Finally, the fucking happy-time holidays are over. No more seeing weirdos from high school, staying out past my bedtime and drinking 3,000 calories' worth of booze every night. Srsly, I can get back to my boring, old man lifestyle of sleeping in and eating early dinners at Bob Evan's.
Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward of gourmet grilled cheesery Tom + Chee announced Friday that they will be
featured on ABC's Shark Tank in an episode
airing at 9 p.m. May 17.
T + C is no stranger to TV – the grilled cheese mecca has already been featured on The Today Show, Amazing Eats and Man v. Food Nation — but this one’s a little different. Entrepreneurs of all kinds pitch their businesses to a panel of investors in hopes for a potential deal. But they don’t call it Shark Tank for nothing. The “sharks” — a panel of five millionaire/billionaire investor-entrepreneurs including Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O'Leary — are often brutal in their critiques of people’s business plans and concepts. Participants are much more likely to walk away with a bruised ego than an actual deal. Simply appearing on the show, though, can create a lot of buzz for a business, so perhaps it's worth it to have the creator of FUBU publicly stomp on your dreams.
It
will be interesting to see what kind of deal the Tom + Chee guys have in mind. Usually on the show, entrepreneurs present a product they need help mass producing, marketing and
getting into retail outlets/e-commerce. Ward and Quackenbush will likely seek funds for additional restaurant locations. T + C currently has five locations in Cincinnati, Newport and Louisville, but
perhaps they are looking to expand nationwide. Whatever the outcome, big ups to
anyone who will voluntarily step to the sharks — and Mark Cuban’s scary
face — on national television.
Here's a taste of the Tank:
This announcement comes on National Grilled Cheese Day, so you should probably celebrate with a deliciously gooey T + C sammy. Today's featured sandwich, naturally, is the Shark Bite: roasted mako shark (yes, actual shark), jalapeño aioli, parmesan garlic chips, diced tomato, gouda and pepper jack cheeses on sourdough bread — available in Cincinnati locations only.
The Beach Waterpark, a summer hotspot for locals and visitors alike, will not open this summer, according to a press release from Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The organization's president and CEO released this statement today:
“We are saddened to hear The Beach Waterpark will not be open this summer. Tourism is the largest industry in Warren County and as a significant attraction and major landmark in the County for more than a quarter of a century, The Beach has had a lasting impact on visitor spending which, in turn, fuels jobs and revenue for the County. We realize this was a difficult decision for the park’s management and hope they can reopen in the future.”
The Beach's website has not been updated with this information; there is still a job fair listing on the home page, which was supposed to take place March 24-25, along with a 2012 operational schedule.Apparently those looking for summer fun that's a step up from the city pool will need to visit Kings Island's Soak City Waterpark. Kings Island is set to open April 28, with the waterpark opening May 26.
The Beach sprawls across 35 acres of land, pumping 2 million gallons of water throughout more than 50 rides and attractions including The Cliff, Kahuna Beach Wavepool, the Lazy Miami River and the Hidden Rapids.
An airline representative declined to comment on the incident, only offering this statement: "We're sorry but owing to privacy concerns regarding our customers, we don't comment on something that might or might not have happened."
Baldwin again tweeted, "Last flight w American. Where retired Catholic school gym teachers from the 1950's find jobs as flight attendants."
If free ping pong and cheap drinks weren't enough ... now comes Northslice.
Every week Cincinnati's youth elite descends upon the great faux-dive known as the Gypsy Hut. If you're a regular, chances are you've gotten to know the bartenders there and chances are you know who pours the strong drinks: all of them. It's our favorite hot spot.
Bored on a Monday? Hit up the ping pong table. Looking for somewhere to run into all the people you pretend you don't like to see but in reality completely look forward to talking to? Head down on a Friday or Saturday. Want to have a killer pizza party with all of the above? GYPSY HUT!--
Humbly run by a man going only by Mike, the Hut has installed a pizza window. Bearing the witty name Northslice, you can buy pizza by the slice: $2.75 for cheese and $3 with a topping.
Mike bakes the pies while you get your drink on and the slices go fast, which means you're sure to get a piping hot piece. The sauce is a handmade, slightly sweet affair and while the cheese and crust are store-bought. You can taste the care put into every inch of the stuff. And all the necessary accoutrement for any pizza connoisseur such as crushed red pepper and grated Parmesan are there for free.
I recommend you ask Mike to paint on some garlic oil for you and make sure you grab some extra napkins.
Burned your mouth on some nuclear hot cheese? No worries: Cool it down with a specialty shot care of Kenny at the bar. Or perhaps a dessert shot ... I suggest an oatmeal raisin.
The Gypsy Hut, a place for friends.
— Review by Ian Wissman
So we gave Mixx Ultra Lounge a kind of shitty review when they first opened but this bar/sushi joint/plush-carpeted elevator ultra lounge offers a night life experience like no other place in this city. I went on Friday (12/19) for the Common listening party and was really surprised at how comfortably crowded and friendly it was in there. There are currently three floors although they plan on opening a fourth and fifth (that's where the "ultra" part comes in). There's a sushi bar, drinks and standing room on the first floor, a wooden bar and DJ area on the second and the third floor is for private VIP use (from what I gathered). The coolest part of the whole place is an old elevator they turned into a lounge area. Check out some photos from the Common listening party below and click here or on the image above to enter a full gallery.














Singer-songwriter Feist and award-winning filmmaker Martin de Thurah will present a musically-charged evening at the Contemporary Arts Center April 9. Feist and de Thurah (who's worked with Kanye West, Fever Ray and Röyksopp) will discuss the creative process of creating a music video, a perfect event to coincide with the CAC's current exhibit Spectacle: The Music Video.
The duo will present a video screening followed by a talk moderated by Spectacle curator and Flux creative collective member Jonathan Wells. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event, and admission is $15 for CAC members, $20 for everyone else. There will be a cash bar. Buy tickets in advance here.
Feist and de Thurah collaborated on the singer's video for "The Bad in Each Other."
The CAC has hosted some exceptional events lately, bringing electronic musician Dan Deacon to Spectacle's opening party this February, and welcoming street artist Shepard Fairey back to DJ a reception in his honor just last week. This is sure to be another full house party.
The Ohio State Fair kicked off in Columbus last week when I realized that I could not actually remember ever attending it. I’ve been to a million church festivals over the years, and even a few county fairs, but it’s been at least 15 years since I have been to the statewide extravaganza. Banking that there would be loads of crafts, gardening and other D.I.Y. goodness to report on, Jason and I headed to Ohio’s capital Sunday afternoon.
Every time I visit other cities or countries I tend to notice how attractive people are compared to my hometown. If you go to New York City, yeah you are going to see movie stars and models, but the population in general always seems to be more attractive than any of the major cities in the Midwest.