…if you voted for wine me, dine me as the “best blog” in City Beat’s Best of Cincinnati poll.  I’ve been in the top three for the past several years (in great company, I might add) and hope you folks still enjoy me enough to place me in the top three again!

To vote, go here: http://citybeat-survey.wehaaserver.com/survey-2-best_of_cincinnati_2011.html – you’ll find me under “Public Eye” and “Blogs”.

I appreciate that you read. I appreciate your vote in past years, and hope you’ll continue to read and comment.

Cheers!

Bilog, a cafe in Wyoming run by former P&G chemist Elizabeth Piocos, has opened as of last Friday (after an original opening date of August).  They feature coffee, tea, gelato and an assortment of internationally-flavored sandwiches.  The gelato is house-made, and the menu will be continuously changing.  Haven’t tried it yet, but will let you know when I do.

Taste of Belgium, which somehow won “Best Brunch” in Metromix without actually being open on Sundays, will now be open on Sundays for brunch starting February 12.

The Wine Cellar, the long-standing wine bar in Mt. Adams, has closed but is moving.  Neither a new location nor opening date has been announced.

Bakersfield is opening officially tonight.

Looks like Findings of a Flaneur wandered into Bakersfield and got some great pictures. You can see more on their blog.  Thanks for sending these photos to me!

Whoever washes the napkins at restaurants must hate me.

I am a card-carrying member of the Red Lipstick club (which I learned about from one of my readers, who introduced herself and her friend to me at Japp’s and was super impressed that I was wearing red lipstick). I’ve been wearing it for as long as I can remember– from my days selling cosmetics through last night. I don’t always wear it, and when I look at photographs of myself without it, it feels like something is missing.  Red lipstick never fails to garner compliments, and it always puts me in a better mood. It can be a little tricky to find the right red for you, but when you do, just a little will brighten up your whole face. Bonus? If you get the right formula– usually matte, none of those “smudgeproof” ones– they resist coming off while eating or drinking.

That is, until you wipe your lips with a napkin.

So, apologies both to the men reading this and to the folks who discover the telltale signs that I’ve been somewhere via my napkin, but I’m going to be encouraging more readers to become members of the Red Lipstick Club.

Tonight, Amy Scalia from Cincy Chic, a few other bloggers and I will learn a little more about red lipstick from my friend Nancy at FACEing/brideFACE, and you can get in on the fun. “Go Red” on Facebook by posting a pic of yourself wearing your best red lip to the Cincy Chic wall. You’ll be entered to win TWICE if you make that photo your profile pic! One participant will be selected to win two swagbag tickets (which are sold-out, so this is the only way people can still get these tickets!) Feb. 3 Lady in Red event  – a $50 gift certificate to Stone Creek, and a personalized FACEing makeup class gift certificate. (Photo must be posted by 5pm EST Feb. 2 to the Cincy Chic wall, and profile photo must remain participant’s featured profile picture until 5pm EST Feb. 2).

Green Dog Cafe is opening a new restaurant, Buz, next to their location in Columbia-Tusculum.  It’ll be a table-service, slightly higher end restaurant (as opposed to Green Dog’s counter service) and will open on February 20th.

Bakersfield in Over-the-Rhine had a soft opening on Saturday night, so the early February date is approaching.

Roxy’s relocation will be to the Hanke Building in Over-the-Rhine.

Mayberry has served its last dinner in its Vine Street location and will be re-opening on February 8th on Main Street, in the former Courtyard Cafe space.

It’s another good year for Cincinnati restaurants and AAA Four Diamond ratings.  Six restaurants received Four Diamonds, the second-highest rating by AAA.  The longest running Four Diamond-award winner in Cincinnati is The Palace.

• Boca Restaurant
• Daveed’s at 934
• Nicola’s Restaurant
• Orchids at Palm Court
• The Celestial Steakhouse
• The Palace Restaurant

Congratulations to all of the restaurants!

La Petite Pierre, a fantastic little French place on Camargo Road in Madeira usually promotes “fill the pot” events– that is, you can bring in your pot and they’ll fill it with whatever delicious traditional French dish they’ve prepared, and you take it home to enjoy it there. This weekend, however, they’re opening their dining room, and here’s the menu (it sounds fantastic):

Appetizers
Moules a la Marinere
Tarte Flambee
Lobster Bisque
Crispy Sweetbreads
stuffed in artichoke bottom cups with duxelle mushroom sauce

La Petite Pierre House Salad

Tartiflette: yukon gold roasted potato layered with bacon, carmelized shallot & reblochon cheese on greens

Entree
Veal Osso Buco with preserved lemon risotto & roasted garlic

Tuna Steak au Poivre with pinot noir sauce, potato spinach gratin & sage-roasted baby carrots

New York Strip with maitre d’hotel butter, pommes frites, tomato provencale

Trio of Lamb fleischnaken, rack of lamb & merquez

Desserts
Banana & Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Rum Caramel Sauce
Chocolate Expresso Pots de Creme
White Chocolate Mousse

I’m so happy to see tartiflette on the menu– it’s a favorite dish of both The Better Half and mine (though we didn’t get any on our last trip to Paris; it’s very common at Christmas markets around the city) and I’ve been meaning to try to make it at home– reblochon is difficult (if not impossible) to get in the United States because it is made from raw milk, and it’s illegal to import raw milk cheeses into the country.  Most often, reblochon is something else but repackaged and renamed (which is not illegal– interesting article over on The Kitchn about this).  I would most certainly like to taste their version.  It’s bacon, cheese, potatoes and shallots: what could be better?

Wow, it’s wine me, dine me’s 4th Blogiversary!  Well, actually, yesterday was– a day late and a dollar short– but that’s okay.  Four years!  You guys have been hanging out with me for four years!  Thank you, thank you.  I truly appreciate everyone who comments and who reads.  It still amazes me that anyone besides The Better Half reads this, so thank you!

During my fifth year (!), look for more recipes, more restaurant news, more cocktails, some travel pieces and more reviews– I know I’ve not done as many.  I have a huge backlog so look for some new places to dine (or not dine).

Anything else you’d like to see?  Comment here.

Eat Mobile Dining, a new food truck run by Jason Perkins, an MCI graduate, will hit the road sometime this month.  Instead of street food like many food trucks in the area, Eat Mobile specializes in “finer dining”– according to the menu, that means things like bruschetta, soup, salad, entrees and some vegetarian selections.  The truck will patrol the Blue Ash area and also offer catering and personal chef services.

Grammer’s, the historic bar owned by the Relish Group, is now open only for private events, per Dan Wade of the Relish Group. This was effective as of last Saturday. “There is not enough business to successfully operate financially daily, so we will be open for parties and special events only.”