Props, Cincinnati

I have spent quite some time in Cincinnati over the course of the past year and a half making frequent trips to visit my boyfriend. Each time I’m there we aim to do something new—which for us typically involves food, beer, & the night life.

Even as an avid Clevelander, (who refuses to admit that other cities can have amazing food and beer too) I have to give Cincinnati some well-earned credit.

Similar to Cleveland, the Queen City has experienced a culturally drastic transformation that is constantly attracting millennials to the region. One of the up and coming hot spots that I truly enjoy is the historic district called Over the Rhine, or OTR. This once deserted area now holds a vibrant community with much to offer. OTR is home to local shops, independent eateries, art galleries, theatres, markets & so on. In OTR, Vine Street is the place to be.

Cincinnati Burger Week July 20th-26th:

For Sunday brunch, Braden and I tried a brand new eatery in OTR called Nation. And man, it’s safe to say we will be returning the next time I’m in town. Nation is housed in a building in the flats that is more than 115 years old, and also includes an outdoor patio. However, Nation houses more than great food & local beer.

Here is the history as stated on their website www.nationkitchenandbar.com

“At the turn of the 20th century, 6' tall Kentucky-born Carrie Nation ravaged bars across America. Wielding a hatchet, she claimed a divine ordinance to promote temperance by smashing any tavern and saloon that crossed her path. The slogan All Nations welcome but Carrie became a bar-room staple.

Between 1900 and 1910, Carrie was arrested 30 times for her 'hatchetations' until she arrived in Cincinnati. Receiving word of her impending visit, Over-The-Rhine bar owners braced for the worst. Yet upon her arrival Carrie took one step onto Vine street, turned around and left. When asked why she did not follow her usual path of destruction, Carrie's response was

“I would have dropped from exhaustion before I went one block for all the bars in this city.”

Nation serves as a tribute to the rich history of this city and neighborhood. It is meant to be an extension of your living room, a place for gathering neighbors, and a foundation for building community.”

Burgers are the main focus of the menu accompanied by a variety of fries served numerous styles. They even have sriracha ketchup which is a huge win in my book. I truly admire the fact that the menu is only 6-10 items because it allows them to specialize rather than bite off more than they can chew—all about quality not quantity. In addition, they offer a black bean burger and other vegetarian options which are crucial.

Now, their brunch menu, that’s a whole different load of excitement. Nation offers ‘Bottomless Brunch’ for $25 which consists of one brunch food item & unlimited mimosas, bloody ‘carries’, or screwdrivers until 2 pm. Although I was very tempted to order the Hangover Burger with my current state...

 I tried the breakfast burrito with eggs, hashbrowns, and chorizo, topped with queso, pico, & jalapenos only for $7. Unreal.

The local environment, the friendly staff, and the damn good food make this place a go-to.

Brunch Wrap Supreme-Smoked sausage patty, pepper jack cheese, bacon, queso, tater tots, egg, and jalapeño relish.

Happy Eating-- Kyra

Ohio Brew Week 2015 (It's a must)

Craft Beer Lovers,

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ohio Brew Week, you better do your research before next July. Since 2005, Athens, Ohio has hosted a week long festival dedicated to craft beer-- pretty damn awesome, right? The festival showcases hundreds of beers from breweries all over Ohio. Many local restaurants, bars, and venues participate in brew week events, such as outdoor beer gardens & BBQ's. There's even an app for your phone where you can click on the participating businesses and see what beers they'll have on tap that week. You can then check off the list as you go, even "favoriting" ones you enjoyed the most.

Although the entire week was fun-filled (beer-filled), I was spoiled early in the week. Last Monday, Pat Conway, the co-founder of Great Lakes Brewing Company was giving a keynote speech, presentation, & a beer tasting. GLBC opened in Cleveland, Ohio as the first craft brewery in 1988, and continues to grow in popularity despite the increased number of microbreweries in the area. My admiration for Pat Conway and GLBC as a whole now goes far beyond the taste & styles of the beer. Conway stressed many ways that his business promotes environmental sustainability, and how other businesses can do the same. For example, Great Lakes has a ride service called Fatty Wagon that takes customers from the brewery to Cleveland sporting events. The best part is...the Fatty Wagon runs purely on vegetable oil from leftovers in the kitchen. Also, low filled bottles (beer bottles that aren't filled up to 12 oz during the bottling process) are sent to                                                           Mitchell's ice cream for use rather than throwing them away.

However, my favorite takeaway from his presentation was GLBC's unofficial slogan:

"Moderation can be overdone"- Pat Conway

After the presentation, I had the opportunity to chat with Conway. What a cool start to the week.

Later on in the week my family drove down from Ann Arbor and Cleveland to join me in my OBW festivities. Friday night after we went to the beer garden BBQ, we visited to our usual stomping grounds-- Jackie O's Brewery. There's nothing like drinking beers with the people you love on a Friday night. 

One of Athens' hidden gems is the Cider House, a neighborhood corner pub with homemade cider. Knowing how much my sister and her fiance would enjoy the environment, we went Saturday afternoon for some cider and time out of the heat. Later on we ended uptown to the Last Call Festival where there was live music, beer/food trucks, and an abundance of people celebrating the end of brew week. My sister Alli loved Cider House so much we ended back there again that same night.

It's safe to say beer isn't on the menu for me this week... 

Cheers & Happy Monday.

Don't forget to support your local breweries, people!


Kyra

Unbeatable Eats-- Happy July!

Many good eats have taken place since my last post and I have been so giddy to share. Holiday weekends always create a monster out of me because I find an excuse to make an abundance of food.

 Starting on Thursday, I decided to make my own marinara sauce for the first time when my boyfriend came to visit. Canned sauce absolutely never compares to the taste of homemade sauce and meatballs (especially my moms). I have never been a fan of red sauce with ground beef mixed in, but I decided to use up some sausage that I had in my fridge. 

1) To add texture to the sauce, I sauteed green pepper and onions on a lower heat with a touch of 
olive oil
2) Seared two sausages in a separate pan that I would later cut into small pieces
3) Added crushed tomatoes to the vegetables and let simmer for fifteen or twenty minutes
4) Threw in chopped up garlic, parsley, and fresh basil from my pot
5) Lastly, I added the sausage to the sauce and VUALA.

BUT the meals of the weekend just keep getting better. On Friday night I tried another new recipe. I love the concept of wrapping anything in lettuce as a substitute for a bun, bread, or wrap. Therefore, I think whoever invented lettuce wraps is absolutely brilliant. I typically enjoy the Asian-style lettuce wraps, but I decided to try something different. 

[Baked buffalo chicken lettuce wraps]

Ingredients; Chicken breasts (we used three for two people), breadcrumbs, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese dressing, head of iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, white beans (my addition). The original recipe called for quinoa which I did not have.

To begin, I marinated the thawed chicken breasts in buffalo sauce during the day

• Added breadcrumbs to both sides of the marinated chicken
• Baked the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes on 375 (I added a little extra buffalo sauce after I added the breadcrumbs)
• Peeled apart the head of lettuce into lettuce wrap-able pieces
• Diced the tomatoes and avocado

Once the chicken was ready, I sliced it into smaller pieces. 

Then came the fun part...adding everything together and drizzling bleu cheese on top. 

By far, this was the best simple meal I have ever made. The combination of heat from the sauce paired with fresh vegetables and bleu cheese brought together by the crunch of the lettuce was unbeatable. I highly suggest you try it for yourself! If you aren't a fan of buffalo sauce, or even bleu cheese, this recipe can be easily altered.

The fourth of July menu was a winner as well. 

We made a rack of ribs,  sausage, hot dogs, roasted garlic & ricotta salad, accompanied by watermelon. I was so anxious about trying to recreate my mom's ribs which I have never made before but they fell right off the bone. My mom made it clear that I could not share her recipe with anyone and I'm obliging (but I will tell you they were not made on a grill). Everything turned out a success, but due to hosting people at our apartment, I was too distracted from taking pictures of the food. 

Happy 4th of July :)

Come Monday another new recipe was put to the test with the help of Alyssa. 

[Avocado & Lime Chicken Salad]

Our plan was to make the chicken salad and eat it as a cold, open-faced sandwich. 

It was a damn good plan. 

Ingredients; chicken breasts, avocado, lime, cilantro, green onion, mayo, salt & pepper, garlic.

However, we made slight changes. Instead of using mayo we substituted plain greek yogurt, and instead of lime we used lemon juice (just because we forgot to get a lime). 

To begin, we finely chopped the cilantro and green onion and diced the avocados.  

In a bowl I added about two cups of greek yogurt, 2-4 teaspoons of lemon juice, the chopped greens, avocado, garlic, & a pinch of salt & pepper. 

During this time, we pan cooked chicken breasts on low heat (keeping them tender). Once finished, I threw them in a pan and proceeded to shred them using a fork on a knife. 

Lastly, I added the chicken to the bowl of other ingredients and mixed everything together. I ate my chicken salad on wheat bread and added chipotle Tabasco on top. 

Incredible to say the least. 

The original recipe I found was found at: 

 http://sweettreatsmore.com/cilantro-lime-avocado-chicken-salad/

Bon Appetit-- Kyra