It seems like this summer is full of foodie movies. You’ve got Julie and Julia, about Julia Child’s life in cooking, and Julie Powell (whose blog was the first “Cook the Book”-style blog, namely Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking); then you have two documentaries that seem really similar: Food, Inc, which opens at the Esquire on July 10th and is about American agriculture, featuring two of my favorite food-related authors, Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation and ; and Food Fight, which is about the rise of agribusiness and the Calfornia revolution against it– and here’s a preview (since embedding isn’t allowed). I love documentaries– and so does Terry– so I’m sure we’ll spend a Saturday afternoon or two seeing those two movies, and I’ll definitely see Julie and Julia.
Here’s a preview of Julie and Julia. Meryl Streep looks like she’s dead on Julia.
I know some of you travel– have any of you caught these movies yet? I may repost this once the movies have opened to discuss.
A couple of months ago, lots of local (and not local) Twitterers started talking about Taste Casting, and I got approached to become a member. After reading the materials, I declined. Why? I have some real problems with the way Taste Casting tries to control the voices of their tasters.
I value my network. Though I do occasionally do the PR-sponsored dinner, I state it openly, and make it clear to the PR person or restaurant pitching me that my acceptance does not mean that they will get a positive review. I often request anonymity (blogger dinners, like the one Morton’s had a while ago, are a little different– and I was still critical) — if someone knows you’re writing about them, they’ll put out their best product and be on their best behavior, right? That’s not quite fair. My readers expect me to tell them the good, bad and the ugly– and I do, in a way that (I think, and others have told me) isn’t mean or inappropriate. That’s why there are certain restaurants I can’t (and won’t) review anymore– Bootsy’s, for example– because the staff knows me, and the experience I have there could be different than what you, as a regular reader, have. If I have a business relationship with a restaurant (I am a copywriter, you know), I can’t review them– obviously, that’s unfair, too. I try to only post “news” that my readers will appreciate or care about, and not just every press release that floods my inbox (do you really care about promotions in New York? I didn’t think so!). I try to use good judgement when working with PR folks, and I think you guys (and the PR folks) respect that.
Sites like Urbanspoon and Yelp might also have issues– what you’d present are essentially paid reviews. That’s pretty much against what both of those sites stand for. It feels like begging. I have seen food bloggers say, “Do you want to promote your restaurant? Email me!” Wow. This seems like pay-for-play to me. That’s not honest, and gives bloggers a really bad name. “Will Tweet for Food” is their tagline– sounds similar, doesn’t it?
You can’t say anything negative. This is my main issue with Taste Casting. From their FAQs:
My goal for this idea is to HELP small business owners not to HURT them. “Social Media and the participants have the power to do both.”
Please remember – Everyone’s tastes, likes, and dislikes are different. If you taste something and you don’t like it, tell the establishment representative. HELP them with your honest opinion. Then try something else.
Because we’re invited guests to the establishment and we are being served the selections – in some cases we may be a focus group for new menu items. It would be unkind to Twitter a “negative” and “harmful” post to our social networks.
Enforcing what TasteCastings twitter about is not something that can be controlled. I strongly encourage anyone who joins the team to be kind and constructive in your communications. As a member of a Twitter Taster Team you will be strongly encouraged to Tweet using the Golden Rule…” If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.”
“Everyone’s tastes, likes and dislikes are different”– true. But what if the meat is over or underdone? The restaurant dirty? The service– even as invited guests– bad? If the restaurant is like this for invited guests, what is the experience like for a regular customer? What if the flavors don’t work together, or I can’t find a single thing I like at the restaurant– that’s right, you’re not supposed to write about it. I find that disingenuous and damaging– both to the restaurant, who could be seen as “paying off” reviewers and to anyone who blogs or tweets that they’re going to a Tastecast– then says nothing about the event. You can be negative without being mean– being able to do that is something I pride myself on– but prohibiting any negativity?
I lose my credibility If people know I’m going to a Taste Cast, and they know the rules– can they trust what I say?
Sometimes, it’s not clear that a blog post is based on a Taste Cast. I’ve seen several where the disclaimer is at the bottom– in tiny print! Obviously, the Taste Caster group can’t police this, but I (and others) truly believe that blogging, tweeting, etc. is about transparancy– and tiny print isn’t transparent. There is much talk of bloggers “replacing” media, like newspapers. I disagree– I think it’s a complementary enterprise (I do have an agreement with the Enquirer, as you may know, but independent of that, I think media outlets have their place, and so do bloggers). I doubt it will pass, but even the FTC has noticed how fuzzy blogger/company relationships can be, and are advocating for full disclosure of things like sponsored blog posts.
A lot of my friends are doing Taste Castings, and I know they have the best intentions (so friends, don’t think I’m calling you out!), but as someone who has worked hard to gain trust of both the restaurant community AND with my readers, I just can’t participate in this venture.
What do you think– do you think less of reviews that are based on the reviewer getting a free meal? Does disclosure make a difference? Do you trust a restaurant that gives bloggers an incentive to try their food?
ETA: Though the creator insists that it’s not a review site (see comments), why does the site have “Reviews” as the first item in the header bar?
ETA 7/2; 7 PM: Looks like Dan saw the light and is making some changes to the site’s policies. I’m still not going to be a taste caster, but glad he finally realized that his current practices were unethical. We’ll see how things go in the future, but man, I’m glad I finally posted about this!This goes to show you– marketers need to remember ethics before anything else.
It’s no secret that Terry and I can usually be found at Tucker’s on Sunday mornings. One day, when we had to go to breakfast early– Tucker’s doesn’t open until 9 or so (I think!)– we pondered where to eat (home was not an option!). I suggested The Echo, which Terry, in his two years of living virtually around the corner, had never visited.
The Echo is an upscale greasy spoon. It has similar food to Tucker’s, with a slightly– okay, very– different look and feel. The Echo is all white and yellow and summery colors, filled with older people fresh from church, or people wearing big sunglasses, hung over from a party There are some in tennis whites (seriously!) and on their way to the courts, and don’t forget the families with multiple strollers and designer baby bags. Such is life in the only breakfast place on the Square.
As pretentious as some of the clientele may be, the menu is completely unpretentious. It’s your basic diner menu, complete with daily specials (their Amish fried chicken sounds great!), and a killer breakfast menu.
I selected Glier’s German Greats– no idea why I was in a German mood that day, but I was. 2 eggs, goetta, potato cakes, baked apples, and I chose raisin toast as my option. The eggs, soft-scrambled, were appropriately cooked and the potato cakes, which were silver-dollar size, with a fluffy, mashed-and-grated potato inside and crisp outside, were different than I expected– I expected a traditional potato pancake–but delicious. I could have used more of the baked apples– mostly because I love baked fruit– but what I had was nicely cooked with cinnamon and sugar, and delicious. The goetta was crisp (as it should be!), and I’m impressed they had raisin bread– a childhood favorite.
Terry got.. well, it wasn’t on the menu. Two fried eggs, goetta, grits, and an English muffin. Again, his goetta was crisp, and everything else was good– what you’d expect from a diner. No real surprises there.
Echo also does lunch and dinner (I love their chicken salad)– all standard, classic diner-esque fare. We’ll try it for dinner sometime soon– but the Echo is certainly an option for us for breakfast when we don’t go to Tucker’s (or want some variety).
Did you know Findlay Market will be open until 6:30 on Tuesdays? To celebrate this change, Market Wines is doing a wine tasting from 3:30-6:30 on Tuesday evenings, starting July 7. For this tasting, they’ll be partnering with Madisono’s Gelatos.
The tasting includes
St. Germaine elderflower liquor with pink grapefruit sorbet;
a sparkling wine with lemon-basil sorbet
Framboise Lambic (a raspberry flavored belgian ale) with chocolate gelato.
I can’t wait– I love elderflower and I love framboise lambic.
Cost for the tasting is $5 per person. Call 513-744-9888 to make a reservation; limit of 45 (down to 43, as I just got on the list!)
Virtually every summer, I rediscover at least one favorite recipe. It’s usually an old reliable standby that, for any number of reasons, dropped off the radar for a few years. Last year, it was bourbon slushes. (Hmm…I need to make a batch of those. It’s supposed to be really hot this week…)
This summer, it’s the peanut-banana smoothie.
Between Julie’s kitchen and mine, we own at least one of most of the kitchen appliances and gadgets ever invented, including several duplicates…toasters, food processors, KitchenAid mixers. Oddly enough, however, we have been a blender-less couple. On a recent trip to Costco, we decided to splurge on a new blender. (I think this means that we are now officially going steady.)
I actually had this smoothie in mind when we bought the blender. It’s a recipe that I clipped out of Bon Appetit about twenty years ago. In those days, it seemed that every recipe that I wanted to try from BA called for some exotic, hard-to-find ingredient. This one caught my eye because it sounded delicious and because I had most of the ingredients on hand.
It’s the perfect solution for what to do with those almost-too-ripe bananas (assuming one doesn’t have time to make banana bread).
When bananas are really ripe, slice two of them into a baggie or freezer container, and toss them in the freezer. (The bananas keep beautifully in the freezer for two weeks or longer.) To make the smoothie, pour two cups of milk (whole or skim) Ed. note: we never have whole milk in our apartments. into the blender, along with the bananas, five packets of Splenda or other artificial sweetener (or a quarter-cup of sugar), a third of a cup of peanut butter Ed. Note: since these photographs were taken, I’ve convinced him that peanut butter need not be anything more than peanuts and salt; Kroger’s brand of natural peanut butter is pretty great, and a splash of vanilla or banana extract. Blend until smooth.
This is one of those great recipes that can easily be adjusted to one’s own tastes. It’s also no trouble to cut the recipe in half. Since the bananas are already frozen, there’s no need for ice. Although it’s not a particularly low-cal concoction, it’s very filling and will stay with you for most of the morning. Ed note: It’s approximately 350 calories for half of the recipe, according to Sparkpeople. Not bad, considering I’m full of smoothie until past noon, causing me to eat less during the day.
We’ve been experimenting with other smoothies as well because they are the perfect on-the-go breakfast.
Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes to share?
Well, our Michelle didn’t make it into the top fifty– though she was a top 50 vote getter (which I consider a huge achievement).
My thoughts on the less-than-transparent voting process are over at my other blog (that I need to update more), dittochic.
She’s still my best buddy– of course– and she did such an awesome job pulling things together for the process in a short amount of time. It’s still an impressive portfolio, I say!
Sad news, Lavomatic will no longer be open for lunch– my source says that any lunch they’ve been to there recently has been dead. Sad to hear, there aren’t that many lunch places in OTR that are a little upscale.
Julie realized a few weeks ago that she wouldn’t be able to cover this year’s Taste of the NFLat Paul Brown Stadium. Because of a long-scheduled performance of The Vagina Monologues at Falcon Theatre in Newport, she would be able to do little more than put in a quick and cursory appearance at Taste before heading to the theater. She asked me if I would cover the event for wine me, dine me in her place.
Oh.
So you want me to attend this massive event where more than thirty-five of the area’s best restaurants break out edgy and intriguing new, potentially trend-setting dishes? I have virtually limitless access to tasting portions of these offerings and have the chance to chat with the chefs who created them? I get to meet and hang out with the movers and shakers in the city’s culinary community, not to mention Bengals players, coaches, and staff? Free drinks, did you say?
I might be persuaded.
When I arrived and reached the top of the escalator, I was offered a complimentary martini glass that commemorated the event by none other than eight smiling Ben-Gals (the Bengals’ cheerleaders, only five of whom are shown here).
courtesy Wordsworth/Ken Gilkey for Zipscene
Oh no, Br’er Fox, don’t throw me in that briar patch.
All brevity aside, this is a wonderful event that benefits the FreestoreFoodbank. A silent auction, featuring dozens of articles of Cincinnati sports memorabilia and sports-themed outings, also raised much-needed money for one of the city’s most worthwhile charities.
And the main event here, of course, is the food.
Even to attempt to write about all of the dishes produced by the thirty-six restaurants at this year’s event would be an exercise in futility. So I’ll just hit on what were, for me, a few of the highlights.
My favorite dessert was from Chef Summer Genetti at The Palace. Get a load of this:
This is a Chocolate Crusted Dark Chocolate Tart with Salted Caramel Sauce and Caramel Pork Rind (with a touch of Cajun spice). I was so totally caught off guard by the dish that I initially didn’t know what to make of it. But one bite, and I was hooked. It was delicious! The salt causes the caramel to have a much more complex flavor. The tart was moist, slightly chewy, and had a deep, rich chocolate taste. The pork rind had a thin coating of caramel, which added extra crunchiness to an already-crunchy favorite. Julie and I had Chef Genetti’s flight of assorted cupcakes a few weeks back when we stopped in for the Palace’s burger and beer special; we also sampled probably the most delectable cookies I’ve had in years. So I knew she was an extremely talented chef. But this chocolate tart was really something special.
Probably the most interesting item I sampled was Nicholson’s Breakfast With a Twist, a tasty Guinness-based Bloody Mary that included a dram of Tio Pepe sherry. It was topped with a skewer of medium-rare beef tenderloin, bleu cheese-stuffed olives, and asparagus tips. The drink, brainchild of Chef Patricia Helfenstine, is a nod to the possibility that Nicholson’s could be serving a weekend brunch in the not-too-distant future. Nicholson’s GM Paul Stringer and Robin Breth, marketing director for the Tavern Restaurant Group, both told me that they are bandying about the idea of a weekend brunch in an attempt to get people into downtown Cincinnati on the weekends. As a downtower who often laments the shortage of establishments open for business during daytime hours on weekends, I applaud this possibility as a most welcome development. Stay tuned.
Oceanaire’s Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna with Napa Mango Slaw & Wasabi Soy Drizzle was the perfect summer fare…light, refreshing, and sweet with just the slightest kick. The crab cakes from The Phoenix were the best I’ve had in a while (and I’m a real fan of crab cakes).
Other favorites included the Certified Angus Beef roasted Tenderloin Sandwiches from Jag’s Steak & Seafood, the Chicken Gorgonzola from Barresi’s Italian Restaurant, the Beef Tenderloin & Caramelized Onion Crostini with Aged Balsamic and Shaved Pecorino from Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront, and the delectable Bread Pudding with Amaretto Butter Sauce from Bella Luna.
I had a bite or two of several other offerings. Most were extremely tasty. When I left (or, more correctly, when they kicked me out), I was stuffed and remained so until the next day.
If Julie is involved with another theater production during next year’s Taste, maybe I’ll be asked to cover the event again. If not, I’ll definitely stoop to whining and skullduggery to get an invitation.
Julie’s additions: I went for the first 15-20 minutes, and mostly took pictures and barely ate anything. Summer INSISTED (going so far as to take my camera and program out of my hand) that I try her pigskin tart– and it was delicious. She gave me the special one.
Jag’s sandwiches, which I didn’t try but Terry did:
The ahi from Oceanaire– which was delicious. Very light and summery, as Terry mentioned. Donna from Oceanaire told me she’d be offended if I took pictures and didn’t eat. I complied. It was worth it!
Here is the dish from MCI– didn’t try it, but it looked pretty. Turns out Erin helped out with this dish!
Apparently this thing was about football, not just food.
If you go next year– and you should– a few tips:
If you want to meet a Bengals player, go early. I mean, get there at 6:15 for the doors to open at 6:30. I saw Chris Henry, Marvin Lewis, Carson Palmer, Domata Peko (who I see, like, everywhere with his adorable daughter), and Andrew Whitworth, who co-hosted. I probably saw more, but just didn’t recognize them. Lots of other local “celebrities” too.
The most entertaining spot in the place is where they decide to place the ice sculpture with the liquor sponsor. Trust me.
There is too much food for one person to even take one bite of everything.
The most unexpected dishes always come from CinCOOKS, which is a program run by the FSFB. If you see some dish that you can get anytime at a particular restaurant, skip it and try whatever they have.
The people watching is FANTASTIC.
Thank you to the wonderful folks at Wordsworth for giving us the opportunity! ~JN
Every city seems to have its own brand of potato chip. I love, when on road trips, going into gas stations and checking out the potato chip selection.
It’s actually come up in theater– Terry tells me that, during a particular show that was set in New York, the local prop mistress in Alabama wanted to use Golden Flake chips, which are about as local as you can get in Alabama. At a show I saw that featured potato chips and New York again, I remember seeing a Husman’s can in the background of a Brooklyn set. Chips end up becoming iconic of the area they hail from.
Around here, I’d say the three brands that are most “local” are Grippo’s (made on Colerain Avenue), Husman’s (Cincinnati-based, but owned by Bird’s Eye), and Mike-Sell’s (based in Dayton). Growing up, it seemed like every household had its own default chip– my house was definitely a Mike-Sell’s house (they are delicious, after all) but my cousin’s house was a definite Husman’s house. My elementary school served Grippo’s on Hot Lunch days (which was, more often than not, Domino’s), so those barbecue chips were a once-a-month treat. We would occasionally, at home, have another brand– Sour Cream and Onion Lay’s, for example– but it was rare.
Grippo’s regular chips are OK, but their Bar-B-Q (with the retro logo) is their standout. They’re tomato-y, spicy, salty, and just darn good– probably my favorite kind of bar-b-q chip. I haven’t found any quite so distinctive, or coated with bar-b-q-y goodness.
What’s your favorite chip– Cincinnati based or otherwise?
It seems like this summer is full of foodie movies. You’ve got Julie and Julia, about Julia Child’s life in cooking, and Julie Powell (whose blog was the first “Cook the Book”-style blog, namely Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking); then you have two documentaries that seem really similar: Food, Inc, which opens at the Esquire on July 10th and is about American agriculture, featuring two of my favorite food-related authors, Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation and ; and Food Fight, which is about the rise of agribusiness and the Calfornia revolution against it– and here’s a preview (since embedding isn’t allowed). I love documentaries– and so does Terry– so I’m sure we’ll spend a Saturday afternoon or two seeing those two movies, and I’ll definitely see Julie and Julia.
A couple of months ago, lots of local (and not local) Twitterers started talking about Taste Casting, and I got approached to become a member. After reading the materials, I declined. Why? I have some real problems with the way Taste Casting tries to control the voices of their tasters.
It’s Wednesday, so it’s time for 
Well, our 
