First, Jean-Robert at Pigall's offers dinner Friday with Jan Krupp of Krupp Brothers Estates, a premium Napa Valley winery. Jan will present family wines and Jean-Robert de Cavel will offer a special menu; the five-course affair is priced at $135 per person. Ideal for impressing a girl or a guy with good taste. Call 513-721-1345 for reservations.
If you want to impress your date without going into credit card debt, the new Oceanaire Cocktail Lounge and Oyster Bar offers a special happy hour seafood menu every day from 5-7 p.m.; tastes include poached mussels, drunken shrimp, fried oyster sliders and crab and Parmesan dip. Drink specials include Blueberry Lemonade, Bye Bye Mai Tai, Perfect 10 Mojito, White Cosmopolitan and $3 domestic beers.
Speaking of beer, Draft, a national magazine for beer aficionados, has announced the ideal beer and sandwich pairings in its July/August issue, sharing an abundance of hoppy wisdom with the rest of us. For instance, who knew that Sierra Nevada Porter goes best with PB and J, because "the porter's dark roasted malt flavors match up well with the roasted peanut taste?"
If you often find yourself wondering which beer to drink with which sandwich, check out the latest issue of Draft.
If you'd rather eat vegetables than drink, or you like to do both at the same time, JeanRo Bistro has a new vegetarian menu for you. Yummies include cold Cantaloupe Soup; Avocado Gratin (warm with diced peppers, panko & smoked gouda); Arugula Salad (with roasted peaches, toasted pecans, and lemon mint creme fraiche); and Vegetarian "N.Y. Strip" (portabella strip served with a pat of herb butter, mixed greens dressed with Dijon vinaigrette and pommes frites).
Another new local culinary offering is Nectar's series of summer dining events that include "Homer Called It 'Liquid Gold' Olive Oil" (the other Homer, Odyssey not Simpsons). The monthly dinner club offers themed dinner events which require reservations well in advance. Buddy La Rosa — more than a maker of fabulous pizza, also a true gourmand — will guide the Olive Oil dining experience. The event is Aug. 21 and begins at 6:30 p.m. Call 513-929-0525 for reservations.
If you're in the mood for dessert after all this, check out the new Servati Pastry Shop location in Northern Kentucky in Crestview Hills Town Center next to Dewey's. It just opened July 30.
Previously in The Dish
