Last week I decided to skip my usual reheated leftovers for lunch, left my office near King’s Island, and headed to Blue Ash Chili’s second location in Mason. The original Blue Ash Chili opened in Blue Ash in 1969 and has been serving Cincinnati style chili, double-decker sandwiches, and breakfast ever since.

Outside

The Mason location opened in 2009 and sits in a strip mall at the intersection of Tylersville and Western Row. Though I’ve never been to the original location, I’m sure it is missing some of the charm of the divey original.

Inside

Once inside it was clear that this location does very well during the lunch hour, as it was packed and nearly every table was full. I found a spot at the small bar counter and was immediately greeted by one of the employees with Zesta oyster crackers and a menu. I ordered the 6-Way, which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in 2010, along with a chili cheese sandwich.

Lunch

Service was not as quick as other chili parlors I’ve been to, but I did have my food in less than 10 minutes. However the portion size was larger than any other parlor I’ve been to. The 6-Way ($6.09) adds fried jalapeño caps to the standard 5-Way (spaghetti, chili, beans, onions, and Cheddar). I loved the addition of the jalapeño caps, as it added just the right amount of spice along with a little extra crunch. The chili was good and there was plenty of it. The chili cheese sandwich ($1.69) on the other hand did not have nearly enough chili on it, but I expect this was just a one time mistake. Overall my first Blue Ash Chili experience was a positive one and I would definitely go back.

Kim’s sister, Bobbi, was married over the weekend to Doug Utecht. The ceremony was at Our Lady of the Visitation, where many of the Hais kids went to school, and the reception was at the Aston Oaks Banquet Center, below the golf course clubhouse. Kim served as the matron of honor and Trey was the ring bearer. We were all so happy to be a part of their wonderful day.

Golf Carting

Kim and Bobbi

Bobbi and Doug

We stopped into Gilpin’s Steamed Sandwiches a couple of Sunday’s ago for lunch. We arrived just before noon and were immediately greeted by the solo employee behind the counter. He asked if it was our first time and then gave us a quick guide through the lengthy menu. In addition they have a list of customer creations on the wall as well as a humorous “drunk menu” with giant lettering, which must come in handy since they don’t close until 3 A.M. most nights.

Drunk Menu

After placing our sandwich order and grabbing some drinks, we headed upstairs to the dining area. There are a couple of small tables downstairs, but upstairs is where the majority of the seating is. Plus upstairs they have an old school Nintendo hooked up to a TV and I think I saw a Playstation hooked up to another. We didn’t play any video games, but our two-year-old son was entertained by a toy slot machine that was on our table.

Inside

Once our sandwich orders were placed into the steamers we could really smell the ingredients from the upstairs loft like space. A few minutes later the sandwiches were delivered to our table steaming hot, literally. The come wrapped in foil and we had to wait a few minutes for them to cool before digging in.

#5 Doritos

I ordered one of the five items on the drunk menu, the #5 (aka Doritos). This sandwich combined turkey, cheddar, lettuce, peppercorn ranch, honey mustard, and Doritos on a pretzel bun ($6). Upon my first bite I was immediately reminded of the sandwiches I devoured years ago at Bagel & Deli in Oxford, who also steams sandwiches for large late night crowds. Steaming the sandwich leaves a very distinct mark on the sandwich with the way all the flavors combine together along with a slightly moist and soft bread. It was a little messy to eat but delicious.

#1 Winner

My wife went with the #1 Winner with turkey, veggie cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, banana peppers, spinach leaves, and tomato on a pretzel bun ($6). I had a couple bites from her sandwich and again loved the flavor combinations. I didn’t think it was a great as the #5 that I ordered, but still worthy of ordering again.

Gilpin’s is perfect any time of day but they seem to specialize in satisfying the late night crowd. With that said they are open early every day and even serve a few breakfast sandwiches on croissants. I doubt I’ll ever see the late night crowds but I will definitely be back for lunch in the future.

I’ve been to the Hofbräuhaus Newport many times in the past but have only eaten there a couple of times. Most of my past visits have been after dinner to enjoy the beer garden. Who doesn’t love slinging back liters of beer while listening to live polka and dancing on top of the table’s benches? Well those days don’t happen as much as they used to, which leads me to this past weekends lunch time visit to the Hofbräuhaus.

The Hofbräuhaus Newport was the first authentic Hofbräuhaus in America, modeled after the legendary 400+ year-old Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany. There is an onsite brewery with a Brew Master from Germany that produces four varieties of beer for the restaurant, plus seasonal specials. Even though I didn’t order a liter of beer I still had a couple 1/2 liters over lunch, which is still a pretty good amount of beer once we had finished our meals.

1/2 Liter Of Beer

On this visit my wife, son, and I were joined by various members of her family along with a few of their friends. It was a large group and I was happy to see that we were seated in the side room and not in the often smoke-filled bier hall. Plus there wasn’t any live music at the time of our visit, so it’s not like we were missing anything. Though the music did start about halfway through our meal, and we enjoyed it over another round of beers.

House Salad

My wife started with a house salad ($4.99 or $2.49 when added to an entrée). This salad was enough for the two of us to share and was filled with a variety of fresh vegetables. They didn’t have many dressings to offer, at least not that the waitress was aware of, but nonetheless it was a good start to our meal.

Bauern Sandwich

I ordered the Bauern sandwich with fries ($7.99). This sandwich features a mound of ham and Swiss cheese served on a sesame seed pretzel bun, and topped with their signature homemade bier cheese. It was really great sandwich and quite filling. The bier cheese is the standout item, though the pretzel bun was really good too.

Wurst On A Bun

My wife had the grilled mettwurst on a bun with sauerkraut and fries ($6.99). She was expecting a larger sausage and it also lacked the heat of a hot smoked mettwurst that we all love so much. With that said she didn’t seem to hate it, but I don’t think she would order it again.

The Hofbräuhaus Newport isn’t just for beer filled evening entertainment. They also serve a mix of authentic German dishes and American staples that is suitable for lunch or dinner.

Despite the frigid temperatures over the weekend, the Kentucky-Ohio Polar Plunge went on as scheduled. This event benefits the Special Olympics programs in both Kentucky and Ohio. Since the event became a joint fundraiser in 2005, the Plunge has raised more than $670,000 for programs on both sides of the Ohio River. This year they raised over $140,000!

As they’ve done many years in the past, a couple of Kim’s brothers participated in the plunge. This year they were part of the Frosted Fruit Loops team for Hamilton County Special Olympics. We went down to Joe’s Crab Shack to watch them jump into the pool of water that was actually frozen earlier in the morning. Brrrr.

Plunge Site

Keep It Classy

Another “Classy” Group

Ready To Jump

Frosted Fruit Loops

More Fruit Loops

Friday night I was tasked with finding some carry-out food for dinner for my family. I first headed towards Green Papaya, but couldn’t find a parking spot, so I turned up Drakewood and wound up in Oakley. There I found Yat Ka Mein, the relatively new Chinese restaurant that opened in the abandoned Arby’s on the southern tip of Oakley Square. There was plenty of parking in their lot behind the restaurant.

Inside

The inside of the restaurant is brand new and quite colorful. It was probably half full at the time of my visit just past 7 P.M. I walked to the carry-out window, found a menu, and took a seat at a nearby bench. The menu is really lengthy for a Chinese restaurant, at least compared to ones I’ve visited in the past. While looking it over I couldn’t help but notice the number of phone calls coming into the restaurant for carry-out and delivery orders. If you call ahead you can pickup your order through the restaurants old drive-through window.

Inside Again

I decided to go with two traditional dishes, sweet and sour chicken ($8.75) and kung pao chicken ($9.25). I ordered both dishes with brown rice, which is $1.50 up charge per dish. I also ordered two chicken egg rolls ($2 each). My order was ready for me within ten minutes of placing it, a nice surprise.

My Plate

The sweet and sour chicken had the sauce on the side, which was appreciated. The chicken itself was all white meat and fried perfectly. The vegetable mix of peppers, onions, and carrots was basically raw though. I didn’t mind the raw pineapple, but would have preferred the veggies to be cooked a little more. Plus the brown rice was way overcooked and was more like oatmeal than rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

The kung pao chicken was better, however it was not spicy at all. I ordered it from the hot and spicy menu but I didn’t get any heat in what was served. The vegetables were cooked well this time and featured a mix of peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. The chicken was good too, but without any spice the dish really fell flat.

Kung Pao Chicken

It’s a sad meal when the best part is the chicken egg roll appetizer. And even that seemed to be of the frozen box variety that was heated upon ordering. My wife didn’t think it was as bad as I did, but still said it was average at best. Yat Ka Mein advertises themselves as a noodle house, so perhaps we just ordered the wrong dishes. Maybe we will give them another shot and focus on that side of the menu.

Wednesday evening I was invited to a preview “media dinner” for Seasons 52, which will officially open on Monday in the Rookwood Exchange. This is their first restaurant in Ohio, with nearly 30 other locations spread across 13 states and at least 8 more in the works. Seasons 52 debuted in 2003 and specializes in a fresh dining experience with all dishes under 475 calories. Their menu changes seasonally four times a year and has weekly specials inspired by the fresh appeal of the farmers’ market.

Outside

This will be the first business opening it’s doors in the Rookwood Exchange, so the surrounding area is very much a work in progress. However there is ample parking and the option for valet. I arrived just before the 6:30 start time and upon entering the doors was greeted by some of the staff and given a complimentary glass of champagne. From there I was lead on a tour through the restaurant, starting with a small chefs table, then through the kitchen, a few private dining rooms, and finally to the bar area.

Private Dining

We waited in the bar area for all the guests to arrive and were treated to additional champagne and music from a live piano bar, which will continue to be featured nightly. Seasons 52’s Master Sommelier George Miliotes was also available in the bar to tell us more about the restaurant’s history. Once all the guests had arrived we were offered a sampling from their flatbread menu. I tried the artichoke and goat cheese with leaf spinach, balsamic onions, and roasted peppers. This was a wonderful combination of flavors which I really enjoyed.

Artichoke & Goat Cheese Flatbread

From there we moved into the main dining room to start our six course meal, each course paired with at least one wine. Each course was introduced by Executive Chef Clifford Pleau. I’m not going to cover all the courses, just my personal highlights.

Main Dining Room

For the third course we were given a salad of organic field greens, grilled mushrooms, toasted pistachios, and truffle dressing. I was happy to hear that all salad greens are organic and that they try to use local ingredients when possible. This salad was simple but very fresh and smelled wonderful. The mushrooms and pistachios added a nice flavor as well as a little crunch. I did think it was a little under dressed, but perhaps that is one way to keep the calorie count low.

Organic Field Greens Salad

The next course was my personal favorite of the night. It was a Sonoma goat cheese ravioli with roasted garlic, basil, and organic tomato broth. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted goat cheese as good as what was inside these ravioli. Plus the sauce was delicious and the addition of fresh basil really brought it all together. I see that this is normally served as an appetizer, however I wish it were served as an entrée, perhaps with an added protein.

Goat Cheese Ravioli

For the next course I had Springer Mountain Farm all-natural grilled chicken served over a sweet potato mash with roasted Brussels sprouts. The chicken was cooked on their hickory burning grill giving it a very nice flavor. Again you could smell these dishes coming out from the kitchen. The sweet potato mash and Brussels sprouts were both nice accompaniment for the meat.

Grilled Chicken

Finally we were given a choice from their mini indulgences desert selections. These mini deserts are meant to be between six and eight bites each and come served in what appears to be a tall shot glass. I went with the highly recommended pecan pie with vanilla mousse. It is a little awkward getting the spoon down into the depths of the glass, but this desert really was outstanding!

Mini Indulgences Stock Photo

I was very impressed the food and service from Seasons 52. However I do realize that this dining experience wasn’t a typical one. With that said all the food I tasted definitely has me convinced to return again in the near future to try even more.