This blog is about many things, there are a lot of other things about this blog that you might not have known about. EDIT: header.php
The picture is even bigger and goofier in the print edition, but here’s the latest fun thing: our recent local BBQ taste test. Thank god Pit to Plate won, as I think it’s easily the best in town- if only Polly had brought the Wrangler! If you want to read all about it: click here
A momentous day for mobile cuisine: five diverse cuisines in their “special parking spaces” on 6th and Race. The chefs were all smiles, and some long lines despite the heat! How will local “brick and mortar” restaurants deal with new options?
World Cup Fever—do you have it? Have you lost it? Watching England and Germany play the Beautiful Game is an exciting prospect on a lovely Sunday morning, and that’s a good good thing. Here’s hoping you find some joy—sporting or otherwise—on this day!
This week’s post is a miscellany of little bites from about town. Frankly, all of these could qualify as simple “pictures of food” posts but I haven’t had a free moment! So… here they all are. Taken together, they represent a lot about the state of casual food in Cincinnati—some comfortable stalwarts, some imported treats, and a hidden surprise or two. Go forth and enjoy!
The Confident Older Brother: Brown Dog Cafe
Because it’s so close to my house, I’ve written a couple times about Green Dog Cafe—the rambunctious, slightly-on-a-high-horse, younger brother (or sister) of the institution called Brown Dog Cafe. I’ve largely been disappointed in Green Dog because I love its concept and its focus on great local sourcing—but it’s got to taste good! Seeking a reminder of what I loved about a winning formula, I returned to Brown Dog for lunch this week.
The atmosphere isn’t stunning—like Green Dog, Brown Dog sits in a non-descript strip mall—but they’ve done a nice job inside making the place cozy (something Green Dog could also maybe think about). The menu is quirky and well-considered. Rather than focus on local sourcing, Brown Dog focuses on balancing the inventive and the comfortable. Their entire first page represents their specialty—burgers!
I got the “ultimate” bacon swiss burger. It was excellent, if slightly decadent—a good amount of nicely-prepared beef with some bold-flavored cheese and some pieces of pork belly on top. It was a little embarrassing in that it’s a bit heavy-handed for lunch but it was very, very nice. The fries were hand-cut and had a nice flavor even if this batch tasted a bit over-fried. Lots of other interesting-looking salads and entrees on the menu and I’ll certainly give those a go next time out!
A “perfectly” Cincinnati find: Le’s Cafe
Is there anything as great as that perfect find, the place that no one knew existed that defies the boundaries of local logic? Well, I found such a place, though in truth I owe this find to Polly Campbell who tipped us off to the choice, and it’s one of my new favorites. And it’s…at the library!
When you enter the library—something I haven’t done in about 10 years, as I think the last time I was there it was to pick up tax forms!—it’s actually hard to find Le’s Cafe. It’s considered the snack bar for the library and is around a corner, up a small flight of stairs and nestled under another staircase, around the corner from the gift shop, but you know you’re close when you see the line of folks set up for a tasty lunch. Then you’re there, at Le’s Cafe.
More than a snackbar, Le’s is lovingly run by a Vietnamese couple who seems as loved by patrons as the food is. In line you’ll see a good number of people, though it seems all of them are library employees and patrons—which might be what you’d expect from its location. But what isn’t congruent with this scenario is the fact that the place serves inspired and pretty fresh American and Vietnamese sandwiches and snacks! And the biggest surprise of all is that this is one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had in Cincinnati!
The vietnamese pork sandwich is two kinds of pork (roast and BBQ) alongside onions, cucumber slices, slices of jalapeno, and bunches of fresh cilantro all on a nice soft hoagie roll. No chunks of cheese, no overwhelming sauces, just the taste of meat, vegetables, and cilantro. Delicate and amazing. I will be back, and soon!
Burrito Joe’s: Burritos from before they were cool
My third lunch snapshot is from Burrito Joe’s, a place that I’ve had a remember-and-forget relationship with over the past 12 years or so. Burrito Joe’s predates Chipotle, Habanero’s, and most of the “cool burrito joints” that dominate Cincinnati and other places. It’s never been my favorite spot as I’ve found their burrito’s to be a bit dry over the years (although they’ve done interesting things like “Tijuana Lasagna” that have kept my interest). But on the advice of a friend we found our way back there, and I’m glad I did!
I ordered the shredded beef burrito and there’s not too much to say about it, as it is a classic American-style burrito—lots of rice, some beans, some meat, onions, sour cream, and cheese. What makes it a snapshot worth taking and relating to whoever may be watching is that the shredded beef was really good! Moist, flavorful, and in a nice chipotle sauce. Combined with the black bean salsa this is easily the tastiest and most balanced burrito I’ve had from Joe’s in a long time and I’d compare it favorably to most of what I’ve had from Chipotle—go figure!
Imported Chicago deliciousness @ Chi-natti’s
I’ve talked about Chi-natti’s before, the Kenwood spot where you can find all kinds of Chicago food, focusing on their admittedly best-in-down deep dish. We went again this weekend for pizza but went for an unorthodox appetizer but one I was very excited to have—the italian beef.
And guys, it was tremendous. Slightly spicy, robust in flavor, really moist sliced beef, on thin, warm, and crispy hoagie roll. A sandwich so moist and delicious the au jus almost isn’t necessary. So good, and compares very well to the beef sandwiches I’ve had all across the Windy City—only right here in town!
Late Night Cravings at Dixie Chili
When I hear folks speak of chili parlors, you tend to hear from the folks who favor the big names (Camp Washington, Blue Ash), and those that favor the quiet neighborhood places (Pleasant Ridge). But where’s the love for Dixie Chili? Northern Kentuckians who crave a little late night chili get a little disrespect, but Dixie Chili is an institution and they’re open plenty late to catch you up. Last night we were in such a mood and found our way there for a little slice of local flavor.
By now, any self-respecting Food Network watcher knows about the Blue Ash Chili 6-way which features deep-fried jalapeno slices. Cute, really, but not the kind of ingredient that makes a harmonious enhancement of the dish. At Dixie, the “6th way” is chopped garlic, often in copious quantities, that elevates the already relatively complex dish to another level. Where have you been all my life? So, so good.
Well, that does it for this week. I think I’m back to seafood and vegetables for a few days-detox!
Enjoy Sunday!
You just have to love creativity in the food business. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoy an earnest, straight-forward meal as much as anyone else (well, when it’s prepared well!). But if that same quality of cooking comes with a similar degree of creativity, well that’s when my fires get lit. Thus, I was pretty darn excited when I heard about a little experiment called Vout back in the winter. Vout is what might best be called a little casual fling put together by Patrick McCafferty, chef/owner/abstract thinker of Slim’s fame. (I’ve written about Slim’s before, a couple of times I think. Check back there, somewhere.)
Anyway, Slim’s is a lovely little spot in Northside serving dinner Friday and Saturday night, with produce and herbs largely from Patrick’s own greenhouse (Ohio Maiden). It’s certainly nice enough and there’s a wide variety of food, even if much of it is vaguely Latin inspired.
So, what’s Vout? Well, I can’t explain it the way Patrick can, so check here if you want his version. But I’ll say it simply like this: It’s a casual—in other words, no reservations, seat yourself, order at the counter, get your own silverware kind of thing—weeknight way to get more straight Puerto Rican/Latin food to you. The food prices are reasonable, the pretention is turned way down, and it’s generally just a fun place to go. I’ve wanted to go since winter, but I really don’t eat out much on weeknights! But this week, we had an opportunity and we sprang at the chance.
It really was easy—come on it, grab a seat, pour yourself a drink (well, it is BYO) and peruse the menu. Lots of interesting choices and since the prices are really reasonable you can try a few things.
We started with this “parfait” of plantain chips and dried kale. It was not much—not nearly enough for four to split—but it was nice. Plantain chips are always a good way to start off a meal, and it came with a variety of bold and herby dipping sauces. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say those dipping sauces were the boldest-tasting things on the menu all night!
After this we went for a shrimp mafongo—this is essentially a firm-baked mold of plantain cooked crispy with a couple of nice shrimp on top and drizzled aioli-type sauces. The texture was excellent, the shrimp was nice—the mafongo, however, was a little dry (not that that’s abnormal) and just a touch bland.
The best dish of the night was a salad. This was a salad of house greens (i.e., from the house right behind the restaurant) topped with candied pistachios and papaya. Bold, colorful, juicy. I wish I had ordered it, but S was willing to share, thank goodness! Really, really nice and fresh.
I couldn’t really call my entree anything but a disappointment. I ordered the poblano relleno, a vegetarian dish that captivated me with its long list of interesting ingredients, including scarlet runner beans, cranberry beans, raisins, queso fresco, walnut crema, rice, cole slaw, and Ohio Maiden watercress. What arrives was a colorful, exciting-looking dish. The poblano itself was nice and the walnut sauce had an interesting and not entirely straightforward flavor. But all of the vegetables just seemed to get into each others’ way, leaving a bit of a mish-mash of flavors and textures that sadly added up to something less than the sum of its parts. And I have a hard time explaining how a corn on the cob could be stuffed inside the relleno on purpose, but there it was! Overall it was okay (nothing offensive to be sure!) but it had so much more potential. Too bad.
The arroz con pollo, however, was excellent. Moist and clumpy rice, tender and moist chicken and clearly a long simmer time made for a tasty choice. Again, not something I ordered! But helpful friends shared a spoon with me. Really nice.
So, is Vout a success? I’d have to say yes—the atmosphere is pleasant, the menu diverse and interesting, and it’s hard not to support an interesting, green, local place with flavor. The food is hit or miss—and the misses can really be disappointing—but at this price ($80 for four mains, 8 sides, and 4 appetizers or so!) one can afford to experiment! I just wish I got out for dinner during the week more often because it will probably be a while before I get back!
Summer on a plate- two amazing sandwiches under the sun and the most amazing lemonade of your life. Oh, and Ari’s here, that king of the deli universe, sitting in the courtyard with his Camp Bacon shirt and his personal bacon chef. Life. Is. Good. (Detroit St. BBQ sandwich and a Reuben, plus Ari, Zingerman’s Deli, Ann Arbor)
