Cincinnati and the Cincinnatian

Last Minute Wine Gifts from Santa Boz! December 22nd and 23rd.

2011-12-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

How did the tradition of Santa Boz begin?

For many years one of of Santa's helpers has been keeping his own Wine Shop in the Greater Cincinnati area. Known and loved by many in Santa Boz is Old Saint Nick's favorite North American Bartender situated in the heart of Santa's toy distribution route in the great fly-over zone known as the Midwest. Given the breadth and scope of our country it is the Midwest after all where the majority of Santa Claus' Christmas Eve action takes place and here also is where Santa Boz has been personally serving up his immortal Bozmopolitan Cocktail after a hard night of Kris Kringle and the Elves driving the reindeer and swooping down over countless rooftops to deliver their parcels of goodies to all the good little boys and girls of the Queen City. Such a miracuous feat afterall is bound to make a big fellow thirsty.

So on or about the mid-1980's, it was probably a culinary destiny of sorts that influenced Santa to eventually get tired of all the milk and cookies being served to him and to step inside a bar. What we now recall as decade of decadence is also the time and place where a new Christmas tradition and holiday cocktail was born. One of the great unknown pastimes of Santa's "midnight run" is the habit he got into of dropping into the Cricket Lounge to say hello to one of Santa's favorite helpers and surrogate Bartender "Santa Boz" for his annual Christmas morning nightcap. It is an indulgence that Mrs. Claus has overlooked for years, ever since Santa Claus happened in on Boz one night as we closing down the Maisonette. From there Santa Boz migrated to The Cincinnatian Hotel's Cricket Lounge and Santa Claus had to find a new Cincinnati watering hole. While the Reindeer take a quick power nap on the roof, Santa is able to take a quick power nip from his Cocktail.

And what better Cocktail to partake off than the magical essence that is the Bozmopolitan. The story goes, in fact, that Santa used this elixer to power him home to the Northpole after dropping off his last bundle of toys in Cincinnati. If it was Rudolph's famous and bedazzling nose that allowed Santa to journey through the snowstorm, then certainly it was Santa Boz's nightcap that allowed him stay awake at the sleigh. But lest you good boys and girl think Santa is setting a bad example, let it be known that Santa only partakes of a single adult beverage before again taking up the reigns and heading home. From thenceforth, grateful to the Bartender and now friend who revived his "spirits" and gave a tired old Claus the wherewithal to find his way back home after the long hard-sleigh slog over the world, the longtime celebrated bartender of the Cincinnatian Hotel - Boz Haller - was ever known and lauded by Santa Claus during the holiday season as "Santa Boz."

This year Santa Boz not only is serving half-price Bozmopolitans all-night long but he has cleared out his wine shop and is offering to the good guys and gals of The Cricket Lounge, Palace Restaurant and Cincinnatian Hotel some spectacular last-minute wine deals. Come for a Bozmopolitan and leave with a fantastic and inexpensive bottle of wine. Last time he checked none of the Wine-pricing websites such as winezap.com included the North Pole in any of its wine shop-listings, but The Cincinnatian Hotel has something better, Santa's own hand-picked vintner of the sleighride, Boz Haller.

Many style and varietals are available from Santa Boz's wine shop so stop-in to Cricket, say hello to Santa Boz on the 22nd and 23rd of December, express your Merry Christmas wishes and take home the kind of deal that only a combination of Boz and Claus can deliver.

The Cincinnatian Hotel Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest Returns!

2011-09-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

One of the most anticipated and competitive displays of artistic skill, ingenuity and finesse returns in the annual Cincinnatian Hotel and Palace Restaurant Pumpkin Carving Contest. For many years the employees of The Cincinnatian Hotel have been proudly wielding their cutlery as they go about the business of creating and carving the most imaginative, original and finely executed examples of pumpkin-carved sculpture the city of Cincinnati is privileged to see. This year will surely prove no different, as already 20 contenders have signed up for the highly coveted crown of Cincinnatian Hotel Pumpkin Carving Champion.

In a post next week the rules of the 2011 contest will be forthcoming; but in order to get the competitive juices flowing I offer the guests and readers of this blog examples of former champions, intersting entries and unforgettable highlights from yesteryear. Some took home the spoils while others just proudly and unforgetably competed.

This Halloween weekend, Friday and Saturday nights, October 28th and 29th, consider spending your trick-or-treat at The Palace Restaurant, dine and you will be given a voting card to choose this years Pumpkin Carving Champion. The stakes are huge as the year-long bragging rights at The Cincinnatian Hotel are just as important as the $400 prize money the winning carver takes home. Second, third place and honorable mentions are also awarded while the voters themselves (the Patrons of the Palace Restaurant and Cricket Lounge) are entered in their own trick-or-trreat drawing for $125 Gift Certificate towards a future visit.

And the Winning Chef is...

2011-03-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it appears that I spoke and wrote to soon. Whether it was that I underestimated the people of Cincinnati, or simply allowed a little pessismism to creep into my hopeful expectations is irrelevant at this point, except insofar as it now permits with even greater joy and fanfare to announce that, in fact, Chef Jose Salazar was the winner of Food and Wine's Best New Chef for 2011 by a considerable margin. He toppled many fine chefs throughout several states; and it is indicative of both his talent as well as the support he recevied from the local dining denizens of the great city of Cincinnati that he was able to achieve this much coveted honor. This was not a designation awarded to him from on-high, say by an oligarchic panel of tasting luminaries; but rather it came to him as part of groundswell of support that he received from across the Greater Cincinnati area and abroad.

To be sure native Cincinnatians spread across the nation did their own part to bring the title home to the Queen City, and Chef Salazar couldn't have been more humbled by their support. "It truly speaks volumes about the small-big town feel of Cincinnati." says Linda Eigel, a native Cincinnatian and Humana Executive. "The fact that I received an email from the Cincinnatian to support Chef Salazar all the way down here in San Antonio, Texas and was then able to pass it along to other guests and friends in order to drum up support makes me feel good about how we Cincinnatians stick together."

And stick together is certainly what Cincinnati did. In the last week there was a surge of voting from people all over the city that eventually put Jose over the top in the last 1/2 hour to 45 minutes of the tally. Represenatives from virtually every downtown company who have had the pleasure of dining with Chef Salazar at his Palace Restaurant Cincinnatian did their part to support him. He is more than grateful; he is indebted. Each and every time he steps into the kitchen he'll know that he has a heavy burden upon his shoulders, as he continues with each and every meal at each and every opportunity to merit the faith and attention that local diners have placed in him as "the People's Chef." It is a huge responsibility, no doubt, but it is one as Polly Campell, the distinguished Cincinnati Enquirer's food critic aknowledges, he "totally deserves."

Stop down and say hello to Jose Salazar. If you have a specical occassion you're celebrating or wish to treat that special somebody to the greatest fare in the Great Lakes, then come yet again and try out the Palace Restaurant. And if your out of town, and wish to come home again for a few days, then why not while your in Cincinnati do as the Cincinnatians do and stay and dine at The Cincinnatian.

Congratulations Chef Salazar!!!

Cincinnati United in voting for Chef Jose Salazar

2011-02-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

Vote for food and wine best chef

Well, we came close! Cincinnatians far and abroad came out in droves this weekend to vote for Chef Salazar. From one Cincinnatian to another, even if you're only temporarily a Cincinnatian at heart, should you be a former guest, current guest, previous patron, supporter of all things Cincinnati, friends of the local foodie community, or food and beverage colleagues and Cincinnatian Hotel Employees, I wish to say that I appreciate all of your assistance in this endeavor to stir up the buzz for one of the finest chefs in Cincinnati. The deadline to vote will chime at exactly midnight. As I write this post, it is approximately an hour away, so I believe a thank you is in order for all of your votes.

In particular, we'd like to thank the various media outlets - Local 12, WCPO channel 9 (http://www.wcpo.com/), Cincinnati Magazine http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/, http://www.winemedinemecincinnati.com/, City Beat, Metromix, http://www.cincinnatirestaurantrow.com/, http://www.bitsarecheap.com/, and countless other supportive blogs, websites, word-of-mouth diners and news outlets for their helpful rally cry in the waning week and moments of the contest. Also a big thank you is in order for Food and Wine Magazine for allowing Jose the honor to represent Cincinnati in this fun and entertaining contest.

Finally, I wish to thank the Employees of The Cincinnatian Hotel for their hard work and efforts each and every day to bring the finest of dining to the Queen City, especially for the dedication and support shown by our Pastry Chef, Summer Genetti, who has contributed to and complimented Chef Jose Salazar's food for over 2 years.

Here's to all the future meals. May fine dining in Cincinnati continue to thrive, and may we forever hold our own in the national gourmet spotlight!

Is Food and Wine's Best New Chef in Cincinnati?

2011-02-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

The word is out around the nation – the people are voting with their palates - and The Palace Restaurant Cincinnatian is asking for your help to make the Queen city victorious! Cincinnati, historically recognized and appreciated for its contributions to the world of fine dining and haute cuisine, is again being honored for its rising culinary prominence. For such a relatively small city it truly is an accomplishment to have one of its very own – Chef Jose Salazar - ascending to the top and contending for Food and Wine Magazine’s 2011 title of “best new Chef” in America.
Steadily applying his craft at downtown’s Palace Restaurant for close to 3 years, Chef Salazar, many believe, richly deserves the award not only for his unique and adventurous approach to dining but also because he’s keen on sharing his sense of excitement about food and cooking with the city and the people of Cincinnati. Originally honing his talents in New York under such culinary luminaries as Thomas Keller at such gourmand landmarks as Bouchon Bakery, Chef Salazar is certainly no stranger when it comes to understanding how fickle and market-driven the industry can be in bestowing honor upon a chef who works outside of New York’s culinary mainstream.
But why should New York have all the fun? And why should Cincinnati, when we have one of the best chef’s anywhere, have to take a backseat to those plying their craft in such Great Lakes cities as Cleveland and Detroit? That is why the Food and Wine contest is special. Calling itself an “eatocracy,” it is perhaps the only large-scale contest of its kind that removes the power of the vote from the mainstream critic and places it exclusively with those who first experience their respective Chef on their own home turf, in the local restaurants which first brought them to critical attention, prior to introducing them to the wider culinary audience abroad.

Some may ask why the “Great Lakes” is the region that has been selected for Cincinnati. In fairness, we have been paired with a region whose cities are closer to our size, so the “Great Lakes” is fine with Chef Salazar as long as it’s fine with the people of Cincinnati. Without question, similar to Chef Salazar’s cuisine, Cincinnati could have fit seamlessly into many categories. As a borderline city hugging the Ohio River, Southern recognition could be forthcoming; just as our obvious Midwestern locale appears equally logical. Nevertheless, a great Chef should be duly recognized no matter where he plies his craft; so if you’re interested in recognizing achievement, establishing honor, and rescuing the title of “Best New Chef” from the clutches of those lake dwelling metropolis’s back to where it rightly belongs here in the River City, then we hope you take the time to cast your vote for Cincinnati and Chef Jose Salazar at Food and Wine magazine for the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Vote for Chef Salazar Here
In the meantime, why not stop down sometime this year – pick a third Thursday of the month – and sample some of the world’s finest cuisines in the comfort of your own city. Been to Ireland lately? How about China, Mexico, or the Polynesian Islands? Well, it may be too far afield to travel there; but you can certainly dine there – and only at The Palace Restaurant as Chef Jose Salazar continues his quest to put his own personal stamp on every part of the globe, designing a menu for all of the world’s great cuisines so that, in turn, he may offer them up to the people of Cincinnati. Now, seriously, what other Great Lakes Chef is doing that?

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

2010-09-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

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:

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
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.
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!

2010-03-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-05T09:56:00.001-08:00

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.

2010-03-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

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!!

The Palace Restaurant "wishes you a Merry Christmas!"

2009-12-18T14:00:00.001-08:00

We all know the song and have read the book; but have you tried the desserts! "Twas" not even the night before Christmas and yet the Holidays are in full swing at The Cincinnatian Hotel, which means Afternoon Tea, decorations galore, special holiday menus, and a packed Palace Restaurant full of holiday revelers. And, of course, just when you thought the season couldn’t possibly get any merrier, Pastry Chef Summer Genetti has come out with what I think is far and away the most scrumptious Holiday dessert menu The Cincinnatian has yet to offer. And from where did she receive her holiday inspiration? From Christmas stories and carols, of course.

The confectionary selections she has chosen this year are a resurrected smorgasbord from Christmas’ culinary past – desserts, in fact, that we may have all heard or read about – and most of us even sung about – but have never actually tried. Well, now you can stop your wondering, pick up a fork, and finally try what’s eluded you all these years at The Palace Restaurant and Cricket Lounge, where “Figgy Pudding” and “Sugar Plums” are no longer just the lyrics on your lips or the “visions” in your head but the delicious desserts on your plates. But, if such holiday classics aren’t what you’re looking for, then how about trying some of Summer's originals such as Egg Nog Crème Brulee, seen in the photograph above, or Gingerbread Upside Down Cake. If Afternoon Tea is more your style, then you won't want to miss out on the Sugar Plum Scones.

The dessert menu is available through New Year’s Eve; and remember the Cincinnatian Hotel is accepting Gift Certificates throughout the Holidays, including both Christmas and the New Year. What is more those who choose to ring in the New Year with us can really strike a bargain by making a reservation in The Palace Restaurant for the final 2 seatings, at 10 and 10:30 pm, and not only receive a complimentary flute of champaigne and party favors when the clock tolls midnight; but may also retire safely to their bed at $100.00 for a Queen and $125.00 for a King. In order to receive the bargain, all New Year’s Eve participants must order at least 2 courses, an Entrée and one other selection, for both they and their date.

The music will be playing until 1:30 am so get your party hats, pick out your New Year’s resolutions and toast them in style at The Cincinnatian Hotel.

Afternoon Tea will be served through December 30th.

"Now bring us some figgy pudding!"

Tasting Thursdays is going International

2009-08-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Every afternoon I make a point of passing through the kitchen to greet and exchange pleasantries with my colleagues in the restaurant. Typically there is always something cooking both literally and figuratively as the ingeneuity and creative zeal of Chef Jose Salazer is something that has never failed to impress me. But on this particular afternoon, as I scurried on by, the Chef flagged me down with what seemed to be an extra-ordinary flourish as he stood in conference over his kettle with several members of his staff to exclaim, in a boisterous tone of excitement, that he had "an idea."

"An idea?" I responded, with about as much eager anticipation in my voice as he had enthusiasm in his.

"Yes, I was thinking I would take 'Tasting Thursdays' on tour - every 3rd Thursday a new destination. First stop will be Italy, then perhaps Germany, then the South pacific, Japan, and who knows where else from there."

Needless to say I thought it was a great idea and, with absolutely no hesitation whatsoever about the Chef's ability to bring such an idea to fruition, I immediately congratulated him on his globe-trotting exuberance. Scarcely has one heard so much excitement in my voice as I proudly told the Chef that when he travels to Germany I will be the first one off the train. Rest assured that I won't be the only one. This town is full of repressed, palatte-deprived "Krauts" who have never quite gotten over the fact that "Forest View" Gardens shut down. But I digress as I get a little too far ahead of myself. The first stop on the Chef's tour is not the Rhine; but rather the Tiber. Italy here we come.

To plant an American flag upon several of the world's most celebrated cuisines without ever having to leave your city, thereby avoiding the actual expense of travel and research into which of Rome's, which of Paris' or which of Tokyo's restaurants you will have to seek out for the finest dining experience, is truly an estimable culinary endeavor in any foodie's book, mine included.

Such arm-chair, itinerant travel and dining is, of course, the goal of Chef Jose Salazer. And he's off to good start, having been tutored in many of those palattes personally. Everything from Amish cooking to French, Latin-American and Japanese is already part of his culinary repertoire; but now he seeks to do something even more exciting, that is to set apart one night a month for his exclusive interpretation and preparation of a particular ethnic favorite. Bon appetit in absentia! One of the city's finest chefs testing his culinary and cultural chops the world over, without ever leaving his restaurant, and the people of Cincinnati uniquely situated to partake of his around-the-world excursion sharing it with him as they too travel with him aborad direct from the comfort of the Palace Restaurant Cincinnatian's dining room.

As far as I can tell this is unprecedented in the Queen City - one chef attempting to tackle so many different styles of food - effectually transforming his restaurant for an entire evening into an Italian Cafe, a Japanese Sushi Bar or a German Stube - solely for a flight of culinary fancy and all for the enjoyment of the people of Cincinnati.

Gourmands of the Queen City unite! Every Third Thursday is now also a Tasting Traveling Thursday so get your boarding pass now by calling or writing to make your reservations before Chef Jose Salazer's traveling kitchen hits the road en route first to Italy before heading off next month and those thereafter to destinations yet undisclosed.

Accompanying him on this journey will be none other than the "dessert diva" herself, Summer Genetti, as she too brings the taste of Italy's finest confections straight to your table. And, of course, John Mclean, will have done his part in selecting just the right Italian wines for the occassion.

Sure you could spend more than you must by traveling to Italy, or you could even traverse half the tri-state to patronize one of the countless, Italian chain restaurants to enjoy such fare; but why go to the Olive Garden one more time when you can experience first-hand what a superbly creative Chef, freshly inspired and working in what amounts to a homemade juggernaut of imagination and tenacity as he sets out to take your taste buds on a trek across the globe. For just $44.00 per person, you can join the Chef each and every Third Thursday as he takes you on an international journey across 7 continents with to experience his pre-fixe, sensational interpretations of some of the world's most clebrated cuisines.

Cincinnati Opera is for the kids too!

2009-07-29T19:49:00.001-07:00

On the suggestion of one of The Cincinnatian Hotel's regular guests, a strong and articulate supporter of the arts named Janet Collier, I attended the matinee performance of The Cincinnati Opera's production of Bizet's Carmen. It was my first Opera and I am proud to say it won't be my last. I am hooked.

It took me 37 years to attend my first one; and it will take my son only about 6 to attend his first. Yes, that's right. Perhaps the most exciting thing that my attendance at the opera brought to light was the realization that, in many respects, it is the perfect medium for children. No need to worry about the chronic late 20th and early 21st Century pablum of ADD and other overdiagnosed childhood development acronyms, for if you take your child to the Opera, he simply won't have the time nor the inclination to get bored. Contrary to all the rubbish that is normally cited about the Opera, it is a thoroughly entertaining medium in most every respect.

In the course of Carmen's Bizet, your child will witness, along with the tremendously powerful and sonorous singing that is the mainstay of the classical genre, several tightly choreographed dagger fights (much better than Disney's 'the Pirates of the Caribbean'), a band of marching and dancing soldiers, fighting women (between Carmen and her Clan), dueling men, running children, a loud and boisterous bullfighter with a sword jumping about from table to table singing his lungs to the rafters, as well as enough general ribaldry and merriment to make just about any kid a great and stolid admirer of his very first performance. In fact, I talked to several kids while I was there (one as young as 4) and to them it may as well have been a Disney Movie. They were truly enchanted, girls and boys alike. Well done Cincinnati Opera company. You've earned yourself another adult supporter, and dare I say a number of little ones as well.

One other thing I must mention is how refreshing it is to hear a story told with so much spirit and cleverness. A performance like Carmen is the perfect entertainment package because not only is it written and scored with so much verve and wit but, moreover, through its clever use of metaphor and language, it is accessible to the entire family on multiple levels. While the Adults may understand the seduction and seamier side of what's transpiring on the stage, the children will have no need for such distractions preferring instead the exotic and majestic 19th Century sets, the unending dancing acrobatics on the stage, and of course the "American Idol" like quality of this time "real" divas singing, without once having to wonder about the more mature subject matter the Opera explores.

So many columnists and reviewers have written about this Opera of Bizets that it hardly requires my two-cents on the subject. Nevertheless I will emphatically declare that on every level imaginable this particular performance delivers: Complete with melodies and vocal performances which thrill you to the soul, content which challenges your thinking (and is relevant for as long as love itself is relevant), and of course a stage-production that, with its wonderful sets, superb character studies, and exciting action, provides every member of the family something to enjoy, Carmen is the perfect compliment to a family outing. Important to mention also is that, with 3 intermissions, there was plenty of time to make sure you're kids could stretch and use the restroom. In short, it was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and a surefire way to get your kids interested in the arts.

The Cincinnatian Hotel Concierge - a Poem

2009-07-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Several years ago this little poem in honor of The Cincinnatian Hotel Concierge was discovered tucked away in the big, red reservation book that the the ladies have long used to record their daily observations, notes to each other, and feedback from guests which they use to cement their reputation further as the preeminent go-to gals in the city's cultural and entertainment pantheon. It is a treasure trove of wonderful Cincinnati minutia - where to eat, what to see, how to travel and when to best appreciate all of the sights, sounds, luxuries and pastimes of the Queen City. We reproduce the poem here entitled simply "The Concierge" in honor of all those marvelous women who have sat "perched" in the chair anxious to do the bidding of Cincinnatians from far and wide, whether in the city for an hour, a day or several weeks and months at a time.

Thank you to all those ladies of yesteryear (Pat Mattis, Paula McQuown, Mandy Schroder and Caitlin Halstead to only name a few) and thanks also to our current Concierge staff, Jodie and Lindsay, especially the irrepressibly kind and generous Ms. Fitz, who has been known to spread the "happy germ" everywhere she goes, for lending us her bright and cheerful visage - along with her collaborator, the class-conscious hotel mascot, Don Pigiovanni - in this ode to her honor.

The Concierge

On highback chair in lobby bare
Seated patiently upon her perch
With warm disposition fulfilling her mission
To help when you’re in a lurch

For entertainment and dinner, she is our cultural center
With ideas and recommendations to offer
And your own time do not waste, for in precious haste
She can make reservations for you and another

While in Ohio’s Southwest, put her to the test
So she may help you in all your endeavors
From weekend excursions to culinary immersions,
The Concierge – at The Cincinnatian Hotel – there is no equal nor better.

"The Date of your Life"

2009-07-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

A good relationship starts with a simple conversation – “hello, how are you, what’s your name” – and ends with a long one. A prominent philosopher even went so far as to say that marriage itself is sustained by “a long conversation.” Nothing else, he opined, is so important. One can think of many reasons why two people would wish to share their time together, but certainly it is that most basic of human activities - talking - which best explains the success of most well-founded relationships.

Therefore, since it is quite obvious to me - and a least one philosopher - that our relational happiness owes so much to conversation, I deem it imperative, also, that we start our relationships with a good foundation or, in other words, we do everything we can to make sure that the first conversation is a particularly memorable and engaging one. This is especially the case when you're single, and about to venture out on the proverbial "date of your life," , the make or break date, the occassion when you’re on the cusp of discovering if the one you’ve had an infatuation for is inclined to feel the same about you once you have "wined and dined" her. Such an evening could be life-changing or it could be as bland and forgetable as an average cup of filling-station coffee. Blah!!! It could also be any number of outcomes in between. However, if you accomplish your romantic inclination by sufficiently impressing her, there is sure to be a next time on your star-crossed horizon. If you fail, then as long as you've been a gentleman, you may take comfort in her allowing you to save face when at the end of the night she tactfully terminates your engagement by saying “sure, I’ll call you sometime.”

It’s that difference between “some” time and “next” time that is truly at stake. The latter is a guarantee, an indication of your success, the former is merely a nice way of saying “get lost.” How did this date go so abysmally, and what, please tell, can be done to prevent a similar outcome in the future? Upon posing this question to several of my friends and colleagues, I got a wide array of responses. Some of them suggested there is no way to prevent it. Dating is merely chemical. Two people are destined to enjoy each other’s company regardless of the surrounding circumstances. This particular group of people – lets’ call them the “chemistry crowd” – would expect us to believe that two people can hit it off as well in a ditch, a parking lot or an airplane hanger just as easily as they could at a restaurant, social gathering, or some other venue more conducive to conversation, or rather that the preexisting chemical hormones which ignite upon their mere glancing at each other often outglows all other existing conditions and influences.

Another faction – and I’ll simply call them the “retail crowd” – have suggested to me that dating is like shopping: You simply pluck a desired mate from the cabinet shelf just as easily as you would select the right size shirt or pair of pants from the rack; for upon these shelves rest any number of suitable mates, anyone of which could have just as equally been chosen if not for some brief emotional bout or physical sensory motivation which led to the one taking preference over all the others. This philosophy of dating would suggest that nothing matters but the preconceived notion of the partner you want, that no outside interference or influences could possibly arrest your preferences and that dating is ultimately a matter of stylistic choices, of prefabricated typecasting, if you will, whereby the only people you end up dating - and wish to date - are precisely those you already set-aside in your mind for just such a purpose. There are no surprises in this kind of dating endeavor. Fad and fashion are the substitutes for real romance. In fact, conversations - even spontanaity - are hardly relevant. You’ve chosen who you wish to date because it’s what you always thought you wanted --- nothing more, nothing less.

There is, however, a third option. Actually, there are probably several others as well; but in the short space of this blog I have only the time to hone in on one more. The third group, and the one to which I adhere, is what I call the “conversational crowd.” In other words, I believe it is the conversation - the talking - that holds the key to any truly enjoyable date or any truly successful relationship. Perhaps it is because of its potent mix of spontanaity and challenge that attracts me most to this way of viewing the exercise of dating. Let's face it. At times it’s beyond bearable to communicate. It's one of the hardest things that we as human beings do. It is particularly challenging, of course, in the dating world, when you realize that, given the rigid time-contraints of 21st century courting, the one you're seeking to attract or in whom you’ve developed an interest can only give you the one, two or three date ultimatum that has become the rule of thumb in such endeavors. I mean, really, who can date or get to know anyone when their constantly obsessed with marking off the dates on thier calender.

Certainly the first date you’re liable to be nervous, the second date you're just warming up and by the time third date has arrived, if you make it that far, you’re rushed. Hence, without a little assistance, it may just end in failure. Such a cursory “getting to know each other” policy is quite frankly an insult to any real and effective approach of human bonding. Nevertheless, we do it all the same; and we will continue do it as long as the human heart is pressed for time. So impatient are we to find success immediately, to discover Mr. or Mrs. Right Now, without delay and without effort, that often we ask ourselves within the first few minutes of a conventional encounter why I should be wasting my time with this clown when there are so many other fish in the sea?

It is a question you may have often asked yourself. The answer is simple. Because he or she just may be worth it. How do I know or, better yet, how will you know? By taking the time to do it right, you may just discover that the two of you have a lot in common. To do right by the relationship, however, one must first take care to massage the circumstances in order to cultivate a better understanding. This can be done first and foremost by picking the right venue. Sure, you could take your special somebody on the most important date of your life to a “burger biggie," and – if you’re a conversational genius – you might just succeed, the two of you, sitting in the children’s play section, sucking on a coke and devouring french fries together. On the other hand, such an outlet is unlikely to lead to very many conversational setpieces, as I like to call them; and without these, I fear, a conversation can go hurly-burly, careening off course and into oblivion, lest there is something to check and monitor its pace and direction. And when the conversation fails – mark my words – so does the relationship - and so does the date!

There is a surefire way to avoid such a disaster. In order to keep the conversation on course, my suggestion is that you that you tether it firmly to the atmospehre you wish to duplicate. By choosing a restaruant that serves its meals in courses, you tether it to the serenade of an exceedingly fine restaurant. I also think it's a good idea to choose a restaruant where each beverage you consume comes in its own special and unique glassware and where the coffee is directly served from the bean rather than the grounds. It further helps to choose a restaurant that boasts a service staff as refined as the mood of the evening you wish to evoke. Remember the more relaxed you are in your surroundings, the more relaxed you will be in conversation. Contrary to what many expect, it is in fact those restaurants offering the most uncompromising standards of service that by their very inflexibility lead to the most relaxed atmosphere. Think about it. You don’t have to do anything. Even the napkin, if you so choose, can be placed in your lap. Of course, price and location are always considerations; but these distractions should not preclude your making the right decision about a venue on the most important date of your life.

Rather you should wisely decide and forgo minor concerns for the much larger one of ambience. You can have a conversation just about anywhere; but can you have it as well as a you might where it is staged in such a manner that the courses of food, like setpieces for a dramatic series of acts, arrive at choreographed moments and at just the right intervals for your conversation to blossom and develop? The First Course (often called the Starter) supervenes just in time to arrest the lull and discomfort that can begin to creep into many pre-meal conversations once the initial introductions are over; the Second Course, impeccably timed, succeeds in displacing the 'blah, blah, blah' of typical back and forth banter with the brand new and suggestive conversational nuance that arrives once the appetizer has been replaced by something more substantial; then, an intermezzo, graciously permitting you to segue your conversation into something more appropriate to the sprightly little dish that is placed before you; next, and in the nick of time, the third course arrives, just as the obligatory, rote-recitation of one's career and hobby highlights have grown stale and are mercifully abandoned in the presence of the “Main Course.”

Here is where the real conversation begins. Both have loosened up; both have finished their first glass of wine; and both are having a good time. The first date jitters, now vanished from your demeanor as quickly and easily as the first course of food vanished from your plate, has given way to real, substantive dialogue. The fears about "what you would say, what she would think and what you would do" are no longer present to intimidate you. That firmly ensconced rule of dating etiquette, which says that a man must simultaneously wear the façade of a gentleman, while also sporting a slightly suggestive, charismatic and wanton air of danger is brushed aside for the real “devil-may-care” confidence that casually develops when two people are having a genuine, good time.

Finally, the dessert arrives just as the conversation soars. Perhaps the heavier and thoughtful morsels of conversation which accompanied the entree are now provided plumage, able to fly freely in the ethereal sentiment of the final course, traded in for the light hearted indulgences that a more comfortable and familiar relationship brings. One dessert, shared in unison, with two forks and a napkin effectively shrinks the table barrier separating the pair before to only a small and inconsequential nuisance, hardly detectable, between the connection that has inevitably settled into the couple's palette as well as their conversation. Laughing, smiling, cooing together at the divinely, delicious taste of the dish they share - there is little reason to doubt that the last course has put a triumphant capstone on an evening well spent. There will definitely be a "next" time.

For many the dating ritual is largely inexplicable, with conversational potholes and quicksand lurking beneath every phrase you utter. Moreover, to those who are playing it, the dating game can be perfectly incomprehensible, particularly when it comes to the conversation which is bound to inhabit such a large part of it. What ever are you supposed to talk about? This is left unanswered; but it doesn't have to be when the server arrives, carrying the food in his heroic arms, causing you to remember what it is exactly that you came for - the Meal! Then you have something to really talk about…as well as to share…and to remember fondly if the meal is exquisite; and hopefully, if all goes well, you will not only together have a culinary memento to cherish but also its associated memory of companionship for quite possibly the rest of your life.

So, the moral of this little blog is that if you’re going to have the “date of your life,” and the conversation to go along with it, you may as well share it with a meal. The two definitely go very well together. A great meal, in fact, is not only a good conversation starter, it can in fact turn a date around. It can hurdle it from ground zero, where nothing you say hits its intended mark, as you putter around uselessly with empty chatter and buffoonery, to somewhere far away in the furthest reaches of the conversational cosmos, where just about everything you say hits its target with unparrelled accuracy and is perceived by your date as both impressively interesting and eternally worthwhile. Here is where a meal has the potential to become a terrific pairing to the conversation. Just as the right wine is potable enough to make the finest meal taste even better, so can a meal stimulate a conversation and a conversation enhance a meal.

So which dating camp are you in? Do conversations matter? Does location? Or do you simply believe that your dating preferences are simply part and parcel of your chemistry or romantic retail decisions? For my part I always prefer to think of a successful date as a conversational possibility. I don’t know if anything feels right until it sounds right. I know further that, if given the right inspiration, and provided with the right amount of atmosphere and coaxing, a successful date is more than the byproduct of a few preexisting factors. It’s not just chemistry or retail; rather it is all of the elements that combine to bring two people closer together, perhaps prodded along by their time spent comfortably together over a fantastic meal, at a restaurant or at home, sharing a bottle of a wine, and enjoying a mutually stimulating conversation.

The right meal, prepared remarkably with sufficient care and superb skill, arriving incrementally at just the right moment, comes not only with the tacit complicity of ensuring the couple's wonderful night, but it can rally a conversation and salvage a waning night. When the right venue is selected, it can take what may otherwise have been a so-so evening and transform it into an immense pleasure, replete with consipiratorial delights. Everyone and everything is implicated in the bliss - The Chef, the server, the ambience, the lighting, the music and, of course, the conversation. Did the colluding elements conspire beforehand to organize exactly how this evening would unfold. It sure seems so. Such is the fortune of he who favors the right restaurant to host "the date of your life."

Tasting Thursdays a Cincinnati Event

2009-07-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Some come for the music, others the relaxing atmosphere; but all come for the great food and wine. A few very fortunate diners only have to walk the distance from the guest quarters of The Cincinnatian Hotel to the Palace Restaurant, descending the exquisite walnut-marble staircase, absorbing all the art and ambience prior to stepping into the dining room; while others must hop into their cars to traverse the distance between the suburbs and downtown before arriving for the tasting. Once there all agree that Thursday evening at The Cincinnatian Hotel is a fantastic and tasty feast.

Mr. and Mrs. Micheal Hahn from Greenhills had a reservation for 7:30.

"This was the first time we've been downtown to dine in years. It was well worth the trip. I heard about this from a relative. I've always wanted to come to the Palace and now on Thursdays at least its within our budget. The music was wonderful and the food was superb. I probably drank a little too much wine, though."

Ditto Mrs. Hahn. The food it turns out must have been within a lot of budgets, as the Palace was jam-packed all evening long. A two course dinner for 2 and a bottle of wine for only $60.00 at one of the last remaining fine-dining and premier restaurants in Cincinnati proved irresistible for so many of Cincinnati's fine-dining enthusiasts.

The menu is diverse and there's a little something for everybody, whether you're a pork, steak or seafood lover. There's a little something for everbody on the wine list too; but you need not worry about choosing which bottle as that has already been done for you courtesy of Maitre'd John Mclean. Not sure whether you should choose red or white? Don't worry. Mr. Mclean is officially charged with making those decisions too.

Eat, drink and be merry! Tasting Thursdays at The Palace Restaurant is also a musical event. When the food and wine is combined with the syncopated jazz rhythms of the best jazz group in town, led by the inimitable Ms. Billy Walker on Piano and the legendary Phillip Paul on drums, the evening is sure to be not only appetizing, but aurally satisfying.

If you missed it this week, don't fret, because every Third Thursday is a Tasting Thursday at the Palace Restaurant Cincinnatian. Mark your calender, and start looking forward to a weekday.

The First Cincinnatian was a Roman

2009-07-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

Admit it. You've passed him a time or two. Passed him...yes...but did you ever really look at him? Maybe you hadn't the time, preferring simply to stride by during your brisk, morning jog. Or maybe a brief, errant glance was all you could spare the old man as you escorted your unruly and impatient children to Sawyer Point for the Labor Day fireworks celebration. Could it be perhaps that the only time you ever peered at him at all was out of the corner of your eye while you made your way to the serpentine wall for a lazy afternoon picnic or riverboat excursion?

Well, you're not alone in your passive, insouciant hustle. I suspect over half the city has no clue he's even there, standing tautly at Bicentennial Commons, back straight, composure erect, just waiting for you or someone else to honor him with a moment's consideration. After all you owe him and people like him a great deal. Admitedly I didn't notice him either until several years back when I was making my way to the Tall Stacks Music Festival and came upon his bearded countenance, looking askance at the city, wearing a toga, and holding out what I thought at the time - inaccurately it turns out - to be a very "cool" weapon. He sparked my interest, and I decided to do a little investigation.

The next time you're at Sawyer point, maybe you should stop by also. If the kids are tugging at your coattails, pacify them by buying them an ice cream cone. This should allow just enough time to take a really good look at him. He's certainly worth a look. His strong and stately presence makes an immediate impact; and you are as likely to be fascinated by his bronze tan and sinewy posture as the kids are by the stylish sandals on his feet. Who is he? I'm not exactly sure what that thing in his hand is. An axe bounded in dynamite? No, it couldn't be. I've seen enough Hollywood period pieces to know what he's wearing is a toga, definitely a bit of "Roman" attire; and the Romans certainly hadn't invented explosives.

It turns out that what this Roman actually holds is a "Fasces". Never used in battle, it is rather a symbol of power and authority used in the ancient civilization to denote trust and leadership. Essentially a bundle of rods with the head of an ax projecting through it, it is actually much more than that. A Fasces bestows honor and respect on the man who wields it; and, in this instance, the man who wielded it - Cincinnatus - was heralded down through the ages as the individual who wielded it most responsibly.

So much so, in fact, that 2,500 years later a city on a yet undiscovered continent would be named in his honor. A group of army officers, calling themselves the Society of Cincinnatus, believed it most pertinent that the first major town settled in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War be named in honor of a hero that would always call to the mind the humble and unselfishly couragous contributions of great leadership in times of national crisis. Just as Cincinnatus had set aside his plow to pick up his sword to challenge the enemies of his own Roman Republic, so did the group of Soldiers in the Society of Cincinnatus leave their own farms and homes to pick up the muskets and cutlasses they used to challenge the efforts of the British to squash their own nascent Repbulic. Once done, victorious soldiers like Cincinnatus and Washington, who could have easily seized power as their milatristic spoils, rather chose instead to yield their weapons, to surrender the Fasces, and to pick back up their farming implements, returning to their fields; and forsaking power to fulfill the greater responsibility of civic virtue. The bundled ax or "fasces" was like a relay baton, granted in trust to the receiver, the ruler, and once the job was complete, surrendered in trust back to the bestower, the people.

Then, when called upon yet again, just as Washington was during the crisis of the Constitutional Convention, or Cincinnatus when he was called out of retirement to put down a second revolt, each returned to power just long enough to prove that the only power worth having is that which can be employed responsibly and used for the greater common good. Cinncinnatus, as was his lot, saved the Roman Republic twice; while Washington founded a nation and later established the theretofore unheard of precedent and peaceful transition of democratically elected power.

Both men have been lauded for their efforts, and both men have had towns named after them. You knew the story of Washington, and now you know the story of Cincinnatus.

Legend has it that Cincinnatus was plowing his fields when a Roman emissary came to him to announce the people's greater need of his service. Undaunted, Cincinnatus forsook his private interests, strode into the arena, saved his country and, upon casting away his sword, later - and more importantly - preserved the march of Civilization with his plow. To this day we have not forgot his example, or those of others like him. How can we, especially in Cincinnati, when just the mere mention of name, conjures up such a wonderful history.

His story will hopefully continue to be our story. His tale is a testament to uncomplicated courage, and self-abdication in the face of tremendous public challenges and personal temptation. It is something we can all learn from - Cincinnatian and American Citizen alike - as each of us face in our own way the many competing and often clashing responsibilities of our lives, some calling for one kind of sacrifice and some calling for another. In the end, it is the job we do in the "fields," at our jobs, in our homes, as citizens, perhaps you in the office, yard, or on the highway, me in the hotel, but all of us with the understanding that there is greater cause for doing what we do, a cause which goes beyond our personal inclinations, extending to our families, friends, co-workers, and fellow citizens, and often calling for greater public discernment.

We all have responsibilities to and for each other. Our personal freedom can only be the result of our public responsibility. This is what Cincinnatus teaches us, a lesson in citizenship; and this is further the ideal upon which the city of Cincinnati was founded. It is one of the reasons why I am very grateful to be a Cincinnatian; and why also that, although at first surprised, I was elated to discover that the first Cincinnatian, at least symbolically, was very deservedly a Roman General and citizen farmer.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reviews the Palace! Awards 5 Stars*****

2009-07-15T12:04:00.001-07:00

Have you heard the news? With bold knife and fork, Polly Campbell of The Cincinnati Enquirer has spoken out about The Palace Restaurant and its Chef, Jose Salazar, and the verdict is good! In fact, it is very good and, what is more, very affordable. The latter finding apparently came as quite a shock to Polly, as she not so delicately points out in her review. The Palace Restaurant, she exclaims, not only serves “extraordinary” food, which is particularly notable for its “honest, unmasked flavors” but it does so at a bargain price. You can read Polly’s full 5-Star review by clicking here.

To be sure this doesn’t change the fact that The Palace Restaurant Cincinnatian remains one of the most unique and eclectic fine-dining establishments in the city, serving cuisine that, while some may stubbornly continue to associate only with towns of heftier culinary credentials, such as New York or Chicago, nevertheless can be found right here in Cincinnati, Ohio. Although Cincinnati is much better known perhaps for goetta rather than foie gras, or lightly-spiced chili poured over spaghetti rather than spicy-beef carpaccio served alongside brioche, all of these flavors and options are now available to the people, casual diners and "foodies" of the Queen City.

In fact, the fine-dining scene is very much alive in the Queen City, and I dare say anyone who thinks otherwise should come downtown, taste for themselves, and see exactly what Polly Campbell is talking about. Now is the time to experience some of the best food in the city (the cuisine of Chef Jose Salazar and Pastry Chef Summer Genetti) in a landmark Cincinnati venue which, although heretofore may have left you pondering your budget a little more than you bargained for, is offering simply one of the best dining deals in the city.

Better yet, why not make a night of it? If you’re heading out to a show, stop by the Palace Restaurant beforehand to partake of Chef Salazar’s menu, and the Cricket Lounge afterwards with your ticket stub and receive a half-price dessert. Then judge for yourself – become the food critic - and report back here what you thought of Jose’s meal and Summer’s confections. Write your own review and I just may post it.

The bottom line is that for those who truly wish to savor it, a fantastic and memorable fine-dining experience can still be had in Cincinnati, one reminiscent we hope of the very fine culinary traditions that have long been a part of our town, and for which all of us at
the Palace Restaurant Cincinnatian take extra-special pride in providing for both our guests as well as our fellow Cincinnatians.

Feel free to contact me here if you’re interested, and I will make your reservation myself; or check with John Mclean, our Maitre'D, and he too will make sure to get you in. It’s nice to know about all the wonderful things Polly Campbell thinks about the Palace Restaurant; but we would love even more to know what you think.

The Cincinnatian Hotel Story - Our Hospitality Promise

2009-07-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it is simply owing to our name; or maybe it is a result of our proud history as one of the oldest and preeminent structures in the city of Cincinnati's formidable architectural past; or likely it's because of the awesome responsibility we feel as both the namesake hotel of the city as well as the eldest member in a close-knit fraternity of only a handful of downtown Cincinnati Hotels that obliges us to take our role as a gracious host and symbol of the town affectionately known as "the Queen City" very seriously. It has been a cheerful legacy and a pastime, as legions of former and current Cincinnatian Hotel employees and guests will attest, we have fully embraced.

But rather than take my word for it, consider the following from one our guests. In the 1891 Postcard shown here, two Cincinnatian Hotel guests certainly do take pride in their stay, dutifully marking for their loved ones back home the room in which they stayed well over a century ago. The text, scribbled but still legible, reads "Our room is where I made the mark." The Postcard itself reads the "Palace Hotel, Cincinnati, O," the original name of our establishment and the one affixed to our fine-dining restaurant upon our changing names to The Cincinnatian in 1951. It was only appropriate that we adopt a name for our hotel then as well as for our restaurant now that suitably fits the "Queen city" in which she resides. Ask yourself. What does a Queen already possessed of so much really need? Why, a Palace, of course. And the service and cuisine you receive in the Palace Restaurant today is we hope nothing short of palatial.

We have long had a saying at The Cincinnatian. It is a play on words, partly tongue-in-cheek but completely heartfelt, intended to encapsulate the superior and proudly uncompromising service tradition of our hospitality staff: While others elsewhere may fret about 'making mountains out of molehills,' here at The Cincinnatian we have long specialized in 'turning molehills into mountains,' that is, nothing shall be considered too trivial or too minor to escape the attention and oversight of our staff. At The Cincinnatian, in other words, we have a considerable amount of scruples. Some might even contend - and a few have - that we are overscrupolous. Afterall, we tend to make a 'Big' deal out of very 'small' things. No matter how tiny or seemingly paltry the matter, leave a guest's wishes unattended to or a guest's concerns unremedied here, and as a consequence we feel as if we have squandered just that mere portion of our reputation that is necessary to bring that particular guest back.

Over the years much has been made of our scrupulosity; and it is with no little fanfare that we wish to confess it forthrightly. Certainly our primary purpose for existing and the reason for our success has always been our commitment in providing every Cincinnatian Hotel guest and visitor to Cincinnati the luxurious accomodations, comfortable ambiance, and impeccable service each of them expects and deserves. To do anything short of that has always been considered in our estimation a failure.

We are proud to be who we are and to serve who we have served. For over 127 years, we have welcomed and served innumerable visitors to Cincinnati, among them actors, authors, artists, and other cultural luminaries, as well as businessmen, tourists, newlyweds, politicians and Presidents (from all three centuries). President Garfield had a special menu dedicated in his honor upon his death in the 1880's while President Ronald Reagan was the first to officially dedicate our Emery Presidential Suite when he arrived here several times in the 1980's.

We realize also that, upon taking leave of our town, the hotel a visitor chooses to stay at will, for better or worse, remain the most palpable presence in their memories of Cincinnati. Therefore it is without exception that we continue to take every measure we can to ensure that such a visitor leaves wholly satisfied that their time and resources have been well spent. It is a vocation as much as it is an occupation to make sure that, whenever possible, every whimsy and desire of our guests is fully satisfied and that we assist them heartily in churning out the best of all possible experiences during their time in Cincinnati. You can call that our Hospitality Promise and we don't take it lightly.

The goal of this blog is to further fulfill that promise, to report on the past and present traveling experiences of those guests traveling to Cincinnati, staying at The Cincinnatian Hotel and partaking of the many opportunities and experiences that our great midwestern town has to offer. In doing so we hope to bring you insight, news, interesting artifacts from our past - and from the city's past - as well as timely anecdotes of what's going on in and around Cincinnati presently. As such we will report on anything our current and future guests may wish to know about, and we invite your comments and suggestions to help us in this endeavor. This blog will certainly celebrate our own establishment, as there is a lot worth celebrating, including our history, sundry accomodations and, of course, our well-respected fine-dining heritage; but it will not stop there.

Our Concierge team will gladly respond to your questions and concerns about anything you wish to know about the events happening in the Queen City; and we will thank you for your questions and give you credit for anything you assist us with on this blog. We look forward to talking to you further and hopefully meeting you in the lobby of our hotel very soon. In the meantime, we invite you back each and every week to see what's coming up, what's going on and what's new at The Cincinnatian Hotel, the Palace Restaurant, the Cricket Lounge, and the city of Cincinnati.