I think I am the last blogger in Cincinnati to visit Bakersfield OTR, but my wife and I finally did so last week. I had wanted to visit many times before, but our nights without our kids are very limited, and Bakersfield is not child friendly. I would have no problem taking a baby there, as the environment isn’t bad for kids, there just isn’t much that our picky two-year-old would eat.

Inside

We arrived just after 6 PM on a Tuesday evening and were happy to find plenty of available seating. I’ve heard stories of long waits, but our early week visit likely helped. We were asked if we would rather have a seat at a table or at the fairly large bar. When we replied that we would like a table we were shown to one half of a large community table. Later during our meal, three women would occupy the other end of the table and there was still plenty of room for all of us.

Chips And Guacamole

I immediately ordered some chips and guacamole for us to start with ($6). The guacamole was very fresh and filled with large chunks of avocado. Overall it was pretty basic as far as ingredients go, but still quite delicious. I don’t think it’s the best I’ve ever had, unlike many others who do think it is the best around, but it is definitely worthy of ordering.

Bakersfield Margarita

My wife ordered the Bakersfield margarita ($6), which came served in a mason jar. I had a couple of sips from it while we waited for our dinner to arrive and immediately fell in love. It isn’t overly sour and packs a punch with a stiff pour of  el Jimador Blanco tequila. When ordering another round of drinks, I gladly switched over from the beer I originally had to get a margarita of my own.

Tacos!

As I hinted at earlier, the menu is not lengthy at all. Basically there are a handful of appetizers and sides, a couple of torta sandwiches, and eight different tacos to choose from. My wife and I split six of their taco offerings: cochinita pibil ($3),  mole ($4),  pollo verde ($3), fish ($4), pastor ($3), and rajas ($3). The order I listed them is from my favorite to least likely to order again.

The cochinita pibil is a fairly simple combination of  achiote braised pork, pickled red onion, Habanero salsa, and cilantro, but the pork was perfectly cooked and tender with a ton of spicy heat from the salsa. The mole taco is filled with Oaxacan style braised chicken, pickled red onion, queso fresco, and cilantro.  The sweet flavors of the mole sauce combined wonderfully with the creamy cheese and pickled onions.

The pollo verde mixes  tomatillo braised chicken, queso fresco, pickled onion, cilantro, crema, and radish. The sauce/marinade on this chicken was not as good as the mole, but I still enjoyed this one. The fish taco was piled high with  crispy Mahi, Tabasco lime sauce, and citrus slaw. It definitely had the largest amount of protein and the toppings were exploding out of it. I’m not a very big seafood fan, but I had a few bites of this and this would be one fish item that I would actually consider ordering again. My wife loved it and it was probably one of her favorites of the night.

The pastor combines  chili marinated pork, pineapple, pickled onion, and cilantro. I do typically love the combination of pineapple with a somewhat spiced meat, but I felt that this pork was little too tough and chewy. It was not shredded like most of the other tacos and was mostly harder chunks of meat. Finally the rajas was our choice from the two vegetarian offerings. It is stuffed with  poblano, fresno, and bell pepper, ejotes (green beans), chihauhua, queso fesco, and cilantro. This one was actually a great combination of flavors, but I really missed the meat, so I would not be likely to order it again.

Overall we had a great first experience at Bakersfield OTR. The food was mostly great and the drinks were superb. I wish there was something for our son to eat, that way we could make it down for dinner more often.

Update: I’m told by the owner that they do indeed have a kiddie quesadilla that is not on the menu. Next time we will have to take the entire family down for lunch or dinner.

Over the weekend my family and I ended up at the Yard House after an unsuccessful attempt at attending Oktoberfest on Friday night. We parked the car just as the rain started to fall and decided that our evening would be best spent inside. Fortunately the Yard House was nearby and was on my restaurant wish list.

Inside

The inside of the Yard House is massive! I was expecting to have to wait for a table at 6 P.M. on a Friday but was pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately in a large booth overlooking the covered patio. There were a few other open tables inside but I’m told that Reds games can pack quite a crowd as the restaurant sits just a block from the stadium. The bar area appears plenty big enough to handle a much larger crowd than I saw.

Patio

This wasn’t my first visit to a Yard House restaurant. There are now roughly 40 locations in 15 states with more opening soon. I visited the Denver location a few times in the months it was open before moving to Cincinnati. The large craft beer selection was usually the primary motivator for my visits, though I will admit to drinking a half yard glass filled with light beer on one visit. During our most recent visit I would not be ordering any beers of this size, but I did witness an entire tour group ordering round after round of the tall glasses.

Classic Ranch Salad

I started my dinner with the classic ranch salad ($2.95 when added to your meal). The mix of  iceberg and Boston lettuce was topped with tomatoes, carrots, sweet corn, jack, cheddar, croutons and buttermilk ranch. The serving size was smaller than I was expecting. And though I liked the addition of corn to the other standard toppings, I just didn’t love this salad and would definitely skip it in the future.

Kid’s Cheeseburger

Our two-year-old son decided to eat a cheeseburger from the Kids Klub menu. This came served with a choice of side (he chose french fries of course) and a drink ($6.95). Since we usually encourage him to drink water when dining out, I would have preferred to have a cheaper priced option without the drink. With that said the serving size was generous for a kid’s meal and he seemed to enjoy it.

Spicy Thai Chicken Pizza

My wife ordered the spicy Thai chicken pizza, a lovely combination of  firecracker sauce, mozzarella, macadamia nuts, carrots, green onion and cilantro ($12.85). The pizza is easily enough to share. I had a couple of slices of it and we still had two pieces left to bring home with us. I really enjoyed the macadamia nut topping, which is something that I have never seen before. The firecracker sauce has the right amount of spice to it and the dough was perfectly cooked with a chewy center and crisp edges. Their pizzas seem popular and for good reason.

Street Tacos

The food menu is equally as lengthy as the beer list, which features over 100 draft options. I’ve sampled their sandwiches before and enjoyed them, but I was looking for something different on this visit. I found the street taco menu that offers two tacos with spicy rice and beans and decided to give that a try. I asked for the carnitas tacos and our waitress kindly pointed out that I could mix and match the two tacos. I quickly decided to try one each of the carnitas and chicken tinga ($10.65).

The carnitas taco was a delicious combination of  roast pork with grilled onions, pico de gallo, guacamole and pineapple, while the chicken tinga  added a rather bland chipotle tomato sauce with green cabbage, cilantro, feta cheese and cumin crema. I easily enjoyed the carnitas better and should have went with my original order. The spicy rice on the side was actually very good, but the beans were terrible. The soupy bean mix was very bland and barely warm. How they got the cheese to melt on top is a mystery to me.

With a few exceptions, all the food I’ve tried from the Yard House has been great. The beer selection alone is reason enough to visit. With all of that said I think I enjoy the neighboring Moerlein Lager House food and environment better, though the Yard House wins for beer.

I finally made it down to MadTree Brewing Company this past Sunday. I have been wanting to visit their tasting room since it opened in April, just a couple of days after my daughter was born. However I haven’t had much free time to do so with two little ones keeping us busy. Fortunately I needed somewhere to watch the Bengals game Sunday and it just so happens that there was an  Alzheimer benefit going on at the brewery at the same time.

Road Signage

The brewery is just a ten minute drive from my house, but road construction in the area has made it a little difficult for me to get there. Once the Kennedy Connector project is finished, it will be much easier for me and it should also bring a lot of extra traffic past the brewery.

Tasting Bar

The tasting area at MadTree is really quite large. There is a bar that wraps around the beer cooler and seats at least a dozen. Plus there are another dozen or so high top tables that each seat over a handful of people. The space was crowded on Sunday, not to the point that you couldn’t move, and it was great to see such wonderful support for the brewery and for the charity.

Fermenters

The brewery recently had a capacity expansion and their two new 60 barrel fermenters are the first thing you see from the tasting room. These brought the capacity up from 90 barrels to 210, a  133% increase! Needless to say, MadTree is doing very well in their first two quarters of operation. More details on the expansion can be found online compliments of the Brew Professor.

Big Winner

My parents joined Trey and I on this visit to the brewery and my mom put Trey’s name in for a variety of baskets. We had to leave at half time for his nap, but eventually had to drive back to pickup three baskets that he had won. The one that he was most excited about was filled with Coke and candy. I’d say it was a great first visit to MadTree and that I will be back again soon.

The Mt. Adams Bar & Grill has been around for a long time. When prohibition was repealed in 1933 the Bar & Grill in its present location was the first drinking establishment in Ohio to obtain a liquor license.

Sign Outside

Surprisingly this past Saturday’s visit was my first time inside the historic building, but we don’t make it up to Mt. Adams as often as we once did in our younger years for bar hopping. We arrived around 6:30 in the evening and found no wait for a table of four. We were seated right away in a booth behind the hostess stand, near the large wooden bar.

Inside

While waiting for the other couple to arrive, my wife and I snacked on a small order of fried jalapeño ravioli ($7.25). Though the menu claimed that the ravioli are stuffed with chopped jalapeño peppers, I did not detect much spice in them at all. With that said I still enjoyed the fried pasta filled with ricotta cheese.

Decor

For dinner I ordered the southwestern chicken sandwich, which features a  chicken breast marinated in a special sauce and grilled to perfection, topped with sour cream, green taco sauce, pepper jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise and served on grilled buttercrust bread ($6.75). It comes served with a side of chips, though other options are available for an additional charge. The sandwich was really good with a nice spicy finish. The chips were nothing special, and I probably should have went with sweet potato fries instead.

Southwestern Chicken

My wife ordered the veggie burger, a  combination of oats, tofu, wheatgerm, sesame seeds, and a variety of seasonings. It is served with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, pickle, red onion, mustard and Monterey jack cheese ($6.25). I was fortunate enough to have a couple of bites of this sandwich and I have to say this is one of the best veggie burgers around. The mix of so many ingredients comes together in a somewhat spicy and very filling meal.

Veggie Burger

I honestly wasn’t expecting much from the food at Mt. Adams Bar & Grill, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The prices are extremely fair and the food is very good. This is easily a top spot in Mt. Adams for an affordable and casual meal before heading out to the bars, and is even worthy of a visit at any other time.

This past Saturday my family and I made a brief appearance at the first annual Fifty Fest down at Fifty West Brewing Company. Throughout the summer the brewery hosted smaller concert series leading up to this day long celebration at the end of summer.

Festival Grounds

In addition to numerous offerings from Fifty West, select beers from  Blank Slate, MadTree, Triple Digit, Mt. Carmel, and Rhinegeist were all available. The event also featured eights bands on two stages. My favorite beers of the short day were both from Rhinegeist, the limited  Monogamy: Mosaic and their latest seasonal Fiction.

Rhinegeist!

It was very family friendly. My family especially enjoyed the nice hillside lawn where we spread out a blanket and had some lunch while listening to the music of Los Honchos. I wish we could have stayed longer, but it was hot outside and we had a few other things to accomplish throughout the day.

Family Shot

I hope the event returns next year!

My wife and I took advantage of being downtown without the kids last week and stopped in to the Blue Wisp Jazz Club for a drink and appetizer. The Blue Wisp has been around since 1977 but has moved several times. They most recently moved into a space at 700 Race Street last year.

Inside

I was pleasantly surprised by the inside of the space. While it is dark like you would expect from a jazz club, it is not dirty or dingy. Jazz memorabilia lines the walls and live music is featured nearly every night. I’m told there is a separate performance space that can be used for ticketed shows and larger acts. On the night of our visit a simple three-piece band was providing music for the few tables gathered around the large central bar.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

The staff was honest with us and told us that they were very short-staffed and that certain food items could take some time. Therefore we went with a quick option and sampled the spinach & artichoke dip ($9). The dip was pretty standard, yet tasty, but the  crispy pita chips that were served with it were very unique and appreciated. They were freshly sliced and fried to a golden crisp. I honestly wasn’t expecting much from the food, but now we may have to venture down that way for dinner sometime in the future.

Today for lunch I finally made it over to the non fast food restaurant closest to my office in Mason, Viva Tequila Mexican Restaurant. The outside of the restaurant isn’t very flashy, but they have decent curb appeal with their pretty flower beds and updated outside paint. There is an outside patio on one side of the building, but it was much too hot to fully enjoy today.

Outside

The inside of the restaurant is slightly more drab than the outside, but there are plenty of windows to let in a ton of natural light. Plus there are a variety of live plants separating the booths that add a nice touch. There are multiple dining areas, but it seemed that they were only using the first one on my visit. This room has four rows of booths, providing seating for at least a dozen groups. Half of the tables were occupied during my visit.

Inside

I was greeted immediately upon my entry and shown to a table. Before I could even settle in and open up the menu, complimentary chips and salsa were dropped off to my table and my drink order was taken. An extra basket of chips will cost you $.99 and additional salsa $.60. Both were made fresh and were very good. The salsa had a nice spicy kick to it, which I appreciated. One serving was plenty for my table of one, but it would be worthwhile to order more if necessary.

Chips & Salsa

I ordered the lunch chicken chimichanga served with beans and guacamole salad ($6.49), a standard order for my first time somewhere. I am accustomed to larger chimichangas, but what this one lacked in height, it made up for in taste. I could tell that it was freshly prepared and delivered to my table within minutes of my order. The chicken filling was moist and the cheese sauce that was served on top was outstanding!  The refried bean serving size was large and they also tasted good. They were topped with some shredded cheese and took up nearly half of the plate. The guacamole salad was fresh and a nice substitution for the standard Mexican rice.

Lunch Chimichanga

I was very impressed by the food and speedy service at Viva Tequila. The menu is very extensive, so there should be something for everyone, and I look forward to trying other dishes in the future.

After a couple of nights enjoying Ault Park’s summer dance series, I was finally able to sample a few sandwiches from C’est Cheese  mobile grilled cheese food truck bus. The bus has been in operation for a little over a year and prepares all the sandwiches fresh to order.

Food Truck

My personal choice on this most recent visit was the PHD, ham, cheddar cheese and brown mustard on Tuscan pane ($6). The mustard added a nice bite to the otherwise fairly standard grilled ham and cheese. The sandwich was filling, though a bag of chips definitely helps round out the meal.

PHD

My personal favorite and the sandwich we have ordered during both visits is the Bee Sting. This sandwich combines  mozzarella, pepperoni, basil infused honey with chili flaked butter on Tuscan pane ($6). The mix of sweet flavors from the honey mixes perfectly with the spiciness from the pepperoni and chili flakes. This is my go to sandwich.

Bee Sting

Our son enjoys half of the Cheesy Wonder, which is a blend of four cheeses again on Tuscan pane ($5). Again the sandwiches are pretty large, so  there is no way he can finish the entire sandwich, but I always enjoy the leftovers. This is a fairly standard grilled cheese, but I appreciate the mix of cheeses to give it somewhat of a better taste. Still the specialty sandwiches are where it’s at.

Cheesy Wonder

Overall, I have enjoyed my two stops at C’est Cheese and would gladly order more sandwiches from them in the future. Get the Bee Sting, you will not be disappointed.

Earlier today I had an afternoon appointment downtown and once it was over I took advantage of the situation to get something to eat from one of many newer restaurants in the area. The Silver Ladle isn’t that new, as it opened in March 2012, but it is still new to me and seems like it is still new to many others as well.

Outside

Silver Ladle is located on 6th Street in the ground level “restaurant row” of the ever evolving 580 building. There is a small patio area outside with floor to ceiling windows for those on the inside.

Counter

A menu is posted between the sets of entry doors and another is posted high above the ordering counter. After orders are placed at the register, a number is handed to you, and the restaurant dining space is open seating. Don’t forget to grab some napkins and plastic utensils near the drink machine before taking your seat.

Inside

The inside dining area appears to be very modular, with all tables set for a party of two, but it seems that they are close enough so it would be easy to pull together multiple tables for a larger group. There is plenty of seating and a couple of smaller TV’s on the wall. My 1:30 arrival is likely out of the normal lunch rush that a downtown location would bring, so there were plenty of open tables during my visit.

Fork & Knife Chili

On this visit I decided that I definitely wanted to try their award-winning Cincinnati style chicken chili. For anyone who has been to Nick & Tom’s before, like I have in 2011, and had the chicken chili there, this chili will be very familiar. Silver Ladle owner Tim Lambrinides is the son of Tom of Nick & Tom fame and is the great-grandson of Skyline Chili founder Nicholas Lambrinides. I had a small sample of the chicken chili at Nick & Tom’s and really enjoyed it’s Skyline like flavor.  Fortunately the chicken chili at Silver Ladle is equally as good! I had it served over spaghetti with cheddar cheese, diced onion and jalapeño, Cuban black bean soup, and sour cream all on top ($6.99).

Also available at Silver Ladle are a variety of stuffed burgers, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and a dozen or so soups and chili. The very kind employee who took my order recommended a few different sandwiches, but there was no way I couldn’t try their chicken chili again. On another visit I might order a pick two combo with the chicken chili and half a sandwich with drink included ($8.29).  I will definitely try to get back for more, but without any weekend hours it may be a little hard for me to do. If you work downtown and have not given it a try, you should definitely give it a go tomorrow for lunch.

Last week Jackie O’s Brewery  out of Athens, Ohio began distribution in Cincinnati with  Cavalier. I was shocked to find both of their initial offerings, Firefly Amber and Chomo-lung-ma (honey nut brown), at my local deli last night. I couldn’t decide between the two so I decided to buy them both.

Beer Cans

The beers are in canned six packs and have a very eye-catching design. My wife and I both sampled each beer last night, starting with the Firefly Amber. I found this amber to be a bit hoppier than a traditional amber ale, but not so much that my wife (a non-IPA fan) didn’t enjoy it. In fact she said she preferred Firefly over Chomo-lung-ma, which is sweeter with the addition of wildflower honey. I found the subtle sweetness from the honey to be wonderful and preferred this beer over the Firefly.

According to Jackie O’s comment on my Instagram photo, their Mystic Mama IPA will be hitting shelves next week. I will definitely be on the lookout for that one. Additional details of Jackie O’s and reviews of these two beers are available on Queen City Drinks.