Gorilla Cinema Presents is a self-described “creative experiences company” that traffics in immersive concept bars and enchanting pop-ups: the colorful La Ofrenda tequila spot near Findlay Market, the Video Archive movie-store speakeasy in Walnut Hills and The Shining-influenced Overlook Lodge in Pleasant Ridge. Next to the latter is the group’s first foray into full food service. The Lonely Pine Steakhouse is a retro restaurant with transportive décor reminiscent of the American Southwest and the Atomic Age. It’s less focused on blatantly paying homage to a film than some of their other establishments, though there are nods to Back to the Future hidden throughout (even the name Lonely Pine is from the film). The concept here is a call-back to owner Jacob Trevino’s Texas childhood where delicious and affordable steaks were available at every roadside restaurant. His hope is to strip the idea of steak having to be a pricey special occasion dish, instead making options available for every budget. “To me it’s very much a working-man’s steakhouse. The secret is that we’ve got some high-end dry-aged steaks, but we also have a steak on the menu for $18 that’s wagyu high-quality beef,” he told CityBeat in an interview. The New York strip is dry-aged in house for 30 days, whereas that aforementioned wagyu comes in a four or eight ounce cut. The eight-ounce version is available in a special Route 66 combo: bread, salad, a side and that buttery dual-cut shoulder filet cooked to your specifications, all for $40. And if you happen to be eating with someone steak-averse, they don’t have to eat a wedge salad and a baked potato here. Lonely Pine has created a vegetarian Prairie Loaf meatloaf with mushrooms, black beans, eggplant, flaxseed and salsa verde. All very Mad Men when enjoyed with an ice-cold and nostalgic Steakhouse Martini. Lonely Pine Steakhouse, 6085 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, lonelypinesteakhouse.com.
1. Caldwell Family Wellness
2. Tiny Needle Community Acupuncture
3. Hamilton Health Associates
1. Hustler Hollywood
2. Dusty Flynt Sexy Gifts
3. High on the Hill
1. Ohio Valley Antique Mall
2. Florence Antique Mall
3. Wooden Nickel Antiques
1. Cincinnati Art Museum
2. Clifton Cultural Arts Center
3. Brazee Street Studios
1. Jake Sweeney Automotive
2. Beechmont Subaru
3. Walt Sweeney Ford
1. Jake Sweeney Automotive
2. Courtesy Automotive
3. Joseph Toyota of Cincinnati
1. Jake Sweeney Automotive
2. CarZmedics
3. Carriage House Car Wash
1. Donovan’s Auto & Tire Center
2. Tire Discounters
3. AAA | Bob Sumerel Tire and Service
1. Mike’s Carwash
2. Sharonville Car Wash & Detailing
3. AAA Auto Wash
1. Eli’s BBQ
2. City Barbeque
3. Lucius Q
4. Montgomery Inn
5. Pickles & Bones Barbecue
6. Sweets & Meats BBQ
7. Pontiac
8. Just Q’in BBQ
9. Bee’s Barbecue
10. Midwest Best BBQ and Creamery
1. Inn of Hyde Park
2. The Clifton House Bed and Breakfast
3. Gaslight Bed & Breakfast (TIE)
3. Murphin Ridge Inn (TIE)
1. Yard House
2. Taft’s Ale House
3. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia
Chef Jose Salazar opened Goose & Elder, a sort of comfort food destination with self-described “Midcentury grandma” décor, adjacent to Findlay Market last year. It’s the third in the local favorite’s restaurant portfolio, which includes the eponymous New American Salazar (opened in 2013) and the Spanish/Latin American Mita’s (opened in 2015). Sydney Fisher is chef de cuisine here but Salazar himself greets patrons and puts finishing touches on just about every plate coming out of the kitchen. Though it feels more casual or at least more affordable than Salazar’s other eateries, Goose & Elder’s menu is just as creative, boasting fun takes on easy eats. Chicken wings are covered with Calabrian chili sauce and served with parmesan dip; the baked mac and cheese is infused with pickled jalapeno; fall-off-the-bone duck leg confit is served over grits; and the fried bologna sandwich comes topped with American cheese, pickles, coleslaw, an over-easy egg and potato chips. Retro cocktails like the Harvey Wallbanger and White Russian add a fun twist. And if you stop by for lunch during the week — specifically between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday — don’t sleep on the burger deal. You can get a Royale Goose burger, featuring grass-fed beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and Dijonnaise on a sesame bun, plus crinkle cut fries and a soft drink for $10. Pretty sweet because usually all of those options come a la carte. Goose & Elder, 1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, gooseandelder.com.
So, you qualified for medical marijuana in Ohio: Great, and sorry for what ails ya’. Ohio law currently allows those with certain medical conditions (cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, PTSD, chronic pain and many more) to sign up as a patient, after being approved by a licensed physician, with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Registry and Ohio Board of Pharmacy. Your physician will approve you to use a 90-day supply of certain forms of marijuana for your specific condition — oils, tinctures, edibles, vapes. And once you’re approved, you have to go to a licensed dispensary to purchase your medication. There are only a few in the Cincinnati area: Verilife, kind of by Pleasant Ridge; Have a Heart Cincy, co-founded by Rev. Damon Lynch III and located in Hartwell, which is the only dispensary to open so far technically within city limits; and Verdant Creations in Columbia Township, kind of by Target and across from the original little MadTree taproom. (There’s also About Wellness Ohio in Lebanon.) But Verdant Creations seems to be a card-carrying favorite because it has affordable price points and offers frequent discounts. After checking in with your medical marijuana card and ID, you’ll head to the Verdant Creations waiting room to peruse a menu of the current offerings. The menu is divided by form (edible, flower, tincture, etc.) as well as brand and strain (indica, sativa). And if you have no idea what any of that means, the helpful “budtenders” will teach you about the different applications as they relate to your specific ailment, especially if you weren’t or haven’t been a big pot smoker/vaper/eater/tincture-er up until his point. Note: These budtenders aren’t pharmacists, they just know a lot about pot. (They’re also very helpful if you’re confused about what constitutes a “90-day supply” limit.) After you make your selection, it’s filled in a back room and delivered through a window with a prescription label and sealed in a bag with a staple. You have to pay in cash (they have an ATM) or some weird digital payment. But it doesn’t really matter, because prices here are reasonable. And they usually have sales, special deals and promotions. Like they offered 29 percent off their entire inventory on Leap Day (there was a line out the door and an hours-long wait). Sign up for text alerts for discount notifications. Verdant Creations, 5149 Kennedy Ave., Columbia Township, verdantcreations.com.
Tucked away in a strip mall along Dixie Highway and helmed by a former U.S. Army Sergeant and family (look for veteran and service member discounts), Sake Bomb in Erlanger is a staple of sorts among Northern Kentuckians. Serving up Korean and Japanese grub — including sushi, bento boxes, ramen, stone bowls and more — the restaurant also touts items that cater to a variety of dietary needs, from vegetarians to those who need or want to go gluten-free. Sake Bomb has also developed dishes that cater to those with diabetes, including a bowl made with barley/brown rice and a medley of veggies: bean sprouts, spinach, lettuce, carrots, beets, zucchini, mushrooms, pickled radish, broccoli and kimchi — all topped with an egg. In another quirky turn, you can also feast on goetta fried rice here and green tea ramen. Bonus: Sake Bomb keeps the kiddos entertained with DIY sushi classes. Sake Bomb, 3072 Dixie Highway, Erlanger, sakebombcatering.com.
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