The Western & Southern Open hits Cincinnati again at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason from August 11-19, and it’s going to be the best place to be this summer.

Of course, there’s the tennis: with top male players like Roger Federer, John Isner, and Rafael Nadal and female superstars like Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki, you’ll get to witness tennis being played at its peak and with fierce competition.  

But there is so much more to the W & S Open!  From entertainment and shopping to the finest in dining in Cincinnati, there’s something for everyone.  This year, the Open is proud to announce that a brand new five-story building has been erected, dubbed the South Building.  This replaced the old building, and more than doubles the interior space for fans and amenities. Center Court seating jumped from 11,267 to 11,750: more seats means more fun for everyone!  Different levels will offer views of one or both marquee match courts, and the main feature is the split-level 2nd floor hosting a restaurant and bar, which opens up to cascading indoor, air-conditioned box seats, presumed to be the first in professional tennis. The extra-wide, 252 stadium seats sit behind glass and have access to the adjoining restaurant and bar.

 If you like an outdoor box seat, the 3rd floor boasts 396 new outdoor box seats and an interior space with concessions, a bar, gathering areas and restrooms. Need a little something more special? The 4th floor includes six all-inclusive suites with 126 total seats and a shared space for food and refreshments. The 5th floor offers a state-of-the-art broadcast and production center.

 Not that you can ever get too much tennis, but you do need a break from the courts, you can relax and listen to the original bands playing on the Dayton International Airport Stage or in the Wine Garden.  Not cover bands, but eclectic, award-winning musicians.  It’s music at its finest.

Hungry?  You can find sports-arena food, but if you want a foodie experience, the Open will have 14 locally-owned restaurants preparing their signature dishes fresh every day from James Beard-winning chefs, and you won’t need a reservation!  Feeling like tacos?  Hit up Mazunte.  Need a gyro?  Kala Greek Grill’s got you covered.  Grab a specialty salad from Prime Cincinnati, or a burger from Flipside. There’s also Skyline Chili, LaRosa’s Pizzeria and Graeter’s waiting to bring you the taste of Cincinnati!

So you’ve watched a few matches, had a snack, tapped your toes to some tunes, and now you’re thirsty.  Whether it’s beer or bubbles, or anything in between, the W & S Open has what you want on tap.  The Miller Ultra Legends Bar and Rhinegeist Brew Balcony are perfect for those looking for a tasty beer, and the Moet Champagne Bar for those who feel like toasting the best in tennis.  There’s also the Robert Mondavi Private Selection Wine Garden, as well as White Claw, serving up hard seltzers.  

Eat, drink, and then: shop! Time to go shopping at the Open’s retail center.  The 20,000 square foot retail plaza has it all, from tennis apparel and gear to jewelry and sunglasses.  The Midwest Sports tent will have everything you need to outfit yourself like a tennis pro. 

There’s nothing like a day at the Western & Southern Open.  Be sure to read up on their bag policy on their website, www.wsopen.com.  It’s important to know what you can and cannot bring into the Open.  Be a part of this Cincinnati sports tradition – get out to the Western & Southern Open!

 

 

Art Beyond Boundaries Gallery invites you to attend a solo exhibition, ‘UNCOMPLICATED’, on Friday Aug. 24, 2018 from 6 to 9 pm. This exhibition will showcase a variety of paintings by Mary Barr Rhodes. The exhibition will run until Sept. 10, 2018.

Mary Barr Rhodes is one of the city’s most prolific and gifted abstract painters. Rhodes has shown her beautiful work at ABB for years and continues to share her passion for painting with our growing community of artists with disabilities. 

Join us at Art Beyond Boundaries Gallery to experience the original art and meet the featured artist. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Admission is free.

Art Beyond Boundaries provides a professional, mainstream fine arts exhibition venue for artists with disabilities, located at 1410 Main Street in the historic Over-the-Rhine arts district. With your support, we can continue providing a gallery, workshops, programs, and services for our artists and people with disabilities. For more information, “friend” or “follow” the gallery on FaceBook , Twitter, Instagram, and/or contact the gallery.

 

Dining out at Prime Cincinnati is always special: great steaks, great seafood, amazing side dishes.  But now they’re upping their game for Cincinnati’s Burger Week!

Burger Week is July 16-22 this year, and restaurants all over town will be offering burger specials for just $5 to tempt your palate – and Prime Cincinnati should be the first (and last!) stop on your burger tour of the Queen City.  This year’s entry is the Jack Burger, a fantastic prime burger with arugula, aged Vermont cheddar, Berkshire Bacon, truffle aioli and the crowning glory: Jack Daniel’s infused bacon and onion jam, all served on a brioche bun.  Get a Jack & Coke as part of their Jack Daniel’s special for just $7.  Perfect for lunch or dinner, this burger is not to be missed!  You can also enjoy the Jack Burger for lunch at their @580 Market Gourmet location, at 580 Walnut Street.  While Burger Week is generally a one-week meat extravaganza, two restaurants in town were selected to continue on for an extra week, and Prime Cincinnati is one of them.  From July 23-30 you can keep on enjoying that $5 Jack Burger; meat lovers are getting a summer bonus!

Prime Cincinnati will also be starting their new entertainment series in July, called the Prime Cincinnati Summer Series.  Kicking off on July 20, join them at 9pm for the Cin City Comedy show, an exciting and hilarious improv group featuring alumni from Second City, Upright Citizen’s Brigade and The Groundlings.   For more information and tickets, call (513) 579-0720 or go to primecincinnati.com.  And Prime Cincinnati will continue to offer live music by local artists Thursday through Saturday nights.

Don’t forget, Prime Cincinnati is a great venue for private events, both personal and business.  Host a rehearsal dinner, a birthday party, a girl’s night out or perhaps a business meeting, corporate event or staff holiday party.  Whatever your needs are, Prime Cincinnati is sure to have the perfect fit.

 

We needed an escape.  A REAL escape that wasn’t too far away.  What an incredible find!

Glenlaurel Inn in Hocking Hills, Ohio…..less than a 2-hour drive from Cincinnati.  

What a warm welcome upon our arrival.   Cookies, beverages, meeting the innkeeper and some of the staff, then a quick tour. Secluded, luxurious and romantic rooms, suites, crofts & cottages…  The inn has 21 private, adult-only accommodations, with grand amenities, gourmet meals and exceptional service, with an emphasis on escaping the everyday grind.  Cell phones are discouraged, no smoking, and no cable tv….they do have a great selection of movies and books though that you may use at your leisure!  All accommodations have large tvs with dvd players!

We stayed in The MacKay Cottage and our dear friends were in The Wallace Cottage.  Each decorated in a Scottish theme….Living Room and Bedroom with fireplaces, kitchen, large bathroom, and hot tub on the private deck.  Heaven! So secluded in the wooded setting….it was perfect. 

We were fortunate to be guests of the beer-pairing dinner, which began at Happy hour in the Loch Ness Pub.  Dinner was then served in the Edinburgh Dining Room….It was fabulous!  Six courses with beer as a pairing and in the recipes. 

Back to relax in the Cottages and hot tub time, which was perfect on a star-filled night.  It’s amazing how different the sky and stars are when you get away from the lights of the city!

Breakfast was served in the Main Building of the Inn…..a lavish, homemade spread with daily features, homemade jams and biscuits, and included with your stay.  So yummy.

We decided it was hiking time to work off a bit of the food…beautiful grounds right on the 140-acres with hiking trails, waterfalls and their own private, scenic gorge.  Perfect.

We took a drive after to see around the area set in Amish Country.  We visited an Amish farmer’s auction, a glass blowing facility, had a picnic with the amazing lunch basket sent with us from Glenlaurel.  So much fun…hard to believe this is all less than 2 hours away!

Dining at Glenlaurel is an experience to remember. Glenlaurel’s gourmet dining is legendary for its Sottish flair, quality ingredients, and first-class service.  Menus in the fine dining restaurant are prepared daily with seasonal ingredients that build on the foundation of a nightly featured entrée with a six-course prix fixe menu served Sunday to Friday and seven-courses on Saturday. 

The enchanting evening consists of six and seven courses by candlelight, bagpipe music, poetry, and a post-dinner visit to the dining room by the chef. Overall, it’s a gentle blend of dinner and theatre that leaves ample room for intimate conversation, and the Chef is fabulous at Glenlaurel! 

I’m telling you, the hot tubs in the cottages are genius!  So relaxing…and the lack of cell phones really was incredible.  We all need a break from technology every now and then.  It’s very freeing.  Trust me!

Our last morning at the wonderful inn with another yummy breakfast.  It was time to head back though, and the inn sent us off with another fabulous picnic basket to go, homemade cookies and drinks.

– Patty Youkilis, publisher

 

Ohio is about to enjoy a new type of music festival, one that combines fabulous music with the fun of camping: welcome to Bellwether.

Bellwether will be held August 10th and 11th at Renaissance Park in Waynesville, OH; this location is equidistant from Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, so anyone can get there easily.  The venue will feature two stages, with 15 minutes between sets, and festival-goers get to see ALL the bands!  The lineup is incredible: MGMT, The Flaming Lips, Local Natives, Echo & The Bunnymen, Dr. Dog, The Psychedelic Furs plus 10 other fantastic bands.  Tickets are are $55 for a one-day pass, $95 for a two-day pass, through the end of June, not including camping.  Two-day tickets offer in-and-out privileges.  To purchase, go to https://www.xorbia.com/e/bellwetherfest/2018.

And if the camping part is intriguing to you, there are a lot of options.  You can rent space for your tent and/or RV, or you can choose the “glamping” option where a tent and cots for 4 are provided, as well as “Freshen Up” passes so you can take advantage of the shower facilities. Go to https://www.xorbia.com/e/bellwetherfest/2018 for more details or to purchase space.

Ticket prices go up in July, so be sure to get yours now and don’t miss one moment of this unique and amazing music festival!

 

So, there’s doing it easy, and there’s doing it right, and Casa Figueroa is all about doing it right. They feature Latin-inspired dining in Cincinnati’s Pleasant Ridge neighborhood; with regional, non-GMO, minimally processed seasonal ingredients, no hormones or antibiotics in any of the chicken, beef or pork served. Casa Figueroa is taking their food to the next level.

Casa Figueroa is passionate about being the best, not necessarily the least expensive. They source their ingredients, from tortillas made from local Ohio corn to fresh, never frozen, fish from the best fishmongers in the country.  In fact, Casa is a member of the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch and commits to always serve the highest quality, most sustainable fish.  At Casa Figueroa, guacamole is made fresh daily, chips are dusted with lime salt, and the drinks are top-shelf.  Craving tacos?  You can have everything from fish and lobster to BBQ pork, chicken, and barbacoa, and vegetarians and vegans can enjoy potato, seasonal veggie and cauliflower options.  Entrees feature the fresh fish of the day, short rib chilaquiles, and an amazing item called Big Ass Casa Nachos that takes the finest strip steak around and turns it into a nacho dish that you’ve been dreaming of your whole life.

Plenty of fresh salsas are on the menu, as well as salads (beet, pazole, and a Tijuana Caesar, to name a few), starters to share (Rhode Island calamari, PEI Blue Mussels, casadillas), sides like crispy brussels sprouts and beans and rice and for dessert, Aglamesis Dutch chocolate ice cream and Latin treats such as churros and cornmeal tres leches pound cake.

There’s more to Casa Figueroa than just outstanding Latin cuisine, there is also a fabulous drink menu, featuring a carefully curated selection of tequilas, mezcals, craft cocktails, and small batch, cult-driven beers and wines.  The place is already on the map for their killer handcrafted margaritas!

Speaking of margaritas, there’s no better place to enjoy one than on Casa Figueroa’s gorgeous outdoor patio, the perfect place to meet up, enjoy a bite and take in the up and coming renaissance of Pleasant Ridge.

Casa “puts it’s money where it’s mouth is,” not just by buying the best ingredients they can find, but by also making it a priority to recycle and compost; at Casa Figueroa, there’s virtually no waste.  It’s important to her that her restaurant not only delivers high-quality food but does it with a sense of responsibility.  

Have we made you hungry yet?  Good!  Now pop down to Pleasant Ridge, get some chips and queso, a taco or two and a drink and take in the best in Cincinnati’s Latin dining.