I finally found some time this afternoon to check out Dutch’s Larder. I’ve long been a fan of their bar and bottle shop, but this was the first I’ve had any food from the connected deli and gourmet grocery that opened in May of last year.

Outside

Along the windows as you enter the Larder are a variety of specialty grocery items including olive oils, pastas, sodas, and even Jeni’s ice creams. There is also a large selection of wines and a small cooler containing a few beer choices. Of course even more beer options are available outside from the beer dock.

Grocery Items

The deli counter sells sandwiches, soups, and salads for dining in or carry out. Also available for purchase are house made sausages, fresh meats, and unique sides.

Deli Counter

While a few items on the menu looked especially good to me, I decided on the smoked chicken sandwich ($9 including a side dish) and the orzo pasta salad.

Smoked Chicken Sandwich

The sandwich combined deli sliced chicken breast with smashed avocado, tomato, and lightly pickled cabbage. I was not expecting sliced meat, but it obviously makes sense in the deli setting. The avocado spread and cabbage added a wonderful mix of flavors to compliment to subtly smoke flavors from the chicken. The roll that the sandwich was served on was very fresh and grilled perfectly. I really loved the sandwich. And the orzo was very solid as well, with a few tomatoes and clumps of goat cheese mixed in to the tangy pasta mix. I will be back very soon.

Over the weekend an amazing event took place in Over-the-Rhine. LumenoCity was put on by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and combined their live music with mind-blowing visual elements being projected onto the exterior of Music Hall. The newly renovated Washington Park served as the primary seating area for the free and open to the public performance.

Music Hall

Though other commitments kept me from attending one of the two performances, I was able to catch a glimpse of some of the elements during the days leading up to the weekend. From what I’ve heard from numerous friends who were in attendance, it was an amazing event and one that I will be sure not to miss if done again in the future. CityBeat published a great article about the event and the progress in Cincinnati over the last few years.

Dang! Work has really been keeping me busy lately. My employer (Harris Broadcast) hired a new CEO a few of weeks back. I was able to meet him a couple of weeks ago during his quick stop in our Mason, Ohio office. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but he did promise that some changes are going to happen within the company. Fortunately the project I am working on now is one of the biggest producers in the company and we are definitely a “go forward” product. However, it is always scary when reorganization and restructuring are talked about. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for now.

Mike over at Brew Professor has shared the following:

This hit my Facebook feed and I nearly had a heart attack. It seems a member of the craft beer community was in an accident and is currently in the ICU. Naturally, medical bills are piling up quick and an EXTREMELY generous craft beer community has donated an insane beer cellar to be raffled off. 100% of the proceeds will be given to the family. Tickets are $5 each.

He has agreed to pool together money and buy some raffle tickets. If a member of the group wins, we will somehow split the amazing beer cellar listed at the link above. I just donated to the cause and wanted to help spread the word.

Yesterday I met up with my mom (who was watching the kids), my brother, and his girlfriend at Kings Island for a few hours of rides and games.

Eiffel Tower

We started off in Planet Snoopy so Trey could ride a few rides first. First up were the trains of Snoopy’s Junction. This is always a favorite of his, and since he isn’t tall enough to ride by himself my mom was lucky enough to get to ride with him.

Snoopy’s Junction

From there Trey took my brother and mother on Woodstock’s Whirlybirds, a helicopter themed sky tram. I’ve been on this ride before, so I sat out to watch Paige.

Woodstock’s Whirlybirds

Speaking of Paige, Melissa took her on her first ride at Kings Island, the carousel.

Character Carousel

From there it was time for the big kids to get a turn on a ride. Since Diamondback is just outside of the kiddie land, and I had never ridden it since its 2009 opening, that was our first stop.

Diamondback

I love the collection of lost and smashed up cell phones on display in the queue. I was fortunate enough to hang on to my iPhone throughout the thrilling 80 mph ride. The first hill is 230 feet tall and it is the tallest roller coaster in the park.

Lost Phones

From there we let Trey have another ride or two along with a few games. When it was time for his mandatory soft serve ice cream, my brother and I snuck off to ride Firehawk, another ride new to me. This is a flying roller coaster in which the passengers spend the majority of the ride face down looking at the ground with their weight being supported only by the restraint system. I was not foolish enough to bring my phone on this one, so I don’t have a photo.

Delirium

From there we found our way to yet another ride I had never been on, Delirium. This is a giant frisbee ride that swings riders up to 120 degrees from center and up to 137 feet in the air, all the while reaching speeds of 76 mph. We wrapped it up by riding Drop Tower: Scream Zone, a ride that rotates the circular car up 264 feet before plunging back to the ground at 67 mph. We weren’t messing around with low thrill rides on this visit.