Padrino

This is a very Americanized Italian restaurant. I say that in a very good way. It has a little bit of a bar feel on one side of the restaurant with a cute little Little Italy feel on the other side. The food is inexpensive and very tasty, especially the pizza.

Padrino is owned by the same owner of 20 Brix, and both are located on Main Street right in the middle of Old Milford. If you are not into pizza or pasta, they also have great subs. I recommend either the beef sandwich or the Italian Sausage with peppers sub. They have a challenge here in which they make you eat four pounds of pasta and bread for thirty dollars, and if you eat it all in one sitting, you get your money back. They also have the added perk of live music every saturday night. Don’t miss out on your chance to say, “wow, that’s good.”

What to get at the ballpark

Cincinnati Reds baseball is a special tradition in our city. Everybody likes attending Reds games, and I am here to help you decide what to eat when going to a ballgame.

Always get peanuts outside of the stadium where they around three dollars cheaper. In the past few years, they have allowed soft-sided coolers into the stadium, so always bring a couple of beverages with you to avoid the six-dollar soft drinks inside. You must remember that no aluminum cans are allowed, so buy plastic bottles instead when choosing drinks.

When you step into the stadium, most of the food will be located right there at ground level. You have a choice between hamburgers and hot dogs, Skyline Chili, and Penn Station. I suggest avoiding Penn Station as the sandwiches are not quite as good here and are far more expensive. The hot dogs and hamburgers are also incredibly expensive for what you get. My final suggestion to all of you is to go for skyline. The prices are slightly more reasonable and the food never disappoints. And besides, who doesn’t want to enjoy two fantastic Cincinnati traditions at the same time.

 

The Quarter

Located right in the middle of Mariemont Square, this restaurant is the perfect place for a little bit fancier dinner. It is not necessary to wear a suit and tie, but try not to wear your ratty sweatpants either.

They have a slightly smaller menu, but it has a wide variety of different foods all the way from mussels to sandwiches and pizza.  Everything I have ever had here is fantastic, with my favorite being the pork medallions.

Another great thing about The Quarter is that the outdoor patio is very relaxing. If you can get past the mild sound and smell of cars, it is a great area to enjoy a meal. I highly suggest this restaurant for dates, family dinners, or out-of-town relative visits. If you do go to The Quarter, I can assure you that you just might say, “wow, that’s good!”

Flipdaddy’s

It’s hard to compete with Five Guys, but Flipdaddy’s on Wooster Pike in Mariemont does a pretty good job. They are very different from Five Guys, but still very good. Here you will find many delicious gourmet burgers. They are not fast food style burgers like Five Guys is. My favorites are the Gaucho Burger and the Jack Daniels All-American Burger. I highly suggest the Jack Daniels if you want a simple, but tasty burger. The flavor of the Jack Daniels glaze is unmatched.

Another great thing about this place is that it is convenient. It is minutes away from the school and a great place to go hang out after sporting events. If you want a great burger and a great time, go to Flipdaddy’s and find yourself saying, “wow, that’s good.”

Road Trip Food

I am visiting colleges this week, and finding good food to eat on the road is always a challenge. McDonald’s is okay once or twice, but it gets old pretty quickly, not to mention it makes you feel like crap. Here is a quick guide of where to eat and what not to go near if you are ever driving through the southeast region of the country.

Stay away from any strangely named places, including Popeye’s, and Bojangle’s. The only thing these places serve is chicken, and “It ain’t to good neither.” Another place to avoid is any place with the word “biscuit” in the title. This includes Biscuit World, which is one of the worst experiences of my life.

Any place that is attached to a gas station is a must avoid. They always smell and immediately take away your appetite, which in retrospect might actually have had a good thing considering I wouldn’t have been hungry for a couple nasty gravy covered Biscuit World biscuits.  

The one major thing I have learned so far this week is to just wait and eat at the campus. It’s usually all you can eat and doesn’t require you to spend the extra time waiting in the long lines at biscuit world (just kidding, nobody eats at biscuit world).

Mac and Bobs

I’m going to start by saying that this restaurant is in Salem, Virginia, so it is likely that nobody from Mariemont is planning to travel there for dinner. However, this restaurant has one of my favorite meals ever, so I thought I would share my thoughts with you anyway.

Mac and Bobs is a tavern, bar-like restaurant that is located just off the campus of Roanoke College (where my sister attends school). I have only been there twice and have had the same thing both times, The Boston Zone. It is an enormous calzone stuffed with buffalo chicken. I absolutely love it and plan on getting one every time that I visit my sister.

Hong Kong Wok

I absolutely LOVE chinese food, so you can imagine how upset I was when Magic Wok closed a few years ago. My closest alternative was the Hong Kong Wok in Milford. Even after the Magic Wok reopened, I now prefer Hong Kong because of their cheaper prices, better food, and nicer staff.

I appears from the outside to be a very run down building, but is actually quite cozy and nice on the inside. They have a buffet that is always open and always cheap (I never pay more than 10 bucks) even though they constantly change the price depending on day of the week and time of day. I even only payed 5 dollars one time.

The food is similar to any chinese food you could find, however, it is cheaper and just as tasty, so your wallet will be intact after the meal. The chinese ladies that serve you are also very nice and can actually speak some English. So, next time you’re in Milford, stop by the Hong Kong Wok and you’ll find yourself saying “wow, that’s good.”

Poll

Five Guys

If you like hamburgers and have never been to Five Guys, it’s time to check it out. It is one of the fastest growing food chains in America and adds at least 5 new restaurants every week. They have a very small menu, with only a hamburger, hot dog, grilled cheese, veggie sandwich, and french fries. In my opinion, the best thing on the menu is the burger, and most people would agree. You can choose whether you want a regular burger (two patties) or a little burger (one patty). Bacon and cheese are available on all burgers for an extra charge. All other toppings are free and these include: Mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish, grilled onions, raw onions, lettuce, pickle, tomato, green pepper, jalapeño, grilled mushrooms, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and A1 sauce.

Last time I was at Five Guys, I asked the person at the front counter what makes their burgers so good. He told me that they start with 20% more fat than an average burger, so that when all the fat cooks off, the perfect blend of meat is left over. This burger is melt in your mouth good, and it only makes it better when you order a side of their delicious hand cut fries.

Inside the restaurant, they actually put a poster up informing the customers what farm the potatoes they are using came from, so you know that they are fresh. Boxes full of peanuts sit in various positions around the restaurants, so don’t hesitate to have yourself a quick appetizer. I absolutely LOVE hamburgers, and this is perhaps my favorite burger of all. Stop by a Five Guys either at the Rookwood Commons, on Mason Montgomery Road, or on Kingland Road in West Chester. If you do, you’ll find yourself saying, “Wow, that’s good.”

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Cheesecake Factory

For my Mom’s birthday this year, she decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory in the Kenwood Mall. I am in shock of this place every time I go because of the menu. This menu is the largest I have ever seen. It is approximately twelve pages (not a lie) and has everything somebody could possibly want. They have everything from burgers to chinese dishes. Large portion size is common at the Cheesecake Factory, and they will gladly package up any leftovers you have.

The Cheesecake Factory is home to perhaps my favorite entree of all time, crispy spicy beef. it is deep fried pieces of beef covered in a delicious sauce and served with vegetables and rice. I strongly suggest that you try this delicious dish the next time you go to the Cheesecake Factory. If you do go, you can’t forget about their deserts. They are famous for their cheesecake, hence the name, The Cheesecake Factory. They have more kinds of cheesecake than you could possibly think of, and they are ALL good. So, next time your thinking of dinner options, why not go to this amazing restaraunt. If you do, you’ll find yourself saying, “wow, that’s good.”