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[MissKitty]

I didn't go to Sugar - totally forgot it was there. We considered 20 Brix but I remembered hearing somewhere that they close between 2-5 p.m. Do you know if that is still the case?

I can see why everyone says Cooper Blue would take too long for lunch. They make everything to order, and while ours didn't take too long, it was probably because it was during an off time at the weekend. I can imagine that service would be much slower during a work week lunch.

[Kwyjibo]

Couldn't tell you about 20 Brix... other than I hear it's good, that it's expensive and I know where it is.  Sorry.

[MissKitty]

1. Echo Cafe - Hyde Park (Cincinnati)
2. Sky Galley, Lunken Airfield, East End (Cincinnati) 
3. The Gardens of Park Hills - Park Hills, KY.
4. Moerlein Lager House - The Banks (Cincinnati)
5. Mayberry - Over-the-Rhine
6. Strong's Brick Oven Pizza - Newport, KY
7. Freshii - Downtown Cincinnati
8. Currito - Downtown Cincinnati
9. Blue Wisp Jazz Club - Downtown Cincinnati
10. Copper Blue - Milford, Ohio
11. Smashburger - Highland Heights, KY.

12. Bakersfield OTR - Over-the-Rhine

"Tacos, tequila and whiskey" is their slogan. Good enough for me. I had the two vegetarian tacos on the menu, the Huitlacoche (corn truffles, corn, roasted poblano, cotija cheese and onions and cilantro $4 each) and the Rajas (portabello, roasted poblano, onion and queso fresco $3 each), while CR had the Pastor (marinated pork, pineapple, pickled onion and cilantro $3) and a fish taco (crispy mahi, shredded cabbage and tabasco-lime sauce). I wasn't wowed by the Rajas but could probably eat my weight in the Huitlacoche. Dee-lish.

We rounded out the meal with a basket of chips and salsa ($3) and I sampled the sangria ($6), which I highly recommend.

Nice place. Tasty food. Great drinks. I'll be back.

[Poolio]

1. DiBella's - Still the best subs in C-bus.
2. Winking Lizard (Bethel Rd.) - The beer selection alone is worth the trip... the fact that I like the food and the staff know me and are good is just icing on the cake.
3. Papaya Street Grill (Dublin) - Oh my. I'll have to wholeheartedly agree with Heg on this place. I will be returning there often. I had the green curry, spiced to medium, and it was one of the best green curries I've ever had. Now I want to try everything else on the menu. It's well-worth the trip to the obscure strip mall. Oh, and Heg, anytime you want to go again, let me know and I'll meet you.
4. Northstar Cafe (Beechwold) - I've driven by here a million times and have never stopped. I had the Thai burrito which was pretty tasty... although a little light on the Thai flavors. However, the star (for me) was the fresh ginger ale. I could have had 5 more glasses of this stuff, it was like a ginger mojito without the booze. Spicy, sweet, and refreshing.
5. Claddagh (Polaris) - I haven't been here in nearly 3 years so it counts as new, right? I had the Jameson burger which was super tasty and very messy. Service was good and friendly... and it didn't hurt that I sat next to an adorable British ex-pat.  
6. Heirloom (OSU) - I had the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. It was good, the homemade sauce was the highlight of the  sandwich. At 8.25, it was a bit price-y but I'd eat it again.
7. El Vaquero - It was gorgeous and they have a patio. Oh and half price margaritas.  
8. Firstwatch (Dublin) - Bacon and cheddar pancakes. They were awesome. This was a great brunch.
9. Ditka's (Chicago, Ill.) - We had a (very) late lunch here. It was great, we got seated right away and the server was awesome. I have the "kick ass" Kobe burger (Kobe beef patty, brie, balsamic-y sauce) which was incredible.
10. Billy Goat (Chicago, Ill.) - A classic dive. So glad we were able to wander over and have burgers and beer here. Cheap, tasty, perfect drunk food.
11. Geno's East (Chicago, Ill.) - Deep dish pizza time! Yet another late lunch... we stuff ourselves silly and all had leftovers (mine are sadly still in Chicago).
12. 312 Chicago (Chicago, Ill.) - An Italian place. A fancy-pants Italian place. Holy cow was this good. I had the beef tenderloin (medium rare) which was perfect. I mean, perfect. It was served on a potato cake and dressed with sauteed mushrooms and truffle butter. 30 bucks but well, well worth the money. Also, since it was my birthday I got a free dessert of banana-chocolate bread pudding with banana-chocolate gelato... the gelato was great.
13. Bistro (Chicago, Ill.) - [I am going to double check the name.] Because what does anyone need at 4am? Why baked brie, of course! This was a great little find, the host was fantastic and the food was tasty.
14. Thai Orchid (C-bus) - In a sketchy strip mall north of I-270, hides a tiny gem of Thai food. They have some random Chinese dishes on the menu to distract you but ignore them... go straight for the Thai. I had the green curry pork, it was wonderful. It was spiced hot enough that if you ate too fast you paid for it. My dinner pardner had some fried red snapper dish which looked and smelled amazing.
15. Umami Moto (Cleveland, Ohio) - Food trucks count as restaurants, right? I found this at the end of the Hessler Street Fair... an asian-fusion-y food truck. I had the Vietnamese chicken curry which was pretty tasty. I probably should've added some hot sauce to bring out the heat but it was very tasty as is.
16. Canes - Okay, finally I can make the Canes versus Zaxby's comparison. Zaxby's wins hands down on variety and overall quality. Don't get me wrong, Canes is tasty but the breading wasn't even remotely crisp and when you picked up a chicken finger you'd end up holding breading while your chicken fell to the plate. But the chicken was cooked extremely well, it was juicy and just about perfect. Where Canes comes close to Zaxby's is the sauce, I don't usually hold with ranch-y sauces but I think Canes laces theirs with crack because I couldn't get enough of it.
17. Rossi (Short North) - I'd rate this place a 10 based on the a/c level alone. But, I'd walked 4 blocks in 100 degrees heat and the a/c was manna from heaven. Okay, onto the place. Nice, slightly crowded place... the bar selection wasn't huge but it was quality (no Bud Light in this place). However, we were really there for the Rossi Burger. I had mine medium and although it came to the table closer to medium-well, it was delicious and so ludicrously juicy... the fries weren't crispy but there were very tasty. All-in-all, I'd be back for the food and the staff.
18. Piada Italian Street Food (Sawmill Rd.) - A long line but it moved quickly. I got a pasta bowl with chicken and the diavolo sauce and topped with it assorted veggies, cheeses, and pancetta. The star for me was the Italian soda, I had the berry flavor and it was awesome. Perfect for drinking on the patio (which is what I did). Apparently, they're opening up locations in Dayton and Cinci.
19. Babushka's Kitchen (Clintonville) - A whim! And a tasty but probably ill-advised one on a 100 degree day. I had the jumbo potato-cheddar-bacon pierogi. Quite tasty and with a double side of Polish cucumber salad not too filling.
20. Bodega Cafe (Short North) - Awkward date night!* A fabulous beer menu married to a great happy hour = a happy Poolio. Service was good even though the place was pretty busy (although I am sure it got much busier as the night went on). I will be back.

*Awkward date night = the night when your date finds out that they're nice but not what you're looking for. Ugh... don't say yes to things when you want to say no, kids.

21. Merlion Noodles and Rice (N. High Street) - A Singaporean/Malaysian place. I had the Singapore mee goreng which was damn tasty.

[The Hegemo]

1. Feta & Pita (Hilliard)  
2. Papaya Street Grill (Dublin)  
3. Applebee's (Mansfield)  
4. Green Papaya (Oakley, Cincinnati)
5. Heirloom Cafe (Campus, C-Bus)  
7. Cibo Express To Go (Philadelphia Airport)  
8. Thali Too (New Haven)  
9. egg (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)  
10. Pure Food and Wine (Union Square, Manhattan)  
11. Community Food and Juice (Morningside Heights, Manhattan)
12. Blue State Coffee (New Haven)  
13. Pad Thai (New Haven)
14. Later Alligator (Wheeling, WV) 
15. New India (Bethel Rd, C-Bus) 
16. Pera (Campus, C-Bus) 
17. Little Palace (downtown C-Bus)
18. Flying Fig (Ohio City, Cleveland)
19. Phoenix Coffee (Cleveland Heights)
20. Mimi's Cafe (Polaris, C-bus)
21. Portico on Parsons (OTE, C-Bus)
22. Cambridge Tea House (Marble Cliff, Columbus)
23. River Road Coffee (Granville)
24. Andy's Mediterranean Grill (Walnut Hills, Cincy)
25. Min Ga (Bethel Rd, Columbus)
26. Casa Nueva (Athens, OH)
27. Merlion Noodle & Rice (Beechwold, Columbus)
28. Spot Coffee (Elmwood, Buffalo) 
29. CopperTop Tavern (Cicero, NY) 
30. Blackbird Cafe (Canton, NY) 
31. Delta Blue (Lake Placid, NY) 
32. Lake Placid Pub & Brewery (Lake Placid, NY) 
33. Blue Moon Cafe (Saranac Lake, NY) 
34. Liquids and Solids at the Handlebar (Lake Placid, NY) 
35. Commonwealth (Birmingham, MI) 
36. Monaco (Windsor, ON) 
37. Taloola Cafe (Windsor, ON) 

38. Noodlecat (Downtown Cleveland) -- Finally got to try this place! It's been on my list forever. Had to be in Cleveland for work, but not until 1:30, so I headed up early to get lunch here. I was a little surprised; just based on the menu and prices, I'd assumed it would be a counter service place, but it's actually sit-down. It was nice that they have full and half sizes of the menu items, so I could try a couple of things that looked good. I had the "Super Salad" with kale and avocado blueberries and quinoa, which was good. Then I had the tempura soba dori noodle bowl, which was amazing. Really tasty broth and noodles with a tempura vegetable cake and, best of all, a tempura-breaded egg. I would totally go back. And I have to go back to Cleveland for work in a couple weeks, so it may be soon. 9/10

[MissKitty]

OMG, this place sounds awesome. And it's got a great name.

[MissKitty]

1. Echo Cafe - Hyde Park (Cincinnati)
2. Sky Galley, Lunken Airfield, East End (Cincinnati) 
3. The Gardens of Park Hills - Park Hills, KY.
4. Moerlein Lager House - The Banks (Cincinnati)
5. Mayberry - Over-the-Rhine
6. Strong's Brick Oven Pizza - Newport, KY
7. Freshii - Downtown Cincinnati
8. Currito - Downtown Cincinnati
9. Blue Wisp Jazz Club - Downtown Cincinnati
10. Copper Blue - Milford, Ohio
11. Smashburger - Highland Heights, KY.
12. Bakersfield OTR - Over-thr-Rhine

13. Betta's Italian Oven - Norwood (Cincinnati)

Wow, really delicious pizza made in a brick oven over open flame. We had the Margherita pizza and it was perfect; just the right amount of cheese, basil, olive oil and tomatoes. The server said the tomatoes were fresh but they tasted like stewed Hunts tomatoes to me ( very salty), but it didn't detract from the overall pie. I'm eager to revisit and try their veggie lasagna now.

[dirk]

1) Cincy by the Slice (Downtown Cincy)
2) Greek To Me (Downtown Cincy)
3) Charly's Grilled Subs (Columbus)
4) Ruthai's Thai Kitchen (Mount Lookout)
5) Lyons Pub (Minneapolis)
6) Dakota Jazz Club (Minneapolis)
7) Hell's Kitchen (Minneapolis)
8 ) Chef Shack (Minneapolis)
9) Muddy Water (Minneapolis)
10) 8th Street Grill (Minneapolis)
11) Monterrey Mexican Restaurant (Minneapolis)
12) The Tin Roof (Indianapolis)
13) Pizza Bomba (Cincinnati)
14) Eli's BBQ (Cincinnati)
15) Fireside Pizza (Cincinnati)

16) Hello, Honey (Cincinnati) - This is a new place on Vine Street downtown that does handmade ice cream.  It is interesting to see a new ice cream place with gelato seeming to to be all the rage.  I had the Double Chocolate Brownie ice cream and it was delicious.  It had a lot of what seemed like hand made brownie in it.  I will definitely be checking them out more.

[MissKitty]

Wait. Did this go in the old Red Squirrel space by Total Juice Plus? If so, I'm SO THERE. What kind of prices do they have? Similar or less than Graeters?

[dirk]

Yep, that's the place.  Prices are I believe $3.25 for a single and $5 for a double.  I got the double, which was basically 3 good sized scoops of ice cream. They offered me whip cream and chocolate syrup, which I declined (so I don't know if there was a cost for them or not).

[MissKitty]

Thanks for the info - I can hardly wait to give them a try!

[dirk]

1) Cincy by the Slice (Downtown Cincy)
2) Greek To Me (Downtown Cincy)
3) Charly's Grilled Subs (Columbus)
4) Ruthai's Thai Kitchen (Mount Lookout)
5) Lyons Pub (Minneapolis)
6) Dakota Jazz Club (Minneapolis)
7) Hell's Kitchen (Minneapolis)
8 ) Chef Shack (Minneapolis)
9) Muddy Water (Minneapolis)
10) 8th Street Grill (Minneapolis)
11) Monterrey Mexican Restaurant (Minneapolis)
12) The Tin Roof (Indianapolis)
13) Pizza Bomba (Cincinnati)
14) Eli's BBQ (Cincinnati)
15) Fireside Pizza (Cincinnati)
16) Hello, Honey (Cincinnati)

17) Boi Na Braza (Cincinnati) - Oh my god this is a meat lovers dream.  I went during restaurant week, so they have only (yes I said only) 15 servings of meat to choose from.  They have a salad/hot side bar, but this place is all about the meat.  Everything I had there was incredible.  It's normally I think $55, but it is all you can eat.  I would definitely go back even at full price.

[trixi]

1.  Mucky Duck English Pub--Captiva Island, FL
2.  Sebring Diner--Sebring, FL
3.  Taquerio Mercado--Cincinnati, OH
4.  The Echo--Hyde Park (Cincinnati), OH--this is a homey diner-style type restaurant on the edge of Hyde Park Square.  Any place that serves breakfast all day is a winner in my book.  Yummy bacon and cheese omelet
5.  Main Event--Cincinnati, OH
6.  City View Tavern--Mt. Adams (Cincinnati), OH
7.  The Good Dog--Cincinnati, OH
8.  Red Robin--West Chester, OH
9.  Courtside Cafe--Westview Healthplex, Indianapolis IN--this was actually a decent place.  They have lots of healthy choices here, sandwiches, omelets and stirfries all made fresh while you wait. 
10.  Moerlein Lager House--Cincinnati, OH

11.  La Casa di Lucia--Huntingdon Valley, PA
12.  Chi-Natti's--Kenwood (Cincinnati), OH

[Poolio]

1. DiBella's - Still the best subs in C-bus.
2. Winking Lizard (Bethel Rd.) - The beer selection alone is worth the trip... the fact that I like the food and the staff know me and are good is just icing on the cake.
3. Papaya Street Grill (Dublin) - Oh my. I'll have to wholeheartedly agree with Heg on this place. I will be returning there often. I had the green curry, spiced to medium, and it was one of the best green curries I've ever had. Now I want to try everything else on the menu. It's well-worth the trip to the obscure strip mall. Oh, and Heg, anytime you want to go again, let me know and I'll meet you.
4. Northstar Cafe (Beechwold) - I've driven by here a million times and have never stopped. I had the Thai burrito which was pretty tasty... although a little light on the Thai flavors. However, the star (for me) was the fresh ginger ale. I could have had 5 more glasses of this stuff, it was like a ginger mojito without the booze. Spicy, sweet, and refreshing.
5. Claddagh (Polaris) - I haven't been here in nearly 3 years so it counts as new, right? I had the Jameson burger which was super tasty and very messy. Service was good and friendly... and it didn't hurt that I sat next to an adorable British ex-pat.  
6. Heirloom (OSU) - I had the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. It was good, the homemade sauce was the highlight of the  sandwich. At 8.25, it was a bit price-y but I'd eat it again.
7. El Vaquero - It was gorgeous and they have a patio. Oh and half price margaritas.  
8. Firstwatch (Dublin) - Bacon and cheddar pancakes. They were awesome. This was a great brunch.
9. Ditka's (Chicago, Ill.) - We had a (very) late lunch here. It was great, we got seated right away and the server was awesome. I have the "kick ass" Kobe burger (Kobe beef patty, brie, balsamic-y sauce) which was incredible.
10. Billy Goat (Chicago, Ill.) - A classic dive. So glad we were able to wander over and have burgers and beer here. Cheap, tasty, perfect drunk food.
11. Geno's East (Chicago, Ill.) - Deep dish pizza time! Yet another late lunch... we stuff ourselves silly and all had leftovers (mine are sadly still in Chicago).
12. 312 Chicago (Chicago, Ill.) - An Italian place. A fancy-pants Italian place. Holy cow was this good. I had the beef tenderloin (medium rare) which was perfect. I mean, perfect. It was served on a potato cake and dressed with sauteed mushrooms and truffle butter. 30 bucks but well, well worth the money. Also, since it was my birthday I got a free dessert of banana-chocolate bread pudding with banana-chocolate gelato... the gelato was great.
13. Bistro (Chicago, Ill.) - [I am going to double check the name.] Because what does anyone need at 4am? Why baked brie, of course! This was a great little find, the host was fantastic and the food was tasty.
14. Thai Orchid (C-bus) - In a sketchy strip mall north of I-270, hides a tiny gem of Thai food. They have some random Chinese dishes on the menu to distract you but ignore them... go straight for the Thai. I had the green curry pork, it was wonderful. It was spiced hot enough that if you ate too fast you paid for it. My dinner pardner had some fried red snapper dish which looked and smelled amazing.
15. Umami Moto (Cleveland, Ohio) - Food trucks count as restaurants, right? I found this at the end of the Hessler Street Fair... an asian-fusion-y food truck. I had the Vietnamese chicken curry which was pretty tasty. I probably should've added some hot sauce to bring out the heat but it was very tasty as is.
16. Canes - Okay, finally I can make the Canes versus Zaxby's comparison. Zaxby's wins hands down on variety and overall quality. Don't get me wrong, Canes is tasty but the breading wasn't even remotely crisp and when you picked up a chicken finger you'd end up holding breading while your chicken fell to the plate. But the chicken was cooked extremely well, it was juicy and just about perfect. Where Canes comes close to Zaxby's is the sauce, I don't usually hold with ranch-y sauces but I think Canes laces theirs with crack because I couldn't get enough of it.
17. Rossi (Short North) - I'd rate this place a 10 based on the a/c level alone. But, I'd walked 4 blocks in 100 degrees heat and the a/c was manna from heaven. Okay, onto the place. Nice, slightly crowded place... the bar selection wasn't huge but it was quality (no Bud Light in this place). However, we were really there for the Rossi Burger. I had mine medium and although it came to the table closer to medium-well, it was delicious and so ludicrously juicy... the fries weren't crispy but there were very tasty. All-in-all, I'd be back for the food and the staff.
18. Piada Italian Street Food (Sawmill Rd.) - A long line but it moved quickly. I got a pasta bowl with chicken and the diavolo sauce and topped with it assorted veggies, cheeses, and pancetta. The star for me was the Italian soda, I had the berry flavor and it was awesome. Perfect for drinking on the patio (which is what I did). Apparently, they're opening up locations in Dayton and Cinci.
19. Babushka's Kitchen (Clintonville) - A whim! And a tasty but probably ill-advised one on a 100 degree day. I had the jumbo potato-cheddar-bacon pierogi. Quite tasty and with a double side of Polish cucumber salad not too filling.
20. Bodega Cafe (Short North) - Awkward date night!* A fabulous beer menu married to a great happy hour = a happy Poolio. Service was good even though the place was pretty busy (although I am sure it got much busier as the night went on). I will be back.
21. Merlion Noodles and Rice (N. High Street) - A Singaporean/Malaysian place. I had the Singapore mee goreng which was damn tasty.

22. Boston's the Gourmet Pizza (Arena District) - Good pizza, decent service, great location. A nice place to hide out and watch bridal parties dodging the rain.

[Jen]

Thanks for the info - I can hardly wait to give them a try!

I too want to try this place. I believe that they make everything from scratch, even their own marshmallows. I noticed it one day when I went to Total Juice Plus and wanted to stop in right then and there.