This week we decided to kick off our month of changes with a new and different brunch spot. As it was on the way to Coney Island, we decided to stop by the quaint and eclectic main street of Bellevue, KY and try out the Bellevue Bistro (Bb). After a few weeks of going as a duo, we finally had companions with us this week- our future roommates, Joey and Nick.
I had never been to Bellevue before and enjoyed the small town, yet bustling, setting of Fairfield Avenue. Initially, for this reason, we thought it would be a good idea to sit at a sidewalk table. However we soon found out, as the abundance of available outdoor seating should have indicated to us from the start, it was way too sunny and hot to sit outside. No problem though, as Bb has a few indoor tables looking out on the street and a kindly gentleman gave his to us.
We knew from looking at their online menu that Bb was a good value, most of their breakfast dishes are between $4.50 and $7.95. They also have a separate and extensive lunch menu. Everything was sounding delicious. Joey went for the Belgium waffles, Nick decided on the portabella mushroom sandwich from the lunch menu, and John and I, not wanting to wander too far from the breakfast side of brunch (even though it was almost 1pm), both got breakfast sautes. The sautes are breakfast skillets and we decided to get one seafood (The Surf and Turf) and one sausage saute.
The interior of Bb feels like a warm and inviting bohemian-style living room, with marbled gold walls, wood trim, a fireplace, lots of pieces of art all over the place (for sale, by local artists), and tables stocked with issues of Dwell. It was clear that someone at the establishment had some design sense and everything was very tasteful.
But, getting back to the food!
The surf and turf saute was delicious! With crab, avocado, bacon, basil, tomato, egg, and cheese all over potatoes, it was pretty much every good thing all mixed into one. Sometimes this can go awry, but not this time. It was a true winner. The sausage saute was just meat and potatoes, even the green apples thrown in for variety couldn't dress it up enough...or maybe the surf and turf was just too good by comparison. Nick's Portabella sandwich looked fresh and hardy, with grilled onions, red bell pepper, and mozzarella, on Ciabatta bread. I think the next time I go, I'm getting this.
Unfortunately, I don't think Joey realized that his waffle was a Taste from Belgium (TM) waffle from the guy at Findlay Market and therefore not very big. The waffle looked minuscule on the giant plate, with bananas and chocolate shavings merely attempting to compensate. However, as most Cincinnatians already know, these are the best waffles in the world, with a crunchy/sweet outside and cakey inside. But, if you're expecting a huge, fluffy Belgian waffle, these aren't the ones for you. I got a lemonade instead of a coffee, but tried a little bit of John's coffee and it was definitely good. Almost made me regret my lemonade decision. Free refills on everything was a nice bonus. Overall, we had a great experience. The service was friendly, the food delicious, and the prices decent. The Bellevue Bistro is definitely a little gem of a place that you should check out, if you haven't already. I'm sure we'll be returning there for brunch, lunch, or even dinner (!) at some point in the future. Bellevue Bistro website
This week we take the brunch blog to Lavomatic in the 'Gateway Quarter'. While white people are busy making inroads into a black neighborhood through the gateway, we were simply interested in some brunch. (kidding.)
On this particular morning we were one of two tables at Lavomatic. We had our choice of almost any table in the restaurant, except, unfortunately the rooftop patio tables (rained all day). The refurbished outdoor dining area overlooks Vine Street and is nestled between two taller buildings for a pleasant, intimate urban atmosphere.
In a trend noted by Michael Pollan, local chefs are starting to pair up with local farmers and are even promoting the growers by naming them on their menus. Lavomatic is one of the first places we have seen in Cincinnati to do this.
Their menu is made just the way I like it: small. One side of an 8.5x11 is all they needed to display their nine entrees that vary week to week and small selection of sides. This week they offered: Eggs Benedict, the Monte Cristo, Steak and Eggs, the Porkopolis, Fruit Pizza, French Toast, an Omelette du Jour, Curry Chicken Salad, and a Poached Salmon Salad.
After strong campaigns by the Steak and Eggs (doomed by its $14 cost) and the French Toast (thought I'd want something savory), we opted for the Monte Cristo and the Porkopolis.
The Monte Cristo is actually a french toast sandwich, filled with bacon, turkey, swiss, and small bits of pineapple. The pineapple was tasty, but there wasn't enough of it to radically change the character of the sandwich. Even with the French toast, it was still just a turkey sandwich. (delicious nonetheless) It was served with a mountain of greens dressed in the lightest vinagrette. I never realized how appropriate a huge pile of subtle greens could be for brunch, but it was probably our second favorite element of the brunch.
The Porkopolis description reads: Findlay sausage links over Brickdough stuffed with hot slaw of green cabbage and bacon, bourbon butter, and topped with a fried egg. Sue didn't like the cabbage or the huge rod of a sausage that was 'too meaty', but she was a fan of the 'filo doughish' brickdough. Again, I thought everything was delicious. (Perhaps I'm too easy to please?) In addition, this dish completely blew my previous conception of Lavomatic - that the portions tasted good, but didn't fill you up - out of the water. I was satiated nicely, however Sue couldn't finish all of her portion.
Drinks were a mixed bag. The coffee at Lavomatic is amazing: a very dark french roast served in attractive little cups and saucers. (the coffee was my favorite single component of the brunch) All you can drink of course. They also offer alcoholic brunch beverages, such as the Bloody Mary and Mimosas. Sue went out on a limb and ordered the Salty Dog, which is grapefruit juice, gin, and a salted rim. The drink ended up being a huge disappointment. The grapefruit juice came straight out of an Ocean Spray plastic bottle, was bright pink, and tasted just OK. For $7, you'd think they could offer some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, or at the very least a juice of a little higher quality than the neon pink ocean spray stuff.
Overall, Lavomatic is a touch more expensive than other brunch spots we have covered, but for the most part the extra expense is worth it. The dishes were innovative and did a great job of somehow mixing density and flavor with delicate, light elements. Just stay away from that Salty Dog!
Lavomatic
For this week's review, we headed downtown to Coffee Emporium, one of the city's best coffeehouses and one of the few places downtown that is open on weekends and serves brunch.
It is a waffle brunch, to be exact, where you can have your choice of toppings including fresh strawberries, bananas, nuts, chocolate chips, and whipped cream on a hot Belgian waffle.
Previously, the waffle brunch was served only on Saturdays, but they have expanded it to both Saturdays and Sundays!
While the waffles are the main attraction at the CE brunch, they also have bagels, scones, muffins, and breakfast burritos. Not to mention, their always fabulous lunch options, of which my personal favorite is the black bean burger, which is grilled to perfection and served with crisp veggies, ranch dressing, and feta cheese.
John and I decided to do splitsies with a loaded waffle (all the toppings, except for the nuts) and a breakfast burrito. The breakfast burritos are pre-made and come with bacon or without, we got the bacon.
Coffee Emporium's claim to fame is that it roasts its own coffee beans on site at their downtown location and their coffee is always strong, aromatic, and delicious. They now also use milk and cream from Snowville Creamery, an independent dairy farm where the cows are pasture grazed. I got an iced coffee with cream and it was probably the richest coffee I've ever had. And while my coffee was decadent, for the sake of my waistline, I will have to remember to ask for half the normal amount of cream next time.
The waffle was great and I'm always happy with the amount of toppings- tons of fruit and just the right amount of chocolate chips, so you don't get overwhelmed with sweetness. The breakfast burrito contained eggs, cheese, bacon, potatoes and onions. It was tasty and totally hit the spot, but the tortilla was a little chewy due to the fact that they microwaved it. We concurred that if they grilled the burrito or just made it to order, it would definitely taste better.
The space itself is large, cool, and relaxed. Pleanty of tables and a few couches, but you better get there early if you want a couch spot, because they are usually occupied. If it's nice out, grab a City Beat and sit at one of their shaded sidewalk tables.
Coffee Emporium's website isn't really complete and a new site has been promised, but it does give the downtown address and lunch menu, as well as their Hyde Park and Xavier University locations.
After two weeks and two posts covering the semi-upscale brunches of Nectar and Greenup, we turn our attention to a restaurant offering a more standard brunch fare: SUGAR 'n' SPICE. This classic Cincinnati establishment sits on Reading Road in all of its Pepto Bismol colored glory, right behind the sock guy and his mountain of 3 for $5 socks.
The interior is a cross between funky 50’s diner and a children’s story book about breakfast cooking. With its old timey cash register, hospitable waitresses, and expertly muraled walls, the atmosphere is half of the attraction.
This week our party was limited to three, so we were unable to sample 80% of the menu as in previous weeks. Not to mention the fact that the menu is of the diner variety: tons of items, categorized sections, a million combinations of the same items and sides, actual prices rather than whole numbers, etc. The pancakes and lunch sandwiches are really cheap ($3.50 for a half order of pancakes to $5 or $6 for a sandwich), but certain items like their omelets, breakfast burrito, and corned beef hash are a little more expensive than what you might expect to pay at a no-frills diner ($6-$8).
Luckily SUGAR 'n' SPICE is one of the few places that understands the importance of offering both sweet and savory in a single brunch dish. One of our biggest complaints when brunching is that too often you are forced to choose between the sweet dish (pancakes, waffles, etc.) or the savory (eggs, bacon, omelets, etc.), when really all you want is a little bit of both. The Breakfast Special at SnS fulfills this simple, yet oft ignored desire. With two eggs, meat, and two wispy thin pancakes, the Breakfast Special is a manageable portion at a reasonable price. The corned beef hash and poached eggs hit the spot this past Saturday for some reason, but it was hard to ignore the fact that we were shelling over $7 for them to crack open a can of CBH.
SnS is successful with another brunch rarity: The Saturday Brunch. In fact, if we aren't mistaken, breakfast/brunch is offered whenever SnS is open (7am to 3pm daily). We are currently tagging the establishments that serve Saturday brunch, so that they are easier to search.
Finally, one of the best elements of the SUGAR'n SPICE experience is the people. SnS is one of the asterisks to the notion that our city is separated into Black Cincinnati and White Cincinnati. This puts SUGAR'n SPICE firmly in the realm of Tucker's, Park Chili, etc., where the diversity of the clientele only makes the homogeniety of most dining experiences all the more obvious.
The Sugar n Spice website-a shining example of customer and community appreciation
It was a beautiful day on Sunday and therefore the best kind of day to experience the ever-charming Greenup Cafe. Located in the Covington historic district and close to the Ohio River, the Greenup Cafe is flanked by views of the Roebling Suspension Bridge and Libeskind's Ascent building. Depending on your mood, you can choose its quiet, floral courtyard; the Parisian-style sidewalk tables; or sit indoors near one of their full height windows.
We have eaten at Greenup before, so there were not too many surprises. Their coffee is always great and they offer traditional brunch options with a French twist.
I ordered the eggs benedict, John got the BLT, and our co-diners got the goetta puff, the tart du jour, and the fruit cup.
John was really pleased with the BLT. He thought it had delicious tomatoes, cut to a perfect thickness and good quality side greens. Plus it helped that he was in the mood for a BLT (and to be perfectly honest, so was I, but for the sake of review variety, I got something different). He also requested a fried egg in the sandwich, creating a perfect breakfast-lunch combo and further inciting my envy.
Normally I'm very satisfied with the food at Greenup, but I was just not impressed by the Benedict. It was fairly bland- the hollandaise sauce was hardly noticeable, and the tomatoes did not seem very fresh. There was one thin slice of Canadian bacon and ample bread. Maybe this is the way French eggs benedict are supposed to be prepared, I don't know.
The goetta puff, according to our friend, could have used more goetta, so maybe there was a meat shortage on this particular day. On a brighter note, the Tart du jour, which is a pastry shell that on this day was filled with chorizo, garlic, and banana peppers, was delicious and looked like a more flavorful, dynamic dish. Finally, the fruit cup looked like standard caterer's fare (cantaloupe, melon, pineapple. Repeat.). A four dollar fruit cup, in my opinion, should warrant some creativity...at least a strawberry or two would have been nice.
This isn't meant to be a total slam on Greenup, I've had really tasty dishes there (the French toast is always good, as are the quiches), so I don't want to discourage anyone from dining there. With dishes priced between $5.95 (BLT) and $9.75 (Huevos Rancheros; Eggs Benedict), it is also on the cheaper side of the fine dining brunch places around town.
Greenup Cafe website
It was surprisingly not packed and very relaxed, unlike most brunch places on a Sunday. This is in no way a reflection on their food, in fact we realized later that many of the restaurant's patrons were sitting on the patio out back, go figure! It was a beautiful day.
The eight of us ordered a pretty good spread of the menu. Between us, we ordered the salmon eggs benedict, vegetable frittata, Croque Madame, burger, chorizo scramble, goetta mash, and french toast. Everything either tasted good or looked good, with the Croque Madame probably being John's favorite- ("I only had one bite of the Madame, but the prosciutto, fried egg, and sweet pickle were delish!")
I had a vegetable frittata and John had the smoked salmon Benedict. The best part about Nectar was the freshness of their ingredients and the medley of flavors each dish had. They use locally grown, in season vegetables for their dishes.
Another interesting thing about Nectar is that they truly understand the concept of brunch being an intersection of "breakfast" and "lunch". Many brunch places forget to have substantial lunch items, but Nectar had a good mix of both lunch items and breakfast items. One surprise on the menu was a Green Acres Angus Burger, on which you could get white cheddar, goat cheese, guacamole, and bacon for an additional 50 cents per ingredient.
I loved the frittata because of the crisp chunks of veggies, the freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a touch of pesto for a kick.
The Croque Madame actually looked light and "healthy" (read: it did not come on a buttered croissant), which is not what I usually think of when it comes to that dish and it also came with a side of fresh greens.
In fact, most of the dishes were fairly light, which is a rarity with brunch fare. But nearly all the dishes were perfectly proportioned to satisfy your hunger without leftovers. The coffee was good, not great. We prefer it a little stronger. Beyond that, the only negative aspect of the experience was that the dining room was a little dark for a Sunday morning.
Overall, we would highly recommend Nectar. It competes nicely with the types of places that have upscale dinner entrees in the $20s, but have more reasonably priced brunch options between $8-$13 (think Honey, Lavomatic, etc.)
Nectar website
In the past three years or so, John and I have turned brunching into somewhat of a hobby. Brunch is fantastic and if you're reading this blog, you already know that. But beyond just the food or the fun had with friends, one of our favorite aspects of the brunch experience is finding new brunch spots around town.
No offense to First Watch, but the point is to find local, independent places that have great atmosphere and food. There are surprisingly a lot of places like this around town.
One of the main reasons why we decided brunch in Cincinnati needed its own blog is slightly selfish in nature. Many a lazy weekend morning have we woken up to realize that while we may have made the decision to go to brunch the night before, deciding where to go or remembering the places around town that served brunch was not always an easy task.
This blog hopes to serve as a resource, as much as a critical review. We also hope to hear about other opinions and suggestions on new places to go.
