Review: Lavomatic (and also, Close Encounters of the Blog Kind)

Ah, Friday night. For once, I actually had an idea of where I wanted to go for dinner-- normally, it's a dance of, "I don't know, where do you want to go?" over a drink at a bar before we actually go somewhere. Last night, we went to Mr. Pitiful's and accidentally ran into an Obama fundraiser! It was put together by a group called "Grown Women" and catered by Ollie of Ollie's Trolley (who has fed Senator Obama and Michelle Obama). That was a great way to start the day (though I didn't get any of the catering-- got there a bit too late).



So we ended up heading over to Lavomatic, which was packed. There was an hour-long wait for a table, so we sidled up to the bar, where I got to talk to Burke for a little bit-- he was completely swamped-- but he was gracious and welcoming and very happy to see that I had made it in. Terry had a beer (something German) and I had a very generous pour of Bangin' Red Pinot Noir.


Since both Drew and Burke had made a big deal about the charcuterie plate, we had to try it. Terry'd never had charcuterie before, so we had a lot of fun with this beautiful plate. Charcuterie sounds new to this German town, but it's really not-- charcuterie is the art of meat made into sausages and pates and all sorts of delicious things-- not terribly foreign to Porkopolis! This is such a natural fit for the concept, which includes local foods, and OTR. The platter included pickled vegetables (beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, yellow string beans and onions) which were fantastic, but I'm a sucker for anything involving pickling. I love pickled beets, too, which dates back to childhood, eating a plate of pickled veg was a little bit of heaven. Also included was some Serrano ham, which is a dried, cured ham; the most exquisite chicken liver mousse-- this was melt-in-your-mouth good, rich but not overly liver-y, just fabulous; saucisson (a sausage reminiscent of salami, but without the heavy spices), and pate de campagna which was spicy and heavy on the tongue, but in a very good, earthy way. Burke said that in the future, the charcuterie will all be done in-house. Very exciting!




We were seated right about the time we finished our charcuterie platter. By that time, we had already decided on entrees-- braised rabbit for me, meatloaf for Terry-- so we settled in to our table. Our food came out quite quickly, and of course I took pictures-- because that's what I do. All of a sudden, I look over, and this couple next to us looks really amused. I said, "Oh, people must think I'm crazy, taking pictures like this" and the gentleman leans over and says, "Oh my gosh, you're Wine Me, Dine Me!"

Dude.

I don't say dude a whole lot. Let me say it again.


Dude.

The couple sitting next to me were Mark and Dorinda. Mark was the architect for both Twist and Lavomatic (and correct me if I'm wrong here, Mark, but the other JR properties as well?) and a big fan of both my blog and 5CHW4R7z's! We babbled during both of our dinners (they had the vegetable ravioli, which Dorinda praised as "heavenly" and the pork shank) about the Cincinnati restaurant scene, my blog, other blogs, new media, JR, etcetera. It was sort of surreal. Turns out he also designed my apartment-- and looking at my space juxtaposed with Lavomatic, I can see his aesthetic in both. I told Mark I'd give him a shout out here, so hi, Mark! Comment, please! I'd love to hear from you again.

So back to the review after the minor squeeing. The rabbit was fantastic. It was hearty, well seasoned, with some delicious vegetables. If you've never tried rabbit, you will probably like this, as it was not "gamey" at all. However, the herbed dumplings left a little to be desired. I've never met a dumpling I didn't like. This one was flavorful-- very heavy with rosemary-- but were absolutely dry as a bone. Aesthetically, little white balls peeking out of rabbit stew is a little comical-- look, the tail too!-- but I like to have a bit of a sense of humor about food. If the dumplings were moist-- dense is okay, but dry is not-- I think the dish would have been spectacular. I enjoyed it, in spite of the dumplings.



Terry's meatloaf was delicious. It was made of buffalo, stuffed with garlic, with a terrine of vegetables and some lovely sweet pepper coulis. It was moist, flavorful, and hearty-- all of their food, of course, is seasonal, and this was perfect for the last day of February.



Mark, Dorinda, Terry and I ended up chatting through both of our dinners-- it's tight quarters, but it promotes socializing and conviviality. We both ordered dessert at the same time, and had the same thing: baba au rhum and cappuccinos. This was a baba au rhum unlike any other I've had. Most have been pate au choux filled with pastry cream, soaked in rum and topped with a cherry. They're darn good that way, too. This one was brioche dough, dotted with raisins, and filled with chocolate. It was a cross between pain au raisin and pain au chocolat-- it was absolutely heavenly. Dorinda and I both sat back and closed our eyes -- it was that good. The hazelnut gelato from Madison's was spectacular as well: smooth, creamy, hazelnutty and delicious. I was too chatty, so Terry finished it up-- but I don't mind. Just a little was enough!





I also got to chat with Jean-Robert a bit-- he had just come from the Art of Food at the Carnegie, and could not stop talking about the Mona Lisa made out of toast. I'm going to have to stop by there-- it's free, and he said it'll only take about 2o minutes to go through-- and has some interesting art made of food. He was genuinely welcoming, a little frenetic, and obviously very proud of his work. I'm hoping we can speak again soon.

Mark and I also discussed the architecture and decor-- he said that we should watch out for this place, as it's in transition, and there were many factors beyond just concept to consider in designing the place-- time, location, etc-- so watch out for some changes in the future. Beyond what you see when you walk in, there's a prep kitchen downstairs and a bar upstairs, and all of this had to be taken into consideration in a short amount of time. He also said that the bulbs that the folks on the Foodie Report were talking about are gone. I'm really looking forward to the changes that might be forthcoming. Me, I really liked the celery green walls, the broken glass boxes at the bar (JR, when he grabbed a glass, broke it-- so the whole restaurant suggested he throw it in the box!), and the general brightness of the space. So many restaurants are dark and warm, and this had the warm brick contrasted with the cool celery walls and bright tables and bar. I really liked it, but again it does seem a little unfinished, so I can't wait to see what the future brings us.

I'm so excited that Lavomatic is here in OTR. I'm sure I sound a bit gushy, but it's so heartening to have the Wades and JR investing in the neighborhood. There were a few missteps-- I don't think the staff was quite prepared for the crowd they had, and those darn dumplings-- but overall, we both had a wonderful time at a very nice pricepoint. I'll definitely be back, and often.

And don't be afraid to say hi if you see me taking photos of food-- I love to chat!



(And for 5chw4r7z...)

Review: Rusty Bucket

Rusty Bucket is an Ohio-based chain of "corner taverns" that specialize in pub food. It opened its first Cincinnati location at Rookwood... well, yesterday! Terry decided he wanted to go there for dinner last night, and we figured it had been open for a bit-- nope, just opened that day!

(I limit myself to reviewing very small chains. Ohio-based? Sure. Cheesecake Factory? Not so much.)

Our waitress, Kristen, was very informative. They make everything on site-- no TGI Friday's-esque premade stuff here. They have a daily blue plate special, a daily drink special, and more beer on tap than I could count. I mistakenly thought it was Thursday (wishful thinking) and wanted a Caipiroshka (the Thursday drink special), but they didn't have the makings of it since they hadn't had a Thursday special yet. Duh. So she recommended their pineapple vodka-- Finlandia vodka with pineapples that they have in huge vats at the bar. I was game. Instead of a sharp alcohol taste with a hint of pineapple, this was smooth and pineapple-y, with a little sweetness and very little bite. I'd go back just for that.

We ordered fried pickles-- they make their own beer batter on site-- and they were good, indeed better than the Pub at Rookwood's. Terry ordered fish and chips, which came with a tasty horseradish-y cole slaw, decent fries and two big pieces of beer battered fish. The fish was flaky and moist, and the batter was crispy-- very well done. The fries were frozen, but not bad. I had a BBQ chicken chopped salad, which was a little bland-- the chicken wasn't really barbecued, just grilled, and needed some barbecue sauce or additional seasoning to really be great.

I ended up with dessert-- blueberry stack. It's basically blueberry bread pudding with maple syrup. Pretty tasty. Pretty good the next day for breakfast, too. Not that I'd do that. Not that I'd want to wash it down with the pineapple vodka. Nooo.

All in all, not a bad place for a quick weeknight meal or to watch the game.

Review: Nicholson's

I have to admit that Nicholson's is an old favorite of mine. I went there for the first time when I was working for a venture capital firm here in town. It was my first week, and they were celebrating one of the partners' birthdays. That was when I got addicted to Sticky Toffee Pudding and it was all downhill from there.

Nicholson's is Scottish through and through-- from the kilt-wearing waiters and doorman to the selections of scotch and beer, to their annual festival that involves haggis (I hear), it's a great change of pace from the typical UK-style pub (which tends to be Irish). It is owned by The Tavern Group, which also owns deSha's, The Pub at Rookwood Mews, and the Polo Grille (with multiple locations of both deSha's and The Pub). You can see some crossover in Nicholson's menu-- they serve the same Prime Rib as deSha's, and the same fried pickles as The Pub.

On Friday night, we grabbed a reservation on OpenTable for around 9:30. We figured we'd miss the Sweeney Todd traffic on both ends and we were right. The place was bustling but not packed and we were seated and served quickly and efficiently.

I am just getting comfortable whipping out the camera in restaurants, so I bring you my first photograph of food from an actual restaurant. Are you impressed? I didn't think so.



I know. Not irish. It's their seared Ahi tuna with ponzu sauce, wasabi cream, apple-mango salsa; served on top of a roasted potato cake. It's my favorite thing on the menu, and it's not Scottish. Oops. I try to eat a little lighter when I can, and since this dish is prepared perfectly every time, it's a great choice. Ponzu is a citrusy, tart soy-based sauce (I had to look it up) that pairs beautifully with cool freshness of the salsa and the creaminess of the wasabi.

Terry picked up the prime rib-- the Braveheart cut-- which is served with a baked potato, mushrooms stuffed with pearl onions, and horseradish cream. It is flavorful, juicy and always cooked to Terry's specifications. Quite often, our understanding of "rare" and the restaurant's are two totally different things. This is always textbook rare, and delicious to boot.

We finished with sticky toffee pudding, and I promise the next time we go, we'll get a picture. It's served with toffee sauce and drambuie cream, and it is by far my favorite dessert downtown.

And, good news! You can check them out for restaurant week! Log onto OpenTable.com for reservations, or The Tavern Group for more information.

(Almost) No-Knead Bread

Jeff over at PermaSmirk sang the praises of no-knead bread ever since Mark Bittman talked about it in the New York Times last November. I made a loaf of it-- it looked good, it smelled good, but it tasted sort of flat. I searched around and found that Cook's Illustrated came up with (of course) the Best No-Knead Bread. Problem? You do actually have to knead it. I can live with that.

My modifications: I don't use a dutch oven; instead, I use a huge ceramic pot with a tight-fitting lid that used to be my grandmother's. I use rice wine vinegar instead of regular white vinegar, as I seem to not have any white vinegar in the house (the shame!). And I use whatever beer Terry is drinking at the time (he drinks more beer than I do; I drink more wine than he does); this time happened to be Miller Lite.

These modifications make a bread that is flavorful and far superior to the bread recipe of Bittman's. The parchment is perfect for transferring the dough to the pan. It's great to be able to decide I want bread and not have to do much to it-- just let it do its thing on my stove while I sleep or work or whatever, and have bread the next day. Delish!

3	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
1/4	teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2	teaspoons table salt
3/4	cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
1/4	cup plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (3 ounces)
1	tablespoon white vinegar

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours. 2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

I served it with Mango-Curry butter, which I came up with based on the butter from Allure.

1 stick of butter, softened.
1 tablespoon of Trader Joe's Mango Chutney (you can use any mango chutney, of course; this is just what I had)
1 tablespoon (more or less to taste) of yellow madras curry; I generally buy Rajah.

You can mix this together by hand, or you can put this in a mixer for a fluffier butter. I chose the latter. I imagine this would also be good stuffed under the skin of chicken breasts, on top of steamed vegetables, or anything else you can think of.

Cincinnati's Top Ten Restaurants-- Cincinnati Magazine, March 2008.

I just received my March issue of Cincinnati Magazine-- and here they are:

1. Boca
2. Jean Robert at Pigall's
3. Orchids at Palm Court
4. Nicola's
5. Slims
6. Jean Ro Bistro
7. Cumin
8. Jo An
9. Nectar
10. Daveed's at 934

As usual, Boca and Pigall's flip flop for top restaurant. I'm surprised to see Slims and Cumin on this list (not because they're not good, they are, but because these lists skew towards the expensive and "special") and I thought Daveed's would place higher. What do you think? Which restaurants were snubbed, and which don't deserve to be on there?

Personally, I don't think JeanRo should be on there-- it's mediocre at best, with overly pretentious service for the "concept". Replace it with Honey and I'd agree with the list.

Review: Kroger Sushi

So it's not a restaurant, shoot me. :)

I love sushi. For me, it's become take-out on par with Chinese food in the little paper containers: comfortable, somehow elegant (I always thought it was grown-up to eat with chopsticks out of a paper container. I was a weird kid.) and quite delicious. When I worked for The American Jewish Archives, and when I was an undergrad at UC, I'd often run over to Keller's IGA for some of their sushi: they were the first grocery store in the area to have really good sushi, and they're still my favorite choice for quick, take-out, decent quality sushi.

Most grocery stores, on the other hand, have awful sushi. Not-so-fresh, tasteless, with gummy rice (Trader Joe's and The Party Source, I'm looking at you). Kroger's (and Keller's), in the search for a more upscale, gourmet experience, hired sushi chefs (instead of having factory-made stuff delivered) at their flagship store, Hyde Park Plaza, and now have pretty decent sushi.

You won't get anything exotic here-- it's no Sake Bomb or Beluga-- but you will get good, standard sushi. I'm a fan of their bagel roll (cucumber, avocado, salmon and cream cheese) and the dynamite roll (same as above, substitute spicy tuna for the salmon and cream cheese). They also have nigiri sushi in a package called the "Nagano Platter", which contains shrimp, unagi (my favorite), salmon and tuna. The unagi is OK (no more than OK), with a limited amount of sauce. Stick to the maki, you'll be very pleased.

Are you a sushi beginner? Check out The Sushi FAQ, which is helpful even to those of us who've been eating sushi for years. Maybe I'll try making sushi at home again someday-- the last time didn't turn out so well, but I think that was in 2002. If anything, I can eat bowls of sushi rice for days. Yum.

A few food photos from the weekend.

A warning: I am not a food photographer. I would really like to learn to be better, and I did just buy a (non-DSLR) new camera, but I know that these are not Gourmet magazine pretty. However, I'm learning and I hope you'll take that into consideration.

Enough with the apologies!

I found some lamb shanks for a decent price at Kroeger Meats in Findlay Market. I decided braising them would be a good idea, so I turned to How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman, and found a recipe for Lamb Shanks with Apricots and Onions. Sounds right up my alley. The flavors were great, but I did make a few changes to the given recipe:

I used Chinese 5-Spice powder in place of the cinnamon and clove, as 5-spice complements lamb well.

I used a LOT more chicken stock than it called for-- around 2 cups; Bittman suggested a half-cup-- as I had to rescue the onions from nearly burning. The original recipe (the apricot and onion is a variant) calls for a can of tomatoes, but removes them in the variation without accounting for the lost liquid. I've heard from others who have had mixed successes with Bittman's recipes, and I can see some of their frustration, particularly for a beginning cook.

Overall, the sauce was delicious and the lamb turned out tender.

I just started participating in an organic food co-op (which I'll write about in a future post), and this week's shipment had fennel. I'd never cooked with fennel before, so I checked with Bittman, and he suggested boiling them until nearly tender, then shocking them in ice water, slicing thinly, and baking with butter, chicken stock and Parmesan cheese until bubbly and golden. So, I did. No pictures of this one (honestly, it's not a terribly attractive dish), and in this, Bittman suggested that the fennel would absorb most of the chicken broth-- instead, it was almost soup-like with the two cups of chicken broth. Halving the chicken broth would have produced a superior product. However, nothing tastes bad with parmesan cheese on top, and fennel was delicate (like an herb-scented leek) and delicious.

For Valentine's Day, I picked up some chocolate from the Greenup Cafe. It was pretty and delicious, but I forgot my camera on V-Day (I purchased a new, smaller one so I wouldn't be tempted to forget it anymore, and could carry it around with me everywhere) so I only have a picture of the box, and not the truffles that came inside it. At this point, only the top of the box remains (and I'm not sure how long that will last).





And speaking of Greenup, we went there for breakfast on Monday, and picked up a lemon tart for dessert that evening. So cute and so delicious!

Review: Twist at Pigall's

I popped by Twist on Valentine's Day, before I cooked dinner for Terry. A couple of friends from a former job were meeting there, and since I'd never been to Twist, I was eager to go. You can see some great pictures from the same evening (though we were there separately) at 5chw4r7z's blog. I ended up meeting Burke, the general manager of the soon-to-open Lavomatic, who was very welcoming and eager to hear my opinion on Lavomatic once it opens. He offered me a tour, but sadly, I was a bit overwhelmed on Tuesday, and was unable to attend.

Terry and I went back on Friday-- I was that enamored of the place and the atmosphere and drinks-- and had a great time. He had his first dirty martini (known at Pigall's as Deliciously Dirty), which I had a sip of-- a very nice dirty martini, but not his favorite. I drank Vanilla Heat (vanilla and amaretto and cinnamon), and he finished up the night with pear margaritas which were phenomenal. It's a little expensive-- $11-14 a drink regularly; on Valentine's drinks were half-price during happy hour-- but the atmosphere was well worth it.

Review: Allure Cincinnati

I'd seen advertisements for this restaurant-- the food looked good on TV (though on TV, just about anything can be made to look good), and I'm always up for trying something new. On Saturday evening, we decided to get a reservation somewhere, but since it was Valentine's Day Weekend (who knew it was a whole weekend?), it was hard to get a reservation-- however, Allure had some openings at 8:30, so off we went! It is located in Montgomery, near Go Bananas Comedy Club and a couple of car dealerships, and in the general direction of our plans later in the evening.

We arrived promptly at 8:30 and discovered that our table wasn't ready. It seemed as if the staff was overwhelmed-- though the place looked busy but not packed. After about fifteen minutes (and many apologies), we were lead to our table. It was an older crowd-- mid-60s and up-- with a couple of couples in their late 40s, early 50s. Not terribly diverse, and not something I'm used to seeing. Most of the restaurants I go to in Cincinnati have people of all ages with fairly diverse crowds, so at this point, I'm wondering if it's the food or the location or something else.

We started out with a cheese plate, served with crostini. It had a good assortment of cheeses: some smoked mozzarella, roquefort, Welsh cheddar, gruyere and fromager d'affinois flavored with kirsch. Well balanced and a nice selection.

I had a lot of trouble deciding what to get-- I didn't want a big, heavy meal (my stomach was a bit tender from too many martinis at Twist the previous night)-- so I ended up with the lobster roll. The lobster salad consisted of lobster, spring onions, and a citrus vinaigrette that had a touch of yellow madras curry to it. It was served on a very disappointing roll: I expected a good-quality hot dog roll, instead it was served on two toasted, six-to-a-pack (why do they do that? Everyone knows there are eight hot dogs in a pack) hot dog buns that you could get at any grocery store. Disappointing. However, the fries that they served with the lobster roll were great-- thin, skin on, fried golden and crispy and well salted. I ate most of the fries and about half of the salad.

Terry spied a sign that said "Best Hamburger in Cincinnati" from both CityBeat and Cincinnati Magazine. You can guess what he got. It was a kobe beef burger, topped with gruyere, lettuce, tomato and onions on a soft bun. The beef was juicy, but overall it was bland-- the meat itself was not seasoned at all-- it reminded me of my grandma's burgers, which were straight-out-of-the-package ground beef, slapped in a skillet. A little salt and pepper before cooking would have helped immensely.

We skipped dessert, but many of those around us ordered it: slices of cheesecake as big as my head, crème brûlée that could feed four.

I think we will try Allure again-- perhaps on a weeknight, or on a non-Valentine's-related Saturday. It was definitely a good value-- around $40, without tip, including two draught beers.

Happy Valentine's Day!

So what is everyone doing (or not doing) for Valentine's? In an earlier post, I revealed that I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's day-- it's over commercialized and too high-pressure. Me, I'd rather have a guy who treats me well every day of the year, not just when he has to. I'm very lucky that way. So, because I feel like cooking a meal, I'm doing a Valentine's dinner myself tonight. I'll be heading over to his place with groceries later this evening.

First, I'll be going out with some work associates to Twist for happy hour. I'll report back.

As far as dinner is concerned, I wanted a few things that were tasty, appeared fancy, and didn't need a lot of prep time. My appetizer was inspired by my friend Deb, who needed a dairy meal for Shabbos that wasn't a quiche. I suggested a veggie-based tarte fine, and together we came up with the idea of topping the tarte (for her, made out of kosher Pepperidge Farm puff pastry; for me, made out of TJ's butter puff pastry, which we weren't sure was kosher or not) with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and topped with slices of goat cheese.

I'll probably slide in a salad of some sort. Inspiration hasn't hit, but I'll probably do a basic vinaigrette, maybe with some shallot, using muscat-citrus vinegar.

Entree? Seared scallops, fresh asparagus (or spinach, haven't decided, depends on how the asparagus look at the store) and mushroom risotto. Terry loves my mushroom risotto, so I'm happy to make it.

Dessert? Chocolates from Greenup Cafe, which I need to remember to pick up. I am not much of a dessert baker (though friends who attended my housewarming will remember my angel food cupcakes filled with raspberry, and the fact that I had about four dozen of them, and I hand-filled them all post-baking), so I'd rather buy something.

Pictures will follow, as well as a post about bacon brittle!

Best of Cincinnati-- CityBeat

Looks like it's that time of year again-- CityBeat's best of Cincinnati! I'll be interested in seeing who wins the restaurant wars, of course, but there are also some other great nominations-- best car repair (how hard is it to find a reputable car repair shop? Hard. Especially if you drive an Euro import), best amateur athletic team (Broomball? Cincinnati Rollergirls?) and best blog! Now, I haven't been around for long, so I'd never expect a nomination (and no, that wasn't passive aggressive hinting), but I think I'll put my vote in for The Cincinnati Blog.

What are your other favorite Cincinnati blogs? I'm always looking for new, great local reads (or ones that are established that I've just missed).

Cincinnati Restaurant Week announced

Yay! I'm so excited.

Dates: 3 March through 9 March

Price: 25.08 for a three course prix fixe meal.

Restaurants: Andy's Mediterranean, Behle Street, Bella Luna, Brown Dog Cafe, Chalk, Daveed's, deSha's, Greenup Cafe, Holy Grail, Hugo, Jag's, Pigall's, Jimmy D's, Kona, Mesh, Mike & Jimmy's, Molly Malone's, Nicholson's, O'Bryon's, Polo Grille, Pompilio's, Primavista, The Pubs, Red, Universal Grille and Washington Platform.

Which are you going to try? I think I'll be going to Brown Dog, Daveed's and Hugo's, if I can.

shameless theatrical plug

Sorry about the total lack of posts this week. I've been at the theater every night finishing up costumes for The House of Blue Leaves over at Falcon Theatre in Newport, my usual theatrical home. It opens tonight (Friday) and runs through February 23. It's an interesting little play-- part farce, part comedy, part tragedy-- you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll think. Always a good combination in my eyes! Anyway, go check it out (and you may see me working box office one weekend)!

More Valentine's News

I took my mom out for her birthday on Saturday to Jean-Robert's Greenup Cafe, and ended up pre-ordering some chocolates. I had insisted that I was going to buy half-price chocolates at Godiva the day after Valentine's, but the cute little heart boxes (edible!) filled with truffles and chocolate and strawberry mousse hearts were a little too much for me to resist. They're still taking pre-orders: you can call the restaurant at 859-581-0363 to secure your goodies or you can visit Findlay Market on Saturday (2/9) and pre-order at Taste of Belgium between 10:30 and 12:30.

Too many restaurants downtown?

The Enquirer just posted an article wondering if there are too many restaurants downtown. Initially, my thought was that there couldn't possibly be too many restaurants downtown-- thinking about places with downtowns that are far more thriving, like Louisville or Pittsburgh. Then, this quote popped out:

Paula Kirk of Paula’s Café on Fourth Street, open only for lunch, said she’s getting a smaller piece of those workers’ business. She sees each new lunch-place opening pulling customers away.

“When Potbelly on the Square opened, all the people in the Fifth Third building could go there instead of here,” she said. “It’s hard, and especially because some of the new places are chains. They have more leverage.”

She has an excellent point. Though we have had some new non-chain restaurants open, like Via Vite and Nada, but most of the other newer restaurants are chains: Potbelly, McCormick and Schmick's, Boi Na, among others. They do have more buying power and marketing power than a smaller, locally-owned restaurant. So what can we do, as a city, to encourage more independent restaurants to come downtown? What could open downtown that would give people more things to do? A movie theater might be nice, or more shopping. We have a thriving theater scene downtown already. What about more small venues for music or comedy?

What do you think?

Review: Shadeau Bread

I love good bread. I couldn't tell you the last time I bought white bread (which is what I grew up with). I prefer the crunchy crust and soft insides of fresh-baked bread, preferably from an artisanal bakery (though Panera will do in a pinch). I love the fact that I have a bakery near my apartment: Shadeau Bakery, in Over the Rhine.

I often stop by on a Saturday morning, or a random weekday before I head to work. Bill Pritz, the owner, makes the best baguette in the city, and darn good ciabatta. His pastries, including chocolate croissant, cheese danish, and apple turnovers, are some of the best I've had. I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to croissant-- after coming back from Paris, I wanted a good croissant, and I tried Shadeau's. While they're competent, they're not quite as flaky-crisp as the ones I get at Greenup Cafe.

I also recommend their schnecken-- it tastes homemade and reminds me quite a bit of the pastries my grandmother made. The sugary coating is nicely crunchy, and the raisins are plump and moist. It's only made on Saturdays, and they take custom orders for schnecken as well as other items during the holiday season.

Waffle news, Mardi Gras at Findlay Market, etc.

It looks like Taste From Belgium has moved into a better spot in Findlay Market-- they used to be right outside the door, near Kroeger's Meats; now they've moved into the market house, next to Ms. Helen's. I've never tried Ms. Helen's, but being that close to Aunt Flora's sounds dangerous! I'll have to resist washing down a waffle with some of her sweet potatoes or macaroni and cheese!

In case you didn't hear, tomorrow (Saturday, February 2) is Mardi Gras at the Market. Among other things, Jean-Francois will be featuring a special waffle-- shrimp and grits!

As shrimp and grits is possibly my favorite Southern-ish dish (I guess, technically, Shrimp and Grits is low country food, but hey. I'll work with him, here), and Liege waffles have become one of my favorite things *ever*, you'll probably find me at his stand for a little bit on Saturday. Feel free to say hi, but don't be surprised if my mouth is full and I just wave.

Other Mardi Gras features will be crowning a King and Queen, featured Cajun foods (like crawfish!), a parade, and a whole lot more.

See you there!