Florida based The Brass Tap, a chain of beer bars, opened their first Midwest location near the University of Cincinnati this past summer. The spot is in the newly finished U Square development that is a series of buildings with a mix of retail, residential, and dining.

U Square

Parking is available on the street outside of the bar, or in the garages that were built as part of development. Special event parking is just $10 when there is a big sporting event on campus, which is cheaper than on campus parking, and it leaves with you plenty of warm options for pregame activities.

Outside

This Brass Tap location features eighty taps, many of which are dedicated to local beer offerings. It is a very impressive lineup, better than anywhere else around campus, and near the top that the city offers.

Taps

No food is offered yet, but menus for a handful of neighboring restaurants (mostly in the U Square development) are available at the bar and I’m told that food orders can be made available for delivery. My only compliant is that they are not family friendly. In an effort to keep the underage college students out of the bar, no one under 21 is permitted inside. Instead head to the nearby  Adriatico’s if you are bringing the kids along.

This isn’t my grandma’s green been casserole recipe, but I wish that it was. I’ve made the recipe at least three times now and have had great feedback. We’ve already had two Thanksgiving dinners this week with another big one on Thursday. I think I am in charge of green bean casserole once again Thursday, so I’ll be making at least one more batch. Give it a try if you are looking for something different from the traditional cream of mushroom soup based recipe.

Green Bean Casserole

The first Thanksgiving dinner was with my parents, brother, and his girlfriend this past Saturday. I decided to smoke a turkey breast for the main attraction. Originally I wanted to find a boneless breast, but ended up with a bone-in as that was all that two different stores had in stock. The breast weighed about 7.5 pounds and took right around five hours to smoke somewhere between 335 to 350 degrees.

Smoked Turkey

I used a very basic hickory chip for the smoke and thought the flavor came through pretty well. I would definitely do it again as it really didn’t take much additional effort or time and the results were great. I remembered how much fun it can be to sit and tend to a smoker all afternoon while sipping on a few beers. I hope to get back into this more in the coming summer.

My Plate

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday and break from the daily grind.

Look out Bakersfield, I’ve found a new favorite taqueria in Cincinnati. Mazunte has been serving authentic Mexican food from their Madisonville location for just over three months, but they seem to have nearly perfected the concept. Their restaurant is located in a very small strip of stores on Madison Road near the intersection with Red Bank.

Outside

Once you step inside Mazunte you will be greeted by a larger menu hanging over the ordering counter. From there you can see inside the open air kitchen and the adjacent wooden bar also looks over the same space. There are short of a dozen wooden tables but the bar and parallel dining counter offer plenty of space for diners. I’m told that the tables and seating were all made of re-purposed wood that was nearly sent to the burn pile. It’s definitely a unique space.

Inside

After placing our order at the counter, we were handed a basket of freshly made chips as part of our salsa bar order ($1.50). This includes unlimited trips to the chip and salsa counter near the front door. Salsas include pico de gallo, roasted tomato salsa, salsa verde, and salsa picante. The chips were whole fried tortillas and the salsas were very fresh. I think the roasted tomato was my favorite, but the salsa verde was also quite good.

Chips & Salsa

For dinner I chose the chicken memelitas topped with  black bean purée, queso fresco, salsa verde, and salsa rojo ($7.75). A memelita is a thick corn tortilla made with  corn masa. My plate had two memelitas that were covered with so much goodness that it would be impossible to eat this like a taco. I used a fork to devour mine and were these ever delicious. The side of rice that comes with the dish may appear rather plain but it is actually full of flavor, much better than your typical southwestern style rice.

Memelitas

While the menu does not list any selections for the kids, we were happy to find that they will make small quesadillas with their tortillas filled with your choice of meat and/or Mexican cheese. These even come served with a side of rice. The blue corn tortilla kind of scared off our suddenly picky two-year-old, but I found the quesadilla to be delicious. The menu features an adult version of these quesadilla that I will consider ordering in the future.

Kid’s Quesadilla

My wife ordered the mixed tacos ($9) and choose one each of the beer battered fish, braised chicken, and shredded pork. The fish taco was topped with  Mexican slaw, guacamole, and mango-habanero salsa. The tacos would offer our only taste of the guacamole on this visit but it was incredible and I will definitely order a bigger serving in the future. The mix of sweet and spicy flavor was not something I was used to experiencing in guacamole but it was excellent. The fish was very good as well, making this an outstanding taco. The chicken and pork tacos were very similar and both were topped with avocado salsa and salsa rojo, both were very good and I would not hesitate to order either again.

Mixed Tacos

We had an amazing first visit to Mazunte Taqueria and will absolutely be back again very soon. The food was outstanding and the service was quick and friendly.

My wife and I spent last Saturday night in downtown Louisville. Sunday morning when it came time to find some grub to soak up all the bourbon from the night before, we actually had a little trouble doing so. The McDonald’s suggestion from the parking garage attendant was not what we were looking for, but I guess in her defense there doesn’t seem to be a ton of breakfast places around. Fortunately we eventually found Against The Grain Brewery and their Sunday brunch offerings.

Inside

Against The Grain is a brewer-owned brewery connected to Louisville Slugger Field, the home of the Louisville Bats, the triple-A  minor league baseball  affiliate of the  Cincinnati Reds. It is a little out-of-the-way from the main section of downtown Louisville, but still a very easy walk from most areas. The space is very tall and I liked being able to see two levels of brewing equipment up above the bar.

Bar & Equipment

Brunch is only served on Sunday and runs from 10 AM until 2:30 PM, at which time the normal menus takes over for the rest of the night. We arrived just after the 10 AM opening and were the first customers of the day. Even though it was before noon, our server gladly walked us through the beer offerings as well as pointing out the Bloody Mary bar. Against The Grain brews an always rotating mix of beers. There is one beer available in each of six loose styles: session, hop, whim, malt, dark, and smoke. They also have barrel aged and cask conditioned beers too.

Chorizo Biscuits & Gravy

One look at the brunch menu and I knew what I was getting, the Chorizo biscuits and gravy ($8). Two buttermilk biscuits are topped with a house made Chorizo gravy that had just the right amount of spiciness to it. I love biscuits and gravy, especially when the gravy has a nice kick to it. This was spot on and I wish I could eat it again right now.

Two Egg Omelet

My wife went with the two egg omelet, stuffed with cheddar and charred cherry tomato, topped with house pickled veggies and feta ($9). The presentation on this dish was lovely, and I’m told the taste was just as good. She added a buttermilk biscuit to the side for a complete meal ($1.50).

To wash it all down I enjoyed a  Mac FannyBaw, a barrel aged Rauchbier, from the whim categorization ($5). This is a really complex beer, a lot of the character coming from the  Angel’s Envy bourbon barrel treatment.  We also shared a massive cinnamon roll ($3.50)  on the car ride back to Cincinnati. We had a wonderful first experience at Against The Grain, and hope we can make it back soon for either another brunch or to sample the regular Smokehouse menu.

Yesterday was my wife’s birthday. To celebrate we ventured out for a nice dinner without the kids, something that doesn’t happen often enough. After discussing our options throughout the day, we settled on Nectar in Mt. Lookout. Despite the restaurants close proximity to our house, neither of us had ever been before.  Nectar serves  contemporary French Mediterranean seasonal cuisine using quality local and organic products when ever possible.  Julie Francis, the chef and owner, changes the small menu regularly to reflect the best of the seasons.

Inside

Originally we planned to walk to dinner, but the evening rain forced us into the car for the short drive. Parking can be a bit challenging in Mt. Lookout square in the evening, but we found a metered spot after a couple of laps around the central parking area. Inside, Nectar is warm and inviting. Just one other table was occupied upon our arrival. We were asked if we’d like to sit near the windows or in the rear by the kitchen. I expected a larger crowd but can’t complain when we get our choice of seating.

We were delighted to find out that bottles of wine are half priced on Wednesdays! The wine list is short but offers a good variety of choices. We were most intrigued by the Cabernet Franc from  Kinkead Ridge, which is in Ripley, Ohio just an hour east up the Ohio River. This full-bodied wine was delicious!

Amuse-bouche

After placing our order, an amuse-bouche was delivered to our table compliments of the chef. I believe this was a fig chutney with duck confit and radish sprouts. Duck is not something that I eat often at all, so I just had a small bite of this. The base chutney was delicious and paired well with the saltiness of the somewhat dry duck. It gave an overall good impression of the flavor combinations that we would taste throughout our meal.

Mediterranean Meze

We ordered the Mediterranean Meze for a starter ($11.50) after hearing suggestions from our server. The sampler plate featured baba ganoush, black bean hummus, house falafel, pickled vegetables, salad, feta, harissa, and olive oil cracker bread. I started with the salad and really enjoyed it. The baba ganoush was perfect, especially with a little of the pickled flavor sneaking in from the vegetables that were served on top. The falafel was the best I’ve had in a long time, but was just a touch overcooked. The hummus was interesting with the black bean combination, but when topped with the somewhat spicy harissa and feta it was great. The olive oil cracker bread may not have looked like much but it too was excellent. An outstanding start to our meal.

Hill Farm Roast Chicken

For dinner I went with the Hill Farm roast chicken ($23) that is served over fingerling potatoes, bell pepper, garlic, red onion, and Andouille sausage. The chicken was perfectly cooked and flavored quite nicely. Potatoes dominated the mostly vegetable based bed and I wished that there was more of the sausage, which added a nice spice to the dish. With all of that said, I would definitely order this again, though next time I might try the gnocchi.

Achiote Rubbed Fish

My wife had the achiote rubbed fish served with black bean quinoa salad and butternut squash purée ($24). Let me start by saying that both the black bean quinoa salad and butternut squash purée were awesome. The fish definitely took a back seat and I believe my wife agreed, as the only thing left on her plate at the end was a little bit of the fish.  According to the menu for the night, the fish is typically corvina, but it was a different fish for our visit. I believe it to be sea bass or something similar.

We had a very pleasant first visit to Nectar and I think we will return sometime in the future. As the prices are a little higher than what we typically like to spend, we will most likely save it for special occasions.

A couple of weeks ago I finally had a chance to check out the Eastgate location of Jungle Jim’s International Market, which has been open for just over a year.

Outside

Those readers from Cincinnati most likely already are familiar with the supermarket giant. If you are not familiar, words cannot describe the size and variety of foods contained in this store.

Bathrooms

Walking through the sections of aisles for the various departments can often feel like you are taking on a never-ending maze. Though the aisles of this newer location do seem wider than the original in Fairfield.

Hippies

You will still find many of the things that make the original so popular and unique. The bathrooms are still disguised as porta potties. The selection of hot sauce is immense and actually appears to be larger in this new store.

Hot Sauce

The seafood department alone is larger than many grocery stores.

Seafood Department

Not only is the selection large, many of the fish and crustaceans are still alive.

Live Fish

The produce section is massive. Here you will not only find your standard grocery store items, but you will also find a wide variety of much harder to find ethnic produce.

Produce

Last but certainly not least is their very large selection of beer. This was the primary goal of my visit, and of course one of the last departments of the store. They have everything from American craft beer to many of the imports that you will find in other stores. With that said I didn’t see a whole lot that I couldn’t pick up from one of my neighborhood liquor stores. Though if beer and liquor is your goal for visiting the store, I’m told there is a separate entrance around back.

Beer

You can easily spend the better part of an afternoon wandering the endless aisles of Jungle Jim’s, but that is part of the experience. Be sure to wear your walking shoes.

Months ago I first heard that the small (but quickly growing) Columbus, Ohio based chain of restaurants, Piada Italian Street Food, would soon open a location very close to my house in Cincinnati. I waited anxiously for it to open and it finally did a few weeks ago.

Outside

Anyone familiar with Chipotle or any of the other fast casual order at the counter style restaurants should find Piada’s concept very familiar. There are three options to start with the namesake piada, a pasta bowl, or a chopped salad bowl. Each of them are then customized with your choice of seven proteins, six sauces or salad dressings, followed by any of over a dozen vegetable and cheese toppings.

Inside

In addition to a variety of Pepsi products, imported Italian sodas and teas are also available ($1.75 small). I tried the lemon tea and found it to be very sweet. Typically I drink unsweetened tea, but I actually enjoyed this. I couldn’t drink more than one cup of it, but free refills are available.

Italian Sodas & Teas

I really wanted to try the piada on my first visit, but since my wife beat me to it, I decided to try the pasta bowl with grilled chicken ($6.98). The only pasta available is angel-hair, but the other options are plentiful. I had my bowl topped with the spicy  diavolo sauce, artichokes, Parmesan, red onions, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. The sauce was very good and all the toppings were fresh. The bowl provided a ton of food and I enjoyed it very much. My only complaint was that it was hard to mix the ingredients together with somewhat clumpy pasta.

Pasta Bowl

My wife ordered the piada also with grilled chicken ($6.98). The piada shell is a very thin flour dough crust that is stone grilled upon ordering. It is then topped with a variety of ingredients and rolled up like a burrito. Though my wife did not, I’ve seen some people add pasta to their piada, which I will definitely have to try in the future. Many of the ingredients she chose were similar to what I put in my pasta bowl, so the taste was pretty much the same. However I did like the crisp piada shell, which is easy to simply pick up and eat. No silverware required.

Piada

There isn’t a kids menu, but we found that the piada stick ($1.95) was perfect for our soon to be three-year-old son. There are three choices pepperoni, Parmigiano Reggiano, or artichoke. We went with the Parmigiano and it was an excellent choice! He didn’t eat the entire thing and I was very happy to enjoy his leftovers. It is served with a Parmesan dipping sauce, but it is not needed.

Piada Stick

We had a very nice time on our first visit to Piada and we will definitely be back soon. With so many ingredients available for customizing your meal, I don’t think I will grow tired of the Italian street food anytime soon.

In our most recent Green B.E.A.N. delivery we received a couple of leeks. I don’t think I’ve had leeks before, at least not that I can remember, and I certainly had no idea how to prepare them. Fortunately I found that they were very easy to prepare and sauté.

Leeks And Rainbow Carrots

This recipe is pretty basic, but I would have had no idea that carrots and leeks paired so well together. The hardest part was chopping up the veggies, which really wasn’t all that hard.

Sautéing

The results were delicious and tasted great served with a Chinese style chicken and jasmine rice.

Dinner Is Served

I look forward to trying more recipes with leeks in the future. Their onion like qualities make them an easy substitution and I’m told that they make a great addition to soups.

In addition to trying Red Sesame at the Cincinnati Street Food Festival, I also had my first experience with Catch-A-Fire Pizza.  The truck itself is a pretty amazing sight! There are flames painted on the outside of it and real flames are contained inside the truck in  a  Mugnaini  wood fired oven.

Catch-A-Fire Truck

I ordered a slice of the Jammin’ Jerk Chicken pizza with their signature jerk sauce, red onion, spiced chicken, bell peppers, four cheeses, and topped with sweet potato chips. I guess this is a specialty item right now, though they are considering adding it to the full menu. I haven’t had any of their other offerings, but this slice of pizza is definitely worthy of being on a permanent menu.

Catch-A-Fire Pizza

The crust was perfectly wood fired with a crisp outside but still chewy on the inside, which I’m assuming would be true for any of their offerings. The toppings were plentiful and tasted great together. I’m not entirely sold on the sweet potato chips on top, as they add a weird crunchy texture to the pizza, but they are easy to remove for anyone who agrees with me. Overall Catch-A-Fire pizza is a welcome addition to the Cincinnati food truck scene.

This past Saturday was the second annual Cincinnati Street Food Festival  taking place in Walnut Hills. I missed the event last year but there was no way I was going to miss it this year. Turns out we had fantastic weather for the event and all seventeen food vendors seemed to be keeping very busy throughout the afternoon.

Red Sesame Taco Truck

There were a small number of trucks that I had tried before, but for the most part the vendors were mostly new to me. The first one I tried of the day was the Red Sesame Korean BBQ taco truck. I had heard of this truck before but had never tried any of their food. The menu was pretty simple offering tacos and quesadillas with either beef, chicken, or tofu.

Korean BBQ Taco Set

I decided to try the Korean BBQ taco set with chicken ($6). The presentation is pretty simple, two flour tortillas packed with an abundance of chicken, a handful of romaine lettuce,  and topped with a tangy and slightly spicy homemade sauce. The red pepper based sauce was easily my favorite ingredient and others in my group all agreed. The sauce is really good and worth trying on any of their items. If the burrito is available the next time I see the truck, I would probably give that a try instead, as it adds kimchi to the mix giving it a more authentic Korean taste.