I was adjusting my work schedule this week so I can make it back for some football games, and it had me thinking about what restaurants I want to hit. Number 1 at the top of my list is Song Long near Reading and Section, because the spicy beef and lemongrass soup is perfect. Number 2 is Riverside Korean in Covington, for a plethora of reasons, but the stone bowl is one of the main reasons. I suspect my cravings are affected by my moving to a smaller town and not having access to as many ethnic cuisines.

I know there are some food lovers on this board, some that live in SW Ohio and some that don't. If you know of a good spot to grab a bite near town I would really like to hear about it.

You seem to have fancy tastes.

I am a transplanted Cincinnatian and now all the foods I crave include (local flavor):
Skyline
White Castle
Penn Station
LaRosa's
City BBQ
Any Jeff Ruby's steakhouse
and goetta

Granted you rotate through one of those restaurants every day of the week and you will probably weigh 300 lbs by the end of the year. But how many times do you live?

I don't consider my tastes fancy, but eating good food is precious to me. Song Long is family run and inexpensive, and they make damn good broth. If you like noodles and broth, it is worth a visit. The shrimp and chicken crepe followed by two bowls of hot goodness is a lot of food for very little money. Stick to the vietnamese food on the menu and it is hard to pick a bad meal.

Riverside is usually crowded, but the dining experience is excellent once you get a table. Wear clean socks or wash your feet, because you may end up at a low table and have to drop your shoes. If you are going to order a stone bowl, don't go on a hot night, because you will be sweating on your food. Their assortment of pickled stuff that shows up on the table before ordering is usually pretty awesome. Unlike Song Long, this place can get expensive quickly if you are not mindful.

I used to walk to the the skyline on Clifton and Ludlow and order carry out every Sunday night, that was the way I would cap off the weekend. I was born and raised in Clifton, so that spot will always be meaningful to me.

When I want goetta, I go to the Proud Rooster, for a cheese omelette with a side of goetta, good stuff.

Larosa's lost me when they started freezing the dough, all they were left with was a sweet sauce real cheese pie that was available for delivery. I will take a bad thin crust pie from Adriatico's over the best pie Larosa's has to offer. And if I am feeling sentimental, I'll get some friends together and order a bearcat, and it should still blow away anything Larosas can deliver in pie form.

If you really like a more Korean buffet, drive down 75 a little further to Florence (Route 18). There is the Chung Ki Wha. It is somewhat pricey but an all you can eat buffet of pulkogi, kalbi, chicken, scallops, tiger prawn, along with soup, rice and different kimchi's. I lived in Korea for 11 years and this is where I go when I want someone else's Korean cooking or I am taking friends to dinner.

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&...9450042969

I trained with a girl whose parents were from Korea, and she took us to a place near Florence that had the grill in the middle of the table and a raw meat buffet where all the cuts were in great shape. If that is the place your are referring to, it gets a massive thumbs up from me.

(06-18-2011 04:36 PM)glacier_dropsy Wrote:  I trained with a girl whose parents were from Korea, and she took us to a place near Florence that had the grill in the middle of the table and a raw meat buffet where all the cuts were in great shape. If that is the place your are referring to, it gets a massive thumbs up from me.

That is the place. The good things about the charcoal in this restaurant is the charcoal is made from wood, not Kingsford or LPG. Gives the food a very nice aroma, to add to what is already very good beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc.

I recall a lot of good things about that place. My bottom line on a restaurant is how they treat their carbs, and the rice there was not featured but still perfect. It was sticky and sweet. I've never figured out how to do that.

As an aside, I'm trying to learn how to cook good fried chicken, any suggestions on where to taste the real thing are appreciated,

(06-18-2011 03:44 PM)glacier_dropsy Wrote:  I don't consider my tastes fancy, but eating good food is precious to me. Song Long is family run and inexpensive, and they make damn good broth. If you like noodles and broth, it is worth a visit. The shrimp and chicken crepe followed by two bowls of hot goodness is a lot of food for very little money.

Hmm, I'd like to hear more about this. In Tokyo I wandered by this hole in the wall looking for something to eat. Some guy noticed that my friend and I were having trouble deciphering what they were serving and, seeing that we were lost Americans, ordered for us. Some simple noodles and broth with 2 huge shrimp in the middle. No clue what it was called. Not a fish broth that's for sure. One of the best things I've ever tasted and have considered going back to Tokyo just to get another bowl. If this Song Long approaches that kind of flavor I am there!

For the record, White Castle should not be considered food. This thread is making me hungry.

(06-18-2011 09:51 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(06-18-2011 03:44 PM)glacier_dropsy Wrote:  I don't consider my tastes fancy, but eating good food is precious to me. Song Long is family run and inexpensive, and they make damn good broth. If you like noodles and broth, it is worth a visit. The shrimp and chicken crepe followed by two bowls of hot goodness is a lot of food for very little money.

Hmm, I'd like to hear more about this. In Tokyo I wandered by this hole in the wall looking for something to eat. Some guy noticed that my friend and I were having trouble deciphering what they were serving and, seeing that we were lost Americans, ordered for us. Some simple noodles and broth with 2 huge shrimp in the middle. No clue what it was called. Not a fish broth that's for sure. One of the best things I've ever tasted and have considered going back to Tokyo just to get another bowl. If this Song Long approaches that kind of flavor I am there!

Billy, In Hawaii they have a variation of Ramen, ramyun, whatever you want to call it for whatever country you are in (just for clarification: Ramen is Japanese, Ramyon is Korean. I prefer ramyon) and the Hawaiian version is called saimin. This is made from a Japanese Udon noodle and the broth is contained in the pages that are referenced here:

http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawa...mail_order

I wonder what flavored broth they used in tokyo. I'm guessing it was shrimp or possibly chicken. I've had traditional fish broth before and I just can't get used to the taste. What do they use at the places in Cincy?

(06-18-2011 10:50 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  I wonder what flavored broth they used in tokyo. I'm guessing it was shrimp or possibly chicken. I've had traditional fish broth before and I just can't get used to the taste. What do they use at the places in Cincy?

In most places it is a chicken broth, or the broth that you get from wonton soup packets. Sometimes a beef broth is best, but I like the chicken broth, with extra chicken flavoring added.

You know that you can go to the big stores and get a ham or beef or chicken soup base. What I do when I am lazy is just double the amount of chicken flavoring to an amount of water.

The secret to good broth is simmering the bones all day long and get the marrow from the bones.

(06-18-2011 04:02 PM)ctipton Wrote:  If you really like a more Korean buffet, drive down 75 a little further to Florence (Route 18). There is the Chung Ki Wha. It is somewhat pricey but an all you can eat buffet of pulkogi, kalbi, chicken, scallops, tiger prawn, along with soup, rice and different kimchi's. I lived in Korea for 11 years and this is where I go when I want someone else's Korean cooking or I am taking friends to dinner.

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&...9450042969

That sounds outstanding - I am adding that to the "must-do soon" list.

Glacier - I am a BIG fan of Riverside and have been going there a very long time. The stone bows are great. I get mine with added kimchi (you have to ask). But it is also fun to venture off the path. Their big seafood soup/stew dish for two (I can't recall the name) is phenomenal and the raw julienne beef with pine nuts and korean pear juice is like beef candy. Its fantastic.

Hugo in Oakely is a gem if you haven't been there yet.

Rath is an insider with all the best hidden gem Indian joints. Cumin in East Hyde Park is original and cool.

John Roberts table is very good. I think he does the best skatewing in the city. I doubt many people order skate, which is something the skate are probably OK with. His sweetbreads are also ridiculously good.

My favorite restaurant in Northside, Slims, closed. I think I am still in mourning a bit over that.

York Street Cafe in Newport is a fun place. Its even great to drop in for a couple drinks and a "mediterranean board" app. Chicks dig it too, which is nice.

If you want AUTHENTIC mexican go to La Mexicana in Newport. The anti-Don Pablos. They serve goat, burro, you name it. Not comfortable and no ambiance whatsoever, but damn it is just awesome, real mexican. No one seems to know about it. Most of the patrons are local mexicans and local chefs.

(06-18-2011 11:05 PM)ctipton Wrote:  

(06-18-2011 10:50 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  I wonder what flavored broth they used in tokyo. I'm guessing it was shrimp or possibly chicken. I've had traditional fish broth before and I just can't get used to the taste. What do they use at the places in Cincy?

In most places it is a chicken broth, or the broth that you get from wonton soup packets. Sometimes a beef broth is best, but I like the chicken broth, with extra chicken flavoring added.

You know that you can go to the big stores and get a ham or beef or chicken soup base. What I do when I am lazy is just double the amount of chicken flavoring to an amount of water.

The secret to good broth is simmering the bones all day long and get the marrow from the bones.

No doubt, making your own stock is a pain, but the result is so damn worth it.

One trick you can use is to make a sh*tload of stock all at once, use what you need now and then freeze the rest in small containers. Ice cube trays are the best because you can dump the frozen cubes in frezeer bags and pull out exactly how much you need for the next project. No waste at all.

(06-18-2011 02:49 PM)Bearcatbdub Wrote:  You seem to have fancy tastes.

I am a transplanted Cincinnatian and now all the foods I crave include (local flavor):
Skyline
White Castle
Penn Station
LaRosa's
City BBQ
Any Jeff Ruby's steakhouse
and goetta

Granted you rotate through one of those restaurants every day of the week and you will probably weigh 300 lbs by the end of the year. But how many times do you live?

They are building a new City BBQ in Blue Ash on the southwest corner of Pfeiffer and Kenwood Roads. They tore down that family restaurant and have the shell of the new building built. I'm looking forward to trying the food out.

For Chinese, I prefer Johnny Chan's on Fields Ertel. Pretty good for fast food Chinese.

I am a homer when it comes to pizza. I love Larosa's. More expensive than the others, but worth it.

I really love The Cactus Pear (one in clifton and one in blue ash) for ggood tex mex. Gordos in norwood is my favorite spot to get a delicious burger and a beer. Melt in northside is a great little sandwich shop.

I've never been to the cactus pear in Blue Ash, but I used to go to the Clifton location regularly. That salsa is roasted and garlicky and good, and the menu had a few staples I would crave from time to time (the red pepper noodles, the black bean soup, the nacho salad, and the chicken enchiladas).

My favorite BBQ joint in Cincy when I lived there was Pit to Plate. Their sides never impressed me, but I was only there for the smoked meats anyway. Their half chicken was dynamite, and the pulled pork was quality. I was never very impressed with the ribs, and I'm not a huge fan of brisket. I did enjoy the multiple bottles of homemade sauces on the table, and the really bad blues artist that kept walking over to the table and gyrating and crooning for my then girlfriend and current wife, good times.

Used to eat at Song Longs, not bad but everyone i worked with converted to Blue Gibbon off Paddock for Chinese. Great food at a great price, but can't say i was adventurous as some on here. We seemed to hit it at least once if not twice a week. Just switched jobs to Newport so i will have to find my way to La Mexicana.

Cactus Pear is my favorite salsa. It is a great place. Clifton, I haven't been to the one in Blue Ash. I do wish they would shake up their menu now and then though. I often get the Bluecorn enchiladas or the noodles. But kind of feel painted into a corner with a lack of other exciting options.

This is one page of the menu at La Mexicana, - Check out the beef tripe, and beef brains. Not exactly the Don Pablo's, Chi-Chi's fare!