EnterTrainment Junction attracts all ages

December 1, 2014 By

entertainmentjunction-storyNeither your age nor your gender will stop you from having a great time at EnterTrainment Junction. From small girls, ‘tweens, teens, moms and grandmas and, from little lads to dads, uncles and grandpas too.

Trains? Yes, trains—ninety of them in all! The building houses the world’s largest train display: 25,000 square feet (1/2 of a football field!) done in eye-popping intricacy to detail. A funhouse or fantasyland is also at EnterTrainment Junction, not just trains. “What we are focused on is a family entertainment center and museum, where everybody of all ages will find things to excite and interest them,” said Don Oeters, president and creative inspiration behind EnterTrainment Junction.

That is what Key magazine found, with features that will tickle even socially-absorbed teenagers mesmerized by smart-phones and tweets and selfies. It’s like Coney Island when you were a kid—non-stop fun stuff to do!

This place is seriously incredible. There is a Clown College, a Tilt Room, where balls roll uphill and people feel the disorientation of a world on a slant; the Curtain Cove, where slatted curtains divide chambers and you become lost in the maze and left to find the way out. Take a trip through the universe, where a spiral tunnel with lights will have you holding on to railings for fear of falling into deep space, and the claustrophobia “squeeze” that is a badge of honor to go through, and great fun too.

This time of year, there’s also a trip to see Santa. The trip takes you through Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, and a fresh-baked cookie for each child, and send them on to the elves toyshop, past the reindeer and into Santa. Also, the largest holiday season train display is available to the public free of charge. It’s spectacular!

Hungry? The café at EnterTrainment Junction has subs, pizzas, hot dogs, snacks, drinks and more. There’s also a gift shop and toy store, where the toys and gifts are in a class by themselves, not to be found at the giant big-box retailers.

More about the trains: the layout has attracted kids and adults who love trains from allover, including all 50 states and 37 countries. Kids (and adults) can also take part in six different scavenger hunts. Almost every detail of the layout is hand-made, with more than 100,000 hours in construction and journey from the 1860s to the 1950s.

Through the layout, you’ll see a Union army encampment of the American Civil War with historical detail, including a trestle bridge burned by rebels, and rebuilt by Union troops in nine days. All this while trains of the era chug along, supported by sound effects that take you back in time.

Filed Under: Hot Spot Of The Month

Brunch at Via Vite a weekend affair

December 1, 2014 By

viavet-12-2014In Greater Cincinnati, Fountain Square is the epicenter…where you’ll find Via Vite restaurant and a weekend brunch like no other.

Via Vite’s brunch is special in many ways, being offered Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m…two days, and longer hours than most. The real distinction is to be found on the menu of this popular Italian restaurant. The selections allow for modest appetites to hearty eaters, all with an Italian twist.

“Via Vite prides itself on being the most authentic Italian experience available in Greater Cincinnati,” says Shawn McCabe, private events manager at the restaurant. “We utilize the absolute freshest ingredients, we have a scratch daily kitchen with the finest culinary talent, directed hands-on by Chef Cristian Pietoso, as well as Joel Werner, chef de cuisine.”

So what will you find on this remarkable brunch menu? The standout favorite, according to McCabe, is the Tuscan breakfast: a plate of pork belly, fagioli (beans, Italian style), fried egg and grilled bread. Now that’s Italian!

Another dish in the hearty category is the goetta hash, combining deeply Cincinnati (the goetta) with especially Tuscan Italian (the hash). The hash is near and dear to Chef Cristian Pietoso’s heart, he having grown up on it in his native Tuscany.

Filed Under: Restaurant Of The Month

Hyatt Regency Cincinnati

December 1, 2014 By

hyatt-regency-12-2014There is a lot to love about the newly renovated Hyatt Regency hotel on 5th Street in Cincinnati’s downtown grid. The hotel chain spent $10 million+ to renovate all rooms and public spaces, while adding the Red Roost Tavern, a market area, Starbucks and a lobby library. The makeover has transformed the hotel to one of the City’s gems for guests coming to the city.

“There is so much to be excited about at this hotel, and our guests appreciate the quality of the experience here,” said Kenneth Mendelsohn, manager of the restaurant and market areas of the hotel. The renovation included all guest rooms, where new mattresses and furnishings add to the comfort of every guest.

Mendelsohn noted features that hotel guests appreciate, even though they may go unnoticed. “We have the fastest wireless in the downtown area,” he said. That’s a simple thing, but guests appreciate the convenience and quality of the wi-fi experience at the Hyatt.

The hotel installed a salt-water system for the heated indoor pool, making the pool experience a cut above the norm. “Saline is better on the skin. It gives the same chemical effect (as chlorine), but it’s much softer and gentler. It takes more effort and expense on our part, but it’s better for our guests. So we do it.”

The fitness center and business center were also renovated. Both are open 24/7, and attract guests at all hours of the day and night. The fitness center is equipped with elliptical machines, treadmills, free weights and more, along with HDTV screens to make the exercise routine more enjoyable.

The lobby area is designed to provide convenience and choice to guests. The library features hundreds of current books that guests can read in the comfort of the library, off the lobby, or take to their rooms.

For late arrivals or early risers, there’s room service until midnight and Starbucks opens at 6 a.m. The Red Roost Tavern opens at 6:30 a.m., and is a full-service breakfast-lunch-dinner restaurant. The eatery was founded on farm-to-table philosophy. On the menu, there’s a list of the purveyors who supply the restaurant, which lives by a commitment to “food thoughtfully sourced, carefully served.” Mendelsohn said his favorite is the fig flatbread, featuring boursin, walnuts, spinach and a port reduction, along with the figs. The restaurant is know for its crab cakes, and dishes made from local produce, such as pan-seared squash gnocchi, pumpkin ravioli, and beer-braised beef short ribs.

Filed Under: Hotel Of The Month

Mummies visiting Greater Cincinnati

December 1, 2014 By

Yes, mummies! Lots of them. In fact, you will find the world’s largest collection of mummies ever assembled, now at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

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The nationally acclaimed Mummies of the World: The Exhibition has been called “magical and mythical” by the New York Times. More than 1.2 million visitors have experienced the exhibition, which includes mummies and artifacts from different eras and cultures dating from millennia past. The exhibit features both naturally and intentionally preserved mummies

The collection includes more than 150 specimens and artifact objects associated with the preserved bodies, including 45 human and animal mummies. The exhibit delves into the scientific study of mummies and provides a window into the lives of ancient peoples who practiced the “art” of mummification. Mummies and artifacts from the burial process are from South America, Europe and ancient Egypt. Amulets, statuary and tools used for mummification are part of the exhibit.

Attendees will see advances made in the scientific methods used to study mummies, including computer tomography (CT), analysis of ancient DNA and radiocarbon dating. The exhibit explains what a mummy is, and how mummification occurs, both through intentional and natural processes. Mummies have been found in bogs, caves, cellars, deserts, crypts, pyramids, and in environments all over the globe.

The exhibition offers visitors state-of-the-art multimedia and hands-on interactive stations, along with 3D animations, providing opportunity to learn how bodies are preserved in natural environments and by human assistance. An interactive world map shows the locales and environments where mummies have been found.

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Mummies of the World is an incredible glimpse into the fascinating mummification process that occurs in nature and the history of science, anatomy and medicine across the globe. Douglass W. McDonald, president and CEO of the Cincinnati Museum Center states, “We are so happy to bring this top-notch traveling exhibition to our region inviting visitors to come face-to-face with mummies presented from so many distinctive parts of the world.”

Among specimens are: the Nes-Hor and Nes-Min priests, who lived in the Ptolemaic period (225-195 BC); animal mummies of Egypt, dating to 325 BC; the Vac Mummies, a mummified family from Hungary, believed to have died from tuberculosis; Baron Von Holz, a German noble found tucked away in a family crypt of a 14th century castle, he wearing fine leather boots for the occasion; and the MUMAB, aka the Maryland Mummy, a modern-day “ancient mummy,” created by scientists in 1994, using the same methods and techniques as Egyptians did more than 3,000 years ago.

“Most people think mummies come from Egypt and are wrapped, but mummies come from all over the world,” stated Marcus Corwin, of American Exhibitors, Inc. “The exhibition is…providing insight into the lives and cultures of these ancient peoples. Inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told, and Mummies of the World is here to tell those stories.”

Mummies of the World will be on display throughout December and into 2015. Cincinnati is the 11th stop on an American tour of the exhibit.

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Filed Under: Cover Story

Exclusive men’s fashions found at 45/46

October 31, 2014 By

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If fine clothing is important to you, then 45/46 Fine Men’s Apparel is a place worth a visit while you are here in Greater Cincinnati. This men’s apparel store is a retail establishment in the high-end tradition of men’s stores, because of the hand-picked nature of what you will find on the racks and shelves, and in the swatch books.

Jim Young, the GM and buyer, had this to say about his selection: “I hand pick everything in here. I spend a lot of time at market, deciding what will go in my selection each season. Then I spend the extra time on how I want the shirt (or other garments) modeled—how I want the collar, the taper, the sleeves, the cuffs. So even though that fabric is available to everybody in the world, I’ve modified it—it’s specifically made for this store.”

That personal men’s-wear insight shows in the shirts, sweaters and other garments that adorn the racks and tables of this shop. The patterns and styles are distinctive and fashionable. Your purchase becomes an image statement as well.

There is also a made-to-measure program at 45/46. Patrons can have suits, sport coats and shirts made by 45/46. The custom process allows a man to pick from fabric swatches for the suit, coat or shirt goods, and determine the style and fit of every aspect of the finished goods, right down to the button choices, and even the lining of the suit or sport coat. Young does the measurement personally, and follows through with the final fitting. If you have never had a suit of clothing or a shirt custom-made, the 45/46 shop is a place that will help you through the process with the utmost personal one-on-one service, according to Young.

The 45/46 apparel focus is on fine products that are made in the USA. Young pointed out several lines that are of US manufacture: “Even my denim is made in the USA,” he said. The company is Citizens for Humanity, a jeans maker based in Los Angeles. Young claims to have the largest selection of Citizen’s denim anywhere in the tri-state area, with more variety than any other outlet for the jeans.

In ready-made suits, the store carries American-made suits by Hart, Schaffner & Marx and Hickey Freeman. Both brands have been part of fine men’s wear for generations. In shoes, Young stocks the Allen Edmonds line, and is the largest independent dealer in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky for the American-made footwear.

Also, you’ll find designer clothing by Hugo Boss, Ted Baker and other labels. Those products are manufactured abroad, and are offered in 45/46.

Those with gift lists to fill may want to consider the line of Korchmar leather goods offered at 45/46. Among the selections is a smart tan leather duffle of full-grain leather, featuring both handle and shoulder strap, and brass fittings. There are messenger bags and briefcases as well, all formerly made locally in Cincinnati, and now made in Florida.

There is a serious tie selection, all custom made, and no more than two of any style. Same with the sock selection…incredible choices throughout the store.

Find 45/46 on Hyde Park Square at 2719 Erie Avenue. See you there!

Filed Under: Business Of The Month

Water Tower Fine Wines: Huge selection, solid knowledge

October 31, 2014 By

hotspotofthemonth-11-2014If you LOVE wine and great atmosphere, how about those two together and more than 2,000 labels of wine on the shelves?

Visit Water Tower Fine Wines at 6136 Campus Lane in Mt. Washington, and you will find such an oasis of wines, champagnes, sparkling wines and more. Shopkeepers David and Jan Lazarus pride themselves on having the largest selection of wines in the tri-state area. They also offer the largest selection of champagne (180 varieties) and sparkling wines (130 varieties) in the United States. If you love wines, you’ll have a blast looking and buying from this unique and vast selection.

“I have extremely eclectic tastes,” says David Lazarus. “That’s why we have a couple thousand wines in the store.” The wines are from all over the world—California and other states, also Israel, Greece, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Australia, South America, and more.

One attraction of this shop is the weekly Friday Night Tasting Event. Each Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. the shop has a lavish wine tasting. Heavy appetizers are served (Key staff was invited recently and all was yummy, especially the wines!). Tastings range from $12 to $40 per person, depending on the price points of the wines being tasted that particular Friday.

One reason Water Tower Fine Wines is better for visitors to the area is the Lazarus approach to shop hours of operation. The store is open for a limited number of hours each week, but call the shop (513-231-9463) and the proprietors will open the store by appointment. So if you can only make it after hours on a Tuesday, call, and work it out with David or Jan, and they’ll be there. Regular hours are: 12 – 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 12 – 10 p.m. Friday: and 12 – 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Asked about the average customer frequenting the shop, the answer is there is no average buyer of wines. Water Tower Fine Wines has a wide range of price points to satisfy all kinds of shoppers, from those who want good quality at a lower price to those who collect the rare or special vintages.

“Many people don’t realize that we have some of the collectible wines that tend to be bought up quickly and become hard to get.” Lazarus said. He has 12 highly rated wine collectibles in his shop just now. He mentioned three: 100 Acres and Amuse Bouche, along with Salon champagne. “I don’t sell on ratings and people may not necessarily know that we have the wines. But we do.”
There are also wonderful selections of port, dessert wines and other specialty wines. For instance, Kopki vintage port selection includes many a 1900s bottle: including a ’91, ’78, ’75, ’66, ’60, ’55 and ’51. That’s just one label.

“Our goal here is to match the wine to the person buying it. We’re not out to sell a specific bottle to our customer. This is a service business, and our job is to find out what our customer is looking for in a wine and then match that to a wine that will be what the customer wants.”

Lazarus can help the novice find wines that will satisfy as well. For those who buy in case lots, there is a 10% discount for such purchases. Water Tower Fine Wines is a hidden gem…..worth the find…..see you there!

Filed Under: Hot Spot Of The Month
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