Dixie Chili

I don't often get cravings for Cincinnati-style chili.  I prefer home-made, heartier Texas-style chili with lots of onions and vegetables...and no spaghetti. 

So when I got a craving last Thursday for the local variety of chili I chose to bypass Skyline and Gold Star and head a little further north on 27 to Dixie Chili in Newport. 

I sat down and tried to pretend I wasn't a first-timer; I sat for several more minutes and no one acknowledged me so I had to blow my cover and go up to the counter to ask how I was supposed to place my order.  FYI, you order at the counter and take a tray (just like the school cafeteria!) to the end of the tray-line where you wait for your order to be prepared, and then sit down at a table. 

I ordered a small (very small) 3-way and a cheese coney with mustard.  The chili was thicker and somewhat creamy than others I've tried, not watery in the least.  The cheese melted on top of the chili and the chili stuck to the spaghetti very nicely so I basically cut it with my fork and ate it in chunks.  The flavor was great and it was served with Westminster crackers on the side, which I found very classy. 

My cheese coney was good as well; although I prefer the 3-way over the coney.  The coney didn't have enough chili or cheese for my liking; maybe a chili cheese sandwich would be a better option next time?

All things considered, Dixie Chili is a great alternative to Skyline and Goldstar and I'll definitely return to satisfy future Cincinnati chili cravings.

StoneBrook Winery

StoneBrook Winery is located in Camp Springs, KY, just south of Cincinnati in Campbell County.  They have been making wine for 6 years and growing and selling grapes for 11.  Wine tastings are offered Fridays from 5pm-9pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1pm-6pm in their tasting room; which was the first in Northern Kentucky and is located in Walter farm's original farmhouse that has been restored and transformed into a dining and tasting venue.

Walter Farmhouse

The cost of a tasting is $5 and allows you try as many of their 19 varieties of wine as you would like.  In addition to red and white grape wines, StoneBrook offers an array of fruit and berry wines. 

Tasting counter

StoneBrook also offers a weekly dinner on Saturday evenings which includes grilled meats, side dishes, salad, wine and live music in the summer.  I'm looking forward to going back this summer to partake in dinner and music; you can visit their website for more details and their Facebook page provides event updates.  In addition to the Camp Springs tasting room they also offer weekly tastings at the Newport on the Levee art gallery.

Dining area

After trying about 10 varieties of wine I chose a bottle of the Chardonelle; a chardonnay-style white wine.  Cranberry wine was the runner up.  Some of the others in my group enjoyed the Blueberry, Honeymead, Strawberry and Chambourcin.  Really, there is something for everyone and with such a variety to choose from it is difficult to pick a favorite. 

My bottle of Chardonelle

Dennis, one of the owners, was gracious enough to give us a tour of their production facility before our tasting.

First, the grapes are picked and transported from each of the three vineyards in 5-gallon buckets to be processed through a crusher/destemmer machine  And in case you're wondering, they do not use their feet to crush the grapes.  In fact, we learned the acid in the grapes can burn your skin.

Crusher/Destemmer

After the grapes are crushed and destemmed they go into the juicer.  Once all the liquid is removed from the grapes their skins are completely dry and used as fertilizer for the vineyards.

Juicer

StoneBrook uses cold fermentation and large cauldrons of the grape juice are put in a refrigerator at low temperatures.  The cold fermentation process helps pronounce the fruit notes in the final product and keeps the yeast from taking over the flavor of the wine.  Dennis taught us there are thousands of strands of yeast and you choose your strand depending on how you want your wine to taste.

After fermentation the wine goes to the lab to be tested for its alcohol volume.  It also goes through a taste test during this phase.

The lab

After the lab the wine gets filtered for sediment.  The sediment does not change the taste of the wine but it is a presentation thing.  It is a preference of most American wine drinkers to have a very clear wine; as opposed to France or other places in Europe where you will always find particles settled at the bottom of a bottle of wine.

Filtration system

The wine is then siphoned into the bottles from the large holding containers.  Pumping could allow too much oxygen to enter the bottles and result in a "corked" bottle of wine. 

Bottling area

After the bottles are filled, an automatic corker works like a hydraulic press to insert corks. The only thing left to do after this is wrap the top and put on a label.

Corker

StoneBrook produces about 6,000 cases of wine a year and distributes to most local liquor and wine stores.  They also sell directly to customers from their production facility and tasting room.

A big thanks to all the friendly people at StoneBrook, especially Dennis for taking time out of his busy day to show us the intricacies of the wine-making process.

Newport Kroger Marketplace: A Love Story

I've lived in Southgate, KY for 4 years. For a long time the closest grocery store options were Remke Market (over-priced and old-school in my opinion) and Bellevue Kroger(go there...you'll see). My only other choice was to drive further south to Highland Heights; which seemed a tad too inconvenient for groceries.

You can imagine my glee a few years ago when excavation began on Grand Avenue and there was talk of a Kroger Marketplace! So I waited, and waited (and whined) and waited some more. Every trip heading southbound on I471 offered a view of the progress and left me on pins and needles. Construction was pushed back with the whole real estate collapse but the store finally opened about a year later than expected in October 2009.

Here is a list of all the reasons I love Newport Kroger Marketplace(NKMP).

1.) NKMP has 1/2 carts. I've never seen this before, maybe I don't get out much??  When I saw a 1/2 cart for the first time it made 2009 seem worth it after all. Why didn't someone think of this sooner? I mean come on, sometimes you need to purchase more than fits in a hand-held basket and less than fits in a whole cart. You can't maneuver around slow shoppers with a regular cart. 1/2 cart baby!

2.) NKMP has the most kick-ass cheese selection you will ever see. And they give you samples. And they have cheese experts who will offer to help you pick out a wedge. The first time I shopped at NKMP I stared at the cheese for at least 15 minutes...just stared.

3.) NKMP has a Magic Pop maker and a an employee who coerces me into buying a bag every time I'm there. He's all friendly and convincing about it.

4.) I've never been to another grocery store where the meat/seafood staff prepare lobster bisque and serve samples to customers. This happened a few weeks ago and my love for NKMP intensified.

5.) The organic food selection at NKMP is extensive. It's not just a 1/2 aisle of random things; which means I don't have to make a separate trip to Whole Foods if I'm feeling like some organica.

6.) Every time I shop I get to sample a vast array of food. If I time my shopping trip right, I'm able to substitute lunch with free samples:) Herb Gouda, Jarlsburg, Magic Pop, Puffins, fresh guacamole, deli sandwiches, dips, Greek yogurt. These are just a few of the items I have purchased thanks to sampling them first.

7.) The fresh produce selection and quality are never lacking.

8.) Starbucks is located inside the store!

9.) NKMP has 12 Uscan lanes. This means I always get to check out my own groceries. I don't know why I enjoy this so much; it's a control thing.

10.) Last, but certainly not least. NKMP employees are a class act. I've never had a bad experience. At first I thought it was because of the newness of the store, but their level of customer service continues to impress.

Shop at NKMP, you will fall in love too!