Earlier this year I mentioned an award that I received at work. At the time it was just a certificate that I filed away with other paperwork. Today an actual award plaque arrived in the mail. It appears to be made completely of glass with gold etching for the drawing and text. It should look nice in my cube even though I am hardly there.

Lately I have been working on a project that requires working with a couple of servers that are off of the network. To do so I have to sit in a secure lab in our building for most of the day. As much as I am enjoying this project, I hope that I can get back to spending some time working from home, or at the minimum from my cube with views of the outside world.

While at the Big Band & Bigger Beer event last week, I had the opportunity to try Taco Azul. This food truck specializes in authentic tacos (2 for $5), burritos ($5), tortas ($7), and quesadillas ($5). Each item is available with chicken, pork, steak, or mushroom filling.  Everything is made fresh daily and local ingredients are used when possible.

Taco Azul Truck

I made the mistake of waiting too long before placing my order. When I finally did the pork was completely gone and there was only enough chicken for one taco. I was hoping to get one chicken and one pork taco. I decided to switch the pork over to mushroom. The tacos are served on corn tortillas with only onions and cilantro. Pico de gallo and lettuce can be added, as well as cheese for a quarter, but I decided to keep them simple.

Mushroom And Chicken Tacos

The menu doesn’t mention it but lime wedges are served with the tacos for squeezing onto the top. I decided to skip this step since the slices of lime I was given weren’t fresh, as evident in the photo above. Also wedges of radish are served on the side, which I wasn’t really sure what to do with. I started with the chicken taco and was immediately impressed with the spice and flavor of the chicken. The cilantro and onion add simple flavors to the taco but let the meat shine through. The mushroom taco wasn’t as nearly as flavorful, but was still a decent option for the vegetarians out there. In conclusion I enjoyed the food and I would definitely give them a second shot, especially if they have pork available this time.

My first game as a new Cincinnati Bearcat football season ticket holder was a huge success! Our group of at least a dozen met in a parking lot just off of campus between 3:30 and 4 for some tailgate food and drinks. After a few hours we were all ready for the season opening game against the Austin Peay Governors. It started with a few skydivers, the always entertaining traditional marching band charge down the steps, and a won coin toss for the Bearcats.

UC decided to receive the opening kickoff, which ended up being a great decision. Freshman Ralph David Abernathy returned the kick 60 yards, which set up a 40 yard run on the very next play by Isaiah Pead for a really quick score. Redshirt freshman Tony Miliano missed the extra point, but that was one of the very few mistakes the Bearcats had all game. Pead added another touchdown before the first quarter was even half over.

Nippert Stadium

Attendance was officially 23,282, which is pretty good for a season opening game against a non-conference division I-AA team. The student section was especially good considering that classes still don’t start for another couple of weeks. Every one in attendance was treated to quite a performance as the score was 41-0 at half time. The other four touchdowns of the half came on senior Zach Collaros passes to junior Kenbrell Thompkins, senior D.J. Woods, and twice to sophomore Anthony McClung.

The crowd thinned through the night, but we stayed through the end of the third quarter before heading out. At this time the Bearcats were using second and third string players for the most part, and doing a good job at spreading the scoring around. They were still able to add a field goal from Miliano as well as a running touchdown from sophomore quarterback Munchie Legaux, making it 51-0. Before the third was over Austin Peay got on the scoreboard with a 21 yard field goal.

After we left we listened on the radio as the Bearcats added three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, while the Governors added one of their own. Scoring for UC were freshman running back Akise Teague, sophomore quarterback Jordan Luallen, and former practice squad member junior Adam Fearing. Final score of the game was 72-10. The season continues this coming Saturday as the Bearcats head to Knoxville to take on the Volunteers of Tennessee, which should be a much more challenging game.

Setting Sun Behind Pavilion

Last night I attended the Big Band & Bigger Beer Festival in Ault Park. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the festival other than the little information that was advertised. We knew that we would get 20 beer samples for just $20, but we had no idea what breweries would be there. We also knew that the 17-piece Jump n’ Jive Show Band would be there, but we didn’t really know what to expect from them. We also knew that there would be food for sale, but little information on the vendors was available. After spending nearly four hours at the event I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by most of what the event had to offer.

Event Ticket

Dutch’s is a fantastic wine bar and bottle shop nearby that was presenting the festival. Having them in charge of the beer tasting, I knew there would be some good offerings. I was happy to see Colorado well represented immediately upon our entry with Boulder, Breckenridge, Great Divide, and Left Hand featured at a couple of tables together. They mostly had the regular offerings from each of those breweries, so I spent the majority of the time trying to find good beers that I had never heard of or seen before. I really enjoyed some of the Buckeye Brewing Company offerings as well as Hoppin’ Frog Brewery.

Buckeye Brewing Hippie IPA

Here’s a full list of what I tasted (though I might have missed a few). I used the Untappd app to track my samples:

• Left Hand Brewing Company – Good Juju
• Boulder Beer Company – Cold Hop
• Buckeye Brewing Company – ’76 Imperial IPA
• Hoppin’ Frog Brewery – Frogs’ Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale
• Hoppin’ Frog Brewery – Hoppin’ To Heaven IPA
• Tallgrass Brewing Company – Oasis
• Buckeye Brewing Company – Hippie IPA
• Clipper City Brewing Company – Heavy Seas Marzen
• Great Divide Brewing Company – Denver Pale Ale (DPA)
• Stevens Point Brewery – Pale Ale
• Mendocino Brewing – Eye of the Hawk
• Unibroue – Trois Pistoles
• Great Divide Brewing Company – Claymore Scotch Ale
• Boulder Beer – Mojo IPA
• Breckenridge Brewery – Vanilla Porter

Jump n' Jive Show Band

Overall it was a great time. One suggestion is that I would do away with the sample counting and just offer unlimited samples. I found it impossible to completely fill my card with 20 check-marks, even giving some of my samples away to others. The tasting glass was probably three ounces, so a good amount of beer is already being offered with 20 samples. Plus some of the volunteers forgot to mark cards anyway. Other than that, this was the third year for the festival and I think they have a good thing going. I hope to see it return next year, as I will definitely be there.

As of yesterday I am officially registered for the Hudepohl 14K Brewery Run. When I first read about the race a couple of months ago I was immediately intrigued. At the time I was running around four or five miles nearly every other day. I figured if I could keep that up and add in some longer runs I would be well prepared for the race. I didn’t register for the race immediately since we would soon be moving into our new house and I figured many busy days would be ahead, but that didn’t stop me from thinking and talking about the race.

I convinced a couple of friends of ours, who also just moved back to Cincinnati, to consider running the race. I must have convinced them so well that they both registered the next day. Once they were registered I realized that I better hold up my end of the deal, so I found a 15K training program and decided to loosely stick to it. With just over two weeks to go, I am proud to say that I am just about completely ready for the race, and so is my dad. I convinced him to join me for the run, which was really easy to do as the race was one of his favorites many years ago. He took me out with a group he runs with often this past Saturday and I was able to rack up nearly 7.5 miles. I plan to run about the same again this weekend and then a bit longer the following Saturday. Sprinkle in some three, four, and five-mile runs and it will be race day before I know it.

Over the weekend my wife and I had lunch at Olives at the Ludlow Garage. Awhile ago I bought a LivingSocial coupon that was expiring this week, so we were forced to use it. We nearly went to a beer tasting months ago at Olives, and when we saw the coupon a few days later we figured it was worth a try. When we pulled up to Olives I immediately recognized the restaurant as the old Uno’s, which I guess closed a couple of years after I graduated from UC. The outside of the restaurant seems a little different, but once I stepped into the entryway with steps down to the basement and the double doors on the left into the bar, there was no denying that much of the inside of Olives in unchanged from the Uno days.

Olives Upstairs Bar Area

Since we arrived late in the afternoon on a Sunday, the downstairs was closed and most of the upstairs was empty. We were told to sit where we like and chose the empty loft area behind the bar, since it had low tables that we could pull a high chair up to. The bartender would also act as our server, which wasn’t a problem as there were only a couple of other tables and a few people at the bar. I did see another server running around during our visit. The bar is stocked with a large variety of draft beer selections and the menu is rather big as well.

Bier Cheese Dip

Since this meal would serve as both our lunch and dinner, and we were really hungry, we decided to split an appetizer to start. Our server told us that the menu was recently redone and she had only tried a few of the options on the menu. After a little debate we opted for the bier cheese dip ($5.95) served with garlic drops, fresh made garlic dough with blended cheese and then deep-fried golden brown. The garlic drops themselves were actually really good, and the bier cheese was pretty tasty as well. We could definitely taste the beer in the dip, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Johnny Appleseed Burger

Though not an expert at the menu, our server did let us know that their burgers were all good. With that bit of advice I decided to give one of their signature burgers a chance, which can be served either with Angus ground beef, veggie burger, black bean burger, turkey burger, or chicken breast. I opted for the Johnny Appleseed ($11.95) which featured cheddar cheese, maple bacon, sautéed apples and red onions, with whole grain mustard on a ciabatta bun. I had this sandwich served with the black bean burger, which was a large fresh made patty that was hard to keep together. Despite the massive amount of toppings, the sandwich managed to stay together pretty well otherwise. The taste was really good with the sweetness from the apples and the spiciness of the mustard and onion.

South Of The Border

My wife went with the South of the Border burger ($10.95) with guacamole, applewood smoked bacon, and fried egg, topped with pepper jack cheese on a toasted Kaiser bun. She choose to have the turkey burger on this sandwich and commented that it was very meaty. It was a thick patty which dominated this sandwich. Again I think the flavor combinations worked pretty well for her, but she did admit to preferring my sandwich more. There are quite a few other burgers on the menu with some unique topping combinations. The shoestring fries were fresh cooked perfectly and the cole slaw on the side was decent. Overall we enjoyed our visit to Olives and would return if ever in the area. It’s not worth a special trip, but if near campus it is worth a try (or retry if you’ve dined before).

As part of my cousin’s bachelor party this past Saturday we spent the better part of the afternoon down at River Downs to take in some horse racing. This was actually my first time at River Downs, though I have been to Turfway once before. There is no entry fee and there are no employees at the gates checking bags, so entry is perfectly painless. Our group arrived on a school bus, taking the long way to get there, so we missed the first race of the day. I sat out betting on the second race and eventually placed a trifecta bet on the third race after finding the ATM.

River Downs Grandstand

I didn’t win this time, and that trend continued for the fourth and fifth races too. We spent the majority of the time hanging out near the rail on the paved standing area in front of the open air grandstand. Beers were just $4.50, which is much better than most other sporting events. And since they didn’t check anyone coming in, I wonder if some patrons didn’t sneak in some of their own beer in the multiple coolers that I saw throughout the day.

Winner! Winner!

My luck changed during the sixth race of the day. After coming close to winning on one of the earlier races, and paying attention to what my program was saying versus the results of the day, I started catching on. Or at least I thought I was starting to understand it all. Most of my bets were either trifecta bets, or I would occasionally pick one horse to win, place, or show, as I did in the sixth race. In my program the #6 horse was listed as 10-1 odds to win, and a couple of minutes before post the large board in the infield displayed the odds as much higher, over 20-1.

Winning Ticket

Once I saw this I ran to one of the automated machines and bought the ticket above. I thought that maybe there was something that I wasn’t picking up on that lowered the odds, but I figured it was worth a few bucks to find out. As the race started horse #6 was nowhere near the front of the back. The board only updates for the first 3/4 of the race at best, so as the horses all come toward the finish line it is really hard to tell who is in the lead. As this race came to a close I watched as #6 charged up the inside rail and won the race! I had won $124.80!

With just two races after that, I made a couple of bucks off the seventh race and was then put in charge of making a bet for my dad, brother, and I who pooled some money together. Again I went with the win place show bet, and nearly won again as the horse I selected finished in fourth place. Bummer. We had a great time and I look forward to going down to the track again in the future. Kim has already said that she wants to go too.

After a couple of hours at the nearby Arnold’s last Wednesday, a friend suggested that our group head to Taqueria Mercado for some food. At the time of our visit I had no idea that the restaurant was the subject of so many recent reviews, but my friends who had been before all praised it. We arrived around 8:30 to find only a couple of other occupied tables. We were quickly guided to a table between the bar area and the somewhat open kitchen. I had a run back to Arnold’s to retrieve a left item, and when I returned I had a fresh margarita waiting for me.

Margarita

I wouldn’t say it was the best margarita I’ve had, but it was overall pretty good. Most of the salt on the rim had been washed away from the filled to top drink. You can even see some of it on the table from when the server set it down. Speaking of service, we had absolutely no problems, and found the experience to be really fast. I read other reviews complaining of slow service but that was not the case for us.

We started with some chips and salsa, which I really enjoyed. Unlike most other Mexican restaurants, the chips and salsa are not complimentary here, but they are worth spending the extra $1.50 for. The same tortillas that are used for most of the menu items are fried crisp and served with delicious salsa. Also available are three other bottled sauces that you may have to special request. The chips were thick and held up perfectly against all the sauces.

Two Enchiladas

All of the experienced friends in our group ordered tacos. However I wanted to try something different and decided on the enchiladas with chicken filling. However as you can see above, the enchiladas aren’t all that different from the tacos, at least not in appearance (minus the red sauce on top). It seemed that all the dishes are served with the same style of tortillas and differentiating between them can be difficult. With all of that said, I thought the enchiladas were very good. The red sauce on top had a nice amount of heat to it. The rice and beans also were not bad, though I did add a little extra sauce to my rice to spice it up.

Two Small Quesadillas

My wife went with two small quesadillas. Again see how these could easily be confused as tacos, especially since the easiest way to eat them was to pick them up just as you would a taco. My wife was not as happy with her choice and found the chicken to be dry. One of our friends warned us to this problem, as he has had the same experience before. Though I guess the sauce on my enchiladas helped to disguise the issue. Both of our meals were from the lunch combo menu, which can be ordered for dinner for an extra fifty cents. Each of these plates of food was only $6, so it’s not a bad deal at all.

The others in our party all seemed very happy with their tacos. I definitely want to give those a try sometime in the future, maybe even skipping chicken and getting the al pastor (pork) or carnitas (fried pork). I’m sure my wife will do the same, as each of those choices seem to get better reviews than the chicken that we had on this visit. As far as Mexican food goes it is the best we’ve had in the last few months.

I have stopped into It’s Just Crepes twice now, both times after mass at St. Francis Seraph. Mass starts at 10 so it’s always right around 11 or 11:30 when we’ve arrived. Therefore I often consider whether I want breakfast or lunch, but the answer for me is always lunch. My wife, on the other hand, always goes for breakfast. She could easily eat breakfast type foods for every meal of the day. It’s Just Crepes is perfect for this big decision as they offer both savory and sweet crepes.

It's Just Fruit

I think both times that I’ve visited my wife has always ordered the It’s Just Fruit crepe, which combines strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, and vanilla cream inside a perfectly prepared crepe shell. Each crepe shell is made to order, starting with a big scoop of the batter placed on a hot flat iron. From there the ingredients are added before being folded up and served wrapped in paper and put into a small paper cone. My wife has unfolded her crepe above for the photo.

Pizza Crepe

I was so hungry that the photo of my crepe couldn’t wait until after I had a bite or two. I went with the pizza crepe on this visit, which mixes mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, sautéed mushrooms, and pizza sauce inside. It was perfect! If I remember correctly, on my first visit I tried the southwestern with pepper jack cheese, chicken, sautéed onions and red peppers, served with chipotle mayo. This was also a great choice and filled with wonderful flavors.

There are many different crepes to choose from and I haven’t heard anyone complain about any of the combinations so far. On our first visit we were with many of my in-laws and they all loved their crepes. I’m not an expert on crepes, in fact I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve had a crepe, but I do enjoy the crepes from It’s Just Crepes and I will definitely be back.

Last night was my first event that I’ve attended as a Yelp elite. The Yelp Mustache Bash took place at Arnold’s and was open to the public, but elite members and their guests were treated to complimentary drinks and snacks. This was also my first time visiting Arnold’s and I look forward to returning in the future for a full meal, though I will probably skip the outside courtyard if it’s as hot as it was out there last night. Fortunately the tasty treats and the rocking music made up for it.

Outside Arnold’s

After work I picked up my son and then met up with my wife and some friends to take in the event. I should have grown a real mustache for the party but fake ones were provided for all in need. Fortunately my wife scored a table on the courtyard directly in front of the stage so we could fully enjoy the music provided by The Turkeys. A friend of mine introduced me to the band a few years ago, so obviously he jumped at the chance to see them play with free food and drink. They played for an hour and seemed to be really well received by the audience. I hope to see them again soon.

Three Mustached Amigos

As I mentioned, there was free food and drink (including beer and vodka cocktails) for us after 7pm. We all enjoyed a few rounds of Christian Moerlein beers. Their Fifth & Vine Oktoberfest Marzen was available and I found that especially tasty. I look forward to having more of those over the next couple of months. The appetizers were also pretty good though not quite enough for an entire meal. We all ended up stopping in at Taqueria Mercado after The Turkeys had finished their set for a little grub. Full review of our meal there to be posted in the future.

Tasty Finger Foods