Aynie's In Longworth Hall

There’s a new restaurant that’s serving lunch in the downtown Cincinnati area called Aynie’s. I believe that you pronounce that like Annie’s, but don’t ask me where it comes from.

It is located in the old My Three Chefs space in Longworth Hall. That’s at 700 West Pete Rose Way, right next to Whiskey Dicks. They serve sandwiches, soups, wraps and salads, as well as some baked goods. There’s also a catering business that’s run out of this kitchen.

The atmosphere in this space is very utilitarian. White walls, an empty bar and some tables. The only decorative piece is really the menu, which is painted onto a large mirror behind the lunch counter.

Yeah, this place is pretty much about the food. And they do that right. I’ve eaten there a few times. They start with great ingredients, and when you’re making sandwiches, what else is there.

My personal favorite here is the Philly Cheese Steak wrap. It substitutes the steak that you would expect with some high-quality roast beef. In addition, it has provolone cheese, Mayo, onions and tomatoes. I also asked for some banana peppers on mine, which they were happy to provide.

I’ve also had the BLT wrap and a turkey sandwich. They are all very good sandwiches. At $5 and above, they had better be.

One thing worth mentioning about this restaurant is that there is free parking here. In Downtown Cincinnati, that’s one annoying part of meeting someone for lunch, so Aynie’s is a good option for lunch meetings.

As far as places to get a good sandwich, with free parking, Aynie’s is a wonderful option. Try it out.

Buffalo Wings at Mount Lookout Tavern

Okay, so all this talk about hot wings in preparation for the Super Bowl gave me a hankering for some wings. So I decided to stop in to the Mount Lookout Tavern, or MLT’s to pick up some of the hot stuff.

So I’m going to digress here and ask a few questions. Please, if you know any of the answers, feel free to enlighten all of us with the comment feature below.

Do all local bars and pubs, like MLT’s get their ingredients from the same source?

Does Cysco or some other food supplier give them the same ingredients? Or is there some mixing and matching involved?

Anyway, back to the review. You might guess from the above questions that I thought the wings were pretty average, but that’s not it. I was expecting average, and was surprised at how good the wings were.

I got a 15 wing order of hot wings to go. They also offered barbeque wings and garlic wings. When I got home, I was very pleased with how plump the drumsticks and wings were. This is probably the one area I was not expecting much, and MLT’s delivered with perfect sized wings. Much more meat on the bone than a place like Hooters.

The hot was a good hot, the kind that started hurting your skin if you let it sit too long. It was nice and messy, and I went through more than a few heavy-duty paper towels. And when they say hot, they mean hot. Not so hot that I couldn’t stomach it, but spicy for a guy who likes spicy.

So, I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Of course, if you’re reading this, I’ve just raised your expectations. In my opinion, these are good wings, nice and crispy, as big as you’d want them and hot. Nothing fancy, but why would you want fancy hot wings?

So, does anyone know where places like MLT’s get their wings? How much is up to the individuals in the kitchen, or is it pretty uniform across the board?

Valentine's at White Castles

Get your Valentine's Day plans together! For the second year in a row, White Castles in the area are accepting reservations for candlelit dinners on this romantic evening at all of their 19 locations.

I can only assume they're doing this as a joke. And good for them for having a sense of humor about their image.

Now, as a guy, if you ask your girlfriend to go with you, and she says yes because it's funny, marry her. If you ask her to and she says yes because she can't get enough sliders, run away.

Now, for the ladies, if your boyfriend asks you to go, either jokingly or seriously, run away.

And if someone you aren't dating asks you to Valentine's at White Castle, run away quickly.

So, does anyone want to go with me to White Castle?

Lookout Joe in Mt. Lookout Square

Apparently, not everything is expensive in the Hyde Park/Mt. Lookout area. Lookout Joe is a coffee shop and restaurant that serves sandwiches, quicke and other light fare.

In Cin Weekly's 2 for $20 column, Katie Kelley was able to get lunch for two for about $13. Granted, it's lunch, but that's still pretty good.

Are there any other spots in the area that serve a surprisingly cheap, good meal?

Who has the best wings in Cincinnati?

That's the question that the Enquirer put to their readers in this article. Now, I'm not a huge connoisseur of wings--I like them, I don't go around town trying them out.

I blogged a couple of months ago saying that if I was ever in Fort Thomas, I'd try 915 Pub and Grill for their excellent burgers. Well, now I have to say the same thing about Fort Wright and Dickmann's Kentucky Sports Cafe and their wings.

I think I'm not spending enough time eating in Northern Kentucky.

Anyway, I've had the wings at Buffalo Wild Wings, and I really like them. I've had Domino's as well, and they are no good.

I'm surprised the folks who wrote this article didn't look at Hooters. In my opinion, you need to order Hooters wings naked, which means they don't have that thick layer of fried bread, just a crisp natural skin.

I can't agree or disagree with the findings of this survey. They did a great job of trying many wings around town. My favorite would be Buffalo Wild Wings, how about you?

Good way to keep the Bengals off the streets

It seriously seems like having a professional football team has made Cincinnati unsafe. Today, Chris Henry is going to jail, and one coffee shop owner has his own idea for keeping the streets safe.

This is funny, and appropriate for him because his shop is just a couple of miles away from where Jonathan Joseph got arrested.

Embers in Kenwood

There was a time when a steak from one of Jeff Ruby's restaurants was the best thing to eat in town. His beef made everyone else's steaks taste like shoe leather. But that's not the case anymore, and the best case in point of this is Embers in Kenwood.

I started thinking about Embers today when I came across this older review of the Steak-Seafood-Sushi restaurant in Citybeat. I went there a couple of years ago, and thought they had great steaks, good sushi, nice interior design.

It's in a strip mall, though, and I couldn't get over that feeling.

Catching up on Cincinnati Dining

Alright, so it's been a while since my last post, and for whoever out there is actually reading this site, I apologize. I'm going to quickly rundown some recent Dining news here in Cincinnati, and come back with some new posts soon. I hope.

Interesting business article about the Buffalo Wings and Rings franchise. Not much here about the culinary experience, but I found this article insightful about the business of running a chain restaurant. Personally, big fan of buffalo wings in general, but don't know the last time I ate at a BWR. The rundown of how the role of chicken wings have changed in the last three decades was especially interesting.

The owners of McFaddens are opening a new bar downtown in the former Redfish. I'm a fan of McFaddens, it somehow succeeds at being a posh spot without being too snooty. It sounds like this new place, Sully's will be more of a sports bar. I say if it can bring in cute girls like McFaddens does, it will do well.

Citybeat reviews a new restaurant, Cafe de Paris, in the ever expanding East Hyde Park Dining District. Okay, I just made that term up. And I don't know if four or so restaurants along Erie Avenue constitues a district. But you've got to admit, Bangkok Bistro, China Gourmet, Cumin and now Cafe de Paris do make an impressive lineup on what was once a nondescript stretch.

I believe Citybeat also has the first review of a restaurant I reviewed three weeks ago--Maribelles Tavern. And like me, they like it. The reviewer mentions a sandwich I don't think I mentioned in my review, the grown-up grilled cheese. My mom ordered it when I went there, so I stole a few bites. It really is grown-up, with much more complex flavors than normal grilled cheese. The caramelized onions add a nice twist to the goat cheese.

Apparently, according to this profile by Cin Weekly, Allyn's has dropped the word cafe from its name. Diners all over the East Side won't struggle with the name change. It seems as though the reviewer thought the food served at Allyn's was mediocre. Based on my experiences, I'd agree. They're burritos are consistently dissappointing.

So, has anyone tried Maribelle's yet? Anyone want to join me and start refering to Erie Avenue by Pinehurst the East Hyde Park Dining District? Anyone want to join me and start a Buffalo Wings and Rings franchise?

Catching up on Cincinnati Dining

Alright, so it's been a while since my last post, and for whoever out there is actually reading this site, I apologize. I'm going to quickly rundown some recent Dining news here in Cincinnati, and come back with some new posts soon. I hope.

Interesting business article about the Buffalo Wings and Rings franchise. Not much here about the culinary experience, but I found this article insightful about the business of running a chain restaurant. Personally, big fan of buffalo wings in general, but don't know the last time I ate at a BWR. The rundown of how the role of chicken wings have changed in the last three decades was especially interesting.

The owners of McFaddens are opening a new bar downtown in the former Redfish. I'm a fan of McFaddens, it somehow succeeds at being a posh spot without being too snooty. It sounds like this new place, Sully's will be more of a sports bar. I say if it can bring in cute girls like McFaddens does, it will do well.

Citybeat reviews a new restaurant, Cafe de Paris, in the ever expanding East Hyde Park Dining District. Okay, I just made that term up. And I don't know if four or so restaurants along Erie Avenue constitues a district. But you've got to admit, Bangkok Bistro, China Gourmet, Cumin and now Cafe de Paris do make an impressive lineup on what was once a nondescript stretch.

I believe Citybeat also has the first review of a restaurant I reviewed three weeks ago--Maribelles Tavern. And like me, they like it. The reviewer mentions a sandwich I don't think I mentioned in my review, the grown-up grilled cheese. My mom ordered it when I went there, so I stole a few bites. It really is grown-up, with much more complex flavors than normal grilled cheese. The caramelized onions add a nice twist to the goat cheese.

Apparently, according to this profile by Cin Weekly, Allyn's has dropped the word cafe from its name. Diners all over the East Side won't struggle with the name change. It seems as though the reviewer thought the food served at Allyn's was mediocre. Based on my experiences, I'd agree. They're burritos are consistently dissappointing.

So, has anyone tried Maribelle's yet? Anyone want to join me and start refering to Erie Avenue by Pinehurst the East Hyde Park Dining District? Anyone want to join me and start a Buffalo Wings and Rings franchise?

Catching up on Cincinnati Dining

Alright, so it's been a while since my last post, and for whoever out there is actually reading this site, I apologize. I'm going to quickly rundown some recent Dining news here in Cincinnati, and come back with some new posts soon. I hope.

Interesting business article about the Buffalo Wings and Rings franchise. Not much here about the culinary experience, but I found this article insightful about the business of running a chain restaurant. Personally, big fan of buffalo wings in general, but don't know the last time I ate at a BWR. The rundown of how the role of chicken wings have changed in the last three decades was especially interesting.

The owners of McFaddens are opening a new bar downtown in the former Redfish. I'm a fan of McFaddens, it somehow succeeds at being a posh spot without being too snooty. It sounds like this new place, Sully's will be more of a sports bar. I say if it can bring in cute girls like McFaddens does, it will do well.

Citybeat reviews a new restaurant, Cafe de Paris, in the ever expanding East Hyde Park Dining District. Okay, I just made that term up. And I don't know if four or so restaurants along Erie Avenue constitues a district. But you've got to admit, Bangkok Bistro, China Gourmet, Cumin and now Cafe de Paris do make an impressive lineup on what was once a nondescript stretch.

I believe Citybeat also has the first review of a restaurant I reviewed three weeks ago--Maribelles Tavern. And like me, they like it. The reviewer mentions a sandwich I don't think I mentioned in my review, the grown-up grilled cheese. My mom ordered it when I went there, so I stole a few bites. It really is grown-up, with much more complex flavors than normal grilled cheese. The caramelized onions add a nice twist to the goat cheese.

Apparently, according to this profile by Cin Weekly, Allyn's has dropped the word cafe from its name. Diners all over the East Side won't struggle with the name change. It seems as though the reviewer thought the food served at Allyn's was mediocre. Based on my experiences, I'd agree. They're burritos are consistently dissappointing.

So, has anyone tried Maribelle's yet? Anyone want to join me and start refering to Erie Avenue by Pinehurst the East Hyde Park Dining District? Anyone want to join me and start a Buffalo Wings and Rings franchise?

Skyline In Florida

Here's a fun fact for the day taht Ohio State gets ready to take on the University of Florida in the BCS championship game: there are Skyline Chili restaurants in Florida.

I had actually seen one of these a few years ago, so I wasn't completely surprised. I think that what they serve at Skyline would be popular almost anywhere, but calling it chili throws people off. It's just not what most people think of as chili.

I'm not sure how well known this is, but a tavern in New York City holds a semi-regualr Cincinnati night that is pretty well-attended, from what I understand.

Teller's in Hyde Park

So a friend of mine used to be the hostess at Teller's on Hyde Park Square, and she said that she got sick of the people who came into the restaurant. Apparently, there's a bit of a nose candy crowd that comes in a lot. I'm not saying that it's going on in the bathrooms or anything like that, but that is the type of young professional that frequents this joint.

I was thinking about my friend's story when I read this review of Teller's in the Enquirer. It's a positive review, and I'd agree. Their food is pretty good. My favorite dish of theirs is an appetizer, a buffalo chicken eggroll. It sounds good, but when it arrives at your table, you start to doubt your choice. It looks like a regular eggroll, and the buffalo flavor comes from a dipping sauce that looks like it may cause the roll to disintegrate. But it surprises you with how great it tastes, how the dipping actually works. For as strange as it looks, it provides a comforting familiar taste that's very enjoyable.

But the thing that gets me is the description of the scene. My take on the crowd is that the people who come here are professional young professionals--guys who think they're working on Wall Street in the go-go '80's and ladies trying to be trophy wives. I'm probably exaggerating, but my friend's story makes me think maybe I'm not.

I love the building. You can tell it once was a bank, with many fun decorative accents harking back to that time. I've never been in the vault, but I'd venture that it's the coolest mini-dining room in the city, along with the kilns at Porkopolis Tavern and the Trophy Room in the Precinct.

Alright, I feel a little bad about my description of the crowd. Does someone want to defend the patrons of this fun restaurant?

License Fiasco

What's the knock against Cincinnati? That it's not helpful to smaller business? Well, that's one of many. But this editorial by Peter Bronson shows just how that reputation gets earned.

I've not been to Rondo's, but I hear that it's a great restaurant. And it's trying to make it in a part of town that doesn't have a reputation for having great restaurants. But the state liquor control board isn't helping any.

Too be fair, this isn't the city's fault, it's the state's. But could the city step in on behalf of Rondo's and try to help? They did that for the restaurants moving into the new Fountain Square area.

We're what, the second largest city in the state? Couldn't we swing a big bat in Columbus to help these smaller restaurants? Or couldn't we take a liquor license from a Chilli's or an Applebee's?

Maribelle's Tavern in the East End

So over the holidays, I had the opportunity to go with my parents to a new restaurant called Maribelle's Tavern on Eastern Avenue in the East End. It is in the old Du Drop Inn. For a new restaurant, I was impressed at how great of a job they did.

There's a very relaxed vibe inside. On the ground floor there's a bar, where you can get food. The dining room is upstairs, along with the kitchen. We were there early enough that it wasn't crowded when we walked in, but as we left the room was starting to fill up. One of the tables was filled with three generations of one family, with the youngest being 1 to 5 years old.

I wish that I had been to the Du Drop Inn. I know from driving by this spot that they did a lot of work to update it. My friends and I used to joke about the Du Drop Inn as the diviest of dive bars, but Maribelle's gives no indication of that.

(I always found this interesting. Anytime you see a bar with the name dew or du in it, it's probably referring to moonshine. And the bar probably caters to an Appalachian population. Eastern Avenue's changed a lot over the last dozen years, but there was a time when it was mostly Appalachians. Mountain Dew was one nickname for moonshine, and the soft drink was originally marketed as a hillbilly drink.)

Anyway, on to the food. I ordered a Caesar salad that was good, if unimpressive. My mom ordered a a tomato basil soup, a special on the day we were there, and it was very good. Smooth and creamy, but with a very fresh and lively taste. For my main course I had a tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich, which was amazing. Really fresh mozzarella, crisp tomatoes, and a yummy focaccia bread. And the tavern fries are some of the best steak fries I've had in a while. Not too dry, with a delicious outer skin.

I recommend going to Maribelle's Tavern. Unfortunately, they don't have a website, or I'd link to it.

And if you've been to the old Du Drop Inn, I'd love to hear about it.

Restaurant Week In Cincinnati

The Enquirer has a blog for eating called the Foodie Report. Julie Gaw, their great Weekend Section editor blogged today asking, Where's our restaurant week?

I lived in New York, and it seemed like everyone got excited for Restaurant Week there. It was an amazing feeling that over 6 million people were excited for one thing. It had a much bigger impact on that population than fashion week.

There's a comment on her post that says we do have a restaurant week, it's called 7 Days for SIDS, a benefit for sudden infant death syndrome sponsored by Jean-Robert de Cavel and his wife, who lost their daughter to SIDS. I went to the site, and I can't say for sure if this benefit is a restaurant week type affair. I realize the event's not until the summer, but their site has little information about what the event is.

After a lot of digging on the site, I found a flyer with information from this past year. It appears that certain restaurants offer deals only one day that week. A good effort, but I'd like to see them offer 20% off all week, or something like that. I'm not sure how exactly the week works in New York, but I'd think that the good publicity would make up for the loss in revenue.