Joe's Diner

Man oh man! Joe's Diner!


I'm the one who writes most of our posts, but Dan's the one who knows *everything* about what's going on. He said that Joe's Diner was reopening (uh I didn't know it existed, much less than it closed), and that they were having a "soft opening" before their formal launch on August 12th. This meant that their menu wasn't completely ready (sounds like they'll have a ton of milkshake flavors at launch, for instance), but I saw no reason to wait.


This is absolutely my kind of place! I've always been a *huge* proponent of the greasy spoon, and this manages to be... how to word it?... a clean-but-greasy spoon. It felt retro without feeling inauthentic, the waitstaff was awesome and friendly, the food was delish. I hope this becomes a regular place for us, especially as it will be open until something like 4am!


Here's my burger on a kaiser roll, with sweet potato fries. Yeah, I'm not always muy adventurous, but I know what I like. My brother Bradley always tries the burger first, no matter where he goes-- he thinks if they can't nail a burger, he doesn't have much faith in the rest of their menu. Based on that premise, Joe's passes for me. And the milkshake? Scrumptious. Can't wait for more flavors, though!


Joe's Diner website (as of posting, "Coming Soon"): http://www.joesdineronsycamore.com/

Senate

Despite the fact that I can literally see Senate from my window, I know I'm the last blogger to visit. Dan and I kept putting it off, waiting for an occasion that was worthy of a $10 hotdog-- those come few and far between!

Then my friend Jessica popped into town, all the way from Orlando, Florida. It was a sweltering day out, so we didn't want to walk too far, but we did want to take her somewhere unique. Senate was a perfect solution. Finally!


Unfortunately, the sweltering weather didn't stop at Senate's door. It was disgustingly hot inside, and they tried to sit us at a table directly in front of their full window. All three of us were immediately sweating, so they were able to cram us into a smaller but less sunny table.

Even there, however, it was uncomfortably hot. I'm sure the giant oven and mass of body heat were not helping the situation, but it was a little miserable. And on top of that, Senate serves gourmet street food... in other words, hot hamburgers, hotdogs, fries, etc. Caliente.


We all enjoyed our hotdogs immensely (though I wish we'd taken them home or something). I had the "One Night in Bangkok," which had peanut sauce and picked radish on it (above). Dan had the "Trailer Park," which he liked despite not being much of a cole slaw eater. Jessica had the "Chicago" with truffle fries, and seemed to really love it.


Jessica was surprised that a place like Senate exists in Over-the-Rhine-- that's a reaction we're used to getting (and we both had, once upon a time). She loved walking downstairs from our apartment into this cute, upscale little bar. She definitely lamented the heat, but seemed to think the trip was worth it.


One last complaint: we tried to partially pay with a Gateway Quarter giftcard, but Senate doesn't take the cards "yet." Uhh. There aren't *that* many places in the Gateway Quarter, so it's frustrating when one restaurant within the area doesn't take it. Plus, what is this "yet" business? Senate has been open all summer. Too much to ask that they comply, instead of making my card a little more useless?

Senate website: http://senatepub.com/
Senate on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cincinnati-OH/SENATE-Restaurant/134193393637

YottaQuest

Tons of geekery on Cincinnati Re-adventure lately, yeah?

People have been telling Dan and I about YottaQuest for ages now, and just before our grand Comic Con adventure, we were feeling a little itchy to check the place out.

YottaQuest is in Mt. Healthy-- not an area I'm very familiar with. We made the trek over, excited about the ultimate gaming store, but to be honest I was a little disappointed. Definitely not with the inventory-- the walls are absolutely stacked with board games, RPG sets, etc. It was a real treasure trove.

However-- and I know this is not my first time mentioning this about various comic or gaming stores-- the experience was awkward as hell. After we walked in, a bunch of people occupied most of the modest store space playing some kind of RPG, and in order to see the games lining the store walls you had to walk very tightly around the gaming table. No one looked up or acknowledged our existence, even when we had to shimmy around them to get to another wall. People-- as far as I know, not employees, so not really their fault-- stood directly in front of us, didn't make eye contact, generally blocked us from moving around the small store.

Finally as we were leaving-- physically walking out of the store-- a clerk asked us if he could help us find anything.

I'm well aware that I have somewhat unfair expectations about these kind of stores, but I've seen that geeky but unawkward shops CAN exist. Dan and I still make the drive out to Clifton Comics every week or so, and we love the relationships we've formed there and the conversations we have. Our experience with Sci-Fi City in Northgate Mall was also top-notch.

I don't expect to be waited on hand and foot, no matter what kind of store I'm in. I don't even necessarily need to be greeted or spoken to while I'm here. Consider Boardwalk Hobby Shop, for instance-- I don't think anyone spoke to me a single time when I was there, but the store was awesome and had the same kind of games as YottaQuest. But a few of the stores that we've visited have felt like they've gone out of their way to be unwelcoming to people outside of the in-crowd. YottaQuest, for me, on this specific day at least, was one of those.

YottaQuest website: http://yottaquest.com/

Via Vite

Via Vite: one of the restaurants that I've walked by just about every day for five years, and I think I've maybe eaten there once, for lunch?

Dan and my dinner experience was delightful. Honestly it wasn't really the food that stood out to me-- it was very good, but I expected very good-- but our service was exceptional. We showed up pretty early, having come directly from work on our walk home, and our waiter (Steven?) had only just learned the menu. He was friendly and engaging, made recommendations and talked me into a pretty delicious zucchini pizza. I think that he amped up the experience quite a bit.

Dinner itself was fantastico. I went simple-- sweet potato gnocchi and the aforementioned zucchini pizza for dessert-- and it was all great. My only regret is that I didn't request outdoor seating... Via Vita has a great little balcony and it was a beautiful night out, but we just plopped down there the hostess told us to.


Via Vite website: http://viaviterestaurant.com/

Yoga with Cole

See this lovely lady? This is Cole Imperi, and she's going to change your life.

At least, she changed mine... and she's a big part of Cincinnati Re-adventure, actually. Way back in... gawd knows when... Cole asked her Twitter followers if anyone wanted to do yoga with her. I showed up, and I've drawn to Cole's energy ever since.

And speaking of energy, Cole is getting into energy reading. Last night she wanted to host a chakra reading and energy-based yoga session, so I showed up with bells on. (Er, I call yoga pants "bells.")

Cole met me at the Oakley Playground and led me through my very first outdoor yoga session. She read my chakras (which, whether you go for that kind of thing or not, is very fascinating and fun) and ushered me through poses meant to focus on each area. I learned a lot, I had a great time, and I stretched myself in more ways that just the literal.

If Cole Imperi ever asks you if you want to try something, show up! (Thank you, Cole!!)

Cole on Twitter: www.twitter.com/coleimperi
Cole's website: www.coleimperi.com/

Cincinnati Comic Expo 2010

We just got back from Comic-Con International 2010 in San Diego and had a total blast. If you weren't lucky enough (or crazy enough) to attend SDCC this year we have some good news for you! The Cincinnati Comic Expo is coming up in September and they've been sending out press releases boasting a pretty impressive list of guests that will be in attendance. Here's a quick rundown:

-Murphy Anderson (too numerous to list, see the press release)
-Michael Uslan (Executive Producer of every Batman movie and comic book historian)
-Allen Bellman (Timely/Marvel artist from the Golden Age)
-Russ Heath (DC artist from the Silver Age)
-Dave Aikins (Nickelodeon Publishing)
-Mark Kidwell (Fangoria, Bump)
-Tony Moore (Walking Dead, Fear Agent)
-Eric Adams (Lackluster World, Reflection)
-Steve Scott (DC, Marvel)
-David Michael Beck (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image)
-Andy Bennett (Kolchak the Night Stalker / Sherlock Holmes)
-Josh Blair (Candy or Medicine)
-Dustin Carson (No Gods)
-Sean Forney (Scarlet Huntress, Star Wars)
-Daniel Frazier (The Adventures of Nightclaw & Prowler, Old World Comics)
-Joe Gentile (Moonstone Publisher, Sherlock Holmes/Kolchak: Cry of Thunder)
-Todd Goodman (The Powers That Be!, Old World Comics)
-Terry Huddleston (Big Bang Comics)
-Lora Innes (The Dreamer)
-Mike Maydak (1782: The Year of Blood)
-Michael Neno (The Mesh, Freak Cave)
-Jeff Preston (Old School Illustrator)
-Luke Smarto (Fangirl, Pillow Fight)
-Uko Smith (DC Legacy, FX- The Lost Land)
-David Uslan (Graphic.ly)
-Thom Zahler (Love and Capes)
-Moonstone Publishing (Captain Action, Domino Lady)
-Pop Culture Trading Pins
-Blue Line Pro (Art Boards, Paper, and other Supplies)
-Old World Comics Publishing (The Adventures of Nightclaw & Prowler, Atomic Bowler)

This is the first year for this Expo and so far it seems pretty impressive. Definitely mark your calendars for this one and show up to support this event.

Cincinnati Comic Expo

The show will run from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday, September 18, 2010.
Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students with an ID, and children under 10 are free with a paying adult. Parking is free around the Cintas Center. There will be comics, graphic novels, cards, toys, and a costume contest. The public is invited to check out http://www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com/ for details and updates.


Official Website: http://www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com/


Official Cincinnati Comic Expo Press Release

Comic Con!

For a year now, Dan and I have been saving our pennies so we could afford a trip to our Geek Mecca: Comic Con San Diego. We've been out of commission now as we finished up moving into our home, packed up our suitcases and flew across the country to fulfill a nerdy dream of ours.

You can expect posts much more regularly now. ;) We're back at home, snuggled into our happy apartment, and ready to delve back into our re-adventure. Thank you for sticking around!