Each week CityBeat staffers, dining writers and the occasional intern tell you what they ate this weekend. We’re not always proud — or trendy — but we definitely spend at least some money on food.
Ilene Ross: On Friday, the BF and I met some friends at Metropole for a long, leisurely lunch. I had broccoli beignets, a smoked blackberry grilled cheese sandwich and chilled corn soup. We all split a cookie plate, the chocolate mousse and the bourbon custard for dessert with pots of really wonderful French-press coffee. That grilled cheese sandwich was magnificent, and the whole experience was the perfect start to the weekend. Good food and great friends. I taught a cooking class on Friday night, so I got scraps of what my class made. It was perfect because after my huge lunch I wasn’t really hungry. On Saturday, the BF and I took my son to 1940’s day at the Museum Center. We passed on the Spam rations they were offering and ate a late lunch of burgers and sandwiches. Guess what?!? They serve tots as a side dish at the Museum Center instead of fries. We were overjoyed, as we are all tot addicts. Since we gorged on hot tots, we were stuffed and needed no dinner.
On Sunday, the BF and I decided to try having brunch at Sundry and Vice. Brunch at S & V consists of ordering food from the nearby Revolution Rotisserie & Bar by phone — which is soon delivered by a charming young man — while enjoying adult milkshakes. The boozy milkshakes are quite delightful. We spent the afternoon making cucumber pickles and then we grilled steak, corn, squash and eggplant for dinner.
Jac Kern: This weekend, some incredible friends threw a couple’s shower for my fiancé and me. They surprised us by hiring a Benihana chef and borrowing a mobile hibachi grill (they exist!) for a delicious feast. We started with sushi, then everyone dug into steak, shrimp, chicken and veggies from the grill, complete with a giant heart-shaped mound of fried rice. The night ended with personalized fortune cookies and ALL THE DRINKS. Way too much fun.
Katie Holocher: I tried J Bar Pizzeria in Hyde Park this weekend and it was killer. Not only do they have a pretty perfect patio with huge trees strung up with lights, but they also had live music on Saturday night, $4 housemade sangria and about 10 pies that I wanted to try. My husband and I went with the J Bar (red sauce, pepperoni, house cheese blend, truffled gremolata, parmesan, add banana peppers). It was awesome. And again, I would literally be down for any of their other specialty pizzas. We may go back once a week to try them all.
Colleen McCroskey: I am on a constant search for the perfect chicken salad. Grapes and almonds: acceptable, sometimes preferable. Celery: Not so much. Panera’s will do in a pinch, and the chicken salad at Mt. Adams Bar and Grill, like everything else they do, is comforting, standard and delicious, but this past Saturday I tried a chicken salad so good I don’t know if I can ever go back to anything else. It was from Revolution Rotisserie, the Findlay pop-up that just opened their brick-and-mortar location a few months ago, and I kid you not when I tell you I did not know that chicken salad could taste this good. It’s creamy but not too rich, and seasoned so well it inspired me to take a trip to Colonel De’s the next day to try and incorporate that type of killer flavor into my own cooking. It’s so good that there are none of the fruit-or-nut add-ons that you usually find in a chicken salad, because Revolution’s chicken —moist, super-flavorful — can stand on its own. And, best of all, no celery.
Casey Arnold: Saturday my boyfriend Brian and I wandered around the city like we do on the weekends. We started at The City Flea where we pet strangers’ dogs and sauntered from shady place to shady place to find some relief from the heat. I stopped at the Dojo Gelato truck for a scoop of lemon sorbetto so I could feel light and healthy and a scoop of their creation called Junk in the Trunk (Grateful Grahams, smashed Oreos, peanut butter cups and toffee with sweet cream gelato) for obvious reasons. We wandered over to Vine to check out the new retail space called Elm & Iron to gawk at all of the pretty things in the shop. Eventually we made our way down to Bakersfield. We were lucky enough to approach the hostess as she was on the phone with a party of two who was canceling and were seated immediately. We snacked on chips and guacamole and sucked down a tart and tasty margarita while we waited for my dinner to arrive. I ordered a papas tostada, which was smeared with a spicy black bean paste and tasted so amazing that I kept poking my fork toward Brian with every other bite to try to make him try it. He eventually did and was equally impressed.
We both really wanted to check out Northside Yacht Club, too, so we went there next (after spending an hour combing through the racks of Casablanca). We’re friends with one of the owners and were regulars at its former incarnation, Mayday, so we were excited to see what they did with the place. It looks gorgeous now. The decor has a nautical theme that won’t slap you across the face, but rather reads as modern and chic. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks. Brian tried one of their Tiki cocktails, something with ginger beer that had a lot of robust flavor and was served in a copper cup. We were too full for food but vowed to return so Brian can try a gluten-free pulled pork grilled cheese, which we have already heard good things about.
After, we headed to MOTR for a surprise birthday party. (HBD Tori!) MOTR whipped up a taco bar for the party room (what? they do that?) which was fun, and our friend made her a whimsically smashed and lopsided cake that the party devoured.
Sarah Urmston: On Friday, I hosted a girl’s night in my new place, so naturally journeyed to the famous Whole Foods to pick up a collection of goodies to create the perfect cheese plate. (Sometimes I think I love cheese more than any human should.) Scattered along my wooden Ohio-shaped cutting board were three different types of cheese — a soft gouda, a mild cheddar and a brie I put out a little early to give it a more spreadable texture. I chose round garlic-and-herb crackers that went well with the brie, as well as whole-wheat crackers for the cheddar, gouda and authentic Italian salami I placed in the center of the board. Since no good cheese plate goes without fruit, I placed bunches of red seedless grapes in the vacant spaces of the board and a bowl full of cherry vanilla almonds beside it all, which were completely gone within minutes. All went ridiculously well with the variety of wine everyone brought
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This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2015.
