25 New Restaurants in 2009

[Cockney Rebel]

22) Paula's Cafe...Cincinnati, OH

Finally went there today and had their Cuban on your recommend.

Nnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice sammich and fabulous diner.... if you can get in there and nab a seat?!

Excellent.  We usually go in around 12:45 or so and the place is emptying out.

Lu said the later you get there though the bigger the chance of the chili or soup all being gone! (Must try that chili next time)

[MissKitty]

1. Terry's Turf Club - Eastern Ave., Cincinnati - American fare.
2. Buca di Beppo
3. Amma's Kitchen - Reading Road, Roselawn - South Indian Vegetarian
4. The Hut - Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK
5. China Villa - Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, UK
6. Dusmesh - Ludlow Ave., Clifton
7. The Loving Cafe - Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge.
8. Kyoto Sushi Bar - Montgomery Road, Symmes Township
9. Mamma DiSalvo's Ristorante - Stroop Road, Kettering
10. Mario's Pizza - Chestnut Avenue, Berea, KY
11. 1st Wok - Fort Thomas, KY
12. Elm Street Deli - Downtown Cincinnati. Holy crap, their salads kick ass! CRAVE!
13. Opal's Restaurant - McKee, KY.
14. Emanu - Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge.
15. Newport Pizza Company - Monmouth Street, Newport.
16. 1st Wok - Hyde Park Square.
17. The Blue Jay Cafe - Northside
18. Green Earth Grill - Fountain Square, downtown Cincinnati
19. Total Juice Plus - Downtown Cincinnati
20. Nectar - Mount Lookout Square, Cincinnati
21. Take the Cake - Hamilton Ave., Northside.
22. Chipotle - Fountain Square, downtown Cincinnati
23. Bellevue Bistro - Bellevue, KY
24. Quaker Steak & Lube - Milford, OH
25. Green Dog Cafe - Columbia Parkway, East End
26. Burrito Joe's - Fourth St., downtown
27. Five Guys Burgers and Fries - Crestview Hills, KY.

28. Proof on Main - Louisville, KY

NOM!

[vizzah]

1. Flavors Eatery in Centerville, Ohio.
2.  Pacchia in Dayton, Ohio (Oregon District)
3. Las Piramides - Huber Heights, Ohio
4. Barnsider in Old North Dayton
5. Corleone's Pizza
6.  Blind Bob's in Dayton, Ohio (Oregon District)
7. The Winking Lizard in Columbus, Ohio
8. Salsa's in Dayton, Ohio (Airway Shopping Center)
9. Filling Station Sports Bar & Grill (with a game room!) in Dayton, Ohio
10. Mimi's Cafe in Beavercreek, Ohio (The Greene)

11. Palermo's in Kettering Ohio (Dixie Shopping Centers behind Wal-Mart)

I read a lot of food blogs (especially local) and I'd heard a lot of buzz about this place.  Mostly that they have fist-sized meatballs and bolognese sauce to die for. 
Oddly, just after reading three people rave about it this morning, my boss wanted to go there for lunch.  And hey, I'm stoked any time she wants to go someplace that's not a chain, and NOT fucking Olive Garden. 
Their lunch prices seemed reasonable, but they still had the dinner menus on the table, and the prices there seemed pretty pricey for what they're serving. They have your typical white, enriched pasta served with red sauce and cheese kind of fare, because y'know, that's all Italians eat.  When it costs under $2 per serving to make a dish (consisting of pasta, cheese and sauce), I think over $12 for almost every dinner entree is a bit steep.
Considering I try to steer clear of gluten, starch and carbs, a menu like this leaves me with little to no options.  I spotted a meatball and sausage appetizer on the dinner menu, but didn't see a side salad offered. Upon asking, the waitress said they did have one for $3.  So, I ordered those two things. 
The salad was almost all iceberg, and one measly red onion shaving. Almost every fast food joint has a heartier side salad for less than $1.50. 
The sausage was good, but not remarkable.  The meatballs were indeed gigantor, with a good texture, but not much actual flavor.  I couldn't detect anything like garlic, onion, fennel or oregano. 
My co-workers said their food was okay, but not stellar, and their garlic rolls were stale. 

2.5 out of 5 sporks (They garnered an extra half point for switching to Coke products, given my aversion to Pepsi.)


On a side note, big ups to P.F. Chang's for having such a diverse gluten-free menu.  We had lunch their two weeks ago and I was really impressed with what I assume is a newer addition to their menu. Also, their little dessert shots are killer.  The tiramisu made me want to wipe the glass clean with my finger.  They did however, pretty much do away with their lunch menu, which takes away the reasonable prices they once had. They offered about 4 "lunch bowls," but none of them were very appealing. 


And, kudos as always to Old Hickory on North Main. If you dig steaks and barbecue, I defy you to find a more reasonably-priced place to have a great dinner.  I had a perfectly-cooked steak w/two sides and a glass of wine and J had a half slab of ribs, BBQ chicken breast and two sides, and we got out of there for right around $40. 

[c-lando]

1. Spoon - 01/10/09 - Marietta Street - Atlanta, GA
2. The Southern Skillet - 01/11/09 - Roswell, GA
3. Gondolier Pizza - 01/23/09 - Kennesaw, GA
4. Tunisian Grill - 02/06/09 - Marietta, GA
5. Kayson's Grill - 02/09/09 - Smyrna, GA
6. The Cajun House - 03/13/09 - Atlanta, GA
7. The Great Harvest Bakery - 03/18/09 - Smyrna, GA
8. Old Ephraim's - 03/29/09 - Marietta Square
9. Picanha Steakhouse and Buffet - 05/09/09 - Marietta, GA
10. House of Lu - 05/15/09 - Marietta, GA
11. El Norteno Mexican Grill - 06/11/09 - Smyrna, GA
12. Sugar & Spice - Cincinnati, OH (NOM breakfast!)
13. Elsa's - Dayton, OH (no food, just BAD JUANS. I'm going to throw up just typing that)
14. Terry's Turf Club - Cincinnati, OH (very NOM burger!)
15. Rooster's - Springdale, OH (that's a VERY tasty chicken finger. I think I was the only woman there, who wasn't working, for at least 30 minutes)
16. LoLa's Cantina - 10/30/09 - Marietta (East Cobb), GA
17. Marietta Fish Market - 10/31/09 - Marietta, GA
18. Crepe Revolution - 11/12/09 - Smyrna, GA

19. FLIP Burger Boutique - 11/20/09 - Atlanta, GA - Finally visited this upscale burger joint that was opened over a year ago by Richard Blais (famous from Top Chef). The chorizo burger was VERY tasty and I enjoyed the fries with smoky mayo much more than I had anticipated. The best part of the burger was the bun. It was perfection. I've heard others complain about the portion size but I was STUFFED from the meal. Didn't have room for one of his famous liquid nitrogen milkshakes, nor did I have the desire to spend around $9 for a milkshake (cue PULP FICTION). Will try one of those (maybe the pistachio or nutella) next time.

[Doug]

And, kudos as always to Old Hickory on North Main. If you dig steaks and barbecue, I defy you to find a more reasonably-priced place to have a great dinner.  I had a perfectly-cooked steak w/two sides and a glass of wine and J had a half slab of ribs, BBQ chicken breast and two sides, and we got out of there for right around $40. 

Ever eaten at The Grub Steak.  Another excellent and very reasonably priced Dayton resturaunt.

[vizzah]

And, kudos as always to Old Hickory on North Main. If you dig steaks and barbecue, I defy you to find a more reasonably-priced place to have a great dinner.  I had a perfectly-cooked steak w/two sides and a glass of wine and J had a half slab of ribs, BBQ chicken breast and two sides, and we got out of there for right around $40. 

Ever eaten at The Grub Steak.  Another excellent and very reasonably priced Dayton resturaunt.

Actually, not since they've moved. Have you been to the one in West Carrollton?

[c-lando]

1. Spoon - 01/10/09 - Marietta Street - Atlanta, GA
2. The Southern Skillet - 01/11/09 - Roswell, GA
3. Gondolier Pizza - 01/23/09 - Kennesaw, GA
4. Tunisian Grill - 02/06/09 - Marietta, GA
5. Kayson's Grill - 02/09/09 - Smyrna, GA
6. The Cajun House - 03/13/09 - Atlanta, GA
7. The Great Harvest Bakery - 03/18/09 - Smyrna, GA
8. Old Ephraim's - 03/29/09 - Marietta Square
9. Picanha Steakhouse and Buffet - 05/09/09 - Marietta, GA
10. House of Lu - 05/15/09 - Marietta, GA
11. El Norteno Mexican Grill - 06/11/09 - Smyrna, GA
12. Sugar & Spice - Cincinnati, OH (NOM breakfast!)
13. Elsa's - Dayton, OH (no food, just BAD JUANS. I'm going to throw up just typing that)
14. Terry's Turf Club - Cincinnati, OH (very NOM burger!)
15. Rooster's - Springdale, OH (that's a VERY tasty chicken finger. I think I was the only woman there, who wasn't working, for at least 30 minutes)
16. LoLa's Cantina - 10/30/09 - Marietta (East Cobb), GA
17. Marietta Fish Market - 10/31/09 - Marietta, GA
18. Crepe Revolution - 11/12/09 - Smyrna, GA
19. FLIP Burger Boutique - 11/20/09 - Atlanta, GA

20. Hankook Taqueria - 12/03/09 - Atlanta, GA - the Korean taco truck hype in LA has finally reached Atlanta. Sort of. Not a truck. It's a restaurant space in a VERY industrial area of town. Good prices. Small menu. Just OK on delivering either Korean or Mexican flavors. The bul-gogi burrito with kimchee rice was just meh. Maybe it was the cheese that was throwing me off. I'll go for the tacos next time.

[Kwyjibo]

1. Skip's Bagel Deli (West Chester, OH)
2. Rusty Bucket (Centerville, OH)
3. Toby Keith's I Love this Bar and Grill - (Imperial Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada)
4. Some cafe type joint, I think at Harrah's, (Las Vegas, Nevada)
5. The buffet at Bally's, (Las Vegas, Nevada)
6. An italian restaurant in Planet Hollywood, (Las Vegas, Nevada)
7. Steffano's (Middletown, OH)
8. One Eyed Jack's (Fairborn, OH)
9 The Works (Loveland, OH)
10. Hickory River BBQ (Tipp City, OH)
11. Wild Ginger Cincinnati, OH (Oakley/Hyde Park area)

12. Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Centerville, OH)

Place was packed, we used the pumpkin seat to our advantage and grabbed the first table we saw without feeling too guilty for probably jumping ahead of someone that'd been there longer than us.  There was a long wait for the food.  I stood and watched the bags being packed, and not every bag (ours included) received an extra scoop of fries.  We had figured in the extra scoop when ordering so we had fewer fries for each of the three of us than expected.  My burger didn't have the BBQ sauce on it that I had ordered, and I noticed that several folks came up while I was waiting with the same complaint so clearly they still have some kinks to work out in their system.  The burger was good but I found the fries to be undercooked.  I shouldn't have bothered with the BBQ sauce, it turns out I don't like theirs much.  For the price we'll definitely go back, but we'll certainly wait until the crowds die back a bit.  My hands smelled fine afterward.

13. Smash Burger (Centerville, OH)

We were going to go to Five Guys again (it's been a couple of weeks since our visit there) but my sister-in-law had heard this place was good and on an impulse we went.  More options than Five Guys and definitely pricier.  I had the BBQ Bacon Chicken and she had the same as a 1/3 pound burger.  Their premise is that they smash the meat on the grill to sear it which something I've always been taught not to do because it dries the meat out.  In the case of the chicken it ended up so flat that there was chicken hanging out of both sides of the bun and when you took a bite you mostly ended up with toppings and bun and very little chicken.  I wasn't thrilled with it, her burger was better, though dry.  The olive oil and rosemary tossed fries were drenched in olive oil, and not that great.  We had the haystack onions (very thin onion rings) and they were okay... comparable to those at Montgomery Inn actually.  Smash Burger's offerings are fast food sized but they are definitely not priced like fast food, most of the chicken sandwiches are $7 and the burgers are $6 for 1/3lbs. and $7 for 1/2lbs. and at that price the sides should come with them but are an additional $2 for a very small portion.  We won't be likely to return anytime soon.

[Butter]

1. Alioto's - 1/17/09 - Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA - Seafood/Italian - 4
2. The Stinking Rose - 1/17/09 - Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA - Garlic, garlic, garlic - 5
3. John's Grill - 1/18/09 - Ellis St., San Francisco, CA - Steakhouse/seafood - 5
4. Spada - 1/19/09 - Marriott Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA - Breakfast buffet - 5
5. Kokkari Estiatorio - 1/19/09 - Jackson St., San Francisco, CA - Greek - 8
6. Balboa's - 1/22/09 - Vine St., Cincinnati - Subs and pizza - 8
7. Thai Smile - 1/29/09 - Chambersburg Rd., Huber Heights - Thai - 4.5
8. Blackfinn - 2/3/09 - Seventh St., Cincinnati - "Upscale" bar food - 6
9. Noodles & Co. - 2/22/09 - The Greene Shopping Center, Beavercreek - Noodles - 1
10. Rock Bottom Brewery - Last week sometime - Downtown Cincy - Bar food - 5
11. PF Chang's China Bistro - 5/16/09 - Dayton Mall area - Asian - 6
12. Asian Buffet and Grill - 5/23/09 - Miller Lane, North Dayton area - Asian buffet (der) - 7
13. Pepito's - 7/13/09 - Catalpa Dr., Dayton - Mexican - 5
14. Siam Pad Thai - 7/14 - Wilmington Pk. and Dorothy Ln., Kettering - Asian - 7
15. Norton's Bar and Grill - 7/15 - Wilmington Pk., Kettering - Bar food - 8
16. BB King's Blues Club (or something like that) - 7/26 - Orlando, FL - Bar / grill - 5
17. Logan's Roadhouse - 8/11 - Beavercreek - Steakhouse - 2
18. Panda Express - 7/28 - Orlando, FL - Asian fast food - 8
19. Buca di Beppo - 9/19 - Strongsville, OH - Italian family style - 8
20. Nicholson's - 10/5 - Downtown Cincy - Bar/grill - 4
21. Cassano's - 10/9 - Stroop Rd., Kettering - Pizza - 6
22. Banh Mai Thai Cafe - 10/23 - SR 725, Centerville - Thai - 8
23. Five Guys Burgers and Fries - 10/24 - SR 725, Centerville - Burgers - 9
24. Hooters - 10/28 - Newport, KY - T&A - 3
25. The Oakwood Club - 11/6 - Far Hills Ave., Oakwood - Steak/seafood - 6

26. Smash Burger - 11/something - SR 725, Miamisburg - Burgers - 7

The Buckeye Burger, or whatever it was called (something with Buckeye in the name), came with fried pepper rings and onion straws on top of a nice sized half pound burger.  Mmmm, fried pepper rings.  I didn't know I liked these until now.  Thought the rosemary and whatever fries were a nice change of pace, but found the whole thing a bit lacking when put up against obvious competitors Five Guys.  The ordering was a bit more complicated than Five Guys, which also threw me off.  The kids' hot dogs were a pretty nice size though, so they did not complain at all.  Plus, service was friendly and management was all over the place to take care of you.  They opened recently, so I would expect that to die down.  I also prefer their having the ketchup and mustard at the table to use yourself as opposed to the pre-packaging of Five Guys.  This place also had milkshakes, something that Five Guys is missing out on.  I didn't have one, but burgers and shakes are like America and apple pie.

[clemsonfan]

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is so much better than Smashburger when it comes to value. I enjoyed the varied menu of Smashburger, but ultimately Five Guys was tastier. By the way, a new Five Guys opened today in Beavercreek.

[The Hegemo]

Five Guys opened up in my neighborhood a few weeks ago, but I haven't tried them yet.

We have a local competitor, Graffiti Burger, which also opened in my neighborhood a couple months ago:

http://graffitiburger.com/?page_id=10

I didn't think they were great at first, but I've grown to like Graffiti Burger a lot.

[vizzah]

1. Flavors Eatery in Centerville, Ohio.
2.  Pacchia in Dayton, Ohio (Oregon District)
3. Las Piramides - Huber Heights, Ohio
4. Barnsider in Old North Dayton
5. Corleone's Pizza
6.  Blind Bob's in Dayton, Ohio (Oregon District)
7. The Winking Lizard in Columbus, Ohio
8. Salsa's in Dayton, Ohio (Airway Shopping Center)
9. Filling Station Sports Bar & Grill (with a game room!) in Dayton, Ohio
10. Mimi's Cafe in Beavercreek, Ohio (The Greene)
11. Palermo's in Kettering Ohio (Dixie Shopping Centers behind Wal-Mart)

12. Cheddars in Henryville, IN

Along the lines of Applebee's and O'Charleys as far as menu and decor, pretty decent food.  I was feeling adventurous, so I ordered a sirloin.  Cooked to a proper medium rare, but not the best cut of sirloin I've ever seen. The broccoli cheese casserole was aces - I got 3 sides of that instead of messing with all the carb-o-riffic potato and pasta sides available. 

3 out of 5 sporks.


13.  Ertel's Winery and Bistro in Batesville, IN

J's granny took us here yesterday as our Christmas gift.  All of the wines are fermented and bottles on-site, with about half of them being grown there as well.  I tried the raspberry wine, which was lovely  - great for folks who aren't big on wine. Tasted a lot like the Frambois raspberry lambic beer that I love so much.
We ordered calamari and baked brie as appetizers. I don't dig on seafood, but everyone else at the table swore it was the best ever.  The brie was super tasty and served with apples and grapes. 
Most everyone else at the table got seafood and raved about it (crab-stuffed lobster, shrimp caparelli and grouper), but I opted for the Black Forest Pork.  NOM.  A giant pork tenderloin medallion, lightly breaded, baked in a bed of mushroom sauce, covered with bacon, carmelized onions and swiss & gouda cheeses.  Amazing. 

5 out of 5 sporks.