Norwood Delite- Blueberry Softserve

If you grew up going to King's Island as a kid you probably partook in your fair shair of blueberry softserve at the Huckelberry Dairy in (what used to be) Hanna Barbera Land.  This is one of my most fond memories of King's Island; even more so than the Beast or the waterpark or Amazon Falls.  In recent years I'm guilty of going to King's Island and consuming 2 large blueberry softserve cones with rainbow sprinkles in a matter of an hour.

So, you can imagine how my eyes lit up when one of my friends informed me, very matter-of-factly, that a local dairy bar in Norwood serves the same blueberry softserve.  And you don't have to pay a $50 admission first!?!  I assumed maybe King's Island had some sort of rights to the blueberry softserve but then I learned that they purchase the mix from Trauth Dairy and don't actually make it themselves.

Anyhoo, a lot of back-story here but that's just how much I love this ice cream!  Unfortunately the Norwood Delite Creamy Whip version was not exactly the same as King's Island. I think they put in too much flavoring resulting in a vibrant, almost electric blue color.  King's Island's was always more of a light baby blue.  The flavor itself was the same, just too much of it.  The consistency was also a little different which could have something to do with the quality of the machine they use.  It wasn't quite frozen enough and didn't have that light, almost fluffy texture to it.  But the rainbow sprinkles were perfect!

Another difference is that Norwood Delite does not have the ability to mix blueberry and vanilla softserve on one cone; which is my preferred combination.  This is why I had to get mine in a cup with a cone on the side.  I ended up spooning the ice cream from the cup into the cone myself; there's nothing better than the last bites of the bottom of a cake cone filled with softserve ice cream.  It's all part of the softserve experience!

Even though this blueberry didn't measure up, I'm planning to go back to see if the quality depends on who makes it becuase it's definitely worth a 2nd chance.  And I love corner dairy bars so it's never a wasted trip.  Norwood Delite has a long menu to choose from and there was quite a bit of traffic at their window.  They are located on Forest Avenue in Norwood close to Sharpsburg Elementary school and off of Smith Road, if you're in the area I recommend stopping by.  (If you're not sold on the blueberry you should at least ask them for a sample to taste:).

Quarter Bistro

June ROTM (restaurant of the month) took us to Quarter Bistro on Wooster Pike in Mariemont.  They offer french-inspired cuisine and are located right next to the Mariemont Theater in the heart of the square.   The presentation was beautiful! Food=Art

I initially had my heart set on the salmon but our server mentioned some of the specialties and the salmon was not included.  This worried me.  I changed my selection to the 18-hour short ribs.  I took one bite and this dish made it's way to my "Top 5 Meals" category.  So full of flavor and VERY rich.  Although the portion was on the smaller side, the richness and quality of the meat made up for it.  I asked the server what kind of spices were used to prepare the ribs and she was going to check with the chef but she never got back to me.  I'm sure it's a secret, and I imagine most of the flavor comes from the 18 hours the ribs spent slow cooking in their own juices and natural flavors.  Yum. 

The little round potato-looking things are spaetzle.  I've had spaetzle before and it looked nothing like this. You know when you're making pancakes and a drop of the batter falls onto the hot griddle and it makes a mini-pancake?  That's exactly what this spaetzle reminded me of!  It was a delicate addition to the short ribs.  The dish was also topped with a few button mushrooms and and the green drizzle is a basil pea emulsion.  The two purplish things on top are pickled ramp; they come from the same family as leeks and onion and it served as a nice tart addition to the entree.

I'm not going to go into detail on the entree choices of my dinner-mates, but there were no complaints!  Several of us had the short ribs and several others ordered the Steak Frites, it was topped with bleu cheese and included a side of homemade fresh cut fries sprinkled with parmesan (up charge for truffle fries).

Steak Frites w/ truffle fries

Handmade Angel Hair

BBQ Chicken Pizza

 The service was excellent, we had a group of 10 and it did take about 45 minutes for our entrees to arrive for such a large group.  My meal was $45, including a glass of wine, side dish, entree and 20% gratuity.  I recommend ordering an appetizer or salad with your meal since some of the portions are on the smaller side; I'm all about gourmet but I need to feel satiated as well.  We all shared an order of the guacamole and chips and an order of fried green tomatoes.  I saw several side salads go by as we waited for food and they looked substantial.  Servatti's makes a sour dough dinner roll specifically for Quarter Bistro; I declare them to be the perfect dinner roll with just enough crunch on the outside and soft, warm and chewy on the inside. 

We ended the evening with a stop at Graeters; last week they featured a limited-edition banana milk chocolate chip ice cream.  Fingers-crossed this flavor makes it's way to the list of regularly offered flavors!

Taste and See Hilton Head Island

I spent Memorial Day week on Hilton Head Island relaxing and eating a TON of food!  Since HHI is a popular vacation spot for Cincinnatians I thought I would highlight a few of my favorites and recommend some dishes.

First up is Topside at the Quarterdeck, an upscale seafood restaurant in Harbor Town right next to the famous lighthouse.  I had the pan seared salmon with herb butter, green beans and a side of corn pudding.  I loved how it was prepaed, slightly crisp on the outside with thinly sliced fried onions on top which added a nice layer of flavor.  Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal; if you're going to go to only one restaurant while you're in Hilton Head, go to this one.  After your meal take a stroll down the pier, or if you save room there is a small ice cream shop located just outside.


Herb butter salmon w/ green beans and corn pudding



Shrimp gumbo w/ cheddar grits



Crab stuffed  bacon wrapped shrimp, w/ a side of mango salsa and rice

Blackened Cortiva with mashed potatoes

Grilled cortiva, cioppino style

Sea scallops w/ mashed potatoes and green beans

Next up is Truffles.  I call this the J. Alexander of Hilton Head.  Truffles had a very similar menu but with perhaps more seafood, extensive wine selection and artistic presentation of food.  There was something for everyone and they serve soft warm bread with an herb butter.  I had the grilled shrimp and the creamy chili relleno risotto was out of this world!  We visited a new location on Pope Avenue, versus the original location in Sea Pines center.  I hear the service is better at the original location but it was still a lovely dining experience and we took numerous pictures posing with the bronze pig statue outside!

Grilled shrimp with green beans and green chili relleno risotto



New Orleans- penne w/ a spicy cream sauce topped with Cajun chicken



Grilled pimento cheese and tomato dill soup w/ fries



Cajun Chicken with southwestern sauce and shoestring fries

Pork tenderloin w/ apricot glaze, mashed potatoes and green beans

 Last, but certainly not least, two loud snaps for Flamingo's Doughnut Cafe.  They are located just outside the Sea Pines gate and the perfect way to indulge in a guilty pleasure while on vacation.  Flamingo Doughnuts are made to order and served warm with whatever toppings you choose.  The topping selection is so vast I can't get into here, but the pictures should help.  You can choose from their list of specialty doughnuts or create your own.  We scavenged a coupon in the Hilton Head restaurant guide for buy 3 get one free.   If you're not into toppings I still recommend going and getting basic glazed or cinnamon/sugar, the warm sweet dough is addicting!

One last recommendation, if you're driving from Cincy to Hilton Head and you're passing through po-dunk Tennessee with an empty stomach, DO NOT stop at this restaurant :\  Just keep driving until you see a McDonald's.