Flipdaddy's Burgers and Beer

I met some friends at Flipdaddy's on Wooster Pike in Mariemont. Their website boasts "Proprietary Beef Blend and 24 Beers on Tap" and I had heard some positive feedback here and there so I was excited to try it out for myself.

I started with the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale; delicious, although with such a strong flavor I don't think I would enjoy more than one of these.

For dinner I had the Spring Fling, a burger topped with guacamole,cucumbers and pepper jack cheese. It was a delightful combination of toppings (although I was expecting more of them), there is something so refreshing about the flavor of cucumber on sandwiches. Because I had heard good things about the asparagus I substituted my fries. It was good, but no better than the asparagus I make at a home. And for a $2 up charge, I'd say go with the fries.

One of my friends got the Mac Daddy, a burger topped with a fried macaroni and cheese patty. This isn't a menu selection I would make but he gave it good reviews.  I would imagine it was similar to macaroni and cheese with ground beef mixed in it (takes me back to my childhood!) only much much better.

The Gaucho Burger was next, a burger with chimichurri garlic herb spices, provolone and grilled onions.  Isn't it pretty?  I think it tasted just as good. 

So, as I mentioned, leading up to my trip to Flipdaddy's I had heard a lot of great things and my hopes were high.  My burger choice was delicious, but it wasn't "OMG, this is the best thing I've ever tasted in my entire life".  Then I received the bill and I was a bit taken aback.  Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly ok with paying money for good food but my burger plus one beer and tip was $19.  I feel like there are at least 5 other places I can go in the Cincinnati area that offer a burger and beer selection that is just as good, if not better, and I can leave for under $15 dollars.  I also wasn't satiated for the rest of the evening, within less than 2 hours I was hungry again:( 

Although the food was good, Flipdaddy's didn't leave a strong impression and I won't be making any special trips.

CAFE on the Loveland Bike Trail

A few days ago my sister posted the follow status update on Facebook:
"Just took a walk to Nisbet Park in downtown Loveland and discovered a cool new "Cafe" on the bike trail! (used to be a BBQ Grille) They serve sandwiches, organic meats, vegetables, fruit, GRAETER's ICE CREAM, and much more.....check it out if you are on the trail."

The next day I sent her a text message that said "I want to go that restaurant."  We planned a bike ride on the Loveland Trail and ended at the CAFE just before the torrential downpours on Sunday and split the Crab Cake salad and the Vegetarian Panini.

As much as my sister raved about the place I had my doubts.  I was familiar with the location and knew the building itself was very small; apparently I equate culinary greatness with a large space.  We dug into the Crab Cake salad and I was speechless.  At first glance I thought the remoulade dressing was going to be heavy and have me overwhelmed after a few bites, but no dice.  I could have eaten this entire salad by myself, which says more about it's deliciousness than it does about the size of my stomach.  The crab cakes were flavorful (all 4 of them) and grilled to perfection, with a slight spicy kick of cayenne perhaps?  They were served over leafy romaine with remoulade dressing, macadamia nuts and currants!  What an amazing combination.  The salad was also topped with 5 slices of pita for the perfect complement.

Next was the vegetarian panini.  I was hesitant ordering this sandwich.  I anticipated the ratatouille could be overbearing with spices and turn the focaccia bread soggy.  Sweet baby Jesus this sandwich was one of the best combinations of flavors and textures I have experienced.  The focaccia was fluffy and had just enough flavors and herbs and spices to mesh nicely with the ratatouille and slice of provolone.  I didn't get to the point with this sandwich where I had "had enough".  I could have kept taking bite after bite simultaneously saying "mm" after each one.  The ratatouille would make a nice side dish for the CAFE's other sandwiches.  It had so much smokey flavor and some charred pieces of vegetables added even more texture and variety.

Sandwiches are served with a side and we went with watermelon; they were out of fruit salad and chips.  But, like everything else we tried, the watermelon was perfect too.  Sweet and juicy and cut into manageable slices.  Just enough sweetness to go along with our savory dishes.

My nephew ordered the kid's panini which was a grilled cheese sandwich with cool "panini lines".  I asked him how his grilled cheese was and he said "it's not grilled cheese, it's panini."  Pardon me.  My niece ate the free peanuts the CAFE provides at their ordering window.  I also spotted a container of dog treats for furry friends.

After some research (1 Facebook page view and 1 website) I learned that the CAFE is owned/operated by Loveland Chef, which is a personal chef and catering business that offers culinary services to some northern Cincinnati suburbs.  Their Facebook page provides helpful information.

How can you not like a restaurant that is dog friendly, serves mostly organic local fare and has food offerings that are out of this world?  The CAFE on the Loveland Bike Trail is the unexpected pot of gold you will find at the end of this rainbow. 

Go OTR 5K & Summer Celebration

It was a fabulous day watching runners, enjoying delicious food (including gourmet popsicles!) and taking in the beauty that is OTR at the 5K and Summer Celebration.  I wasn't able to take part in the 5K due to prior commitments but I was in the neighborhood and the runners went right past me on Main Street.  Lots of people and lots of puppies!

I headed down to the Summer Celebration on Vine Street between 12th and 13th.  The first thing I saw as I turned the corner was the Taco Azul truck; EXACTLY what I was looking for.

I enjoyed an al pastor (pork) taco and an order of chips and salsa; they were already out of guacamole which seems to be a theme with me lately. Both were delicious but I regret not asking for sour cream on my taco. 

There was quite a back-log on orders so I had to wait about a 1/2 hour to get my food, which gave me a chance to browse vendors and make some decisions on my next food purchase.  At this point it had turned into an 80 degree day and I knew I couldn't go wrong with the lemon sorbet from Dojo Gelato.

I noticed tons of people walking around with popsicles and finally spotted the vendor, Streetpops. They make small batches of gourmet popsicles in very unique flavors.  Because there is always room for a popsicle, I tried the Strawberry Mint and it was SO refreshing and delicious.

I couldn't believe I'd never before heard of Streetpops but that's because the Summer Celebration was their debut event. The owner hopes to sell the popsicles in stores such as Park & Vine and also at other events in OTR like 2nd Sunday on Main. 

On my way out I couldn't resist stopping at Sweet Peace Bakery's booth to get a vegan baked-good roadie.  I went with the (melty) chocolate chip cookie.  Next time I'm committed to trying the oatmeal cream pie, yum!  I think I'll end this post with a picture of a vegan chocolate chip cookie and call it a day.