21c “Museum” Hotel truly a work of art

June 30, 2014 By

Ever sleep in a museum? You can in Cincinnati, in your own room, plush with amenities.

The place is 21c Museum Hotel at 609 Walnut Street in the Backstage District of Cincinnati’s downtown. The brilliance of the 21c concept may surprise you. Hotel founders, Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, are committed to lofty goals. Among those goals are: engaging the public through contemporary art, supporting the revitalization of American downtowns, and doing so with a sense of preserving and enriching the environment of the American city.

The 21c building is the former Metropole Hotel, built in 1912, and re-opened as a hotel in 2012. Cincinnati’s 21c Museum Hotel is part of the Brown-Wilson mission of revitalization. They carefully renovated the building, diligently working to preserve features such as a mosaic tile main floor that had been overlaid and forgotten decades ago. The façade of the building also received a careful restorative touch. The restoration alone is worth the time to walk through, but there is more—much more.

“First and foremost, we are an art museum, which makes us unique from any other hotel,” said Barbara Gurren, Director of Sales & Marketing for 21c in Cincinnati.

The museum offers exemplary features, along with its array of contemporary art. It’s open 24/7, and free to the public, except during private functions in the main space. Even then, there’s plenty of art to view, starting with the lobby area. The front desk is a work of art that will entice, intrigue and excite, and cause you to want to explore further.

The 21c museum exhibits are curated, and the second-floor gallery is impressive—8,000 square feet dedicated to exhibits, where meetings can be held amidst art items on display.

Dedication to art is not confined to the galleries, as Gurren points out. “We partner with the Contemporary Arts Center, next door to the 21c. Docents come over (from CAC) to the hotel every Saturday at 4 p.m. and tour the 21c art space, and then take those on tour with them for free admission to a CAC tour.”

The restaurant, named Metropole after the former hotel, is a wonder. You’ll see an open hearth cook-space, where a conical stack of hardwood burns and heats. The menu focuses on dishes cooked in the custom-built wood-burning hearth, such as burnt carrot and avocado salad, a crowd pleaser. Chef Michael Paley works on a farm-to-table principle, using local purveyors to supply his restaurant with foodstuffs. There are hearth-roasted meats, fish and vegetables, and a charcuterie hung with sausages and other cures of meat specialties made in house.

The Cocktail Terrace on the roof of 21c is spectacular…..the ambience and views can’t be beat, and The Spa at 21c is the Queen City’s prime pampering destination.

Lastly, there are 156 guest rooms and suites, with every amenity one can imagine. You’ll find turn-down service, chocolate leave-behinds, Nespresso coffee makers, ice buckets filled for you, robes, umbrellas and even rubber duckies.

See you at 21c Museum Hotel!

Filed Under: Hotel Of The Month

Barresi’s Italian cuisine pleasing crowds

June 30, 2014 By

Remember 1963? Few do. Here in Greater Cincinnati, that year saw Barresi’s Italian restaurant come on the scene.

In the restaurant biz, being around for 50+ years is staying power. Visitors looking for exquisite, authentic Italian dishes, both northern and southern regional specialties, will find them and more at Barresi’s.

Veal (vitello) is the house specialty at Barresi’s. “It is so hard to find good veal dishes in this town (or perhaps outside the Big Apple and Philly and a few other enclaves of Italian ethnicity), pounded perfectly thin, melt-in-your-mouth, treated the right way, cooked the right way,” says owner and chef Sarah Wagner. “I’d say those (veal) dishes are what locals know us for and come here for time and time again.”

There are five veal entrée specialties in all: classic marsala, the mushroom sauce with pine nuts and marsala wine; a hospital nutrition endorsed heart-healthy piccata al limone, sauced in butter, white wine, lemon and capers; francese, the veal dipped in seasoned fresh egg, and sautéed over gentle heat in butter and lemon; sentino, finished with asparagus, mushrooms and crabmeat in a cream and cheese sauce; and parmigiana, in marinara sauce capped with parmesan and provolone cheeses.

Of course, you could choose pasta, such as the lobster ravioli in sauce Cardinale, and topped with lump crabmeat: or gnocchi in pesto ala Barresi, which is a creamy pesto with a touch of Alfredo sauce added to the basil-oil base; or chicken alla panna, done up over fettuccine and in Alfredo sauce, the add-ins including sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and scallions.

Or try what Wagner characterizes as Barresi’s biggest crowd-pleaser, the chicken & crab gorgonzola. “People may have the impression of gorgonzola cheese being strong and pungent, but our sauce is mellow and mild and absolutely bursting with flavor, and we have guests, regulars, who come here and never look at the menu and that’s their dish, every time,” Wagner said.

Dinner salads are a showcase feature at Barresi’s as well. The fried calamari Caesar tops the list, and is a mainstay. A special heart-healthy selection is the Mediterranean grilled tuna, featuring a bed of spring greens, mixed with kalamata olives, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, capped with sear-grilled medium rare wild-caught tuna, and accompanied by prosecco vinaigrette

Filed Under: Restaurant Of The Month

Me Salon – Leading edge in hair color & cut

June 30, 2014 By

Women and men should know more about technique in the salon biz. After all, you are gambling your appearance on what a salon will do to your hair while you’re in their chair—right?

That’s why you should know about Me Salon at 10574 Loveland-Madeira Road near I-275. Key Magazine went behind the scissors to uncover a game-changer difference in the salon business here and everywhere in America—and it’s all about technique.

Me Salon’s staff cut and color hair according to the French technique. “The French technique is based on a person’s bone structure, hair type and texture,” said Cara D’Ambrosio, owner of Me Salon. “The cut and the color are custom, a one-of-a-kind creation that will look good, but also wear well, be functional between cuts and easier to manage, day to day. The same is true when we color hair; we use a custom approach with proprietary coloring agents made specifically for this salon, and we custom-fit them to the hair of each person.”

The British technique is the other method of salon cutting and coloring—something of a one-size-fits-all approach to hair. Almost every salon nationwide uses the British method, and is based on geometry and measurement instead of bone structure, and hair texture and type. Take an inch off everywhere and that equals a “technically correct” cut using the British methodology.

Me Salon’s Cara D’Ambrosio was internationally trained in Paris and Toronto, in schools teaching French cut and color methods, and applying the Jacques Dessang methodology. She has contributed professional articles to trade publications

Filed Under: Business Of The Month

Visit HOMEARAMA® for Latest in New-Home Luxury

June 30, 2014 By

Dreaming of a new home? Wondering what premier luxury living would be like for you? Or are you ready to build or buy, and want to gain an appreciation of the features you may want in the house you choose?

All of the above and more are waiting for you at Carriage Hill, Greater Cincinnati’s 2014 HOMEARAMA®, held July 12-27, in Butler County’s Liberty Township. This annual event marks the 52nd year of showcasing what is new and exciting in Midwestern homebuilding.

Focus in 2014 is on one-of-a-kind homes, each built on picturesque wooded sites. Homes feature a variety of architectural styles, ranging in size from 5,800 to 7,500 square feet, and ranging in price from $1 million to $1.6 million. Homes in this year’s show are erected by nine of Greater Cincinnati’s elite homebuilders. Each builder has employed the latest materials and incorporated household systems that provide state-of-the-art technology throughout.

You’ll see everything from a home with an indoor basketball court to homes with fantastically designed outdoor entertainment areas, complete with inviting pool settings. All the homes are literal showcases for the latest design, furnishings and decorating trends. At HOMEARAMA®, you’ll be able to take as many photos as you want, so as to have a record of what you’ve seen and want to consider for your own home or home-to-be. The show is especially helpful for those contemplating renovation projects to their existing homes, or those wanting to plan for a new home from the ground up.

The luxury homes are part of an overall planned residential landscape that features a community center, built in the style of an historic carriage house; a large outdoor pool as part of the community center ensemble; and a meander of hiking/biking/jogging trails woven throughout the bucolic setting. The homes are part of a sylvan area offering a landscape of lakes, streams and woodlands spread over some 400 acres. The sensation is one of country homes in a majestic estate setting, featuring all the amenities that enhance every facet of life at home.

Filed Under: Cover Story

Appointments – Premiere seller of fine pens, leather goods, and gifts

June 1, 2014 By

Seldom are women and men equally attracted to the same store.  Appointments offers such magnetism.

Appointments features gift and personal items that are truly special.  More importantly, the merchandise is extraordinary, unique, and very likely includes just the thing to satisfy your want, need or gift-giving search.

First and foremost, Appointments is a pen store.  There are thousands of ballpoint, roller ball and fountain pens from over three dozen of the world’s elite makers of fine writing instruments.  ST Dupont and Waterman lines are represented, and many others as well.  The lines have been expanded and now include Germany’s diverse Kaweco line of pens. Ohio’s own Bexley Pen Company is featured – and is one of the shops best sellers.

Appointments’ owner, Douglas Kennedy, is a pen aficionado of the highest order.  He knows his fountain pen nibs in the same way that you know your birthday and mom’s name and so on.  He relishes showing off his pens to those who visit his shop in search of something extraordinary.
Kennedy’s leather goods selection is perfect for today’s business and upscale traveler.  Brands include Johnston & Murphy and a host of others, including Chiarugi, a leather goods maker located in Florence, Italy, specializing in dual-purpose bags for men and women.  Chiarugi’s purses and bags feature fine-grain leather and canvas straps—all the rage among European women.  At Appointments, there are genuine leather brief cases, satchels, letter pads, messenger bags and wallets, all of exceptional quality, and the perfect statement for professional types on the go and the climb.  For men, there are gentlemen bags sized to carry an iPad and other odds and ends such as smart phones and accessories.

These exquisite lifestyle items are mixed with other need and gift attractions.  Appointments is an ideal spot to find a special gift for a boss, an employee, a co-worker, a friend or a loved one.  The shelves hold items that would not necessarily come to mind as gifts, but very well could have you saying: “Ah, that’s just what I’m looking for!”

Among the items we found on our visit: a display of famous Rookwood pottery; unique desk, table and wall clocks; walking sticks; elegant shaving sets for the brush, lather and razor crowd; unusual money clips fashioned for style and durability; and a line of British-made cuff links for men’s and women’s French cuffed shirts and blouses.  We even found German beer steins by Thewalt, bottle openers made from Cincinnati Reds’ game-used bats, and pens manufactured of wood seats from beloved Crosley Field!

While visiting Greater Cincinnati, be sure to stop in to Appointments as well—A Key shopping experience we’re sure you’ll enjoy.  Appointments is located on the second floor of  the Carew Tower Arcade, 441 Vine Street.  Call at 513-421-7430.

Filed Under: Business Of The Month

Riverfront Pizza: Big eats for small bucks

June 1, 2014 By

Visitors looking for good, simple meals at very friendly prices will find all that at Riverfront Pizza.  Nothing fancy, mind you, but one of those places where “locals go to eat.”

“We’ve been here for 31 years, and the way we go about it hasn’t changed,” says Randy Gearding, owner.  “Do the food part right, keep prices low, and give people what they want.  That brings people in, and I like a full house.”

Notice from the size of the burger and hoagie in the photo that there is no skimping on portions at Riverfront Pizza.  With fast-food bigwigs less than a football field away selling their burgers, Gearding did not think a burger would sell at his place.  But oh well, he decided to add burgers to the menu, and even he cannot believe how many he sells, especially while in the veritable shadow of the Fast-food Giants.

What does that tell you?  To us at Key magazine, it says better food, more of it, and at a very attractive price.  And the burgers at Riverfront Pizza are hand crafted and actually look appetizing, instead of looking like they were thrown together assembly-line fashion by someone who is double-parked.
Same goes for the hoagie sandwiches.  Hoagies give pizzas a run for top billing at Riverfront Pizza, even though pizza has always been the anchor. “People like the hoagies because they make a great sandwich—a meal really, and we make them fresh when you order them,” Gearding said.  So that means your sandwich is not pre-made and sitting under a warming lamp, waiting for you or someone else to come along.

The hoagie list is 12 deep, and favorites include: a steak, with pizza or mushroom sauce, onions and cheese; a 4-way, with deli meats, pizza sauce and cheese melted on top; meatballs, halved, with sauce, pickles and cheese; roast beef, kitted out with mushroom sauce and cheese, or lettuce tomato and mayo; a tuna salad and chicken salad version.

Filed Under: Restaurant Of The Month
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