A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Fourth Blogiversary

The past year was marked by a couple of events I completely did not see coming. First, the bad news: I was laid off from the law office I’d worked at for five years. Putting blogging on the back burner, I spent an unsettled five months job hunting and grappling with that itchy question: “What do I want to be when I grow up?” I had already changed careers once, from publishing to the legal profession. Did I dare try to reinvent myself again?

The editorial bug that bit me at my first NYC publishing job and followed me to Cincinnati, Columbus, and back has never really left. When I needed a new hobby in 2010, I started this blog. Given a chance to edit a book by a friend or relative during my 14 law office years, I always welcomed the opportunity to reconnect to my blue-pencil roots. As I sent out resume after resume last summer and fall, I couldn’t get my last editorial project out of my head, my nephew Mike’s book, Hot Dogs, A Little Marketing, and a Lot of Fun, which he followed with How Can I KETCHUP and Find My Hot Dog Stand?

Practical, punny, and reminiscent of Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Mike’s books include real-life lessons he learned putting himself through The Ohio State University by running a campus hot dog cart, one of his favorite parts of attending OSU. He’s gone on to a successful ad sales career for a sports radio station in Columbus, launched a website called Marketing Fun With Mike, and is always tackling new challenges, like blogging, podcasting, and public speaking focused on inspiring others to merge their passion, profession, and community involvement. His genuineness and giant smile are infectious. As I slogged through the legal want ads and completed endless online job applications, I kept holding out a wee bit of hope I would find my own “hot dog stand” too.

One fall afternoon I received a message from my friends at Tom+Chee inviting me to stop by for a video shoot. Glad I didn’t have to beg off due to a 9-to-5 job, I happily headed down to their Court St. shop. Since the first week Tom+Chee opened in a food tent on Fountain Square in 2009, just steps outside my former law office, I’ve been rooting for these guys. I’ve gotten to know founders Corey Ward, Trew Quackenbush, their wives, and families by being a loyal customer and eventually blogging about them. I had the good luck to be present when Adam Richman came to town to film Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food Nation,” T+C’s first national TV appearance. And I’ve been following their explosive success on the franchising front since they appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” last May.

The shoot that fateful October afternoon wasn’t another national TV gig. Their new staff videographer was filming a quirky T+C promo to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I met a couple more new staffers of what is now called Tom+Chee Worldwide, LLC, and wistfully mentioned to founding wives Jenn Quackenbush and Jenny Rachford that I was on the job market and hoped they would keep me in mind the next time the corporate office was hiring. Fast forward: I started writing press releases for Tom+Chee two days later and now am on staff in their marketing department.

Wow. I get paid to write. About food. And small business. And entrepreneurs. The things I've blogged about here for the last four years.

Funny, making money has never been my goal for this blog. But it has prompted me to get more involved in my local food community and led to friendships and experiences that are priceless.

Speaking of food and community, I will take this opportunity to mention two upcoming events I'm particularly excited about.

Next Monday (1/13/14) Maribelle's is hosting another "Food Fight." Inspired by the TV show "Knife Fight," it's part competition, part potluck, and a great opportunity to mix and mingle with local chefs and food lovers in a casual setting. The first one, in November, drew a great crowd, so get there early. Cost is $10, or *$15 if you'd like to compete/judge (open to both professionals and home cooks). Bring a dish to share if you're so inclined, but it is not required. You can purchase cocktails, wine and beer. MadTree Brewery is bringing some new beers you can try, and a growing list of local farmers and purveyors – including Carriage House Farm, Napoleon Ridge Farm, Brooks Meats, and Butcher Bettie's – are contributing ingredients for the mystery baskets competitors will have to cook with. In addition, Chris Weist of Cincy Sharp will be on hand to sharpen your knives (just $1 per inch). Fourteen names from the $15 pot will be drawn and those folks will be randomly assigned to either cook or judge. There are two initial battle rounds of three cooks each, followed by a head-to-head match between the winners, and Chef Josh Campbell, who won the whole she-bang in November, gets to defend his title. For more details, check the facebook event page. *ETA: Cost has been changed to $10 for all.

The following Saturday (1/18/14) Slow Food Cincinnati is hosting a potluck of a different ilk, a brunch and brainstorming session from 10:30 to 1:00 at the Deeper Roots Coffee roastery in Mt. Healthy, where we had a great turnout for our tour last year. I've loved being on the Slow Food Cincinnati board during the past year and am looking forward to even more exciting events for our chapter in the future. If you care about local, sustainably raised, and delicious food, please join us and share your suggestions about what you'd like to see us do in 2014. More details here.

I hope to get back to blogging on a more regular basis this year. But you can always find me sharing info, events, and food adventures on my facebook page. It's an exciting time for food in Cincinnati, and I'm thrilled to be part of it in my own little way!

From the bottom of my aubergine heart, I thank all the friends – old and new, near and far – who I've met thanks to this blogging thing. Your inspiration and appreciation mean more than you know, especially after a year like I had in 2013. But I have a feeling awesome things are in store. After all, it seems I've finally found my hot dog stand.

xoxo, eggy

Cincinnati Restaurants BENEFIT Us All - and a Give-Away

I am continually amazed by the many local chefs and restaurants who not only endure the frenzy of each night’s service at their respective businesses but also give back to the community and great causes. Since I last posted on this blog, I’ve been fortunate to attend and volunteer for several. A few highlights.

Eat Local for the Globe

September's Eat Local for the Globe drew a record number of local chefs bringing their A game for a spectacular dinner to benefit Findlay Market. One of the fun things about volunteering for it was watching the chefs collaborate as they joined in plating each other's dishes. Also, that moment when Jean-Robert de Cavel pitched in at the bussing station. Because, you know, dishes were starting to pile up, and he's not above doing whatever needs to be done.

eat.play.give

Top local chefs also turn out to give back to Jean-Robert and his wife Annette, who lost their daughter Tatiana to SIDS and host an annual fundraiser for SIDS research in her honor called eat.play.give. Always delectable!

 

Cincinnati Chocolate Festival

Cincinnati Chocolate Festival is run be all volunteers helping the Isaac M. Wise Temple Sisterhood raise funds for their year-round projects like Interfaith Hospitality Network, Over-the-Rhine Soup Kitchen, Freestore Foodbank, The Assistance League, and the YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter. I got to sample savory chocolate-laced dishes from their new Cheers for Chocolate wine and food booth in between watching demos and "wrangling" some local all-stars serving as judges. They were happy to participate and didn't need much wrangling after all.

Slow Food Cincinnati Tomatoland Dinner

I am especially grateful to all who helped raise funds for Slow Food Cincinnati (a cause dear to me - I am on the SFC Board). From Molly Wellman's bourbon + tomato syrup cocktail to Megan Ketover's olive oil basque cake with honeyed tomato butter, lemon rosemary ice cream and fennel, and her amazing mignardise plate, we were lucky to have Slow Food Cincinnati Snail of Approval award winners Todd Kelly and Megan Ketover of Orchids, Stephen Williams and Bhumin Desai of Bouquet Restaurant and Wine Bar, and Local 127's Steven Geddes and Kyle Johnson prepare us a fabulous feast.

LLS Taste of the World at the Newport Aquarium

Here's another great benefit coming up Sat., Nov. 9 that raises funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Tickets are $100 for general admission, or $150 for the Top Shelf Room. But you can win a pair of tickets by commenting here, on the Eggplant To Go facebook page or tweeting/retweeting at @eggplanttogo by 11:59 p.m., Wed., Nov. 6. Participating restaurants include Alfio's buon cibo, Andy's Mediterranean Grill, BB Riverboats, Coffee Emporium, Dewey's Pizza, European Imports, Food Match, Frisch's, Fusian, Keystone Bar & Grill, Palomino, The Party Source EQ, P.F. Chang's, Pit to Plate BBQ, Madisono's Gelato, Red Roost Tavern, Stone Creek Dining Company, Taste of Belgium, and Yagoot.

My thanks to blogger friends Laura and David Arnold of Cincinnati Nomerati for all their work on the LLS benefit and making this giveaway possible. Disclosure: they are also providing me a pair of tickets. I hope to see you there!

Second Sunday on Main Chef Demos Start Tomorrow!

Squid cooked in ink, blood sausage, black chickpea puree,
black mint, bull's blood greens,

created by Chef Jackson Rouse for Cincinnati's Diner en Noir

Have you been to the Second Sunday on Main Celebrity Chef Demos? I hadn't until last year, and now I can't get enough. This season's May-Oct. series launches tomorrow, with chef Jackson Rouse and beverage dude Rom Wells of The Rookwood in Mt. Adams as featured demo-ers, in a new location this year: the side room of Mr. Pitiful's, at 1323 Vine St. Come watch – and taste – what these talented guys create tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. for FREE! City Cellars will return this year with wine pairings, and there should be some sweet gifts to be raffled off as well. Did I mention this is all FREE?

When I learned about the SSOM Chef Demo series last summer, I couldn't believe it had already been going on for more than five years and I'd just caught wind of it. That was one of several experiences that led me to take this blog (more often its fb page) in the direction of sharing news of under-reported local food events that get me excited, and seek them out myself. In the casual environment of these demos, I had the opportunity to taste the food of some of Cincinnati's top chefs and learn a bit more about them. I talked friends into meeting me for OTR brunches beforehand, explored whatever wacky events were going on in middle of of Main St. (closed to vehicles between 14th and Liberty between noon and 5:00 the second Sunday of each month for this street fair), checked out some businesses and eateries unfamiliar to me, and usually ended up with a StreetPop at their shop on the north end of Main.

Laura Chenault has been the organizer of the SSOM Chef Demos for the last five years, and it was through this series that I met her and learned about her new business, a "flexible event space + urban kitchen" called Pallet23, which has hosted, among other food events, pop-up dinners by Jose Salazar as well as Diner en Noir, organized by Rom Wells and featuring the dish at the top of this post created by Jackson Rouse (wish my photo did better justice to it). Great collaborations!

I hinted on fb that I had an announcement coming up. If you (like my parents) were wondering what the heck I was talking about, here it is. Laura reached out to me for assistance now that she must tend to her new business. Wearing my hat as a Slow Food Cincinnati board member (I'm the Communications Chair), I will be pitching in as a volunteer organizer for this year's Chef Demos, along with friends, Slow Food compadres, and the delightful Cat Amaro of The Birdhaus, which hosts fun out-of-the-box classes with local entrepreneurs of all sorts.

Please join us tomorrow!

Cincinnati Restaurant Week: La Poste

I was almost going to skip this spring's Restaurant Week, as I scurry to pack and leave for Knoxville and a jam-packed few days at the Southern Food Writing Conference. But I'm glad I didn't.

Restaurant Week is always a great opportunity to try a new restaurant or return to one you've enjoyed in the past. It's hard to beat $33.13 for three courses (two-for-$33.13 and other deals available at some lower-cost venues within the Greater Cincinnati Independents/Eat Local Cincy consortium). The only thing I don't understand is why these restaurants and the parent organization don't do a better job of publicizing their Restaurant Week offerings.

In any case, La Poste has been on my list for some time, and I took advantage of this opportunity to try it out. Delightful and delicious. Here's a quick look.

Fruit salad amuse with crispy bread

Diver scallop with hot bacon vinaigrette, wilted greens, gorgonzola, 

specks of rye croutons, and a beautifully runny egg

Seared tuna salad with Meyer lemon vinaigrette, wasabi tobiko, and baby radishes

Salmon (cooked to a perfect medium rare) over Israeli couscous 

with brown butter sauce and asparagus

Oh, and that lovely chocolate mousse tart with raspberries and creme anglaise at the top of this post. Here's La Poste's Restaurant Week menu, which I couldn't seem to find anywhere else online. (Apologies for the folds; I'm not above walking out of a restaurant with a specials menu.)

I thoroughly enjoyed myself at La Poste and look forward to going back and checking out more of what Chef Dave Taylor and crew have in store. (I overheard a server describing one of tonight's specials that was, understandably, not on the $33.13 Restaurant Week menu that included foie gras and sounded divine.)

I hope you'll take advantage of Cincinnati Restaurant Week to get out and try something new too. If Restaurant Week doesn't work for you, there are more fabulous food and craft beer events going on in the city this weekend than I can possibly link to. I picked a heck of a weekend to head out of town. I'll just have to content myself with adventures at the conference that include dinner at Blackberry Farm, a field trip to Benton's Bacon, and lunch at the Knoxville location of Asheville fave Tupelo Honey. And I'll be back in time to check out the Asian Food Festival at The Banks on Sunday (it runs 4:00-midnight Sat. and 1:00-9:00 Sun.). For now, I gotta run.

Slow Food Dinner at Jean-Robert's Table May 15

Big news! Slow Food Cincinnati is partnering with Jean-Robert's Table for a very special dinner May 15. The Ark of Taste is a Slow Food program that aims to preserve and promote heirloom vegetables, heritage livestock breeds (such as the Red Wattle pig, raised locally by Dean Family Farm), and other threatened culinary species. Only the best-tasting endangered foods make it onto the Ark! Thanks to the dogged efforts of my fellow board member Jay Erisman over the last two years, Slow Food Cincinnati has succeeded in getting another local foodstuff accepted to this roster: the American paddlefish!

Based just across the river in Bellevue, KY, Renée Koerner raises this relative of the sturgeon at Big Fish Farms on a sustainable model where the paddlefish feeds on naturally occurring plankton and the farm uses no additional food, improves the quality of the water, harms no other fish, and provides excellent meat as well as caviar.

To celebrate the acceptance of American paddlefish onto the Ark of Taste, Jean-Robert de Cavel will create a four-course dinner highlighting the paddlefish produced by his long-time friend Renée Koerner (including caviar and smoked and fresh fish) Wednesday, May 15, at 6:30 pm.: $90 per person including wine pairings, tax, and gratuity. You can find more info on Slow Food Cincinnati's facebook page. But to secure your reservation, you MUST call Marilou Lind at JR's Table, 513-621-4777. The event is open to all.

Renée's paddlefish is prized by other top local chefs as well, and I've been checking them out whenever I've had the opportunity this season. Chef Stephen Williams of Bouquet featured it in the amazing dish at the top of this post, with mushrooms, buerre blanc, and beets that turned the accompanying couscous a rosy pink.

And to kick off the dinner celebrating Orchids' fifth year as Cincinnati Magazine's "Best Restaurant" in the city, Chef Todd Kelly offered up this spectacular "fried" egg with lobster salad and Big Fish Farms caviar cream.

We can't wait to taste what Jean-Robert will do with this very special ingredient. Check out this video for more about Renée's paddlefish caviar adventures, and call to reserve your seat at Table before this event sells out!

Noshes and News 4.16.13

After a busy week and a trip to Louisville and Nashville, I'm back and have lots of good news and events to share. Rather than clog your facebook feed with too many links tonight, I'm rounding up the best of the best here (although my facebook page is generally the best place to stay up to date with the local food news I have to share).

First off, cheers to Barrio Tequileria, which had its Grand Opening in Northside while I was away! Luckily, I had the opportunity to check out the neighborhood's newest taco joint, from Taco Azul food truck owner Gary Sims, during its soft opening. The food and drinks I've sampled so far – including the mango-habanero marguerita at the top of this post – are solid and delicious! I love the comfortable yet hip LA vibe and the quirky day-of-the-dead artwork (including a Día de Muertos-style Marilyn Monroe piece). Barrio's spacious fenced-in back patio will open Cinco de Mayo weekend with live music, and I could see it becoming my favorite al fresco spot in the city. I can't wait to explore more of Barrio's extensive tequila list, along with the black molé and an upcoming pig roast Gary is promising. For more photos, check out this great post by 5chwar7z.

If your tastes run to the adventurous, mark your calendar for next Tues. (April 23). During the afternoon Local 127 chef Steven Geddes and the ubiquitous Justin Dean will host a goat butchery session with Adam Danforth. Special goat dishes will be available that evening, along with the regular menu. Contact the restaurant for more details. A great opportunity to check out this underutilized meat and taste what can be done with it in the hands of skilled chefs. ETA: I just received the press release below. If you opt for the goat dinner, it is $35 for four courses. The butchering demo begins at 3:00 "and continues into the evening." Reservations strongly encouraged for both the demo and the dinner: (513)721-1345.

OTR's vegan-friendly green general store Park + Vine hosts a release party for the 2013 CORV (Central Ohio River Valley) Local Food Guide Wed. night (4/17) from 5:30-7:30. Other ways to lay your hands on this indispensable annual guide to farms, farmer's markets and other local/sustainable food resources in southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southwestern Indiana: it's available for free in this week's City Beat or you can download or order a copy via CORV here.

What's better than Findlay Market staying open late on a spring evening? The chance to score discounts on tickets for the Bunbury Music Festival! This Thursday (April 18) from 4:00 to 7:00, Findlay kicks off a series of special events where you can get 20% off a 1-day or 3-day Bunbury pass by buying $50 in groceries OR showing receipts from 5 different Findlay Market vendors (discount limited to two passes). Even better, in keeping with Bunbury's "Bee Free" slogan, the first person to buy $120 in groceries AND show up in a bee costume will get one FREE 3-day pass to the July 12-14 music festival. You can savor an adult beverage in Findlay's OTR biergarten, enjoy live music, take in a Taste the World at Findlay Market food tour, indulge in one of the best pastimes at Findlay Market – people watching – and get your grocery shopping done at the same time. The same discount is on offer two more Thursday evenings, May 16 and June 20, as well as three Sundays from 10:00-4:00: April 21, May 19, and June 23. ETA: I read an item today that indicated the Findlay markethouse vendors would be be open until 6:00 this Thursday, with other events continuing until 7:00. I am trying to confirm, but you might want to get your shopping done first, before kicking back in the biergarten.

Nectar Restaurant is hosting another of its spectacular Dinner Clubs next Thursday (April 25), this one featuring artichokes, in conjunction with Daisy Mae's. At each month's Dinner Club Nectar chef Julie Francis highlights a given ingredient through five savory and sweet courses that will surprise and delight you. Check out this month's menu here.

Also coming up April 25, something cities across the country have been doing for years. I am glad to see Cincinnati restaurants FINALLY getting on board with Dining Out for Life, where restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds to AIDS service organizations. Click here for local participating restaurants. As I write this, they include Jean-Robert's Table, Mayberry, Kitchen 452, Park + Vine, 20 Brix, Melt, Cumin, and more. It will be a good night to support local restaurants that support a great cause.

I'll sign off for now with kudos to some of my favorite Cincy food folks who broke good news while I was out of town.

My talented, determined, hard-working friends at Tom + Chee held their first press conference last Friday to announce they will appear on the ABC show Shark Tank May 17 (locally, Ch. 9/WCPO). I was bummed I couldn't be there in person, but glad to catch this video. I've been rooting for them since they got their start in a tent on Fountain Square and was excited to be with them during the filming of their first TV appearance, on Man v. Food Nation. Whatever the outcome of their pitch to investors on this show, I'm confident they will continue to grow, thrive, and remain committed to what they do: bringing cheesy goodness at an affordable price point for families of all sorts.

And in case you missed Polly Campbell's piece, Jose Salazar's new restaurant will be called Salazar and it will be located at 14th and Republic. I've had the pleasure of tasting what Jose does on his own terms at his pop-up dinners at Pallet23, and I can't wait to see where he'll go next as he launches his new venture in a renovated OTR butcher shop.

So much food talent to be proud of in our city! Stay tuned for more!

Pop-Up Dinner Round-Up, Part 1

Whether you call them “pop-ups” or “underground dinners,” these innovative one-off prix-fixe culinary events are blossoming more quickly than the daffodils in my front yard. Here's my first installment about some unique events to check out.

Last night I attended a Date Dinner, by Steven Shockley, who recently became Executive Chef at Cumin and previously worked at Pho Paris, Chalk, Jean-Robert’s Table, and Maribelle’s (when it was at its previous Riverside Drive/Eastern Avenue location). Steven takes thematic inspiration from a wide array of sources (the previous Date Dinner I attend was based on the music of Miles Davis). Although Steven is sometimes given to pun-filled constructs, last night’s dinner side-stepped the opportunity for April Fool’s Day jokes while, as usual, focusing on out-of-the-ordinary flavor combinations.

Lentil soup with pomegranate and sumac whipped cream

Flatbread with gorgonzola-potato puree and parsley

Braised lamb neck with grapes, quinoa, and cauliflower puree

Cardamom rice pudding

The schedule for Date Dinners varies, partly depending on Steven’s work schedule, and is usually limited to about 12 people, in an Over-the-Rhine apartment the location of which you learn after RSVPing (and, now, paying via Paypal). Like the Date Dinner facebook page to hear about upcoming events. Steven has a keen culinary curiosity, and I’m not going to try to guess where he’ll take Date Dinner next, although he says he’s switching the format to four courses for $35; still BYOB. He also occasionally pops up with snacks at Market Wines at Findlay Market and Neon’s. Steven has a personal proclivity for veggies, grains, hand-ground spices, and the occasional braise or venture into offal territory. I will definitely be curious to see where he takes Cumin’s spring menu, set to launch this Thursday. He will also be participating in the 1 Night, 12 Kitchens Midwest Culinary Institute April 21 on behalf of Cumin, in case you were one of the lucky folks who bought ticket before they sold out.

Steven recently collaborated for a dinner at Pallet23 in Northside with another young chef who is garnering a lot of attention for his pop-up dinners, Ryan Santos of Please. Ryan leaves tomorrow for a stage (internship) at Michelin-starred In De Wulf in Belgium and has another lined up at Castagna in Portland for September. I can't wait to see what inspiration Ryan returns with from his travels (for a terrific food-porn-filled blogger's-eye-view glimpse of In De Wulf, click here). After he returns from Europe, Ryan and crew will be shedding the "Arts and Lettuce" title for their pop-up dinners and taking them to Carriage House Farm for a new, rustic dining experience that will involve not only eating outdoors but cooking outdoors. No electric, thank you very much. Ryan has always cultivated close relationships with area farmers to source local and sustainably raised foods for his dinners. He has more intriguing collaborations in the works, with entrepreneurial aquaponics venture URBTank and a "beverage" partner.

Please: a Staff Pick for “Best Now-Above-Ground Underground Dinner Series 

Turned Into A Residency” in City Beat's Best of Cincinnati 2013 issue

Here are just three more pop-ups taking place in the next week. If you're interested, act quickly or they may be sold out.

Frances Kroner, the talent who created the marshmallow dress at The Art of Food, is doing her second "edible installation" collaboration with Modern Makers and Pones, Inc. this Friday, called "The Big Dinner." Details here. Her "food event design" company FEAST was just featured in the Business Courier (sorry I can't share a link that gets beyond the paywall). I was out of town last week and missed FEAST's pop-up last weekend, but heard great things about the event and the food from friends. Can't wait to check out what she's doing this Friday!

Another series I'm excited to finally get in on is "Underground - A Hen of the Woods Production," which is celebrating Spring with a dinner Monday, April 8. Join their facebook event asap, then await instructions and get your cash or check to chef Nick Marckwald by Friday for this wine-inclusive dinner with sommelier Kevin Hart of wineCRAFT, who collaborated on an amazing pop-up at the Mercantile Library with the fine folks from Dutch's recently. (The talented Gina Weathersby of 513{eats} documented that event in full photographic glory here.)

Nick, Kevin, and other talented folks are also doing a pop-up of heavy hors d'oeuvres and desserts at The Rookwood in Mt. Adams April 10 to benefit the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America. Details here.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Pop-Up Round-Up. Lots of exciting ventures coming up!