November already ... it doesn't seem possible. On the plus side, this is the month of my favorite holiday, National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Ostensibly designed to make room for your turkey, it also serves the valuable function of making all those coagulated condiments and remaining bottles of raspberry beer you really didn’t like go away. Nov. 15, people. Celebrate!  

When you live in a city with an incredible German heritage, people sometimes ask whether it has great German restaurants. Before you suggest the famous one in that Italian city on the other side of the river, remember Mecklenburg Gardens. Sure, Hofbrauhaus has good beer, but Mecklenburg is a Cincinnati treasure.  

As linebacker for and defensive captain of the Cincinnati Bengals, Dhani Jones’ Sundays are pretty much booked up for the next few months. But Dhani isn’t just an autumn visitor to the area. His local ties just got stronger with the opening of the Bowtie Café, a Mount Adams eatery dedicated to coffee, conversation and cocktails.  

During his recent visit to Cincinnati, Michael Stern — who explores regional food for books ('Roadfood') and public radio's 'The Splendid Table' with ex-wife Jane Stern — told me Aglamesis ice cream was on his must-try list, so we headed to Oakley to visit the shop. "It seems like when you say you're coming to Cincinnati, there's a group of people who insist you have to try Graeter's, and then there's another group that says you have to try Aglamesis," he said. "What's the difference?"  

I had a chance to be the proud stage mama of Cincinnati dining recently. Since I love showing off the wonderful, unique aspects of our local cuisine, I jumped at the opportunity to spend the morning driving and dining with Michael Stern who, with Jane Stern, explores America's regional food and comments for 'The Splendid Table,' heard locally on WVXU-FM.  

Marty Weldishofer and his wife, Kate, are approaching the one-year anniversary of the opening of their wine and beer shop Marty’s Hops and Vines. They have over 200 domestic and imported selections in their wine department and a big selection of craft beers. There’s also a cozy bar area with live acoustic music, and a nice menu of small plates.  

The Parish Kitchen (143 Pike St., Covington, 859-581-7745) serves meals 365 days a year. The only other place to eat in Covington that’s open that often is the Anchor Grill, but at the Parish Kitchen, there’s never a charge — and in this time of economic crisis, that means business at the Kitchen is booming.  

So you want to bring something home for dinner but you can’t stand the thought of another pizza or bucket of chicken. You’ve had a million nights like this, right? Or you need a fast lunch but something more flavorful than the usual fast food? I have a great suggestion for you — Caribe Carryout.  

If hickory smoke were a sacrament, The Classy Pig would be a chapel. It's a little small to be an actual church, but at Classy Pig, there’s true devotion to barbecue. This unpretentious new dining spot in a classic storefront in beautiful downtown Ludlow, Ky. has got a whole lotta smokin' goin' on.  

I will definitely see you at these events coming up as autumn kicks into high gear. Yum. Let's start with two incredible words: "Chocolate Festival." Mark your calendar for the first ever Cincinnati Chocolate Festival on Oct. 24, noon-5 p.m. at the Mayerson JCC in Amberley Village.