René of the Day // 11.25.11 // A Great Day

Lunched at Senate with Mom + Kiki and did some shopping in OTR

(Poutine: fries, local cheese curds, braised shortribs + gravy - NOMS!)

North Carolina BBQ sandwich

Visited Spring Grove Cemetery and laid wreaths and Gigi's and grandpa's graves

Late afternoon cocktail on the rooftop at O'Bryon's, enjoying the balmy day with Kiki

Bowling at Star Lanes* in Newport with the Loveland gals 

(*Loved this place! A smoke-free bowling alley? Finally! And their appetizers were above par, for sure.)

One word: poutine

René of the Day // 11.23.11 // T-Gives Eve

It's tradition! For at least the past three years, Becca and I go to R.P. McMurphy's on Thanksgiving Eve. Usually her favorite musician, Paul Otten, is playing. This year there was another band but we still came and invited more friends (Vale, Maura, Dave, Alex...) to join us. With our plastic green and pink Mug Night cups filled, we sang and had a great time, enjoying the friends for whom we're thankful. Cheers!

René of the Day // 11.22.11 // Healthy Cincy Chili

My hope of making a new soup every week has been a challenge with work, JLC and other evening activities but I'd still like to share some. Hungry Girl has great books and a website with healthy and appetizing recipes. When I found this post for a healthier version of Cincinnati chili, I had to share. Her Chew the Right Thing posts are sort of like Eat This, Not That.

318 calories per serving - Skyline is 760 calories per serving - woof!

Get the recipe here.

Skinny Cincy chili by Hungry Girl

René of the Day // 11.17.12 // La Poste

The former Tink’s space off Ludlow in Clifton exceeded my expectations. Mrs. (!!) Kris and I went to catch up post-wedding and since they just moved to Indy and she was back home for the week. We had to celebrate her job, too! As soon as we walked in the door, we ran into one of my fav sommeliers, Eric Faber, who I initially met with my mom at A Bottle or Two. He also took Amy Scalia of Cincy Chic and me on a hot air balloon ride last summer… I loved the tempranillo that was his current featured selection on the menu and we decided to split a selection of appetizers. We chose scallops, salad, crab cake and flat bread.

Kris surprised me with the cutest painting of a Westie that looks just like shaggy Findlay – it is so sweet! (See photo below) I think he likes to look up at “his” masterpiece above the armchair in the studio.

One amazing aspect of the restaurant is they use their wall space and as a rotating art gallery of work by local artists. The current paintings of Cincinnati was sensational -  by Cole Carothers, the owner was happy to discuss with us. The name of the restaurant is also charming – the building was originally built as a post office. The check was neatly folded and presented in a time hand-stamped envelope – little touches like this make a cute place unique, inspiring and worthy of a return visit.

Read the menu on the La Poste website here.

*As always, I’m not a food critic, just a lover of food and fine dining.

The salad of the season

Painting of Findlay

René of the Day // 11.12.11 // JLC Tour of Kitchens

In an effort to raise money and sell the latest Junior League of Cincinnati cookbook, Cincinnati Seasoned, the league held a tour of fabulous kitchens in Cincinnati. Beginning at Keidel, a beautiful showroom of bathrooms and kitchens to purchase for your home, participants were given directions for a self-guided tour around the city. For $25, you could visit incredible kitchens – from contemporary to classic and LEED-certified, they were truly amazing spaces on display. Additionally, the cookbooks were available for purchase at a discount priced at each home and an array of recipes from the cookbook were sampled. Some homes had cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, features from local restaurants and the homes architects were present to discuss the kitchens.

The event was a great success and next year I look forward to taking the entire tour. This year I volunteered and sold cookbooks from one home for half of the day enjoyed getting to know more League members and promoting our efforts in the city.

Order Cincinnati Seasoned cookbook for $32.95 here. 

Keidel showroom

René of the Day // 11.9.11 // Annabell's Brunch

This adorable hole in the wall in Mt Lookout has been calling my name for years but I’d never managed to make it there until now. My friend Angie called me to do brunch and great minds think alike as we both threw it out as an idea. The key is to get there early – there’s less than 10 tables in this etsy-esque little café. But even if you have to wait – it’s worth it! Loads of options with fresh local produce,  cheeses and unique dishes. The huveous rancheros was phenomenal. It was hard to choose this over the egg scramble with fall squashes (pumpkin, butternut) and two other people in our party loved it. The vintage tables, glass pastry domes on the counter filled with goodies and cute artwork on the walls make this sunny spot the ideal start to a weekend morning. The only down fall, which is why I’ve yet to take MR, is that people wait inside the door for a table so they’re hovering over you as you eat – which he despises. It can be difficult to relax and enjoy a meal when you know you’ll be hustled out.

So go early and enjoy this gem – I can’t wait to sample more of the menu. 

René of the Day // 10.30.11 // Café de Wheels @ Dutch's

Could it be - one the best bars + the best burgers @ brunch = hell yeah! I'm not sure if this secret has been circulated so I had to share. Café de Wheels AKA The Burger Truck is now serving at Dutch's Bar & Bottle Shop in East Hyde Park on weekends for brunch! Order on the curb and take it out back - they have a great patio with bocce ball courts (my fav!)

I love the Wheels burger (ooh, balsamic onion marmalade) with sweet potato fries. Does this not sound like the dream savior for the worst G&T hangover ever? Yes. Yes, it is. Add a Pellegrino Limonata, spend a few hours in the sun and you're ready for a nap. Perfecto.

René of the Day // 10.23.11 // Cincinnati Chocolate Festival

This event was a delicious success! The Isaac M. Wise Temple Sisterhood raised $60,000 for this one-day event at the Cintas Center. For only the second year, they've continued to grow and expand tremendously. The first year (2010) was held at the JCC. This year, there was a wait at the door in the first hour because the Cintas Center was at capacity! Next year they're looking toward the Duke Energy Convention Center to house Cincinnati's overflowing chocaholic population.

It was an honor and privelege to donate my time and skills to this cause. What began as volunteering to manage social media and PR efforts blossomed into project management for the website, ads for Cincinnati Magazine, brochure, poster, pamphlet and beyond. The Sisterhood donates all proceeds to local charities that benefit women and children, such as the YMCA Battered Women's Shelter, Children's Hospital, the Freestore Foodbank and more. Makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy inside! :)

It was fun to volunteer in the Kidz Zone the first few hours of the day and then I met up with my parents and niece and Matt's parents and his sister and brother-in-law to enjoy the festivities. My favorite items were the cheese and chocolate from Murray's at Kroger and the mint chocolate chip bread pudding from Bella Luna. I'm not a huge chocolate fan but mint and peanut butter really get me! Despite the crowds, it was great to see friends (thanks Becca & Kristin!) and family there supporting my efforts and the cause.
(Wish I'd taken a photo inside the festival but it was absolutely chaos!)

Kylie and me, before stuffing our faces with chocolate! ;)

René of the Day // 10.20.11 // Premiere Party: Cincinnati Chocolate Festival

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! As a volunteer (turned part-time pro bono employee) for the second annual Cincinnati Chocolate Festival, I had the pleasure of being a guest at the Premiere Party at the Midwest Culinary Institute. It was an absolutely delicious evening, with a chocolate-themed dinner including prosecco from A Bottle or Two, beer from Christian Moerlein, cheeses, wonderful prime rib, risotto and more. Of course, the dessert table was death by chocolate - not kidding, you could've been trampled. My mom purchased a ticket to join me and my aunt and uncle (he's a total chocoholic!) were given tickets so we had a great time together. Enjoy the photos, wipe the drool from your keyboard.

My favorites - chocolate whoopie pies with passion fruit sauce by Megan Ketover.

René of the Day // 10.19.11 // STRONG Challenge

Now I'm stronger than yesterday... Now it's nothin' but my way....

Kidding. I'm sure that is not what Crossroads had in mind for this year's journey. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the services but if you'd like to learn more, click here to watch or listen (the website with all of the cool cards I'll tell you about is no longer up.)

The experience encouraged members in Community to meet with a group of others to discuss their faith, growth, lives and ideas over a course of 6-weeks. (I truly enjoyed the Freedom journey in early 2010 which had the same premise.) I met with one of my best friends from college, Becca, two good girlfriends from high school, Beth and Elizabeth and a new friend that Beth invited to join us, Holly. It was a wonderful group of women - all strong, smart and on different paths which made it really interesting to share each other's perspectives. Two teachers, two mommies of two, two single career women, one who just bought a home on her own and one who's preparing for her wedding next fall.

Each week we were tasked with 5 "cards" that were action items to challenge and build our strength. The "homework" was certainly a challenge - I struggle to find 20 minutes for myself many evenings when I get home from post-work obligations or social engagements, let alone to focus. Mind you, I do pray every evening but taking the time to think through these was a fantastic idea but I admit I wasn't always obedient with completing them each night - this is certainly one reason why I feel I didn't get as much from this journey as the last.

Each week had a theme: Play, Pray, Study, Train, Serve and Live. To provide an example, here are the five Strong Challenge I chose for the first week, Play:

1. Fill 'er up - Make a list of activities that energize and refresh you
2. Be grateful - Write down 10 things to thank God for
3. Plan a Sabbath Day
4. Share something you love
5. Rest from worry

I truly enjoyed taking on these challenges. Thinking of things you love to do really fills your heart with joy and it's always a great thing to remind ourselves what we're thankful for.

The Sabbath Day was accidental and amazing - MR surprised me and moved his Monday morning meeting so that we could have a quiet night together (something we rarely experience since our time together is always jam-packed weekends.) We had brunch with my extended family, went to the pumpkin patch with them, visited his sister and brother-in-law, had a dinner date at Dewey's, took an evening walk with the dog, he read a book for work as I watched DH and we went to bed early and got ready for work in the morning together before we drove home. I was so thankful for this day because it showed me how strong our relationship truly is and that this long distance thing is so worth it because we will have many, many days like this in our future when it all pans out.

Enough insight on my experience with the challenges. I was really disappointed that they didn't host the Prayer Experience like last time - I'm sure it was cost-related but it was an amazing opportunity with numerous rooms designed with activities for listening, praying and reflecting on the Freedom series. The Strong experience was just audio and I wasn't excited so I skipped out on it - perhaps I should've just given it a shot.

The best part of this experience was the sense of community I received from the girls in the group. They are amazing with their spirituality and I learned so much from the way the pray, think and act. I'm looking forward to re-grouping with them this spring for a bible study every other week, to continue growing together.

René of the Day // 10.17.11 // Yuengling Fling!

My friend Melissa called me at 3:30 on a Monday afternoon when I was at work - it worried me. She'd recently experience a family tragedy and I hadn't heard much from her since then... And I was damn glad I answered my phone! She's the food and beverage director at a country club in Cincinnati and she had two free tickets to the "Yuengling Fling" at the Hyatt downtown that evening. w00t!

What an event! To introduce the beer to local industry professionals, they filled a ballroom with unlimited availability of Yuengling - light, original and dark - The Rusty Griswolds played on stage and there was a delicious spread of favorite foods from Cincinnati and Pennsylvania (Yueng's homeland.) We grabbed a beer and loaded our plates with cheese coneys, soft pretzels with cheese and mini Philly cheesesteaks. NOM. The ice sculptures were pretty neat too - a bottle when you arrived off the escalator (see photo below) and they also served from a bar made of ice with bottles tucked inside.

We had a hell of a good time catching up and letting the beers flow... It's funny how everyone was freaking out about Yuengling coming to Cincinnati. So many of us have been rum running it here the past few years. My mom and I brought back 24-bottle boxes from Pittsburgh two autumns ago when we went to visit Falling Water and the Andy Warhol Museum. They don't sell beer in the grocery store so we went to this beer shack on top of a hill - seriously. And MR always brings some when he visits from Tennessee. It's been such a treat and now its here! Cheers!

René of the Day // 10.13-15.11 // RT+KP=RKT

I love the hot Tomalia's!

The girls

Or something like that... What I can tell you it does equal is a wonderful love story. Three years ago one of my best friends, Kristin (KP) was living in Jacksonville, Florida, sick of the "scene" and enjoying some wine after a long Monday. She saw a commercial from Match.com and with the courage of her wine glass, decided to give it a shot. A handsome gentleman named Mr. René (RT) (yes, I am officially Miss René) from Michigan made a similar choice. They chatted... they dated... I'm abbreviating this story but they moved to Cincinnati and were engaged months later on the night of her birthday. As I sat at the bar waiting for them, an hour past their due, I caught on to the surprise. We enjoyed a bottle of champagne and celebrated. I was honored to be René #2 in their wedding. And seriously, I was so anti-online dating but look at these two. I mean, they're models. Alas, even hot, uncreepy cool people meet on the interwebs.
--

Since many of the wedding guests were visiting from out of town, we held Kristin's bachelorette party the Thursday night before the wedding weekend. We reserved the private dining room upstairs at Via Vite and stocked the girl's place setting with little candies that said "Mint to Be," tissues with a monogrammed "T" and penis straws that Miss Kristin (yes MOH has same name as bride, do we sense a trend?) and I trekked around town to 4 stores to find, including The Party Source, Hustler Hollywood, Party City and the gold mine - Spencer's Gifts. Had a great time planning the party with her (hello, Sundays at Coffee Emporium and Cafe De Wheels burger truck with bloody marys at Dutch's.) After a deliciously stuffing dinner of authentic Italian pizzas and great wine, we went to Scene Ultra Lounge for a free bottle of bubbles and played a hilarious card game that's similar to Never Have I Ever. We followed with another complimentary bottle of champagne at the new(ish) Luxe and then to Bartini for dancing with British men on a business trip - successful weeknight bachelorette party in Cincy!

The rehearsal and subsequent dinner the following night were wonderful. The Peaks are phenomenal entertainers - Kris' mom specifically designed the house for entertaining with the architect when the moved to Cincinnati from Miami, Florida in the early 90s. We enjoyed the food, company and beverages, including the fabulous apple cinnamon-infused vodka Mr. René homemade and adapted from the Bee Knees martini recipe from Bonefish Grill.

The wedding day was absolutely beautiful - an early October Saturday with bright skies and a slight breeze. We had a fantastic time getting ready with the girls and I took a video opening her lovely gifts from Mr. René. We watched "Father of the Bride" (her fav) as we waited at the church and took photos in the gorgeous garden courtyard at the church. The ceremony was lovely - Bruce was a fantastic priest and he made it fun and engaging.

The reception was an absolutely ball - wonderful food, an open bar and a great DJ - evidently MR asked them how much cash it would take to keep them going until midnight - $600 was a little high for his bid. And I loved how they had the cake toppers from both of their parents weddings on the table with their cake. It was a nice I'd love to live over again!

Congrats to you, Mr. & Mrs T - on your marriage, your new place and new jobs in Indy - can't wait to visit! Thank you for including me in your special day - it truly was perfect. I love you! xoxo

Bridal party

René of the Day // 10.10.11 // Hot Head

I'm not one of the many people I know who must get their Chipotle (say it right "chi-POt-lay") fix every week. But I do love a burrito every now and again. And when Hot Head Burritos opened in Oakley this past year, I planned to check it out... eventually. And then coupons arrived in the janky JB Dollar Stretcher Magazine - it was hard to pass up a "lil burrito" for $2.99. I don't go regularly but I don't just toss those glossy direct mail garbo catalogs anymore - I clip out the Hot Heads coupons and use them for what they're worth!

I've had the lil burrito and the lil bowls (options that I wish Chipotle would consider.) Although the rice isn't quite as great, I like that they let you choose to steam or grill the tortilla (numerous flavors) and they have spicy chicken. They offer more vegetables - plus pineapple - and a ton of sauces... it's hard to choose. I love their sweet habanero sauce. I wouldn't go often if it weren't for the coupons but it's hard to beat a filling dinner for $3 that isn't a gorging portion. This week it looks like the ad has jumped up to $3.99 for the lil guys - which I think is only a savings of 20 cents. But the people who work there are always super nice - I'll go alone and sit on the patio when the weather's nice and have a quiet dinner by myself when I'm not in the mood to cook.

I'm thrilled to have found something worth clipping from the mega magazine and a quick spot to grab dinner when I'm not sure what sounds good - the coupons on the fridge catch my eye and the decision is made. Try it out - it's not Chipotle but it has it's own unique qualities. Oh and they have stamp cards that earn free food and they give two stamps on Tuesdays, along with other deals throughout the week involving cookies and other items. Ole!

[As always, I'm not a restaurant critic. Just sharing my experiences.]

René of the Day // 10.1.11 // JLC Bus Tour

The Junior League hosted a bus tour for the Provisional class that was worth the while of waking up at 7:30am on a Saturday. We loaded onto a charter bus and toured the city with a fantastic tour guide and a group of bundled up gals on one of the first cold mornings of the season. 


I loved learning more about my hometown and always enjoy tidbits of history and interesting facts about Cincinnati.  I live tweeted from the event so some facts may be off due to noise from chatter, road bumps accentuated my big bus wheels and fast talking speakers, but here's what I picked up:


Parks and Parkways plan proposed in 1907 was recognized through the 1990s to make a city inside the parks. 


There were 3 different Cincinnatis: 1. 1788-1880s walking city. Desire to be close to the center. Riverfront. 4th street flooded annually. 


The entire first city was Over-the-Rhine. All multi-family housing. No greenery. Only park was Piot Park on Garfield Place.


1805-1935 Cincinnati was the fastest growing city in the country. 10x larger population in the 1950s than now.


First city all lived on same street mixed together. Second city fragmented and segmented into downtown and neighborhoods with ppl like them.


Second city was streetcars. Third city was expressways. Built tunnel for 71 and high rise apartment building to fund project.


Kentucky has smaller counties. Only Texas has more.


Kentucky sold land for IRS building in Covington for $1 in 1970.


The Banks is an incredibly difficult project. Two stories of parking garages must be built above flood planes. $2500 per parking space.


Land in city center and construction across 8 blocks make for expensive and complicated effort.


Newport, Kentucky was the test market for Las Vegas. 


US has 8 times the square footage of retail that Europe does. Over-retailed. Think of Tricounty, Northgate.


Tyler Davidson Fountain based on water as Cincinnati is a water city Children with gifts of water - pearls, lobster. Man with roof on fire.


Government Square has been the main hub for transportation since the original streetcar was introduced in 1859.


Music Hall was built to house the May Festival in the late 1800s. There were no fixed seats or stage. It was the original convention center.


National Geographic special this fall - noting bones found in redevelopment of Washington Park. Used to be cemetery land. 


The tour was led by Daniel Hurley of Discover Cincinnati. I highly recommend the trip for local learning and a fun way to spend a long, informative day of the Queen City. 

René of the Day // 9.29.11 // Toby Keith

When does his bar open at The Banks? From what I recall, this was not mentioned during his show at Riverbend in Cincinnati but it would have been prime time for marketing it to the local crowd. However, he did play looped footage of Ford commercials during his performance - we get it Toby, you're a truck-drivin' son of a gun who likes to have fun in the hillbilly sun (hey, maybe I could write some lyrics for the ole boy?)

We had a damn good time at the last show of the season at the hill on the river. We filled our lime LaCroix cans with Coronas and squeezed little lime wedges through the aluminum slots and hopped in Michelle's mom's car to head to the concert. The weather report had a pretty bad outlook but we weren't going anywhere. As soon as we got in I visited Julie at the B105 tent and the girls got scooped up by a City Beat photographer so I missed out on that opportunity. Then we ran into one of Mich's co-workers from the zoo - a short, beefy biker dude who was thrilled to buy our first beer and let us take cover under the side of the tent 15 minutes later when black clouds rolled in and a treacherous downpour began. Luckily, Mich's mom had a great golf umbrella - and Sid had a janky mini umbrella from a trip to Europe, so we squished together and stayed relatively dry (except my right arm, see photo below).

We huddled together for most of the show. The rain was on and off and the crowd was rowdy - they created a mudslide on the hill and we had front row action shots. Regardless of the weather, it was a hell of a good show and worth the sick feeling the next morning from standing out in the cold and rain. My favorite songs of the night were "Made in America" and "Shoulda Been a Cowboy" - it's one of MR's fav songs. Mich's mom was so fun and was a wonderful DD; we enjoyed buffalo wing Snyder's pretezel bites on the ride home (if you haven't had them, they're a fantastic snack.) My shit kickers (cowboy boots) are still sitting by my door mat, caked in dried mud. I think that's proof of a great country concert!

René of the Day // 9.23.11 // I love this bar

Maybe I have Toby Keith lyrics stuck in my head as I anticipate his concert tomorrow night... but one of my absolute favorite spots in Cincinnati is The Blind Lemon on Hatch Street in Mt. Adams. It's really not a hidden gem these days, but it surely is a special place. Inside it feels like a hobbit hole nestled into the side of a hill in Britain. Copper mugs, old political buttons, trains and other nostalgic paraphernalia line the ceilings and walls. You can count on a phenomenal acoustic musician to be tucked into dimly the back corner by the bathrooms, with their relaxing tunes pumping through the bar and out on the patio, which is a dreamy secret garden. With ivy-covered brick walls, cobble stone paving and woven white metal chairs you'd find on your grandparents sun porch, it's a lovely spot to relax around the fire pit and enjoy said music. Their beverage menu includes a hearty list of warm boozy beverages for blustery nights - last Friday I had the Hooken Effer which had, I believe had 4 kinds of liquor, lovingly swirled into hot chocolate and dolloped with whipped cream. Helllllo happy hour. This time of year is perfect for visiting The Blind Lemon - fantastic for a date night, a place to catch up with friends or to bring new Cincinnati visitors. Cheers!

René of the Day // 9.22.11 // Open up your heart and let the sunshine in

How blessed is our generation to be able to capture images, ideas and memories in digital format to have forever? With the Interwebs as our database, we can share and save, practically without limits.

"Open up your heart and let the sunshine in" is a song that my grandmother and her two sisters recorded in Cincinnati in 1954 as the Nunn Sisters (short for their surname, Nunneker.) They didn't write this song but they perform as the vocalists. I will admit, it sounds very cute, almost like the Chippets from Alvin and the Chipmunks! It's not like their other songs that sound much more like the music of the times, more mature, pretty voices. They made a number of records, during the same time as Rosemary Clooney was recording in Cincinnati. It's mindblowing to me to hear them on YouTube 57 years later - they would be absolutely thrilled! I'm so happy to have this to listen to, archived online - the last time I heard one of their songs was when it was played at my grandma's funeral four years ago. I'm not sure who this person is that posted it on YouTube for his mother but it is quite sweet of him. It's so special, I have to share it here. Enjoy.

Original 45 for the song recording.

René of the Day // 9.21. // Cloud 9

So I'm not quite there (on Cloud 9 if you follow) after dining at the new restaurant in the former Dancing Wasabi space but I was pleased with the experience. Katie texted me in the early evening to finally catch up after numerous failed attempts and re-scheduled dates and sushi just sounded right. I'd been wanting to see the new place but was also curious because their sign outside reads, "Half price! Same menu as Dancing Wasabi!" It didn't make much sense to open a new restaurant and keep it the same so it didn't excite me, but it was worth checking out. Of course they offer "half price" which has been the gig for at least two years now. They keep the prices high and you do the math to see how "cheap" it is - wow!

Cloud 9 doesn't have any of the tacky art work and junk on the walls that Dancing Wasabi had. They do have two small white boards that state that they offer toro (richer, fatty tuna, harder to find and pricier) on the weekends. The menu has expanded non-sushi options with more appetizers and entreé options. The sushi menu offers all of the rolls that Dancing Wasabi did, but features quite a few new options. Katie and I struggled with determining which to choose because so many sounded similar. Almost every roll was wrapped around shrimp. It was hard to find five different rolls that were enticing and not repetitive, and neither of us are picky, we do it all - eel, uncooked, veggies, tempura, spicy, etc.

We ordered:
Orange County (sushi shrimp, cucumber & crab topped with spicy tuna, eel sauce & spicy mayo)
Dynamite (California roll topped with torched Hot Mama - mix of chopped tuna, salmon, tilapia, white tuna, yellowtail, garlic, red pepper paste, sriacha & green onion - eel sauce & spicy mayo)
Red Double (tempura shrimp, avocado, crab, eel sauce, spicy mayo, tempura flakes & wasabi sauce)
Caterpillar (eel & cucumber inside with layers of sliced avocado and eel sauce on top)
Tempura (tuna, salmon, tilapia, white tuna, crab stick, asparagus, cream cheese - deep fried)

Ultimately, the Orange County was the only new one for us. The Dynamite has changed a little and it was very similar to the Red Double, which we enjoyed much more. Red Double, Caterpillar and Tempura are always easy wins. We joked that they need a chart of spreadsheet comparing the rolls since many are so similar, it's hard to compare (so much for leaving work at the office, ha).

A friend from work was also there and mentioned they had really slow service and their plate of sushi sat on the counter for a while before it was noticed and delivered to their table; not a great experience but I've had this happen before. I think I'll go back - the atmosphere of Dancing Wasabi in the old Beluga space has better ambiance but I'm so sick of ordering maki from the same menu over the past few years.

Their full menu is available on their urbanspoon page.

(As always, I'm not a restaurant critic. Just a foodie sharing my experiences.)

René of the Day // 9.18.11 // Restaurant Week @ Bouquet

Bouquet Restaurant and Wine Bar is located in Covington, Kentucky, part of MainStrasse Village. It's been on "my list" for years and when Becca and I were deciding where to go for Greater Cincinnati Independents Restaurant Week, it was one of my top choices.

The Restaurant Week menu - 3 courses for $26.11 - wasn't as appealing to me as some of the selections from their man menu. Becca really enjoyed the butternut squash soup, heirloom salad and Atlantic salmon. I decided to forego the deal and choose what sounded best. I started with the smoked salmon mousse, served with cucumber, pickled ginger, red onion, candied orange zest and lemon caper aioli (see photo below). I was surprised to see the mousse served in little tarts but it was fantastic - the crust was rich and buttery and not too flaky. I would love to try another dish in a larger shell made with this dough. For the main course I had game hen with roasted brussels sprouts, blackberries, bacon and smoked buttermilk grits. It was outstanding! It was plated with four meaty little winglets stacked on top of one another, atop the delicious medley listed. The brussels sprouts were crunchy and roasted, the bacon was in thick, juicy little hunks and the grits provided the perfect creamy texture. My only qualm was that the blackberry seeds kept finding their way between my teeth, but what can you do? Our server was wonderful - I'm looking forward to going back with my mom and Kiki - we've talked about going for a long time - or for a romantic date with MR - he thought the hen sounded great. It's a very small and intimate space, so reservations are certainly recommended, I'm glad we had one. It was a full house at 8pm on Saturday. Next time I'd like to tap into their wine list, too.

After dinner we went to Oktoberfest Zinzinnati to meet up with friends and it was an absolute cluster! Phone service was spotty and it was nearly impossible to find anyone. I have never seen the festival so packed - it made it hard to enjoy the evening. The weather that afternoon was beautiful so perhaps that would've been a better time to go. It was just a crowd of drunk fools and far too many insulting smells in every direction. I also hate to see how people trash our city - but I also didn't see many garbage cans at our disposal (literally.) We each had one Sam Adams Oktoberfest beer and chatted a bit then headed home. I'll need to re-think my visit to Oktoberfest next year because I just can't be bothered with that circus again.

Side story: Bouquet also holds a special spot in my memory because last May, Kristin and I went to MaiFest in MainStrasse one Saturday and decided to sit down with our Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ales at a little table right in front of Bouquet. We were chatting about how I'd been a single gal since college and Kristin gave me a great girl talk about how I'm too quick to judge and should give guys the benefit of the doubt and not be so skeptical. I took her advice and tucked it in my back pocket when she dropped me off in Mt. Adams to meet up with Lindsey & Maura an hour or so later. So when we left Monk's Cove and sat down at a table at Tavern on the Hill, the only open seat was across from the girls, next to a guy with a huge smile and a big laugh who started talking about the Vols - so I turned around and gave him - MR! - a big Gator chomp... I gave him a chance, just like Kristin said, and the rest is history :)

René of the Day // 9.16.11 // Private Selection Tasting

Open bar and taste testing? Obviously, I signed up! Made me laugh because my friend Nikki said, "Dang girl - I love your life - it's always so fun!" I can't disagree :) Junior League hosted a fundraising event with Kroger's Private Selection brand to invite us to taste some of their potential new products and provide our feedback. Kelley, Adam, Liz and I secured a cocktail table and filled our little plates with boundless goodies. The focus of the tasting was on flatbreads - loved the rosemary and olive oil and sea salt and cracked black pepper. They were a nice, wide size and snapped nicely to accommodate spreads and dips. They had a beautiful wheel of brie with walnuts and apples that we couldn't get enough of. Little sandwiches and bruschetta filled us as we tasted the cheese straws - my least favorite of the items to be rated. The blue cheese didn't have a hint of that flavor. The cheddar flavor wasn't very exciting. I do think the little cheese rectangles would've been good crunched in soup.

The two olive tables were a hit for Adam and I - the girls aren't fans. I told him it was like a martini bar without the vodka! Stuffed with everything from citrus, blue cheese - the best I've had - soft creamy cheese not a hard square shoved in the olive like they usually are, garlic - with a big crunchy ripe clove and a few others, all of which I loved! Lastly, the cookies - we all really enjoyed the little pumpkin spice tea cookies and my favorite was the raspberry cookies with chocolate-coating on the bottom - except I think the raspberry seeds got stuck in my teeth, which was annoying. The butter pecan cookies weren't as good as a pecan sandie from Keebler.

It was a fun way to spend the evening and may have convinced me to try shopping at Kroger again - it's always a zoo and the aisles break in the center and turn so you can't just work up and down as you go. But their private label brand does have great offerings. I prefer the aesthetics of shopping at Biggs but their produce has declined and they don't carry a lot of the great gourmet products they used to. Trader Joe's is my favorite these days. But it's great that the League was able to provide the little evening of entertaining and benefit our efforts for the year.