Restaurant of the Month: Pompilios Restaurant and Colonel Pomp’s Tavern

November 5, 2015 By

pompilios tortellini

An Italian gem awaits you at Pompilios in Newport, Kentucky (a few minutes from Fountain Square). The famous toothpick scene in the movie Rainman, with Dustin Hoffman, was filmed in the bar at Pompilios….and has kept visitors and locals pouring in for years!

Pompilios features a bar, Colonel Pomp’s Tavern, at the front, a bocci bar out back (complete with bocci-ball court), and an old world Italian restaurant in between.

The bar area is the happening spot for satisfying a thirst. You will see one of the best tied-house back bars in the Midwest, built the year FDR entered the Whitehouse—1933, when Pompilios opened for business. Colonel Pomp’s Tavern features period photos of the 1930s, but the bar area itself is that old, and a step back in time. The scene from Rainman was filmed in that very place, for an even richer taste of history. Colonel Pomp’s features a good number of Greater Cincinnati’s very best craft beers on tap, which visitors love to try.

The tavern also on Thursday or Friday features live music from an assortment of talents featuring boogie woogie, acoustic Americana rock, jazz, blues and more.

Go there and experience Colonel Pomp’s and grab a table and have a meal too, lunch or dinner. Pompilios features some of the best red-sauce dishes around. Pompilios has a slew of Taste of Cincinnati winners on their menu, so ask your server about the “Blue Ribbon” dishes. Also, the place has been voted into the Italian Restaurant Hall of Fame.

Pompilios makes EVERYTHING from scratch. The ravioli is hand-made, either meat or cheese. There are six sauce choices for ravioli, Bolognese meat sauce, along with marinara, regular meat sauce, meatballs, Alfredo, Puttanesca, and you can also add Italian sausage.

The Italian sampler, a favorite of the Rainman crew, is a Taste of Italy, with lasagna, meat and cheese ravioli, eggplant parmigiana and Italian sausage and meatball (both made in-house, as well). The sampler runs neck and neck with the meat-sauce lasagna as the best seller on the menu. It’s been a house specialty for decades.

Those wanting veal, steak or seafood will find a number of dishes, including veal parmigiana, filet mignon, shrimp scampi, linguini with clams, salmon gorgonzola, and more. Two favorite dishes are: the brasciuole, tender round steak seasoned with Italian spices, rolled and baked with marinara sauce and served with spaghetti; and the eggplant parmigiana, breaded, baked layered with parmesan and provolone cheese, and served with rigatoni and marinara. Serious yumminess, and quite reasonably priced!

 

 

Filed Under: Entertainment, Restaurant Of The Month

Event of the Month: New Riff Distilling bring bourbon back!

November 5, 2015 By

new riff building

Greater Cincinnati Bourbon lovers rejoiced in May, 2014, when Kentucky Bourbon production returned to the area with the opening of New Riff Distilling. A member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, New Riff is located right across the river from downtown Cincinnati. The distillery offers free tours Thursday through Sunday, and has a gorgeous events facility overlooking the river. Thousands of Greater Cincinnatians have already passed through New Riff, either on a tour or as a guest at one of their many events. (Weddings and receptions are scheduled nearly every weekend. Imagine, getting hitched at a Bourbon distillery!)

 

New Riff distills Kentucky Bourbon and Rye whiskey, to the tune of some 7,000 barrels per year. But these need to age at least four years before they’re ready for bottling. (Patience is a virtue among whiskey makers.) Local whiskey lovers can’t wait until June 2018 when the first New Riff Whiskey will hit the street. In the meantime, their Kentucky Wild Gin—distilled on site with locally foraged, wild botanicals—has taken Greater Cincinnati bars by storm. They also bottle a nine-year-old Bourbon distilled for them in nearby Lawrenceburg, Indiana. This is called O.K.I., and if you’re not from around here that stands for “Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana.” As the label states, it is “Distilled in Indiana. Bottled in Kentucky. Loved in Ohio.” We bet you’ll love it too!

 

The New Riff building itself is quite a sight. Recognizing that this is an urban 21st century distillery, Cincinnati architectural firm glaserworks designed a strikingly modern, cutting edge facility that blends form and function. The 60-foot-tall gleaming copper still is encased in a glass-and-steel tower soaring into the sky.

 

The free tours at New Riff are up close and personal. Unlike many of the big Kentucky Bourbon distilleries, at New Riff you can walk right up to the still (don’t touch it, it’s hot!) and see the entire Bourbon making process. And they have one last surprise up their sleeve…

 

New Riff is located on the campus that includes The Party Source, probably the largest liquor store in the country. All the way at the back of The Party Source, New Riff operates a microbrewery. With 42 draft taps, Ei8ht Ball Brewing serves up their own sparkling fresh suds—many of which are aged in New Riff Bourbon barrels—along with a stunning roster of the best craft beers in the world. It’s the perfect conclusion to a New Riff tour and tasting.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Entertainment, Event of the Month, Key Events

Destination of the Month: Ultimate Air Shuttle begins service to Cleveland

November 5, 2015 By

UAS cleveland flight

Ultimate Air Shuttle is proud to announce that they will be bringing their unique VIP air travel service to Cleveland, with the inaugural flight on October 26, 2015 (as pictured above), via the Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport.

They’re excited to welcome Cleveland as their newest destination, and look forward to connecting these two cities in a way that will allow their passengers to be both more productive and more time efficient. Cincinnati and Cleveland are two of Ohio’s strongest economic centers, and by giving their passengers easier access to Cleveland’s great communities, active business district and exciting sports arenas, Ultimate Air Shuttle becomes an even bigger force to be reckoned with.

Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport is located on the banks of Lake Erie, right next door to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; this location offers easy and convenient parking for Clevelanders to park up close and free at their facility. When Cincinnatians arrive to the lakeshore, they will be pleased to find that they are already in downtown Cleveland. Rental cars and cabs will be available to transport wherever and whenever is needed.

When Clevelanders arrive at Lunken Airport, there will be a free ground shuttle to downtown Cincinnati that will drop off and pick up for the return flight at the Cincinnatian Hotel. Ultimate Air Shuttle uses Mercedes Sprinter vans for ground transportation needs in Cincinnati, courtesy of their friends at Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell. The 5-day schedule has been built to accommodate day trips for passengers originating from Cincinnati and Cleveland. The round trip fare is only $379! To kick off their newest destination, they are offering BUY ONE GET ONE FREE flights to Cleveland, from now until December 22, 2015.

Ultimate Air Shuttle thanks you for flying them: because of you they are here today and will be here tomorrow.

Filed Under: Entertainment

Hotel of the Month: Homewood Suites in Downtown Enquirer Building

November 5, 2015 By

homewood roomOne of the most fabulous buildings…..which once housed the Cincinnati Enquirer, is home to a brand new concept in Cincinnati: The Homewood Suites (along with The Hampton Inn…a duel hotel). This new gem in the Queen City’s crown features a 105-room Homewood Suites situated on the buildings’ newly renovated upper floors. The historic integrity of the structure and its interior were preserved as much as possible.

 

When you enter the building, the first floor lobby features marble surfaces, bronze ornamentation, stone-carved detail work and large chandeliers. Motifs featuring elephants, dragons and squirrels are displayed throughout, and a two-foot diameter brass sculpture (“The Naked Printer”) is embedded in the floor. Guests can walk up the “grand stair” or take the elevator to the second floor, which is where you check in and enjoy the fitness center, library, business center, billiards and the separate Homewood and Hampton lounges.

Hampton Inn is housed on floors nine through 15 (there is no 13th floor, of course) and caters to business and weekend leisure travelers. Homewood Suites on floors four through eight focuses on extended-stay travelers; each room has fully-equipped kitchens. Both hotels offer complimentary breakfast and free Wi-Fi. Valet parking is available in the Macy’s headquarters garage, adjacent to the hotel. You’re just a 17-minute drive from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport via I-75 and in walking distance of Cincinnati’s popular eateries, lively nightlife and unique shopping opportunities. The hotels are also close to entertainment venues such as U.S. Bank Arena, Great American Ballpark, Paul Brown Stadium, the Taft Theatre and the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Business…pleasure…leisure…it doesn’t matter what you’re coming to Cincinnati for, the new Homewood Suites in Downtown Cincinnati, along with the adjoining Hampton Inn, will fit the bill.

 

 

 

Cincinnati-themed artwork and art inspired by the newspaper and its former building are on display throughout 617 Vine.

 

 

Filed Under: Entertainment, Hotel Of The Month

The Cincinnati Bengals off to a great start!

October 7, 2015 By

Dalton - RUST3432

Who Dey!

The chant heard around the city….and the nation. The Cincinnati Bengals are a force to be reckoned with….they seem virtually unstoppable. Week after week, they are showing their stripes. Great quarterbacking along with super receivers, a strong defense, all add up to a winning team. Cincinnati’s winning team! Will it continue??? YES!

The franchise was founded in 1967 and are members of the North division of the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). Their home stadium is Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati . Big rivalries in the division with the Pittsburgh Steelers leading the pack, the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens not far behind. Well, Bengals just beat the Ravens…so bring on the Steelers! Led by Coach Marvin Lewis (second longest tenured NFL coach with 12+ years in the Bengals franchise), his confidence and “never give up” attitude seem to be rubbing off on all the players. The addition of Hue Jackson as Offensive Coordinator, now in his 2nd year with the Bengals, has proved to be a winning combination. Quarterback Andy Dalton has led the team to at least 10+ victories every year. He is one of only two quarterbacks in NFL history to lead their team to the playoffs in their first four years. Everybody is hoping this will be the year for a playoff victory.   How about that A.J. Green….an incredible wide receiver able to catch any ball thrown in his direction, with speed and endurance driving him into the end zone…a sheer pleasure to watch.   So many great players, both offense and defense.

There are a lot of games left this season, with so much win potential. How many will you be attending?? Be sure to get your tickets soon….with many Bengals wins, there’s sure to be a shortage!!! Be a part of the game, the crowd, the spirit.  Who Dey think gonna beat them Bengals???

Filed Under: Cover Story

Cactus Pear…Southwestern cuisine in Clifton…minutes from downtown

October 7, 2015 By

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Cactus Pear is Cincinnati’s premier Southwestern Bistro, offering the best food with the most exciting flavors, from both sides of the border, since 1992. They pride themselves on using only the freshest ingredients, and strive to prepare menu items in ways that just can’t be found anywhere else.

Cactus Pear offers standard items like tacos, fajitas, nachos, enchiladas and burritos….and creative, tasty selections not found at other southwestern restaurants….wraps and burgers, noodle dishes and seafood offerings. There are some unexpected sandwiches, too, like the spicy shrimp po boy, the Tex Mett and the Aztec Tofu. For a little something different, try the beef enchiladas served on blue corn tortillas, and if you are a fan of kale they’ve got a delicious kale and mushroom enchilada that will delight your taste buds. The chefs are happy to accommodate dietary restrictions or recreate a meal vegetarian or vegan, so don’t be afraid to ask.

There are plenty of small plates and salads to enjoy, as well as lighter fare, like quesadillas and soups. Plus, you can end your meal with some flan, key lime pie or the fried ice cream sundae!

Cactus Pear is located in Clifton, and is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Weekly happy hours include Margarita Mondays (a Key Magazine personal favorite!), Brewsday Tuesdays ($3 draft beers!), Wine Wednesdays and Thirsty Thursdays, and reservations are available. Drop by Cactus Pear for a southwestern dining experience like no other.

Filed Under: Restaurant Of The Month
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