A really great option for a staycation with the kids is the Great Wolf Lodge up by Kings Island in Mason. Occasionally sales are run and we were able to stay on a Sunday night when the kids were out of school on Monday, maximizing the savings. The indoor water park was obviously a huge hit with our kids, but we also spent time at the arcade and miniature golf.

Mediterranean Hummus

When it came time for dinner we headed to the built in Lodge Wood Fired Grill. My wife and I split a couple of items. First was the Mediterranean Hummus with extra virgin olive oil, paprika, feta cheese, and olive tapenade, served with grilled flatbread and vegetables ($9). This was a very generous portion of hummus and the addition of feta cheese was a bonus. Overall a very solid starter.

Chopped Barbeque Chicken Salad

Our other item was the chopped barbeque chicken salad with greens, fire-roasted corn, green onions, black beans, crisp fried jalapenos, cilantro, pepperjack cheese, barbeque sauce, crisp onion strings, and ranch dressing ($14.50). This was a very large salad and would be a lot for a single person. The ingredients were fresh and the combination of spicy and sweet flavors really worked well.

Kids Burger

Our son enjoyed his kids cheeseburger with fries and fruit. And our daughter really liked the spaghetti with giant meatball, veggies, and fruit. Both items were $6 and included a drink.

Kids Spaghetti

Overall the Lodge Wood Fired Grill was a great dining option while staying at the Great Wolf Lodges. Their prices were mostly on par with what you would find at comparable restaurants outside of the resort. Our service was fast and friendly.

The Urban Grill food truck has been a favorite of mine since I first tried it back in 2013. Now that they have a brick and mortar location they are easier to find. The 1870’s farmhouse in Newton has been home to the Urban Grill on Main since January 2017.

Outside

Decor

As this is an old farmhouse, the inside space is separated into rooms and even a covered patio. There is also a small bar area, so seating options are plentiful and they do take OpenTable reservations if you are planning to visit during a peak time.

Inside

Urban Grill is famous for their grilled mac ‘n cheese, which can be found sandwiched on a bun and topped with a variety of toppings. I went with the Urban Mac with pepper bacon and pepper relish ($12). This normally comes with kettle chips but I upgraded to fresh-cut fries for $3. The grilled mac n’ cheese actually holds up really well in sandwich form as the crispy cheese on the outside helps keep the creamy inside contained. Each of the grilled mac sandwiches I’ve tried are great!

Urban Mac Sandwich

My wife went with the couscous salad with grilled chicken, vegetables, slivered almonds, golden raisins, cranberries, and goat cheese ($10). She choose to have it topped with Thai peanut sauce. She was in love with this dish. I tried a bite of it and found the complex dish full of a variety of flavors and quite filling.

Couscous Salad

My son had the mini burger with chips ($6) and ate nearly the entire thing. The unique thing hear is that the cheese is grilled onto the bun, similarly to how the mac ‘n cheese is grilled. So the cheese is a bit crispy and adds an interesting texture.

Mini Burger

My daughter had the grilled chicken and mac ‘n cheese ($6). It was also served with kettle chips and was a very large plate of food for a kid. Urban Grill’s chicken is marinated, grilled, and pulled into bite size pieces making it very easy for anyone to eat.

Grilled Chicken and Mac ‘n Cheese

Overall we have been extremely happy with the Urban Grill on Main and have been back a few times in the year since their opening. We will continue to frequent for delicious hand crafted food in a comfortable and family friendly space.

Wild Eggs is a regional chain specializing in breakfast and lunch. There are currently three locations in Cincinnati. My family and I recently visited their newest location downtown on 4th Street in the ground floor of the Great American Tower.

Inside

We found plenty of tables available upon our 11 AM entry, something that cannot always be said about some of the other local spots. However I feel that this could change quickly as it was much more crowded on a second visit.

Turkey Reuben

I had already eaten a small breakfast earlier in the day, so I went for one of their lunch options. Their Reuben can be made with either a half-pound of lean corned beef or turkey breast. It is topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing between slices of toasted light rye ($11.99). This is served with your choice of fries, chips, or skillet potatoes. I went with skillet potatoes as it is not something you can often find during lunch. Overall this was a solid lunch option.

Trippin’ Chickin’ Crepe

My wife went with one of their more creative options, the Trippin’ Chickin’ Crepe ($10.99). This features savory crepes stuffed with pulled chicken, spinach, and wild mushrooms, topped with white cheddar Mornay and smoked paprika. This was outstanding! I’m always a sucker for Mornay sauce and this was delicious, and also very filling.

Kids Omelet

Our daughter really enjoyed having a kids omelet option that was filled with cheddar-jack cheese, and served with fresh fruit, and toast ($3.29). While our son stuffed himself on a short stack of two fluffy pancakes topped with powdered sugar and syrup on the side ($2.99).

Kids Pancakes

My family has really been impressed with Wild Eggs so far and we will return soon. There is a location in Oakley even closer to our home so we may head that way next time.

My family and I recently wandered into The Rook OTR and were blown away! For starters, this is a board game parlor with over 800 games, a great bar food menu, and a full bar along with 12 beers on tap.

Inside

My elementary school aged kids loved the variety of games available and we played through a dozen of them over the course of a couple of hours.

Games

While there isn’t a kids menu there are plenty of appetizers that should suffice, pizza rolls, tater tots, mini corn-dogs, pretzel bites, chicken tenders, etc. We all shared the pretzel bites & Fat Tire beer cheese ($8). The pretzel bites were fried golden and the beer cheese was very tasty.

Pretzel Bites & Fat Tire Beer Cheese

For my lunch I went with the world domination cubano with cherry braised carnitas, grilled pork loin, house mustard, pickles, and provolone ($10). This was not your standard Cuban sandwich, but I mean that in a good way. The carnitas and pork loin were cooked perfectly and piled high on a grilled roll. All sandwiches are served with house chips in either ranch or BBQ flavoring.

World Domination Cubano

The kids split the traditional mini corn-dogs that are dipped to order in house honey Polenta batter ($7). My picky son was not happy that these didn’t look like the frozen mini corn-dogs he is used to being served in other restaurants. But I’m told the tasted much better than their frozen counterparts.

Mini Corn-Dogs

My wife enjoyed the farmageddon black bean burger with curried brie, mixed greens, and sauteed veggies ($10). This was served on what appeared to be an everything bun, which was an awesome surprise. She was happy with her choice, but I didn’t get a bite to let you know my own thoughts.

Farmageddon Black Bean Burger

Our lunch visit to The Rook OTR was awesome! We tried to go back more recently for dinner but found that all tables were occupied, and it didn’t look like one would open up soon. We will likely save this for weekend lunches, but it is good for a couple of hours especially in cold winter weather.