseboards even. Have you seen old windows that aren’t perfectly smooth? Well, I read about the process that was employed to make them in olden days. An actual glassblower did it! An actual honest to goodness human being! How many custom handmade parts are in new homes? One of the best places I’ve found is an 1870 gem only a minute or two outside of downtown and picture perfect. It’s just a touch small though. It has a third floor but it’s best suited for a worker at the Wonka Chocolate Co. The basement is a cellar and those things always freak me out. I mean you can’t even access it from inside the house, you have go through those creepy doors from the rear of the place. Two best features: a 2nd story balcony off the master bedroom and the backyard is only a small courtyard with no grass! That’s all I’m looking for, just a place for a fire pit and to strum an acoustic on a summer night. Oh, another great thing about it, the price has been dropping by five digit figures—several times.

So imagine me a home owner—a grown-up even. Ouch, not sure if I like that. I’m gonna have to get used to it. I’m not sure if this will be the exact house I eventually buy but does anyone out there have tips on buying a seriously old house?

Guest Review: Hasty Tasty Pancake House

We’ve all seen the small town diners in movies with the aging waitress, the regulars, and of course a souvenir penny machine. Well on Linden Ave. in Dayton a little place like this exists. It’s called the Hasty Tasty Pancake House or Bunny’s for short. With the recent talk on this Gem City blog I thought it appropriate to write a little review of it.

I’ve been working a couple of hours from home the past few weeks and so when you get up at 5 AM there aren’t many choices for a meal that’s going to hold you over until lunchtime. So I stopped by Bunny’s for the first time since I was a little kid when the fried bologna made me sick. The first thing you can tell is that the smoking ban has hurt this place, I have no facts to prove that, but when you look around you know everyone is dying to go have a puff. So I ordered up the special which is 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, and 2 pancakes. A pretty hearty meal for only $3.15. And if you’re wondering, of course the waitress called me honey, that’s the type of place this is and should be. So as I’m reading the paper I notice that the waitress is talking with another table and taking bets on this weeks football games. The interesting thing about that is that no one is putting anything on the Bengals. Anywho the food arrives quick and it is hasty and it is also tasty.

I’ve also been in for dinner and that’s a little bit of a different story. I had an open faced sandwich with pot roast and mashed potatoes on top. It wasn’t that great but when you add a slice of 99 cents pumpkin pie, you know that business is about to pick up.

Overall this is the greatest place for what it is. I don’t know if that’s because there isn’t many other places like it anymore or I really just enjoy listening to 1950s music that they play. Not to mention that they have a mixture of antique items/garage sale rejects on display with a price tag hanging off. So let’s summarize Bunny’s. You can get food, household items, and a souvenir penny! There’s no question that at Bunny’s, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Drew J.