Friday afternoon my wife and I decided to head somewhere new (both for us and Cincinnati) for lunch, BrewRiver GastroPub. BrewRiver opened in mid August on Riverside Avenue in the former Maribelle’s space. Though it is less than three miles to downtown Cincinnati down Riverside, the restaurant isn’t very easy to get to from certain directions. The other main route is a couple of miles on Riverside from Delta in Columbia-Tusculum, as we did on our visit.

Bar Area

Though it was sunny outside the day of our visit, it was still a little too chilly to enjoy the really nice looking outdoor patio. Upon entering the main side door to the first floor dining area and bar, we quickly saw how crowded the space already was. I was expecting to have to wait for a table or decide to come back again another time. Fortunately the host/server who greeted us just moments later led us to a table on their spacious second floor. Normally this space isn’t open during the day, but the staff was more than accommodating for us as needed.

Upstairs Dining Area

Having a completely empty second floor to ourselves was actually nice in a few ways. First, we brought our toddler aged son along with us, so he had room to run around when sitting for lunch was no longer fun. But even more importantly we were able to have extended conversations with the chef and hear the cooperative effort coming from the upstairs kitchen.

Finishing Touches

There is a large selection of beer available, including some house beers which are brewed by the Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora, Indiana. I sampled the Calliope India Pale Ale, which is a British style IPA meaning that it is more balanced than the more hop forward West Coast style. The beer was quite good and I wish it weren’t lunch so I could have sampled more than one of their offerings.

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

After placing our drink orders we were told the soups of the day, one of which was a chicken and sausage gumbo. Being that the chef spent 6 years working under Emeril Lagasse in New Orléans and Atlanta, we were excited to try this dish. As our server pointed out, the gumbo isn’t as spicy as what you might find in New Orléans, but it was still very good and full of large chunks of chicken and andouille sausage.

B.L.T.

For lunch I selected the B.L.T. sandwich served with fries and house made catsup ($10). Our server was quick to point out that the bacon is actually pork belly that is ale-brined and cured in-house. And while it still looked a lot like bacon, the taste wasn’t as smoky, which I missed. With that said the sandwich was still pretty good and I like that it was served with local lettuce and tomatoes on toasted farmhouse bread. The fries were hand cut and fried to perfection. The serving size was more than enough and I found the plantain based catsup very interesting and a refreshing change from the normal tomato based.

Fish And Chips

My wife went with the fish and chips ($16). The fish is an ale-battered cod and it came served with a house-made kimchi tartar sauce. Again this dish was served with plenty of fries and the same catsup as before. I tried a couple of small bites of the fish and it was very fresh and tasted great, especially with the tartar sauce. My wife proclaimed this as the best fish she has had in quite some time, and that includes a recent trip to San Francisco, so you know this is the real deal.

Even though it may not be the easiest place to get to, BrewRiver GastroPub is definitely worthy of a visit for great food and an awesome beer list.

Stone Brewing Co. released a beer last week called Enjoy By 11.09.12 IPA. From the brewery:

Let us present to you a new, devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers – especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs – we’ve taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We’ve not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you’ll get this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn’t randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers. Instead, we’re sending a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA.

This was the second time they’ve done this style of release, and early indications are that it is even more popular this time around than the last. It’s been just a week since the beer first appeared in Cincinnati and it seems that our supply is already gone. I had the opportunity to sample the beer on draft at the Cock & Bull in Hyde Park on Thursday night. I also was fortunate enough to find a bottle at a liquor store near my office for my dad, a friend, and I to split over the weekend.

Devastatingly Fresh

This release of Enjoy By was kegged and bottled on October 5th, so I had it six days and then eight days after being shipped. And while that seems like an insanely quick turnaround, a new local brewery in town has a different take on things. Getting fresh beer from local breweries is each brewery’s number one goal. However it is often hard to tell how fresh a particular offering is, especially on draft. Fortunately this particular brewery does a great job of announcing when their beer is tapped throughout the city. All of this will definitely have me stopping to check for dates on bottles a little closer when making future purchases.

A few weeks ago a small portion of relatives on my mom’s side got together for my grandpa’s 87th birthday. He wanted to go to the Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse, so a reservation was made for dinner at 4:30 that afternoon/evening. It had been years since my last visit to the Boathouse, so I was very easily convinced to attend.

Panoramic View from the Boathouse

There isn’t a finer view of the lovely Ohio River than the one from the outside seating area at the Boathouse. The circular shaped building allows for sweeping views in both directions no matter where you are sitting. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t the best (and our party was too large) for outdoor seating on this visit.

Looking Outside

Fortunately even the inside dining areas have great views thanks to the floor to ceiling windows, and the curved nature of the building. Our large party was stuck toward the center of the room, but even this area has a good view due to an elevated floor.

Ready to Eat!

Montgomery Inn is famous for their barbecued ribs and their sweet barbecue sauce. Due to the fall off the bone nature of the ribs, bibs are provided and encouraged. Even though I wasn’t having ribs, I still took the opportunity to fit in with the rest of the crowd.

Barbecue

I’m not a fan of ribs, so I’ve never tried theirs. The thing I go to Montgomery Inn for is their barbecued spring chicken ($17.99 or $19.99 for all white meat). This roasted half chicken is always so moist and tender. It comes with warm barbecue sauce on the side for dipping. It comes with your choice of side dish and I almost always opt for their Saratoga chips, which are delicious on their own and even better when dipped in the sauce.

Barbecued Spring Chicken

My wife went with a lighter option, the pulled pork barbecue sandwich ($10.99). The pork is lean cuts that are slow-smoked for 16 hours then pulled and mixed with the world-famous barbecue sauce. Again this comes with a choice of side dish, and she went with the baked sweet potato. I didn’t hear any complaints from her. I had a small bite, and while definitely not the best pulled pork in the city, this sandwich is definitely worth ordering for those who desire a lighter meal or want something more affordable than the entrées.

Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwich

All of the food I sampled was average to above average. The problem I have is that the prices seem to be sporadic. The pulled pork sandwich is fairly priced, but the spring chicken seems overpriced to me. It’s these higher priced dishes that leave most people thinking that the Montgomery Inn is only for special occasions. However the lower priced sandwiches and smaller dishes with fair prices should be affordable lunch options for people with all budgets.

Along my regular three-mile running route is a home with a free book stand outside. A closer look at the wooden structure reveals that it is part of the Little Free Library network. This organization started in Wisconsin in 2009 and has added over 2500 free book kiosks throughout the world. According to the location map, there are three others in the Cincinnati area and one in nearly every major city throughout the US. From my brief research is seems that people are encouraged to borrow a book, return it when they are finished, and even contribute their own books to the collection. It’s a neat concept.

This very same house was also in the news around the same time I first noticed their Little Free Library when their concrete pig was stolen from their yard, and later found behind a nearby coffee shop. The large pig has yet to make its return on public display, but a smaller pig has taken its spot in the landscaping. If you find the pig, you’ll find the Little Free Library nearby.

While I have raved about the pizza at Adriatico’s before, I had never stepped foot in their newer location on McMillan Street in Clifton. Back when I was a resident in the area and attending the University of Cincinnati, Adriatico’s was on the other side of campus and wasn’t somewhere to go for a sit down meal. A couple of weeks ago my wife and I met for lunch at their new space which opened at the beginning of this year.

Inside Adriatico’s

Once we finally found parking (do not park in the lot neighboring the restaurant, as this belongs to Pomodori’s next door) we entered the restaurant and were immediately greeted by an employee who showed us to a table near along the windows on the McMillan side. It looks like some large garage doors can be opened on nice days, which this was not. There is a really good selection of craft beer available, and the menu has a lot more than just pizza.

Large Sicilian

We definitely came for the pizza though. Having never had much more than the really large “Bearcat” pizza, I wasn’t sure exactly what to order at first. But then I soon realized that the Sicilian style crust that the Bearcat is served on is available in other sizes. My wife and I easily agreed to split a Sicilian with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. It was delicious, easily on the top of my list of pizza in Cincinnati.

This past Saturday was homecoming weekend at the University of Cincinnati, and what a busy day it was. We started off by watching the parade at 3. The floats that are mostly made by the fraternities and sororities all seemed a little more well constructed than I remember them being in the past.

We Love Lucy

Neil Armstrong Tribute

After the parade we spent the rest of the afternoon on campus at our tailgate spot before heading into the football game versus Miami University RedHawks. This was the 117th battle for the Victory Bell, and with a huge 52-14 victory the Bearcats have extended their winning streak to 7 over the RedHawks.

White Out Crowd

The Cats are also now a nationally ranked football team. With four more home games still to go, it looks like we are in for a fun ride as the season progresses.

Touchdown!

We started off our last day of vacation in San Francisco with breakfast at the Cable Car Cafe, which was just down the hill from our hotel in Nob Hill.

Outside Cable Car Cafe

As you approach the outside of the building, just look for the distinctive red awning. The word crêpes is on it numerous times, so it’s fairly obvious that these are their specialty. Once you enter the red door you are in the heart of the rather small dining area. Orders are placed at the counter, and food is brought out to your chosen table once it has been prepared.

Inside Cable Car Cafe

I decided to try the ham and cheese crêpe, served with seasonal fruits ($8.95). The crêpe was of typical size, however the price seemed a little high to me. It did come with a cup of fruit, which was an added bonus. The crêpe itself was not as crunchy as I like them to be. This one sort of flopped over when I picked it up, making it necessary to eat with fork and knife. With all of that said, the taste was still good.

Ham & Cheese Crepe

My wife went with the good morning cr̻pe Рtwo scrambled eggs, cheese, grilled onion, tomato, bell pepper, ham and salsa. Again this was served with a side of seasonal fruits ($11.95). This was by far the largest cr̻pe I have ever seen! There was no way you could pick this thing up and eat it, which kind of defeats the purpose. Anyway, my wife really seemed to enjoy having all the omelet like ingredients inside her cr̻pe.

Good Morning Crepe

Overall we were happy with our breakfast. However, I think I would look elsewhere if in the area again.

Last night I made a batch of turkey chili. Most of the time when I make chili I just loosely follow a guideline recipe until it tastes right to me. But last night I found a recipe that I had printed long ago that I had never tried. It has many additional ingredients in comparison to how my chili’s usually are made. I still didn’t follow this one exactly but stuck pretty close. I left out the Habanero pepper hoping to cool it down a little bit so Trey would eat it, however it still turned out pretty spicy, which was fine by me. Trey didn’t care for it. I also used black beans instead of kidney, as that was what I had on hand. And I used some home-brew rather than the cheap beer the recipe called for.

The results were delicious! It was quite possibly the best chili I’ve tasted. Without knowing that there was hot chocolate mix in the chili, my wife picked up on the subtle sweetness. But as I said earlier, there is quite a bit of spice in it even without the Habanero. I’d love to try a batch with Habanero in it, but next time I may even dial down the amount of crushed red pepper to see if Trey will give it a try. Either way, this will not be the last time I make this chili. Everyone should give it a try.

After biking our way from San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and into Sausalito, we arrived hungry and with about an hour to kill before the ferry ride back. We parked the bikes near the ferry terminal and walked along Bridgeway looking for something to eat. Before we could get too far along, we stumbled upon the Napa Valley Burger Company. A quick glance at the menu hanging outside and we were sold.

Silverado Trail Veggie Burger

As we were somewhat short on time, we quickly glanced through the menu again and were ready with our order when the server arrived. I decided on the Silverado Trail veggie burger ($13.95). This combined a freshly made black bean patty with roasted peppers, arugula, and chipotle mayo. This sandwich was very good, easily one of the better veggie burgers I’ve had. All burgers are served with a fresh Napa Field greens salad, which was just okay.

Sweet Potato Fries

Fortunately we decided to also order a share-able side of sweet potato fries ($5.50). The perfectly cooked fries were served in a paper funnel inside of a metal pail. Though a bit on the pricey side, the serving size was plenty for myself, my wife, and our toddler aged son to all share.

Baja Fish Tacos

My wife ordered the Baja fish tacos ($15.95). This massive plate of food consisted of three tortillas with a seared fresh catch of the day and an ancho chile crema served over cabbage, pickled red onions and tomato salsa, finished with a three cheese blend and avocado slice. Also on the plate were plenty of chips and a couple of dipping sauces. I didn’t have any of the tacos, but my wife was in love with them. And the chips and dips were all quite tasty too.

The prices might be a little high at the Napa Valley Burger Company, but the food is excellent. And the more I think about it, I bet the prices are all pretty high in the touristy town of Sausalito, even more than they already are in northern California. This was among one of the best meals we had on our vacation.

Over the weekend I spent two nights at the MidPoint Music Festival in downtown Cincinnati, specifically the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Each night I started at the recently renovated Washington Park, which served as a great venue for the festival. A temporary stage was setup just in front of Music Hall, providing a really cool backdrop. I don’t know if there are extra noise restrictions in the area, but it seems like this space could have been better utilized with additional bands taking the stage rather than ending at 8 or 9 each night.

Washington Park Stage

The reason I would have liked more bands at Washington Park is that it is really big space. Throughout the rest of my late nights, I ran into some very crowded venues and was even completely shut out of the Emery Theatre for Ralph Stanley. Some of the bands that were playing at Grammer’s such as Dinosaur Jr. and The Walkmen would have brought a decent sized crowd to this space. The outdoor area at Grammer’s is not an ideal place to see a show, plus it could eliminate some of the walking if it wasn’t used anymore.

The Walkmen

Despite this complaint I still had a great time and discovered some really great bands. A couple of my new favorite are Hoots and Hellmouth and Holy Ghost Tent Revival.

Hoots and Hellmouth

Holy Ghost Tent Revival

I only managed to see about four full sets each night. Had I stayed out until the very end each night I probably could have added another couple of bands each night. However the last bus back toward home left before 1am each night. If I were to do it again, I’d try to convince a friend in the neighborhood to come along to split a cab home with me. Other than that I think I got a great taste of what this annual festival is all about.

MPMF.12