Teller’s

There once was a time, long, long ago, in the very desirable inner ring suburb they named Hyde Park, in the land called Cincinnati, wherein a new restaurant would open and flourish, simply by the grace and patronage of the aforementioned Hyde Parkers and the adjacency to their palatial estates.

Much like the flowery language of the above paragraph, that time has come and gone as well. No longer is a prime location on Hyde Park Square simply the only ingredient required to make a successful restaurant, and old standby Teller’s seems to be suffering greatly in almost every area, from service, to décor, to the food itself. As Cincinnati’s star continues to rise on the national culinary scene, restaurants like Teller’s that have settled into a routine of subpar mediocrity will find themselves choked out not only by hot neighborhoods like Over the Rhine and Walnut Hills, but also up and comers like Price Hill and Northside, and lastly by the better restaurants in their own neighborhood. It is a shame because the location is superb and the building is unique in a repurposed sort of way, even though it was constructed during the golden age of chain restaurants.

Located in the building that was the former location of Hyde Park Savings and Loan, the interior makes use of the vault as a dining area, as well as several other bank inspired touches. Unfortunately, so much of the rest of the décor seems as if it is stuck in the early 1990’s, a la The Golden Girls. A coat of paint and maybe an upgrade in the carpet and other soft surfaces would easily fix this problem, but the other problems might be a bigger struggle to solve.

About a week and a half ago on what was probably the last cool Sunday of the spring, four friends and I decided to cap off our Sunday funday with an early dinner on the upstairs patio at Teller’s. Normally I rave about the outside space here, but since they didn’t have any outdoor patio heaters or a fire lit in the fireplace, it was very brisk outside once the sun set behind the taller building next door. The manager seemed perturbed that we asked him to light the fireplace and our server resorted to yelling across the patio at us to see if we needed anything. Keep in mind that we are talking about temperatures in the lower 60’s or upper 50’s. No one needed a parka so I’m sure it wouldn’t have killed our server to make the 20 foot walk across the frozen tundra of a patio to ask if we needed more drinks or if our food was ok. (Spoiler alert- it wasn’t.) Did I mention that we were not the only freezing patrons on the patio?

And speaking of drinks, 4 out of the 5 of us were ordering the 10K Mojito off of the featured cocktail list. There was nothing wrong with the drink itself, but what was wrong was the upcharge considering that as we were leaving we had one final cocktail at the downstairs bar and the bartender informed us that they hadn’t stocked the 10K rum for months, but he could make the drink with Bacardi. Let’s be clear, there is nothing at all wrong with Bacardi, but what IS wrong is charging $2.00 more for a premium liquor that you are not only not serving, but don’t even carry any more. The bartender not only did not offer to refund the difference, but he seemed bothered that we cared.

At this point, I’m sure you are wondering if we even ate food at all. To be completely honest, I barely remember my food except the fact that my Pork Belly Macaroni was almost completely devoid of pork belly. Since three of us ordered the macaroni as our entrée, 60% of us were similarly dissatisfied. One of the other entrees was not prepared as ordered and the other (scallops) was also unremarkable.

If unremarkable was best descriptive that I could use for Teller’s, I wouldn’t be concerned about their long term survival, but poor service and subpar food have a cumulative effect that people tend to have a hard time forgetting. I almost think that Teller’s is digging a hole from which they will have a very difficult time getting out.

The Eagle Food and Beer Hall

Long time no see, my friends, but I am back with a vengeance. Maybe vengeance is not the right word, lets just call it a hunger. (Get the pun?) For my first blog back in the saddle after a several week hiatus, I went to The Eagle Food and Beer Hall in OTR. Why The Eagle? Well for starters, other restaurants may come and go, but The Eagle always lands a prime spot in my Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in Cincinnati list.

If by chance you are that one lone holdout who won’t or hasn’t investigated the exploding Over the Rhine culinary scene, The Eagle is located on Vine Street between 13th and 14th Streets. It is the second of three OTR restaurants by the Lanni brothers who also brought us Bakersfield OTR and Krueger’s Tavern. Some will argue that The Eagle is the best of the three. (My vote goes to Bakersfield, but that’s for another post.)

The Eagle is housed in what was long ago the neighborhood post office and the décor pays a subtle homage to that, in addition to employing the currently popular recycled wood walls and obligatory Edison bulb lighting, both to better effect than most. The small gated patio area is a great place to people watch while you wait for your table if the weather is favorable, and wait you will. During peak periods, a two hour wait is not uncommon. But much like most restaurants in the area, that’s half of the fun. Put your name on the waitlist and go have a cocktail at one of the other restaurants or bars in the area and The Eagle will notify you when your table is ready. (Do me a favor and try Sundry & Vice and let me know how it is.) Most tables are communal, including the large semi circular booths, but there are a few two and four top tables as well as seating at the bar.

Speaking of the bar, The Eagle has an extensive bottled beer list as well as about 10 beers on draft, including Abita Root Beer for the designated driver in your group. I enjoyed a New Belgium Snapshot, but there are local selections as well, including Madtree, Rivertown and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. They also serve mixed drink cocktails, including one of my favorite Bloody Marys in the city. How can you go wrong with a drink served garnished with a piece of delicious candied bacon, coated in brown sugar with just a hint of cayenne pepper? You. Can. Not.

It is very difficult to make a decision about what to order at The Eagle, so my best advice is to take a group of friends and order everything. You won’t be disappointed. Start with a couple of the apps, including the aforementioned bacon, or maybe the crunchy hominy. I was a little apprehensive to order the hominy, and in fact had to google it just to see what I was getting myself into. Don’t be afraid city dwellers, hominy is just dried field corn. The Eagle’s crunchy chili and lime preparation makes it one of my favorite appetizers around. The Eagle offers pork, grilled cheese and fried chicken sandwiches, but I almost always order the half or quarter chicken. You may specify light or dark meat, but either is delicious. It is all served with a small syrup dispenser of spicy honey which perfectly compliments the spicy fried chicken. Make sure to order a few sides as well. I wish I could narrow down your selections for you, but that’s just not going to happen. I have never had any single item at The Eagle that I didn’t absolutely love, and the side dishes are no exception. The herb seasoned shoestring fries served with a spicy aioli that rivals Taste of Belgium’s are a perennial favorite as is the iron skillet spoonbread. My friends swear by the five cheese mac and cheese as well. But don’t worry, if you choose something other than the menu items that I have mentioned, you will love it too.

Any time is a great time to enjoy The Eagle, but if I could offer one piece of advice, it is to go on a weeknight and to go before six o’clock. That will certainly minimize your wait time. But never fret, the longer you have to wait for The Eagle, the better it gets. (Is that even possible?)

Bistro Grace

I have been meaning to check out Bistro Grace on Hamilton Avenue in Northside for months. In fact, I had intended to go there for my birthday in November, but I am almost glad that I didn’t because I think I might have missed out on some of the nuances that are lost when you are one in a party of 12. The space that previously housed Honey as well as the first iteration of Boca is fairly simple, but the beams that formerly supported the second floor that are now exposed are a nice touch as are the newish tin ceiling tiles. I am a sucker for real candles as well. Enough with the battery powered LED imitations. I also really enjoyed the kitschy Cincinnati themed art, especially the vintage streetcar ads. The bar seems a little big for the space, but I haven’t been there when the restaurant was full, so maybe the size is warranted. Although when I visited, it was a little too chilly to sit on the inviting patio behind the building, I think I might request to dine there next time I go back to Bistro Grace.

I started my meal with a glass of an Italian red by Masi served in an appealing tulip shaped glass. I’m not sure if I didn’t love the wine or if the glass itself was a little soapy. I am going to go with the former since a soapy glass doesn’t really fit with the level of service that I experienced at Bistro Grace. Our server, Ashley, was outstanding not only in her promptness and her professionalism, but also in her knowledge of the menu. We ordered the beer cheese appetizer which was delivered quickly. The lightly salted soft pretzel bread (one of my faves) was slightly crunchy and perfectly complimented the beer cheese which had a fondue like texture. After we finished the pretzel bread, the server was kind enough to suggest that we keep the remaining beer cheese to dip our fries in. I was in the mood for a burger and Bistro Grace did not disappoint. It was served with crispy bourbon shallots, fontina cheese, caramelized onions and a garlic mustard seed aioli. I have to say that it was one of the best gourmet burgers that I have had in quite some time and the duck fat fries that I ordered with it were great too. Most duck fat fries are too heavy for me for a lack of a better word and these possessed just enough duck flavor to set them apart from typical French fries. I also sampled the BBQ chicken and mac and cheese, served with crispy skin on potatoes, which were appealingly garlickey.

Not to take away at all from the great food at Bistro Grace, but I also think it might be a cool place to meet friends for a before or after dinner drink. In addition to the nice sized wine list, there is a great bourbon selection, if that is your poison, as well as an all local draft beer list including Rheingeist, Warped Wing, Weidemanns, Eight Ball and Blank Slate. If the real estate experts are to be believed, Northside will be following in the revitalization footsteps of Over the Rhine and Walnut Hills. When and if this prediction comes to pass, I suspect that Bistro Grace will become quite popular.

Taft’s Ale House

In addition to being a lover of food and drink, my appreciation of architecture ranks as a very close second in terms of what keeps my tiny little head occupied. With that in mind, I have been waiting for almost a year and a half for the opening of Taft’s Ale House. Located on the corner of Race and Fifteenth Streets in a section of Over the Rhine that is being redeveloped at breakneck speed, Taft’s is housed in the former St. Paulus Kirche, a German Evangelical Protestant Church that is the second oldest church in the city. The congregation that was housed in the building decamped to the corner of Ferguson and Queen City in Westwood in 1948 leaving the building largely vacant for the past 67 years! Various remedial efforts had been undertaken in recent years to stabilize the building, but not until the past couple of years have millions of dollars been poured into the building to make it a viable structure again. “Viable” hardly begins to describe the interior of Taft’s though. And before I even get into the food and beer, I cannot stress enough that you must make a trip to Taft’s if just to check out the building. The quality of the finishes is spectacular and the building and decor are gorgeous. Much of it pays homage to the heritage of the building and to that of our 27th President and Cincinnati native, the rotund William Howard Taft, while at the same time seeming fully 2015. And now on to the reason that most of you are here, the food. In a restaurant with the name “Taft’s Ale House”, of course one would expect an abundance of not only ales, but lagers as well. All of the beer is brewed in house, so if you came looking for a Bud Light, you might want to stop at the pony keg and guzzle one before you get here. Several of the beers are standouts and Taft’s gives you a low commitment way to sample them with five four ounce pours packaged as a flight. For the same amount of money as a pint, it is a great (and economical) way to figure out what your favorite draft will be a Taft’s. I tried the First Pitch Pale Ale, 27 Pils, Nellie’s Keylime Carribean Ale, Maverick Chocolate Porter, and Saison de Paulus. There was not one amongst the bunch that I thought I would never drink again, and several that I loved. The 27 Pils was my favorite, not surprising since a crisp, cold pilsner is an easy gateway beer to those uninitiated in the ways of the craft beer explosion that is often dominated by very strong, distinctive tastes such as I.P.A.’s. The 27 Pils was very uncomplicated to the palate, but distinctive enough to differentiate it from other pilsner style beers on the market. The Maverick was also outstanding. If you like either porters or chocolate, this beer flavored with cacao sourced from Maverick Chocolate Company also located in Over the Rhine was something you will not forget. I’m sure I will also go back to the Saison de Paulus, a Belgian style farmhouse ale that is in the flavor neighborhood of Goose Island Sofie and Boulevard Brewing Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. If you are inexplicably not a beer drinker, Taft’s also offers a full bar, both in the main floor brewpub as well as in Nellie’s Tap Room in the basement, named after President Taft’s wife.

I started my meal with fried onions, an onion straw dipped in beer batter. Not greasy at all, they were the perfect compliment to the beer. I ordered Taft’s signature Tri-Tip Sirloin for my main course, served with au jus and accompanied by roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes with delicious brown gravy and two mini corn muffins with actual corn in them. No Jiffy corn muffin mix going on here folks. The beef was incredibly tender and delicious. Tri tip beef, a cut common in Europe, New York and central California, is new to the Cincinnati culinary scene and Taft’s has a winner, if not just for the fact that they have brought something truly new to the area. Cut from the bottom sirloin, or quadriceps area, the cut is known for its tender texture, yet lean fat content. I found it to be quite distinctive from the beef cuts that I am accustomed to eating, although if I am being completely forthright, I prefer either a good hamburger or a filet mignon. I am usually happy to skip most all of the cuts in between.

With its prime and prominent location on the future streetcar line, Taft’s is all but assured success. If you decide to go to Taft’s (and you should), please remember that they only accept reservations for large parties, but they do use the same system as Lachey’s to notify you when you table is ready. It also allows you to track your progress and see how soon you get to sample the delicious Tri-Tip beef. Its a pretty nifty system that I have a feeling will crop up soon at other popular restaurants in the area. Also remember, once again, that parking meters in Over the Rhine are operational until 9:00pm every night and on Sundays as well. The Washington Park garage is also only a block away so all of your excuses for not going downtown to eat are gone. I promise you that no matter where you live, I’m going to break you of your chain restaurant eating habit. Give me six months and you will be saying “T.G.I. Who?”.

Yard House

It is so easy to criticize Yard House for being a chain restaurant that serves lots of chain quality food. That being said, the anchor of the brand new Banks neighborhood, created by the consolidation of Ft. Washington Way, does a lot of things that most restaurants could never do, and it does them well, to boot. Prominently located on the corner of Freedom Way and Walnut Street near all of the major neighborhood attractions including Paul Brown Stadium, Great American Ballpark, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Smale Riverfront Park, Yard House has become my go to restaurant for large groups.

For example, last Saturday my friends and I celebrated the 30th birthday of one of my best friends. Trying to keep the gathering a secret was a way bigger challenge than trying to find a restaurant that would accomodate nearly 20 people. Not only were they able to accomodate us, they were able to do so quickly. Several of the group arrived at 5:15 to put our name in and by ten til six, we were seated. Did I mention that this was also the same night as the NCAA Final Four? Even with a marquee sporting event on the myriad tv’s, Yard House had no problem finding a table for our very large party. It didn’t seem to matter one bit that they don’t accept reservations.

In the event that you may have to wait for a table at Yard House, saddle up to their enormous bar and enjoy one of the 160 beers on tap. Yes, you read that correctly, ONE HUNDRED SIXTY BEERS! If you have heard of it (or maybe even if you haven’t) it is on tap at Yard House. That should be all that you need to know, but if for some reason you actually came to a restaurant to eat, the menu at Yard House is almost as extensive as the beer selection. Nearly every cuisine, every category and every trend is represented. Some of the basics, such as burgers, wings, and onions rings don’t set my palate on fire (especially the greasy onion rings), but other items are quite good. The small, tapas sized, street tacos are great, especially the Korean Pork Belly, as are the Truffle Fries, Sweet Potato Fries with Maple Bacon Dip, and the Chicken Nachos. The nachos are actually among my favorites in the city. If you are so inclined after gorging yourself on bar food and beer, the dessert menu is decent as well. The Smores Brownie, served in a mini cast iron skillet and big enough to share, is always a favorite at our table.

While it isn’t too difficult believe that Yard House comes from the good people at Darden Restaurants who brought you Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn, Yard House is a small step above those mid market mainstays. And Yard House boasts a stellar view of The Roebling Suspension Bridge and a short walk to Paul Brown or Great American. You can’t get that in the burbs.

Update (Quatman’s, Lachey’s and Obscura)

Since my original posts on Obscura, Quatman’s Café and Lachey’s, there have been several substantial changes of note. For the sake of argument, lets subtitle this entry “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly”.

In the “Good” column, Quatman’s Café has successfully transitioned into their new space, adjacent to their former location. The new restaurant manages to capture the spirit of the 1960’s original without seeming like a museum piece. It is very much of now, including the outdoor patio dining, the new bar, and the flat screen TV’s. Happily, the menu is completely unchanged and I am thrilled to report that there is absolutely no change to their award-winning burger.

In the “Bad” category, Obscura has closed their doors for good. I say “Bad”, but that probably only applies to the employees and the investors, because I doubt that anyone else gives a damn. As you may recall from my original post, Obscura tried way too hard to be something that they clearly were not. There is not a single person in Cincinnati who is as important as Obscura fancied their patrons to be. Obscura has recently reopened their doors, newly christened as “IVY Lounge Cincinnati”. I will probably stop in sometime when I am in the area, but I’m not holding my breath for a completely different experience. Time will tell.

Finally, in the “Ugly” zone, I’m extremely disappointed to report that my recent trips to Lachey’s have been subpar. They have been open for over three months now, well beyond the time frame needed to work out issues with the kitchen. It really is unfortunate that they can’t quite seem to pull all of the elements together. I still stand by my original conviction that Lachey’s is the right bar at the right location at the right time. The management seems strong, but the service staff doesn’t seem well trained and the food is wildly inconsistent. Each of the past 3 times I have been to Lachey’s, my food has come out of the kitchen incorrectly. (Although I did have some great soy & lime chicken wings.) Don’t get me wrong, I am still rooting for Lachey’s. I love that there is a sports bar in Over the Rhine. I think their beer selection is good and their cocktails are great. And, when the food is right, it is really good.

Half Day Cafe

Half Day Café probably won’t change your life but it might be a nice breakfast or brunch diversion. I will be honest with you, while I have been to Half Day Café many times throughout the years, it rarely hits my radar when people ask me for brunch recommendations. The main stumbling block I have is the fact that they are only open 7-2 Monday through Saturday. Anybody who is anybody knows that the most important day for brunch is Sunday!

Located on the southeast corner of Springfield Pike and Wyoming Avenue in the heart of the picturesque near northside Cincinnati suburb of Wyoming, Half Day may not be located in a trendy neighborhood or a culinary mecca, but they have carved out a solid breakfast and lunch niche. I have never been when there wasn’t a healthy crowd packing the quaint and sunny corner location. The staff is always exceedingly friendly and prompt and the restaurant itself is always immaculate. I mean, serve your baby food that dropped on the floor, immaculate. There is no doubt that there is a lot to like at Half Day Café.

However, I just don’t love the food. Ten years ago when the best brunch in the city was First Watch, Half Day would have made my top five in a heartbeat. But, with Cincinnati’s recent rise to national prominence on the food and restaurant scene, I feel like they need to step up their game if they would like to compete with the big boys. (Maybe they don’t want to. I don’t know. I will have to give it to them that things seem to be going quite well for them just as they are.)

Last week when I ate at Half Day, my visit measured up in every way to each previous experience that I have had there. The restaurant was spotless, the staff was astonishingly friendly and the food was OK. Just OK. I ordered a fairly basic “Two of Everything”, two pancakes, two sausage patties, two eggs and brunch potatoes. The over medium well eggs that I ordered were served perfectly round, almost mathematically perfect, if you will. The pancakes were picture perfect as well, however both the eggs and the pancakes were completely devoid of any seasoning or character whatsoever. The brunch potatoes, slightly seasoned with rosemary were better, but nothing to write home about. I did love the sage seasoned sausage though. It was not at all rubbery or institutional tasting like so many restaurant sausage patties can be.

Perhaps my quibbles with Half Day lie in the menu items that I usually order. Maybe if I ventured a little outside of my comfort zone I might discover the magic that keeps the crowds coming back. If it is indeed magic that reels them in, Half Day Café has definitely perfected the spell.

Dean’s Hops and Vines

Doomed. That’s the only word that I can think of that accurately summarizes my thoughts on Dean’s Hops and Vines, located at 3772 Harrison Avenue in the heart of the Cheviot bar district. Perhaps there is a true cultural difference in what makes a good bar on the west side of town and what makes a good bar on the east side of town. That’s the sole explanation that I can come up with for the favorable Yelp and Urbanspoon reviews that I browsed through after my visit to Dean’s.

I went to Dean’s on a warm Wednesday night with the top down on my car and thoughts of draft beer dancing in my head. By now, I’m sure everyone reading this blog knows that I love almost nothing better than a cold draft beer on a warm night. (Or hot night. Or cold night. Or during the day. Etc.) I may have set myself up for disappointment because upon my arrival I discovered that there were only six beers on draft. There were a few locals featured, such as Dayton’s Warped Wing, but I settled on Kansas City favorite Boulevard Brewing’s Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. Everyone else had difficult time deciding on a beer due to the limited draft selection. In all fairness, the bottle and can selection appeared to be much better. I say appeared because there was no actual list of beer anywhere in the bar, let alone a beer menu. I am assuming the same about the wine selection.

The lack of a beer list was not the only thing missing at Dean’s. I was surprised that there was no server and even food items from their decently sized (food and drink stained) menu had to be ordered from the bar. Any good bar owner knows that a server will prompt patrons to order more drinks than if they have to trudge to the bar and stand in line for them. The apathetic bartender was the only employee that I saw in the entire 90 minutes that I spent at Dean’s. We ordered a beer cheese and bread appetizer from said bartender that was delivered to our table in a rocks glass. Now, I’m not a presentation Nazi, but a little effort goes a long way. Even a small soup cup would have been an improvement. (The cheese itself was described by one of my friends as “Hormel Chili-ish”. I’m guessing that is probably not a compliment.)

We very quickly came to the conclusion that if the effort put forth by the staff was any indication of how much Dean’s values its patrons that no one cared if we were there that night, let alone cared if we ever came back. So guess what, I’m never going back. Are you happy Dean’s? I’m guessing that you couldn’t care less.

Incline Public House

So much has been written about Incline Public House (or IPH, as my friends like to call it) that I am not sure how much more I have to add without running the risk of being repetitive. Let’s begin with a little history lesson, shall we? Incline opened about two years ago at the peak of where the historic Price Hill Incline operated from 1874-1943, carrying passengers from the base of Eighth Street near present day Glenway Avenue to the top of the hill near Eighth and Matson. Nowadays, a short drive up Mt. Hope Avenue will get you there just as easily. The immediate area is rife with redevelopment, so don’t be afraid of the words “Price Hill”. I will have to honestly admit, in the 21 years that I have lived in Cincinnati, I can’t remember a restaurant south of I-74 and west of I-75 hitting my radar as new, hip, cool, trendy or any other remotely complimentary adjective. Incline Public House changed all of that.

I will unabashedly state that Incline Public House has a consistent position on my list of favorite Queen City restaurants, for many reasons. While there may be a wait during peak times, it doesn’t approach Over the Rhine levels of hysteria. The view is fantastic and completely unobstructed, especially if you are used to the view from Mt. Adams. The food and drinks are great and most likely, the check won’t make your bank account cry. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a gourmet dining experience, nor will you be eating a culinary masterpiece from the kitchen of Incline Public House. What IPH is though, is a restaurant that is runs on all cylinders, ticks all of the boxes, if you will.

The beer list is compact but varied with a good mixture of national and regional favorites as well as local standbys. Upland Wheat, a Bloomington, Indiana brew and La Fin Du Monde by Unibroue, a Quebec standout, are always on draft as is Triple Digit Chickow, a strong and sweet American brown ale from Evanston’s Listerman Brewing. The craft cocktails are great too, not craft for the sake of using obscure or unique ingredients, but actually tasty.

Probably due to the multitude of times that I have visited Incline, I have had nearly all of the appetizers on the menu, but I seem to almost always come back to the Andouille Corn Dogs, a spicy grown up version of one of my favorite county fair treats. Also of note is the Cast Iron Brie and the Lamb Burger Sliders, the latter of which I often add a side of fries to and make a meal of it. The Short Rib Poutine is good as well, but as I have said before, it is very difficult to the top the poutine at Senate. Incline offers several full-fledged entrée dishes, but I usually stick to one of the sandwiches, especially the burger or the Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese. Friends have also ordered the Fried Cod Sandwich and the Black and Blue Salad as well and always clear their plates of every last crumb. If I have one complaint about the menu it is the quality and consistency of the pizzas. In a city not necessarily even known for its pizza, there are several much better wood fired pizzas in town. A Tavola (both the OTR and Madeira locations) and Dewey’s (seven greater Cincinnati locations) both spring to mind. Stick to the sandwiches or apps at Incline and you will leave happy.

Speaking of leaving happy, if you really want to leave happy, try the Cast Iron Chocolate Chip Cookie, served a la mode. Deliciously gooey and not quite baked all the way through, the cookie is the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth without sending you on a 5 mile run immediately when you get home. (One of my biggest pet peeves is a dessert that is big enough to serve a party of 20 screaming 6 year olds. Not necessary. Ever.)

While I am aware that my words don’t hold the same gravity as a stellar review from Impulcity or Cincinnati Magazine, I wholeheartedly add my endorsement to the long list of accolades of which Incline Public House boasts. They are well deserved.

Alfio’s Buon Cibo

A birthday amongst my closest friends is always an occasion to celebrate, but when we visited Alfio’s Buon Cibo on Hyde Park Square about a week ago, I knew before the evening started that it would probably be epic. (Do I sound like a 19-year old frat boy? Perhaps.) Several in the group planned to meet at Teller’s for a drink before dinner. Somehow this evolved into a smaller portion of the group meeting at Cock and Bull for a drink before meeting at Teller’s for another drink. Confused yet? I almost am and I was there. Let’s just suffice it to say that by the time the eleven of us sat down for our 7:30 dinner, most of us were already well on our way to a good time. (Well, perhaps not the friends who ran out of gas on the Brent Spence bridge during Friday rush hour. I think they caught up in no time though.) Add to that countless bottles of a wine that for the life of me, I can’t remember and several shots of Fireball whiskey and there were so many ways that this evening could have gone wrong. But, it didn’t.

I have to give most of the credit to the unflappable staff at Alfio’s. We can be a tough crowd, but they handled us with ease. Perhaps the excellent food had something to do with it. Alfio’s describes their food as modern Italian with an Argentine flair. I have no idea what that means exactly, but the food is so good that I hardly care. We started with several appetizers including the Empanada Trio, lightly fried Argentine puff pastries stuffed with various ingredients including spiced beef, spinach and cheese, and prosciutto with roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese. I have made empanadas at home before, but in comparison mine taste like they come from the kitchen of a preschooler. We also ordered the Sausage Sliders that were served with a side of chimichurri and mustard mayonnaise. Both appetizers disappeared from the table as if it were the last supper. I know that there were several other appetizers ordered at the other end of the table, but they also disappeared so quickly that I’m not certain what they were.

I do however, remember what entrée I ordered, mostly because it was so spectacular that my inner fat kid wanted to order another serving. The Five Cheese Angus Ravioli was the best ravioli that I have ever had in my life. No lie kids, it was that good. Several people at the table also enjoyed the Five Cheese Ravioli as well as the equally superb Short Rib Ravioli, stuffed with tender braised veal shortrib, served in a creamy truffle mushroom marsala sauce. I don’t particularly care for mushrooms, but I thought it was delicious as well. It has been brought to my attention that not everyone at the table loved their entrees as much as I did, but since I carelessly forgot to take any notes while I was eating, I’m not 100% sure what those dishes may have been. However, several of the menu items at Alfio’s did garner “Best of Taste” awards at the 2014 Taste of Cincinnati, so I must not be alone in my enthusiasm.

Is this my most concise review? Umm, no. I was in no condition to be reviewing anything. Was this this the most budget-friendly restaurant in the book? Certainly, not. I cringe when I look at the liquor tab alone. Did we have a rip-roaring, inappropriate for our ages, good time at Alfio’s? Definitely. Most definitely. Will I go back to Alfio’s? It is certainly likely.