Friday, December 18, 2009

Holiday cheer

As we move into the last full week before Xmas, there is an abundance of ways to get in the holiday spirit! Below are just a few:

  • 2009 Holiday Floral Show November 21st through January 3rd
    Krohn Conservatory
    Theme "Lucia's Garden"
    This year, beloved Swedish holiday traditions inspire our holiday floral show. Come learn and enjoy some of those traditions while strolling among drifts of red poinsettias, cyclamen and amaryllis. Our natural holiday tree features hundreds of ornaments handmade by park volunteers, and attractions include an outdoor live nativity scene. We have many special events going on throughout the show - call (513) 352-4080 for more info.
    Holiday Hours:
    Extended Krohn Hours - December 19th-30th, 10am-8pm Outdoor Nativity Scene open from 9am-9pm
    Please note: The Krohn Conservatory will close at 5pm on Friday, December 25th. I heard that on Sunday from 1-3, Santa will be taking time off of his very busy pre-sleigh schedule to visit the show, so if you have kiddos, stop by! Also, the sale of the flowers from this show will take place on Jan 5th, with doors opening @ 10am.
  • Shopping and Caroling in the Gateway Quarter - I'm having trouble finding solid info on this, but according to the downtown calendar, there will be extended hours for the Gateway Quarter shops this evening, and members from the Cincinnati Men's Chorus will be serenading shoppers while they scurry about. I believe this goes until 8pm.
  • If you miss that, there's always the Sweet Peace Holiday Bake Sale @ Park + Vine - Sweet Peace Bakery will be having a bake sale in Park + Vine on Sat, from 11-4pm. Stop by and have some sweets while you peruse the goods in the store or down the street!
  • The Cincinnati Men's Chorus will be busy this weekend, as Saturday and Sunday they will be putting on what sounds to be a really fun chorale concert to get you toe-tapping to holiday tunes. Glorious: Simply stunning holiday music plus - a new mini-musical featuring beloved songs from holiday specials, created as a joint project by Cincinnati Men's Chorus, Turtle Creek Chorale, Heartland Men's Chorus, Seattle Men's Chorus, and the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC. and two new songs from Melissa Etheridge: "Glorious" and "Ring the Bells," accompanied by harp and handbells. Where Harriet Tubman Theater-National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
    Contact 513.542.2626. Tickets are 20$ in advance, 25$ at the door, but if you don't want to spend the dough, you can volunteer and get in free!
  • If you are looking for a more traditional holiday chorale setting, on Sunday @ 5pm, Christ Church Cathedral on 4th will be hosting "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols". While I'm not sure what the "festival of nine lessons" is, I'm always down with holiday tunes in a church where acoustics are usually very good. I wish the website gave more info on what they will be singing, but I'm sure it will be beautiful nonetheless. Where: Christ Church Cathedral 318 E. Fourth St.Cincinnati, OH 45202

If you have kiddos to entertain (or if you are just a kid at heart), here are a few things not to be missed:

  1. Just on 4th street you will find the Duke Holiday Train Display featuring 1,000 feet of track and 300 miniature train cars. Theme: Dreaming of Sugar Plums, Lollipops and Gingerbread on 4th. Its on the 1st floor, you can see it from the outside, and its really pretty neat. They spend months putting this thing together, so its the real deal. Best part, its free! From Duke "Train display featuring 1,000 feet of track and 300 miniature train cars. Theme: Dreaming of Sugar Plums, Lollipops and Gingerbread."
  2. Walk one block over to Fountain Square, and you are smack dab in the heart of all the holiday events downtown. You have ice skating (Santa will be out there Sat 12-1 and Sun 1-2 if the kids want to put in another plug for their holiday gifts.) Skate rental is $2.50, and there are warming tents and hot drinks available. Friday and Saturday nights there are some fireworks, and between 6-7 Santa rappels down the side of the 5/3 Building, but not before you get some holiday choir music at 6. I think Santa is not allowed to appear unless the crowd is singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", so be ready to belt it out! You can also hop on the "Holiday Jolly Trolley" (10am-6pm) outside of the Westin Hotel, ride around downtown and it stops at all the major holiday attractions. The paid carriage rides will also be available if its too crowded or if you want a more intimate ride.
  3. Giant Gingerbread display in the lobby of the Hilton Netherland Plaza. After you get good n chilly from doing Fountain Square activities, grab a quick cup of hot chocolate or coffee @ Tazza Mia then walk up to the BEAUTIFUL lobby of this old hotel and enjoy the Gingerbread artistry on display. On a side note, as previously noted, the restaurant in the lobby, Orchids Palm Court has a GREAT happy hour if you are able to go have a drink. If you are looking for a quieter locale, you can also head over to the Hyatt to see a holiday gingerbread display AND train display in one place. Its free.

- If you'd rather not be out in the cold at all, there are still plenty of good options to get in the holiday spirit.

  1. Don't forget the Newport Aquarium has Scuba Santa (he hangs with the sharks!) daily - not sure on the times of Santa's appearance, but I'm sure squealing of children will alert you to his appearance. Admission is 20$ for adults, 13$ for kids 2-12.
  2. The Museum Center has a toy exhibit that is free (!) and is open 7 days a week, so you can go there, be wowed first by the rotunda and then check out their "Toys Thru Time" exhibit where they will have toys from the 1800s to present. Will a Furbie make it in? Go and find out! Parking will cost you, but I'd say its probably worth it. Now open through January 3, 2010 John A. Ruthven Exhibit Gallery
  3. There is also a holiday pj party on Sunday (12/20) if you can get your info to them in time: North Pole Pajama Party December 20 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
    We are throwing a North Pole Pajama Party and you're invited! Wear your favorite PJS and drink hot chocolate, decorate sugar cookies, create fun crafts, enjoy holiday inspired performances and an elfin DJ spinning holiday tunes. Get out on the dance floor with the elves and Mr. and Mrs. Claus! Make your reservation by December 17 by calling (513) 287-7021. $20 member child, $25 non-member child, $10 adult

Finally, don't forget about all the great holiday season shows or shows that are just plain fun!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

New Busken Bakery Downtown

Hopefully this place will eventually have weekend hours - I'm still going to prefer Shadau Breads to Busken, but its still good to see another business open downtown. The 9th street location was TERRIBLE.
From the Cincinnati Business Courier:

Busken opened a new downtown location today at Walnut and Seventh in a space owned by the Aronoff Center for the Arts.
This marks the fifth time the bakery has opened a store downtown.
“If we could survive the downtown business climate following the 2001 riots, I knew things couldn’t get much worse,” said Vice President Brian Busken in a news release. “It would be foolish to leave now, there is too much positive momentum and our city center is slowly but surely becoming a destination.”
The store, which has access to the Aronoff Center’s commercial kitchen, will focus on growing the bakery’s breakfast and lunch catering business. The catering, which is available to any downtown business 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, was previously operated out of Busken’s Ninth and Central location, which closed in preparation for the opening of the new store.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Main Street Holiday Stroll & Shop + more!

I'm out of town this weekend, so I'm going to miss out on a lot of great stuff to get me in the holiday mood, but hopefully the turn out will be great to all these events. If i get back early, I'm definitely checking out some of these Sunday holiday arts sales!
- Main Street Holiday Stroll & Shop, 12/5 (11-7) + 12/6 (12-5): Main Street in OTR keeps the foot traffic high during the summers with the "Second Sunday on Main" events, but this is a new one for the holidays. All of the stores and galleries will be open during these times, and will be happy to sell their goods or just get the foot traffic up in their stores. Be sure to stop by Iris Bookcafe and have a hot cup of something to ward off the chills!
- Here's to Our Health Happy Hour, 12/3 (tonite!) 5:30-8:00 PM @ ART BEYOND BOUNDARIES GALLERY, 1410 MAIN STREET in OTR. This is a partnering between Community Shares and YP Cincy, so there should be a great mixture of folks there. Basically its an event to raise awareness about the healthcare groups that Community Shares supports in the area. There is a 5$ suggested donation @ the door for wine and snacks. Here's a little blurb on what each of these organizations does: Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati is a partnership of 27 local nonprofit organizations building social and economic equity and a healthy environment in Greater Cincinnati. YPShares is for young professionals and others who strive to engage and inspire the next generation of community supporters to become passionately committed to causes that promote social and economic equity and a healthy environment.
- 7th Annual St Nick Day Sale 12/5 10-2 @ Peaslee Neighborhood Center (215 E. 14th St Cincinnati, OH ). There will be Syracuse Cultural Worker items, Equal Exchange coffee, tea, hot cocoa; Divine Chocolate; international art and crafts from Ecuador, Ghana, Madagascar, El Salvador and more; local artist Mary Ann Lederer’s art, local authors and more. This sale benefits the IJPC(Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center) - more info on them can be found at: http://www.ijpc-cincinnati.org/
- Gifts That Make a Difference Sarah Center, 1600 Vine St., OTR 8am-6pm, 12/3-12/5 - Shop for jewelry, bags, wall hangings, quilts, and tableware, and support a great cause. The Sarah Center is an outreach ministry of St. Francis Seraph that teaches women how to sew, quilt, paint, enamel and make jewelry. Its across the street from St Fracis Seraph church.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Events for Nov 20-22 weekend

Wow, there are a lot of great arts/crafts/holiday-ish events going on this weekend! Here are a few highlights i want to share:
Friday Nov 20 - So many art openings/benefits!
- Secret Artworks 6-9 Westin Hotel - i went to this a few years ago and the ticket price (and food offerings) have vastly increased since then, but it was a pretty cool event nonetheless. If you have some serious coin to drop, its for a good cause. Its an exhibition and sale of 5x7 inch pieces of artwork that you buy and you don't find out who the artist is until after the sale is over. I went to a similar event in Rochester that a friend of mine was in and at both shows i really enjoyed the vast array of style and ability contained in each show. 100$/person in advance, 125 at the door - benefits Artworks. http://www.artworkscincinnati.org/.
- Inkbleeds II: The Art of the Screenprint 5-9pm this opening is at the Art Academy's Pearlman Gallery and will feather posters from the rock scene from various area print makers including Powerhouse Factories which i have always heard does good work. A friend of mine is a print maker currently, so to get to know how the process works would be an excellent way to spend a Friday night for me. Ph #562-6262 The after party will be @ below Zero Lounge @ 10pm, and it should make for an interesting crowd b/c of the following event.....
- Gay BINGO @ Below Zero Lounge 6:30-10pm. Be there for all of the crazy fun, the outrageous costumes, the fabulous prizes and totally unconventional bingo games. Plus you will be supporting the Ensemble Theatre and STOP AIDS. 20$/person. http://www.belowzerolounge.com/cal.html
- Fabricate Grand Opening (inside of Red Polly) in Northside 7-11pm - full disclosure: this is actually a place a former coworker of mine is opening up. That being said, I'm a crafty person who's not all that talented and this really appeals to me. In addition to the store opening, there is an art exhibit that is up by Chris Salley and there will be great music as well as food and drink. The long term goal for this place is to be a place for crafters to show/sell their work, pick up supplies and have a general space to gather and craft. http://www.fabnorthside.com/

Saturday Nov 21 - get into the holiday spirit!
- BuyCincy's Cincinnati Unchained, is 11-6pm More than 30 stores citywide are offering deals, gifts and charitable donations during this annual campaign that highlights locally-owned businesses.
- Balluminaria @ Eden Park (at Mirror Lake) 4-6pm - There will be a bunch of tethered hot air balloons that will ring the "lake" that will be lit up as the light fades. The pictures I've seen of this event are amazing, and i think its supposed to be dry on that day. There will also be carollers and a Santa visit for those of you who go with kiddies. I personally have never been up close and personal with hot air balloons, so this sounds awesome. Parking will likely be short, so be prepared to walk, bike or take the bus.
- Winter Floral Show - A Swedish Holiday @ Krohns Conservatory 10-5pm - This will feature all sorts of lovely flowers, a beautiful Xmas tree and a train and Cincy landmark display. They used to get Wifi there too so if you want to cruise the net, have a coffee and read the paper, its a lovely place to do so. This place is open 7 days/week, so find an off time and go see the show!
- Indie Craft Show @ Northside Tavern 12-6pm - this is the first year for this show, and were my skills more up to par i would have totally submitted work to it. That being said, i hope this is a monstrous success so they have more! There will be crafts for sale (duh) by 20 vendors, gelato and music to keep the creative vibe going. http://craftysupermarket.wordpress.com/
- Chef Rob's Cooking class @ Kroger Fresh Fare in Kenwood 1pm - with all the great cooking classes being offered lately, the ones which are FREE are sometimes given short shrift. Not here, especially in these kind of times! This class is focused mostly on Thanksgiving food - turkey, sweet potatoes, gingered carrot salad and angel food cake with ganache and berries (YUM). You have to call to register though. 686-7900.
- Xmas @ Xmas (sorta) @ Below Zero 8-11 - alright so i already mentioned stuff going on at this place before, but damn if they don't have good planners! (Seriously, they have an event weekly for Glee!) Anyway this is another benefit, this time for the Cincinnati Men's Chorus, who incidentally are very good. They will have holiday music being performed cabaret style and it will be hosted by Penny Tration (a fabulously hilarious drag queen). Is it ever really too early to start the holiday singing? http://www.belowzerolounge.com/cal.html
Sunday Nov 22 - ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Rest, relax and root on the Bengals. WHO DEY!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Upcoming events 11/13-11/15

With the weather starting to cool off, there are a lot of things going on this weekend (indoors) that will keep folks in the area active!

1. Kristen Chenoweth @ Music Hall - what can i say about her? I loved her in "Pushing Daisies" and LOVED Wicked, so its a no-brainer that her show with the CSO this weekend would appeal! There are shows @ 8pm Friday and Saturday night, and an afternoon one on Sunday (maybe another one on Sat?) and tickets are really reasonable. You get to hear her do some standard broadway tunes and they do promote the fact that she will be doing one or two songs from Wicked. Tix are anywhere from 20$ and up. Sold!

2. MUSE Concert - $15 Saturday 8pm or Sunday at 3pm @ St John's Unitarian Church in Clifton. I have not heard MUSE sing before, but from what I've been told, they are very powerful concerts. For the most part, the song list is nothing I've heard before, but it all seems to be centered around peace, justice and the celebration of women.

3. White Christmas @ the Aronoff - it still seems a bit early for this kind of stuff, but i guess its never too soon to get in the holiday spirit! Tix vary from 24.50 to 64$, but reviews are already very positive for the show. The show runs through 11/22 which i find somewhat odd, but maybe they'll have another holiday-ish show after that. (Technically, this show starts its run tonight.)

4. Bad Veins and You, You're Awesome @ Aliveone in Mt Adams- I've been jonesing to see Bad Veins, especially after all the press they've been given and here's a chance. Though i won't personally be going to this show (hate the parking in Mt Adams and Alive One seems like a VERY claustrophobic venue to play), I'm sure it will be a good one. they start @ 11pm and will be including some DJ's, so I'm not really sure what time either band will begin to play. Since they're only open until 2:30, hopefully people are punctual!

5. Moerlein Keg Tapping Friday @ the Cincinnati Central Turners Club House - festivities start @ 4pm, and the tapping is at 7. They will be tapping the keg for the Moerlein Kristalkindt Winter Warm Ale and admission is free. Not sure what the beer itself will cost, but it sounds like the place is kind of cool, and never having been to a proper keg tapping (aside from in college) it may be a novel experience. It sounds like the location is pretty cool and parking is available (also for free). More info here: http://www.gacl.org/gaclhot.html

6. Organ recital @ Christ Church - Sunday @ 5 Bryan Mock will present an organ recital in Christ Church Cathedral's glorious acoustic space. The concert is part of a series of organ recitals offered at the Cathedral on the third Sunday of each month, October through May. Admission is free. I personally think of the Simpsons episode when the church organist plays "In the Garden of Eden", but i'm not opposed to free concerts played with interesting instruments. The Cathedral is located at 318 East Fourth Street. For more information call (513) 621-1817.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Crawl of the Dead

A friend of mine just told me about this GREAT event going on in Covington on Halloween. There are a lot of cool costume parties around town tonight and tomorrow, but this one gets mad points for creativity. Info below from WCPO.com and the following link takes you to the official site http://www.crawlofthedead.com/crawls/info/covington_zombie_crawl:


Zombie Crawl Unleashes The Undead

COVINGTON, Ky. – City will be taken over with the living dead.Imagine one part performance art, one part party and two parts B-movie Bash and there who have yourself the Zombie Crawl on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The City of Covington is heading up the event and it begins at Molly Malone's, making it's way through various bars in Covington and then ends up at Leapin Lizard around 9 p.m. Beginning at Molly Malone's 112 E. Fourth St., meet at 6 p.m., enjoy Malone's until 7 p.m. then roll out for an entire evening of “Undead” entertainment in Covington's most Zombie-friendly venues. 2nd venue - Down under Bar, 126 Park Place - Zombie Haiku Reading. They supply the Haiku (or write your own), you supply the reading. 3rd stop - Sidebar, 322 Greenup St. - Zombie Band (details to come) and a Zombie Drink special.4th up - The Avenue, 411 Madison Ave. - Take part in a “Thriller” Dance and take in Billy Tackett's phenomenal artwork.Grand finale - the longest haul of the evening … a push up through the center of Mainstrasse. We'll be headed to Leaping Lizard to party through the night at their Zombie Party and B-Movie Bash.

Costumes are encouraged but not required, however, the event is free for those in costumes. There will be costume contests and zombie attacks throughout the night. Admission is $5 for those without costumes. The event will include a DJ and dancing all night long, zombie drink specials and spooky cocktails. Party goes until 1 a.m. with two floors and two full bars.


IF YOU GO:When: Oct. 31, at 6 p.m.What: B-Movie Bash Halloween Party/Zombie CrawlStart: Molly Malone's at 112 E. Fourth St.Finale: Leapin Lizard at 726 Main St.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

hold on to your pumpkins after 10/31!

4th Annual Pumpkin Chuck Saturday, Nov. 7th
Stanbery Park 12-5pm Rain or Shine The Stanbery Park Advisory Council proudly presents its annual pumpkin hurling event. Bring your own pumpkin to chuck on their famous Trebuchet (cost: $2 per chuck) or buy a doomed pumpkin from their patch (cost: $5 per chuck). Please note - the SPAC reserves the right to limit the weight and size of the pumpkins to chuck. Come watch the orange orbs fly, kerplunk, and splat, and chat with the gorgeous Pumpkin Queen. Enjoy home-baked goodies, gourmet cakes, pies and other luscious culinary delights; hot and cold drinks; live music; face painting and more. For additional information, contact Margaret M. Stigler at (513) 236-5467.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Gear up for Halloween!

While i'm not totally sure about when the hours of trick or treating will be (I'm guessing Saturday 5-8pm?), i am stocked up on candy and ready for the weekend to hit! Below are some cool events that would be fun to check out:

SEGWAY POLO ON THE SQUARE - OCT 29
Who needs horses when you can ride a Segway? For the first time ever, Fountain Square will host a Segway Polo Match this Thursday, October 29 at noon. The match will be shown on the giant video board and play-by-play announcers will provide live commentary. So grab lunch and head to the Square, you'll even have the opportunity to take a Segway ride yourself. For more information on the Segway Polo Match, call Shawn Jenkins at (513) 225-1583. For more information on Segway Cincinnati and Segway tours click here.

THE FAMOUS NEON'S LEASE SIGNING PARTY - OCT 29 Neon's is back! Come celebrate the official rebirth of Neon's at their lease signing party on Thursday, October 29 starting at 5:00 p.m. and help them kick off the process of restoring both the building and the name. For the first time in over two years, the garden at Neon's will be open with brews, bocce and good times to be enjoyed. This will be an outdoor, cash only event. So come down, have fun and get a preview of what is to come for next spring. Neon's is located at 208 East Twelfth Street. Call (513) 479-1030 for more information.

FRIDAY NIGHT BLOWS TO BENEFIT ARTWORKS - OCT 30
The Art Academy of Cincinnati's River City Works in collaboration with ArtWorks presents Friday Night Blows, a free public glassblowing demonstration this Friday, October 30. Get there early for the best parking spots and hot food. Don't forget your sunglasses! Friday Night Blows is at River City Works, 532 East Twelfth Street, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. To purchase tickets or to view the Online Art Preview click here.

BITE ME BALL AT CAC - OCT 30
It's that time of the year again, when everyone dons their spookiest disguise and descends upon the town for a night like no other. The Contemporary Arts Center is throwing a party that's sure to satisfy your frightful fancy. Come in your most creative costume and cruise the galleries, shop the CAC store and enjoy music by Projectmill. DJ and cash bar from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Members are free; Nonmembers pay CAC admission. Click here for more information.

DEVIL'S BASH, NIGHTMARE ON 7TH AND IMMORTAL'S BALL AT BLACKFINN
Blackfinn Saloon, at 19 East Seventh Street, is hosting three events this Halloween weekend! Start on Thursday, October 29 at the Devil's Bash and enjoy the Witches Brew Special all night long. The Nightmare on 7th Street Bar Crawl is Friday, October 30. Enjoy a cash prize costume contest and for one $5 cover get into 3 bars: Blackfinn, Suite and Lodge Bar. Halloween night Saturday, October 31 is Blackfinn's Immortal's Ball where you can win $1,000 in prizes/cash for the best costume. For advance tickets/VIP call (513) 721-3466.

HALLOWEEN ON THE SQUARE - OCT 30 Halloween on the Square kicks off this Friday, October 30 at noon for the Fountain Square Costume Contest. Come dressed in your most creative, funniest, or scariest costume and win some great prizes! Also on Friday drop off your PRE-carved pumpkins between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. The pumpkins will be judged at 8:00 p.m. and one lucky person will win a $500 grand prize. Finally, make sure to come down Saturday, October 31 from 8:00 p.m. to midnight for the Monster Mash Bash and enjoy Halloween-themed live music, ghoulish lighting effects, refreshments and other "scary" surprises. All of the Halloween events are free and open to the public. Fountain Square is located at Fifth and Vine streets in downtown Cincinnati. For more information click here.

ARTNET: A NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY FOR VISUAL ARTISTS - OCT 30 ArtNet, a project of the Cincinnati Arts Association's Building Diverse Audiences Advisory Committee, will offer local visual artists an opportunity to meet peers, develop collaborative projects and discover resources within the community. The evening of networking is scheduled for Friday, October 30 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Aronoff Center's Weston Art Gallery. Admission is free, however advance registration is requested. For further information or to make a reservation, contact CAA Director of Education and Community Relations, Steve Finn, at (513) 977-4163 or click here.

CINCINNATI TOURS: GHOSTS OF THE QUEEN CITY Take a haunted tour downtown this Halloween season. Cincinnati Tours offers the most unique look at the city through one-of-a-kind historical, sightseeing, seasonal and ghost tours. Their specialty tour is "Ghosts of the Queen City", which is a combination of history and ghost investigations. Click here to find out more.

NO TRICKS, JUST GOURMET TREATS AT PENDLETON STUDIO 313 - OCT 30 This week's Final Friday at Studio 313 is an exciting pre-Halloween evening hosted by Fusion Catering, the hot new caterer even the ghouls are whispering about. Paintings, photography, jewelry and ceramics are all 10% - 50% off. Also, the opening reception for Andrea Millette's exhibition "Women and Shoes" will also be held Friday, October 30 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Judi Parks fine art studio 313 AT THE PENDLETON, 1310 Pendleton Street, in Over-The-Rhine. Also open Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For further details, call (513) 843-2710 or click here.

THE SHAOLIN WARRIORS PERFORM AT MUSIC HALL - NOV 1 The acclaimed Shaolin Warriors - the Kung Fu Masters of China - bring their remarkable skill, stunning movement and spectacular imagery to Cincinnati's Music Hall for one night only on Sunday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here or by calling the Aronoff Center Ticket Office at (513) 621-2787.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Events happening this weekend

I'm out of town this weekend, and although i'm eager to go home and see family and friends, i'm kind of bummed that i'm missing out on so much! Check out a compliation of things happening around downtown below - there's a really fun mixed bag of things going on!

THE 7th ANNUAL BENGAL'S BASH - OCT 23Help the Bengals get ready to banish the Bears this Friday, October 23 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Backstage Alley by Nicholson's for the final Bengal's Bash! Meet Bengal's players, Ben-Gal cheerleaders, and 700 WLW personalities. Enjoy live music, $1 beers, and a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Bengals game, dinner at Do Downtown Restaurants, and other great prizes. Click here for more information.

BIKE/PAC PEDAL TO THE PARKS - OCT 24Cincy Bike-Abouts is a series of rides designed to get people comfortable with riding bikes on public streets. Sponsored by Bike/PAC and Hamilton County Planning, all rides leave from Fountain Square at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays and feature lots of fun stops, a little geocaching on route, and a food social to finish up. Click here for more information.

FIRE MUSEUM HOSTS FIRE BALL - OCT 24
The Fire Museum of Greater Cincinnati, 315 W. Court Street, hosts its Fire Ball this Saturday, October 24 starting at 7:00 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear red, black and white clothing to show their Fire Ball Spirit as they explore the Fire Museum, sample gourmet hors d'oeuvres and enjoy light spirits. The Barnacles and DJ Don Wegman will perform and a special auction is planned to raise funds for the Museum. Tickets for the Fire Ball are just $50 per person and can be purchased by calling (513) 621-5553.

THE CINCINNATI BALLET PRESENTS SWAN LAKE - OCT 23 to 25The Cincinnati Ballet is proud to present Swan Lake, a tale of enchanted love, this Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25. All performances will be held at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut Street. Single tickets start at just $25. Bring your little princess on October 24 for the Swan Lake Princess Tea Party. Also, be sure to ask about the great family package deals available, including three different Cincinnati Ballet performances all starting at just $72. Click here for more information.

On The Dogwalk Baby - Oct 25Don't hide your precious pooch in those little tiny purses any longer, prance him or her up and down the 6th Street Promenade for the MainStrasse Village 8th Annual Dog Costume Pawrade this Sunday. After the Pawrade concludes, register your K-9 to participate in the costume contest where the $5 registration fee benefits the Kenton County Animal Shelter and gets your pooch a free doggie goodie bag. Three Top Prizes will be awarded-Best Original Costume, Best Store Bought Costume & Best Theme Costume. Festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Don't miss an afternoon of fun with friends, family and of course, man's best friend.

WWII VET TO SPEAK ABOUT "LARGEST SEA BATTLE" AT MAIN LIBRARY - OCT 26
In honor of Veterans day coming up, World War II Navy veteran Ted Gardner will discuss his experiences in the Battle of Leyte Gulf at the Main Library, 800 Vine Street, on Monday, October 26 at 7:00 p.m. The talk will coincide with the 65th anniversary of the battle and will look at the strategy, tactics and personal experiences of the U.S. Navy. The program will be held in the Reading Garden Lounge of the Main Library. For more information call (513) 369-6900.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Another great restaurant option opening!

The buddakhan place has stood empty and padlocked for at least 5 months - I'm so glad someone is taking up residency, and someone who can make the place work! I never understood how people thought the food at Buddakhan was any good, i personally kind of found it greasy, and was totally confused by the atmosphere in there - rock music, tv screens and an eastern decor? Didn't get it - hopefully this will work well for Jean Robert, and he can use the money he'll make to buy the old Gajah Wong West building in Northside (seriously, that building is a GEM, even if the location is kind of off the beaten path....)

Jean-Robert de Cavel to open restaurant
New eatery will take over former Buddakhan location by Dec. 1
By Polly Campbell • pcampbell@enquirer.com • October 13, 2009

Jean-Robert de Cavel says he will soon be back in the restaurant business. And back Downtown.
He plans to open Jean-Robert’s Table at 713 Vine St. by Dec. 1.

This time, the French-born chef said, he will be the sole investor in the restaurant, and he will not be re-creating the brand of fine French cuisine that he was known for as executive chef at Maisonette and more recently at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. Both those Downtown restaurants have closed, although Pigall’s reopened last month as Local 127. De Cavel is not involved with Local 127.

He said he wants Jean-Robert’s Table to be more down-to-earth than his previous places.
“This will be a place where people will feel comfortable. You will be able to dine casually at a moderate price. But it’s Jean-Robert style.”The restaurant will take over the former location of the bar Buddakhan. De Cavel said he likes the space because it’s close to good parking, attracts a lot of foot traffic and is near the Garfield Suites hotel at 2 Garfield Place, which caters to businesses. He said he looked at locations in other parts of the city and the region, but his preference remained downtown Cincinnati. He said he had offers to go to other cities in the U.S. and France, but Cincinnati pulled him to stay.“I love Cincinnati,” he said. “The support we have from friends here means so much. That’s why I stay. I want a little restaurant, where I can feel it is mine, where people know me, and I can be a part of the community. I’m an urbanite. I want to give the city the restaurant that it deserves.”He said the restaurant will seat 80, with room for 20 at the bar. He does not plan to invest heavily in a redesign.“I’m recycling a restaurant,” he said. “It already has a nice feeling, and I want to focus on the food and service.”

His menu will be French, but casual and flexible. He said it will include some French bistro classics but won’t be bound by tradition. He plans to make the menu seasonal, inspired by French regional cooking. The average check might be $30, but he said that if he wants to put foie gras on the menu as a special for $25 or offer sweetbreads, he’ll do it. Lunch will be less expensive than dinner, he said.

Since Jean-Robert at Pigall’s closed in February, de Cavel has worked as an adviser at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State, has done catering and is currently preparing Friday night dinners before Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concerts at Music Hall.He said he will stay involved at Midwest Culinary, and the symphony dinners will continue.“But I need a home base,” he said. “A place that’s good fun, where the service is attentive.”

Mayberry - a new joint to eat downtown.

I need to do some digging to find out whether Tom's Pies is still around, but in the meantime I'm glad to see a storefront get filled with another great dining option! I hope they will be open during weekends or at night - there's nothing worse than being left out of the culinary loop in downtown, which happens all too often. The thing that i love is that the food is very gourmet-y, but super reasonable. I haven't gotten to have one of the great sammies and sides they make at World Food Bar yet, but everytime i walk by their counter, I'm salivating!

World Food Bar Restaurant Group opening Mayberry downtown this November
Soapbox, 10/13/2009

This November, the team of chef Josh Campbell and Corey Weitmarschen will open Mayberry at 915 Vine Street in Downtown Cincinnati. The restaurant is the second establishment for the team which opened World Food Bar earlier this year.

Once open, Mayberry will have a grass-roots American eatery menu style including their specialty known simply as "The Burger" - a certified Angus Burger topped with Scott Farm Pepper Bacon, sweet onion marmalade and fried egg on a brioche bun.The World Food Bar Restaurant Group says that the breakfast and lunch eatery will serve "casual no-fuss food" and offer all lunch entrees for $7.

The 1,060 square-foot restaurant space offers seating for approximately 30 people, with an additional 8 spots outside along Vine Street. Campbell and Weitmarschen also say that the atmosphere will be "clean family fun" that will feature a modern twist in the decor. "Mayberry is going to focus on the who, what and where of Cincinnati with the efforts of paintings by artist Tomas Englert," said Campbell about the new restaurant space. The new restaurant will employ six people and be the group's first sit down restaurant. "World Food Bar was an opportunity to be noticed in the community, but we're looking forward to this new venture," said Campbell. "It is the perfect location in the central business district."

Mayberry will be open Monday through Friday from 7am to 3pm in the former Tom's Pot Pies location (map) near the Court Street Marketplace.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Awesome weekend in Cincy

There is so much great stuff going on this weekend, the city is busting at the seams! Although i missed MPMF last weekend (again), i fully intend to make it up with all the cool stuff going on around downtown!

First off, stuff going on Friday night:
Exploring Cincinnati Betts House, 416 Clark St., West End5-8pm, Fri 2 Oct FREE Exploring Cincinnati is an exhibit of the photography of local artists Sherman Cahal, Craig Moyer and Ronny Salerno. The exhibit runs at the Betts House until 19 Nov.

Sip Shop Socialize (A Progressive Wine walk) in OTR's Gateway Qtr. Friday 5pm - 7 pm then over to Below Zero Lounge for the "Be Social Cabaret"

PopopolisFountain Square, downtown 7-11pm, Fri 2 Oct and Sat 3 Oct
FREE Two stages of non-stop live music will keep the Square poppin' on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday's kick-off begins with a reunion of bands who played in the Southgate House Popopolis days back in 1998 to 2002. Saturday, local and regional Pop bands take the stage. Schedule of bands is
here

Hyper Gallery Hop 6-10pm
Location: Downtown Covington, multiple venues
Description: The Hyper Gallery Hop will be the kick off event of Full Spectrum, a month long series of weekend art events in the City of Covington. Stop in at the Artisan Enterprise Center located at Seventh and Washington to choose one of three distinct gallery hop tours featuring art and art related excitement! Shuttles provided by Gold Key Transportation Pick up points are in front of the Artisans Enterprise Center and will take you to Mainstrasse and the East end of Covington to enjoy each of the tours on offer. Website
here

Cool stuff on Saturday -

1st Annual Westwood Art Show
Westwood Town Hall Grounds, 3017 Harrison Ave., Westwood12-5pm, Sat 3 Oct
This event features 30 local artists, music by Barddas, a wine tasting from Henke Winery, and tasty treats from Larosa's and Sweet Miss Confections.

Popopolis
Fountain Square, downtown 7-11pm, Fri 2 Oct and Sat 3 Oct
FREE Two stages of non-stop live music will keep the Square poppin' on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday's kick-off begins with a reunion of bands who played in the Southgate House Popopolis days back in 1998 to 2002. Saturday, local and regional Pop bands take the stage. Band schedule is
here.

Spring Grove Weekend Walkabout: Trees - Vivid & VibrantSpring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati10am, Sat 3 Oct$5 suggested donation. How many times have you strolled through 'The Grove' and wondered, 'What kind of tree is that?' Join a docent on this fun tour of the many trees that make Spring Grove an officially sanctioned arboretum. Tours depart from the tent near the main entrance. Website here

Fantasy Fest
Date of Event:Saturday, October 3rd12 – 6:30pm Parade and Festival
7:30pm Razzmatazz Gala at Leapin Lizard Gallery, 726 Main Street
Description:Fantasy Fest, a family friendly event for both young and young at heart takes place in MainStrasse Village and includes an afternoon of crafters and street performers. Fantasy Fest invites visitors to tour Mainstrasse, where over 70 tiny doors can be found as portals from the fairy realm! At 5:30 everyone is invited to participate in the foot parade around the Islands and down Main Street. The Razzamatazz Gala to be held at the Leapin Lizzard Gallery beginning at 7:30 pm will feature the music of Sylvester and the River City String Band, Barbara Baxter and Mr. Elf and includes a Fairy Window Auction.The Auction is a Fund Raiser For a Scholarship program For Baker Hunt Children's Art Classes. This is an opportunity to participate and wear your FANTASY FINERY! Website
here

And don't forget the Nina and the Pinta (or was it the Santa Maria) are still docked @ Newport! Have a great weekend!!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The Candy Bar - now in Covington

I get the weekly Soapbox email, with info on things going on in the downtown area, including Covington and Newport. When i read the article below, i was so excited. I had heard that candy stores are doing very well in the recession, and hope this place also has the same luck.

The Candy Bar has brought the old neighborhood style candy shop back to Nky
Soapbox, 9/22/2009

Joe Barta has always had a dream to open up a candy store like the old neighborhood style he remembers as a child. On Labor Day weekend Barta's dream came true when he opened The Candy Bar in Covington's Mainstrasse Village.While the business has always been a dream of Barta's, he had always thought it might be a retirement venture until the struggling job market fast-tracked his plans earlier this year. After tossing the idea around with his family, Barta then took his general business plan to Northern Kentucky University's Small Business Development Center where they refined his plan and determined that his business venture was indeed a good one.

The Small Business Development Center was a "tremendous help" according to Barta who was unsure whether it was the right time to open such an establishment. "Fortunately we were able to get the traffic from the UK/Miami football game, Riverfest, and Oktoberfest celebrations on Mainstrasse," said Barta.The 300 square-foot store located between the fountain and clocktower on Mainstrasse is in a spot that Barta loves. "It's family friendly, there is a park immediately across the street, and has access to lots of festivals," he says. "I would love to buy the building and move my family upstairs while running the store out of the retail space on the first level," said Barta.The Candy Bar currently offers around 250 different types of candy; some of which date back more than 100 years. The types of available candy is still growing - as a unique feature the store offers a board at the front of the shop where customers can request a particular candy that they may remember from their childhood.Barta notes that candy bars sell for around $1, and several candies are sold as two or three for a quarter. "Candy is a treat and you don't need the supersize me mentality when it comes to buying candy."

The Candy Bar does not sell a lot of bulk sizes. The store is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 9pm, Sunday from 1pm to 8pm and is closed on Mondays.

Great classes through Cincy parks!

I signed up the other day for an art class for adults through Cincinnati Parks, and in looking through their fall program schedule I noticed that they have a lot of wonderful offerings for adults, kids and families. The class i signed up for three Saturdays, with art supplies included and was only 40$, which is a fraction of what other classes would cost, not counting the cost of supplies for the classes. Since all of the programs are very reasonable, I thought I'd share the info with others in the hopes that they too sign up!

Honeybees: California’s Gold Rush
Sat., Sept., 26, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. – California Woods Nature Preserve
Who knew there was California Gold right here in our area? Our “gold” is sweet, golden honey. We will have open hive demonstrations with live bees, beekeeping tools and close up pictures in our Nature Center, games, and tasting. Naturalist-led hikes to the meadow for open hive demonstrations will be at 2 and 3 pm. Meet at the Nature Center. Call 231-8678 for information.

Magic Forest Walks
Fri. & Sat., Oct. 23 - 24 – Caldwell Nature Preserve
Walk through a pumpkin-lit trail meeting costumed characters from nature and history. This is a non-scary holiday walk best suited to children ages 3-10 years. Hikes start at 7:00 p.m., and leave every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Each hike lasts about 1 hour.
Cost: $4 per person.
Reservations required; call 321-6070.

Fall Foliage Walks
Sat., Oct. 31, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. – Burnet Woods
Take a walk through beautiful Burnet Woods to discover the secrets behind the annual fall color change, learn how to identify trees by their fall color and discover how the local wildlife is preparing for the coming winter. Meet in front of Trailside Nature Center. Call 751-3679 for more information.

College Hill Pumpkin Patch Festival
Sat., Oct. 10, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. – College Hill Park
The annual festival returns with food, entertainment, children’s activities, craft sales, plant sales, the finale of the Farm Market, and the ever-popular Scarecrow Contest. No fee for most events, Free parking at Aiken High School.

Fourth Annual Pumpkin Chuck
Sat., Nov. 7, – Stanbery Park
Bring your own pumpkin or watch as others launch them up to 500 feet into the air using a trebuchet. There is a launching fee per pumpkin. Other activities include face painting, kids crafts and hot air balloons, weather permitting. For more details, check out the Mt. Washington Community Council website: www.mwcc.org

Vermicomposting Workshop
Fri., Nov. 20, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. – LaBoiteaux Woods
An indoor worm bin can be a fascinating way to recycle your kitchen waste into rich compost for your favorite plants. Thanks to the support of the Solid Waste Management District, Hamilton County residents can start vermi-composting for a fraction of the usual cost. You get everything you need, including instruction, the bin with worms and a helpful book for a $20 fee. Just add kitchen waste and save landfill space! Email Pat.agnew@cincinnati-oh.gov for details. Prepaid registration is required by November 13.

Amazing Race Family Challenge
Sun., Nov. 8, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. – Ault Park
Join the fun with other families as you go through the trails of Ault Park competing in nature version of the amazing race. We will have different challenges along the way along with roadblocks. Small prizes will be awarded to our contestants. Geared for families with children ages 5-12. Reservations are required. Meet at the pavilion. Call 761-4313 for more information and to reserve a spot for your family.

Annual Holiday Craft Workshop
Fri., Dec. 4, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. – LaBoiteaux Woods Nature Preserve OR Sat., Dec. 5, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. – LaBoiteaux Woods Nature Preserve
Bring the family to enjoy crafts with natural materials or a nature theme. Choose what you want to make from selections suited to all ages. Staff will instruct and advise, but the personal touches are up to you. Go home with several completed projects to brighten your home for the holidays. Fee: $5 per person or $12 per family. Paid reservations are required for this popular event. Use the registration form on page 14 and note the number of people and children’s ages.
Call 542-2909 for more information.

Winter in the Woodlands
Sat., Dec. 12, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. OR 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. – California Woods
Families and adults can follow a luminaria-lit trail on a leisurely self-guided walk, make crafts and enjoy lively music by a crackling fire. Paid reservations required by Dec. 10. $5 per person. Use the registration form on page 14. Call 231-8678 for information.

Maple in Mt. Airy
Sat., March 6, 2010 – Oak Ridge Lodge, Mt. Airy Forest
Come enjoy the magic of turning maple sap into sugar. After treating your taste buds to a delicious pancake breakfast, travel by haywagon to another site within the park to interact with costumed characters from the past and learn the history of maple sugaring. All ages are welcome to enjoy this event. Fee: $7.00 per person. Paid reservations required; call 321-6070.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Streetcar "Open House" Opportunity for Q&A

SEPT 22 - NOV 18
The City of Cincinnati is hosting a series of 10 open houses throughout the city to provide information on the proposed modern streetcar system. City staff will be on hand to answer questions from the public and to present information about topics such as what the modern streetcars look like, the economic benefits, the costs, how they operate, and the route. Additionally, the public will be asked to provide comments on the system and particularly the "connector route" to Uptown. This is the path the streetcar will take from its downtown route to Uptown, which includes the area around the University of Cincinnati, the hospitals, and the zoo. The first open houses will be held Tuesday, September 22 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut Street in downtown Cincinnati.
Click here for more information and scheduling.

Local 127 opens

So they opened the restaurant that will be where the former Pigalls was - it sounds cool, but there's really not been any mention of when the new bar Toxic Union will open (terrible name by the way). I heard the servers wear Chuck Taylors as part of their uniforms. I like it a lot! Hopefully the chef helming the restaurant will get along well with the Wades....

Local 127, the restaurant concept succeeding the former Pigall’s downtown with a focus on “farm-to-table” cuisine, opened Tuesday.Twist Lounge, the popular cocktail club located beside the former Pigall’s restaurant, will reopen as Tonic Union.
The restaurant, first announced in August, will be operated by the Relish Restaurant Group, headed by Martin and Marilyn Wade. The chef will be Steven Geddes, also a master sommelier, whose experience includes Aureole at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Wolfgang Puck’s Trattoria del Lupo and his own restaurants, Alchemy Kitchen and Asia in Las Vegas. Geddes is joined by fellow chef Kyle Johnson.
In a press release, Geddes described Local 127 is a new American eatery with an emphasis on farm-to-table dining, relying on local sources.
The former Pigall’s had been operated by French chef Jean-Robert de Cavel and the Wades, his backers. But the partnership broke up in February and the restaurant closed soon after. The Wades’ other restaurants include JeanRo Bistro, Lavomatic, Greenup Café and Chalk.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

New Tower Place Watch Party tonight!

There is an event being put together tonight to allow people to meet up and discuss the Presidential address that will be aired tonight. Be sure to RSVP if you are attending - it should be an interesting night - i'm definitely glad there's no booze being served!

THE NEW TOWER PLACE WATCH PARTY - SEPT 9
Explore issues of race, equality and social justice with members of the Cincinnati community at the After Obama: Race & Politics in Cincinnati Watch Party at The New Tower Place tonight from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Watch the discussion, ask questions, share opinions and interact live with panelists through email and Twitter. The discussion will feature WCPO-TV News Anchor Clyde Gray as host, along with former congressman and UN Ambassador Andrew Young and more. This event is presented by Lincoln Legacy: A Cincinnati Celebration of Freedom and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The Watch Party is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required - click here. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the live broadcast runs from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. Enjoy free appetizers and soft drinks provided by Funky's Catering at 7:30 p.m. The New Tower Place is located at 28 W. Fourth Street. (Parking is available at Tower Place Parking Garage off Fourth Street, Race Street and Elm Street).

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Christian Moerlein to open Biergarten on the banks

As much as i enjoy sitting out @ Hofbrauhaus' Beirgarten with a beer in hand on a nice night, i'm super excited to hear there will be an alternative on the OH side of the river!
Moerlein to open riverfront park beer garden

From the Business Courier of Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Park Board has announced an agreement with Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. to develop a restaurant and beer garden at Cincinnati’s new Central Riverfront Park.
Parks Director Willie Carden said the project will involve a lager house, restaurant and microbrewery of up to 15,000 square feet to be constructed on a development pad across from Great American Ball Park. The restaurant, to be called the Moerlein Lager House, will seat 500 inside and 600 in the beer garden.

The Lager House will be built on Main Street as part of the 45-acre park now under construction next to the Banks riverfront development, according to a news release. Preliminary designs for the two-story building include a green roof, balconies and terraces with views of the river, Roebling Suspension Bridge and the ballpark.

"We were looking for a restaurant concept for the new park that would be completely unique to Cincinnati and inspire feelings of 'Wow!'" Carden said in the release.

Plans call for construction of the Lager House to begin in the first quarter of 2010, with the opening scheduled for spring, 2011. The financial terms of the deal have not yet been finalized.
The restaurant will be on a portion of the new city park that sits atop a parking garage, overlooking the Ohio River. The park board secured Cincinnati City Council authorization Wednesday afternoon to negotiate a preferred development agreement for the restaurant.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Nuvo has closed!

I was checking my email while out of town and found the following note in my inbox. Sadly, i was never able to get there, though i did have a gift cert i had hoped to use. Their tapas menu sounded awesome, and i'm sorry that i wasn't able to get there sooner. :(

To All Our Friends,

It is with great regret that I must tell you that NuVo will be closing their doors for the last time under current ownership on Saturday, August 29.

The slow down in the economy and some unfortunate decisions made earlier have finally caught up with us and
has made it difficult for us to continue. We truly thought that based on our small size we would be able to withstand this slow
period and hold out until the economy turned around but unfortunately that has not happened.

I felt it necessary to step outside this industry's standard and not simply close the door without telling those of you who have
supported us this past year how instrumental you have been in allowing us to fulfill some of our dreams.
It has been a pleasure meeting so many amazing people and sharing stories and laughing about our passions for food and wine.

I hope you continue to support your local farmers as they are the ones who truly make this world go around.

And I ask that you continue to support your local restaurants as well.
This area has so many great places to dine and many of them are locally owned.

On behalve of Chefs Michael, Meagan, and Mark and our other staff, Megan, Alyce, Kristina, Stephanie, and Darryl,
Thank You!

Eddie Carter
Owner
NuVo
527 York St
Newport, KY 41071
859-261-1222

Microbrew in Ft Thomas

Having spent some time in the pacific northwest recently, I really got to enjoy the benefits of having so many good microbrews. As glad as i am that Christian Morelin (sp) and Burger beers are back, I'm craving more beers for us to enjoy that are locally produced (and no, HBH does not count). Just as I'm starting to get nostalgic for the great microbeers i had in WA and OR, an email came in and gave me hope - there's another microbrew that's in town and its attached to what sounds like a great restaurant! Read on below:

Red Ear Brewing Co. starting microbrewery at Vito's Cafe
Soapbox, 9/1/2009
Vito's Cafe has historically been known for its singing servers that always entertain the guests, but now the restaurant is home to Cincinnati's newest microbrewery offering seasonal beers with a personal touch.The microbrewery will be run by Matt Wehmeyer, son of Vito's owners Mary and Vito Ciepiel. Wehmeyer's new business venture is named Red Ear Brewing Company after a familiar fish he used to catch called the "Red Ear Sunfish.""I remember seeing a hundred different beers on the shelf and not knowing anything about them," says Wehmeyer. A recent trip to Asheville, NC is what really sparked him to move forward with starting his own brewing company."I took a trip to Asheville where they have like seven microbreweries, and I thought to myself that we needed more microbrews here in Cincinnati," says Wehmeyer. Red Ear is one of the first microbreweries in Northern Kentucky and one of the few in the Cincinnati region.Wehmeyer took a class on how to do home brews at Thomas More College, where he learned the basics of brewing. The first two batches of beer produced at Vito's were five and ten gallons respectively, and the restaurant sold their first Endless Summer Ale on August 9th just after they got their license.Currently Red Ear is producing about 20 gallons a week of their Endless Summer Ale which will be sold through the end of September. The plan, Wehmeyer says, is to start very small and continually grow and learn to brew bigger and better batches of beer. The next seasonal beer will be a bolder brew more often found during the winter season.The next step for Red Ear is to obtain a retail license so they can start selling their beer at stores and festivals around town, but for now Wehmeyer is content with turning out a high-quality product in small batches each week.As for Wehmeyer, he says that he loves fellow Cincinnati microbrews like Mt. Carmel and Barrelhouse, but he also really enjoys Kalamazoo microbrewing giant, Bell's Oberon.Vito's Cafe is located at 654 Highland Avenue, Suite 29 in Ft. Thomas (map), and is open Wednesday through Thursday from 5pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 11pm, and Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. The Endless Summer Ale is sold in pints for $4.50.

side note - they offer brewing classes @ Thomas More?!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Theater @ The Know


Know Theater ad, originally uploaded by brainy_nikki.


Growing up in Chicago, i never really went to "theater" as much as i went to "musicals". With so many great venues to see shows in, we usually went to at least one a year, and during that time i managed to see some great singing/dancing/what have you. While the Arnoff tries hard to have lots of good shows come through during the course of the theater season, I'm usually more than a little unimpressed with what is there to offer. For example, Mamma Mia was good the first time, but its been here every year for the past 4 years - are they even selling out shows? Sometimes we go there to see a show, but i often battle with the guilt from what i think are more than a little exorbitant ticket prices. Now, I'm not a stage manager and i don't know what it takes money-wise to run a show, but i do think 90+ for good seats at a show is a bit much, and often times the Playhouse isn't much better. Although i know 9 times out of 10 I'll like a musical, theater is a much more curious creature - you never really know if you'll like what you get, and I'm one who hates to waste money on bad theater.


That being said, last year i went to a few shows @ the Know Theater on Jackson Street and felt like I'd found a new place to go enjoy some good regional theater. We had been to a few other playhouses around town, and the Know was by far the most professionally done and well organized. My first show there was "Reefer Madness" which was hilarious and i can only hope is brought back - i laughed from the moment the show started till it ended. The second show i saw was the "Scientology Christmas Pageant" (i can't remember the title in full) which was also hilarious and an excellent satire on Scientology. The best things about the theater is that not only is there not a bad seat in the house - there's literally 80 seats to choose from - but thanks to a grant, tickets were only 12$! I'm not sure if tickets are still going to be that price this year, but i think it may be a possibility, which means I'll be back for more. I just got an email today detailing some shows they will be putting on next weekend as well as info on the season subscription costs, and i was happy to see it looks like the Know is still a well-priced way to enjoy the arts. Right now, you can buy a season subscription to 5 shows for 60$, which is a GREAT deal! You can buy them here


"The Reckoning" on 8/27-8/29 looks awesome, particularly since I'm often mocking powerpoint abuse and corporate lingo. Also happening on the 28th, in the open space area in front of the theater (where the bar is), there will be an improv show that you can go to for $5! If you don't want to shell out the 12$ to see an official "show", then throw 5$ their way, grab a drink at the bar and sit down for some improv, which is always a good investment. If you have the time and want to do something other than drink at a bar/watch tv/sit around - get out and see some good theater in downtown Cincinnati. It will cost you about as much as drinks at happy hour or a dinner out, so it can be a guilt-free expenditure!

Cincy Fringe: The Reckoning Unleash The Powerpoint Within You

Know Theatre of Cincinnati is proud to present an encore presentation of The Success Show. Let us all successulate. You are invited to a motivational and wealth-building seminar that goes horribly, horribly awry. Enjoy massive PowerPoint failures, divisive team-building exercises, and perhaps the most provocative uses of the words "synergy", "leverage", George Alexander as Denny and "successulation" ever to be put into a recession-era comedy.Named a "must see" and "simply one of the funniest shows" of the 2009 Cincinnati Fringe Festival.

Written by Michael Comstock. Starring George Alexander and Randy Lee Bailey. Stage Managed by Josh Neumeyer. A Finite Number of Monkeys Production. You can purchase tickets online or call 513.300.5669

Stick Around After Vine-L Friday 8/28 Also seen at the 2009 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Incredulity returns for one more performance as part of VINE-L Friday, the Final Friday event on Vine Street in the Gateway Quarter. Incredulity is an improv show that will be done for the first and last time each night it is performed. We will take suggestions from our audiences, put them into our random device, and create the show on the spot. Failure is a distinct possibility. Improvisers thrive on the risk and tension that comes from the presence of failure. You won't believe what's happening right in front of your eyes. Of course you won't, that's the name of the show. Performance of Incredulity

Friday, August 28 @ 10pm

Jackson Street Underground & Bar Doors open at 9:30

Walk-up Sales Only, $5

Playing at Know Theatre of Cincinnati

Thursday, August 20, 2009

2009 Rubber Duck Regatta!

If you have been pretty much anywhere around town, you may have noticed signs/flyers/50 foot inflatable rubber ducks on the roofs of buildings. I would argue this should be your clue that the Rubber Duck Regatta is coming up soon! Every year, the Freestore Foodbank has a "regatta" where people buy rubber ducks that are set down the river (for a short span) and the one that comes in first place is the winner of a prize. This year, its a 2010 Honda Insight. Personally, I'm always up for giving back and (even more importantly in this case) i'm ALWAYS up for a shiny new car, so this event is up my alley! You can buy the ducks online here , or @ Findlay Market or multiple other locations around town. If you get a special kind of duck, you can win 1million dollars as well! However, since this whole thing raises around 4 million dollars, i guess good taste would dictate that you give the prize back to the foodbank. There's more info below on the regatta - 5 dollars is cheaper than lunch at chipotle, so what do you have to lose?! If anything, this is an awesomely creative way to raise money, so hats off to Freestore!
Here's the official page for the Rubber Duck Regatta, and the info from the "about" page is below.

Duck Season is officially open!
Make sure to be a part of the Freestore Foodbank’s Rubber Duck Regatta! This Regatta is the largest and longest-running rubber duck race in the nation. This year will mark the fifteenth anniversary of the Regatta, which has cumulatively raised over $4,000,000 for the Freestore Foodbank. The ducks will drop at 3:00pm on Sunday, September 6th as part of Riverfest, the Cincinnati Bell-WEBN fireworks extravaganza.
Over 85,000 rubber duckies will be dropped from the Purple People Bridge into the Ohio River and swim quarter mile along the Serpentine Wall. Each duck has a unique number for each duck purchase. Ducks can be purchased HERE for $5 each or “buy 5, get 1 free” for $25!
This year’s winning duck holder will receive a 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid! If your duck is one of the unique the Million Dollar Ducks, you will receive $1,000,000 in addition to the car!
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors in covering the cost of the event, all the money raised from duck sales will go directly to the Freestore Foodbank to help those in community in need.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Great Inland Seafood Festival


Great Inland Seafood Festival, originally uploaded by foeraus.

This weekend, both sides of the Ohio Riverbanks were bustling with festivals. The Black Family Reunion was happening on the Ohio side of the river, and the Great Inland Seafood Festival was happening on the Kentucky side. Having visited the Black Family Reunion festivities before, a visit to see what the KY side of the river had to offer seemed in order.

That being said, I was impressed that the vendors had such a varied amount of foods available. From the lobster rolls, to the coconut shrimp and the seafood medley, the spread had something for everyone. There were about 15 seafood vendors there, and all had multiple iterations of seafood available. I expected there to be Cajun food available, but was surprised to see not one but two Greek seafood vendors (I think from the same family).

There were other non-food booths there – folks selling sunglasses, a Skoal booth, and another tent had jewelry and knit items along with ice cream and sno-cones and of course there was plenty of alcohol for those who wanted it. There was also a music stage, and music was planned for much of the festival by a variety of acts including a Beatles cover band.

When we showed up, it was towards the end of the night, and as the heat was dying, people were coming out to partake in the food. They had 1-pound lobsters for sale for $10.95, but (unsurprisingly) they sold out Saturday afternoon. The vendors really seemed to enjoy interacting with the crowds, and their booths all were decorated in a whimsical manner (pirate’s flags, giant fish on the signs, etc.). Maybe I don’t dabble in seafood nearly enough, but we did not see local vendors that we recognized other than Bella Luna. I’m not sure why Washington Platform, Bonefish or even Mitchell’s were not there, but my only guess could be that the extra expense would not be worth it to them financially.

Before coming out, I checked the local papers (City Beat, Metromix, KY Enquirer), and from what I could see there were no print ads for the festival, just mentions in the weekend calendars of events. Beyond those papers, I really didn’t see much advertising for this festival, which may have been due to the economy. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived the “Newport Ambassadors” had been sent home, so we really couldn’t get much info from them about the history of the festival.

Some of the long-time vendors there told me that the crowds were smaller this year, but that could have been due to multiple reasons. From what we were told, in the past it was tied to a boat festival on the Ohio River, and last year turn out was very good. However, the boat show was cancelled this year due to the economy, and it’s anyone’s guess as to if it will come back at all. If that’s the case, my vote would be to move this to either late spring or early fall – for me, the thought of buying fresh seafood in 90 degree heat just doesn’t appeal, and I LOVE seafood! Personally, I don’t understand the reasoning behind having a festival like the Great Inland Seafood Festival during the hottest month of the year.

As festivals go, this one was definitely a different one than many of the festivals we have during the summer. While the programming around it was pretty nominal (aside from live music), it definitely had a more relaxed feel than the Taste of Cincinnati and most of the other events in the downtown Cincinnati/riverbanks area. I feel like the folks there are the same kind who go to Jimmy Buffet concerts – real laid back and looking to have a good time. Maybe one visit is enough for some, but if anything go at least once for the fun vendors and atmosphere!

Tip if you go next year: If you go, you’ll pay at least 5$ for parking down by JB Fink’s. Since we biked, we didn’t have to deal with that added expense. If you were to drive to this, I’d advise going to park at the Levee (where it’s cheaper), and spending some time there either before or after the festival to make it worthwhile. Since this festival is a bit smaller than others, you could probably walk around, eat some food and leave probably within 1-2hrs if you don't want to stay for music.

Cut backs force the stopping of yard waste pick up

Just saw this article on wcpo.com - it looks like they'll still pick up yard waste, but it will be going on the same trucks as the trash. Come fall time, its going to be a bit of a mess though! I'm glad i dont have a large lawn to do yard work in....

Cincinnati Eliminating Yard Waste Pickup
Web Produced By: Ashley Stier
Last Update: 8/18 5:09 pm

This Friday will be the last day for yard waste pickup in the City of Cincinnati.
Crews will no longer separately pick up yard waste and trash, but will if it's mixed together.
Officials are asking that residents learn to compost with the waste or chop it to use for mulch.
With the City of Cincinnati facing a $28 million deficit, the decision to stop yard waste collection was made by City Manager Milton Dohoney.

It's not clear how much money dropping the service will save.

The yard waste can be taken to four drop-off sites throughout the county.

Over-the-Rhine: Cincinnati's Overlooked Opportunity

Reading this week's soapbox, an article drew attention to a gathering happening in OTR on Thurday night to discuss the fate of, well, OTR. With so many beautiful buildings standing vacant in our urban core, isn't there more that can be done to save some of them? I'm sure some are too burnt out to restore and rebuild, but i can't believe that every old building deserves to be demolished - just look at Liberty Hill and all the beautiful old buildings there that are in good condition! I know that 3CDC is doing a lot of good work for our community, but I hate to think that buildings are being sold off to developers that may otherwise be restored to their former glory.


Over-the-Rhine: Cincinnati's Overlooked Opportunity
Soapbox, 8/18/2009
Over-the-Rhine is not only a regional jewel, but a national landmark neighborhood with one of the most significant historic districts in the entire country as well as one of the largest - even bigger than New Orleans' French Quarter and Charleston's Historic District. Unfortunately, local preservationists believe the neighborhood is often overlooked by many Cincinnatians.

The Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) feels that the neighborhood that was added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of "Eleven Most Endangered Historic Resources" is too important a resource and too great an opportunity to overlook.As a result, CPA and the Over-the-Rhine Foundation will be hosting "Over-the-Rhine: Cincinnati's Overlooked Opportunity" at Memorial Hall (GoogleMap) on Thursday, August 20 at 5:30pm within the historic neighborhood. The public presentation will include an overview of the neighborhood's economic potential and its rate of destruction, a summary of why the neighborhood is threatened, and solutions to stop the destruction.CPA states that studies indicate that historic districts play an important role in economic development by holding their values better in down markets than similarly situated non-historic areas, attracting and retaining skilled professionals, and by creating jobs and wealth.

If Over-the-Rhine were to be approached properly by local officials and business leaders, CPA says that it could "reap huge economic returns" for Cincinnati.CPA also warns that the historic neighborhood is just four demolitions away from passing 50 percent destruction of its historic fabric. Roughly 200 buildings in Over-the-Rhine are currently threatened by the wrecking ball.The Cincinnati Preservation Association says that, "every month, salvageable buildings — some with great architectural significance — are demolished. As this happens, the neighborhood’s potential to create jobs and redefine the City of Cincinnati is being lost. Worse, tens-of-millions of dollars of taxpayer money is being wasted to destroy this economic potential."

"Over-the-Rhine: Cincinnati's Overlooked Opportunity" will have an initial reception at 5:30pm followed by the presentation at 6pm. There is a suggested donation of $5 with all proceeds going to benefit the Cincinnati Preservation Association and the Over-the-Rhine Foundation. Drinks will be provided.For more information contact CPA at (513) 721-4506 or info@cincinnatipreservation.org.