The Reds, The Cards, and what a difference a month makes!

What a difference a month makes!  The Cincinnati Reds, seemingly the underdogs just a few short weeks ago, and falling by the wayside to the onslaught of the St. Louis Cardinals, now have woken up this morning to find themselves 8 games ahead in the National League Central Divison.  Moreover, they are leading the National League in a number of critical stats, including best team batting average and best team fielding percentage, committing the fewest errors of any team in the major leagues.  No better illustration of this overall team effort can there be, condensed and squeezed into a single player's effort, than that of "the man from Etobicoke (with a silent "k"), Joey Votto.  It may be America's pasttime; but right now it is Canada which can proudly lay claim to introducing one of the game's greatest players. 

It's hard to believe but the last time it's been done is 1967.  That is the year Boston Red Sox Left-fielder Carl Yastrzemski captured Baseball's closest thing to athletic royalty, the coveted Triple Crown.   Sure, it's been said many times - too often if you ask me - that the home run record is the most illustrative and awe-inspiring feat in American Sports; but dare I say this homage to an earlier, and much innocent day, when HGH and steroids didn't corrupt the recordbooks, is by far the lesser accomplishment to capturing a batting title in all three categories, that is, hitting for power, hitting for average and, most importantly, hitting in the clutch, when it counts, when your teammates are on base, and it's time to bring them home as your "run batted in" (RBI).

In all three facets of hitting Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds has been doing it better this season than anybody else.  In all of the major leagues, only Albert Pujols of The St. Louis Cardinals has been able to seriously contest him.  Here we have yet another game within the game. Just like pitcher vs. hitter, here it is hitter vs. hitter, and both happen to be playing for the two teams which have been battling it out all season long in their quest to capture the pennant and win the division for each of their respective cities. 

Cincinnati and St. Louis are both great baseball towns.  Whatever the outcome of the 2010 baseball season, and whichever team, the Cardinals or the Reds, manages to capture the pennant, each game fought between these two has ushered in numerous points of reference for baseball fans to ponder and reflect upon for many years to come: The Triple Crown, the Civil Rights Game Showdown, the Brandon Phillips verbal takedown, and the subsquent melee that erupted in its aftermath, complete with Yadier Molina's taking his words, metaphorically tacking them to the ball, and sending them straightaway to no-man's land and out of reach at Great American Ballpark.  If not for the fact that Reds proceeded to catch on fire once the Cardinals left town, Molina's mocking Phillips home-run trot as he strode around the bases would have been a fitting capstone to Cardinal's theretofore memorable season.

But this is Baseball; and there is not just 1 game to play, but rather 162 games, each which needs to be met head-on with the same type of motivation, work ethic and ferocity work that Joey Votto or Albert Pujols brings to every single at bat.  This is what the Reds know; this is what the Cards know; and this is what every fan of the game knows.

Surely it must be "the fates" that have compelled them to meet for one last time before the series is over.  This time it's in St. Louis and it should be all business.  I don't sense an ensuing brawlgame in this matchup; but rather baseball at it's most primeval - pitching, fielding, hitting, and slugging with all the heart and muscle the two teams can muster.  Should the Reds conquer the Cards, taking at least two of three, they will no doubt have set themselves up to finally seal the division.  Should the Cards, on the other hand, slay the reds, then the Reds will have to regroup and do what they do best - play the best baseball this town has seen since the early 90's

The Reds will be back in Cincinnati on September 10th and their homestand will continue through September 16th.  There is no better time to catch a game of baseball in Cincinnati, and there is no better time to see Joey Votto than in what may be his signature year.  I hope to hear from you; and I hope that the namesake hotel, almost as old as the Cincinnati Reds themselves, can accomodate you on your baseball journey to Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Greens Baseball Club

With opening day less than a month away, and St. Patrick's day just short of a week, I thought this little stepback into time courtesy of our friends at the Society for Cincinnati Sports Research (SCSR) deserved a little remembrance. 

The Cincinnati Reds are known for a lot of Baseball firsts:

1. They were the first professional baseball team to ever step onto a field.  In fact, in 1869, when the Red Stockings were founded, as far as I can tell, they were the first professionally fielded team of any sport played in any nation in the world
2. The Cincinnati Reds hosted the first night game in 1935 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt threw the switch from the White House over 600 miles from Crosley field in the West End of Cincinnati.  That same year the Reds played 6 more night games, one against every team in the National League.  Would it be statistical overkill to also point out that among these games was also the first ever nightgame that stretched into extra innings?  Yes, I guess it would; but for the record it was played against the St. Lousi Cardinals and is now best remembered for the ruckus that ensued when the fans wouldn't leave the field after the conclusion of the pre-game fireworks show. 
3. In 1911 the Reds made history when they first integrated the major leagues with Latino players signing Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida to the roster.  Given the times, such a move by a Midwestern team as Cincinnati, albeit one with the most avid and devoted baseball fans to be found anywhere, was highly controversial.

Less controversial, but no less surprising, according to the website for SCSR, was the move on March 17th, 1978, when "The Cincinnati Reds became the Cincinnati Greens for a St. Patrick's Day Preseason Game against the New York Yankees."  Never before, in fact, had the color Green been significantly represented in the color scheme for the uniforms of any Major League baseball franchise.   The only exception were the Kansas City Athletics, now of Oakland, who incorporated Gold and Green in their uniforms; but up until the reds marched out onto the field in 1978, no team had done so with such a clear Irish intent.

In a town better known for its German heritage than its Irish, the Reds proudly bucked the trend when they took the field in Tampa wearing uniforms that had green where the red should have been. The cap, the uniform piping, the “C” on the chest -- all green. The club even had a shamrock adorning the sleeves. Moreover, they used green catching gear and warmed up with just about green everything.  Quite literally the Cincinnati Reds had became the Cincinnati Greens.  Not even the Boston Red Sox ever made such a gesture to the heritage of its fans.

Apparently it was a marketing stunt that succeeded very well.  Fans appreciated the gesture so much that the Reds continued to do it for several years thereafter, when other Major Laeague franchises soon jumped on to the bandwagon, thereby relegating the reds tradition to just that of an interesting sideshow.  Nevertheless, the uniforms today are highly sought after collector's items, an original of which can fetch thousands of dollars.  In their collection of Historic uniforms, the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown includes one of these classic treasures in their exhibit, as does the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, which features Hall of Fame Second Baseman Joe Morgan's.    

If  you would like to learn more about Cincinnati Sports History, I suggest you visit online the Society of Cincinnati Sports Research, where you'll pick up intriguing and sometimes completely unnecessary trivia about your favorite Cincinnati Sports teams.  They're all represented - the Reds, the Bengals, the Royals and even some you may never have heard of.   Did you know, for instance, that Cincinnati was once the home of Two Major League Baseball Clubs?  I didn't either.  It's well worth a visit.  Check it out. 

Live at The Palace Restaurant - It's an Irish Tasting Thursday with Jeni and Simone!

The day after St. Patty's day two of the best and most beloved Irish Musicians in Cincinnati, the mother and daugther duo Jeni and Simone, will be bringing their harp and fiddle music to The Palace Restaurant in The Cincinnatian Hotel.  Jeni (on the harp) and Simone (on the fiddle) have been practicing their craft together for about 10 years; and describe their music as representing the traditional dance and folk music of the Irish people, bandied about and passed down by generations of Irish people, first in the old world, and now in the new.  It is a tradition perhaps not as well known as those songs performed by the Irish Pub-crawl balladeers (Think of chintzy shamrock attire with avocado colored ties dipped in green beer); but it is, says Jeni Balcom, the true and heartfelt "traditional music of the people."  When I heard this, I just knew it was the kind of real Irish music more likely to go better with the boxty and Jamesons I'm planning on having that evening. 

Both musicians share in a rich cultural heritage and are actvivly involved in the Queen City's local Irish Community.  For several years Simone danced with the local dance troupe the McGing Irish Dancers.  Each also presently teach at the Riley School of Irish Music which, in addition to educating children and adults about the joys of playing and listening to traditional Irish Music, also seeks to inculcate knowledge of Irish history and culture in the students and general irish enthusiasts they encounter.  Whether traveling locally or abroad, the students and alumni of the Riley School of Irish Music seek to bring a little celtic awareness everywhere they go.   In fact, this weekend, March 13th and 14th, the entire school will perform at the Celtic Lands Culture fest at The Cincinnati Museum Center.

Here at The Cincinnatian, of course, we will be having our own Celtic festival of sorts as we bring to our patrons what we hope will be the perfect blend of Irish cuisine and Irish Music at a great price and post-St. Patty's day hype.  For $60 you not only get to hear some of the finest Irish music in the city but can enjoy a two course dinner for two and a bottle of wine.    Should you wish to make a reservation for this annual Cincinnati tasting and musical event, call and make your reservations today.  Jeni and Simone will be playing from 6-9pm and look forward to sharing their music while proudly accompanying the Chef's cuisine.  

If you would like to see the Chef's special Irish tasting Menu for Thursday, March 18th, click here.  Get your boxty, grab your guiness and pull up a chair for this once a year opportunity.   

United States Playing Cards and the Ghost of the Pacific Garden Saloon

Some years ago I developed an instructive interest in reading the labels of the purchases I make. It’s amazing what you can learn. Pay attention to the information where something originates and you can accumulate for yourself a mental glossary of all kinds of interesting geographical facts. Where exactly is Bingham Farms, Michigan, for instance, the home of my recently purchased brand of hand sanitzer? Turns out it’s not too far from Detroit. Actually, upon closer inspection, the sanitizer itself was made in China but at least it was “distributed” via the motor city.

And upon taking a look at a recent Christmas Gift, prior to tucking it away in the closet of "never see again," I learned that the Mango Mandarin concentrated fragrance spray I received was ironically, despite the name, made in New Albany, albeit with an obvious bit of Chinese marketing leverage employed. New Albany is a suburb of Columbus, not Shanghai. Nevertheless it, too, now enjoys a familiarity in my mind that it never would enjoy if not for the labels on products.

This actually brings me to a point. Just this afternoon I purchased a set of Bicycle Playing cards, read the label, and was freshly reminded of the fact that they are made right here in Cincinnati. Upon further investigation, however, I was surprised to discover that, in fact, they are actually made in Erlanger, Kentucky, a suburb of Cincinnati not too far away from the airport. This revelation led me to check out the company’s website which I must confess was very educational in its own right. Not only are Bicycle playing cards local; but virtually all playing cards used the world over, in Casinos, gambling halls, aw well as friendly, neighborhood card games are made in Cincinnati. Bee, Bicycle, Aviator, Maverick, as well as those personalized terrorist watch list cards distributed by the Federal Government all had their origins in Greater Cincinnati with United States Playing Card.


The company, which began in 1867 as Russel, Morgan and Company, established its first headquarters at 20 College Street on the 1st and 2nd floors of what was then the Cincinnati Enquirer Building and what is presently the next door neighbor of The Cincinnatian Hotel. Many years have come and gone since then, and while the Cincinnatian Hotel (i.e. The Palace) remains, the piece of real estate perched on what is now referred to as the “Old Enquirer Building” and former first home of the largest playing card company in the world has changed many times over the years. The photograph above shows the Enquirer building as it stood in 1903 adjacent to the Atlantic Garden, a pub of some renown I am told, and by the looks of it an excellent place to grab a beer, shoot some pool and play a game of Poker.

Further investigation intriguingly revealed that upon the spot where The Cincinnatian Hotel is now located stood yet another tavern coincidentally called the Pacific Garden. Well, maybe it was not such a coincidence, afterall. I may never delve deep enough to discover which came first – The Atlantic or The Pacific – but I did learn that for many years both were proud participants in a little high-spirited competition and one upmanship, as well as designees in an unofficial mutual appreciation society, most evidently displayed whenever the city or organization saw fit to celebrate an event with a marching band or parade.

In the 19th Century, Parade’s were a much more common form of entertainment. Virturally every occassion it seemed gave the proprietors of some organization, institution or business an opportunity to boast, brag or celebrate with a parade. Given the fact that Cincinnati was largely a walking town in those days, as most towns were, and there were few entertainment options for those who preferred dweliing indoors, people, if they were not already marching in one, would gather outside to take in that month's or even that week's inevitable parade.

This, of course, was the era of extravagent marching bands and military music, headed by such magnificent figures as that musical impresario John Philip Souza; and what went better with a raucous marching song, especially in a German drinking town such as Cincinnati, than a cold beer on a hot day. Keep in mind that way back when, in order to get a cold beer, you couldn't just make a detour towards your referigerator. Rather it was more than likely you had to procure one at a saloon, ice-house, or garden (the preferred designations for pubs or bars in the 19th Century); for very few people could afford the luxury of their own ice-house and therefore bottled beer was an innovation that had yet achieved much relavance.

It is hard for us to appreciate now; but 19th Century Urban Americana was replete with Saloon life. The saloon or beer garden was where business was conducted, politics were practiced, speeches were given, and the daily rituals of countless personal interactions were performed. In fact, so commonplace were the saloon and the parade to 19th and erly 20th century existence that it's easy to see the pageneatry that must have been involved when these two fixtures of daily existence met under the auspices of a marching band.




Here in Cincinnati, it is said that, whenever a marching or Military band would pass near the corner of 6th and Vine streets, just as it reached the threshold between the two ocean-christened taverns, The Atlantic and The Pacific, the band would strike up a rendition of “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean” as they were marching by. So popular was this song that, until the “Star-Spangled Banner” was formally adopted as the National Anthem in 1931, it was one of a handful of songs used unofficially as the Nation’s anthem by many if not even most people in America. Perhaps it was because of its beer-soaked roots as a party and parade song, as well as a patriotic favorite, that kept “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean” from achieving similar long-term fame.

Truly the most interesting little details of life – those things, in other words, which really flesh out a story – often arrive as a coincidental annex to the information we originally intended to find. I merely glanced at a playing card, which inspired me to learn more about the history and current whereabouts of the US Playing Card Company, only to be tossed about from one piece of information to another until I’d woven together what I think amounts to quite a little piece of Americana. The thread of a great story never ends and so I’m certain there will be plenty of time to revisit this particular one in future posts.

In the meantime, it leaves me pondering a number of things. First, how truly fantastic it is that such a culturally signficant company like the U.S. Playing Card Company got its start. Second, I don't think I'll ever pick up a deck of cards again, whether in a local supermarket or a card game in Vegas, and forget the debt card-lovers everywhere owe to our town. Third, I wish I could have seen that parade so many years ago.

Finally, and perhaps a little eerily, it makes me wonder about that peculiar 19th century figure that a Cincinnatian Hotel employee has reported seeing exiting my office late at night, an inebriated, older gentleman perhaps still thinking he's stalking the ancient cellar corridors of his old watering hole, the Pacific Garden, dressed in a top-hat, humming a song and attired like he was on his way to a parade. Was this friendly apparition humming “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean?” Perhaps he was! One thing's for certain. It makes me want to learn how to hum that song in homage to the old man and the garden he used to frequent.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Palace Restaurant.

As most of our regular patrons know, every Third Thursday is a Tasting Thursday at The Palace Restaurant, when the Chef carries you abroad allowing you to sample the fare of some of the world's greatest culinary traditions without ever leaving the comfort and convenience of Cincinnati. Without exception, each tasting Thurdsay has generated considerable positive feedback; so it is an event that is likely to continue for as long as the Chef has an additional port to visit. After-all, he still has well-over three-quarters of the globe to traverse. Thus far, The Palace Restaurant, with Chef Jose Salazar in the captain's seat, has landed his fellow gourmands in France, Germany, Puerto Rico, Italy and Japan, and before the year is out will make stops in Greece, India, South America and elsewhere.

Given that St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, this month the Chef has decided to take a little trip to the Emerald Isle. That's right! The Palace is going Irish. Thursday, March 18th, the day after St. Pat's, the Palace is primed to serve up some of the finest Irish Cuisine this side of Galway Bay. In fact, you can extend your celebration of St. Patricks one extra day by taking in the Irish food, Irish music and good Irish Cheer at The Palace Restaurant. Celtic musicians will be on hand to participate in the event, as well as plenty of Irish Whisky and Guinness Irish Stout.

With a name like Jose Salazar, one may not immediately suspect our Chef's consuming passion for all things Irish. "The truth is," chuckles the Chef, "I have no choice but to love the Irish. My wife's Irish!" Given that the Chef also hails from one of the most flamboyant Irish-American locales in the United States, New York City, it's no wonder that he quickly became an enthusiast for a good Irish Stew, served properly, of course, with a Guiness-styled broth and a hearty "Lamb Shank."

For those of you who can only visualize Shepard's Pie or a Fish sandwich when thinking about Irish food, I'm sorry. Neither is on the menu. What is on the menu, however, is perhaps that most beloved and famous Irish dish of all, Boxty! According to the Chef, Boxty is a potato/Buttermilk pancake which makes an excellent appetizer. In New York, nevermind Ireland, variations of the meal are almost as common in the local pubs as Chicken wings and burgers are here. But, of course, you don't have to go to the Big Apple to partake of a little boxty. Rather you can stay right here in the Queen City savoring some of the best Boxty to be found anywhere. So popular, in fact, is Boxty in Ireland that a clever little poem was penned in its honor.

Boxty on the griddle,
boxty in the pan,
if you can't make boxty,
you'll never get a man.

Fail to follow this advice, gentleman, and you just may not ever get an Irish woman either.

But don't worry. Whether you can make Boxty or not should be of no concern; for the Chef is donning his derby hat all in effort to help you experience what everyday hibernians the world over simply can't go without.

Click here for Chef Jose Salazar's Tasting Irish Thursday Menu and make your reservations soon: Tasting Menu

When Chef Haidon Came to Visit - The Palace Reviewed

A few months ago, Donna Covrett, the food editor of The Cincinnati Magazine wrote a very fine piece about the Palace Restaurant and our stand-out Chefs Jose Salazar and Summer Genetti. For her superior effort in recounting some of the storied history of The Palace Restaurant’s former Chefs, especially that of Anita Cunningham, we are particularly grateful. We agree with Ms. Covrett wholeheartedly, of course, that our new Chef is every bit the culinary maverick for his respective day in the Queen City that Anita Cunningham was in hers. We are also very proud that Donna saw fit to mention her alumnus status as a former Cincinnatian Hotel and Palace Restraunt Pastry Chef herself, so her recognition of both her old boss (Chef Cunningham) as well as the rising stars of the Palace (Jose and Summer) we think garners her one of the top honors in this summation of 2009’s favorite accolades.

Then there is, of course, the proudest moment of all, the night 5-Star Maisonette Chef George Haidon came to visit the Palace. Since then the Chef has been back several times; but it was this very first visit – when we all held our breath – in anticipation of the Chef’s smile or smirk that has come to pay the greatest reputational dividends. It’s one thing to get the thumbs-up from a food critic; it’s quite another to get the culinary plaudits of a such a legendary Master Chef. Chef Haidon made his mark in the culinary world by offering refined French cuisine to the people of Cincinnati for over 20 years, longer than anybody, and all at the helm of his world-famous Maisonette Kitchen. Belgian born but now a proud citizen of Cincinnati, Chef Haidon kept Cincinnati on the culinary map longer than anybody else has either before or since. Therefore, says Salazar, to receive an honor from “such a great Chef…to have him dine in my Restaurant and to say such generous things about my food is just about the greatest honor any Chef could possibly have.” In fact, Chef Haidon’s rapturous approval of Jose Salazar’s dishes and the ambience surrounding their presentation tops the list of our yearly honors. Never one for fads or culinary gimmicks himself, it was clear that Chef Haidon found a lot to appreciate in both the style and cuisine of Jose Salazar. So uplifting to everyone in the dining room was Chef Haidon’s hearty and passionate appraisal of his Palace experience that we simply had to mark the occasion with a photo. Smile Chefs! As for Maitre'd John Mclean, also featured in the photograph, it is a personal capstone for what he's always felt honored to do, that is, "work side by side with in my opinion the two best Chefs I've ever worked with - one from each generation!" Thanks John. That sums it up rather nicely.

But the accolades did not stop there. A quick glance of our press page will enlighten you to many fine reviewers saying many fine things about the palace Restaurant across the media spectrum, in both the traditional press as well as the blogosphere. Thank you, in particular, Gayot.com for choosing our Pastry Chef Summer Genetti as one of the top 5 rising Chefs in the United States. Thanks equally so to the girls at wine-girl.net and www.winemedinemecincinncati.com for their own personal takes on their worthwhile experiences at the Cincinnatian Hotel. Both blogs are regular stopping points in our internet treasure hunt and we recommend each very highly.

Certainly the most memorable and educational assessment of any of the reviewers is that of Restaurant Reporter, Bob Wilhelmy, of the American Israelite, who sought to get to the heart of Chef Salazar’s philosophy as well as his cuisine. For the intellectual diner, Bob's column is certainly a must read for any avid diner before heading out for the night. Not only does Mr. Wilhelmy equip you with some of the best tag-lines in the critic’s arsenal; but he tries to familiarize you with what a chef does and why he does it. In the case of Chef Salazar, he reminds us of the Chef’s “mantra of approachability,” that is, the effort Salazar expends each and every day in making his dishes as affordable as they are tasty. Everyone should be able to enjoy fine cuisine; and this can only be done if the ingredients chosen are as accessible to the wallet as they are to the palate. In not so many words, I think this last sentence articulates the essence of one of our favorite reviews of 2009 as well as the simple culinary philosophy of our Chef.


And who can forget Polly Campbell’s 5 star Cincinnati Enquirer review, which we’ve posted and discussed in an earlier blog. Contrary to what many might say, Polly’s review is always the highlight of any self-respecting Cincinnati restaurant’s annual self-appraisal and we’re only too glad to reap the benefits of Ms. Campbell’s article. When Polly Campbell speaks, diners in Cincinnati listen; and The Palace Restaurant has been feeling the positive reverberations of Polly’s popular column ever since.

Last but not least it’s certainly worth mentioning that quite often tried-and-true fine-dining establishments, complete with their time-tested culinary graces and traditions, are often overshadowed in an industry which, for better or worse, is rife with ephemeral success. Too often the same restaurant which is the buzz of the whole town one day, or month, or year, has quietly closed its doors the next. The factors leading to such cursory influence are many; but perhaps the most significant is that culinary fads, desirable in the instant it might take to pick up your fork, don’t necessarily "fare" well over time. Who can forget the trendy fly-by-night establishments, the short-lived bistros basking in the glow of their new-fangled eminence, or the latest nightclub buzzing with electric excitement just before their filament begins to flicker as their standing room only crowds begin to fade? Without mentioning names, we nevertheless know the places.

There's always the fear that your favorite restaurant or night spot will close. It is a rough and tumble business, afterall. But every now and again, even us old diehards of the fine-dining establishment perk up and cheer when we discover that we've been "hip" again. To be "hip" isn't everything; but it certainly does help in introducing those who may not be aware of what we do at The Palace Restaurant year in and year out to what a gourmand meal really is all about - The Food!!! That is why we choose to close out this review of accolades with a "forks-up" to the good people at Cincy Magazine who recently garnered us with the Silver Spoon Award in several different categories. When so much we do around here is explicity and intentionally anti-hip (I say this with a chuckle); it's good to know that even an establishment which still has the semblance of a dress code is still hailed and buzzzzed about as all the rage. Hey we're not for everyone perhaps but we are for everyone who desires fantastic gourmet food in a fantastic gourmet setting. Thanks for noticing. And here's to another year of great culinary success!!