Catching Up

I’ve done a few other fun activities in the past few days, but haven’t been reporting. I need to get back on it! On Monday, March 5^th, I went to Al Rosa Villa, the club where Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell was killed (RIP), to see Septicflesh and Dark Funeral perform. I need to start getting some good pictures whenever I go somewhere. Sometimes I remember, and sometimes I don’t, and sometimes my phone camera just isn’t up to the job when the room is too dark and the ambiance from the fog machines are permeating the air. This was one of those times. I love when bands dress for the part, though, and none of the bands at this show disappointed, except for the local opener. I was not impressed with them. The second band was one called Thy Antichrist. They had the face and body paint down! The singer’s paint job was so good that we couldn’t decide, until we saw him up close later, if he was wearing some kind of shirt with a ton of tight, mini black straps. Dark Funeral were enjoyable. I know they are kind of a classic in the black metal scene. This was my 2^nd time seeing Septicflesh, and they were awesome as usual. I love the symphonic metal elements.

While I had fun, I’m getting so tired of concerts being on weekdays (especially Monday’s) and in cities two hours or so away. Living in a city dominated by country music lovers really sucks! I can enjoy some country music, but I’d much rather see more rock and metal come through here. At least the summer will bring some of that to Riverbend.

On Wednesday, March 7^th, I went to Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate where they were having an introduction to their new Wine guy, TJ. I thought it was fun. He started the night with a light champagne, and ended with a very good red, but I can’t for the life of me remember what they were called. I went to a second tasting on the 15^th with their usual wine guy, Eric, and have since decided to purchase myself a wine journal for the future ones I attend. I think I’m going to start going every Thursday from now on, which is the normal night for it. I’m really interested in learning more about everything wine, beer, and spirits.

On Thursday, March 8, I went to the Aronoff Center downtown to see Neil Gaiman speak. Gaiman is a writer of fantasy and children’s books, and he has a great sense of humor. He started off the session by reading from an essay he had written for The Reading Agency, Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming. You can find an edited version of the essay here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming

He also did Q & A’s throughout with questions people had submitted beforehand and read pieces from some of his works, including Freya’s Unusual Wedding from Norse Gods. I’m really glad I went, even though I couldn’t even give away my extra ticket!

On Wednesday, March 14^th, I went to “Reality Bites: 90’s Trivia” at Darkness Brewing in Bellevue, KY. Darkness makes some really good beer! On this night, I had their Grand Mimosa, which lives up to its name. You can have too many if you’re not careful because it tastes just like one. The trivia was a lot of fun, and at the end of the main rounds we were in 7^th out of 23 teams, which isn’t too bad. We lost all our points in the final round, though, with a very random question about a commercial that premiered during the 90’s TV show, Herman’s Head. I actually watched that show, but more power to you if you remember commercials from the 90’s.

The past couple of weekends, I have also done some hiking at Shawnee Lookout in North Bend, OH, and East Fork State Park in Tate Township, OH. Both days had amazing weather, and I got some much needed exercise. Plus View:

I think I’m finally all caught up, but I’ll have more soon!

A Review of BrewRiver GastroPub – Sunday, March 4th

To cap off an already awesome weekend (last weekend), my boyfriend’s cousin invited us to dine at BrewRiver GastroPub, another place I had never been. This time I pulled out my phone to get some pictures because I can’t keep having these boring, wordy blog posts or no one will ever come back!

BrewRiver opened in 2012 off Riverside Drive in Cincinnati (the East End). Their menu features classic New Orleans-style recipes, such as Shrimp Po’boys, plus your standard pub food, like burgers. They also carry 23 different craft beers on draft, but strangely, we ended up ordering a couple of beers they serve in cans, including the Monk’s Café Sour Ale (pictured) and the Abita Purple Haze. Both were very good.

The interior features exposed ductwork, and the walls old, black and white photos of Cincinnati, specifically of our riverboat heritage. The bar is setup impressively appearing to be the focal point inside an otherwise smallish space.

We started the meal portion of our night with appetizers. We ordered two: the Smoked Gouda Pimento Cheese and the Crispy Cilantro Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms. The Smoked Gouda Pimento Cheese is served with sourdough crostini’s, but they also brought the untoasted bread, which I thought was terrific. It offered differing textures. The cheese blend was good, especially spread along the toasty bread. The Crispy Cilantro Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms were tasty as well, but I wouldn’t say they stood apart from other stuffed mushrooms I’ve tried.

I’m not sure why I decided against something New Orleans-inspired, but I wish I hadn't. I wasn’t overly impressed with my burger. I ordered the Natchez, which is considered a customer favorite, and it was a bit overcooked for my taste (they only offer “pink or “no pink” as cooking options). It really wasn’t much to look at either. I tend to like burgers piled high with fun! I wouldn’t call it terrible, just not a burger I could recommend based on this experience alone. The fries we ordered; however, were interesting and flavorsome. You can’t find truffle oil-infused fries just anywhere, and I love all things mushroom.

When I go back, I will definitely try something Cajun, like the Shrimp Po’boy. My friend ended up ordering one, and it came out looking very great (I believe she approved).

I’ve recently read that BrewRiver is having some financial difficulties due to construction that took place along Riverside Drive. Apparently, one of Cincinnati’s main downtown waterlines started leaking in 2017, and while the city immediately took action to avoid a major landslide, BrewRiver saw their business decrease significantly as access to the restaurant was interrupted. The restaurant itself also saw some damage.

If you’re so inclined, they currently have a GoFundMe page setup to help with the associated costs: https://www.gofundme.com/brewrivergastropub-com

 

Drake's Florence

Drake’s Florence – Saturday, March 3^rd 

My birthday! The evening started out at a friend’s house. They fixed me dinner (bless their hearts) consisting of steaks, fried potatoes, and a vegetable medley, plus a few mixed drinks. We had MMA on in the background. I was prepared for a relaxing evening, but the topic of dancing came up amongst the ladies in the room, mainly about how they hadn’t been out for a while, and we ultimately decided to go to Drake’s in Florence, KY, on Houston Road.

Drake’s is another one of those strip mall bar and restaurants. I don’t say that as a negative, it just doesn’t look fancy from the outside. Apparently, they have multiple locations regionally, throughout Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Alabama. The most interesting thing about the place is that they serve typical bar food, like burgers and sandwiches, but they also offer a fairly extensive selection of fresh sushi. I didn’t get to try anything this time, but I would go back. I would definitely like to try the Elderflower Mule if I return.

We arrived around 10, and things were slow, so we sat and talked over drinks for a while (I selected the Taft’s Cherrywood Amber again). We were beginning to wonder if we picked the right place, but around 11, a DJ finally got things going. He played a lot of the typical pop-rap songs, like Drop it Like It’s Hot and Back That Azz Up. A lot of people were on and off the dance floor. We had a good time! Props to my man for picking us up when we were ready to go home.

Taft's Ale House

Taft’s Ale House – Friday, March 2^nd 

I’d heard a lot of good things about Taft’s, so when I was trying to decide where to go for my birthday it came up as an option and ended up winning. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of going on the night of the annual Bockfest Parade, so parking was difficult (and expensive) to find, and it took us nearly an hour and a half to get a table! It’s a really neat place, though.

Taft’s opened in 2015 in what’s considered the Over-the Rhine neighborhood. It’s a brewery, bar, and restaurant that apparently has three levels to it, but on this night we stayed on the 2^nd level, which has the look of your typical beer hall, including large picnic-style tables, a bar right down the center, and a few TV’s. When you walk in, you immediately notice the classical, dramatic ceilings of an old-style church, which makes sense, as it’s located inside the former St. Paul’s German Evangelical Protestant Church on Race Street (built in 1850).

While we were waiting, we grabbed a round of beers from the bar. I tried the Cherrywood Amber, a red ale. It was smooth and had a just hint of smokiness. Once seated, service was very good and our meals arrived quickly. Their menu focuses on Tri-Tip Steak, so I chose something featuring it, the Cherrywood Tri-Tip Tacos (which went well with my beer since they marinate the sirloin in it). They were priced just right at $9.50 for 3, and I enjoyed them, especially the essence of cumin in the sour cream. I topped it off by trying their Maverick Chocolate Porter. The flavor of the cacao really stood out, but wasn’t overpowering. It was dark, but still went down very smoothly, much like the Amber.

It was a fun night with a few of my friends!