I think cupcakes are here to stay.  Everyone’s been saying that macarons are the next cupcake, but I’m not finding dedicated macaron shops in Cincinnati, while cupcake shops are still popping up all over (and they’re not dying out in other major cities either– there was a line at Sprinkles in LA when I drove by, and I hear that Magnolia Bakery is still going strong in New York).  Yum! is the latest addition to the Cincinnati cupcake community.

Yum! Cupcakery, in a tiny storefront around the corner from Oakley Square, sells cupcakes, cake pops and cupcake “ice cream cones”. Let’s face it: cupcakes are a dime a dozen (okay, more like $20 a dozen on up) so it takes a little bit of creativity to impress me, as well as the proper cake-to-frosting ratio (more frosting than cake, please).

Yum! is a really big storefront with sparse product.  On a Saturday afternoon, they had about a dozen cupcakes, total, in just a couple of flavors.  We picked three flavors: Hot Fudge, Double Chocolate and Blackberry.  The Hot Fudge was the best, topped with a cherry and filled with marshmallow cream.  I’m not convinced the marshmallow cream was homemade, but it wasn’t bad and the entire presentation was impressive.  The Blackberry (which I rescued from a tray that said “Day Old, $1″) was good– the frosting had nice blackberry flavor, and the cake didn’t suffer from day-old dryness.  The chocolate was OK– not a super-rich chocolate, more of a milk chocolate.

I hear they sell out often, but that even if you get there first thing, there aren’t many to choose from.  I suppose that this is the chicken-or-egg syndrome:  if you bake too many and they don’t sell, your margin goes down.  If you bake too few, people are unhappy that they don’t have choice, and then don’t come back.  There’s a happy medium somewhere, and I hope that owner Peggy Bailey figures out that happy medium, as the biggest complaint I have– and that I’ve heard– is the lack of variety compared to other cupcake shops in town like Sugar and Abby Girl.

The prices are pretty good: $1 for the day-old cupcakes, $2 for fresh.  If you’re in the neighborhood, try them out.

I spent some time in Columbus with the Experience Columbus folks and a group of bloggers, and I think we were all amazed at the large variety of taco trucks in the Columbus area.  I’ll be writing about them soon (promise!), but I’ve been wracking my brain to figure out where the taco trucks are located in Cincinnati: the ones that cater to a Latino crowd, and not hungry urbanites (nothing wrong with hungry urbanites– I am one).  There are two that I can think of: Tacos Locos in Oakley and Taqueria Yolandita.

I’ve driven past it for ages, as my hair stylist is in Price Hill and the truck is located on Queen City Avenue. It recently moved a few blocks down, to Queen City and Quebec, which was fine with me– a bit more parking and easier to get on and off the road. My stomach was rumbling after a particularly long highlighting session and I was about to head to Nashville for a wedding (that’s another post), so I decided to pick up a couple of tacos.

Taqueria Yolanita serves a few items: tacos, burritos, gorditas and tortas with a choice of filling: steak, chicken, barbacoa, and chorizo. I couldn’t decide which kinds of tacos to get, so she decided for me: steak, chicken and chorizo. She’ll ask you if you want onions and cilantro (yes), lettuce and tomato (no), radishes (yes) and salsa (green and red, please).     I took them back to the car, opened up the container and snapped a picture, wanting all the while to take a bite (or two) but I knew I had to get on the road.

Once I was on the highway, I grabbed the steak taco and bit into it.  Mental note: do not eat a taco in the car.  They are delicious– messy, so very messy– but not for the car.  In fact, I ended up having to make an unintended stop in Louisville to pick up Tide pens to rescue my favorite navy and white striped shirt (as well as finish my tacos).  The only one that wasn’t messy was the chicken, which was dry (I wouldn’t order it again), but the barbacoa and chorizoa are both richly flavored, juicy and a little spicy.  I loved the green tomatillo salsa, and if you want more heat, the red is perfect.

Next time, I’m going for a barbacoa torta– might be a bit more travel-friendly.  It’s worth a trip to South Fairmount, and the prices are good– three tacos ran me $6.

I heard about this from Eggplant to Go, and on a recent Friday afternoon when I had taken the day off, trotted down Vine to check this little place out.

And it is little– if you want to eat, you need to stand, as there are no tables or chairs.  There’s simply a counter where you can order your job, grab some napkins, and go (I suggest walking a block or so north to the Library’s garden and eating them there).   I ordered two dogs– their special, which was

spicy chicken sausage with apple butter and cheese (it sounds odd, but it was unexpectedly good) and cheese as well as  a Kosher dog with asian slaw.  The dogs were great quality– a nice snap with that first bite– and the toppings were nice, too.  Good quality– somewhere just below “gourmet”, which for $9 for two dogs is OK by me.

I chatted with the folks who were running it– the kids of the owners of Lucy Blue.  They’re looking to eventually stay open late night for the bar scene.  Their dogs are perfect for an inexpensive, quick meal after some bar hopping.

I finally got a taste of Pizza Bomba, what I’ve been referring to as the “next, mythical food truck”– mythical because they were on Twitter, but not actually making pizza for quite a while. Thank goodness they got a few truck issues resolved and are now on the “actual” list and myth no more. What impresses me most is that Pizza Bomba makes many of their own meats: bacon, guanciale and sausage. The dough is made on the truck as well (impressive– those trucks are tiny).  I picked up a sausage and pepperoni slice at the Yelp Helps event. Correction: The Better Half picked one up and didn’t get me one, too. He offered me his crust. Not fair. So I grabbed one of my own and understood why he kept it for himself: it was hot, cheesy, and the meat was fantastic. The crust was a little chewy, but foldable– good pizza. I’m looking forward to trying other slices (including, I hear, a tremendous mac and cheese pizza?).

I was very surprised when the Reds invited me to their press event to debut their new dining selections at the ball park. For the past few years, The Better Half and I have been kind of (okay, very) critical of their selections, particularly when compared to other ballparks in small market cities. Last year, they raised the bar a bit– the Smokehouse, hand-patted hamburgers– and they raised the bar even more this year.  I’m glad they listened to me, and other fans (and we are big Reds fans) who want an experience when they go to the ballpark.  In speaking with Michael Anderson, PR Manager with the Reds, he said that the Castellinis (the majority owners of the Reds) realize that the experience is what brings people to the ballpark.  ”A kid at his first baseball game doesn’t remember who won, but they remember the hot dog that they ate, or meeting Mr. Redlegs.”   It’s very true, and I’m glad they’re matching the food with their philosophy.

They’ve added a few new stations to the ballpark, including a Food Network station that will serve hot dogs inspired by the Food Network (they started that partnership last year).  You can get bacon sloppy joes, a signature hot dog with corn chips, baked beans, and mustard and what they’re calling a Cincinnati Dog, which is topped with pork rinds and barbecue sauce.  They’re using a really quality hot dog here– not the typical Kahn’s– which elevates the experience.  Of course, you can still get all of those traditional treats as well– not just the dolled-up dogs– and the Smokehouse will be available this season as well.

They’ve also redone the menu for the Machine Room in a Gastropub style with a baseball touch.  I really enjoyed the grilled turkey sandwich with balsamic apple butter, arugula, brie and sourdough– it’s a sandwich I’d be happy to eat at any restaurant.  The Thai Wings with sriracha were sticky, sweet and a little spicy.  I also adored the Banh Miener– a hot dog with cilantro, carrot slaw, cucumber, sriracha and red onion– a hot dog version of a Banh Mi.   For dessert, they’ve added freshly fried donuts with caramel sauce which were ridiculously addictive.  I’ve never actually visited the Machine Room, but I hear they have a brunch I need to try, too.  I’ll definitely add it to my list this season.

Check out the slideshow for some pictures of other items featured during the preview.

So what are you doing for Opening Day?  I’m going to head to the Lagerhouse after the parade and hang out there. Maybe– just maybe– I’ll score a ticket.  What are your Opening Day traditions?  Share them here.

Findlay Market isn’t just a place to buy produce and spices and gelato, but also a small business incubator.  That’s why you’ll see small businesses occasionally leave and head to bigger locations, or expand, like Taste of Belgium did.  In speaking with Cheryl Eagleson, the Director of Marketing for the Market (shortly after I ate what I’m reviewing here), she pointed out a couple of things– first, that they’re happy if a vendor leaves because they’ve outgrown the space. That means that the small business owner has done something right.  Second, if a vendor doesn’t succeed, they need to rethink their product or their business plan, because there is plenty of business for everyone.

Based on the line I had to wait in for Velvet Smoke, I have a feeling they’ll need a little more space soon.

Velvet Smoke started as a competitive barbecue team, which includes Matt Schneider, Marc Stitt, J.R. Herrmann and Todd Shanks.  They’ve been competing around the country with their barbecue since 2009, garnering awards including 2011 Reserve Grand Champion at the Sam’s Club BBQ Tour, and Grand Champion at the Jim Dandy’s Cookoff in 2010.  They have some barbecue credentials.  They decided to try to start a business around barbecue, so they take their smoker and a tent to Findlay Market on Saturdays and Sundays to sell to hungry shoppers.

They have a small menu:  Kansas City-style pulled pork, brisket and ribs.  I patiently waited in line for a pulled pork sandwich on a Servatii bun, topped with sauce, coleslaw and a side of chips.  To be honest, the bun (only lightly toasted) is a big skip for me (and I also declined the chips).  Just give me the pulled pork, with plenty of dark, outside pieces (my favorite) and soft, smoky-pink inside pieces topped with a very tangy Kansas City-style sauce.  The slaw is lightly dressed and just adds a bit of crunch– perfect.

I’ll be back to try the ribs and brisket (and maybe I’ll have to get the pulled pork again….)

Edit:  Eli’s will return to the Market in May, in addition to their East End location.  Do I sense a BBQ throwdown?

Oof.

I may still be full from this meal and I ate it a week ago.

The Better Half has been obsessed with going to this place ever since he heard Mo Egger talk about it on the radio during a segment with Donna Covrett from Cincinnati Magazine. His personal top ten was featured in the March issue of the magazine, and included such favorites as Nada (though apparently he hates everything about it but the food), Quatman’s, and Terry’s Turf Club but also had one place I hadn’t heard of: Kreimer’s Bier Haus West. And what do they specialize in? German food and a steak that “rivals anything that the cool kids at Jeff Ruby’s are overpaying for.” The Better Half was sold on the steak and I was sold on outdoor, riverside dining, so we dropped the top on the car and took a spin down 74 towards Cleves (which is much closer to downtown than I’d remembered).  It was the perfect evening to spend some time outside, and we figured that Kreimer’s would be a good place to do it.  If the food wasn’t good, hey, at least we had beer and fresh air, right?

Kreimer’s is a chalet off the Cleves exit of 74, right on the banks of the Great Miami River.  There’s plenty of parking, and you have a few choices for dining: at the bar, in the dining room, on the patio, or at the grill which should open soon– it is directly next to the river and created for sports watching and drinking.  It looks like it could be fun.  We decided to start with a beer at the bar while we waited a few minutes for an outside table.  Warsteiner brews two beers for Kreimer’s: Bier Haus Light Ale and Bier Haus Dark Ale.  The Better Half tried the light (it was good) and I had my first Leinenkugel Summer Shandy as we watched a little March Madness.  Our table was quickly available, so we settled up and moved outside.

The view was nice, and the outdoor dining is covered, so it’s not too sunny. There’s no smoking either (often a problem with outdoor dining).  We settled in and took a look at the menu.  Part of it was German-inspired, the rest more American– steaks, chops, chicken.  First, we ordered an appetizer: Reuben-style potato skins.  These were OK– a bit too much potato, the skins weren’t crispy, but the corned beef was pretty good.  It’s also offered on a sandwich, which I’d definitely try next time.  I don’t think I’ll do an appetizer in the future, as the dinner portions are so generous.

As I knew that The Better Half was going for a steak, I took a look at some of the German fare.  It’s really more Oktoberfest inspired than traditional German.  I settled on a mett sausage with “homemade bier cheese”, onions, sauerkraut and pickles– kind of a “mess plate meets Oktoberfest” and our waitress’ favorite dish.  It also came with a choice of salad: spinach, Caesar or hot slaw.  I chose the hot slaw, which was a fairly standard slaw with bacon dressing (and a childhood favorite of mine, admittedly).   My entree closely followed, and it was huge– the mett was as long as the plate and (I swear this wasn’t on the menu) deep fried.  The fried onions and the pickles were good, as well as the bier cheese (though not heavy on the “bier”, despite the name of the restaurant), but I couldn’t do more than two bites of the deep fried sausage– it was just a bit too much.

We also tried their potato pancakes, which come with a serving of cinnamon apples.  The potato pancake was very good– well seasoned, dense with shredded potato and just the right amount of crispiness.  The cinnamon apples were cooked to a step away from being applesauce, but the flavor was very good.

The Better Half had the right idea by honing in on the steak. He chose the Bourbon-glazed steak, rare, with a spinach salad and a loaded baked potato.  It also came with a serving of vegetables.  The spinach salad, served in a pewter bowl (reminded me of some West Side restaurant of my childhood– I’m not sure which one, maybe Maury’s?) was otherwise unremarkable, and the vegetables were a bit overcooked, but the steak?  The steak was perfect.  They cut their meat by hand in-house, and they take good care of it– the rare was perfectly rare (most places err a bit on the medium-rare side), with just enough time on the grill to get great flavor but preserve juiciness.  The bourbon sauce– skip it, it’s basically barbecue sauce– and get something like mushrooms and onions, or just eat it unadorned.  It’s a great value for steak– they don’t quite get that Ruby’s spicy crust, but it is really worth the trip.   Mo, you were right.

Kreimer’s gets very busy on beautiful nights, so get there early.  We arrived a bit before 7 and had a minimal wait, but the place got packed shortly thereafter.   Grab a giant beer (or two) and settle in to a juicy steak.  You’ll barely spend $50 for two people.  Maybe the cool kids will hang out at Kreimer’s?

I took a day off a few weeks ago and, finding myself downtown, decided that I needed to eat lunch out. I tweeted that I was doing so, and immediately got two nearly identical responses: “Go try the lunch tray at Jean-Robert’s Table.” Easy enough.

The French Lunch Tray is a 4-course, prix fixe menu that is available only at the bar during lunch hours. The menu changes weekly, and always includes a salad of some sort, soup, an entree, and a dessert. It’s $14, and honestly, easily split between two people (though I don’t think that’s allowed). It’s a lot of good, quality food for one person.

On the day I visited, the soup was cauliflower, the salad a quinoa salad with apricots and banyuls dressing (my favorite part of the meal by far, and later featured in Table’s dish at Art of Food), the best chicken “pot pie” I’ve ever had, made of confit chicken in puff pastry, and a raspberry cream tart.  It’s a nice way to slow down a bit on a busy weekday.  The service at the bar is prompt and friendly, and the price (and menu)  more accessible than the dinner menu.

The Firehouse Grille is in a building in Blue Ash that has been a lot of things I liked:  Watson Brothers Brewery was always good for after-work activities, and I even liked Apsara for the brief moment they were there.  The Firehouse Grill is more of a “neighborhood” restaurant– and I put that in quotes because it’s more neighborhood in the Friday’s or Applebee’s sense: Standard American fare, kitschy decor.

I’ve visited Firehouse Grille twice, and the first time I was unimpressed.  I had an appetizer and drinks with a friend, and though the peel ‘n’ eat shrimp weren’t bad (they were, however, ice cold), the rest of the menu just didn’t speak to me (thank goodness the company was much better).  When another friend suggested it for lunch (after discovering a nearby sushi restaurant was closed on Mondays) I figured I’d give it a try.

I was pleased to notice that Firehouse had salads that seemed both substantial and healthy, and both of us ordered one.  I picked the Southwest salad (dressing on the side) with chicken.  It was spicy (but not too spicy), and topped with tomatoes, black beans, roasted corn and roasted peppers, and the chicken was moist and tender.  It was a good, standard lunchtime salad.

My friend grabbed the Firelight Salad, which is one of their “lower fat” items: spinach topped with strawberries, walnuts, goat cheese and grilled chicken.  Another good, if standard, salad.

The nice thing was that service was quick– we were in and out in under an hour– important at lunchtime.  It’s not a bad choice if you’re in the area, but not a destination.

Late night dining is at a premium in downtown Cincinnati.  With Shanghai Mama’s in limbo, there aren’t a ton of choices for a bite to absorb any imbibing you might’ve done earlier in the evening (or, you know, sometimes you’re just hungry at 2 a.m.).  Sure, you can grab some Lucy Blue’s, but sometimes you want something a little more than pizza: enter Gilpin’s.

Gilpin’s is a derivative of Bagel and Deli on Miami University’s campus.  Miami grads, you know the drill: soft, steamed bagel with your choice of fillings.  Some other steamed bagel operations have opened in places that attract Miami grads (Short North in Columbus, for example) so it’s no surprise that Gilpin’s was an instant hit.  College nostalgia for those who attended Miami, and just darn good sandwiches for those of us who didn’t.

They also use really good ingredients– they source from Marx Bagels, Avril-Bleh, Shadeau and their produce is from local farms.  And, even at 2 a.m. after a few drinks at Nicholson’s, you can still tell it’s a darn good sandwich. Truly.  The ingredients are used in creative combinations, reminiscent of Bagel and Deli at Miami as well– Doritos are featured as a crunchy addition to a sandwich, and they all have interesting names, like the “Ruben Studdard” (guess what that is?) or the “Indigestion”: bacon, ham, egg, garlic cream cheese, green peppers– a laundry list of ingredients that might need a Tums chaser.  There are also specials that are added to the menu named after customers or just based on their inspiration, or the “drunk menu” which just involves pointing and grunting.  Not joking.  Brilliant idea.

We stopped in one late night and split a sandwich– the #5, aka “Doritos”, which involves– you guessed it– on top of turkey, lettuce, peppercorn ranch and honey mustard on a pretzel bun, all steamed together.  There was a ton of turkey, and the Doritos added a nice crunch that reminded me of putting chips on sandwiches in the cafeteria at grade school. It was a little mushy, a little messy, and totally what the doctor ordered at 2 AM.  I may have eaten most of it without giving The Better Half many bites, or waiting to take a picture.  Oops.  We’ll just have to go back sometime soon (Friday night, perhaps?) to grab another sandwich– this time, one for each of us.  I’m not sharing.

They can make every sandwich gluten free, too, for those of you who need it– so you can have that late night (or lunch, or brunch) snack with your friends without feeling left out, and there are lots of vegetarian options too. Good on you, Gilpin’s.