Yat Lok restaurant - @@@

Allegedly a Michelin star restaurant right down the street in Central (single star). It has been iffy verifying this though, and they didn't even have it on their signage. Just "Michelin recommended" is what is on the storefront.

The goose is the main recommendation from what it seems and it is supposedly best in the soup. To be honest it was just ok. I did fail in my mind because I went with the soup when I would normally just get it over rice. It looked much better over rice but maybe that is just me. I got the combo goose and bbq pork and it did taste good. To me the broth just made it a little soggier than I would've preferred. Also got a small side of vegetables since most of what I have been eating is heavy meat so far. Next time would go meat over rice like usual.

All in all a pretty good lunch that is extremely quick and reasonably cheap. This was ~$11. Also you may be able to meet new friends as you will almost certainly be sat with others. Other reviews said there are long lines so beware; I went there around 2:30 pm and was able to sit immediately. It also took me longer to decide to order than the food to come out - I do like the speed!

28 Stanley St, g/f
Central, Hong Kong

Korean bbq pork belly

Had to order a 2nd dish for more Korean bbq experience...

Korean bbq - Gangnam style

Truly Gangnam style as I went out last night near the Gangnam metro stop. Tons of stuff happening even around midnight but you really have to go off the main road to find it. As a tourist I walked the main road before venturing into the other streets where I found all the bars, restaurants, etc. As expected 24 hour Korean bbq places were also to be found.

Stopped in a few but didn't see the beef dishes, surprising lots of fried chicken and beer spots though. Actually not too surprising know what I know about Korean fried chicken. But I did not get. Instead wanted the beef. What made this particularly different was that they used charcoal and had a reservoir for the garlic, onions, and a egg mixture. The iron vessel got plenty hot and it cooked the items indirectly while the meat was directly cooked. Awesome, and the egg was even better mixed with the rice and a bit of the pepper paste. Also while I admit the charcoal flavor did not come through on the beef or pork I got, what was nice is that it kept the heat forever. This made it nice as I was eating pretty slowly at the end. Also enhancing the food was a coarse salt that they gave me, allegedly through translation it was made in house, but I doubt the validity of that. They also mixed the salt and oil, but I strongly preferred the dry salt better. Also the soju cost as much as a beer so I went with a whole bottle. All in all a great night to explore the streets of Seoul.

Ps - while I didnt find the kimchee too spicy, those peppers on the bottom left were quite hot

Bulgogi meal

And just had this bulgogi meal where the meat was mixed in with some vermicelli noodles it seemed. Deep beef flavor in the soup. Pretty good, banchan is better than last nights meal

Like that everywhere gives you a bottle of cold water to drink. No asking. It's great

2nd round street food

In the Myeong-dong section are these great sweet bread egg things. Really good, better than hot dog on a stick. ~$2 which was awesome. Also they were playing Ne-yo

Korean street food

Got a hot dog on a stick wrapped in bacon from what I can tell. Lady out some sort of spicy ketchup on it too. Pretty good, especially for ~$3

Bakersfield

Last stop of the night was to the taco shop. I got 2 different styles. On the right is the short rib taco which was topped with queso fresco and crema. On the left is the cochinita pibil, which was an achiote braised shredded pork topped with pickled red onion and habanero salsa. The pork definitely had more flavor and spice as compared to the relatively bland short rib taco. Also of note, the tortillas were only single layered rather than what I usually see...the double stack.

1213 Vine St
Cincinnati

The Eagle

Item 2 on the journey was the fried chicken. I had heard from some people at another restaurant that this chicken was good. The place was packed and had to wait even at the bar. The chicken was spicy and crispy...didn't feel greasy at all.

Also a bonus was item 3 - a kale salad. It was nice and cool, topped with Granny Smith apple slices, cheddar cheese, cornbread croutons, and bourbon marinated raisins topped with a vineagarette.

1342 Vine St
Cincinnati

Senate

Item 1 in a potential food exploration of Cincinnati over-the-Rhine. This is the Trailer Park hot dog, described as a beef hot dog wrapped in bacon topped with American cheese, cole slaw, and crushed Grippos potato chips. I guess the chips are a Cincinnati local thing. Will rank at the end of the night.

1212 Vine St
Cincinnati

Root Beer Stand - @@@

I went to this old school former car hop one night as it was recommended by a coworker. It is right along a bunch of industrial warehouses so it was odd to find it here. I guess it used to be a highway similar to Route 66 which made it popular. I was also under the assumption that the servers would come out to your car and take your order. I was wrong and thus sitting in the car for a few minutes while others looked at me oddly.

For the food itself it was not that great. I think I am honestly giving them a bonus point for the nostalgia and history. I mean the place is old enough that they don't have a fryer. Their side is popcorn haha. Anyways i had the pizza burger and footling with cheese. The root beer float was good, but similar to A&W and didn't think was out of this world. When you have a hot dog with chili and cheese, it's just not as good as Detroit coneys. The pizza burger was ok at best.

Long story short, reminded me of A&W which isn't horrible. I like how they were historic, service nice and helpful and a good beverage.

11566 Reading Rd
Cincinnati

Stone Creek Dining Company - @@@

Went to this restaurant last night as we wanted to try something not as close to the hotel. I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. 

While not the best restaurant, it was a slightly more upscale casual place if that makes sense. More variety and better decor than your chain restaurants, I think it's a good local place to try. 

For dinner I had the twin grilled pork chops. They admittedly were dry, but were attempted to cover that up with a peach-onion marmalade. I promptly scraped that to the side. The potatoes were a white cheddar au gratin which came in a huge chunk that was not warm throughout. Odd. Also had a side of garlic green beans that were cooked fresh and had good minced garlic taste. All in all, not the greatest dinner but the white chicken chili soup for starter was quite good. In fact as I am typing, probably the best thing I had. 

So why 3 out of 5? First the location was pretty cool and local; we were on the corner if a somewhat busy intersection and could just gaze down Main St. Also coworkers claimed their seafood was good; a large claim since they are from the east coast. Also they did have an extensive American food menu (pasta, sandwiches, steaks, chicken) and the like and would be interested in trying more stuff out. One thing I did think they did too much was overdo items. Like I said, the menu had lots of items but no consistency. I read almost 10 different types of potatoes, but the sides page only listed like 4. If I didn't read the menu, I would've missed out (green beans as example too). Also their bread and oil dip had 8ish ingredients. Good, yes. Necessary? Probably not. For the record it was olive oil, jalapeños, balsamic, sun dried tomatoes, and a few other items that could be thought of as too much. But I would go back, especially over the Bravo's, Rusty Bucket, etc close to the hotel. 

1. 
   

   9386 Montgomery Rd

   Montgomery, OH 45242

   
   

Sabor Peruano - @@@@

Absolutely laughable. This dish that I got, bistek a lo pobre, was perhaps good for 3 meals. AND I had an app of chicharron. I found this place the other day on yelp and wanted to try the rotisserie chicken that I guess is famous in Peruvian food. Sadly I got here too late and they were all sold out. Is it that good?? Will have to come back to try it out for sure.

As for my meal, it was a monster of just good stuff. The starch was on the bottom, both white rice and French fries. Then on top was at least 5 carmelized sweet plantains and 3 large pieces of marinated steak. This was then topped with 2 fresh fried eggs. All this food seemed to be cooked to order because it was amazingly hot when served. And it didn't seem like microwave hot, but fire hot if that makes sense. The crispy stuff was nice and crunchy and plantains sweet and tasty. Also accompanying all this is the special green hot sauce, aji. I first tried it and immediately tasted cucumber so I thought it would be sweetish but then the heat kicked in. Jalapeños and habaneros they said. Again this is all after an appetizer of fried pork and fried yuca. All really good and tasty.

Is this place authentic?? Not sure since I have never had Peruvian food, but one thing that surprised me was the amount of Chinese influence the dishes had. Soy sauce is used commonly and they had fried rice, Chinese cabbage, and lo mein on the menu. According to the server, there are a bunch of Chinese that live in Peru. Who would've known?? One thing I know is that I really enjoyed it. You should be in the mood for fried food as a fair amount of stuff had fried pork, chicken, or starch in it but I bought it was done really well. I am excited to come back and try something else. Oh yeah, the food is quite affordable. $15 for that plate is an all day win. I will be back.

7105 Dixie Hwy
Fairfield, OH 45014

The Local Gastropub - @@

Just got done eating here while waiting for my plane back home. It was filled with plenty of pros and cons.

Pro: "open" window seating so you can watch passengers
Con: passengers can stare you down as you eat
Pro: sauce was not on brisket
Con: brisket needed sauce cause it was dry
Pro: BBQ chicken actually smelled good
Con: I did not order BBQ chicken

Ultimately more cons than pros. I had the brisket platter with an additional side of charred corn off the cob. I guess for an airport it wasn't bad, for some reason I may have had unrealistic expectations due to the pretty cool looking menu. Better service than Wolfgangs although I still have yet to beat the Wolfgang cheeseburger at CVG. This isn't in the Delta terminal so I won't be around here often, so I will probably stick to the Wolfgangs in the future. Decent option if you need food but coworkers often recommend the Sam Adams bar when picking places.

Cincinnati Airport
Northern Kentucky (I know, weird)

Phoenician Taverna - @@@

Another restaurant with the misfortune of comparison eating. This is a Middle Eastern restaurant located in a strip of local eateries that I particularly enjoyed (Sichuan Bistro and Sura as the others). Again the food was pretty good and reminded me of the places back in Detroit.

I got the mixed shawarma which had chicken and lamb. Good flavor overall and well spiced. Chicken was not overly cooked and dry, which I have seen in other places. The lamb was also tasty, although I preferred the chicken as I usually do. Served with freshly baked pita, garlic sauce and rice, the meal was again quite filling. The pita was the puffy, fresh kind which surprised me in a positive way. Garlic sauce on point, although the little cup is hardly enough. Rice was odd in that it just seemed like basmati rice, no pine nuts, almonds, or vermicelli. That was slightly disappointing.

I liked this place in relation to other Cincinnati eateries and would come back. But in relation to a Cedarland or other Dearborn favorites, just not at that level. The meat is just more moist, garlic more plentiful, and rice more seasoned but all in all a good place to explore some Middle Eastern cuisine.

7944 S Mason Montgomery Rd
Mason, OH 45040

SmoQ - @@@

Couple of things about this place. One, rating is devalued a bit just cause of the amazing BBQ I have had across the US. Two, I got a ton of food. I don't think the picture does it justice. Third, also had the gumbo which I don't know if I was really wanting something like that tonight but was really tasty.

This place actually seems to use fire to cook their meats. That is always a good start. I got the brisket and ribs combo upon recommendation from the server. It was what I was thinking too, just wasn't sure whether to order ribs as well or just go straight brisket. He recommended the dry rub St Louis style, again what I was looking at. The rub was sweet, not overly so, but definitely could taste the sugar. This was later confirmed as a brown sugar base for the 13 spice rub. Gladly I did not need the sauces, which they had the typical Carolina, KC sweet, and a spicy version of the KC with sirracha in it. The food was good, and came out blazing hot which is slightly curious for a BBQ smoke place. I'm guessing they finish the food on a grill (hopefully not a microwave!) before they serve it since smoked meat never gets overly hot. I'm talking this was burn your tongue hot. In fact I did burn my tongue. The ribs were amazingly tender for being smoked, and were able to be eaten with only that slight resistance that you want. Brisket was thick cut (always a good sign since they aren't worried about drying out) and still tender.

For the sides I got the collards and a sweet potato brûlée with pecans on top. Again very solid sides with not much to complain about. Collards were still slightly bitter and had good seasoning on them and the sweet potato was not overly sugary.

I am taking 1/3rd of this meal back to the hotel there was so much food. Great deal for $20 as you could easily split it. Though it was practically empty when I was here, the server was helpful and they played a southern style blues constantly. The size of the place reminds me of a Chilis, in my mind I think if it was smaller it could have a better, less imposing ambiance. Like maybe what they have in KC with just cafeterias or Texas with park benches. But overall I think this is a really good option for BBQ in the Cincinnati area. If I had not been exposed to Rudy's or Arthur Bryant's, this would easily get a 4. If you are in the area, I would definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a meat-intensive meal.

275 Pictoria Dr
Cincinnati, OH 45246

Sura - @@@

I tried out this Korean restaurant Monday after the Chinese restaurant I wanted to go to was closed. At least they both serve rice right?

This is an in-line restaurant common of suburbia. I did not expect too much and it delivered to my expectations. Got the kalbi which tasted like good Korean BBQ. The banchan was not as impressive as the Korea House we went to earlier in the project. Both places amazingly had purple rice which I have never had before prior to Cincinnati.

Overall in the comparison I favored Sura only slightly more. They give you either more kalbi or I was less hungry. But either place will give you a quick Korean fix if needed and in the suburbs.

7876 Mason-Montgomery Rd
Mason, OH 45040

Houston Inn - @@@

Wrapping up dinner here tonight on the advice of the driving range worker who said they have some pretty good food. He was right, not bad.

First off however I got nervous before I even walked in. It looks like a prime place for that tv show Restaurant Makeover it is so "classic". Walking in does not make it newer looking either. Very country-ish but I guess it is on the outskirts of bustling Mason, OH so it makes sense.

They advertise a 55 item salad bar which is included with the meal. Of course I order prime rib as it is billed as "the very best". Again it suffers from overcooked-ness as i am resigning myself to out here. Tender yes, tons of flavor no.

But what gives them the extra point is the totally off the wall salad bar item pickled watermelon rinds. What??? I am amazed I even tested them out but they sounded so unique that I had to try at least 1. I'm glad I did, they were quite tasty. Had a mellow crunch similar to a mandarin orange in jello. As a matter of fact, that definitely explains the texture. It was soft throughout and then a bit harder (crunchy would not be the term to describe it as it wasn't that firm). The taste was slightly tangy, but nothing overpowering. I ended up going back to have a few more pieces. Keep in mind that I don't feel it was amazing just that it was something I have never even heard of before. Googling it, it appears to be a southern thing. Additional interesting items on the salad bar included a mashed potato salad (meh), ambrosia (marshmallows in a maraschino cherry sauce with pineapple?? Odd texture), and homemade mouse (decent).

So yes I was by far the youngest here as yelp reviews suggest. No the food will not wow you. It is just a local place catering to locals for a casual experience. I would not go out of my way, but it is interesting nonetheless.

4026 S US Route 42
Lebanon, OH 45036

Umich spring "game"

Great day for some spring football. Went to what amounted to a glorified practice but was still nice to see the team itself. Big year in 2014!

Gardner threw a pick on the first play of the game. Ouch! Overall was good fun even though the bubble tea place was still closed and the not as good one had a line out the door.

Jean Roberts Table - @@@

This was our city day and I selected this French bistro sort of restaurant. Bistro in the sense that's what it was billed as but in reality it was a touch more expensive. I guess that's what happens when you order multiple non-price listed specials.

My meal was actually quite good, the duck breast with sweet potatoes, creamy risotto, dates, nuts and mushrooms. All served with a table side red wine Demi glas. Again however I am stumped by the apparent lack of faith of medium rare cookness as this was more towards the medium scale. Very few restaurants in Cincinnati have been able to cook to medium rare, and in most instances 1 or 2 shades overdone. The flavor of the duck was good, however subtle. It took on the flavor of the sauce along with the creamy risotto that is buried underneath in the picture.

Also worth noting was the great bread and even better butter. French restaurants always serve the best butter I feel. The one downer was the price, and as I expected the portions were more Euro-centric than typical American standards. Not a bad thing by any means, but something to pay attention to. All in all I thought not a bad dinner, just not something to go absolutely crazy over.

713 Vine St
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Moerlein Lager House - @@@

Tried this place out last week as our downtown choice. We are aiming to get into the city at least once per week. This place is really cool; a large restaurant/bar right next to Great American Ballpark and the river. It is 2 stories and we had a seat upstairs giving a great view of the river and what I am assuming is Kentucky.

The menu featured a large variety of classic American food ranging from beer can chicken sandwiches to rotisserie pork chops. The options were quite appealing sounding and I remember thinking that if I had to come back I would have some pretty good choices. I went with the prime rib, med-rare. I give them credit, it actually came out close to desired and had some good sides of sautéed green beans. The meat was spiced alright and as you may notice extremely thick. Always good. But it wasn't overly warm. I get that it's medium rare but was just odd that it wasn't hot. It felt like it was left on the warming table a bit too long. Flavor was good though and tender enough. One other difference was the au jus which was thickened just a bit by some beer rather than just straight jus which I would've preferred.

This place is probably even better if there was a game and I had some beer. They brew their own and offer tasting flights. If in the area, I would not hesitate to go back especially to try some other options on the menu.

115 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH

Sichuan Bistro - @@@

I tried out this Chinese restaurant the other day while dining alone. It was located in a strip mall close to the hotel and looked like a somewhat generic local Chinese spot. I did not expect much however yelp reviews were quite kind so I wanted to try it out.

To my surprise it was actually quite Sichuan-y in the fact that a) it was spicy and b) they had the authentic tongue numbing Chinese peppercorns. Pretty respective for a 8 table main dining room (there may have been a side room as well but it was close to closing and that was already shut down for the night). I got the dry fried red chili chicken which was recommended on yelp as well as a side of Chinese broccoli. The chicken was fried nicely and had quite a bit of peppercorns in it. I wanted to try a more Sichuan-style dish and it did not disappoint. Tongue felt weird while eating, and there was enough for leftover lunch the next day. The broccoli was cooked just right, tender yet crunchy at the same time. Had it with the usual white garlic sauce.

The reviews were right in that it was a good place to try out in Cincinnati. Very close to a 4, but normalized for all Chinese it just doesn't quite make it there. But closeness, differentness and quickness will lead me back.

7888 S Mason Montgomery Rd
Mason, OH 45040

Mongolian BBQ - 0

Bitterness abounds. Waiting in line here right now for 2 reasons. One, coworkers did not show up to get a table. Two, staffing was not adequate to serve us even though there is not really a function for them at this type of place (getting drinks but no real menu). Plus look at all these empty tables...at most half full!!! 25 minute wait at 7:45?!?!

Edit. We just walked out

8655 S Mason Montgomery Rd
Mason, OH 45040

Medellin Restaurant - @@@

Last weekend when in Florida I tried this Columbian restaurant that I found had decent reviews online. It is located in a strip mall kind of tucked away and hard to find. Going for lunch, I think I was the first customer of the day.

I had the typical Columbian dish of bandeja paisa which includes good things such as grilled steak, chicharron (fried pork), eggs, rice, beans, avocados, and plantains. It was good based on the food I had been having but not as good as other Columbian I have had in the past. The avocado was in guacamole format rather than slices leading me to think it wasn't as fresh as possible. The steak was good but thin and overcooked. I did like the chicharron as it's just fried pork rinds I believe but sadly a bit small. The aji sauce was good but in my opinion too much green onion and not spicy enough. The empanadas I got for take out were generally regarded as good by the others I was with back at the hotel.

If around it's a good place to try if you can find it. However with the amount of Latin influenced restaurants, I'm sure you can find better ones in Miami or Ft Lauderdale.

PS they gave me water with a lime on the rim...blew my mind for some unknown reason. Scent was better than a lemon but it might also be the lime quality. I got the same up north and was not nearly as exciting

4631 N State Rd 7, suite 26
Coral Springs, FL 33067

Wildflower Cafe - @@@@

Best meal in Cincinnati by far for not only me but coworkers as well. However slightly skeptical because was it really good or just beat a bunch of losers??

First off this place is literally a converted house. The dining area was small, like 8 tables small. I guess the upstairs was converted to a bar but didn't go up to see it. We actually tried to go last Wednesday but the line was too long. Got smart this time and made reservations.

The big thing here is that is in the organic farm-to-table mold that is trendy these days. Did the food seem better because it was local or organic?? For me, no. However was there more attention to creativity of dishes and preparation? I would say yes. What I mean by this is that they paired items such as collard greens with their southern dishes and the steak I had was paired with potatoes and brussel sprouts. I of course swapped for the greens, but I thought it was cool that they tried to pair things better than just "pick your side". Preparation was on point here, as my medium rare steak was actually cooked to a medium rare. I also liked that since my greens came in a dish, the presentation looked slightly different with the potatoes than my coworker who got the spouts. Little touches like that I think are cool. Only downer to my dish was the garlic aioli did not enhance the flavor and in fact i removed most of it as I did not enjoy the taste. Also had some of my coworkers ribs which were indeed smoked and coated in a dry rub. I in fact preferred these to my steak as they were pretty tender but had good flavor throughout.

Overall would definitely recommend and come back to in the future. If you are in the area, I suggest checking it out as well.

207 E Main St
Mason, OH 45040

Mings Great Wall - @@

In retrospect I should've thought this out more. I saw it from the gas station I was filling up at. I'm now typing this as I finish my meal. Food was quite marginal at best, pretty salty chicken and broccoli and reasonably tasty almond boneless chicken.

The place is a stones throw away from the highway and looks to move people in and out quickly. It for sure has to be a converted restaurant; it reminds me of the old style Pizza Huts.

The price of the food is actually quite cheap, $5.50 for each entree and not bad size. It does have what I call filler; such as bamboo, mushrooms, and water chestnuts in the chicken broccoli dish. I am torn between a 2 and 3, mostly for the sentimental reasons of not hating on the fellow Chinese spots out there. Ultimately the food just isn't that good, far from "the best Chinese food I've ever had" as a reviewer posted. Sadly I would not come back if I was in Findlay again (then again I may not be in Findlay again!)

1535 Broad Ave
Findlay‎, OH‎ 45840

Bravo Cucina Italiana - @@

Went to this Italian chain restaurant tonight as my coworker wanted to try it out. I had been a while ago but didn't remember much but the Italian was enough to reluctantly agree. When walking in, the decor is Caesars Palace Vegas. Fake Roman and fake exposed brick attempt to make you feel I don't know what.

The meal itself was wholly average as I got the bone-in glazed pork chop with green beans and mashed potatoes. Not much to say other than it filled me up. The salad I had was actually pretty different, mixed greens, dried cherries, crispy prosciutto, roasted tomatoes, some strong cheese and balsamic mixed in. I would say that was the best part of the meal.

You may be asking if it was average then why a 2? Well the more I thought about it, the server did not impress me. Drinks were slow and I always was out of water before it was refilled. Meal service was also slow along with the bill return process (oddly the check was brought instantly). With so many other places to choose from around here I feel customer service is a differentiator and hence the 2. Would come back if needed, just not jumping at the chance.

5305 Deerfield Blvd
Mason, OH 45040

Longhorn Steakhouse - @@@

Was wanting some heavy meat the other night so went to Longhorn where I had been enticed by their 2 for XX commercials. When we got there, we were promptly informed that the promotion ended literally the day before. Sadness.

But I got steak anyways. I was pleased that they had prime rib and promptly ordered it medium rare. It came out hugging more of the medium doneness but at this price point I did not send it back. It was close enough and did not have the super high expectations. It was very seasoned, with a blend of spices that were stronger than the normal salt and pepper. I couldn't identify it all and it led to a different flavor. Not bad, just different. Sides were nothing to be amazed at...loaded mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables in butter. Probably not the healthy effect I was going for!

At the end of the day, thought it was a pretty good meal and solid overall. One of my coworkers got the ribeye and that looked surprisingly good. Grill marks, sizzling outside and cooked medium rare it would be my next entree order. I am guessing they are pretty consistent across the US so I would be ok visiting again.

7711 Voice of America Center Dr
West Chester, OH 45069

Jack Binions Steakhouse - @@

I may be getting extra critical with these recent reviews but when I am paying $50+ for a steak I want it to be good. The steakhouse is located inside the Horseshoe Casino and has a pretty nice setting although there was some live music which I predictably was not a fan of.

The menu looked good, classic steak and potatoes joint. I went with the 45 day dry-aged ribeye which surprisingly was lacking that dry-age kick to it. For instance at Carne Vino in Vegas when eating it, especially close to the bone you could definitely taste the change in flavor. When I got my first steak (never good forshadowing) it was cooked to a medium to medium-well completion and I hesitantly sent it back. The next one predictably came back basically rare which I was ok with only because I was debating ordering my original one rare. It was supposedly seasoned with like 12 spices and finished under a 1800 degree broiler but the plate was not sizzling. I'm guessing a transfer in the kitchen which I was ok but it didn't have that great flavor. As a reference though my coworker also got the same steak medium rare and that looked to be cooked ideally so perhaps I just had a bad experience. The side of mashed potatoes was quite good; in it was mixed cheese and guetta, a Cincinnati special of pork and oatmeal (!?!). It was crunchy on top and cheese melted nicely throughout and creamy. Also included was a nice sized portion of bone marrow, however they took away the popovers so I had nothing to spread it on. But it tasted like you would expect, rich and fatty but would've liked something to spread it on.

Overall just not a great experience food wise; the server was nice and accommodating and they kept my water filled nicely. Again at $42 per steak it wasn't outrageous pricing for an upscale steakhouse but rather lacking the execution. I have heard the better steak experience will be The Precinct which hopefully I will get a chance to try in the future.

1000 Broadway St
Cincinnati

Korea House - @@@

We had a choice last night of Korean, tapas, and American. Korean was chosen in a slight upset over the others so we went to this spot pretty close to the hotel. It is located in a strip mall similar to bibimbap in Novi.

Unfortunately they did not have table side BBQ, but they still had the famous grilled meat entrees. I ordered the kal-bi as I typically do. What was interesting is most of the meat was already off the bone. Different but didn't mind since I was kinda lazy last night. The meat tasted well-marinated and tender and I enjoyed it. Additionally I ate over 50% of the banchan which for me is good but may not be as authentic (since I usually eat 1 or 2). In addition to kimchee, there was bean sprouts, "spicy" tofu, banana pepper rings, creamy cabbage, and my favorite slightly sweet boiled potatoes. One thing I did think was odd was the alleged black grain rice which turned the rice purple!?! Supposedly healthier for you, I still prefer white rice however the meat did not have much sauce so I really didn't use the rice as much with it anyways.

Overall pretty decent Korean. I did notice another just as high rated Korean restaurant a few miles the other direction so will probably choose that one before going back but it is a good option to have close. As a bonus I saw a rock with Shin Soo Choo's name engraved on it; I guess when he played here he frequented the place so I guess that adds some extra authenticity.

11371 Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45249

Montgomery Inn - @@

First night in Cincinnati so we decided to try this famous restaurant out. "Ribs so good Bob Hope used to fly them out" proclaimed the concierge. Ok so they must be good right??

Well, um, not really. For the place that bills itself as "the worlds best ribs", they come up a little short. Alright maybe a lot. Maybe I am spoiled by KC and Texas BBQ but when you are describing the cooking as "boiled then finished on our custom broiler"...not a good look. 0 smokage, wood, or low heat it seems. When presented, they were layered with their famous sweet BBQ sauce, which was pretty good. But if I wanted the sauce I could pick it up in the hotel lobby for $7!

While I don't mean to crush this place, I just had higher hopes when described. The environment is pretty cool, tons of signed sports memorabilia on the walls. We were seated by a John Kruk and Shaq jersey. The downtown strip is pretty neat as well, we compared it kind of to a Cambridge or East Greenwich so it had that going for it. Maybe it was just a bad night but the pulled pork went uneaten (I know, odd) and the brisket was ok (sliced thin similar to bacon and covered in sauce).

50/50 if I would return to give it another shot but maybe check it out since it is so famous. We went to the original location.

9440 Montgomery Rd
Montgomery, OH  45242

The Queen City!

New project started today...hopefully lots of new places since lately I have been going to repeat sites.