Tag: Cincinnati
2023 Week 5 – Peek-a-Boo!
Pretty quiet week if you don’t count the Chinese “weather” balloon that made its way across the continental U.S. It’s reported that the balloon had some remote control abilities and happened to float over some sensitive military installations. After clearing the eastern seaboard, a U.S. fighter jet shot down the balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach.
In food news, we made a few discoveries this week. While picking up a salad at Whole Foods, a young lady was at a display stand sampling Soy Sauce, and Chili Crisp made in Cincinnati. After tasting a little of the soy sauce on a veggie sushi roll, I bought a bottle (it’s delicious!).
CinSoy Foods makes several foods, including Tofu, Soy Sauce, Soy Salt, and Make at Home Miso Kits. I’m looking forward to trying their Soy Sauce in a few upcoming recipes.
If you’re craving Lasagna but don’t have the time or energy to make a big batch, I highly recommend the Giovanni Rana brand. It’s located in the refrigerated section at Kroger. The Meat Lasagna I picked up looked and tasted homemade. The package is vacuum sealed and has about a 3-week shelf life in the refrigerator before consuming or freezing it. I can’t see this lasting more than three days in my fridge. Giovanni Rana also has a line of fresh pasta and sauces.
And last but not least, RXBar added a new variation to its line of Protein Bars. The A.M. RXBar mixes in Oats to give the product a little more flavor and soften up the texture of the traditional RXBar. After sampling the Honey, Cinnamon, and Peanut Butter flavor, I immediately ordered a 12-pack from Amazon (for around $20). These have been my go-to light breakfast on mornings when I need something to hold me over until lunch.
And finally… The Economics Of Unused Gift Cards. The Hustle posted a video on YouTube about how companies make money on Gift Cards. I was surprised to learn Indiana is one of the states that allows maintenance fees to be collected after a period of time that will eventually render gift cards worthless.
2022 Week 31 – Fumble!
This last weekend I took another trip down to Cincinnati to celebrate my father’s birthday. It was the first time in over 20 years that I didn’t have my trusty Timbuk2 bag in the back of the car with all my work equipment, “just in case.”
You get used to being on-call, and sometimes, I forget I no longer am. When it clicks, I get a little bit of a rush of freedom, knowing my day/evening/activity isn’t going to get interrupted by a client needing something right then and there.
So the “Football” I’ve been carrying all these years is being retired, and I can’t say I’m sad one bit about it.
Short post this week as it’s already Monday & I have a full week ahead of me. I didn’t want to break the weekly streak, so I needed to put SOMETHING on here! Longer posts are in the hopper for upcoming weeks.
Matt Mitchel from “It’s a Southern Thing” had a hilarious skit on his channel about what would happen If Fast Food Places Could Meet. Enjoy!
2022 Week 18 – Cincy Wine Region?
Shorter post this week as I have a lot going on these days. I’m planning a trip to Toronto in the next couple of months and the Canadian entry requirements seem to be a moving target. As of last week, Canada now requires you to get pre-approved with an app called ArriveCAN. Hopefully, nothing else changes prior to my visit. I’m holding off on making actual reservations until the trip gets closer, just in case they lock things down again.
Have you tried ClusterTruck yet? Chris Baggott, formerly of Exact target, and founder of ClusterTruck, and Tyner Pond Farms, is on to something. In my opinion, he’s completely changed the delivery industry and has reliably, and deliciously, fed me for the past several years while working in Downtown Indianapolis.
The key to ClusterTruck’s success is technology. In a nutshell, they don’t start making the food until they know they have a driver ready to pick it up as soon as it’s done cooking. This results in hot and fresh food every time. In fact, the only issue I’ve had out of the approximately 100 orders was a Cuban sandwich that they forgot to press. It was still hot though! The delivery radius is small but they have kitchens scattered around Central Indiana and Columbus, Ohio. I’m fortunate to be in the delivery area of one of them just about every day.
If you’re curious, you can use my referral code and get a discount on your first order (Full disclosure, I get a $5 credit on my account too).
And finally, Gastro Obscura had an interesting video titled A Legacy of Wine in Cincinnati that details the history of winemaking in the Cincinnati region.
Kate MacDonald is on a mission to make wine that connects to its place, and that’s just what she’s done with Skeleton Root. This winery was created to resurrect American heritage grape varieties that filled her hometown of Cincinnati in the mid-1800s, starting with the wines that put America on the map: dry still white Catawba and Catawba bubbly.
Gastro Obscura
2022 Week 13 – Can I Put My Coat Away Yet?
Last week it was 73 and Sunny on Monday, and 45 and rain on Thursday. So I think the coats need to be kept handy for the next few weeks, especially with you see what’s coming up this week.
Just got back from a visit to see family in Cincinnatti and visited a new BBQ place called Pig Candy. They celebrated their 1st anniversary, and every order came with a complimentary bottle of their white BBQ sauce. I tried the Brisket special (topped with cheddar and caramelized onions) with macaroni salad as my side and a local brew to wash it all down. The brisket was tender and juicy, and the macaroni salad had a lot of diced vegetables and a lot of flavors. I would not hesitate to order this again. I’m looking forward to cracking open the white BBQ sauce and trying it on some grilled chicken this week.
No trip to Cincinnati is complete without a stop at Jungle Jim’s. There happens to be one on the way to visit family, so it’s an easy stop on the way home. I focused on some new Asian sauces this trip, and I may be reviewing them in upcoming blog posts.
And finally… The Wall Street Journal had a follow-up to the short video we shared last week regarding supply chain issues. This one is about 45-minutes long and goes into great depth on all the things that have to happen to get that USB charger from the manufacturer to your doorstep. It’s more complicated than you think!
2021 Week 47 – Sausage Party
I took a quick trip down to Cincinnati to visit family, and I had to make a stop at Findlay Market on the way home. Findlay Market is located in the city’s heart in an area known as “Over the Rhine” (OTR). As expected, it was pretty busy on Saturday, especially the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
OTR has seen its share of issues over the years, it’s been in the midst of a gentrification effort for as long as I can remember, and the transition has been a slow one. In the same block, you can see homelessness, drug use, high-end boutiques, and cars costing well over $100k cruising the streets. It’s pretty surreal, to be honest.
Findlay Market has a nice mix of outdoor seasonal markets and brick and mortar shops ringing around a large indoor market lined with various shops along its long central corridor. You can shop at the various meat, seafood, and produce stalls, as well as a couple of bakeries and a world-class spice shop.
One of my favorite vendors, Kroeger & Sons Meats, has been replaced by the “LK” sausage counter in the indoor market. LK does the old vendor proud by continuing to offer a huge selection of freshly made sausages, smoked meats, and other pork products. This is THE place to shop for some of the best sausages around.
LK is Findlay Market’s premiere sausage destination. Founded by two local Cincinnatians, John Knodel and Ryan Lillis, LK offers more than 40 varieties of handcrafted sausage as well as smoked meats, fresh pork products and seasonal offerings. Launched in 2020, LK has taken over the iconic space once inhabited by Kroeger & Sons Meats. LK is focused on celebrating food and community, with top-notch service.
https://www.lkfindlaymarket.com/about
With over 40 types of sausages available, it’s tough to pick the right one. Luckily LK had a bracket challenge earlier this year, listing all their varieties and how they rank against each other. I ended up walking away with a nice mix of flavors and some sweet and spicy mustard too.
Before leaving the market, I stopped at another favorite along the north side of the outdoor shops, Dean’s Mediterranean Imports. Here you can find various spices, oils, and Mediterranean staples such as olives and pita. On this trip, I picked up a couple of new condiments (both LOW CARB!).
If you find yourself in Cincinnati and have some extra time, I encourage you to check out Findlay market and the OTR area. It’s got something for just about everyone, and you’re sure to find some great food to take home and try.
That’s it for this week. Turkey Day is just a few days away, along with an extra day of football. I’m looking forward to a 4-day weekend and hope to get more recipes added to the blog during that time. See you next time.
2021 Week 26 – Celebrate the Dads
I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day last weekend. I took my son down to Cincinnati to have a cookout at my dads house. While there we stopped by the Tri-State Warbirds Museum to check out some amazing aircraft, all of which are airworthy and regularly see flight time.
Of course it’s Not a trip to Cincy without checking out Jungle Jim’s of Micro Center (or both!).
Keeping it short this week as I just realized I had not published the post from last week. More fun stuff to come over the next couple of weeks!
Cincinnati Photo Walk – October 2013
I had one of those rare occasions where I could hop in the car and disappear for the day and visit my family in Cincinnati. Met up with my Sister for a local’s tour of the regentrification project occurring in Over The Rhine (OTR). Local’s always give the best tours and like to share what they love about their city. Today was no exception as we proceeded to eat, walk, shop, and admire the surroundings.
Having just received a 64GB iPhone 5s it was time to put it through its paces and see how it worked as an everyday point and shoot. So far I’m pretty happy with the results, especially the low light capabilities.
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- Edison Bulbs @ Bakersfield
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- Funky Lamp
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- Funky Lamp
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- Salted Rim @ Bakersfield
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- Tacos [email protected] Bakersfield
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- Bakersfield in OTR
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- One of many abandoned buildings
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- Algin Office Furniture
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- Algin Office Furniture
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- Algin Retro Furniture
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- Algin Retro Furniture
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- Algin Retro Furniture
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- Algin Retro Furniture
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- Algin Retro Furniture
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- Algin Retro Furniture
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- Findlay Market
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- Findlay Market
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- Rhinegeist Brewery
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- Rhinegeist Brewery
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- Findlay Wine Bar
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- Findlay Market
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- Findlay Wine Bar
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- Rhinegeist Brewery
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- Findlay Wine Bar
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- Findlay Market
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- Rookwood Kiln
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- Inside the Kiln at Rookwood
Cincinnati – Hofbräuhaus Newport
On a recent visit to the Queen City my daughter and I decided to have a late lunch at the Hofbräuhaus in Newport Kentucky. This place is a German Style beer hall complete with the traditional “Oom-pah Band” and can get quote crowded in the warmer months. Good thing they have a big Bier Garden out back to keep the riff raff at bay.
From the Hofbräuhaus Newport website:
Hofbräuhaus Newport is America’s first authentic Hofbräuhaus, modeled after the legendary 400+ year-old Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany.
Fun and friendly is the atmosphere in the Bier Hall, with live music and about 250 soon to be close friends. There is also a quiet dining room for those who want to simply come and enjoy the delicious Bavarian fare. Many dishes are prepared with ingredients specially made locally for the Hofbräuhaus or imported from abroad. The Bier Garden, with freshly planted trees and shade awnings, will seat an impressive 400 guests. The view is of Newport’s waterfront with the Cincinnati skyline as its backdrop. [MORE]
This place is huge and it’s always full of people drinking the awesome beers from Germany (some are also brewed on site). On a previous visit I caved and paid the $10 premium to take home my very own glass stein that holds 1 liter of beer (about 3 bottles worth). It’s kind of like the big glass you get a Mexican restaurants, if you can’t lift it you’ve had enough to drink… When not using my $10 Liter glass for my favorite malted beverage it doubles as a great flower vase (one the cat’s can’t knock over!).
The Menu at Hofbräuhaus is very German focused (obviously) with some kid friendly choices mixed in. This visit I opted for the Bauern Pretzel Sandwich ($7.99) “A mound of Ham and Swiss Cheese served on a Sesame Seed Pretzel bun, and topped with our Signature Homemade Bier Cheese”. It was like a bastardized ham and cheese sandwich and the combination worked. The Bier Cheese was the star of the show and it’s good on just about anything (including your shoe if you drink enough).
I almost forgot that I tried a cup of their Hofbräuhaus Bratwurst Chili ($3.99) “Our Homemade semi-spicy Chili”. This was definitely NOT the traditional Cincinnati chili but it was quite good (even if it did have beans in it)… (ha). I would order a bowl of this if they had that size available on the menu.
My daughter, who us a big Wiener Schnitzel fan chose the Bier Cheese Chicken ($14.49) “Tender Grilled Chicken Breast topped with Bier Cheese, Sweet Peppers and Onions, served with Mashed Potatoes”. Again, the Bier Cheese was the ingredient that put this dish over the top.
For dessert (who can’t say no when the kids ask for dessert?) we split the Windbeutel ($4.99) “Bavarian Cream Puff with Chocolate Sauce and Powdered Sugar”. When my daughter posted a picture on Instagram she had over 100 “likes” before the night was over. We liked it very much and since it was not overly sweet it’s probably going to be my dessert of choice on our next visit.
One thing that’s happened more times than not lately is we were seated at the same table as we were 6+ months earlier. I know it’s a coincidence but this is not the first time that has happened in the last year (at other places). I always find it odd when that happens.
If you’re looking for a place where you can enjoy some great beer, traditional food and some good music you should check out the Hofbräuhaus in Newport Kentucky. Don’t worry about bringing the kids, they’ll love the place and they can be loud without bothering anyone in the room.
Note to Self: Stop using your camera phone and use your DSLR… Indoor pix with a Blackberry usually suck!
Cincinnati Ohio – HDR Photography (Part 3 of 3
Final HDR image of the Cincinnati Skyline at night. This one is not as vivid as the other two but I still like it. Cincinnati is hard to shoot because all of the good vantage points are very hard to get to at night.
Cincinnati Skyline
Cincinnati Ohio – HDR Photography (Part 2 of 3)
Here’s another HDR image of the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge that connects Covington, KY and Cincinnati, OH.
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge