July 2011
Features
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The Emperors of Ice Cream
Imagine an Indiana farm boy stirring milk, cream, and sugar in a metal pail, battling a summer’s day in Over-the-Rhine. The year is 1870. His concoction—ice cream—lives for just an instant. His name? Louis Charles Graeter.
Creamy Whip & Other Delights
The Tao of Creamy Whip, one of America’s finest frozen dairy treats, illuminated. (Cones, cups, and spoons not included.)
I Scream for Ice Cream
Everyone has a favorite ice cream memory. We asked a few iconic Cincinnatians to recount theirs.
Cincinnati Kids: The National
Their most recent album made numerous “Best of the Year” lists and won awards on both sides of the Atlantic. Cincinnati-bred and Brooklyn-based, The National looks back on the local bands that inspired them and what may lie ahead.
No Joke
Comedian Drew Hastings wants to bring jobs, tourists, architectural preservation, and agri-tainment dollars to Hillsboro, Ohio. In return, he’d like to be able to order a hummus plate. Is that too much to ask?
Stirring The Pot: How Graeter’s French Pot Process Really Works
Graeter’s makes about 3,200 gallons (or 25,600 pints) a day.
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Frontlines
Q&A: Brian Robertson
Transforming soprano Jessica Rivera into a tree onstage as part pf A Flowering Tree pushed Stage Director Brian Robertson’s creativity to new heights.
Radar
Cottage Style
French country charm—in Delhi Township.
Style Counsel: Vincent Sansalone
Vincent Sansalone coordinates first-year architecture and interior design classes and teaches architecture at UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. He turns his discerning design eye to everything from ball caps to pleated pants.
The Simple Life
Make a slow break for Ohio’s Amish country.
Columns
Letter from the Editor: July 2011
My sister got a job at Graeter’s before they hired me on. This was back when their Kenwood store was still in the old mall, on the end near Wilson’s Paints and Thriftway. The interior was a riot of pink and maroon and red, with high-backed faux red leather chairs and tiny round tables and displays of candy and cookies.
That’s the Ticket
If everyone loves a winner, well, from May 13 to May 19, the Cincinnati Reds gave fans every reason to come to a game. The team won five of seven at Great American Ball Park, swept the St. Louis Cardinals, slid briefly into first place, and became the talk of the baseball world. On ESPN, Tony Kornheiser marveled at the emerging rivalry betweDine
Sonoma American & Mediterranean Grill
Upon arriving at Sonoma American & Mediterranean Grill, my boyfriend took one look at the shawarma rotisserie and asked “Do you think they’ll let me just jam my face into their meat wheel?” I share this tidbit to illustrate a single point: A spinning wheel of meat can turn an otherwise thoughtful academic into a bespectacled caveman. And Sonoma features meaty menu items a-plenty, from shawarma-stuffed pitas to rib eye kebabs.
Choo Choo’s Restaurant
That old train station in Madeira seemed like it was destined for abandonment. With the passenger trains long gone, the eateries and shops that opened inside ended up arriving and departing at regular intervals. But then Choo Choo’s pulled in. The kitschy train atmosphere and American standard menu have been a good fit for the historic structure, as well as a nice addition to the handful of quirky little eateries that Madeira has become known for.
Big Lene Stuffed Burger
Burgers are meant to be sloppy. Most of my shirts—stained by wayward condiments falling from hamburger buns—attest to this. The Big Lene (pronounced lee-nee), a half-pound burger with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, sport peppers, four cheeses (American, pepper jack, cheddar, and Swiss), lettuce, and mayonnaise from Over-the-Rhine’s Stuffed on Vine, promised to take sloppy to a new level.