The 39th Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville – Get There Soon

The Roommate – 

A hilarious, dark, friendship comedy 

     Actors Theatre of Louisville (ATL) has pushed and broadened the American dramatic repertory over the past forty years in the annual Humana Festival of new plays.  It runs through April 12 this year.  It’s an internationally known venue

Peter and the Starcatcher at The Playhouse

Children’s Theatre with an Adult Kink

     I told Neil it would be a day or two before I could write up a review of Peter and the Starcatcher at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.  He shrugged, then said, “Oh well, that’s fine,” and that about sums up this production.  Adapted by Rick Elice from Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s 2006 children’s novel – and a very long one at that – it plays like children’s story

Sunday Brunch at The Littlefield

Currently our favorite Cincinnati Brunch scene

The Littlefield in Northside

      It's rare that you meet the perfect storm at a restaurant these days, or ever.  One where the waitstaff is energetic and knowledgeable, an atmosphere that feels like you're visiting a longtime friend's house, patrons that actually want to interact with you, and food that is so creative and delicious one can't stop thinking about it. We've had a few of those aha dining

Revolution Rotisserie & Bar in OTR

It may not be revolution-ary, 

but it is worth crowing about

Revolution Rotisserie & Bar on Race Street in OTR

      Findlay Market seems to be a jumping off point for some of Cincinnati's recent restaurants.  Revolution Rotisserie & Bar in OTR is the latest installment.  

Half Bird with House Made Sides

Starting with simple rotisserie chicken (hence the name from the revolutions on the rotisserie), the menu builds from there.  We experienced the Half  Bird that comes with a choice of

The Total Look at the Cincinnati Art Museum

Recalling a wondrous moment 

in American wearable art

The Entrance

     The Cincinnati Art Museum leaps back to the ‘60s with The Total Look.  It focuses on the troika collaboration between clothing designer Rudy Gernreich, photographer William Caxton, and model Peggy Moffitt.  With great prescience, Moffitt kept the legal rights to the clothes she famously wore for Gernreich and they are the foundation for this exhibit.  Another featured colleague is Vidal Sassoon, whose

Detroit ’67 at Ensemble Theatre

A moderate production 

of a lackluster script

     Ensemble has provided so many wonderful nights in the theatre that it makes me appreciate them even more after a lukewarm one like the current production of Detroit ’67 by Dominique Morisseau.  There’s a fascinating subject about working-class African-Americans running a business in a shadow or underground economy because they don’t have

Redeployment/The Handmaid’s Tale

Across continents and in our backyard 

lie the terrors of dystopia

     Phil Klay somewhat unexpectedly won the National Book Award in November for Redeployment, a collection of short stories detailing the experiences of various soldiers during and after tours of duty in the Iraq War.  I hoped Klay would win because it was about the war, which both American pop and lit culture have

Nature Inspired Artist

Something good comes 

out of our harsh February

"Carts with Dirty Snow" by Anonymous

      While running some errands this weekend, we couldn't help but notice several artist installations throughout the city.  This one popped up at Hyde Park Plaza and is titled "Carts with Dirty Snow".  As with all special exhibits, this one (and the many others) may already be gone.  If so, look for them next winter.  There's bound to be more!

Detail of "Carts with Dirty Snow", 2015

Dutch’s Larder

We finally said, “Uncle,” and were delighted

Dutch's Larder

     We read about Dutch’s Larder when Donna Covrett (we still miss her writing and her desserts) reviewed it a couple of years ago.  We weren’t very sure about going because it sounded like take-out or a delicatessen.  Cincinnati magazine

Cameron Mitchell’s Culinary Empire

Each theme works, while the service shines

High Street in the Short North

     Columbus is a chain of suburbs in search of a downtown.  Its restaurant scene follows this same model.  Though there has been a proliferation of independent foodie styled establishments in the Short North and the Arena District in the past twenty years, chains are the way to eat in Ohio’s capital.  Wendy’s started there, Piada – Italian food in a cafeteria setting that mirrors Chipotle – is the most recent addition, and

The Slap

Yes, I miss Edward Zwick 

and Marshall Herskovitz too

     The Slap started a couple of weeks ago on NBC and I keep hoping it will be better each episode than it turns out to be.  Focusing on eight characters connected through family or friendship ties, it examines the aftermath of an aggressive rich man slapping the incredibly ill behaved five-year-old son of people he doesn’t know well.  From a birthday backyard