At the Iron Horse Inn in Glendale, there’s a new sheriff in town. His name is Chef Ernesto Luna, and he’s shaking things up a bit with a seasonal menu. As you dine at the Iron Horse, you’ll hear trains in the near distance and have a pretty good meal.    

What’s cooking in December? For a start, there’s the new cookbook from Chef Todd Kelly of Orchids at Palm Court. Kelly, the American Culinary Federation’s 2011 Chef of the Year, teamed up with local food blogger/Midwest Culinary Institute graduate Courtney Tsitouris of Epi-ventures to share recipes from one of my favorite restaurants in the city, scaled down to prepare at home.
  

Local foodies, step down from your window ledges and rest assured that while Local 127 has moved, it has not abandoned its commitment to a farm-to-table philosophy. In fact, Chef Steve Geddes said that the move into the space once occupied by JeanRo Bistro was partly designed to make the “table” a better match to the food.   

You’ve likely seen the TV commercials for the latest product by provocative soda brand Dr Pepper, Dr. Pepper Ten, and either flipped the channel instantly or watched in disbelief as a major advertising campaign appears very obviously to be stating that this soft drink is for men only. It is not subtly suggested with scenes of “manliness,” like bros playing a little touch football or, in the event of (any) weather, Madden NFL 12. In the excruciating commercial spots, a buff, cliché action hero type.  

I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way I think that it became a rule that bookstores must provide food and beverage, in addition to literature. Almost all modern bookstores have cafés offering coffee, sweets and sandwiches. However, Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Rookwood Pavilion really goes the extra mile. Not only do they have specialty coffee drinks and desserts, they make substantial, healthy full meals and have a complete bar.   

When the word gets out about Mad Mike’s Burgers & Fries (6420 Dixie Hwy., Florence, 859-647-6444), you’re not going to be able to push your way through the crowds to get in. Put the paper down now and go, and you can finish reading this when you get back.     

I’m not a fan of strip-mall restaurants. They always seem a little sad and rarely have charm. Zab Thai has made me reevaluate my opinion, however. Once you walk in the front door and are saturated in amazing aromas, you forget that on one side of the restaurant is a Pilates studio, and on the other is a Great Clips. Instead, you start looking around at everyone else’s plates to see what they’ve ordered to make the place smell so darned good.   

View Cucina (2200 Victory Pkwy., 513-751-8439), housed on the fifth floor of Edgecliff Residences on Victory Parkway, has the feel of a hotel restaurant with the blend of elegance and comfort that the Stephens’ family of Bella Luna fame has mastered. With an expanse of windows showcasing a view of the river filling the space, the relatively small room feels much bigger.  

Barresi’s has been around for ages — since 1963 — and I remember being very impressed back in 2005 when I heard that the original owners had sold the business to a young woman who’d started her career there bussing tables. Eventually she worked her way through culinary school and came back, loving the tradition of this neighborhood trattoria. She was right — there’s a lot to love at Barresi’s. Cutting edge it’s not, but for a cozy Italian dinner, it’s a good choice.   

My dad graduated from UC’s engineering college in the early 1960s. A poor kid from the South, he lived at the YMCA and regularly found himself at the dinner table of his soon-to-be in-laws so he could get a square meal. Today’s students face many of the same problems — high costs and low wages — but these days they have an embarrassment of cheap, good food choices.   

I have an absolute passion for Chinese food. I have worked at or been involved with several Chinese restaurants for many years, so I have an educated palate for Chinese cuisine. Blue Gibbon Chinese Restaurant has been operated by the same family for over 30 years, so they obviously understand how to keep their customers coming back.   

I am having a seasonal panic attack. November? How can this be possible? I just finished thinking about bug spray and sunscreen, and now I’m supposed to be thinking about wrapping paper and tinsel? Something is wrong here. Maybe the melting of the polar ice caps is speeding up time! We’re hurtling into the future without experiencing the present!   

Many great restaurants call North College Hill home, and for the past couple years Van Zandt Restaurant and Tavern on Galbraith Road has, too. There is so much going for it — homemade breads, locally delivered meats and seafood and trivia on Wednesdays — but there is something missing that would make Van Zandt’s the king of the Hill.  

I’d learned through an accidental slip of the lip that pastry chef Summer Genetti left The Palace this summer. She’d been a star at that fine-dining restaurant, and leaving was a tough decision. But for a young woman who’d started soaring ahead in her career soon after she started at age 18, the focus it had taken to get to the top was taking a toll. She’d grown up at work, in the kitchen, putting in an incredible number of hours and missing her twenties almost entirely.  

By Golly’s is known for its burgers, and we knew we had to try at least one of the 18 varieties on offer. Each burger is made with 10 ounces of beef and is served on a Kaiser roll.