"...the Magic of a Boring Evening at Home" (Gerda Weissmann Klein*)

"Everything looks
so calm out there"

Neil was going out to a play preview with Lisa and Eric was off doing something or other at work so I was looking forward to a quiet night at home.  This includes clawing the cloth chair, which ticks off Eric, and sleeping wherever I feel like it, which concerns Neil.  Anyway, Neil had gone and I watched him go from the window.  It was windy outside and suddenly the back door blew open and this screeching filled the house.  It felt like the house was shaking because it went off for so long.  Then the thing in the hallway rang and someone asked what was going on at the house and I couldn’t tell him.

A man in a uniform showed up and walked all over the house and even opened the dining room door, which was nice because Neil had closed it when he left, so I could just go right on in and sit in any chair I liked or walk all over the table.  Woody (our neighbor friend) came over and talked to the man in uniform, while I sat under the table because I couldn’t really help.  The man left and closed the back door and Woody came in and set off the screeching again.  He wasn’t too happy and there was more ringing and then the screeching stopped.  Woody left and then Neil came home.  He really wasn’t too happy but wanted to make sure that I was OK and not scared.  After Eric came home, Neil told him that he must have left the door unlocked and it wasn't completely closed. I thought that he was trying to blame me because I go in and out so much but he admitted that it was all his fault. Whew! I don't want him to be upset with me.

"Lisa's voice is so soothing on the thing that rings"

Lisa called tonight and told us all about the play that Neil didn’t see called End Days at Ensemble Theatre.  It’s all about a family living in New York sometime after 9/11 (whatever that means) and how they don’t communicate with each other at all.  This boy moves into the neighborhood and he falls in love with the daughter, but she’s Goth (whatever that means) and doesn’t care.  The mom has fantasies about Jesus, who shows up and even talks to her, the dad is very depressed and then the daughter has a vision of Stephen Hawking (not quite sure who he is) in his wheelchair because she likes eating something like catnip grass too.  It sounds like there’s a happy ending and it’s really a sweet show, Lisa thought.  She said Neil and Eric should see it, but Neil isn’t sure about karma (whatever that means) and I found a nice spot and fell asleep.

End Days runs through April 3rd at Ensemble Theatre

http://www.cincyetc.com/home

*Gerda Weissmann Klein won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short One Survivor Remembers.  During her acceptance speech she noted, "I have been in a place for six incredible years, where winning meant a crust of bread and to live another day. Since the blessed day of my liberation I have asked the question, 'Why am I here? I am no better.'  In my mind's eye I see those years and faces of those who never lived to see the magic of a boring evening at home.  On their behalf I wish to thank you for honoring their memory, and you cannot do that in a better way than when you return to your homes tonight to realize that each of you who knows the joy of freedom are winners.  Thank you on their behalf with all my heart."

Listen to her speech here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zn-fPM4KS0

The Summit Hits New Heights

I got an early start to my day thanks to Eric letting me out before he left for work.  It's a nice winter day and I'm really in the mood to hunt for a fine dining experience.  Eric and Neil always seem to know when I've enjoyed some great cuisine even if I keep it a secret from them.  They're going out with Lisa tonight so I'm hoping they return as content as I.

      We decided to take advantage of Spring Restaurant Week this past Saturday and make a return visit to The Summit, the student restaurant at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State.  Eric and I had dined there back in 2008 and found it to be a good experience, although some of the preparations seemed to be a little too ambitious, especially the desserts.  This time around the menu appeared straightforward.  

Culinary Students in Operation

      The kitchen, as well as the front of the house, is operated by the culinary students with some professional guidance.  We were seated at the best table in the house (purely serendipitous) just outside the viewing area for the kitchen.  The talent was under the guidance of chef de cuisine Paul Nagy, although there was no indication that anyone was still in training.  Kyle was our server and one of only two that are not enrolled in culinary courses.  Instead, he is attending CCM at the University of Cincinnati. 

Charming Snowman and
Lavender Moon Cocktails

He explained all of our curiosities regarding the 

menu and operations.  He pointed to several specialty drinks that immediately
tempted Eric and me.  (Lisa would be driving home as we're extreme lightweights.)  Eric went with the Lavender Moon made from vodka and lavender liquor, and I chose the Charming Snowman concocted of vodka, whipping cream, and shaved chocolate.

Seasonal Risotto and "Farmer Jones" Salad

For our first courses, Lisa chose "Farmer Jones" Beet Salad and Eric and I ordered the Seasonal Risotto.  The salad was a mixture of different beets marinated in sherry atop greens with walnuts and goat cheese.  Very flavorful!  Our risotto was perfectly prepared with shrimp, proscuitto, and peas.  It was creamy and rich.

Cincinnati Art Museum — Four Bucks Deal for Two Shows

Neil wasn't feeling particularly well, but Eric was wanting to get out of the house and do something.  So they left to get a quick lunch while I was outdoors enjoying the crisp sunny day.  Evidently, Neil started feeling better as they were away all afternoon.  I was waiting for them on the back doorsteps listening to Toby barking when they returned.  They seemed more than eager to tell be about their day of art.

      The Cincinnati Art Museum is one of the best deals in the region for a cheap, cool afternoon.  Thanks to the Rosenthals, admission is free to the museum.  Parking is $4 per car (though if you’re willing to hike it up the hill and look long enough, you can find a spot somewhere on Mount Adams or Eden Park) and patrons pay as they enter the museum.  In addition to revolving pieces from the permanent collection, there are three galleries devoted to special exhibitions.  The museum possesses an extraordinary fashion collection, which is finally being shown from time to time.  The history of the wedding dress exhibition, held a couple of months ago, was extraordinary.

The Amazing American Circus Poster

      Right now, The Amazing American Circus Poster is on display.  The Strobridge Lithographing Company, based in Cincinnati, created many of the posters for Barnum & Bailey as well as Ringling Bros and other companies and that’s the basis for the exhibition.  Lithography began in 1798 and had a connection historically to circuses, which came into their own as an international traveling entertainment medium in the mid-19^th century.  The posters are from the 1850s – 1920s, though centered on the 1880s.  There are about fifty posters, representing various aspects — the parades through towns from the railroad stations, animal acts, sideshow exhibits, and specialty acts – but it is difficult to know if it’s been well curated because it’s a narrow (specifically because of a local company’s product) representation of what might have been a larger genre.  Of course, this type of popular art is ephemeral and many of the posters have probably been lost over the years.

      The circus industry serves as a metaphor for many other industries (and even shifts in the geopolitical landscapes and the shifting balance of empires).  A few small circuses expanded to a larger number traveling through Europe and North America because of the expansion of the railroad.  The industry relied heavily on self-promotion and hype, while constantly assuring patrons of its truth in advertising.  Over a forty-year period, four major circuses merged into one corporation.  Smaller circuses tried to fill in the gaps by playing in smaller cities and towns.  However, the expansion of zoological gardens in many cities, and the invention of new media through technological progress cooled the mass population’s consumption of this specific entertainment.  

The interior courtyard of the Cincinnati Art Museum

      The Way We Live Now (referencing Trollope’s novel concerned with the changing British Empire at the end of the 19th century), the secondary exhibition, housed across the interior courtyard, displays pieces from the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville.  The exhibit is in anticipation of the 2012 plans to open a 21c Museum Hotel in the Metropole building adjacent to the Center for Contemporary Art and across the street from the Aronoff Center for the Arts in downtown Cincinnati.  Artists from around the world created these works in the past decade.  They refer to various current cultural, political, and economic forces.  There is a strong sense of playfulness in many of the works and an open definition.  What I mean is that though we’re not the first viewers to experience these works, there isn’t a body of review or criticism to tell us they mean and what we should understand from them.  I hope 21c Museum Hotel founders Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson will consider purchasing works in the future from Art Prize, which was held for the second time this past fall in Grand Rapids, because there were some extremely adventurous sculptures in that show.

      The Cincinnati Art Museum is always worth a visit, regardless of the special exhibits, because the permanent collection is intriguing and the Cincinnati Wing is a revelation.  The exterior and interior architecture are excellent examples of Greek Revival and some elements of 19th century Gothic.  The Cincinnati Wing was built in the past decade and it’s a fine example of merging a new building with an existing one and somehow making it look as if it was always one whole.

www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org

One a Penny, Two a Penny, Hot Cross Buns!

Neil’s been humming around the house all morning.  There must be some reason he’s so happy.  It’s not the weather, as it’s a dreary chilly day.  Maybe he’s going to bake a squirrel pie.  That would make my day!

      I admit it.  I love hot cross buns!  Its reported origins are varied, but most agree that the hot cross bun was popularized in England when a 12th century monk made the spiced cakes and stamped them with the sign of the cross.  He made the buns every year thereafter and distributed them to the poor on Good Friday.

     The origin of the hot cross bun, as the Easter holiday itself, is mixed with pagan traditions.  Buns were considered a sacred food of the gods to the ancient Aztecs and Incas, while the Egyptians and Saxons offered them as sacrifices to their goddesses.  The appearance of a cross on top represented everything from the quarters of the moon to the horns of a sacred ox to the Christian interpretation today of the crucifixion.  Originally, the cross was marked in the dough with a knife but later creations used the piped icing that is popular today.  It's not clear when hot cross buns started appearing for sale before the Good Friday holiday.  Thankfully, the irresistible concoctions are available at bakeries during the entire six weeks of Lent leading up to Easter. 

Servatii's version of the hot cross bun

      I have my own favorite shops for what I consider to be the best hot cross buns.  In Cincinnati, my pick for the traditional bun is at the Servatii Pastry Shops, found throughout the city.  They are light and flaky with a generous "cross" of buttercream icing and not too much candied fruit.  For a scone version, I head to the Bluebird Bakery in Glendale.  Jenny's scones are the finest that I've found and her hot cross interpretation is divine!  My absolute favorite takes a little more effort as it is found on the east side of Columbus, OH at Resch's Bakery.  They're more dense and have a dusting of confectioner's sugar in addition to the icing cross.  I'm hoping my sister brings some when she comes to visit this weekend.  For me, it's probably just as well that they're not available year 'round.  However, I would like to hear where you find your favorite hot cross bun.

http://www.servatiipastryshop.com/Locations.aspx

http://www.bluebirdbakery.com

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/33/372053/restaurant/East-Side/Reschs-Bakery-Columbus  

Spring Restaurant Week March 11-20

      A relatively new concept to Cincinnati, the original Restaurant Week began in New York City during the Democratic Convention of 1992.  It was the brainchild of Tim Zagat of the Zagat Restaurant Guide and the late Joe Baum, a top restaurateur in NYC.  It began as a means of sparking business and showcasing the area’s culinary reputation.  Each establishment creates a prix fixe 3-course menu of either appetizer, entree and dessert or salad, appetizer and entree.  Today, it has spread to cities nationwide and is in its 6th year in Cincinnati.  

      Get ready for another amazing Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week running from Friday, March 11 to Sunday, March 20.  For the first time, it will encompass two full weekends.  Check out their website for the full list of restaurants and some sample menus.  And, more importantly, treat yourself by supporting some of our area’s finest culinary establishments!

http://www.eatlocalcincy.com

Atlanta’s Buckhead Diner – Come for the Scene and Stay for the Food

Eric couldn't wait to revisit the Buckhead Diner last week while he was away.  It's sorta like when I return to a place where I had a memorable hunt.  Well,—not really.

      Judy and I ate at The Buckhead Diner (3073 Piedmont Road NE) a few years back at the same conference we attended last week.  Neil had tipped me off about it back then and we really enjoyed the lunch we had so we decided to return.  It’s not really a ‘diner’; it’s more of a dining car restaurant.  Imagine riding on the 20th Century sometime in the 1940s or early 1950s and being served by a white jacketed, black tied serving staff with Swiss timing precision.  Yes, they advertise a forty-five minute three-course lunch online and they’re more than ready to prove it.  However, part of the fun is the people watching for those of us from out of town.  This is not really a tourist or family lunch restaurant.  It’s an elegant, but unpretentious, gathering spot for business people, conventioneers in the know, ladies who lunch, Buckhead shoppers, and others dropping by on a whim.  

      This is another Atlanta restaurant where the portions are large and everything is pretty much made on the premises.  It’s upscale diner food perfectly prepared and presented.  Judy felt like a hamburger and was taken aback by its size when it appeared.  I had the BLTE on crisp sourdough.  All the fixings came with both sandwiches (and they’re fine with a substitution) along with homemade kettle fries, lightly salted and with a hint of vinegar (I thought).  The staff kindly boxed the breadsticks and the jalapeño cream corn muffins.  The award-winning banana cream pie is a tart crust filled with French cream custard and topped by banana and shaved white chocolate.  I forgot to take a picture of the dessert because I just went for it so quickly.

$$$
http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/buckhead-diner

South City Kitchen Midtown — Atlanta’s Down Home Casual Sleek Spot

Neil and I had some bonding time while Eric was in Atlanta last week.  We had our own fine cuisine at home but it sounds like Eric really hit on a couple of great places for residents and travelers to Atlanta.

      Major winds and rain hit Atlanta during rush hour while Judy and I pushed on to find South City Kitchen at 1144 Crescent in Midtown, which I’d read about in Zagat.  We’d checked out a few menus online and this was the one that we felt like eating at first glance.  After tipping (as good karma) what I thought was a homeless man, but may have been an employee of the bar-restaurant next door, in helping me park, we walked into a two level floor to ceiling glass front building on a narrow street lined with nicer condo and apartment towers.  The architecture is early ‘80s open plan with bar and view into the kitchen and an upstairs consisting of cozy spaces.  Blond woods on floors, stairs, and tables matched with sleek, though unobtrusive, lighting fixtures gave the space a relaxed and clubby feel.  For a torrential Monday night, it was about two-thirds full and there was turnover at all of the tables.  The staff was laid-back, friendly, and quietly professional.

      The main point is the food and it is excellent.  Judy and I were both intrigued by the desserts so she was smart and decided on an appetizer with a side while I chanced indigestion and ordered an appetizer and an entrée.  Judy wasn’t certain about goat cheese with Fried Green Tomatoes, but our server Dave described the dish as being like Eggplant Parmigiana.  He was right.  The four tomato slices were spread with goat cheese, dipped in egg and panko breadcrumbs, and sautéed.  They were crispy with a nice edge to the tomato (almost al dente) and the goat cheese lent an almost citrus note to the dish.  The marinara sauce that accompanied it was complex, both full-bodied and acidic.  Actually, the sauce was so good that most diners might like another couple of tablespoons.  Judy also liked the Bliss Potatoes she’d ordered as a side dish, though it was presented with the tomatoes as if it was an entire entrée (smart move on their part).

Fried Green Tomatoes, Bliss Potatoes,

and Shrimp & Grits

Chicken Livers

      My appetizer came down to the Chicken Livers or the Sweetbreads.  Dave recommended the livers and he was again right.  OMG!  I have never had nor made a better dish with liver whether chicken or calf and whether it was a pâté, fried, or sautéed.  The portion was twice what I expected for an appetizer and it was not breaded and deep-fried, as I’d presumed.  It was sautéed, but very tenderly.  It was the smoothest textured chicken liver, resembling the best cut and cooked portion of beef or veal tenderloin imaginable.  The texture was neither grainy nor chewy, which it sometimes can be and the chalky/ashy under-bite was non-existent.  The gravy from the juices that accompanied it was rich, but had a very clean dark taste, almost like a bordelaise sauce.  It was served on home made creamed corn, which was rich in cream fat and a little soupy.  (It was also $7, which I thought was an absolute steal).  The shrimp and grits was an extremely generous portion.  The sauce was smoky and the fish firm, but still juicy.  It was really good, but I couldn’t get the liver off my mind.

Banana Pudding and

Blueberry Bread Pudding

      We finished off with dessert.  Judy had the Blueberry Bread Pudding, which was like baked French toast as Dave described it.  It was bread, rather than cake-like, that was completely moist, but held its shape.  The fresh blueberry sauce was more syrup-like in texture with many plump berries.  This was another generous portion, which Judy halved for dinner and breakfast the next morning.  I had the Banana Pudding, consisting of light custard, more of a crème anglaise, with slices of banana and home made vanilla sponge cookies.  South City Kitchen is a low-key foodies’ delight.  Check it out in Atlanta!

$$

http://www.southcitykitchen.com/midtown

Food & Wine Crowns Best New Chef

      Congratulations to Chef Jose Salazar of The Palace at The Cincinnatian Hotel, winner of Food & Wine magazine's The People's Best New Chef Award for the Great Lakes Region.  The publication nominated 10 new chefs from 10 regions across the country, but the winners were voted by the people.  According to Food & Wine, the must-try dish at The Palace is his French onion soup, consisting of cipollini onions stuffed with caramelized Vidalias and topped with Gruyère crisps.  Yum,—sign me up!  

      Chef Salazar won over some tough competition including Stephanie Izard, winner of season 4 Top Chef and chef at her own restaurant, The Girl & The Goat in Chicago.  Michael Bulkowski of Revolver in Findlay, OH was also among the finalists.  

      The top honor of The People's Best New Chef for the entire country went to Jamie Bissonette of Coppa in Boston. 

The Nutcracker...Sa-weet!

Neil told me this morning that he's going to Columbus for a couple of days to visit his family.  The guys don't like to leave me, but I actually don't mind the break.  After all, Eric will be home at night to let me in the house.  We've had a reprieve from the winter weather so I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the day and tomorrow outside with my friends.  Oh,—to get to scratch on something other than the sofa.  I know Eric and Neil will appreciate that too!  I knew Neil would be upset if I didn't come around to say goodbye so I waited until I knew he was ready to leave and tapped on the back door.

      Visiting family usually involves a meal or two out.  In the case of our family, it's imperative.  After kicking around a few ideas we settled on the Nutcracker in Pataskala on the far east side of Columbus.

It's a mix of diner, kitsch, memorabilia, candy store, and nutcrackers of course.  If you're over 45, this will be a real treat and bring back a lot of memories.  We arrived at 5:30 and the place was bustling.  There is a large party room in the rear that was also full.

The Grilled Bologna Sandwich

The menu is straightforward American classics -- nothing too healthy, with a concentration of batter and deep frying.  It's a place for those who are used to this type of diet or just want to be bad for a day.  We ordered a variety of selections and, since it was family, I was offered samples of several.  My sister started with the potato soup.  It was exactly the taste and consistency of our mother's, which I've never found anywhere.  It was a great experience!  I almost ordered some for myself.  My niece had the grilled bologna sandwich, which she asked to be served with a slice of onion.  You don't find that on every menu!  My other niece and nephew had the dinner special of all-you-can-eat fried chicken served with country ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, the vegetable of the day, and slaw.  I had the pork tenderloin on a hoagie roll.  The tenderloin was four times the size of the bread, which was buttered and grilled to perfection.  The batter on the chicken and tenderloin was light and crispy.  It was some of the finest I've tasted.  Sandwiches are served with homemade potato chips that I found to be a bit too overdone.  I had my eye on the vast array of desserts before the meal began, but I refrained from becoming a glutton.  The Nutcracker is billed as a family restaurant and the prices are very family friendly.  Mother Ginger would be delighted to find this haven. 

$

When visiting Columbus...
The Nutcracker Family Restaurant is located at 63 East Broad Street in Pataskala, OH.

http://www.nutcrackerpataskala.com

What about Egypt, You May Ask? Take a Number Because It’s all about our #1 Drug Addict Charlie Sheen Instead

Eric's been out of town for a couple of days.  He arrived home late last night and was all wound up!  I know he thinks I didn't miss him, but I really did.  I even left him my first gift of the season on the front porch.  He appropriately gave me a pat on the back, which I always appreciate.  It's nice to receive the recognition.  I'm anxious to hear about his trip and thoughts while he was away, but some of it may have to wait until later.  I'll need to nap in between.

      We enjoy keeping it light on this blog, but what’s the
use of our national news when entertainment has trumped everything?  Yes, this has been a troubling trend – actually, the whole rationale behind most of the “news talk” TV shows since the War in Iraq began – and we wonder if it’s because certain media moguls want to make sure that we don’t and aren’t able to keep our eye on the political ball so to speak.  Many of our friends have been electrified by the revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, and now what looks to be going on in Libya.  But instead of focusing on a delusional, power-mad nut who’s led a country for thirty years that’s imploding all around him, the “news talk” eye is on another delusional, money-hungry nut who’s led an amusing, but middling, comedy show for the past seven and a half years instead.

      Charlie Sheen has stated that death is for weak people and that he really enjoys his coked out semi-private frenzies all while playing craps with the paychecks of a couple of hundred professionals who’ve worked on his show. 
He blamed CBS for canceling the rest of the season and was considering a $300 million suit against the network unless
the executives re-instate the rest of the season for which he demands $3 million/episode (up from $2 million/episode before this conflagration).  Who uses his addiction and the welfare of those who work with him as leverage for a 50% pay hike?  And we wonder why some parts of the world think we’re a decadent society?