Thursday, May 13, 2010

Happy Mother's Day = 1st Reds Game of the Season

For Mothers Day, my mom (aka the Pegster) took herself to the Reds game. (Don't worry, my sister and I got her some nice gifts too). She of course invited along her two favorite daughters, and I enjoyed my first game of the season! It was my first time walking from Mt. Adams and I was pleasantly surprised it only took me about 20 minutes to get there. I have to confess that I did hitch a ride back though, it's a lot of stairs up!!!


Everyone got a free Reds scarf! I thought this would be enough to get us on the jumbo tron, alas it did not work.




If you are working in the new building, is it a given that you will be watching the 1pm games from your office?


Home Run to put us ahead of the Cubbies!


Props to Jay Bruce. We had a little girl sitting behind us with a baseball glove, so before the 8th inning began we all started to cheer for Bruce as he was warming up. Enough cheering (for him tossing a ball back and forth) got him to turn around and we all pointed to the little girl. Realizing our scheme, he pointed back to her and tossed her the ball! Although she didn't catch it, the fan behind her was kind enough to make sure she got it.

All and all, great game! Anyone going to the weekend games against the Cards? With a 5 game winning streak, I think it's going to be a packed weekend at GABP!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

If I was the President of Mt. Adams...

On my run today I saw that a new pizza shop is opening up in Mt. Adams. I am not knocking it, but I am not sure if that is exactly the type of business the neighborhood needs right now. But hey, any business is good business I guess. Awhile back I read the Mt. Adams Strategic Plan and it basically calls out that while there is a thriving bar/food district, the retail space on the Hill is empty. This got my roommates and I talking. If we could open up any business in Mt. Adams, what would it be?
  • Used Book Store: It would occupy the former consignment shop by Mt. Adams Bar and Grill. It would have live music and a coffee shop. It may even sell specialized tea. Oh yeah, it would have those sweet old school library ladders too! 
  • Yoga/Dance Studio: As if walking up these hills weren't exercise enough, we thought it would be fun to have a place to take classes. We didn't want your generic gym, but something unique and fun. Maybe we could take a Ballroom Dancing, or Tap, or cool Yoga Class. Definitely a way to stay active and meet people!
  • Pottery Store: How perfect would it be if it was right by Rookwood Pottery? A place where you can make your own pottery and decorate it. It could offer classes and sell merchandise.
  • Cobbler: There are already 2 Dry Cleaning services, who is here to take care of my shoes? 
  • Park+Vine like store: A cool retail store that sells unique Cincinnati items. It could range from t shirts, to prints and photos, to wine. Which reminds me, if anyone could tell me where I could buy an 'I Love Cincinnati' Bumper Sticker, that would be great. I see them everywhere!
  • What stores would you open up?


The location where I would open my used book store. (Photo taken back in February)


The new pizza shop will be right next to Teak.(on the right)

Monday, May 3, 2010

You're not a true Cincinnati blogger until...

...you review Terry's Turf Club!

I.Love.Terry's.Turf.Club.

Enough said. Enjoy the pictures












Terry's Turf Club on Urbanspoon

Longworths Burger Sundays

It's Sunday afternoon, and I'm walking home from Immaculata and who do I run into? Karen and our friend Steph, heading up to Longworth's to enjoy their $2 Burger Sunday! So I turn around and start walking back up the Hill.



For me the burger is all about the bun and these were toasted and wonderful. 

The deal is $2 basic burger and 50 cents for each topping. I was pretty impressed with the burger, it was juicy, tasty, and served exactly how I ordered. On Diane's newly created Burger Scale of Goodness, I'd give it a 6.5, this combines both the tastiness of the burger and the added satisfaction of paying only $3.50.

We split an order of fries, which I believe is key when ordering at restaurants. You usually get the same amount per person (or more) when ordering a side dish of fries between a group.


Large fry order! So many!


I thought I would go 'artsy' and capture the yellow in the cheese. It really doesn't do much for the burger. Believe me, this was good!


Karen and her burger!


Steph and her burger!

I recommend Longworth's Burger Sunday, but only if you can get a seat on the patio. The inside is still recovering from a long night of drinking, avoid dining in! 

Longworth's Tavern on Urbanspoon

Tap 'N Go: On the Rise

I had a friend in town and decided to take him out to Mt. Adams. Unfortunately, Crowley's was packed wall to wall. Although I consider myself a relatively patient person, I can only handle being shoved so many times.

So we decided to wander over to Tap 'N Go. I believe they opened up August of 2009. I had stopped by in it's first opening weeks and was severely disappointed with its identity crisis. Mark was really excited to drink British beers, but we were in for a rude awakening when they only had Miller and Hudy on tap. What?! No wonder the place was empty.

Fast forward 7 months later. We see a sign at Tap 'N Go for $2.50 Miller High Life's, it's 1:30 AM.. we're game! We step into the bar and are pleasantly surprised that they have added to their draft beer selection as well as bottled beer.  Mark (a beer connoisseur) still stated they lacked a lot of the British 'Essential' Beers, so to our surprise, the bartender handed us a napkin and asked us to write them down. She said she would pass our recommendations onto the owner. Now I haven't been back to see if any of our selections have been added, but I'll keep you posted!! 

A great part about Tap 'N Go is their porch area. It's spacious and cozy at the same time. While it could use some character (Christmas lights, a nice fire pit, accent furniture) it is still an outside area to enjoy the summer months. So our group was able to sit and watch everyone in Crowley sweat their pants off!

  Enjoying the porch with our High Lifes.

Sadly, every time I pass Tap 'N Go, it's not very crowded. I encourage more people to support this bar. It's improving (and still has room to go), and is a nice change of pace from your typical 'bump and grind' Mt. Adams Bars.

Outside of Tap N Go

Cadillac Ranch=The Wal-Mart of Bars

I am not a fan of Cadillac Ranch downtown. I think it is generic, has boring food (which taste like it was bought in the frozen food section of Kroger), and a lack of drink specials. The worst part is it's prime location, and I'll always think.. what could have been? But don't take my word for it.. GetinMahBelly pretty much summed it up for all of us...

http://getinmahbelly.blogspot.com/2010/05/and-worst-restaurant-in-cincinnati.html

Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill on Urbanspoon

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Rick Steves and Crepes (in Cincinnati, not France)

Rick Steves spoke at the Cincinnati Library on Saturday. It wasn't too publicized, so I thought it would be me, several others and Rick having a nice chat about Europe. Turned out to be me, several hundred others, and Rick chatting it up about Europe. I couldn't believe how many people showed up, all ages! I think the library stated it was one of their biggest attendances ever!







Rick has so many great resources for Americans traveling to Europe, whether is be his books, podcasts, or website. He definitely inspires me to travel, and travel adventurously!

After the speech was over, we stopped by It's Just Crepes. I had been wanting to go here for awhile and was excited that we had run into the location. I ordered the Southwest Crepe. It was gooey, spicy, and messy! While my roommates had gotten some dessert Crepes, that were just as tasty.



I would recommend It's Just Crepes, as an alternative to Chipotle, as there are many varieties. I also would advise eating the crepe the way they give it to you, not 'pizza style'. I learned the hard way...








It's Just Crepes on Urbanspoon

Findley Market is Ringing in Spring!

Saw Rosie Red, and Mr. Red at Findley Market this week. While I got a little more excited than several the 7 year olds around me, I was unable to get a picture with them.

More vendors are outside, the sights and smells of Findley are starting to ring in Spring!











A Walk in Eden Park

A spring walk through Mt. Adams and Eden Park:
















St. Patricks Day



BockFest 2010: Rock the Goat



I can't believe I have never participated in BockFest before this year. Any event where you can just show up and be in a parade is bound to be a good time.

Yes, we were the group with the creepy goat jumping out of a cake. People loved it.. or maybe the loved us because we were right by the German Band.  Enjoy the pictures below. 









Cinciditarod 2010

What are you doing?!

That is the question we got asked probably 14 times on Saturday. To give our onlookers credit, I would ask that as well if I saw a bunch of people running around in costumes pushing a shopping cart!

Cinciditarod (noun): Insane race around Cincinnati modeled after the Alaskan Iditatod. Dogs and sleds replaced by carts and costumed fools.

We entered 2 teams, the Where's Waldo's and Princess's and Knights. And I am proud to say that my team (Princess and Knights) placed 13 out of 42! Not too bad for our first time.

Highlights
  • Food Eating Challenge: I beat all the boys when it came to Senor Roys Taco eating contest


  • Paying a random guy $5 for his Eco Friendly Biggs Bag
  • Launching maple syrup bombs at other teams
Lowlights
  • Getting hit with flour bombs
  • Running from Findley Market to Mt. Adams
  • Falling for the sabotage quiz


Tips for Next Year
  • We need a better skit
  • Stick with a small cart (TJMaxx size)
  • Not put as much crap in the cart
  • Run faster!




Monday, February 22, 2010

A Saturday Morning Adventure: Findlay Market

Findlay Market.. the smells, the people.. it makes for a great Saturday morning adventure. This past Saturday my mom, Karen, and I ventured down to OTR.

First stop of course Dojo Gelato! I never know why I am surprised when I try their flavors, it always tastes exactly like what it's supposed to be! (Funny concept in America if you think about, why doesn't a strawberry jolly rancher taste like a strawberry?)  My choice this week, Pistachio and Dutch Chocolate. Little tip when you are getting Pistachio gelato, if the flavor is lime, bright, in-your-face green, chances are it's not natural. If it is light green, almost gray, you've got the good stuff! Also thanks to Dojo, for sharing a recipe with Karen, she was really grateful!







I also sampled the blue cheese and honey, and I liked it, but don't think I would be able to eat a whole cup...that's a lot of cheese!

The next part of our trip led to the meets and spices. We were educated by the Colonel and his crew about what spices to pick, and then next door, (Queen City Meats I believe?) the butchers happily educated us on how to pick a good steak! That's what I love about Findlay, they will not only sell you the food, but they will teach you about it too. And boy are they patient, sometimes I ask a lot of stupid questions!





Shout out to Mike from Mike's Meats. He hooked us up with some complementary peperoni, as well as a piece of french bread. My mom was trying to figure out how to get bread like 'Subway'. Mike happily went back to his personal pantry, gave us some bread and told us to cook it at 450 for 5 minutes and we would have 'Subway Bread'. We tried it and he was right!

Anything can happen at Findlay, like finding your true love. Karen got asked on a date from a guy who didn't even know her name, pretty bold I'd say! Too make it more romantic, it was right next to the fresh salmon, who like Karen, were staring in disbelief.  Alas, we will never know what could have been. :-) 

Finally we stopped at the produce section. This was the coolest part. Most of the vendors have been working down at Findlay Market since they were kids, and their parents owned the stand. My Grandpa (Mom's dad) owned a produce store in OTR. When my mom asked the vendors if they recognized the name, several did! They even could name the street it was on (13th and Main). I thought that was very cool, considering the store shut down in 1985.



All in all, great trip to the market. I am hoping as the weather gets warmer, I will start spending more of my grocery money there, rather than regular grocery stores.



Dojo Gelato on Urbanspoon