Restaurant of the Month: Cactus Pear

 

cactus pear enchiladaCactus 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, but also add in selections not often found at southwestern restaurants, like 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 a 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, Brewdays Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays and Thirsty Thursdays, and reservations are available. Drop by Cactus Pear for a southwestern dining experience like no other.

 

City living at it’s best

Southshore pic

 

When you first think of Cincinnati, you think: the Reds, the Bengals, Kings Island, the Zoo, the Montgomery Inn Boathouse, and the Ohio River. But what you should be thinking is: downtown Cincinnati is an amazing place to live, play and eat!

Downtown Cincinnati has really taken off since the 1990’s; new projects like the Banks and the casino have helped revitalize once-sleepy parts of town. Over-the-Rhine, once a place residents avoided, is now a hot-bed of exciting new restaurants and art galleries. Downtown has become the destination of choice for those looking to leave the suburbs – and who can blame them, when the nightlife and dining choices make it so much fun? And living downtown gives residents easy access to all the hot spots without having to worry about a long drive or paying for parking.

So you’ve got the food, the fun, the ease…what about the living? There’s an abundance of cool and fascinating places to live downtown and just across the river. If you ask Tim Hinde of Robinson/Sotheby’s, he knows all the best places to call home. He’s been in the realty business here for 17 years, so when he says he knows where to find the best in city living here in town, it’s a guarantee he knows what he’s talking about.

Because Hinde focuses his real estate business on downtown city living, both in Cincinnati proper and right across the river, he’s very familiar with the market. He provides million-dollar service at all housing prices, and strongly believes in the lifestyle opportunities available downtown. “These days, people want to be downtown,” says Hinde. He points to the new “walkability” of downtown Cincinnati, and how buyers are attracted to the “work and play” concept available to them when living there. “The synergy with the Banks project, Washington Park, the casino…everyone wants to be in on it.”

In-the-know people want to live in places like SouthShore and the Ascent, all properties Hinde represents. As a CRS, a Certified Residential Specialist (the highest level of certification in the business), Hinde is the ideal quality resource when looking to explore downtown city-living in addition to condominium-lifestyle living. For the past five years he’s won the 5-Star Professional Award , a consumer-rated award, which means his clients are completely satisfied with the service and direction he provides them.

You can find more in-depth details about Cincinnati downtown living and what properties are available by going to www.condokey.com; it’s a great resource for buying or selling a condo as well as the perfect place to get more up-to-date information about what’s available in Cincinnati

Downtown Cincinnati is THE place to be right now, and city living there is at its finest right now. “It’s been great to see it come to fruition, people seeing the value of that lifestyle,” says Hinde. Explore all that Cincinnati has to offer, from restaurants to art galleries to shopping to sporting events – and explore it all in our fabulous downtown!

Mummies of the World in its last days at the Cincinnati Museum Center

Mummies of the World Exhibition

If you haven’t had a chance to see the Mummies of the World exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center, your time is running out – the exhibit leaves Cincinnati on April 26th, 2015.

This once-in-a-lifetime collection features real mummies as well as artifacts from all around the world. The mummies date back as far as 4,500 years ago, and viewing this collection as it bridges the past with the present is a chance to learn more than you ever thought possible about science, both ancient and modern. Ten world-renowned institutions and two private collectors helped to build this fascinating exhibit, one that’s presented with the utmost dignity and respect.

There aren’t many opportunities out there like this one. An opportunity to delve deeply into the world of mummies and mummification through interactive and multi-media exhibits (featuring 3-D animation), discovering just how mummies are created, where they come from and who they were. With the advancements of our current-day scientific methodology, today’s researchers can study mummies in a non-invasive way that’s both innovative and intriguing, allowing for a true insight into past cultures and civilizations.

Mummies of the World tickets can be purchased online or at the Museum box office, and the exhibition is open 10-5 Monday through Saturday and on Sundays 11-6. An audio tour option is available that provides a significant amount of supplemental information for an additional fee. Don’t miss out on your chance to learn the secrets mummies hold about our past – or find out what they may know about our future! Unravel the mystery by April 26th.

The Cincinnatian Hotel

Cincinnatian RollsThe Cincinnatian Hotel enjoys a long history as a premier place to stay in Downtown Cincinnati. Built as

The Palace Hotel in 1882, the 8 story structure then was the tallest and perhaps the most luxurious in the city at the time.

The hotel, designed by Samuel Hannaford, incorporated 300 guest rooms, with shared baths at end of corridors….they’ve come a long way!! Major renovations in the 1980’s converted the hotel to 146 guest rooms with private baths, and eight suites. The center of the hotel features a striking atrium with a vast skylight, creating a spray of natural illumination during daytime hours.

The GM at the Cincinnatian, Martin Pittman, and Miranda Bottom, Lead Concierge, go above and beyond for their guests. Not only do they make reservations at restaurants around town, they’ll even go and meet the restaurant GM for the personal touch.   Especially with all the wonderful, new restaurants popping up all over Cincinnati!

Service for guests at the Cincinnatian covers a wide range, from simple requests to planning an entire schedule of activities during the stay. A guest may want two tickets to a live show, the symphony, or a concert….transportation to get there, maybe a pop in at a restaurant or two, or even a surprise evening for a special occasion. Guests at the Cincinnatian are typically used to impeccable service, exactly what the staff excels at…….making sure all details are worked out perfectly. It’s the goal of all the staff at the Cincinnatian, from the GM, to the concierge, and the entire crew…. impeccable surroundings and service, with a smile.

Season’s 52

Seasons 52There are many happening places to go in Cincinnati, but few that can offer you great atmosphere plus fresh seasonal dining options. Seasons 52 is all that, and more….just minutes north of Downtown, at the Rookwood Exchange.

Created to be a celebration of what’s fresh and ready now, Seasons 52 offers up rustic cooking that brings out the natural flavors of the food. With a constantly changing selection of global wines and a sophisticated yet casual atmosphere, Seasons 52 makes for a fun and tasty night out. There are so many options to enjoy here: start your meal with a delectable flatbread or perhaps a plate of warm roasted olives, then continue exciting your palate with a fresh salad and a filet or some grilled sea scallops. And best of all? Each item on the menu is 475 calories or less! Alternative menus are available as well, including vegan, gluten-sensitive and dairy-sensitive.   And don’t skip the dessert; mini selections of an ever-changing variety are the perfect post-meal “sweet nibble”.

Sunset at Seasons 52 is considered their “happiest” hour, and select cocktails, wine and beer are available as well as $5 small plates of food, Monday through Friday from 4:00pm to 6:30pm. With live music seven nights a week from 5pm to 10 pm, the oversized bar is absolutely one of the best hangouts around town.

The atmosphere of Seasons 52 is warm and inviting, casually up-scale, and with the plentiful selection of wines and cocktails, the energy that flows through the restaurant makes for the perfect night out with friends and loved ones. Seasons 52 serves lunch as well, so don’t pass up the opportunity to visit them in the daytime too. They also have several private rooms for group dining, or business gatherings.

If it’s good now, it’s at Seasons 52.

Rascals’ NY Deli

Rascals Pastrami ReubenEver feel the craving for an honest-to-goodness, New York-style deli sandwich but figure, hey, I’m in Cincinnati so it’s not going to happen? Well, surprise – you’re wrong! You can get that true NY deli taste right here in town, at Rascals’ NY Deli.

Rascals’ has it all: delicious rye bread, premium deli meats, lox and whitefish, matzo ball soup, and of course, Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda. They were inspired by the great delis around the country, from the Carnegie Deli in New York to Corky and Lenny’s in Cleveland. The vast menu features all the classic deli sandwiches you know and love, as well as burgers, blintzes, soups, salads, fish, bagels…if you want it, they’ve got it!

Looking for the best Reuben in town? Rascals’ has it! They were voted “Best Reuben” by Cincinnati Magazine. They also were voted “Best Brunch”. Rascals’ serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner and are proud to offer up their killer breakfast sandwich every day, featuring 2 fried eggs, a potato latke, American cheese, Russian dressing and strawberry jelly on a bun. What a way to start the day! They also have some seriously delicious brisket, traditional chopped liver and for those wanting to go outside the deli box, lamb, brisket or chicken gyros. Don’t forget to order a piece of homemade kugel (noodle pudding) or a knish!

Rascals’ has a terrific catering menu, a Shabbos carry-out menu (kosher-style), shiva menus and you can also purchase their deli meats by the pound. What a great way to get your deli fix satisfied any time of the day or night. Stop by Rascals’ NY Deli, one mile north of Kenwood in Downtown Blue Ash. Once you’ve had that Reuben, you’ll never order one anywhere else again.