December 2010
Features
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Play
Glass classes, indoor golf, broomball, and more places to play from the 2010 list.
Best of Covington
Cork ’N Bottle
You can see the “LIQUOR” sign from I-75, and whether you’re looking for craft beers, California chardonnay, or Crème Yvette (a liqueur made from four types of berries and dried violet petals) they’ve got it. 501 Crescent Ave., (859) 261-8333
John R. Green Company
Teachers love the racks of activity books and bulletin board decor, but we lov
Best of Mt. Washington
Mt. Washington Ice & Beer Company
A community institution offering a swell selection of brews, including local faves from Mt. Carmel Brewing, plus wine, snacks, candy, and—flashback!—Coke in glass bottles. All sold by people who understand the phrase “customer service.” 6139 Plymouth Ave., (513) 231-8824
Mt. Washington Creamy Whip & Bakery
Long-time resi
Best of Mason
Heritage Oak Park
Even in the land of 1,000 backyards, it’s still fun to check out a community park. Just off Ohio Route 42, the sprawling Heritage Oak Park has walking trails, play structures, tennis and basketball courts, and soccer fields as far as the eye can see. 4601 Ohio Route 42
Main Street Sweets
This polite little shop offers old-fashioned candies and other traditional treats
Best of Delhi Township
Robben Florist & Garden Center
Greenhouses like this are the reason Delhi Township is called “The Floral Paradise of Ohio.” Stop by for poinsettias and you may see Mr. Robben in his signature cap with a red robin glued on top. 352 Pedretti Rd., (513) 251-2737, www.robbenflorist.com
The Ghost of Buddy Gray
In January of 1978, in the middle of the night during one of that brutal winter’s blizzards, a group calling itself the Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement took over the abandoned Teamsters Union Hall at 217 West 12th Street.For five years the group had used various rooms and storefronts to provide shelter to the homel
Nightlife
The 2010 list offers 13 ways to enjoy an evening out.
Service
The best services of 2010 include the best bridal alterations, baby photography, custom-made gear, carpet recycling, and Ugg cleaning.
Food
The best food of 2010 includes a BBQ bacon grilled cheese, a four-sided salad bar, banana crunch pancakes, and a heavenly holiday feast.
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Columns
Running on Empty
As I find myself just a few years from turning 50, I also find myself with the very predictable mid-life interest in physical fitness. While health and longevity are my primary motivators, I can’t deny the influence of vanity. It’s not as if I’m hoping to grow six-pack abs, like The Situation on Jersey ShLetter from the Editor: December 2010
Last month, I ended my letter with the words “Go Reds.” Well, we know how that turned out. I managed to snag standing-room-only tickets to the final game of the National League Division Series and even though the Reds post-season was cut short by the Phillies stellar pitching, fans leaving Great American Ball Park that night did not seem dejected.
Dine
Looking for Number 1
Shortly after our July issue featuring the best 40 burgers in the city hit newsstands, I received an e-mail from Greg Underwood explaining that he and Dan Doerger were recreating the burger quest by visiting all 40 featured restaurants, eating all 40 burgers, and recording their experience within their own rating system.
Nitrogen Pour
At first pour, the Mojo IPA at The Lackman looks like a pint of foam. But after a moment the foam cascades, as beer aficionados say, to the top like a biblical pillar of fire. That effect—most often seen in a draft Guinness—is the result of a nitrogen pour.
Santorini
Steak, eggs, and home fries. Jumbo haddock sandwich with Greek fries. Chocolate chip hot cakes with bacon. Notice something wrong with this menu? Chicken Philly cheese steak sandwich with Olympic onion rings. Yep, it’s obvious: What’s wrong with this menu is that there’s nothing wrong with this menu.
Read It and Eat
In the 1957 book The World of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason, Suzie Wong is a beautiful and popular Chinese prostitute who falls for aspiring English artist Robert Lomax, whom she meets on a Kowloon ferry. Ashamed of her grim profession, she toys with him, introducing herself as a virginal heiress named Mei-Ling about to enter an arranged marriage.
Padrino
Politicians often feel the need to wax poetic about a mythical “Main Street USA.” What they’re really talking about is Milford’s Main Street, a sleepy, winding road that takes visitors past a variety of mom-and-pop enterprises, like the Milford Gun Shop, an ancient vacuum cleaner repair store, a corner store, and, surprisingly, two of the best restaurants in town—20 Brix and Padrino.
Iron Horse Inn
Sometimes, the second course is best. In 2009, when we reviewed the Iron Horse Inn, it had been trying to regain its footing. Glendale resident Robin Thomas had purchased the gracious 19th century inn in early 2008 after a protracted decline from its prominence as a destination dining spot.