The new kitchen inside MadTree opened last weekend after Catch-a-Fire moved out at the start of this year. My family and I are big fans of Catch-a-Fire, so we were sad when this all went down, but the food coming out of the MadTree kitchen is a solid replacement.

Cheesy Bread

We started with an order of cheesy bread, topped with garlic butter, mozzarella, and parmesan served with red sauce and ranch ($9). There are four slices in the serving, enough for each of our family members to try a slice. Nothing crazy here, but solid bread and good sauce to go with it.

Fries

We also tried the fries with Happy Amber BBQ and ranch ($10). This was a massive serving of fries and their BBQ sauce is great.

Tasty Taco Pizza

My favorite of the day was definitely the tasty taco pizza topped with taco sauce, cheddar, chipotle chicken, pico de Gallo, Doritos, guacamole, and crema ($17.25 for the 12-inch). The flavor combination on this was superb and I was happy that this was served with chicken rather than the more common ground beef for a taco pizza. I will absolutely order this again as it is unique and tastes great!

Cheesy Cheese Pizza

Our kids enjoyed the cheesy cheese pizza ($11.50 for 12-inch). My son said it’s not as good as Catch-a-Fire, but I stole a slice and found it to be a pretty good slice of plain pie. Overall the serving sizes are large, with the 12-inch pizza being more than enough for 2 to split. There are six pretty big slices, so it could be possible to share with 3 people and a snack on the side, depending on the hunger of the group.

There aren’t a lot of great places to stop, sit down, and have a nice meal between Cincinnati and Columbus. My family and I recently discovered Ralph’s American Grill, about halfway along the 100-mile drive between the two cities. They are a self-proclaimed tribute to the trucking industry and feature decor reflecting the area’s rich history in transportation, including the nearby R+L Carriers.

The Nashville Sandwich

For my meal, I opted for the Nashville sandwich, with a spicy fried chicken breast, coleslaw, pickle, and mayo on a toasted bun ($13.95 with choice of side). The coleslaw was particularly good I thought, and the chicken was well seasoned and not overly spicy.

Paramount Pulled Pork Sandwich

My wife had the paramount pulled pork sandwich topped with BBQ sauce, coleslaw, cheddar cheese, and fried onions on Texas toast ($13.95 with choice of side). This was also a pretty good sandwich, though quite messy.

Mack (Truck) & Cheese

My kids sampled the Mack (truck) & cheese ($4.99) and the Bavarian-style pretzels with beer cheese, honey mustard, and everything cream cheese dip ($9.95).

They also have a nice beer list featuring beers from Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus.

Element Eatery has quickly become our go-to food hall destination in Cincinnati. I’ve tried many of the stalls already and it’s hard to pick a favorite. I enjoy having so many options to choose from and usually go with whatever I’m in the mood for.

Counter

Little Easy brands itself as a Po’Boy Shop and it features a variety of po’boys along with other creole options. The half po’boy is still a massive sandwich! I enjoyed the buttermilk brined and fried chicken topped with sriracha aioli, pickled ginger, and cilantro on New Orleans Leidenheimer po’boy bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickle ($9.95). Also, do not skip out on the chicken and sausage gumbo served over rice ($6 for a cup). This is an authentic dish that will bring your taste buds straight to Louisiana.

Po’boy & Gumbo

Located in Over-the-Rhine, Milkman is an upscale lunch and dinner diner-style restaurant. They are on Race Street just south of Washington Park.

Outside

Orders are placed at the counter. The menu features “juicy burgers,” fried chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, nuggets, and boozy shakes. If you don’t want a boozy shake, there are unalcoholic versions available as well, in addition to canned/bottled beer, soda, juice, etc. all available to grab yourself just before you place your order.

Inside

The food is cooked to order but comes out really fast! I was happy to see that they have fried chicken sandwiches on the menu since I don’t eat burgers. The club with swiss, bacon, shredded lettuce, tomato, and garlic herb mayo ($11.99) was really good. The thicken was thick and juicy and the sauce was great. The buffalo and damn hot chicken sandwiches are also very good. It’s hard to go wrong.

Fried Chicken Club

As far as boozy shakes go, I recommend the Grasshopper with bourbon, creme de menthe, chocolate chips, and whipped cream ($12.99). However, I think it is hard to go wrong with any of their choices.

Grasshopper Boozy Shake

My only complaint is that prices are a little high since the sandwiches do not come with a side dish, but I recommend sharing the order of fries or onion rings anyway, making the prices not too bad. This is a great place to bring your kids and we will for sure be back for more.

Ford’s Garage has two locations in the Cincinnati area, and one of them is right down the road from my house. When it first opened, it was nearly impossible to get a table at dinner time. But now that things have settled down after a year and a half, you should have an easier time walking in to find an open table. Avoiding weekend evenings would probably still be a good idea though.

Outside

The restaurant space is wonderfully themed of old model Ford vehicles and other automotive artifacts. The highlight has to be the assembly line of car frames that dangle from the ceiling in an assembly line fashion.

Inside

On my first visit, I had the buffalo chicken sandwich topped with blue cheese dressing, chopped romaine, and tomato and served with fries ($13.50). I upgraded the fries to onion rings, which I would highly recommend. Their onion rings are top-notch! The sandwich was also great and included a very large piece of fried chicken and the blue cheese dressing was creamy and delicious.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

My kids have enjoyed the junior cheeseburger and the grilled cheese, both served with fries ($6.99). The fries are also well-seasoned and perfectly fried.

Junior Cheeseburger

My wife was pleased to find that any of their signature burgers can have the burger patty subbed with a chicken breast, turkey, or veggie burger for no additional charge. She opted for the estate burger with smoked gouda cheese, sweet red onion marmalade, arugula, tomato, crispy onion straws, and white truffle bacon aioli ($15.99). She was happy with her selection and commented that the marmalade was delicious.

Estate Burger

Overall the food is great at Ford’s Garage. Our service has been quick and efficient. We will be back.

TAHONA Taqueria+Tequila Bar can be found in downtown Loveland, just a short stroll from the bike trail. I was excited to try a newer (to me) restaurant, though I already have a couple of favorites in the area. Orders are placed at the counter, items are quickly prepared, and then brought to your designated table.

Tacos

For lunch, I had the chicken taco and the pork carnitas taco ($3.85 each). For starters, I wouldn’t get the chicken again. It was a really bland mix of chicken, tomatillo-chimichurris sauce, and queso fresco, and the microgreens on top did little to help. The pork carnitas combined barbacoa sauce, corn and poblano pico, cotija cheese, and cilantro. This was a lot better, though still, I have had many better tacos now that the Cincinnati area is full of taco options.

Salsa Bar

They do have a fresh salsa bar, which I appreciated to try to spice up the chicken taco. But with all of that said, there are better meals to have in Loveland. However, if you are in a hurry, there are worse places you could go.

Bluegrass Brewing Company is a staple of Louisville. They helped to pioneer the microbrewery scene, and since 2010 they have occupied a former bank space downtown.

Inside

When in Louisville you have to try a hot brown. The hot brown at BBC features sliced turkey, tomatoes, bacon, mornay sauce, cheddar jack cheese, and smoked paprika served open-faced over sourdough toast ($17.90). This is a great example of this famous Louisville dish and the serving size is large enough that it could be shared.

Hot Brown

Bluegrass Brewing Company is worth a stop for great pub food and while you are there try a dank IPA.

Sinners & Saints is close to my house, but it’s on a stretch of road that I rarely travel. When going to or from downtown I almost always use Columbia Parkway and rarely go along Riverside Drive. Sinners & Saints is one of only a few restaurants along this nearly 4-mile stretch. One evening I made a special trip down Riverside to visit. I really enjoyed this stop and will have to make a special trip again in the future.

Smoked & Stuffed Jalapeños

For starters, their smoked & stuffed jalapeños are delightful ($10)! Sausage, cream cheese, and cheddar are all inside, wrapped with bacon and smoked. They come served with house BBQ sauce on the side, but you may not even need it. The smoke flavor is really there on the bacon and mixes well with the creamy filling.

Naan Street Tacos

For dinner, the naan street tacos are a solid choice. Pulled pork, peach BBQ, source cream, pickled onion, and green onion are packed inside of garlic naan and served taco style ($16). This is served with a very large side of mac and cheese. It is quite a filling meal! The tacos were great and the naan holds up really well to the juices and sauces, as compared to a soft corn shell.

If you haven’t had an empanada from Ché, stop what you’re doing and go! These delightfully fried pastries are Argentina’s favorite street food. Ché started as a food truck, then they opened in Over-the-Rhine in 2016, and a couple of years ago expanded close to my home in O’Bryonville.

Outside

My wife and I have visited multiple times recently. Each time at least one of us had the mushroom and feta, the chicken salsa verde, and the jerk chicken. These are good ones to start with. I’ve also heard great things about the short rib. They also have more interesting flavor combinations such as buffalo chicken or even a Cuban. They cost $4.75 each, and I think two or three make for a good meal.

Empanadas

The menu at Ché also features tacos, sandwiches, salads, and more. Plus a full bar with some awesome cocktails and a great draft beer selection.

I really enjoyed Warped Wing beers and was hoping the same would be true about their Brewpub & Smokery in Mason. We stopped by during a soccer tournament for lunch and found immediate seating available both inside and out. The space is very large and can host quite a crowd.

Beers

You can’t go wrong with a tall glass of Gamma Bomb IPA. But they also have a wide variety of drafts on their two dozen or so taps. In colder weather, you cannot go wrong with Whiskey Rebellion, their barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout.

Chicken Sandwich & Grits

For lunch, I had the chicken sandwich, which combines smoked chopped chicken with Swiss cheese, Carolina gold bbq, and fried onion straws ($14 with choice of side). The smoke flavor of the chicken was great, and the Carolina sauce was on point, sweet, and tangy with just a bit of spice. On the side, I chose the jalapeno grits, which were a little soupy for my liking. The flavor was good though. Overall it was a good meal and we will be back I’m sure during another soccer tournament.