Last Wednesday my wife and I met at Andy’s Mediterranean Grille  for dinner. I had a coupon from LivingSocial that was basically a $40 gift card after paying $20 for it months ago. I had made a reservation online, but found the restaurant mostly empty upon arrival. My wife actually arrived first and was seated a table in a secondary dining area that may have once been an outdoor area. There were two other occupied tables nearby, and just a couple of other people in the first main room of the restaurant and bar area.

Empty Restaurant

To get things started we ordered the Mediterranean Sampler ($12) of hummus, baba ghannouj, labneh, tabouli & olives (though we asked to substitute the olives for an additional serving of hummus. Looking at the plate we were served I do think we got the double serving of hummus, but I didn’t realize it until now that we didn’t get any baba ghannouj. Bummer! The dish was served with a large basket of warm pita bread. I though that the hummus was pretty standard, still good, but the tabouli was better than any I’ve had before.

Mediterranean Sampler

For dinner I ordered the  Shish Tawook ($16), four skewers of marinated & charbroiled chicken breast served on a bed of rice. The chicken had a lot of lemon flavor, which must be a big component of the marinade. Fortunately I had some of the appetizer left to balance the flavor better.  The chicken itself was well cooked, juicy and charred on the outside. Four skewers is more than I could eat in on sitting, but the price still seemed a little high for what was served.

Shish Tawook

My wife ordered the  Falafel Platter ($16) which provided a large serving of falafel along with a vegetable salad and some  yogurt  sauce. I stole more than a couple of bites and liked the falafel flavors more than the chicken spice blend. The falafel itself is disc shaped rather than more commonly seen ball. Again we could not eat the entire plate of food, but the price seems very high for a dish that is typically very cheap to prepare.

Falafel Platter

We both enjoyed the food and were happy to finally find a Mediterranean spot in Cincinnati, but with the high prices I don’t know that we will be back. Or if we do I’m sure it will be with a coupon of some sort. I never though of Mediterranean to be an expensive meal, but Andy’s proves that it can be. Had the prices been lower I would have had very few things to complain about. But as is I find it hard to recommend to anyone even if it was a tasty meal.

Fun For All Ages

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend my dad’s extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) made plans to meet at the Pirate’s Den on Saturday night for dinner, drinks, and entertainment from the Rusty Griswolds. In 2010 this west side watering hole moved from their location for as long as I can remember to a nearby  strip-mall  anchored by Big Lots. I’m not a fan of the location change (though I never went to the old Pirate’s Den), it’s just that locations like these seem so stale. Though something must be drawing the bar crowd in, as Champions Grille  has also relocated to just a couple of doors down.

We arrived to find some of our family members already occupying four or five high top circular tables. My family all sat down at one of these tables and decided to order some buckets of beer. This seemed to be the way to go, and the server even offered to hurry the order in so we could get happy hour pricing. I’m not sure if she forgot, or if they were really that busy, but it took a solid fifteen minutes for our drinks to arrive. Once they did we decided to split some appetizers between our group. We ordered nachos, chicken tenders, and a combo platter of cheese sticks, poppers, more tenders, and potato skins.

Nachos?

It didn’t take as long for the food to arrive, and my disappointment was immediate. The nachos ($7) were the first to show up. This consisted of a relatively small offering of chips covered it melted cheese that I wouldn’t call cheddar, and then topped with the worst lettuce I have seen, a few tomatoes, along with onion, black olives, and jalapenos. Normally ordering nachos at a bar will provide a heaping plate of food that can feed a small army. And even though there was so little flavor here, my family of six managed to gobble them down in no time at all.

The fried food was better than our nacho experience, but fried foods are pretty hard to screw up. The fried pickles that we weren’t supposed to get as part of our combo platter, but were given anyway, were the best items available. The chicken tenders weren’t bad either, but weren’t anything special either. I guess anything was better than the nachos we were served. Or at least I though that was true until I saw a salad that one of my cousins ordered. It was the $3.50 house salad, and was a pile of the same lettuce we had on our nachos, with tiny amounts of tomato, onion, bacon, and cheese. I would at least expect some better lettuce as it is the foundation of a salad. I wish I had a photo of the salad, but the room was so dark it was hard to get many good shots.

I would suggest sticking to the drinks at the Pirate’s Den and stay far away from the food. Though later in the night I did see a lady walking around taking orders for the neighboring Empress Chili. So rather than ordering from the Pirate’s Den menu, grab a couple of coneys from Empress. The availability of chili inside really makes me question the food from the Pirate’s Den more than I already have.

This past Thursday I ventured to the west side of town for one of my brother-in-law’s birthday celebrations. We all decided to go to his favorite wing place, Wild Mike’s. Though I think I went to a different Wild Mike’s location, this was definitely my first time in this location on Harrison Avenue. Despite this location being relatively small, our table of seven was easily able to get a table together in the middle of the restaurant.

Though there were no specials on wings during our visit, their draft beer selections were super cheap. While the choices are limited to American mass-produced beers, they have recently added Yuengling (Lager and Black & Tan) so at least there are some decent choices for a great price.

Boneless Wings

My wife and I agreed to split a large order of boneless wings (1 lb for $12.29 with celery and choice of ranch or blue cheese) bathed in hot Mike’s Mix sauce. Mike’s Mix is a combination of their sauces so you get to try them all in one bite. This really appealed to me as I sometimes find it hard to pick just one or two sauces. Also I liked that all the flavors are available as mild, medium, hot, xtra hot, and stupid hot. So there are a ton of sauce options available. I really enjoyed the flavor combination that we ordered.

Curly-Q Fries

The wings game drenched in sauce, enough for our side of fries to be dipped in. Speaking of the curly-q fries, they were good. On their own they are a little bland, but there is an option of Cajun seasoning to be added to them, which I tried and enjoyed. Our table also split an order of jalapeno poppers which were fairly standard but still delicious.

I liked my experience so much that I can safely say that Wild Mike’s could very well be the best wing spot in Cincinnati.

A couple of Sunday’s ago my wife and I decided we wanted to order in dinner. We quickly decided we didn’t want pizza and would rather have some sort of Asian. Eventually we settled on Ruthai’s Thai Kitchen, which is just down the hill from our house. We almost decided to go elsewhere once we found out that they didn’t offer delivery, but my wife offered to pick up our carry out order while the Bengals game was on the TV.

I didn’t get to see the inside of the restaurant, but I’ve walked and driven past enough times to know that it isn’t a very big place. She mentioned that they have some traditional tables with seating on the floor. Sounds like it could be a fun experience eating in, so we will have to do that in the future sometime.

Basil Noodle With Chicken

As we typically do we decided to order a couple of dishes and split them. My choice was the basil noodles with chicken ($9.95), which features stir fried soft wide noodle with tomato, bamboo shoot, green bean, bell peppers and fresh basil. This dish typically comes with egg too, but I had that removed. Every dish gets a choice of mild, medium, hot, or Ruthai hot. I figured that Ruthai hot would be way to much and decided to go with hot. Even this spice level was perhaps a little too much, and this is coming from someone who loves spicy food. Aside from the overpowering spice the ingredients were all fresh and cooked perfectly.

Massaman Curry With Chicken

My wife selected the Massaman Curry ($10.95) with chicken as well. The meat is simmered in coconut milk with a special curry paste, sweet potato, potato, carrot, snow peas, and ground peanut. This dish was excellent! She ordered medium on the spice scale and I felt that it could have used a little more spice for me. It seems that it may take some time to get used to their spice scale and the effects on various dishes. The serving sizes were large and the prices are fair. We will definitely be back for more in the future.

I finally got the chance to visit a restaurant that has been at the top of my list since it’s opening earlier this year, A Tavola. I brought my wife to this trendy Over-the-Rhine eatery for her birthday a couple of weekends ago. We had heard that the line for a table was often long, and they do not take reservations, so we found ourselves lucky to talk in around 6:30 and find just a twenty-minute wait. We could have been seated immediately at the pizza counter, but decided to wait for a more spacious table.

Inside A Tavola

While waiting for our table, we found a couple of seats at the nearly packed bar and enjoyed a drink. I was impressed by the selection of draft beer and my wife found new love in a glass of red wine. She loved it so much that she took down the name so she could try to find a whole bottle later. Before we could get too far into our drinks, our table was ready.

After being seated pretty much in the center of the dining area, we glanced through the menu filled with a wide variety of pizzas along with a selection of salads and appetizers. Our server gave us a nice introduction to the restaurant after finding out it was our first time. He also suggested ordering a couple of appetizers and then splitting a pizza. He said that the pizzas are too large to be considered a personal dish.

House Salad And Chicken Meatballs

Following our servers advice we decided to split the house salad and one of the items on the seasonal menu, the chicken meatballs. The house salad was a basic mix of greens, shaved  parmigiano, and a delicious balsamic  vinaigrette. The salad greens were very fresh and tasty, in fact some of the best I have ever had. As good as the salad was, the chicken meatballs stole the show for me. The mix of tomato sauce and salsa verde was delicious and the meatball itself was perfectly seasoned. I wish that this would become a permanent item on the menu.

Artichoke + Goat Cheese

As for our pizza we went with the artichoke, goat cheese, salsa verde, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. With such good results with our appetizers I was expecting to be blown away. Unfortunately I was a little let down. The combination of ingredients tasted great, but I had a problem with the crust. I felt that it was too flimsy in the middle. When I picked up a slice with my hands nearly the entire slice would flop down toward the ground. I would have liked for it to be a bit crisper on the outside but still chewy on the inside. Other reviews seem to indicate a better cooked pizza so I hope for better results on a future visit. Even with this mistake, A Tavola is definitely worth a visit and I hope to be back soon.

Since returning to Cincinnati there was one item on my craving list that I had not had until a couple of weekends ago, Adriatico’s Pizza. I had never had their pizza before starting classes at the University of Cincinnati in 1998, but before long it was a college staple. They sell a pizza called The Bearcat, which is 18 by 24 inches and has 30 slices! Not only is it big it is also on really thick  Sicilian  crust. The Bearcat pizza was often seen on campus for various meetings, off campus at a wide variety of events, and  occasionally  it found its way into hungry college students’ residences. I’d be lying if I said that my roommates and I hadn’t ordered a number of Bearcats before.

The Bearcat

When my family decided to come over to help my wife and I pass out candy for  Halloween, my wife and I both agreed that it was a great time to pick up a Bearcat, which would easily feed the six hungry adults. My wife picked up the pizza from the Clifton restaurant and when it arrived at our house I was happy to see that it had not changed. They still layer each slice of pizza with its own piece of giant pepperoni. The sauce is still as spicy and tasty as I remembered, and the crust was wonderfully thick.

In all my years of eating Adriatico’s pizza I have never tried their thin crust, though I have had multiple people say good things about it. I may one day get around to trying it, but in the meantime I’ll always look for any excuse to grab some family or friends and order a Bearcat.

After taking the Newport Gangster Tour my family and I headed to Dixie Chili for lunch. We walked past the restaurant during the tour and were all  surprised  to hear that this restaurant had been in operation since 1929 on the same block in Newport.  Nicholas Sarakatsannis worked at Empress Chili, the first of the Cincinnati chili parlors, before starting Dixie Chili in an 8×30 foot room. Today the restaurant occupies a much larger section of the block.

6-Way

Unlike Skyline Chili parlors, customers at Dixie Chili enter the restaurant and are queued up to an ordering counter along with a big menu on the wall. My family and I all stared at the menu for a few minutes and most of us decided to order their exclusive 6-Way, which combines  chili, spaghetti, beans, onions all topped with fresh chopped garlic and cheese. The garlic is what really makes this combination different from anything I’ve eaten before. Also the chili at Dixie is spicier and not as sweet as Skyline’s chili. I liked it a lot.

Chili Cheese Sandwich

As I often do, I combined my favorite chili way with a chili cheese sandwich on the side. I’m not a hot dog eater, so this is my substitute for the traditional coney on the side. Again, I really enjoyed this. Another interesting item on the menu is the vegetarian chili, which my wife tried as a 6-Way. It was a little more Tex-Mex style than the regular chili, but still a great option for the non-meat eaters out there. It is also available in jars to go, along with the traditional chili. If you have not tried Dixie Chili before do yourself a favor and go now.

My last stop on our food tour of the western Cleveland suburbs came on our last night in town. After hanging out at Merry Arts for a good chunk of the afternoon, none of us really were in the mood to drive the three or four hours home. So my family and I reserved a few hotel rooms, picked up some beer, and ordered pizza from Pizza By Robert. There were actually a couple of other places that we considered but we decided on this shop based on favorable online reviews.

Half Sheet Of Pizza

We all agreed on  pepperoni  and mushroom for our toppings and decided to order the biggest pizza available, the half sheet. This 24 slice monster is enough food to feed an entire family, and it did the job perfectly for us. The sauce that they used was traditional and very tasty. The cheese was also good and toppings were piled on high. It only cost $22.15, which seemed like a great price for the large amount of quality pie.

My dad and I really wanted to watch the University of Cincinnati football game versus South Florida while we were in the western Cleveland suburbs a few weekends ago. I did a quick search online to see if there was any sort of Cleveland alumni group but I didn’t find much other than an event listing for a game watch at Merry Arts Pub & Grille earlier in the season for the NC State game. After a quick phone call to the bar, and a phone call back from them, we were on our way to the bar.

I knew we were in for a treat when we walked in after kickoff to find that the game was already on the biggest screen in the bar and the sound from the game was on too! And it only got better from there. Their beer list was really good, and we later found out that they were all really affordable pints too. This is your classic neighborhood watering hole and we watched as many regulars arrived at the bar with their newspapers in hand, ready for a long Saturday at the bar.

Turkey Panini

Being that the game started at noon, eventually we were ready for some lunch. I had read many reviews mentioning their tacos, but soon realized that they are only available on select days. Eventually I settled on the turkey panini. This isn’t a thin sandwich from a panini press but a thick grilled sandwich topped with french fries, cole slaw, and tomatoes. I’ve had sandwiches similar to this in Pittsburgh, but wasn’t aware that they were available outside of the steel city. This sandwich was very good and the onion rings were awesome!

Slider Basket

My dad went with the slider basket with seasoned fries. I did not sample the sliders but my dad said that they were very good. Their seasoned fries were also a nice touch. The basket did have four sliders, but I couldn’t snap a picture before my dad had already devoured one of them. Distance runners sure do have a  ferocious  appetite. We stuffed ourselves full of great food and watched as the Bearcats went on to win the big football game.

Another stop on our short trip to Cleveland was to Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon.  I actually planned to check this place out before our trip even started. A friend of mine is a frequent visitor of their Pittsburgh location and I’ve watched their brewery rise to much fame at the Great American Beer Festival the last couple of years.

Fat Head's Brewery

Fortunately Fat Head’s was just a few minutes drive from our hotel in Westlake, Ohio. My parents joined my wife and my son for a nice Friday lunch before a wedding later that evening. We arrived to find the very large restaurant mostly empty, though there was a growing crowd at the bar and a few other tables throughout the spacious dining areas.

Another Brewery Painting

I forgot to take pictures of the beers we sampled, but they were all  delicious. Their Head Hunter IPA has won back to back medals at the previously mentioned GABF and is wonderful. My dad and I both started with a tall glass of this. Altogether we also sampled the Kolsch, Citra Pale Ale, Up In Smoke Porter, and a few others that I cannot remember. I enjoyed everything that I tasted and wish I could enjoy them more regularly.

Aloha Chicken

As good as the food was, I was really impressed by the food. Not only are the portions  gigantic  but everything tastes very good as well. Just take a look at the plates of food that were served to us.

Smoke House Wings

Beauty & The Beasty

Huge Sandwiches

I had to include  my wife in one of the photos so you could see just how massive the sandwiches were and how much food you are given. I had the Aloha Chicken sandwich with a grilled chicken breast topped with ham, provolone cheese and grilled pineapple. Finished with a splash of Extra Medium Sauce ($8.95). My wife had the Beauty & The Beasty sandwich with pulled pork in Beasty BBQ Sauce. Topped with creamy cole slaw, pickles and raw onions ($10.95). Both were great sandwiches and the accompanying home-made chips were very good too.

The wings were recommended by my friend who is a regular. I was amazed at how large the wings were. My dad and I couldn’t get over how easily the meat fell off the bone from the hours of smoking, which gave a nice smokey flavor to the wings. We tried the Fat Head’s Original Buffalo sauce, which added a nice kick to the wings. It wasn’t too spicy to overpower the other flavors, just enough heat to get my dad sweating a little bit.

We all really enjoyed our lunch here. I definitely want to go back sometime in the future. I just wish it wasn’t so far away.