Archive for the 'Food & Drink' Category

Jason’s Deli

I have had multiple meals from Jason’s Deli in the past, but I recently visited the new location in Cincinnati and decided to give it a review. This is the chains first location in Cincinnati and fourth in Ohio.  Today, Jason’s Deli boasts more than 240 locations across 28 states.

Outside

Outside

The Cincinnati location is in the newly opened  Rookwood Exchange, in the same strip as Lime Fresh Mexican Grill,  Ambiance Nail Salon & Spa, and  Fraise Frozen Yogurt & Smoothies.

Inside

Inside

The ordering counter is at the other end of the restaurant space from the main entry doors. Printed menus are available near the counter so you can make a decision before stepping up to a register. The menu is very lengthy with tons of sandwiches, muffalettas, soups, pastas, and a massive salad bar.

Salad Bar

Salad Bar

After your order is placed, a number is handed to you, and you can take a seat at any available table. The food is brought out to you in a few minutes along with napkins and a fork. If you choose to eat from the salad bar, a plate is given to you right away for your convenience.

Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich

Santa Fé Chicken Sandwich

On this visit I ordered the Santa Fé chicken sandwich served with potato chips ($6.99). Grilled chicken breast is combined with bacon,  Swiss, guacamole, tomato, and Russian dressing, served on  grilled whole grain wheat bread. I really enjoyed the sweet flavor of the dressing combined with the smokey bacon and always tasty guacamole. It was a great sandwich. The handful of chips were average salty potato chips, definitely the low point of the meal. I wish there were more options for a side dish.

Free Ice Cream

Free Ice Cream

For dessert I had a small cup of complimentary ice cream from the soft serve machine. No toppings are available (other than a dark chocolate sauce) but it is free and tasty! It was a great finish to an overall good meal. I’ll be sure to add Jason’s Deli to my rotating list of quick sandwich spots.

Jason's Deli on Urbanspoon

Dutch’s Larder

I finally found some time this afternoon to check out Dutch’s Larder. I’ve long been a fan of their bar and bottle shop, but this was the first I’ve had any food from the connected deli and gourmet grocery that opened in May of last year.

Outside

Outside

Along the windows as you enter the Larder are a variety of specialty grocery items including olive oils, pastas, sodas, and even Jeni’s ice creams. There is also a large selection of wines and a small cooler containing a few beer choices. Of course even more beer options are available outside from the beer dock.

Grocery Items

Grocery Items

The deli counter sells sandwiches, soups, and salads for dining in or carry out. Also available for purchase are house made sausages, fresh meats, and unique sides.

Deli Counter

Deli Counter

While a few items on the menu looked especially good to me, I decided on the smoked chicken sandwich ($9 including a side dish) and the orzo pasta salad.

Smoked Chicken Sandwich

Smoked Chicken Sandwich

The sandwich combined deli sliced chicken breast with smashed avocado, tomato, and lightly pickled cabbage. I was not expecting sliced meat, but it obviously makes sense in the deli setting. The avocado spread and cabbage added a wonderful mix of flavors to compliment to subtly smoke flavors from the chicken. The roll that the sandwich was served on was very fresh and grilled perfectly. I really loved the sandwich. And the orzo was very solid as well, with a few tomatoes and clumps of goat cheese mixed in to the tangy pasta mix. I will be back very soon.

Dutch's Bar & Bottle Shop on Urbanspoon

Charity Beer Raffle

Mike over at Brew Professor has shared the following:

This hit my Facebook feed and I nearly had a heart attack. It seems a member of the craft beer community was in an accident and is currently in the ICU. Naturally, medical bills are piling up quick and an EXTREMELY generous craft beer community has donated an insane beer cellar to be raffled off. 100% of the proceeds will be given to the family. Tickets are $5 each.

He has agreed to pool together money and buy some raffle tickets. If a member of the group wins, we will somehow split the amazing beer cellar listed at the link above. I just donated to the cause and wanted to help spread the word.

Cincinnati Craft Brewer’s VolksFest

The latest Cincinnati Craft Brewer’s festival took place this past weekend at the Listermann Brewing Company. From the event website, “VolksFest is a festival for the people of Cincinnati, brought to you by your favorite local craft breweries.” You may recall the StarkBier Fest I attended earlier this year, well the idea was the same with VolksFest, a celebration of Cincinnati area breweries.

Beer Truck

Beer Truck

The breweries involved were Blank Slate, Fifty West, Christian Morelein, Rock Bottom, Rivertown, Mt.Carmel, Mad Tree, Cellar Dweller, Wiedemann, Quaff Bros, Rhinegeist, Triple Digit, and Listermann.  The idea behind Volksfest is lower ABV and session beers for the hot summer days in July.

Crowded Afternoon

Crowded Afternoon

Fortunately the weather was not all that hot on the day of the event, so a very large crowd was assembled by the time I finally made it over at 4:30. The festival space appeared larger than at StarkBier Fest, so there was plenty of room to spread out. Unfortunately due to a time constraint, I was only able to sample a couple of beers. I guess I’ll have another shot at the soon to be announced craft beer Oktoberfest, assuming it is happening again this year.

Urban Grill Food Truck

Food options were plentiful at the Bunbury Music Festival, which took place a couple of weeks ago. In addition to some standard festival food offerings, I was happy to see a few of Cincinnati’s increasingly popular food trucks on hand. My favorite meal of the weekend was provided by one of the newer trucks in town, Urban Grill Food Truck.

The Truck

The Truck

Their menu rotates daily and features sandwiches and marinated skewers of meat. They are the only local truck to have a full commercial kitchen and an on-board wood-chip smoker.

OTR Club

OTR Club

The sandwich that I absolutely loved is called the OTR Club. It features Glier’s Goetta, thick sliced applewood smoked bacon, pepper-jack cheese, tomato, and a made in-house Cajun mayonnaise on a toasted  Sixteen Bricks Challah bun. My mouth is watering again just thinking of this amazing flavor combination. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from the  Urban Grill Food Truck soon.

Urban Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Old Oyster Factory – Hilton Head Island, SC

For our final meal on our recent vacation to Hilton Head, we made a reservation for sixteen at the Old Oyster Factory. This restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, but it’s secluded location gives it a nice waterfront view over Broad Creek.

Parking

Parking

Despite a massive parking lot, all spots were filled and I was asked to park in the overflow grass lawn on the other side of some trees from the main lot. I did circle through the lot once, but it was clear that the restaurant was a popular place, especially on our Friday night visit.

Outside

Outside

We arrived just before our reservation time, but unfortunately our table was not ready. We were told that the group ahead of us was paying their bill and it wouldn’t be much longer. Unfortunately the wait was still a half hour or so, but I’m sure that was better than what any walk-in groups would face in this restaurant or anywhere else for that matter.

Inside

Inside

When we did finally reach our table, we were seated in the middle of a large room with large glass windows overlooking the creek and surrounding marshland. It was a nice setting for a meal.

Hush Puppies

Hush Puppies

Complimentary hush puppies were delivered to our table after our drinks had been ordered and delivered. These were delicious! Our table easily went through a half-dozen baskets of the wonderfully fried dough balls.

Crab Cake

Crab Cake

Some in our group ordered appetizers. I did not order one, but did have a very small bite of my parents crab cake ($11.99). This was served with a tasty  chili lime rémoulade. Overall a very good crab cake from the little I had. Not the best out there but certainly not the worst either.

Smoked Bourbon Chicken

Smoked Bourbon Chicken

As I am not the biggest seafood eater, I went with the only chicken dish on the menu. The smoked bourbon chicken, served with creamy Carolina stone ground grits, baby French beans and julienned carrots finished with a bourbon glaze ($21.99). I didn’t detect much smoke flavor in the chicken, but it was cooked well and the bourbon glaze was a nice touch. The grits and vegetables were certainly nothing to write home about. Overall a decent dish, but very much overpriced. It was also saddening to see that there were no vegetarian options on the menu either.

Tilapia Special

Tilapia Special

My wife had a tilapia special that came topped with shrimp, a scallop, and a lemon cream sauce. She and another diner at the table who ordered the same dish commented that the fish tasted a lot fishier than it should have. She loved the scallop but was disappointed that there was only one on her plate. On the side were the same underwhelming vegetables that I had with my dish and some pretty plain rice. Overall a fairly disappointing dish.

The ambiance and view from the Old Oyster Factory are top-notch. However the entrées  leave a lot to be desired. Perhaps this spot is best for drinks and appetizers at one of the multiple on site bars.

Old Oyster Factory on Urbanspoon


Palmetto Dunes on Dwellable
Steamer Seafood – Hilton Head Island, SC

One of two large family dinners we had while on vacation in Hilton Head was at Steamer Seafood. They gladly made a reservation for our group of sixteen, and when we arrived at the designated time our table was ready and waiting.

Steamer

Steamer

There are two very large dining rooms with a combined total of 160 seats. There are also 175 seats outside on two decks and a 70-seat raw bar. This place is large!  In addition live music is featured every night on the outdoor deck and they have over 250 different beers from around the world.

Inside Room 1

Inside Room 1

We were seated in the second dining room, which doesn’t have as much of character as the first room we passed through.

Inside Room 2

Inside Room 2

I started my meal with a house salad topped with a house made  balsamic vinaigrette ($6). While the salad itself was fairly standard, the dressing was excellent. However the price felt a little high.

House Salad

House Salad

As I am not a big fan of seafood, I tried their grilled chicken sandwich that comes topped with ham, BBQ sauce, and Swiss cheese ($12). This was served with a mound of crinkle cut fries and a cup of coleslaw. The sandwich was actually better than I was expecting it to be. As one of only two chicken items on the menu I did not have high expectations, but it was cooked well and the toppings were a great combination of flavors.

Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich

Our son wanted to try the popcorn shrimp. As this was his first time trying any seafood, we asked if we could have a kids basket with half shrimp and half chicken fingers. Our server said that it would not be a problem, and it was served to him just as we had asked. He loved the shrimp and ate more of those than anything else on his frisbee. That’s right, kid’s meals are served on a frisbee that you can take home ($5.99 for this selection).

Kid's Popcorn Shrimp

Kid’s Popcorn Shrimp

My wife had a blackened fish of some kind. The menu doesn’t list many standard entrée selections, instead they feature quite a list of fresh catch each night that can be served blackened or grilled. If I recall she was very happy with her selection. It was served with  red roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables.

Blackened Fish

Blackened Fish

Following the lead of the other menu items, the fresh catch plate was a dollar or two overpriced, but that is to expected from a restaurant just a block from the beach. The fact that they took a reservation for our large party and delivered a pretty tasty meal is reason enough for me to return again in the future.

Steamers Seafood on Urbanspoon

A Lowcountry Backyard – Hilton Head Island, SC

One afternoon of our recent vacation to Hilton Head Island my wife and I snuck out of the house while the kids napped to have a quiet lunch on our own. Her only request was fish, and since that seemed to be available everywhere we went, I choose a restaurant that looked the most interesting to me, A Lowcountry Backyard.

Outside Dining Area

Outside Dining Area

The have an awesome outdoor dining area, but it was raining throughout our visit so we were not able to sit there. I read stories of waiting an hour or two for a table and with the outdoor area closed I was expecting the worst. Fortunately we were told that it would only be twenty or thirty minutes for a table to open up inside. If you don’t want to wait long for a table at this restaurant, might I suggest going out for lunch rather than dinner.

Inside Details

Inside Details

The inside of the restaurant is very small but not cramped. There are plenty of windows to let natural light in and the walls are adorned with nautical artifacts and it feels as if you are sitting right off the beach. In actuality the restaurant sits a mile and a half inland and back off the road in a shopping plaza filled with crafty stores and a coffee shop. It is next to The Smokehouse, which is probably easier to spot on Palmetto Bay Rd.

Fried Green Tomato BLT

Fried Green Tomato BLT

I already knew what I was going to order when I walked through the door, the Charleston fried green tomato BLT sandwich ($9.95). The thick slices of green tomato were skillet fried and piled two high on each half of the sandwich along with romaine lettuce, applewood smoked bacon, and homemade ranch dressing. The flatbread was delicious and made the sandwich easy to share. It was outstanding! The sandwich  was served with homemade sweet pickles and a choice of side dish. I went with mom’s macaroni salad, which was also very good.

Blackened Tuna

Blackened Tuna

My wife tried the calibogue catch sandwich, which was blackened tuna on the day of our visit ($9.95). This was also served with sweet pickles and a choice of side. She went with baked mac ‘n cheese, which was very creamy and delicious. I did not try the tuna fish, but she was very happy with her choice. She was also a huge fan of their moonshine drinks, which are definitely worth a try as well.

A Lowcountry Backyard provided our best overall dining experience on our vacation to Hilton Head Island. I would definitely visit the restaurant again on future trips.

A Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Rhinegeist Brewery

Cincinnati has yet another brewery open and creating great beer, Rhinegeist Brewery.

Outside

Outside

They opened two weeks ago in the old Christian Moerlein  bottling facility just two blocks north of Findlay Market on Elm Street.

Bar

Bar

They are pouring four different beers currently. I just tried Truth, their take on the very popular IPA, and I was very impressed.

Mural

Mural

My friends who have tried all of their beers are partial to Truth and Uncle, their English mild.

Brewing Equipment

Brewing Equipment

The brewery space is slightly elevated but barely separated from the massive tasting area.

Huge Space

Huge Space

I can’t wait to check it out again and taste more of their beer offerings.

Skillets Café & Grill – Hilton Head Island, SC

After driving through the night, my family and I arrived on Hilton Head Island just in time for breakfast. Since we had plenty of time to waste before we could get into our rental home, we decided to meet another carload of fellow vacationers at  Skillets Café & Grill  in the Coligny Plaza Shopping Center.

Inside Skillets

Inside Skillets

Our table of six adults and two kids was seated immediately upon our 8:30 arrival. The restaurant was filling quickly though, so be sure to get there early if you don’t want to encounter a wait.

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary

Our group was already in vacation mode, so we ordered a round of Bloody Mary’s and mimosas. I didn’t sample the mimosas, but I enjoyed the spicy Bloody Mary throughout our meal.

Child's Kitchen Sink

Child’s Kitchen Sink

My son was very hungry so we asked for his food to be brought out as soon as it was ready. We ordered the child’s kitchen sink for him with a Mickey Mouse pancake, one egg, a sausage link, and a strip of bacon ($3.95). It was a lot of food for our two-year-old, but the price was fair.

French Toast

French Toast

For my breakfast I went with french toast, the skillet way ($6.99). This is three thick slices of fresh bread, batter dipped, grilled  golden brown, sprinkled with powdered sugar  and topped with honey butter. This was delicious and I would definitely order it again. I also had a sausage patty ($1.99) on the side, which seemed like the same patties that McDonald’s uses. I was not a fan.

Vegetable Scramble Crepe

Vegetable Scramble Crepe

My wife had the vegetable scramble crêpe ($8.29), which is basically a large breakfast burrito, but wrapped in the thin crêpe instead. I did not try the crêpe, but I did share the side of “true grits” that came on the side along with a biscuit. The southern grits were very good and true to style, though I still prefer my grits with cheese.

Overall our group was very happy with their meals. We would not hesitate to return to Skillets on future trips to Hilton Head.

Skillets Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato