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.