Diner: Kitchen Envy
Almost everyone has done it at one time or another: You slip into a friend's kitchen for a spoon or a refill or the mop, and you just happen to look into a drawer. It's a big drawer, you notice, made from smooth, well-oiled pine, probably shipped in by sailboat from Scandinavia and installed…
Music: Locals Only
Ruby Vileos For 15 years, the best radio station that few of us can hear, Oxford's WOXY (97.7 FM), has hosted its 97xposure competition. Area modern rockers are invited to submit their original songs in the hopes of garnering airplay and the chance at an attractively evolving prize package. With two rounds of eliminations…
Behle Street Cafe, Covington
I spend a great deal of time in the bathroom when I'm at Behle Street Cafe. Not because of my gender or any gastrointestinal problem, but because I love the large, circular mirror in the women's restroom. Originally hung in Glass Menagerie, it's approximately 5 feet in diameter and is refinished in a light wood.…
Community Calendar
Bond Hill Arts and crafts at Bond Hill Recreation Center. A quilt workshop 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The fee is $5. Participants should register in advance and pick up a supply list at the center. A program on watercolor note cards meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The fee is $2. For…
Boca, Northside
My wife and I are in constant search of the perfect meal. We both love fine food and all of the trappings of the dining experience, provided it's a good experience. Boca is one of the few restaurants, especially in Cincinnati, that completely satisfies our strict (and slightly neurotic) criteria for the perfect meal: good…
Scalea’s Ristorante, Covington
The dining room of a restaurant presents a variety of human condition and relationship. Every modification that sociability has introduced among us can be found at the pleasures of the table: love, friendship, business, speculation, power, opportunity, ambition, even conspiracy. Cathy, Peter, Doug — dear friends, all favorite dining companions — and I are ushered…
Nader and Tactical Voting: May the Best Man Win
In two weeks, I'll be voting for George W. Bush, or so I've been told. I find this bit of news depressing, even if it's not altogether true. What I really intend to do this time around is the same thing I did four years ago — cast my vote for Ralph Nader. But, as…
Barrelhouse Brewing Co., Over-the-Rhine
Alright, let's get one thing straight, right up front. If you've never been to the BarrelHouse, do not order a Bud Light as your beverage. BarrelHouse, located just off the madness that can be the Main Street entertainment district, is a dynamic establishment, combining pub grub, live music and in-house microbrews. And, unless they decide…
Ambar India, Clifton
First introduced in 1927, the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum mechanics states that no process can truly be observed because, just by observing it, the process is altered permanently. And what does that have to do with a local restaurant? Well, although seemingly unconnected, I'm reminded of the Copenhagen Interpretation after being told to eat at…
Allyn’s Cafe, Colombia-Tusculum
I don't hang out enough in bars to know anyplace that feels like the one depicted in Cheers. I think Allyn's Cafe would qualify, but it's much more than a bar — it's a combination of a Tex-Mex restaurant with a Cajun kick, a laid-back bar and display rooms for eclectic personal collections. Early on…
Iron Horse Inn, Glendale
The rebirth of Iron Horse Inn poses the question: If you tear down a building, gut the place and completely renovate it inside and out, is it still the same place? That's exactly what the four Sawyer brothers of Glendale did in 1994 when they bought the ailing restaurant next to the railroad tracks. They…
Teller’s, Hyde Park
Stroll into Teller's restaurant on Hyde Park Square, and you know immediately that something's up. There are those regal stone pillars on either side of the main entrance, for instance. And the oddly constructed front desk, fashioned of a bank safe, combination tumbler locks and all. And what about the vault in the rear of…
Internet Radio Makes Computers Sing
Rip the cords out of the wall and throw away your radios. You might want to keep the one by the bed that wakes you up each morning, but your computer can easily replace the rest. Equipped with an inexpensive pair of external speakers, your PC is a radio on steroids. Since Guglielmo Marconi invented…
Merle Rosen
Jymi Bolden MERLE ROSEN says her artwork and her teaching are a spiritual practice. Through various artistic media, she hopes to connect with her "internal dialogue." Rosen teaches to help others do the same. A quote from Picasso describes her own work: "Painting is like keeping a diary." Her diary includes more than 30…
Dewey’s, Oakley
Dewey's is a neighborhood pizza parlor in a yuppie-ish neighborhood. Pepperoni and double cheese, although available, don't dominate this joint. They specialize in fancy named pizzas with fancy ingredients: goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh garlic and really good sausage. Even with a strict pizza/salad menu, it's always hoppin' here. A friend and I grab a…
News: Not the Bengals, Stupid
Jymi Bolden Todd Portune (left) and Bob Bedinghaus at a recent debate Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus is about to take off the gloves in his re-election bid. Behind by about 20 percentage points in WCPO-TV polls and apparently surprised by the staying power of the stadium issue, Bedinghaus is set to appeal to…
Get the Lead Out
God knows why kids find the taste of lead paint chips and lead dust appealing. Maybe they wouldn't if the stuff weren't prevalent where they live and play. Earlier this week, folks from CLEARCorps sat in the rear parking lot of Beck's Hardware on McMillan Avenue in Walnut Hills in the heart of what surely…
Relationships
Ladies, you will be as shocked as I was, but you're being tested. See, I was reading an article about women complaining that men dump them if they have sex with them too soon. Apparently that old "it's OK after the third date" rule we've always followed is crap. What I just found out…
Knotty Pine on the Bayou, Cold Spring
If you're looking for unique dining and want a break from the urban life, Knotty Pine offers a taste of Cajun cuisine in a country setting. The rustic locale is a great part of its charm, though for some people the remoteness might be a bit of a drawback. Mileage-wise, the Knotty Pine is not…
News: Out Come the Freaks
"So what are you going to be for Halloween?" That's the question on everyone's lips this time of year. My standard reply: "I'm thinking of going as an elephant, but I need someone in the costume with me to work its giant ass. Interested?" But the truth is I never dress up as anything.…
The Diner on Sycamore, Over-the-Rhine
Ann's missing. Late presumably. It doesn't matter. The crowd at The Diner is uncharacteristically sparse. Only four people are dining in the restaurant's front room. A teen-age girl, wearing The Diner's bright blue polo shirt uniform, sits at the far end of the bar doing her homework. She gets up and walks back toward the…
They Shoot Dogs, Don’t They?
Something went terribly wrong at Chris Carmichael's backyard bonfire on the final Friday of September. After painter Jennifer Meredith's art opening at the Modern Design Gallery on Main Street and doing the "art walk," about 15 friends gathered for an autumn bonfire in the Carmichael backyard at 1639 Sycamore St., just up from Liberty. It…
Souls of Mischief
Souls of Mischief Souls of Mischief were one of the top talents to emerge in Hip Hop in the '90s, blazing through the strong Oakland scene and emerging in 1993 with their debut, 'Til Infinity. That album and its follow-up did OK commercially but more importantly established them as one of the more creative…
Pseudoquasiesque: Psuedoquasiesque
Anyone who knows me knows I'm an avid theatergoer. A regular Johnny First-nighter. And whether it's something new or a revival, Shakespeare or Simon, one wo/man show or full-blown revue, you'll find me in the front row (right where you want to be should there be any nudity in the show). The season just getting…
