I have a few reviews to post from our most recent trip to Myrtle Beach, but before I get to those I want to share an excellent breakfast I had on another trip near Pittsburgh a few weekends ago. Some friends and I were staying at the Marriott near the Pittsburgh airport and decided to venture out for some local flavor one morning. The restaurant of choice was Eggs N’at, a funny named little diner not too far from where we were staying.

Eggs N’at

We arrived in two cars to find a mostly full parking lot, as well as a really full diner, both good signs of what was to come. The space is not very large, with just a dozen or so tables, along with a counter. We put our name on the list for a table for eight and waited outside the front door. When it was our turn we were told that we would have to split up as they can’t accommodate that many people together. Half of our group sat at the bar counter and my half found a table in the corner.

Looking Toward The Counter

One glance at the menu and I knew what I was getting, Sausage Gravy and Biscuits ($6.95 for the whole / $3.95 half). I’m a sucker for this breakfast treat, especially when it is all homemade. The sausage gravy from Eggs N’at was great! Not too peppery, lots of butter flavor, and a good amount of sausage. The biscuits were sliced in half and toasted for an added crunch. I was very impressed and would easily go back for more when in the area again. I think all of my friends were pleasantly satisfied as well.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

If you couldn’t already tell by the lack of posts, I was on vacation last week. We left around 9pm a couple of Fridays ago for the overnight caravan drive to Myrtle Beach, specifically the southern beach near Murrells Inlet and Garden City, SC. After originally planning to return to Virginia Beach again this summer, my father-in-law found a 5 bedroom house for us all that would be cheaper than going the hotel route in Virginia Beach again.

Sun soaked family shot.

Though the house says it accommodates 16, we managed to squeeze in 23 at one point (though that was just for one of the nights). If I counted correctly 13 of us stayed for the full week, while others came and went as their life commitments allowed. I was a little scared that the house was going to be too small, but even on the most crowded night, it seemed large enough for the group.

Group Shot

Besides even if some felt it was a little crowded at times (early morning with Trey can be noisy), the house was right on the beach and shared a private pool with 11 other similarly sized vacation homes (a fourth of which seemed empty). Plus the Garden City Pier was just over a mile away where plenty of bars, rides, and shops were ready for the young adult crowd. With so much around we only managed to drive to the Myrtle Beach boardwalk one night and to Broadway at the Beach a couple of other times for entertainment. Obviously we spent the most time playing in the waves or on the sand.

Bodyboarding

Trey in the Ocean

Trey in the Fridge

Dressing Like Dad

Sandwich Counter

After my last day of jury duty service, I stopped in to Silverglades on 8th for lunch. The deli sits on the corner of 8th and Sycamore. They have another location in Findley Market but I don’t think the lunch sandwiches and salads are offered there. It is a little confusing when walking into the location on 8th. A made to order salad bar is off to the left side, while the sandwich ordering counter is to the right. In the middle is the cash register used for all purchases.

Salad Counter

It wasn’t all that crowded, but it was after 1pm on a weekday. I walked over to the sandwich counter and didn’t make it past the first item on their menu before knowing exactly what I wanted. The Renaissance sandwich features Silverglades signature walnut grape chicken salad with lettuce, tomato, and onion on a croissant ($5.99). A bag of “dirty” chips and a fountain drink can be added for $1.75 more, which I gladly took advantage of.

The Renaissance

The sandwich was prepared within a few minutes time and came with a massive dill pickle spear. After paying for my selections I filled my cup with fresh brewed tea and found a seat near the salad counter. After the first bite I knew that I was going to love this sandwich. The chicken salad is ground up very finely, but you can definitely taste the grape and walnut flavors even if their textures are missing. I’m always a fan of chicken salad on a croissant, and this croissant was one of the tops I’ve had. All of the toppings were fresh and the pickle was good too. I’m not downtown for lunch often, but if I were this sandwich would definitely be in my regular rotation.

A couple of weekends ago I took the family out to Mason to meet an old friend for lunch. After a quick online search we settled on the Lucky Dog Grille. Once we finally found the restaurant that is slightly hidden behind the gas station on the corner, we nearly decided to go somewhere else. The outside of the strip mall location appeared dark and there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. However we decided to stick it out and see what they had to offer.

I was shocked upon entering the restaurant that is much larger and brighter on the inside than what the outside leads you to believe. There is a fairly large bar area as well as a massive dining room area filled with tables that can easily be pulled together to fit the largest of groups. As the parking lot indicated, there were only a few other customers inside. After waiting a few minutes to be greeted, I approached the bar to ask if we should just seat ourselves, and then found a table near the windows.

Before we could take our seats, one of the servers on the floor grabbed some menus for us and offered to get a high chair for our little one. The menu is a tad overwhelming and has everything from wings to salads, sandwiches, build your own burgers, and even steak or tilapia. They also have a nice selection of 24 different beers on tap.

Twisted Chicken Philly

I ordered the twisted chicken Philly served with onion petals ($8.49). The sandwich was large and tasted good. I could have used a little sauce on it, perhaps the Teriyaki that is served on another Philly would have helped. The onion petals were great and the spicy dipping sauce that came with it was a nice touch.

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

As she so often does, my wife managed to order something that I cannot find on the online menu. However I do remember that it was a BBQ chicken flatbread. I don’t recall how much it cost but I think it was fairly cheap, and it better have been based on the size of the pizza. I had a couple bites and fortunately the taste made up for what it lacked in size. I don’t recall there being any unique toppings on it, but the toppings that were there were well plentiful.

Looking back on it now, I think I should have ordered some of their specialty big dog grilled wings, and I would definitely do that on a future visit. I don’t think Lucky Dog is worth a special trip to Mason. However if you are in the area you could do a lot worse.

I must have some amazing ticket karma currently, or perhaps a good plan along with a little luck. I spent the weekend outside of Pittsburgh, PA attending back to back nights of Dave Matthews Band concerts. If you recall from my experience at the beginning of the tour, I received a couple of free pit upgrades for showing my Volkswagen Jetta key. Even though I didn’t drive the Jetta to Pittsburgh, I still took along an extra key hoping for more upgrade opportunities.

My friend Will and I walked into the venue on the first night just as the opening band was playing their last notes. I quickly remembered that the VW girls were spotted during the set break, so we sprinted up the side of the lawn and immediately saw the distinctive VW blue shirt being worn by a girl holding a sign. She was walking away from us so we quickly ran toward her while yelling that we have a key. Guess what? It worked again, and we were rewarded with pit upgrades!

Unfortunately by the time we gained the wristbands necessary for entry into the pit, the standing room area was completely overflowing with people. Rather than trying to fight the crowds, we found another couple of friends that were down in the first ten rows of seats and were fortunate enough to watch the entire show with them. The people who had tickets for the seats next to theirs never showed up.

Finally got to use my tailgate for it’s intended purpose.

DMB Takes the Stage

A little too far for my crappy iPhone camera.

Awesome Light Show

Great Venue – take notes Riverbend.

When the second night rolled around all of my friends wanted in on the pit action. So we devised a plan to get in early and be ready to get as many pit upgrades as we could. I realized that they must start combing the lawn immediately after the opening band finished their set, so we found the VW booth and waited for them to work their way toward the lawn.

Apparently we weren’t the only ones with this plan, as the VW girls were quickly bombarded before they could even technically hit the grass lawn. A friend was told earlier that they couldn’t give out the tickets until they were on the lawn. Even with the large crowd we had no problem getting four pairs of pit upgrades for everyone in our group. Fortunately the pit wasn’t as crowded this night, at least not early on, so we all headed there to enjoy the show up close and personal.

I’m not going to make it to any other shows on this tour. However I would encourage anyone that is going to any future shows, be sure to find a VW key, get inside before the opening band finishes their set, find the VW booth, and be ready to get yourself an upgrade. I attended three shows on the tour and got the upgrade at all three.

Part Of Our Pit Group

Amazing Video Screens

Tim Reynolds

Great Views in the Pit

Lasers

This past Sunday I drove the family up to Lebanon, Ohio for a train ride on the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad. My father in law had bought us all tickets for the Great Train Robbery ride:

Travel back to the rough and tumble times of the old west alongside gold prospectors departing out of Lebanon to a connection bound for Yuma. Prospectors, known for carrying large quantities of gold, are often targets of train robbers. Warning: Be on the lookout for the Big Iron Rangers, a gang of notorious robbers known well in these parts! The prospectors are prepared to defend their gold to the end, are you?

Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad

Indiana & Ohio Car

Kim, Trey, and Nick

After a four mile or so train ride, all passengers were allowed back off of the train where a mock gun battle was staged. A couple of the period dressed employees acted as robbers of the gold on the train, so the sheriffs had to chase them down and shot most of them dead on the spot.

Sheriffs Doing Work

One Man Dead

Nick And Conner With A Robber

It was a fun way to spend the afternoon. Train rides of all kinds are offered most weekends throughout most of the year.

Since it’s opening nearly a year ago, the Taste of Belgium Bistro has been on my radar. I tried their waffle last July and fell in love. Unfortunately I never made it down to check out the bistro until this past Saturday. We arrived just before 6pm and grabbed one of the last available tables directly next to the baker’s kitchen, complete with a 15 foot table that is available for large groups and special events.

Bakery And Baker’s Table

Our server was quick to provide water for our table as well as a plastic cup for our young son. We inquired about draft beer and she smoothly ran through the special draft list of American Belgian style ales and answered any questions we had about them. The normal draft list is full of great Belgian offerings too.

Summer Couscous

Prior to our visit, I had read good reviews of the food, especially the waffle ‘n chicken. I nearly had everyone at the table trying the dish. Since I had my wife convinced, I decided to try something else and went with the summer couscous, a recently added seasonal item to the menu. It combines their Israeli couscous with red onions, celery, basil, and lemon with roasted chicken served on top (I think around $14). Honestly, there wasn’t a lot of meat on the dish, but what was there was tender and juicy. It also paired well with the flavors in the couscous. However, I don’t think I would order this dish again.

Chicken ‘n Waffle

When my wife ordered the chicken ‘n waffle our server encouraged getting the hot sauce and maple syrup on the side of the chicken ‘n waffle since it was her first time trying it. This dish is as simple as it sounds - local chicken, Ohio maple syrup, hot sauce, salad ($14) – but the flavor is outstanding! The piece of chicken was quite large and my wife was full after eating half of the plate, leaving plenty for me to eat. I would definitely order this again and next time I’m getting the sauce served on top.

Boulets à la Liégeoise

My mother went with the Boulets à la Liégeoise - Belgian meatballs, frites, salad ($14). Though she enjoyed the dish she said that she too preferred the chicken ‘n waffle. My father ordered the Carbonnades à l’OTR – six hours beer-braised Belgian beef stew ($19). As usual, he was quick to dig in before I could get a picture and was able to clean his plate well ahead of the rest of us. I didn’t hear any complaints, so it must have been good.

Though I enjoyed dinner for the most part, I think my future visits will be for lunch or possibly even Sunday brunch. The chicken n’ waffle is still available all other times, and it costs only $10 with the salad from the dinner plate removed. I would also like to try some of the crepes or baguettes.

For the first time in its short history, the World Choir Games are taking place in the U.S. The games started in downtown Cincinnati on July 4 and will conclude just four days from now on July 14. Awhile ago Kim and I bought 1 day Competition Flex Passes for this past Saturday. Later my mom and dad decided to join us for the day and to help with Trey.

Mixed Youth Choirs at Cincinnati Masonic Center

We beat my parents downtown, but we decided to head inside the Cincinnati Masonic Center without them to see the mixed youth choir competition that was taking place in the large auditorium. The inside of the building is very ornate and the acoustics of the auditorium were outstanding. We found our seats just before the gold medal winning SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School from Hong Kong began their performance. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from this competition, but I actually really enjoyed it. Unfortunately Trey could only sit quietly for a few songs before we had to leave the venue.

Mixed youth choirs were also competing at the Duke Energy Center and we were told that the acoustics there weren’t as good (meaning our young son’s noises would be drowned out easily). So we met up with my parents and headed that direction to watch some of the open competition that was taking place.

Friendship Concert At St. Francis Seraph

Once that competition was over we rushed up to St. Francis Seraph church for the free friendship concert that was taking place. The weather outside was above 100 degrees, which means that the church was super hot without any air-conditioning. We watched a few songs from another Chinese choir before moving on to dinner and the end of our World Choir Games adventure.

If you are still debating taking in any of the events, I’d encourage you to at least make it out to one of the many free friendship concerts. There is also the Celebration of Nations taking place at 6pm tonight with a parade from the Duke Energy Center to Fountain Square. We are heading down for that, so look for us there if you are attending.

On the second day of my jury duty service I met up with my cousin and one of his coworkers for lunch from Turophilia, a quesadilla food truck operating out of a 1967 Airstream trailer. I had seen the trailer before but never when it was open for business. Currently they are open at 8th and Vine Tues-Fri from 11-2:30pm.

Turophilia Trailer And Menu

The menu changes daily and is written on a whiteboard outside the door to the trailer, which is also where orders are placed. Most quesadillas cost $5 for the small soft taco size and $7 for the larger more traditional quesadilla size. One item that sounded really interesting was the Waylon Jennings, which was served with Eli’s BBQ pulled pork inside. Unfortunately they had already run out earlier in the day. That was no problem as there were plenty of other great looking options.

I’m Not Hungover

I decided to try a small I’m Not Hungover - turkey, avocado, firehot chips, peppercorn ranch, Dijon mustard, and Monterey Jack ($5). I think the chips were Lay’s Flamin’ Hot potato chips, and though I wasn’t sure what this would taste like inside the quesadilla, the crunch was hardly detectable after cooking so it really just added a nice bit of heat to the mix. I really love turkey and avocado together, and the rest of the ingredients added some interesting flavor combinations. The quesadilla took a little while to prepare, but it was definitely worth it in the end. I can’t wait to try another.

Jury duty this week hasn’t been all bad. Well the sitting around in the courthouse has been pretty bad, but because of the jury duty I’ve been able to sample some downtown eateries that I otherwise wouldn’t visit. First up is The ‘Wich on Sycamore, previously known as Wicked ‘Wich. I met my wife there on Monday afternoon for lunch. Though it was my first visit, she is a regular lunch time customer since her office is a block away.

Inside the ‘Wich

We arrived a little before 1pm and found no line to order. From what I’m told this is a rarity, as the line is often out the door at lunch time. If you are a downtown worker, it may be a good idea to wait a little later to take your lunch if you don’t feel like waiting in line. The menu is written along the back wall and consists of a large number of salads and sandwiches that are all prepared fresh. Orders are placed at the counter and your name is called out when your food is ready.

Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich

After staring at the menu for some time I eventually decided on the pecan chicken salad sandwich – chicken, pecans, celery, green onion, apple, and tarragon yogurt-mayo served on butter toasted honey wheat bread ($7.79). The sandwich comes with a choice of one side dish, I chose the pecan cranberry slaw. Both the sandwich and the coleslaw were really good. I’m a big fan of chicken salad and I have to say that this was one of my favorites in the city.

Special Ham Sandwich

My wife ordered the special of the day, which was some sort of ham sandwich. I believe it had Muenster cheese on it as well as their horseradish sauce and was served on the multi-grain baguette. I just had a small bite of the sandwich, but again I felt it was really good. On the side she ordered the spiced fruit cup, which adds a nice little kick to the otherwise standard fruit cup.

The only complaint I would have is that the serving size is a tad small, thus the price is a little high for what you are served. However the quality of food is excellent and it is all very well prepared. I would definitely go back.