Best Place for a Minority Report:
Udipi Cafe in Roselawn
or Pacific Moon Cafe for Dim Sum Sunday brunch. If
you’re Indian
or Asian, respectively, you’ll feel right at home; if you’re
not, you’ll feel as if you’ve been exclusively invited
and warmly welcomed to an exotic feast in the homeland. They know something
the rest of us are only now learning. Udipi Café, 7633 Reading
Road, Roselawn, 513-821-2021; Pacific Moon Café, 8300 Market
Place Lane, Montgomery, 513-891-0091.
Best Ocean Fusion:
Cheng-3’s menu is a varied mix of fusion
cusine and Pacific Rim delights. Order up the whole red snapper
cooked in banana leaf or the sauteed rainbow trout with Asian rice
in a creamy saffron sauce. Cheng-3 Cafe, Harper’s Station,
11371 Montgomery Road, Symmes Twp., 513-469-8801.
|
Photo:
Jon Hughes/photopresse
|
Best Reincarnation:
What’s for Dinner?
It’s been a remarkable transformation from the old Brickyard
bar into this eatery worthy of San Francisco. The high quality
of the catering company of the same name hasn’t changed,
but the menu has expanded to include a much wider array of delectables,
offered in a setting that couldn’t be more comfy and inviting.
Menu highlights include artichoke dip; halibut served over a
scrumptious bed of crabmeat and butter-infused shrimp, mixed
squash and couscous; risotto du jour; mashed potatoes; green
beans; barbarian chocolate cream pie and a hot bread pudding
caramel sauce. Vegetarians can choose any number of menu items,
including main courses, lovely salads and sides. There are lots
of beers on tap and a reasonable selection of nice wines. They’ve
created a perfectly lovely place that’s a happy transmigration
of food for the soul. What’s for Dinner?,
3009 O’Bryon St., O’Bryonville, 513-321-4404. (SG) |
Best Reason to Skip the Fast-Food Filet
o’ Fish:
Try the hefty
beer-battered cod sandwich served on a kaiser roll at Shannon’s.
The light brown crust is crunchy and the cod is moist but not greasy
as with some. Yep, the place is a dive, but a clean dive. And the tab
is pretty reasonable: $4.95 with fries, $5.95 with the onion rings
(go for it!). Shannon’s Grill and Bar, 4343 Kellogg Ave., California,
513-321-0636.
Best Dressed-Up Seafare:
Bonefish Grill’s wood-grilled Atlantic
swordfish with lime tomato garlic sauce. Or maybe their skewer of shrimp
with warm mango salsa. Also, the house chopped salad that comes with
entrées (pine nuts, Kalamata olives, hearts of palm in a citrus
vinaigrette) is quite good, as is the creamy corn chowder with lump
crab. Bonefish Grill, 2737 Madison Road, Hyde Park, 513-321-5222.
Best Art on a Plate:
The sea scallops at York Street Café, seared
medium-rare and served with butternut squash, wilted spinach, chanterelle
mushrooms and porcini truffle butter. A creative assemblage of flavors — sweet,
musky, earthy and bitter — that reaffirms the “art” in “culinary
art.” York Street Café, 738 York St., Newport, 859-261-9675.
|
|
Best
Fries Even the French Would Claim:
Cody’s Café, Palomino,
Tropicana
French fries feel insecure these days — hiding under
new names and trying out exotic disguises, pretending to be
foreign, with varying degrees of success. Cody’s Café has
created a hit with their sweet-potato fries, a hip, sweeter
version of the McDonald’s classic: thin, perfectly cooked,
tasty as all get-out. The principal difference is, naturally,
that luscious smoky-sweet yammy flavor. Palomino’s gorgonzola
fries, on the other hand, try a little too hard. For one thing,
they’re waffle fries, a needlessly alienating shape;
presumably they chose this configuration in order to sop up
more of the sauce as well as to maximize “uniqueness.” Still,
a little gorgonzola goes a long, rich way. For a third treat,
cross the bridge and endure the tacky decor of Jeff Ruby’s
Tropicana and order their scrumptious French-Italian fries.
I don’t know if it’s the white truffle oil or the
pecorino and romano cheeses or both, but they’re fantastic.
The waitress actually handed me ketchup to go with them. Ketchup!
What was she thinking? Cody’s Café, 113 Calhoun
St., Clifton Heights, 513-569-0555; Palomino, 505 Vine St.,
Downtown, 513-381-1300; Tropicana, Newport on the Levee, Newport,
859-491-8900. (SG) |
Best Lobsta Pasta:
At Andiamo! Ristorante. “Andiamo” translates
as “Let’s go!,” and you ought to. This Italian
eatery features a dreamy lobster ravioli buried in an even dreamier
lobster
vermouth cream sauce. Andiamo! Ristorante, 3235 Madison Road, Oakley,
513-321-4155.
Best Fishing Expedition:
J’s Seafood has half-price drinks at
9-11 p.m. on Fridays as well as a buffet of free appetizers. And
you don’t need a life jacket. J’s Fresh Seafood, 2444
Madison Road, Hyde Park, 513-871-2888.
Best Deep, Deep, Deep Dish Pizza:
Seafood pizzas from Outer
Banks Seafood
The Outer Banks Seafood Market in Mariemont offers two versions
of frozen pizzas that can be brought home and quickly heated
for a delicious meal. (The pies are also sold at their new
kiosk at Ridge Market in Pleasant Ridge.) The BBQ Shrimp Pizza
is buried in carmelized onions, basil, provolone, mozzarella
and asiago cheeses. The Red, White & Green Pizza includes
white sauce, pesto, roasted red peppers, crab, bay scallops
and provolone, mozzarella and asiago cheeses. They’re
not cheap at $13.99, but they’re worth it. Call ahead
and reserve your box, though, since they don’t make them
every day and it’s a popular item that sells out fast.
Outer Banks Seafood Market, 7227 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, 513-272-2061;
Ridge Market, 6142 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, 513-366-4764.
(FW) |
Best Chinese Dumplings:
At Jade Garden in Mount Washington. The savory
steamed dumplings are filled with pork, then served with dipping sauces.
It’s $4.50 for eight. Good bargain. Jade Garden, 2042 Beechmont
Ave., Mount Washington, 513-233-0888.
Best Sukiyaki:
Ko-Sho does it tableside with the finest ingredients,
and it’s enough to feed an army. Ko-Sho Japanese Restaurant,
215 E. Ninth St., Downtown, 513-665-4950.
Best Place to Be Served by Men on Their Knees:
If you choose to sit
at Riverside Korean’s traditional low tables with floor cushions,
the servers — in order not to have to remove their shoes every
time — wait on you hand and knees. Riverside Korean Restaurant,
512 Madison Ave., Covington, 859-291-1484.
Best Bargain for Eastsiders:
The ever growing choice of bargain night
buffets. Recent openings include Dragon City Buffet and Royal
Buffet,
where all-you-can-eat feasts can be had for under $9 on weeknights
(half that for kids). We’re talking an unlimited supply of snow
crab, steak, shrimp, sushi, the works. Dragon City Buffet, 8315 Beechmont
Ave., Anderson Twp., 513-388-9913; Royal Buffet, 491 Ohio Pike, Cherry
Grove, 513-528-4808.
Best Lamb on a Skewer:
The delicious lamb kabob at Myra’s Kabob
Cafe. This Pakistani cafe is a delight for both meat lovers
and vegetarians alike. Sample, for instance, the Salad Shirazi, a tangy
melange of
marinated parsley, green onions and cucumbers. Myra’s Kabob Cafe,
12082 Montgomery Road, Symmes Twp., 513-683-4499.
Best Ostrich:
The two medallions served up seasoned and charbroiled
at Deaf Goat Restaurant. The goat might have been
deaf, but at least he had the smarts to avoid the butcher’s knife.
The ostrich, well, he must have just stuck his head in the sand. Deaf
Goat Restaurant,
830 Eastgate Drive, Eastgate, 513-752-3700.
Best Change of Pace Mexican:
Family-owned El Ranchito is a nice departure
from the Mexican chain restaurants that seem to dominate around here.
Taquitos, chalupas, huevos rancheros, rellenos — the entire menu
is delectable. Cool decor, too. El Ranchito, 7725 Five Mile Road, Anderson
Twp., 513-233-9200.
Best Crazy Calzones:
At Pizza Tower, where the oversized pockets of
fresh dough come loaded with ricotta, shrimp, bacon and other daring
stuffings. Pizza Tower, 8495 Governor’s Way, Symmes Twp., 513-683-8400.
Best Eggs-cellent Adventure:
The tomato broccoli quiche at Gusto. For
$6.50, you get a hefty slice of the tasty quiche, garnished with fruit,
and they throw in a sizable house salad as well. A bargain by Mount
Adams standards. Gusto, 950 Pavilion St., Mount Adams, 513-333-0170.
Best B.E.L.T. Sandwich:
They don’t necessarily want you to know
about this at Mullane’s, but for a little extra
money they’ll
put a fried egg on your bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich — and
it’s killer good. Get it on whole wheat toasted bread. Mullane’s
Parkside Café, 723 Race St., Downtown, 513-381-1331.
Best Corned Beef:
We’d normally tip our culinary hats to Izzy’s, but it’s
hard to beat (if you’re willing to pay the price) the corned
beef at Jeff Ruby’s Tropicana, flown in directly from
the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan. At better than $10 a sandwich, though,
we presume these suckers flew into town first-class, sipping their
martinis while watching the in-flight movie. (Be forewarned: The corned
beef is served at lunch only.) Tropicana, Newport on the Levee, Newport,
859-491-8900.
Best Non-Irish Pub Grub:
The chips and dips at Bar Louie. For a pass-around
plate, try the hummus, tabbouleh and tsaziki platter with warm pita
bread (order the spicy olive mix on the side for an additional $1.95).
The guacamole and chips are good, too, but we’ll leave the fried
twinkies to confirmed Hostess hop heads. Bar Louie, Newport on the
Levee, Newport, 859-291-4222.
Best Hearty Lunch:
Washington Platform keeps ’em coming back
for homemade specials like the batter-fried perch filets with macaroni
and cheese — the crunchy batter is flavorful, and the mac & cheese
has a stick-to-your-ribs quality that distinguishes it from fast-food
choices. Other solid choices include the seafood gumbo and pecan chicken
salad. Washington Platform, 1000 Elm St., Downtown, 513-421-0110.
Best Tuck for Your Buck:
The Big Tuck double-decker cheeseburger at
Tucker’s is notable especially for the toppings — the fresh
onion, pickle and tomato are from the produce stands at nearby Findlay
Market. And it’s only $2.75. Tucker’s Restaurant, 1637
Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-721-7123.
Best Warm Seat in the Winter:
If you’re lucky enough to snag
one of the four counter seats at Brio Tuscan Grille, you get treated
to an up close and personal view of the frenzy that is a busy restaurant
kitchen. You literally stare into the wood fired oven, and if you make
nice with the pizza guy he might very well slide one of the his crispy
creations in front of you, compliments of the house. Shhhh! Brio Tuscan
Grille, Newport on the Levee, Newport, 859-431-0900.
Best Cool Seat in the Summer:
Nothing beats an outdoor table at the
Vineyard Café at the intersection of Erie and
Edwards in the heart of Hyde Park Square. It’s a great spot to see and be seen.
Vineyard Café & Wine Room, 2653 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, 513-871-6167.
Best Goetta from a Market:
Finke’s, tucked away on the corner
of a residential intersection in Fort Wright, takes great pride in
its homemade goetta. Even better, you can purchase frozen packages
separated into individual servings for easy cooking at home. Finke’s & Sons
Meats, 1502 Amsterdam Road, Fort Wright, 859-261-8899.
Best Goetta from a Chili Parlor:
Price Hill Chili’s version is
a West side breakfast staple served at a legendary West side eatery.
It goes down amazingly well with a Hudy draft. Price Hill Chili, 4920
Glenway Ave., Price Hill, 513-471-9507.
Best Mac & Cheese:
Nick & Tony’s, the new chop house
downtown Whether you’re 5 or 50, this iron skillet macaroni and
cheese will make you smile. Truly the best comfort food. Nick & Tony’s,
19 E. Seventh St., Downtown, 513-723-1940.
Best Reason to Drive to Seaman, Ohio:
Perhaps it’s the only reason
to drive to Seamon (right off State Route 32 near West Union), but
the peanut butter pretzels sold at Keim’s Amish Market are
worth it. These little nuggets are very addictive. The market’s apple
butter and homemade baked goods are equally delicious. Keim’s
Amish Market, 2621 Burnt Cabin Road, Seamon, 937-386-9995.
Best Reason Not to Share Dessert:
The butter rum pecan pudding bundt
cake at York Street Cafe. More modest looking than
some of pastry chef Annabell Stolley’s other delicious creations, this cake is easy
to overlook at first as you glide by the desserts displayed prominently
in York Street’s main dining room. But one melt-in-your-mouth
bite is a direct flight to bundt heaven. Try it on the outdoor patio
on a warm spring evening — a slice of heaven. York Street Café,
738 York St., Newport, 859-261-9675.
Best Reason to Quit Buying Grocery Store Spaghetti Sauce:
You can taste
the Naples sun in the marinara from Betta’s Italian Cuisine.
Besides the many menu dishes it enhances, Betta deLuca’s fragrant
and delizioso daily-made sauce sells in quarts to go. Bellissimo! Betta’s
Italian Cuisine, 1026 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout, 513-871-2233.
Best Way to Stretch Saturday Night’s
Date Into Sunday Afternoon:
Brunch at Sugar ‘N’ Spice. Sit at the
counter or squish into a tiny booth with The New York Times for a classic,
diner-style
breakfast of eggs, hash browns and blueberry pancakes or creamed chipped
beef on toast. Oh, and the omelettes are some of the best around. Sugar ‘N’ Spice
Restaurant, 4381 Reading Road, Paddock Hills, 513-242-3521.
Best Place For Inexpensive, Late Night Good Food With a View:
The two-for-one
appetizers at Palomino. Offered from 10 p.m. to midnight,
this is one of the best deals going after you just dropped $150 for
Broadway musical
tickets and that size 4 dress isn’t going to allow dinner. All
of the appetizers are interesting and delicious, and the view overlooking
Fountain Square is so big city. Palomino Restaurant, 505 Vine St.,
Downtown, 513-381-1300.
Best Service/Cuisine Match:
The Brown Dog’s mutating menu features
a wide variety of seafood and salads, many of which have a Moroccan-ish
cast, with ingredients like squash and chilies and grapes. But the
warmth and skill of the service is as impressive — from the chatty
hostess taking reservations to the down-to-earth amiability of the
waitstaff. It’s an unusual combination of fantastic chefs, excellent
staff and an attractive dining room — which easily makes you
forget that Office Max is right next door. Brown Dog, 5893 Pfeiffer
Road, Blue Ash, 513-794-1610.
Best Graduate of the Obi Wan Kenobi School of Waiting Tables:
Nicole,
a server at J. Alexander’s in Rookwood Commons.
In a dimly lit dining room that winks of clandestine meetings, we sat
transfixed by
her seductive gaze and hypnotic, velvety voice and ordered everything
she suggested, including food we never eat. We would’ve done
anything she asked — or demanded. J. Alexander’s, 2629
Edmondson Road, Norwood, 513-531-7495.
Best Rat-Pack Retro Eatery:
Nick’s
Chops and Chasers.The Naugahyde,
the hard-bitten but well-dressed regulars in the bar, the unbeatable
combination of liquor and meat, the dim lighting and bonhomie all recommend
Nick’s to diners who want a taste of the good old days, when
a chop was a chop and side orders were for sissies. Nick’s Chops
and Chasers, 3355 Madison Road, Oakley, 513-871-5858.
Best Place to Dine If You Love the Smell of Seared Flesh:
Vinoklet
Winery. This grill-it-yourself restaurants’s behemoth outdoor
grill is frequently crowded with an esprit d’corp of weekend
grillmeisters. The resulting din from the sizzle and pop of ol’Bessie’s
flanks make this also the Worst Place to Dine If You’re Vegetarian.
Vinoklet Winery, 11069 Colerain Ave., Bevis, 513-385-9309.
Best Place to Dine for a Cross-Dressing Night Out:
Hamburger Mary’s.
The upscale hamburger chain not only caters to a largely gay clientele,
but some of the servers are pure Kabuki theater. Hamburger Mary’s,
911 Vine St., Downtown, 513-381-6279.
Best Place to Feed Your Inner Child:
Jax Grill at Gameworks at Newport
on the Levve, where you can enjoy dinner while you draw on the table
and then play video games like you’re a kid again. Jax Grill,
Newport on the Levee, Newport, 859-581-7529.
Best Bet for Baked Goods:
Shadeau Bread can hardly keep its multi-grain
German bread on the shelves. Plan ahead, since it’s just baked
on Saturdays. Shadeau Bread, 1336 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-665-9270.
Best Hole in the Wall:
ZZ’s Pizza could easily be mistaken for
a hole in the wall. Well, actually it is a hole in the wall, but one
filled with a cozy warmth. The owners have created a welcoming environment
with a lush décor of reds and blacks and their own personal
demeanor. By engaging their customers in small conversation, they’ve
found a way to bring people not into their restaurant but into their
home. ZZ’s Pizza, 2401 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, 513-559-0926.
Best Recreation of Thanksgiving:
The Apple on Elm offers its
Turkey Special every Thursday — it’s a traditional
Thanksgiving-like plate with all the trimmings. Apple on
Elm, 801 Elm St., Downtown,
513-621-6512.
Best Martini and Pizza:
It’s hard to beat Trio’s martinis,
which surprisingly go well with one of their gourmet pizzas. Of
course, everything goes well with a great martini. Trio, 7565 Kenwood
Road,
Kenwood, 513-984-1905.
Best Place to Eat, Drink and Watch Airplanes:
Nothing complements
a meal like watching business executives and wealthy people fly
their private planes in and out of Lunken Airport. With the hills
in the
background, it’s actually a very serene setting. Sky
Galley,
262 Wilmer Ave., Columbia-Tusculum, 513-871-7400.
Best Indian Comfort Food:
The palak paneer at Cumin, the new restaurant
opened by Yajan Upadhyaya and his wife, April, after moving here
from Manhattan. The bittersweet aromatics of fenugreek wafting
up from the
swamp-green mound of cooked spinach and paneer (soft, homemade
cheese with a consistency like firm tofu) is affirmation of the
fine line
between earthy and heavenly food. Cumin, 3514 Erie Ave., Hyde Park,
513-871-8714.
Best Exotic Rice:
The dreamy coconut rice at Udipi Cafe, the vegetarian
South Indian cuisine eatery. For dessert, try the Mango Milk Shake.
Udipi Cafe, 7633 Reading Road, Roselawn, 513-821-2021.
Best Song for Your Supper:
Longtime favorite LaNormandie recently added live
music on weeknights from such venerable local acts as The Goshorn
Brothers, Danny Frazier, The Bottomfeeders and Kenny Cowden. Pair
the acoustic rock with Roasted Atlantic Salmon or Surf and Turf (4-oz.
filet mignon and Maine lobster tail), and you have the makings of
a memorable night out. LaNormandie, 118 E. Sixth St., Downtown, 513-721-2761.
|