City Noise

Great events this weekend and beyond!

2010-05-14T17:03:00.002-04:00

So, its been awhile (again) since i posted - still busy with the crafting stuff and bound to be even more busy as i approach next weekend's OTR festival (info below). I'll be vending there and at Second Sundays on Main under my "Uniquely Upcycled" brand so stop by!

Here's some cool stuff to check out in the meantime:

Kings and Queens of Trivia, Fri 5/14 @ Adonis
The Planned Parenthood Young Professionals group is excited to present the 3rd Annual Kings and Queens of Trivia event! Join us for a drag show, sex trivia contest, food, drinks and prizes. The event is hosted by the amazing Hershae Chocolate, featuring performances by Cincinnati's darling Krystal LaMour!For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.ppyp.org.

Mobo Fundraiser, Sat 5/15 @ Mayday
On Saturday, May 15th, MoBo Bicycle Cooperative will host its 4th Annual Fundraiser Party at Mayday (4231 Spring Grove Ave.) in Northside. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. The event will run until midnight. Tickets are $8 for members and $10 for non-members and include a complimentary drink.The evening’s theme is MoBo Tango, and will feature a diverse mix of musical acts including The Tillers, The Chocolate Horse, harpist Elizabeth Motter, and DJs Northside Nick and Fishfischer. Food and refreshments will be provided throughout the evening from favorite local eateries, drink specials run all night long, and a silent auction and raffle will be held until 10 p.m. All funds raised will support programming and overhead costs for the upcoming season. This event is part of Mayday’s month-long MayFest celebration and Cincinnati’s Bike Month.Thanks to our event sponsor, Christian Moerlain, Metro Scooter for tshirts and every business and individual who has generously donated items for the auction.

Or, if you want to stay downtown after the big ball game, there's:
Grammer's Beer Garden Grand Opening Party - 5/15 8pm-midnight
No cover, pretty self explanatory - Comet Bluegrass Allstars will be playing.

Movie Night @ Grammers on Tuesday nights at 8pm & 10pm. This month is honoring bike month, so if you stop by you'll see a bike themed movie! They have this every month so if you miss it, make sure you go when the weather is nice - they'll play the movies outside and you can enjoy a beer while taking in a show - FOR FREE!

Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost ArkWednesday, May 26th, 7 p.m.THE 20TH CENTURY THEATRE IN OAKLEY! 3021 Madison Road FREE!!!Yes, the awesome 20th Century Theater is letting us screen one of our movies in their giant space on their giant screen, and it’s going to be one of the best Cincinnati nights you’ve ever had. FOOD AND DRINK WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE (including alcoholic drinks), so please come hungry/thirsty! (Seriously, they’re unbelievably nice for letting us do this - and for free - so if you’re coming, please buy a beer or soda or popcorn or other food/drink so they can get something out of this.) Another free movie opportunity here, folks and the 20th century is being used for what it was originally intended! Bring your sense of nostalgia and enjoy!

2nd Annual OTR/Gateway Summer Celebration, 10AM - 7pm
Vine St. between 12th and 13th Sts., Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, OH kicks off at 10:00 AM with the GO OTR 5K Run. The rest of the day will be filled with music, food, art and craft. 8 food vendors, 20 art/craft vendors, 6 bands on the main stage, Christian Moerlein Beer Truck, The Gargantuan Gay Garage Sale. Good times all around!

Park + Vine Pleather Anniversary Party - 5/28 6pm-10pm, 1109 Vine Street
Park + Vine is celebrating three years (our pleather--not leather--anniversary) of green business 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 28. We’re commemorating this day with vegan fare from local foodie pals, a lineup of local musicians and American Sign Language interpreters organized by Liz Bowater, and a big push to help the Cincinnati Zoo collect cell phones on behalf of gorilla habitat conservation. In the spirit of giving, we’re donating 10 percent of all purchases May 28 to Future Blooms, a community beautification project of Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. Northside resident Joy Lohrer will give tours of her veggie car and demonstrate how to run a diesel vehicle with waste fryer grease 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Final friday in OTR - tonight!

2010-02-26T10:11:00.003-05:00

I have been pretty hit or miss with updating this lately. Primarily, that is because i have started my own little crafting business and have been greeted with more interest than i expected. I am now selling my items in three stores in Cincy under my label "Uniquely Upcycled" and the items being sold are handbags, accessories and some clothing made from materials that have been upcycled or refabricated from their original purpose. I have been keeping very busy, building inventory at Fabricate, Park + Vine and Atomic 10 and am happy to say it has panned out.
Tonight is Final Friday in Pendleton, on Main Street and on Vine. Atomic 10 is on Main Street, and is a very cute vintage boutique that is bursting at the seams with fabulous clothing (some of which i would love to use for raw materials, were it not for the high quality of the clothes). The owner was enthusiastic about selling the bags for Final Friday, but totally caught me off guard when she asked if she could have me kick off a monthly spotlight on a "featured artist" who makes use of upcycled materials. That being said, tonight I am being highlighted at her store!
If you have time, come down to Pendleton, Main Street or Vine Street and see what our arts community has to offer! If anything, you know there will be free food and drink (at some of the galleries) and excellent art/people watching! Highlights on other events can be found below:

Park + Vine, 1109 Vine Street – World Peace Jubilicious at Park + Vine: Feb. 26 Detour to Park + Vine, 1109 Vine Street, for artistic vegan fare from Chef Mark Stroud and kombucha and kraut from Fab Ferments. Local musician Doug Kreitzer will perform his favorite peace raps.Donations are greatly appreciated and will benefit Cincinnati’s own World Peace Earth Foundation. Be sure to check out Patrick Murphy Welage's laughter yoga class 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at You Do Yoga, 1319 Main Street, en route.
The Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street - Know Theatre will host a cabaret themed party with dancing, singing, and socializing to help support local actors in Cincinnati through the Acclaim Award's Guest Equity Artist Grant.Tickets are $10 or if you attend "Adding Machine: A Musical" that evening, they are only $5!"Adding Machine" cast members and local professional actors will be performing musical numbers. Additional performers to be announced. Cash bar will be available.
Venice on Vine, 1301 Vine Street - Venice on Vine will provide a special "Taste of Venice" with samples of our pizzas and hoagies. Also a photo exhibit, title TBA.
The Art Academy of Cincinnati, 1212 Jackson Street - reception and gallery talk for "Gary Gaffney: Sabbatical Exhibition." The reception is from 5-9 p.m.; gallery talk by Professor Gaffney at 7 p.m.

On a separate note, here is a cool event that Cincinnati Parks is running which i thought i would highlight:

Maple in Mt. Airy

Saturday, March 6th · Programs start at 11:30am, RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Mt. Airy Forest

Learn how people have tapped into this sugar source for centuries, interact with costumed sugar makers from the past, and taste maple sap, sugar and tea. Program lasts approx. 1 1/2 hrs.

Program Fee

: $7 per person

*A FREE pancake breakfast is provided before the Maple in Mt. Airy program begins, but seatings are by reservation only. Spots fill quickly - call 321-6070 to make reservations.

Art and nature - best things for the soul there is!

new tenant @ Findlay!

2010-02-09T11:00:00.003-05:00

From today's Soapbox Media, news of another vendor @ Findlay who is carrying items that are lovely and tasty! Stop by here for some delightful sweets and then grab a cup of tea @ Churchhills Fine Teas while shopping for wine, meats, and all sorts of other fun stuff there! I cant wait for the City Council to get off their duffs and start working on the street car so I can go down there on snowy days like today and not have to worry about parking (my bike likely won't cut it). As more fun vendors sign on, the parking situation is going to get worse and worse....

A long vacant space at Findlay Market will soon be filled by Skirtz & Johnston Fine Pastries and Chocolates. According to Findlay Market President/CEO Robert Pickford, the bakery will occupy a double store front at 111/113 West Elder Street on the south side of the Market House next to Krause's.

Pickford noted that the 1,342 square-foot space has not previously been occupied and has been available for about 26 months.

"This brings Findlay Market to 86 percent occupancy," said Pickford who went on to say that if current prospects work out that the occupancy rate could reach 90 percent soon. Skirtz & Johnston also fills several long awaited product niches in the market's overall product mix according to Pickford.

Going forward Findlay Market is hoping to secure additional fresh produce vendors, and preferably additional full-time fresh produce vendors like Daisy Mae's Market. Ethnic groceries, pubs and cafes, and other more traditional retail formats are also being pursued to fill out Findlay Market's product mix.

"The new bakery will bring activity, color, great aromas, and new life to the south side of the market square," said Pickford.

The new vendor for Findlay Market joins after a tremendous year for the historic marketplace that experienced a 23 percent increase in customer traffic with roughly 758,000 shopping visits made to Findlay Market in 2009. During that time the market also welcomed four new full-time businesses, and added Tuesday as a sixth day of operation year-round.

Grammar's Bar showing movies on Tuesdays!

2010-02-02T12:39:00.002-05:00

I know folks in Chicago who have outdoor movie nights in their local neighborhoods, where they project the movies onto a screen/sheet and i always thought it was such a great idea. Capitalizing on that idea, Grammar's has been doing something similar in the winter months at one of the larger rooms at their bar, with hopes to carry it over to the warmer part of the year. Its free to view and eat the popcorn and except for booze you buy, you dont even need to fork over dough for a ticket! What a great date idea. Tonight they're showing all Quentin Tarantino movies, with one starting at 6pm, 10 and 12. Each week its a different movie. Here's the blurb from City Beat, and you can easily sign up for updates by becoming a fan on Facebook.

Bored on Tuesday nights? Head to Grammer’s for their weekly movie night. Each Tuesday the bar screens two cult classic movies like The Breakfast Club or Dazed and Confused inside the Tarbell Room. The action has moved indoors because it’s freaking cold out, but in the spring the movies will be projected outside, “bike-in” style, in the beer garden. And, as always, Grammer’s will be providing drinkers and movie-goers with limitless free popcorn. To learn what movies are being screened each week, join the “Tuesday Night Movies at Grammer’s” group page on Facebook. They send out an e-mail the Monday before. Or just stop by the bar at 10 p.m. Free.

Superbowl Party in OTR

2010-01-22T13:16:00.001-05:00

Usually i'm home sitting on my butt during the game, but i saw the info below on the Urbancincy blog site and thought i would share it. 20$ for an open bar of locally brewed beers? AWESOME!

Super OTR Bowl Party at Venue 222 - 2/7

If you're still looking to make plans for the big game, look no more. Venue 222 and the Over-the-Rhine Foundation are co-hosting the first annual Super OTR Bowl Party from 5pm to 10pm on Sunday, February 7 at Venue 222's urban event space on 14th Street.
The cover charge for the event is $20 and will not only get you in the door, but also get you all the Moerlein Lager & Ales, Little Kings, Hudy Delight, Hudy 14-K, and Burger Classic you care to enjoy. Event organizers also say that there will be wine, soda and water also available. Food will be available for purchase (menu below) from Cincinnati's latest and greatest food mavens - Cafe de Wheels.
The best part about the event, besides the terrific food and drink available, is that all of the proceeds will go to support the Over-the-Rhine Foundation and their efforts to make the historic neighborhood the centerpiece of a revitalized Cincinnati. Organizers also state that there will be several large televisions and projection screens for game/commercial viewing.
Venue 222 (map) is located in the heart of the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, and is well-served by Metro bus routes. Reservations are required due to the limited seating available, and can be made online.

Cafe de Wheels Super OTR Bowl Menu
(beef provided by Avril-Bleh, rolls by Giminetti, and veggies from Daisy Mae's):

Burger /Sandwich Combo PICK TWO include Regular or Sweet potato fries $8.00 with 3 minis $10.00
Mini Wheels Burger; American cheese, lettuce, tomato, balsamic onion marmalade + Mike’s mayo
Mini Wheels Veggie Burger; Beets, brown rice, lentils, onions, carrots, mushrooms, eggs and more…
Mini Cincinnati Cuban; Sliced ham, Roasted Cuban pork, Baby Swiss, Grilled onions, Dill Pickle, Butter, Mustard
Mini Wheels Crispy Chicken, seasoned flour/buttermilk, with lettuce and tomato
Mett Grilled! Served with mustard, sauerkraut, onions, jalapeño peppers, relish.
Chili Fries de Mike; A basket of crinkle cuts topped with Mike’s Chili & Cheddar

Breast Cancer Benefit @ York St Cafe Fri and Sat

2010-01-15T09:52:00.002-05:00

We all know someone who has been touched by cancer in some way shape or form. This weekend, there is a very cool event going on at a very cool place - The York St Cafe! There are bands, raffles, art and of course - food downstairs, so if you have time and an extra 10$, check this cool event out!

One More Girl On A Stage Breast Cancer Benefit at York Street Café
Friday January 15 and Saturday January 16
$7 per night or $10 for a weekend pass, 18 and up welcome

The event includes a silent auction, split-the-pot raffle and an art gallery showing by several area artists.

Sarah Baker (Photography) Sarah has been interested in photography for 6 years and has primarily focused on the documentation of her Mother's battle with breast cancer, which has now become terminal. She is currently a junior at The Art Academy of Cincinnati. She attended Oak Hills High School and graduated in 2007.
Nancy Schafer (Photography) Nancy's passion for photography began over 30 years ago. She had a compelling interest in chronicling event and people-keeping a moment in time for all-a photograph. Nancy loves shooting live music performances and is a big supporter of local musicians.
Amand Phirman (Drawing) Amanda describes her work: "My black and white line drawings are a reflection of my process of comparing the urban and wilderness landscapes. The warped sense of space not only allows the viewer to see an organic formation of architecture- specifically early urban style homes- but also imitates a type of walking. These drawings are part of a series in which I continue to explore the similarities between the urban and wilderness landscapes as I am currently a student in my junior year at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. "
Jason Bechtel and Jeff Sevier (Photography) Jason and Jeff are the official photographers of the Cincinnati Rollergirls. They also have captured many great local and national music performers. Jason was the first official photographer of The Rivertown Music Club as well. Their display will feature lots of local ladies doing rock and roll kind of things.

Music:

Friday, January 15th
2nd Floor Stage: 7pm Vicki D'Salle 7:45pm Lauren Houston 8:45pm Tupelo Honey10 Vicki D'Salle 10:45pm Wonky Tonk 11:45pm Darlene (*thanks so much to Dana Hamblen and her new band for filling this spot last minute due to an illness!!)

Acoustic Stage 3rd Floor 7:30pm Raison D'etre 8:30pm Shiny and The Spoon 9:30pm Kate Haralson 10:30pm Carol Walker 11:30pm Audrey Cecil and Amanda Lucas

Saturday, January 16th
2nd Floor Stage 7pm Keshvar Project 8pm Vicki D'Salle 9pm J Dorsey Blues featuring Kristen Kreft 10pm Lydia Loveless 11pm Kelly Thomas and Ryan Malott with full band 12pm De Los Muertos

Acoustic Stage 3rd Floor 7 pm Robin and Joani Lacy 8pm Blue Confessions 9pm Honneycombs 10pm Smitten Hicks 11pm Jenny Ward 12pm Stick Figure Drawings

Jan 8-10

2010-01-08T12:59:00.003-05:00

For whoever reads this blog, let me first say i'm so sorry that i've done such a terrible job lately with updating my blog! Honestly, i've been really slammed lately with my side business - i currently am sewing women's bags, clothes and gender neutral accessories made from upcycled matierals. If you are on facebook, please feel free to look up Uniquely Upcycled!

In the meantime, heere are some good events to check out this weekend:

10th Anniversary SaleMetronation, 1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine11am Fri 8 Jan-4pm Sun 10 JanFREEStop by Metronation to congratulate George and Jerry on their store's 10-year anniversary, and enjoy 10% off any purchase of $10 or more, any single item from the clothing clearance rack for $10 regardless of itsoriginal price, an additional 10% off other clearance items, plus enter the raffle to win one of ten $10 gift certificates.
A New Year of Art The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington 6-9pm, Fri 8 JanFREE-$8
Families Create: Art Maps!Weston Art Gallery, 650 Walnut St., downtown10am-noon, Sat 9 Jan$8-$12Chicago-based Cincinnatian Steve Zieverink will guide you through his awe-inspiring site-specific installation and help you map the wonders of an artistic landscape you create.
Rookwood Pottery Tour Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr., Mt. Adams2-3pm, Sat 9 JanFREETour the CAM's Rookwood Pottery collection with a trained docent and lean about Rookwood Pottery and its history. Admission is free but parking is $4. -
College Hill Coffee Company is celebrating their 4th Anniversary with FUN this weekend! Tonight Adam Sanregret & Tracy Walker. 7:30-9:30pm. College Hill Coffee Company
6128 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH
A Shot in the Dark @ Fabricate -7-11pm at Fabricate 4012 Hamilton Ave. (Enter through Red Polly @ 4016). If you’ve ever been to see any band at almost any bar in Cincinnati, chances are you’ve seen Scott Beseler up in the mix snapping sweet-ass shots of the musicians that rock our faces off. He photographs his life and his life entails going to a lot of rock shows. This show is a rare chance to catch Beseler’s photography on display, as he almost never has art shows. Musical guests, The Cut In The Hill Gang, will play at 10:15 p.m. at Fabricate with additional entertainment provided by PROJECTMILL DJ’s, along with potable beverages and hors d’oeuvres.
After the show opening, follow everyone down to Mayday for the Fabricate After-Party that will be a rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza of epic proportions! The following 10 bands, several of which are featured in Beseler’s photography, will be playing mini sets: The Lions Rampant, You You're Awesome, The Jellyhearts, The Chocolate Horse, The Cincinnati Suds, Oxford Cotton, Matthew Shelton, My Wife the Tiger, J. Dorsey All-stars, Wonky Tonk

Full disclosure: the items i am sewing are being carried at Fabricate, but that's no reason for me not to promote a kick ass show! I went to last month's DAAP show and bought a peice, so i can vouch for the owner's good taste. Definitely go to see the show and maybe see if you like what i made!

Holiday cheer

2009-12-18T11:25:00.005-05:00

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:

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."
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.
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.

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.
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
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!

Miracle on 34th St - Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, 19$-21$. 241-6550
Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Know Theatre, 15$ for adults, 12$ in advance. 300-5669
The Santaland Diaries (for adults), Columbia Performance Center, 12-20$. 888-588-0137
A Christmas Carol, Playhouse in the Park, 25$-67$, 421-3888
Once Upon a Mattress, Aronoff Center 20-25$, 621-2787
The Taming of the Shrew, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 20$-26$. 381-2273

New Busken Bakery Downtown

2009-12-08T15:12:00.001-05:00

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.

Main Street Holiday Stroll & Shop + more!

2009-12-03T12:27:00.003-05:00

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.

Events for Nov 20-22 weekend

2009-11-20T12:35:00.006-05:00

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!

Upcoming events 11/13-11/15

2009-11-11T15:37:00.002-05:00

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.

Crawl of the Dead

2009-10-30T10:16:00.003-04:00

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.

hold on to your pumpkins after 10/31!

2009-10-29T16:53:00.001-04:00

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.

Gear up for Halloween!

2009-10-28T13:31:00.003-04:00

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.

Events happening this weekend

2009-10-21T17:52:00.001-04:00

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.

Another great restaurant option opening!

2009-10-13T12:38:00.002-04:00

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.

2009-10-13T11:43:00.002-04:00

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.

Awesome weekend in Cincy

2009-10-02T15:37:00.004-04:00

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.

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. 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!!

The Candy Bar - now in Covington

2009-09-22T13:11:00.001-04:00

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!

2009-09-22T10:57:00.003-04:00

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.

Streetcar "Open House" Opportunity for Q&A

2009-09-16T16:13:00.000-04:00

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

2009-09-16T12:52:00.001-04:00

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.

New Tower Place Watch Party tonight!

2009-09-09T15:37:00.003-04:00

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).

Christian Moerlein to open Biergarten on the banks

2009-09-03T13:22:00.003-04:00

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.

Nuvo has closed!

2009-09-02T17:11:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-02T17:05:00.002-04:00

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?!

Theater @ The Know

2009-08-21T10:09:00.005-04:00

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

2009 Rubber Duck Regatta!

2009-08-20T10:17:00.002-04:00

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.

Great Inland Seafood Festival

2009-08-19T12:59:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-19T12:43:00.003-04:00

A Yard Full of Yellow, a Moonjazz Photo Poem, originally uploaded by moonjazz.

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

2009-08-19T10:48:00.002-04:00

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.

Giving back

2009-08-14T11:29:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, WCPO posted a story on how Middletown schools are so strapped for cash, they weren't able to come up with the dough this year to buy the district's underprivileged kids school supply bags. Luckily, a local Chiropractor did a drive for the supplies (free Chiropractic work if you bring in 10$ or donate a bag of supplies). I haven't seen the follow up to this story yet, but am curious about if they were able to pull in a good amount of donations. I can't find anything on the school district's website about what goes into these "kits", but if they still need them, I'm seriously considering getting some people together to donate on our own!

Reading about the need for donations and volunteers to help get something as simple as a kid's first day of school off the ground and running, i was reminded of a blurb I had previously posted on Urban Cincy, a blog i contribute to. Read on - i hope it encourages you to get involved.

Cincinnati is one of the most charitably giving cities I’ve lived in. Having formerly worked in a non-profit here, I can definitely appreciate the value of volunteers and donations in accomplishing a non-profit’s goals. That being said, it’s no secret that economic times are tough. People have to reign in spending, and it’s starting to show. According to an article in the Cincinnati Business Journal, giving has dropped nationally. “Giving USA Foundation found that charitable giving fell 2 percent from 2007 to 2008. The decline was the first since 1987 and the second in the 40-year history of the study. Adjusted for inflation, the decline was 5.7 percent.” Article can be found here: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/06/29/daily18.html?surround=lfn

Not all organizations are seeing a drop in funds, but the typical donor is being a little more savvy about where and who they want to donate to. For some people, giving to large umbrella aid organizations makes them feel like they’re covering a lot of ground with their dollars. For others, they worry about the overhead taking some of the money away from trickling down to smaller organizations. There are so many options for organizations to donate to that it can be a little confusing. As a donor, you have to question whether to go local or international with your charitable giving? Do you want to do a micro loan or give to an organization that screens candidates but may have overhead costs? Or do you just want to get together with friends and make a collective decision on where to donate your money? More and more charity organizations will be targeting “millennials” – YP’s who have expendable income and a sense of altruism, so if you fit that bill, be ready to be targeted!

In all this talk about giving dollars, remember charitable giving isn’t only about money. A great way to really get to better know your community is by going out and doing work to better it. After living downtown for 2 years, I had never been in Washington Park until I did a park clean up one morning with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. It is such a beautiful park, and seeing how mistreated it was by people in my community, it really reignited my desire to see it revitalized. No matter where you live, there are always opportunities to give in your community. Local based organizations like People Working Cooperatively help fix up houses in the area, houses of worship have outreach programming like Meals on Wheels and larger YP organizations like Give Back Cincinnati offer a variety of ways to give back to the community here and abroad on mission trips.

Below are some links to local groups that can direct you to opportunities, national and international organizations that are working to help our community and beyond. The motto of my Alma Mater was “Lead, Learn, Serve” and these days they are words we could all live by.
National/International Micro-loan org (profiled on NBC Nightly news)
http://www.kiva.org/

Local YP service org (just a few of many):
http://www.givebackcincinnati.org/
http://www.pwchomerepairs.org/
http://www.keepcincinnatibeautiful.org/

Local Volunteer opportunity match-up:
http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Free Fridays @ the Cincinnati Museum Center

2009-08-11T15:08:00.002-04:00

Photo: Union Terminal / Cincinnati Museum Center, originally uploaded by Keith R Allen.

Sadly, i have not yet gotten to this great promotion, but i hope to attend soon! I've only been twice to the Museum Center, and was so impressed with what they had to offer! Check it out, and be sure to share with friends:

Free Fridays allows the public to visit all three museums at Cincinnati Museum Center from 4 to 8 p.m. - admission is complimentary.

August 21
September 11
The complimentary offer includes the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum and the Museum of Natural History & Science. This offer does not include special exhibits or OMNIMAX films. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by someone 18 years of age or older.

Contact 513.287.7000

Breakfast @ the Cincinnatian

2009-08-10T09:44:00.003-04:00

I had a visitor come into town this weekend, and while here they opted to stay @ the Cincinnatian Hotel. As much as i enjoyed their happy hour, i honestly have never eaten a real meal in the Palace Restaurant within the hotel. I met up for breakfast there the other day and it was WONDERFUL! If you like pancakes, theirs were not to be missed - we had walnuts in them, and they were absolutely huge chunks - the batter was very good, and the pancakes were huge. All the tables have fresh flower arrangements (read: not crappy flowers in dinky vases), and sitting at the table by the window, we felt very high class. All of the servers there are very much all about taking care of all your needs, and if you have a chance to have Phyllis wait on you, you'll be even better taken care of. The breakfast fare is pretty standard, but all of it is good. I'm probably going back there today for late brunch/lunch, and i can't wait to see what else is in store! My one caveat would be to not order the oatmeal - mine was of a pasty texture - but if you go there for breakfast, you should really get something more fun to eat anyway! Pricing is pretty standard - they have a ton of stuff a la carte and then the meals (which are huge) run probably 9-14$. Oh, also - their goetta is from Eckerlin's and I'm pretty sure their fantastic bacon is too!

Monmouth St in Newport has a new business!

2009-08-07T10:36:00.007-04:00

In order to expand our foodie horizons, we have been trying to go out to eat in the Newport side of downtown more often. Primarily its because its an easy bike ride from our neck of the woods and also because as you travel down Monmouth, away from the Levee, there are so many wonderful restaurants and storefronts to explore! I have enjoyed some wonderful food @ La Mexicana, Dixie Chili and the Newport Pizza Company - all indie restaurants and all reasonably priced. There are some independent business storefronts down on that stretch of Monmouth, and desolate as that stretch of the road can sometimes seem, there appears to be a dedicated core of folks that help these business survive year after year.

I didn't know there was a newsletter for the Newport area until i had one sent to me by the writer of Urbancincy - I'm so glad I've been enlightened! Reading the newsletter, it appears that there is a new member of the Newport business group. I'm not much of a knitter, but knowing how dedicated my knitting friends are, i am always glad to put the word out. For those of you who are looking for a place to buy knitting goods downtown, you are in luck! Hopefully, after time goes by, Knit On! will either offer classes for newbies like me, or have sewing classes (which i know i can handle).

Here's the info from the newsletter:
Knit On! moves to Monmouth
Love to knit?
Looking for the perfect yarn?
Always wanted to know how to knit?
Then Knit On! is the shop for you! There new location on Monmouth Street now has three times the size of our original shop, so there is plenty of room to see all of the Knit On!'s fabulous yarns and accessories they have in stock. Knit On now has a large classroom for those wanting to learn how to knit. Stop in and visit one of our newest businesses, and welcome them to Newport!
KNIT ON! 735 Monmouth Street, Newport KY 859-291-5648

For basic info, their website is: http://www.knit-on.com/ . From the pics of the store's new location, it looks like they've moved into the old space that Resser Cycle used to reside in, which i think is a really cool old bank building. They are open 7 days a week (Monday through Saturday : 11am - 7pm, Sunday: 12 noon - 6pm), so make sure to stop by and welcome them to the area!

ps- the picture posted here is courtesy of the Go2Newport eNewsletter

Schedule of events @ findlay - August

2009-08-06T12:25:00.004-04:00

Market Visit, originally uploaded by qrtr2four.

After a few hectic and hangover inducing weekends taking care of weddings and driving to Detroit, I am very much looking forward to my weekly pilgrimage to Findlay Market. I know that Saturdays are the "big" days for having vendors there, but usually the crowds there are too much for me, so i hit the market up on Sunday afternoons when you can get the best deals. My friend Joe characterized Saturdays -especially mid-day- as feeling as though "you're at the mall", so the relative quiet and calm on Sundays provides a nice end to the weekend for me. Luckily for Sunday shoppers like me, the programming that they offer on Saturdays is now being rolled over on to Sundays, and there are a lot of fun events coming up there.

On a side note, I would like to take a moment to discuss my absolute joy/sense of overwhelming at the Eastern Farmers Market in Detroit. I saw more varied produce (bokchoy, anyone?) there than i ever have at any of the farmers markets I've been to, and the sheer SIZE of the market was unbelievable! There were 5 "sheds" of veggies, fruit and flowers, and it seemed like each one had its own little microcosm there for me to observe and enjoy. Although we were just stopping there as more of a tourist destination while biking around town, i did my week's grocery shopping there and have been really happy with all of my purchases. This market is set up in a manner opposite of Findlay, with the main area being open air and for produce vendors, and the surrounding buildings containing all of the meat, cheese and anything else needing refrigeration. I think its safe to say I really was blown away by it all. I came away from the rest of the weekend with a real sense of admiration for Detroit - it may be a struggling town, but there really are some jewels there if you know where to look. As it looks to re-invent itself, the opportunity for growth beyond its previous car-centrist identity is vast. I hope i get to go back there sometime, and particularly back to that market!

Enough of the sidebar, here's the info - and don't forget the market is open Tues-Sun!:

Sunday 8/9 Blues, Brews and BBQ at the annual Findlay Market Blue BBQ. 11:00 am – noon The Prodigal Sons 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lance Boyd and the Medicine Men 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Lomax. The OTR Biergarten will serve Christian Moerlein brews throughout the event.
Saturday 8/15 Mel Royster of Woe is Me BBQ will return to do another great cooking demonstration and sampling of their products available on Essen Strasse.
Sunday 8/16 City Council Candidates Forum in the OTR Biergarten. Politics and beer in a classic Cincinnati setting, sponsored by the Over-the-Rhine Foundation and the Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation. Times to be announced.
Speakers: Roxanne Qualls, Chris Monzell, Jeff Berding, Laketa Cole, Greg Harris, Wendell Young, Chris Bortz, Tony Fischer
Saturday 8/22 9:00 am - noon A Family Arts Celebration is a partnership between Findlay Market and the Arts Education Directors of Greater Cincinnati. Activities include performances, hands-on arts and crafts and information about educational and family arts programs. It is free and open to the public! Sunday 8/23 City Council Candidates Forum in the OTR Biergarten. More politics and more beer in a classic Cincinnati setting, sponsored by the Over-the-Rhine Foundation and the Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation. Times to be announced. Speakers: Amy Murray, Kevin Flynn, Darryl Cordrery II, Bernadette Watson, Nicholas Hollan, Laure Quinlivan, George Zamary

Hamburger Mary's Returns!

2009-08-03T10:52:00.002-04:00

Several years ago, i had a birthday party @ the original Hamburger Mary's on Karaoke night. It was one of the most fun, flamboyant and entertaining birthday's i have had, and i was totally blown away by the crowd and energy flowing through it (and the karaoke was SERIOUSLY good). When Hamburger Mary's turned into the Universal Grille, i really didn't see much of a shift in decor or menu items and didn't see a change in clientele either. It basically was the same place but with a different name. The food there never really impressed me - in a town full of good burger joints, it was just mid-grade food and i wouldn't classify the menu as much more than pretty good bar food. Maybe i just didn't get adventurous enough with the menu, but what i always thought was the biggest asset of the restaurant (whether it was HM's or UG) was the bar there. I remember getting good drinks and enjoying some awesome people watching, but always wondered whether there was ever a strong lunch crowd that would go there during the work week.
When UG closed, i was sad - it was yet another restaurant downtown that was no longer a dining option - but the past 6 months or so, it has been in transition as a new owner has worked to revamp the menu and decor and re-open it. The restaurant portion of the revitalized Hamburger Mary's opened last week, and though i was out of town this past weekend i am hopeful that they had strong crowds from the various events around town this weekend. Below is more info on what's ahead for the restaurant - i'll be sure to review their menu before commiting to dinner, but will certainly go there for happy hour with friends once the bar opens and works out all the service kinks that invariably occur. If you go, please feel free to post your thoughts on the "new" Hamburger Mary's.

Hamburger Mary’s reopens downtown
Business Courier of Cincinnati
Hamburger Mary’s, the casual eatery known as much for its live-and-let-live atmosphere as for its creatively named fare, will reopen tonight under the stewardship of a Chicago-based partnership.
Franchisee Mary Onken, a Chicago attorney, will open the doors of its original site on Vine near Ninth Street at 5 p.m. It will be managed by Gail Marlow, who studied music at Xavier University and relocated to Cincinnati to run the restaurant.
Onken pledged that Hamburger Mary’s will remain true to the original concept, but with a few added menu items and with more entertainment, including music students. The restaurant was well known and popular for its kitschy decor, lighthearted menu and gay-friendly atmosphere.
The Vine Street location had changed concept several years ago, becoming the Universal Grille when its franchise agreement expired. The Universal Grille closed in 2008.
Hamburger Mary’s master franchise is owned by Ashley Wright and his identical twin, Brandon, who also operate Hamburger Mary’s Chicago.
The downtown location will begin serving lunch on July 29 and be open seven days a week. But the main bar, called Dirty Mary’s, is still under construction and expected to open in a month or so.

Some national good press for Cincinnati

2009-08-03T10:46:00.002-04:00

Cincinnati Riverfront, originally uploaded by elycefeliz.

Residents of Cincinnati rejoice - we have some good press on the national level to celebrate! While it probably does not have a huge readership, "Outside" magazine gave us high marks for quality of life and ranked us no.9 out of 10 (hey, its something!). We were up there with perennial favorites of Seattle, Portland and Colorado Springs, so there is something to be said for the fact that we are in what i would consider to be prestigious company.
While the press around town went wild for this story, it was nice to (for once) see a national story that our small hamlet had ties to. Kudos to our town! Below is the article - living downtown i really appreciate the compact nature of our downtown and although i am surprised we don't have more riverfront residential development (as stated previously), i am eternally grateful that someone had the foresight to put in riverfront parks and green space all around downtown, although a dog park would be nice.... Enjoy!

Info on how rankings were chosen, from the Outside Magazine website:
How We Ranked Them: First, we started with the 100 most populated cities in America, using public data to rank them on factors like cost of living, unemployment, nightlife, commute time, and access to green spaces. Then we took the 28 candidates with the highest overall averages and put them through a second round of number crunching, comparing things like the percentage of the population with college degrees, income level in relation to home prices, and weather. The wild card? Our own multisport factor, which rated each of our finalists on a scale of 1 to 5 for quality and proximity to biking, running, paddling, hiking, and skiing. After adding it all up, we had our top ten.

Cincinnati
KEY STATS2.1 million: Population (metro)
$106,000: Median home price
B-: Multisport grade
1 million: Pounds of goetta—a German dish consisting of pork, beef, and steel-cut oats—consumed locally each year
With its low cost of living and resilient and well-balanced blend of industries (everything from aerospace to advertising), Cincinnati topped our charts for best economy. But what about actually living there? For a local perspective, we turned to former Outside staffer Jay Stowe, a Cincinnati native who's now editor in chief of Cincinnati Magazine, for a (mostly) objective opinion. For starters, Stowe says, it's an incredibly easy city. The downtown is "very urban and completely walkable," and the city is ringed with green spaces, parks, and lush hillsides. The city council and mayor are trying mightily to get a streetcar line running through the urban core, a long-term cycling-infrastructure plan that will include a downtown bike-commuter complex is in the works, and ground has been broken on the Banks, an $800 million multi-use riverfront development that will change the face of the city. For its size, Stowe says, Cincinnati boasts "cool architecture, genuinely awesome independent restaurants, and neighborhoods full of affordable, eclectic houses—and one of the country's biggest Oktoberfests, where people willingly don lederhosen and do the Chicken Dance totally unironically." Then there's its proximity to what Stowe refers to as a "vast inland adventure empire," by which he means Kentucky and West Virginia. The city is just two hours from Kentucky's Red River Gorge, a world-class climbing area (and a great place to hike and camp), and four hours from Fayetteville, West Virginia, the whitewater hub of the East Coast.

Vine-L Friday (also on the 31st)

2009-07-24T11:46:00.002-04:00

Ok, so i just found out that this friday's event in the Gateway Quarter is more like a sidewalk sale and less like a full on multi-block event. Still, i'll be hitting it up b/c a sale's a sale, right? Anyway, i got more info from a person who works in the OTR Chamber of Commerce and next week's event is really a collaborative one - there are dj's and food and sales, etc! Here's more info on what's going on at the BIG event next Friday (to tie in with Final Friday @ the Pendleton Arts Center which is also a great time and i'd highly encourage attending).

Gateway Quarter Unites for Third Installment of VINE-L Friday
Ten Venues Participate in Growing Gallery Exhibits in the Heart of Over-the-Rhine
Who – Venice on Vine Pizza, Segway Cincinnati, Park+Vine, Switch, OutSide, Coffee Emporium, Mixx Ultra Lounge, Urban Sites (Lackman Lofts and Duveneck Flats) Below Zero Lounge.
What – Art Gallery Walk – Free Event
When – July 31, 2009 – 6pm – 10pm
Where – The Gateway Quarter: Vine Street/Main Street (Between Central Pkwy and 14th Street)
Media Contact –Andrew Salzbrun 513.295.5308 Salzbrun.andrew@gmail.com
Cincinnati, OH, July 31, 2009 – The third edition of VINE-L Friday, an art gallery walk through the Over-the-Rhine on the concluding Friday of every month, takes place this Friday, July 31. This compliment to the Final Friday art galleries will include a variety of businesses which will take part in displaying local art, serving food and refreshments, offering discounts, and hosting live music.
Also present will be the ArtWorks Cincinnati group involved with the historic painting of the five story image of Jim Tarbell; on the corner of Vine Street and Central Parkway at the Park + Vine building. The student artists will be available to talk about their current project and how they plan to complete it in the coming weeks.

For this July edition, Below Zero Lounge will be hosting the official after party of VINE-L Friday. A concert by the “Blue Merchants” starting at 10pm will be held at Below Zero to support Gary Burbank’s “Play It Forward” project.
Participating Groups:
-Venice on Vine Pizza – Visionaries and Voices exhibits “Hair Salon” by Kenny Barger with a special menu of gourmet pizzas as well as live jewelry making by “One Bead at a Time.”
-Segway Cincinnati – Works by Josh Beeman and Billy 7. Live music by “Vinny Bricks” and “that guy from Okinawa” City Cellars will be on hand with its frozen desert cart to cool off the crowd.
-Park+Vine – The unveiling of the new exhibit “Mimockracy”
-Switch Lighting and Design – New works by Alison Shepard will be exhibited.
-OutSide – Live DJ playing Electronica, Trip Hop, Soul and Funk, with refreshments served
-Below 0 Lounge – The official VINE-L Friday After Party. Live music by the “Blue Merchants” at 10pm benefitting Gary Burbank’s “Play It Forward” Project.
-Mixx Ultra Lounge – Marcus Jordan exhibiting works from his collection titled “My Passion”
-Coffee Emporium- the Central Parkway location will extend its hours until 10pm and feature works by Allison Archberger and the Thirty Duo Collection.
-Urban Sites – Lackman Lofts – Kate McClung exhibiting works from her “Balanophagy” collection.
-Urban Sites – Duveneck Flats – Mark Cummings exhibiting new works from his “In Bloom” collection and Stan Stenten will be showing pieces from the collection “Visions of Cincinnati – Old and New”

The ten venues involved continue the pattern of intensification created by the previous two previous months, and represents just one more example of Over-the-Rhine's continuing growth.

Vine-L Friday July 24th

2009-07-23T11:40:00.003-04:00

Cincinnati, OH-Over the Rhine-Gateway Quarter, originally uploaded by Joanne Maly - Lincoln Maly Marketing.

So if you don't know by now, the Gateway Quarter is the main focus of OTR revitalization lately. They have a lot of wonderful shops there that are well known (Park + Vine) and lesser known (Little Mahatma). My favorite garden shop is in the middle of it all (City Roots) and this Friday all of the shops in that area are having a big sale. Before you go to the Bad Veins CD release party on Fountain Square, check out the other side of downtown and see if you can score some goods!

When you're done with shopping, take a break and have a bite to eat at Lavomatic or walk down another block to Venice on Vine, a wonderful pizza shop run by the non-profit Power Inspires Progress. Its run by a couple of nuns and staffed by people from the area trying to start their lives over. Not only do you get a great slice of pie, but you get a warm fuzzy feeling when you dine there (and its a lot cheaper than Lavomatic!) Website is: http://www.powerinspiresprogress.com/vporder.htm

Here's the dish (yes, that is a pizza pun):

OTR'S "VINE-L FRIDAY MARKDOWN SUMMER CLEARANCE" - JULY 24Take advantage of the huge mid-summer sales in Over-the-Rhine Gateway this Friday, July 24. Stores will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Park in the lot at the corner of 12th and Vine streets, then cruise by the shops, looking for clearance tags and huge end of season discounts. Participating stores include City Roots, Iris Book Café, Joseph Williams Home, Switch, A Lucky Step, Metronation, Mica 12/v, Outside, Park + Vine and Urban Eden. In addition to shopping, have your Tarot cards read at The Little Mahatma from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and stop by Lavomatic at 1211 Vine Street for a delicious meal.

I personally have been eyeing some furniture @ Joseph Williams, which already has some pretty reasonable and tasteful stuff, so i hope they have some good sales! To clarify, Urban Eden is on Main St, and definitely worth the 3 block walk!

Pot Belly Vs Gilpins - who wants evening/weekend business more?

2009-07-22T17:26:00.007-04:00

(Warning: you are about to endure a diatribe on Pot Belly Deli's hours in downtown cincinnati)

If you read this blog, it should be pretty apparent that i LOVE my downtown life. However, there is one major sticking point that if you get me (or my boyfriend) started on, we will get very fired up about and it is this: the Pot Belly Deli on Fountain Square has the WORST hours and the BEST location and we can't understand what the franchise owner is thinking! They are open M-Sat for the lunch rush, but for reasons neither of us understands, they close at 7pm nightly and are entirely closed on Sundays. This includes nights where the square is full of people for Salsa Dancing, Movies on the Square or even during Sunday Bengals games during the fall and evening Reds games in the summer. These are times when large groups of people are wandering aimlessly looking for food from a place that doesn't require ordering from a waiter. I dont know who has told them that there would be no evening/Sunday crowd, but they are totally WRONG. Countless times we have tried to go there for dinner, only to find out (usually along with other people trying to go there) that its closed for the night. WTF? You have a graeters next to you! You are in an urban gathering area with heavy foot traffic most nights! Where is the disconnect?!

I get a weekly newsletter from the Downtown Residents Council, and in it this week, they highlighted that Potbelly would be having night hours. I was so happy to see they finally saw reason! Then I read the info more carefully. The owners, in their infinite wisdom, have only chosen to stay open during the WORK WEEK until 9pm. Its a start, but Saturday nights when they have movies on the square, there are hundreds of people there for a several hour time frame! Why wouldn't you stay open Monday thru a Saturday night to see what the feedback was instead of just during the work week?!

I hate giving these people business b/c their business logic mystifies and pisses me off, but if you are on the square and want a deli sandwich, these fools are open. If you'd rather wait a little longer, Gilpins is a good alternative but they open at 8pm. I personally will go to Gilpins over Pot Belly. Info on both is below.

NEW THINGS POPPING UP AT GILPIN'S BAGEL & DELI - NOW Gilpin's Bagel & Deli located at 37 East Seventh Street has made some big changes this summer. In addition to their steamed sandwiches and bagels, you can now buy beer and wine with delivery until 1:00 a.m. on weekends. There is also an outdoor seating area, catering service for anywhere in Cincinnati, lunch time delivery service, Sunday hours from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and every couple weeks they will have DJ's spinning during the night time hours. For more information, check out their new website Click here

POTBELLY ON FOUNTAIN SQUARE EXTENDED HOURS - JULY 27 - 31Potbelly on Fountain Square will be extending their hours for one week only! Enjoy all that Potbelly has to offer starting Monday, July 27 through Friday, July 31 as they will be open until 9:00 p.m. the entire week! For more information call (513) 381-5572.
Here are the hours posted on their website: Open Monday through Friday 7am to 7pm
Saturday 11am to 4pm - Closed Sunday

More Gelato @ Findlay!

2009-07-21T10:45:00.002-04:00

Gelato, World's Best Ice cream: The Real Reason that So Many People go to Italy. PS What is You Favorite Flavor?, originally uploaded by moonjazz.

YAY!!!!! I always thought Madison's was a little too pricey/snooty.....Capitalism @ its best. Its so great to see the empty spaces @ Findlay getting filled - now if they can lower the rents for storefronts, we'll start seeing more diversity in sellers outside of the Market House.

Dojo Gelato brings Italian-style ice creams and sorbettos to historic Findlay Market

Soapbox, 7/21/2009
Findlay Market is continuing its hot streak with another new tenant that is scheduled to open during the first week in August. Dojo Gelato will open within the Market House and will feature handcrafted Italian-style ice creams and sorbettos.

Dojo owner, Michael Christner says that they adhere to a few basic principles in order to create the finest product. They make their gelato and sorbetto fresh and in small runs with no artificial anything; they use only milk, pure cane sugar, and cream for their gelato; their sorbettos only contain fruit, pure cane sugar, and water; and they refuse to use artificial preservatives, unnatural stabilizers, powders or gels. Christner also states that they only use hormone free dairy products and use choice ingredients from local farmers and purveyors when possible.

Dojo Gelato will also offer milkshakes, floats, affogato (gelato with espresso), smoothies, coffee and Italian sodas. Once open the store will employ 2 part-time with plans to utilize the empowerment program for future employment needs.

The process to get the space ready for Dojo took several months from space selection to build out. The Market House space was actually one of two potential locations that Christner was eyeing. Beig a Northside resident he naturally looked at Hamilton Avenue and had trouble finding any suitable locations, his next logical spot was Findlay Market where he and his wife regularly shop.

Christner is exited though to be a part of the Over-the-Rhine community and fill a desired niche within Findlay Market. “Cincinnati is very welcoming to first time business owners,” says Christner who came from the much more competitive Austin, Texas market.

Christner went on to explain how gelato prep kitchens are often referred to as “laboratories” and that the Dojo name is reflective of the Asian culture meaning of place where you go to hone your craft. Dojo’s laboratory will feature a “super-fresh product” that only has a four to five day shelf life and will utilize fresh produce from Findlay Market vendors. As a result the dozen or so flavors will rotate on a monthly basis depending on what is in season with the exception of a few standard favorites like vanilla, chocolate chip and chocolate neutella.

“Cincinnati has had a definitive love for ice cream since way back when,” says Christner who hopes to recreate that ice cream social atmosphere. “In America there is a tendency to make a generic style of ice cream out of a bag. I’m real excited about using local merchants, fresh produce and creating a product made from scratch.”

Prices will range from $3.50 to $4.50 and the shop will be open during regular Findlay Market business hours (T-F, 9-6; Sat, 8-6; Sun 10-4). Dojo plans to launch a website within the next week that is designed by Vine Street Interactive; for more information in the mean time check out Dojo’s Facebook Page, or follow Dojo on Twitter.

Open Air Theater, Fundraiser @ Below Zero

2009-07-15T16:57:00.002-04:00

Two really cool events going on this weekend. The pairing of Ronald McDonald House n Below Zero Lounge is truly an interesting one, but i'm sure they'll make some good money. I can't really find out more on this even than what's in the text below (the website's not loading), but it sounds great! Additionally, having never seen any of the Shakespeare theater shows, the free event in the evening on Sunday sounds great! Since the weather is supposed to behave somewhat over the weekend, it would be a great time to ride my bike and see a free show!

COOL SUMMER EVENT TO BENEFIT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE - JULY 17Over-the-Rhine's trendy Below Zero Lounge will be the site of one cool party - Cool Summer: Our House to Yours, a fundraiser to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati. Come Friday, July 17 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Patrons will be asked to pay a $10 donation at the door and can take advantage of a raffle, with all the proceeds going to Cincinnati's Ronald McDonald House, a supportive "home away from home" for families of children receiving medical treatment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. For more information on Cool Summer Click here and to learn more about Ronald McDonald House Charities Click here. Below Zero Lounge is located at 1122 Walnut Street.

LYTLE PARK HOSTING SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK - JULY 19Lytle Park, located at 501 East Fourth Street, will be hosting Shakespeare in the Park Sunday, July 19. Bring your picnic basket, lawn chair, and blanket at 7:00 p.m. to see Romeo and Juliet performed right there in the park. Concessions will be available by "Miss Sweet Confections". This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (513) 381-2273 ext. 214

Oceanaire's replacement already announced!

2009-07-14T13:15:00.002-04:00

Wow! that didn't take long....
Mr. Sushi coming to 580 Building
Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Lisa Biank Fasig Courier staff reporter
Less than a week after upscale restaurant Oceanaire closed without warning, a new fish eatery is coming to the 580 Building downtown, with a three-month’s heads up.
The 2,900-square-foot restaurant, to be called Mr. Sushi, will bring a welcome tenant to the ground floor of the recently renovated building after it lost Oceanaire on July 6. It also will add to the high-profile corner of Walnut and Sixth streets, where the restaurant Nada operates next to the former Maisonette, which also will likely reopen as an eatery, possibly operated by Nada chef David Falk.
Mr. Sushi will be operated by Dayton restaurateur Jin Kim, who owns the Iron Chef Grill on Fields Ertel Road, and Sushi Café in Dayton. He plans to open by late October or early November.
Kim said he had been looking for a spot downtown or nearby, such as in Hyde park, for a few years. Now that he has a place, he is disappointed that Oceanaire has closed, but perhaps it will offer expansion opportunities down the road.
“I like having somebody else in the same building,” he said. “I’m the only restaurant right now, it feels a little lonely.”
The restaurant will feature a sushi bar and offer traditional Japanese and Korean dishes such as tempura and teriyaki and bibimbab, a mixture of rice, vegetables, egg and meat in a bowl. It will seat a little more than 80 people.
Judie Guttadauro, with downtown-based Realty Network Plus, brokered the deal.
“I just wanted him downtown so desperately,” she said. “I love sushi, and we don’t have anything like that.”
Oceanaire opened June 2, 2008, featuring fresh seafood in a 1930s-era setting.

American Can Company Revitalization

2009-07-14T10:26:00.006-04:00

Everyday I pass the shell of what was once the American Can Company building. It is an enormous space - probably 6 stories, if not more and wall to ceiling windows (or at least, at one time windows). It could be an awesome space for lofts, galleries, etc and thankfully there are some builders out there that saw the opportunity for development and bought the building. Per the Business Courier, "The $22 million mixed-use project would bring 96 apartments and 30,000 square feet of commercial space to the empty shell near the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Blue Rock Road. The building once housed a factory that made machines that made aluminum cans. It’s been mostly vacant since the 1950s. "

Give Back Cincinnati did a neighborhood immersion in Northside a few months ago, and got a tour of this building. It needs some environmental remediation - there's some chemicals that have leached into the floor/surrounding soil - but the structure is still solid and very much the kind of layout that would appeal to a wide variety of buyers. Soapbox Cincy wrote an article about Veep Joe Biden's visit there this week, and i think there is a good amount of inertia behind this project to get it off the ground. If I'm in the market when these lofts get finished, i might be a buyer myself!

More info can be found:
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/related_content.html?topic=American%20Can

Vice President Joe Biden highlights importance of stimulus with American Can Factory rehab project
Soapbox, 7/14/2009 Writer: Randy Simes
http://www.soapboxmedia.com
The prominent American Can Factory sits along the Interstate 75 corridor and towers over its surrounding environs. The behemoth has been recently gutted in preparation for an envisioned rehabilitation project.

The $22 million project would inject 96 new apartments and 30,000 square feet of commercial space into the eclectic Northside neighborhood. The rehabilitation would also rid the area of a vacant building that has for some time held the promise of not much more.

So far the developers of the project, Bloomfield, Schon & Partners, have collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in the form of loans and grants from the city and state alike, and millions more from various tax credits.

The developers and city have been hopeful that federal stimulus dollars to the tune of $1.6 million could be used to help jump start the project and the estimated 200 to 300 construction jobs and 35 to 45 permanent jobs that would come with the project.

Vice President Joe Biden came to Cincinnati and spoke outside of the American Can Factory in Northside to highlight the importance of the stimulus and how it can positively impact projects such as this.

Vice President Biden spoke to the crowd of several hundred gathered at the site to hear about the $4 billion the tri-state region and Ohio are projected to receive from the stimulus package. He emphasized that time and patience are needed before the economic impacts of the federal money would be felt.

The $1.6 million infusion for the American Can Factory project will help get the project moving once more as a tentative commitment from a lender had been reached pending the approval of the stimulus loan.

In addition to the hundreds of new residents the project will house, rumors have been circulating that Cincinnati's favorite restauranteur, chef Jean-Robert de Cavel and current Chef In Residence at the Midwest Culinary Institute might have an interest in the space.

With this announcement city leaders and project developers are hopeful that the project can begin immediately with construction starting before the end of this summer.

Dumesh Indian Restaurant - Best in Cincy!

2009-07-11T19:21:00.007-04:00

Taj Mahal # Agra India, originally uploaded by 5348 Franco

Ok, so there are a lot of Indian and Thai joints in this town. Being from Chicago, my area was full of first and second-generation families from the Middle East (primarily India), and believe it or not i never had this kind of food until i moved to Cincinnati. I can't understand how i could have missed out on such a wonderful ethnic food! Today on the way back from a trip to tri-county, we stopped @ Dumesh, a new Indian joint that opened literally across the street from Cincinnati State. Some of our friends from India had gone and raved about the food, so we had the "authentic" perspective down, and i had read a positive review in (the now defunct) Cinweekly a few weeks ago and been interested in going sometime.
Suffice to say, we were not disappointed. I have never seen such a large and somewhat intimidating menu in my life! There had to be probably 60 options on there, broken out by salads, apps, nans and rices, then broken down further by chicken, lamb and seafood. We ended up getting the old standby, veggie samosas, which you can never make a mistake on, and i started with a cup of tea. I'm not sure what kind of tea they use, but it was AWESOME. It kind of tasted like a cross between Chai, Assam and Masala. What i liked was that the way they price it is similar to when you get coffee @ a restaurant - you pay a flat fee and they refill as many times as you want.
After the samosas, we opted to split their vegetarian Thai combo platter. Normally we'd just get a chicken saag and nan and call it a night, but I've been itching to try new things and the combo platters at Indian joints are really fun b/c they come out on these really fancy silver tv dinner platters (for lack of a better comparison). The "Thai" part of the item's name kind of threw us, but it all was the Indian food we're used to - no pad thai or anything that you'd find at Lemongrass. It consisted of basmati rice, garlic nan, riaku (cold yogurt n veggie salad), chori, saag paneer (spinach dish), aloo matra (potato dish)and chana masala (chickpea dish). Anyway, it was ALL wonderful! Its really true that each restaurant has its own iterations of recipes, varying by amts of one spice put in over the other - this was by far the best saag we've had in the city, and everything else was so tasty, we both hated to be full. The place was reasonably priced - my tea was 1.50, the samosas were around 2.99 and the combo platter was 13.99 and it was enough food for us both. I'm glad we split it b/c there's no way one of us would have been able to eat it all. There was really only one lady there and she was so much nicer than the staff at Baba India (the woman there who refills the water and seats you always seems so angry!). We tipped her generously, and i think in total our dinner was 26$. If you ever want to try a new place, this is it - spread the word!

Here is a link to directions, phone #, etc.: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/32/1415970/restaurant/Northside/Dusmesh-Indian-Restaurant-Cincinnati

Kahns Facility

2009-07-10T17:12:00.001-04:00

Its such a shame we couldn't get the approval to utilize the Kahn's building to house inmates at the already overcrowded downtown jails. Below is an article on what's happened with that site since then.
It can be found @ http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/0630kahnssite.aspx

The future of the Kahn's facility in Camp Washington
Soapbox, 6/30/2009
It was just two years ago when Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati were discussing how to deal with the county’s jail capacity and crime management needs. During this time, the county's need for a new jail facility came up time and time again and was the focus of the November 2007 referendum on a sales tax increase to pay for such a facility.

The 15-year tax increase would have raised Hamilton County’s sales tax 0.5 percent to 7 percent for eight years which would then fall back 0.25 percent for the next seven years costing the average county resident an extra 10 cents more per day in sales taxes.

The result would have been a host of new social programs geared towards keeping people out of jail long-term and a new 1,800 bed jail in Camp Washington.

The new $198 million jail was to be built on the land of the former Kahn’s plant owned by the Sara Lee Corporation. The site operated as a meat-packing plant from 1883 (during the Porkopolis days of Cincinnati) until late 2006.

The 15-acre site was donated to Hamilton County during the time when political leaders were searching for a jail. The donated land was estimated to save the county $7.5 million off the cost of a new jail, but still sits unused in the heart of Camp Washington and an area that was recommended for “green industrial” redevelopment in the Growth and Opportunities (GO) Study for Cincinnati.

The GO Study identified a potential of up to 9,000 NRA of office, 485,000 gross square feet of freestanding industrial, 30,000 square feet of Flex/R&D Industrial, and 12,000 square feet of local-serving retail for the Queensgate/South Mill Creek economic opportunity area.

The report goes on to stress the importance of “reclaiming older industrial buildings because of the unique market opportunity to catalyze the rehabilitation of the buildings in the Queensgate/South Mill Creek area.” The report then suggests that the end use could be boutique R&D space that is often found in these types of spaces.

In February of this year, Schweitzer Enterprises offered Hamilton County $1 million for the Kahn’s facility that is valued at $7.5 million with the plans of demolishing about half of the buildings on the site and converting the rest into an indoor sorting facility that could process some 300,000 tons of construction material annually that would have otherwise been sent to a local landfill.

The future of the site is still to be determined, but if community leaders are to follow the GO Study's advice, then something that preserves the structures on the site and capitalizes the location's unique structures in what could become one of the nation’s largest “green” industrial districts is still yet to be identified.

Cinweekly staff laid off!

2009-07-09T17:49:00.000-04:00

Wow, this is harsh. I hope the content of the magazine doesn't suffer by not having any local reporters to cover local events....

Enquirer lays off CinWeekly staff
Business Courier of Cincinnati

The expected layoffs at the Cincinnati Enquirer apparently have hit the staff of CinWeekly, its publication aimed at young readers.

Several Twitter messages and e-mails from Enquirer staffers confirmed that the publication’s staff was laid off Wednesday afternoon. Calls to CinWeekly’s staff members were not answered, and there has been no official announcement about the layoffs.

On its Web site, the Enquirer announced that starting with the July 15 edition, CinWeekly will be rebranded as Metromix. The newspaper described the publication as "the premier printed snapshot of all things entertainment that younger adults need to plan their free time." Metromix would target ages 25-39 with content from Metromix.com, Cincinnati.com and The Enquirer, according to the story.

CinWeekly was founded in 2003 as a free arts and entertainment tabloid aimed at adults in their 20s and 30s. It is distributed via newsboxes and other venues throughout Greater Cincinnati.

Gannett Co., (NYSE GCI) the Enquirer’s parent, said on July 2 that it would lay off 1,400 employees in its community publishing division. An Enquirer memo indicated that about 100 employees at the paper would be cut.

Gannett, over the past year, has instituted a voluntary severance plan, a previous layoff and quarterly furloughs as ad sales fell. The company posted first-quarter earnings of $77.4 million, or 34 cents per diluted share, down 60 percent year over year.

McLean, Va.-based Gannett also owns the Community Press newspapers locally.

good news for the former Maisonette site

2009-07-08T17:56:00.000-04:00

I'm so tired of seeing the former property of the Maisonette sit empty - i hope this goes through, because they could use some fresh development on that end of 6th. We need more places open for dinner and on the weekends! I never got to eat at Maisonette, but La Normandie had great food and a very intimate layout. I hope they are able to put in a restaurant/bar/whatever of equal caliber (no more Cadillac Ranches, ok?) but with more reasonable pricing.

Maisonette site may be restaurant again
By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn • lbernard@enquirer.com • July 8, 2009
DOWNTOWN - Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. says it is in talks with several restaurateurs for the vacant space that once housed Barleycorn's, La Normandie and Maisonette on Sixth Street.
By fall, the nonprofit development group hopes to finalize a deal that would include renovating the downtown buildings into seven upper level condos with about 16,000 square feet of street level space for a restaurant and entertainment user, said Stephen Leeper, president and CEO of 3CDC.
The nonprofit is working with Mount Adams-based Towne Properties, which is consulting on preliminary designs and might partner with 3CDC on a portion of the residential side of the project, Leeper said.
He declined to name the prospective tenants and said it's too soon to estimate the project's cost.
This week, 3CDC began interior "spot" demolition to scope out the potential layout options for the street-level space.
"We're making some pretty good progress," Leeper said, adding that it's likely that 3CDC will hand off the redevelopment project to a local developer and partner with them on the financing.
3CDC bought the properties late last year for roughly $2.4 million, a key acquisition that expanded the nonprofit's reach further into the downtown core.
Since completing Fountain Square's renovation last year, 3CDC also has led the redevelopment of the former Phoenix Café on Walnut Street into renovated condos and the incoming Righteous Room, a bar and lounge set to open this summer.
Other nearby venues include the recently opened Bootsy's, a restaurant and bar at 631 Walnut, and Nicholson's Tavern & Pub at 625 Walnut.
"This will really build on the progress that's been made so far and complement the area very nicely," Leeper said. "We're really trying to begin to use these buildings more densely than we have in the past, which will really help create a steady population downtown for a greater portion of the day."

promotions, classes, etc.

2009-07-08T17:19:00.000-04:00

There is so much cool stuff going on - how can you not find something to do during these hot months?

PALOMINO PRESENTS BOTTLES UP! PROMOTION - NOW
Can't afford to spring for a bottle of Dom, but have something big to celebrate? Come to Palomino on a Wednesday, and it is half off! Do you have champagne taste on a champ ale budget? You cannot beat this deal! Every bottle of wine will be half off on Wednesdays. But, there's more. For 6 weeks, July 1st - August 12th, Palomino will be selling gift cards for 25% off. The offer is only going on for 6 weeks, and it is only available through the restaurant, not online, so stop by Palomino today, located at 505 Vine Street. Click here

LEARN ORGANIC GARDENING AT PARK + VINE - JULY 11Learn what you can do to create a more sustainable, equitable, and human-scaled future through organic gardening at Park + Vine on Saturday, July 11 at 2:30 p.m. Permaculture is an organic gardening, systems-thinking design method that works to maximize the beneficial relationships between all elements in our life systems. Park+ Vine is located at 1109 Vine Street. Call (513) 721-7275 for more information or Click here

SECOND SUNDAY ON MAIN BRINGS A GLOBAL GROOVE - JULY 12This month's event takes the neighborhood on a trip around the world, thanks to the sights and sounds of five bands with international flavor. The Bacchanal Steel Band (Caribbean Calypso) takes the stage at noon, followed by Silver Arm (Celtic) at 1:00 p.m. Mojenho Daro (Middle Eastern/Indian) will treat the crowd to some tunes at 2:00 p.m., and then it's Zumba (Latin American) at 3:00 p.m. and Baoku Moses and the Image AfroBeat Band at 4:00 p.m. The day will continue with a cooking demonstration at 2:30 p.m. by Chef Nat Blanford and the annual Drag Races, in heels not hot rods, starts at 4:00 p.m. For more information on Second Sunday on Main, Click here or call the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce at (513) 241-2690.

BUSINESS ON BOARD EXTENDS DEADLING FOR FALL CLASS '09 - JULY 31Business on Board for the Arts (BoB) is a dynamic program designed to identify, recruit, train and place a diverse pool of high potential business professionals as board members of Greater Cincinnati arts organizations. The BoB training program is managed by the Fine Arts Fund Arts Services, whose staff and volunteers are specialists in supporting arts organizations through programs, people and resources. We embrace this program as arts organizations make up an important part of the fabric of downtown Cincinnati. BoB are now recruiting for their fall 2009 class and have extended the deadline to Friday, July 31. The enrollment fee has also been reduced. For an application go to http://www.fineartsfund.org and click on the "Volunteer" icon. For more information contact Heather Hallenberg at the Fine Arts Fund, (513) 871-2787 ext. 28 or Email

CINCYPASSPORT PRESENTS AN AFTERNOON AT FINDLAY MARKET-JULY 12The CincyPassport Program is designed to encourage Greater Cincinnatians to travel to great neighborhoods and events. Get your passport stamped at each event you attend and look for details about how those stamps earn you great prizes. The next CincyPassport event is this Sunday, July 12 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. - An Afternoon at Findlay Market! Experience the sights, sounds and wonderful aromas at Cincinnati's Findlay Market, Ohio's oldest operated public market. Findlay Market is located at 801 Race Street (meet at the Biergarten on Essen Strasse). For directions and other information Click here

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT SUMMER ARTS - THROUGH JULY 29The Downtown Residents Council is seeking volunteers to assist with programs at the Children's Learning Center at the Main Public Library. The Summer Arts programs are for kids ages 6-12. Please consider participating on one or more Wednesday evenings this month. Arrive at the Children's Learning Center at 800 Vine Street at 6:45 p.m. for about 90 minutes. For more information, contact Carolyn Janssen at (513) 369-6922 or Click here

DRIVE TIME FARMERS MARKET CONTINUES - NOW Findlay Market offers local agriculture three days each week in the Farmers Market. In addition to the popular Saturday seasonal market, the new Tuesday Drive Time Farmers Market is now open from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. through October. Shoppers will find many of their favorite farmers as well as new vendors. Market Wines also offers a drive time wine tasting every Tuesday afternoon. For more information, call (513) 665-4839 or Click here

Restaurant closures and openings....

2009-07-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

First, from the Cincy Business Journal, the bad news (well, only if you could afford to go to this place):

Seafood restaurant chain The Oceanaire, which opened a downtown Cincinnati location last year, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed its local site. A recording at the Cincinnati Oceanaire's number says the restaurant is closed and thanks customers for their patronage. Oceanaire opened June 2, 2008, in the 580 Building at Sixth and Walnut streets, featuring fresh seafood in a 1930s-era setting. Its demise leaves McCormick & Schmick's in the Westin as downtown's only seafood restaurant.

And now the good news - drew and i ate at this place when it was an ethiopian joint, and i'm so glad its being redone and reopened! that end of 6th really doesn't have anything in the way of eating options:

Cincinnati's Martin and Marilyn Wade plan ‘desperately needed’ eatery type on Sixth Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Lisa Biank Fasig Staff Reporter

Martin and Marilyn Wade, the real estate investors behind Twist Restaurant & Lounge, JeanRo Bistro and several other restaurants, are developing what will be their smallest eatery, downtown.

The site, at 120 W. Sixth St., will sit beneath four apartments also being developed by the Wades. Their holding company, Relish Restaurant Group, is accepting bids for work on the apartments, about 950 square feet each. As for the restaurant, specifics are still in the works, said Justin Dean, chief operating officer of Relish. But, he said, the concept will be new to the city.

“We’re kicking two ideas around right now, both of which we don’t have right now and we desperately need,” he said.

As for whether it will be upscale or moderate, he said that in this economy, the restaurant will be “completely and totally affordable.”

cool stuff going on in Cincinnati Parks

2009-07-06T10:16:00.001-04:00

Wow, there was so much info in my Cincinnati Parks quarterly newsletter that i just cut and pasted it. Check it all out!

Everybody’s Backyard:Outdoor Movies: New this summer, the Outdoor Movies in the Parks series is showing some of your favorite movies under the stars. Parking and the movies are free and open to the public.
Friday, July 10 ET: The Extra-Terrestrial 9:30 pm Washington Park downtown, 1225 Elm Street
Friday, July 17 pm Madagascar Stanbery Park 8:45 pm Mt. Washington, 2221 Oxford Ave.
Thursday, July 23 To Catch a Thief Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park 7:30 pm
Saturday, August 8 movie title and time TBA Rapid Run Park 4450 Rapid Run Parkway, West Price Hill
Friday, August 14 movie title TBA 8:45pm Mt. Echo Park East Price Hill, 381 Elberon Ave.
Friday, August 21 The Philadelphia Story 7:30pm Seasongood Pavilion Eden Park

Park Concerts and Events: Get outside and relax in the warm weather with outdoor concerts and events sponsored by Cincinnati Parks. The evenings feature Everybody's Backyard Picnic Concerts and the Cincinnati Parks Foundation Music & Event Series. Music fills the days downtown at the LPK Acoustic Lunch concerts in Piatt Park. Enjoy Shakespeare in the Park by the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company at Eden Park, or swing to Plaza Jazz in Clifton. For a full listing click here.

Farmers’ Markets in Parks: Enjoy selecting fresh vegetables and fruits grown by local farmers and gardeners at the three farmers’ markets located in Cincinnati Parks.Sayler Park Farmers’ Market, Tuesdays, 4:00pm – 7:00pm Sayler ParkNorthside Farmers’ Market, Wednesdays, 3:00pm – 8:00pm Hoffner ParkMt. Washington Farmers' Market, Thursdays, 2:30pm – 6:30pm Stanbery Park

Disc Golf Courses in Burnet Woods & Mt. Airy Forest: Many people are surprised to learn there are two great disc golf courses in Cincinnati Parks, one in Burnet Woods in Clifton and the other on the west side of town in Mt. Airy Forest. New this summer is the grand opening of The Nati Disc Golf Pro Shop at the Mt. Airy Forest disc golf course. The operators of the pro shop are giving free Disc Golf lessons for beginners who visit the course on weekends. The Nati Pro Shop is in Pine Ridge Lodge, 4800 Pine Ridge Road inside Mt. Airy Forest, adjacent to the Mt. Airy Disc Golf Course. The park entrance is 5083 Colerain Avenue. Hours are Monday-Friday 11:00 am. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Segway Tours: Step onto a Segway and explore Cincinnati’s beautiful and historic Eden Park. You and your friends will enjoy riding a Segway for this unique guided tour. The 90 minute tour includes training by an experienced Segway guide to enhance your comfort, safety and enjoyment. Cost is $50 per person, by appointment. To schedule a tour visit Segway.com or www.Segwayofohio.net or call (859) 628-7728.

Explore & More at Five Neighborhood Nature Centers and 34 Nature Preserves: Have fun in any of our 1000 Nature Education programs – hikes & hands-on events for families, adults, children, seniors and school groups.

Plus, there are free, drop-in summer camps for children, called “Nature Next Door." Now through Aug. 7, 2009 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at a different Park each weekday: Mondays….. Lincoln Recreation Center Greenspace on Linn Street (West End) Tuesdays…. Dempsey Park on Purcell Av (East Price Hill) Wednesdays....Roselawn Park on Seymour Avenue (Roselawn) Thursdays…....Fleischmann Gardens on Forest Avenue ( Avondale) Fridays…………Inwood Park on Vine Street (Mt. Auburn)
For more information about Explore Nature programs click here.

Mt. Airy Forest Hikes: There are 65 miles of trails in our city parks. Thanks to a Hiking Club grant, our largest park, Mt. Airy Forest, has guided hikes on Wednesday afternoons, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings. There is no charge to participate, and you can choose an easy, moderate or more challenging route. For more about the Mt. Airy hikes, click here, or contact Pegge backststudio@cinci.rr.com

Everybody’s Backyard Picnic Concerts: Bring your family and join your neighbors for an evening of fun at one of Cincinnati's finest parks to celebrate summer! Free hot dogs - while they last, balloon artist, face painter, magician, Park Board Nature Education activities, Police K-9 Unit, and live entertainment (TBA). Bring a lawn chair, pack a picnic basket and enjoy Everybody's Backyard Picnic. For a map of Cincinnati Park locations and calendar of fun events and programs, visit www.cincinnatiparks.com.

fireworks on the 4th

2009-07-01T15:18:00.000-04:00

ok, so i know i'm going a bit overboard with posts today, but i'm gone until next Monday and there's a shit-ton of stuff going on. Earlier today, i read an article in the enquirer about how cities are doing away with their free fireworks shows for the 4th, which sucks but you can't be surprised. Thankfully our city's fireworks displays are sponsored, so we're in luck!
Here are two great options (aside from the Red White and Boom gig up in Blue Ash):

P&G FOURTH OF JULY BASH ON FOUNTAIN SQUARE - JULY 4
Celebrate the Fourth of July in true Fountain Square style with patriotic music from the New Sousa Band and a special screening of the summer blockbuster Independence Day enhanced with Rozzi's Famous Fireworks. Fireworks will be used during the movie to create a unique outdoor viewing experience (hint: explosions = fireworks). At the end, a traditional fireworks display will go off the top of the Fountain Place building while the credits roll. Adult beverages and Coca-Cola soft drinks are available for purchase. Skyline Chili, Mama Made It kettle corn, popcorn, Sno-Kones, candy bars, and other treats are also available. Special thanks to title sponsor P&G & media sponsor Kiss 107! I went to the movies on the square for the first time last week, and its really a great idea, especially if you have kiddos. My one recommendation would be to bring your own chairs if you dont get there early. There were a ton of people laid out on blankets, but the square is HARD so that probably isn't so comfy after awhile. If you don't have kids its still a good time and they serve beer along with coneys and pop, etc.

ANNUAL CRC FIREWORKS AT YEATMAN'S COVE - JULY 4
Bring your lawn chair or blankets to Yeatman's Cove on Saturday, July 4 for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission's annual All-American Birthday Party. Concessions are available, along with music and world-famous Rozzi Fireworks at 10 pm. It's sure to be a family friendly event. Low cost parking is available at the park's main entrance at 801 Pete Rose Way. For more information, call (513) 352-6180 or Click here .

DCI Survey results on Downtown Perceptions

2009-07-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

Here's some of the most interesting info i copied and pasted from the DCI press release found @ http://downtowncincinnati.com/files/uploaded/Perceptions_Survey.09.final.pdf . Some of the info was cut out or paraphrased for space.

Perceptions with the strongest positive change compared to a year ago w ere:
‘has a good vibe’ at 58% v. 33%,
‘is comfortable / approachable’ at 63% v. 38%
and ‘has a bright future’ at 70% v. 46%.

The following perceptions improved in 2009 compared to 2008. The numbers
represent the sum of “strongly agree” and “agree”.
2009 2008
Cleanliness 65% 44%
Feels Safe 61% 44%
Visible Police Presence 64% 43%
Affordable Parking 69% 36%
Laid out in compact manner 67% 46%
Easily accessible by car 78% 68%

Visits to downtown within the past month have
increased to 78% in 2009 from 60% in 2008.

top 5 destinations that are always
or usually considered for dining / shopping / entertainment
Downtown leads at 46%,
Rookw ood Commons at 39%,
Kenwood Tow ne Centre at 38%,
Newport on the Levee at 26%
Hyde Park Square at 21%.
In general respondents are spending
more at all locations compared to a year ago.

Happy Hours

2009-07-01T13:14:00.000-04:00

So, i went to UD and i live in a german city - a good beer for a good price is one of life's small pleasures. Its not often i get to a happy hour these days, but when i do, i want to make it count. A good litmus test of a happy hour that appeals to me is whether it goes until after 7 (i work till 6), if the crowd is Chode-free and if its a place that's a semi- independent chain.

My recommendation for great places to go for happy hour downtown:

Hilton Netherland Lobby - its crazy fancy in there and the happy hour prices are AWESOME

Palomino - a bit overcrowded and the chode factor can be high, but i'll be damned if they don't make some kick ass mojitos.

Mainstay bar - no happy hour, but its off the beaten path (where spy club/viper room was, across from the convention center on 5th) and they sell 40s of beers - nice beer, mind you - as well as draft liters for 5$. I bought a Blue Moon there the other week and unlike HBH, i actually finished it before it was gone. Who can beat getting semi drunk for 5$?!

Grammars - great bar all around. I honestly don't know if they have happy hour, but its a sweet bar nonetheless and anyone who's up for a drink in OTR should check it out. Very cool place and good people who have a good sense of humor. They always have lots of microbrews on tap, so its worth going to if you want something other than Bud/Miller (sorry to my friends who work for both, but sometimes you just want something different).

Knockabout Nat's (formerly Rockin Robins) - ok, so first off, let me say that i think both names for this bar suck. That being stated, it really feels like a neighborhood bar that you'd find in any one of the burbs - low lighting, not much in the way of food and cold beer while you watch espn. Since i'm not a sports fan, i'll take the tables outside anyday, even if you do get panhandled now and again. Not sure on happy hour, but their drinks are cheap so you cant get much more of a deal than that.

New addition (and as of yet, unconfirmed on if its fun or not): Cricket Lounge @ The Cincinnatian. Here's the info on it that i got off of facebook:
- The Cricket Lounge Happier Hour4 pm - 7 pm Everyday1/2 price Cricket Menu "Snacks and Appetizers" daily. Plus Daily Specials½ dozen wings $3Artichoke Dip with Chips and Salsa $4Soft Pretzels with beer cheese $4BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with cole slaw (3 sliders) $58 oz Ground Sirloin Burger served with kettle chips $5Drink Specials$2.50 draft beers including Bass and Christian Moerlein½ price house wines$5 Specialty Cocktails

I paid particular attention the Christian Moerlein for 2.50 - that's a fair price!

further recommendations? I think sully's is supposed to have a good happy hour, but i think the chode factor there is kind of high, depending on the nite.