I’ve always heard a lot about Ingredients from my wife but I never got around to trying it for myself until a couple of weeks ago. This salad, sandwich, panini, and pizza quick service restaurant is located in the atrium lobby of the Westin Cincinnati, just across the street from Fountain Square.

Atrium Lobby

The primary draw is definitely the salad station where the customer can choose from a wide variety of ingredients to create a personalized salad or select from one of their signature combinations. The line was very long for this station, while the sandwich and other station was not nearly as crowded. But as this was my first time I figured I better try one of the salads.

Inside

I went with the southwest chicken salad with black beans, corn, tomatoes, tortilla strips, avocado, scallions, cilantro, cheddar cheese,  and  jalapeno ($7.95). The employees at the salad station quickly threw the ingredients together, tossed it all together with ranch dressing and put it in a super sized to go container.

Southwest Chicken Salad

As the weather was nice I decided to take my lunch over to Fountain Square to enjoy in the sunshine. The salad was very large and I could have easily been split with another for a light lunch. The ingredients were all very fresh and the combination was great! I noticed that these signature salads are also available in a prepared cooler, but I think it’s worth the ten minute wait to get it assembled fresh and tossed together even if you aren’t making any modifications. Ingredients  is a great spot for a somewhat healthy lunch downtown.

If you ever find yourself in Port Clinton, perhaps on the way to Put-in-Bay, I can now recommend a  good spot for lunch. Slater’s Madison Street Pub is on Madison Street just a couple of blocks from the Jet Express ferry terminal.  Port Clinton was established in 1828 and the buildings in this section of town  definitely show their age.

Outside Slater’s Madison Street Pub

The inside of Slater’s looks dated at well, but it has been well maintained for the most part. There are just a couple of low seated  tables right when you walk in, and the rest of the space is served with a few high-tops and bar seating. In the back are a variety of classic arcade games. It reminded me of some of the bars I used to frequent in my college years.

Inside Slater’s Madison Street Pub

The food menu was actually much larger than I expected and features soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, burgers, steaks and seafood options. There were a few lunch specials that I immediately took advantage of.  My ham and Swiss melt on rye was great  and the hand cut fries were a nice touch.

Lunch  Special

Slater’s offers evening entertainment and a weekly jazz night on Wednesdays. I could see this being a regular stop for myself if I lived in the area.

A few weeks ago my family and I found ourselves in Springdale with no dinner plans. After quickly browsing Yelp for someplace new, I easily settled on Ena’s JerkMania!  The concept is a fast casual spin-off of Ena’s Caribbean Kitchen in Columbus, specializing in jerk cooking.

Roadside Sign

The location at 411 West Kemper Road was easy enough to find, and was obviously once an old  Taco Bell restaurant.

Old Taco Bell

There isn’t much space inside for dining in, but we had sleeping kids in the car anyway, so I placed a carry out order. The only other patrons I saw during my brief visit also took their food to go.

Menu Inside

Orders are placed at the counter and food is prepared in the back. There is a small window back into the kitchen so you can kind of see your food being prepared. The menu is pretty simple. First you pick one of a few meats, and then you pick either rice bowl, sandwich, wrap, or salad. From there you select among the handful of jerk sauces and add your own toppings or try a classic build.

Chicken Rice Bowl

My wife ordered the chicken rice bowl with sweet jerk sauce ($6.50). This comes on top of Jamaican rice and beans and has Caribbean slaw on one side. The slaw is a of the dry variety and didn’t add much flavor to the dish. My wife found it best to mix all the ingredients up and enjoy with all the flavors blending together. With that said it might be worth added three build your own items for 50 cents.

Chicken Wrap

I went with the  spicy chicken wrap Spanishtown style with mozzarella, Caribbean slaw, and maniac mayo ($6.50). The chicken and sauce weren’t overly spicy but definitely had a nice kick. The cheese and mayo probably helped to subdue the spiciness. The slaw added a nice crunch to the wrap. I was pleased by this classic build and would definitely try some of the other builds on a future visit.

Rosemary-garlic Fries

We also shared a side of fresh-cut rosemary-garlic fries ($4.00 for large order). Their kickin’ ketchup was served on the side and was excellent. It provides a nice spice thanks to the  scotch bonnet pepper infusion. The fries were also very tasty by themselves.

Overall we had a great meal from Ena’s JerkMania! It is a the only quick service Caribbean restaurant that I can think of and is definitely worth a try.

Last month I had a dining experience that I am still dreaming about today. Ash American Fare occupies the end-cap of the East Hyde Park business block formerly occupied by Cumin. The ownership is still the same but the concept is new and features American comfort food.

Jack-Ash

My wife and I started with a couple of drinks from the libations list ($10 each). I went with the Jack-Ash, which featured Tito’s vodka, lime juice, and Crabbie’s ginger beer.  My wife went with the Traskwood, a more complex mix of Bulleit bourbon, muddled orange, brown simple sugar, orange bitters, and Lost Coast tangerine wheat beer. We both enjoyed the drinks but I doubt I would order either of them again based solely on the high price of each.

Fried Green Tomatoes

To begin our meal, we started with fried green tomatoes served with molasses souffle and whole grain mustard aioli ($11). The tomatoes  were perfectly fried and tender, while the souffle added an interesting sweetness to compliment the subtle spice of the mustard seeds. Our meal was off to a great start.

Ed Hill Chicken Roulade

For dinner I ordered the Ed Hill chicken roulade ($22). The chicken is filled  with apple and sage stuffing and served over a bed of couscous with grilled  tomato and broccoli rabe, finished with lemon thyme jus. In one word this dish was amazing! The presentation was very nice and every bite was incredibly delicious.

Vegetarian Black Bean Burger

My wife went with the vegetarian black bean burger with red pepper coulis, charred corn salsa, and roasted poblano aioli ($15). This is served with a large basket of fries and a pickle spear. Corn and black bean always go so well together, so I’m not sure why it has taken us this long to find this combination so well executed in burger form. The sauce on the burger was full of flavor and had a bit of smoky taste, which paired well with the grilled patty.

I can’t say enough great things about the food at Ash American Fare. Though we will probably save it for a special occasion, a return visit will definitely happen.

Yesterday I was treated to a special tour of Graeter’s state of the art manufacturing facility thanks to Yelp. This plant is four years old and has been optimized for nationwide distribution of the finest ice cream around.

Outside Graeter’s Manufacturing Plant

Before taking our tour, we were given hair nets and beard nets when appropriate. I was excited to wear a beard net for only the second time! You may recall my first beard net from my tour of the Frisch’s commissary.

Hair Net and Beard Net!

Those who are familiar with Graeter’s ice cream already know that one of the best parts of the ice cream are the massive chunks of chocolate in many varieties. These chunks of chocolate start out as ten pound blocks of the finest chocolate available. I believe that retail price of this chocolate is $19.95 per pound. Nothing like staring at a $200 piece of chocolate!

10 Pound Chocolate Block

The chocolate is melted and mixed with non-GMO soybean oil to achieve a better consistency for use in ice cream. The vats containing this rich chocolate mixture smelled heavenly.

Melted Chocolate

Graeter’s still a small-batch french pot process slowly creating just two gallons at a time. This creates an irresistible creaminess that cannot be achieved through modern commercial products.

Still Using French Pots

There are four pods of eight french pots. Each pod is staffed by three employees, two who work the french pots and the other who hand-packs the ice cream into containers.

Flavor of the Day: Double Chocolate Chip

The flavor of the day during our visit was double chocolate chip. Yum!

Freezing 2 Gallons

As I just mentioned, all the ice cream is hand-packed into the packaging, nearly 20,000 pints per day.

Still Hand Packing Too

One employee was kind enough to hand pack samples for our entire tour group right off the assembly line. This ice cream was almost of a soft serve consistency and was simply perfect.

Assembly Line

The new manufacturing facility does make use of machines to automate the bookends of the manufacturing process, while still allowing the ice cream to be made by hand in small batches.

Packaging Line

After viewing the entire production line, we took a quick tour of the warehouse, which can reach temperatures of negative forty! It literally took minutes for my body to recover from just a quick visit to this massive storage room.

Warehouse

After our tour was over we were treated for a few more samples, including two varieties of the new gelato line, the most authentically made gelato in North America. I really enjoyed the caramel  truffle variety and will have to check for that in stores.

Handcrafting Irresistible Ice Cream Since 1870

Unfortunately public tours are not currently offered. But I have some news that should make up for that. In celebration of national ice cream day, you can get any single scoop cone on Sunday for $1.44, commemorating Graeter’s 144 years. This offer is valid at any retail location and for any flavor.

Last month was the second annual Food Truckin’ for Josh Cares  down on Fountain Square. Over $33,000 was raised for Josh Cares, an organization that make sure no seriously ill child feels alone and afraid while hospitalized. It is estimated that over 1,500 people gathered on the square during the three-hour event to sample food from 10+ Cincinnati food trucks. I can attest to the large crowd, as it was packed upon my arrival just before 1 PM.

Crowded Fountain Square for Food Truckin’ for Josh Care

I was only able to sample food from one truck, but fortunately it was one that was new to me.  Joseph Garcia, owner of Texas Joe, was born and raised in the heart of the South, Houston, Texas. According to his website, “His food comes from generations of family home cooks that didn’t measure or use recipes.”  With the exception of the tortillas, Garcia prepares all the items on his menu from scratch. He offers quesadillas, tacos and tostados with a variety of meat: including chipotle pulled chicken, braised beef brisket and 12-hour hickory smoked pork.

Texas Joe – “The Legal Mexican”

Unfortunately it seems that Texas Joe was working with an abbreviated menu for the food truckin’ event. The only thing on the menu for the day was tacos (1 for $4), however they were not the standard tacos either. Normally the tacos come topped with black bean and corn salsa, shredded cabbage, and grated cotija cheese, which sounds awesome! The tacos for this day did not have the salsa or cabbage but were instead served topped with a mix of sautéed vegetables. Both the chipotle chicken and the vegetables tasted good, but they did not blend well together and I found it to be a rather odd combination.

Chipotle Chicken Taco

I really wish I could have tried to taco as advertised on the standard menu, as it sounds so much better than the funky combination I was served on this day. The food was freshly prepared and tasted good, but I feel that it wasn’t a very Tex-Mex  inspired dish. I look forward to seeing Texas Joe out again so that I can try the true “Legal Menu.”

A couple of weeks ago my neighborhood and surrounding areas in Cincinnati suffered a major power loss. This wasn’t  the first time I’ve lost power at home during work hours, forcing me to find a coffee shop to work from for a few hours, but this was the first time all of my neighborhood shops were also without power. A friend of mine suggested heading towards either the University of Cincinnati or Xavier University, and while on my way toward UC I drove past  Café DeSales, who appeared to have power.

Inside

Once inside I found a few others already setting up a workspace at  the neighborhood coffee shop and deli. After ordering a cinnamon roll from the counter, I found a table and started my work day. Hours later power was still not restored to our house  and it was well after my normal lunch time. Fortunately  Café DeSales offers a variety of sandwiches and salads for lunch, in addition to breakfast items being served all day.

Chicken Salad Croissant

I was pleased to find a chicken salad croissant sandwich on the menu, always a favorite of mine. It is served with lettuce and tomato along  with a side of chips, potato salad, or pasta salad. I chose potato salad, which is a large serving in a plastic cup. Both items were tasty and better than I would expect from a place that is predominately a coffee shop. I ended up spending my entire work day at  Café DeSales and would gladly do it again in the future.

After a long afternoon exploring Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies a few weeks back, my wife and I were able to walk the streets of Gatlinburg and get both of our kids to fall asleep in the stroller. We quickly took advantage of the situation to enjoy a peaceful early dinner at the Smoky Mountain Brewery.

Outside

Even with the address in hand, we walked right past the restaurant and brewery on our first trip down the street. It sits back off the  parkway behind Calhoun’s and the Cherokee Grill. The outside of the building looks like a ski lodge and offers multiple levels of dining.

Beer Sampler

Since we wanted to keep the kids in the stroller to let them sleep, we were asked if it would be alright if we ate downstairs in the small kitchen dining area. We occupied the only table but our server never once forgot about us. We enjoyed a sampling of their beers while looking over the food menu ($5.75 for 5 5-oz pours). Their main stay beer offerings seem to cater toward those who enjoy lighter beers and I was not impressed by them. However the porter was great as was  the featured IPA. Plus their beer is also ridiculously cheap!

Chicken Reuben

For dinner I enjoyed the chicken Reuben with sauerkraut, sour cream, and cheese on grilled rye bread ($9.75). This was not a standard Reuben  at all. I’ve had turkey Reubens many times, but never one made with chicken. The chicken was thick sliced and the sour cream was not really noticeable. Some thousand island would have really made this sandwich great, but it was still good as is. For the included  side I chose the honey-mustard potato salad, which was awesome!

Chicken Cheese Philly

My wife ordered the chicken cheese Philly with fires ($9.75). The sandwich was a very large portion and filled with loads of grilled peppers and onions. I stole a few bites of the sandwich and it tasted great. The bread was fresh and soft, and the filling was piping hot. The fries were your average shoestring variety, and I would definitely recommend the potato salad instead.

The Smoky Mountain Brewery is a somewhat hidden spot just off the main thoroughfare through Gatlinburg, but it is well worth a stop for a meal and some beer.

After an exhausting day in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, my wife and I decided to order carry out for dinner. While she made a quick trip through a nearby grocery store, I placed an order over the phone with Bennett’s Pig Bar-B-Que. Placing the order was simple and the kind woman on the other end of the line said that our meals would be ready in five or ten minutes, which I think is a really quick turnaround. Upon arrival at the restaurant ten minutes later, our food was ready and the transaction couldn’t have been easier.

Ultimate Pork Shoulder Sandwich

Back at our cabin, I opened up the bag to find our individually packed meals. I ordered their ultimate pork shoulder sandwich with grilled onions, topped with sweet honey-bbq sauce, and served on garlic toast with pickles ($11.99). This included two sides and I went with fries and coleslaw. The meat was moist and tender. The sauce was too sweet for my taste, but the onions on my sandwich helped balance it out a little. The fries were still pretty crisp, even after traveling awhile in the Styrofoam container, and the slaw was pretty good as well.

Bar-B-Que Pork Shoulder

I thought I ordered my wife the Carolina pork sandwich ($10.49), but when we opened her box there was no coleslaw on top of the sandwich. No worries though, I just gave her some of mine to top off her sandwich. To round out her platter she chose bar-b-que beans along with  macaroni and cheese. The sandwich was roughly the same as mine, just on different bread and with slaw instead of onions. The beans were good but a little too saucy and sweet. The macaroni and cheese was surprisingly great.

Overall I would have liked to have tried some of the other sauces that the restaurant features, as I was not a big fan of the sweet honey-bbq sauce. Besides that fact, the food was good and I would not hesitate to eat at Bennett’s again. The service was also top-notch.

There is such an abundance of Thai restaurants near our house that there are a few that I’ve never tried. After this weekend I can finally scratch off Blue Elephant  from that list. My wife called in a delivery order and about an hour later a variety of Thai dishes were on our table. Blue Elephant also specializes in sushi and Italian food, which I find very odd, though from looking at the menu again it appears that there are only a few Italian style dishes offered.

Our Buffet

We dined on the  Thai style basil chicken, Thai spicy chicken, and Pra Ram, stir fry  with a  Thai peanut sauce ($12.95 each). The basil chicken was served with ground chicken, which  I have never seen before. However it was a really tasty  mix of flavors with green bean, onion, and bell peppers added to the mildly spicy sauce. The Thai spicy was indeed a spicy dish of red curry sauce with stir-fried chicken and mixed vegetables. This was my favorite of the night. The Pra Ram came dry with the peanut sauce on the side. The chicken was thin sliced and served over a bed of steamed veggies. I thought this one was a little on the bland side and was my least favorite.

My Plate

So, how does Blue Elephant stack up to Lemon Grass, Ruthai’s, Bangkok Bistro, etc? Overall I don’t think the food was quite as good as some of the  other nearby restaurants, but it is still above average. However bonus points are awarded for being the only one that delivers to your door. For that reason alone, we will likely order from Blue Elephant again in the future.