They say absence only makes the heart grow fonder and perhaps its true, perhaps the absence of a thing allows us to sweep its negatives somewhere into the recesses of our mind and bask in its warm glow. Of course in time we miss it and are drawn back to it even more enamored. For me there are only three real things that fulfill this odd void in my heart (excluding of course my beloved dog Toby); travel, writing, and history.
Going out into the world, seeing it and experiencing it first hand, meeting the people that reside there and learning all the funny, simple, romantic, and everyday things both link us together and demonstrate our differences. Understanding whats brought us and other peoples around the world to this point in time and what from our past will inevitably drive us forward....or backward as the case maybe. And of course the inexpressible feeling of trying to pass on what you've seen and heard in all its variety to someone else in the hopes that it will carry on in some form or another. That it will help enlighten and mean something to others even if its only a fraction of what its meant to you.
And its been these things that have been contributing to my absence lately as i wrestled with the underlying knowledge of who i am, my passions, and my current profession and course in life. Now don't get me wrong I enjoy my job, its a great job and i am lucky to have it...and i love Cincinnati, in all its paradoxes (paradoxi, pardoxs, paradi?). Because for all its outward homogeny there is diversity, and for all its timelessness there is change. Perhaps its always been that way laden beneath the surface or perhaps you just have to dig in a little to find it but its there. And yet i miss waking up in a foreign place, uncertainty and adventure just outside a door or tent vestibule, be it in a new city or lost in the wilderness. I miss digging up new history and seeing things older then men can ever really comprehend. So despite a bevy of activity, new and old friends, i have been hesitant to write anything lately while i cleared my head. Ironically it was writing that finally let me do it. I figured out who i ought to be by remembering who i am and getting out there.
So wheres that led me? Well right now im sitting in a ratty green leather chair in my hotel lobby at Whistler Blackcomb, thumbing through a copy of the Adventure's Handbook and the History of the World in Eight Glasses, a couple of my favorite books to read while traveling due to their knowledgeable but light hearted nature. James, an old friend from college, has largely stolen my copy of Nasty Bits and Chris (who was coerced from his lovely wife under the promise of beer and great skiing) is insanely scanning over my terrain map and our notes for earlier in the day. Back country skiing is somewhat more challenging then you would expect, or at least then i expected when i first ventured off the beaten path and began to learn about snow stratigraphy, pack densities, topographical elevations and the roles that weather shifts play in them...and still later we will head out to a local watering hole Chris found here last year. I have made him swear two things to me about this place over Guinness (works like a Bible for us of Irish ancestry), one that it is off the beaten path and filled with locals we can hang out with (as well as pump for info on the best routes) and two that there is decent beer...in all honesty after a long day on the slopes (and probably anywhere...this is a great end to the day). And shortly i will have to regurgitate the unbelievable beauty that is whistler, the unbelievable terrain and the amazing sights. But for now i am focused on this...understanding where i am headed and where i should be. Needless to say that more permanent changes are on the horizon then just a weekend jaunt to a skiing whole with some old friends, just how big has yet to be determined but hopefully big and for the better. At the end of the month i am going to visit Jon in DC and who knows where in April...we shall see...but onward i go chasing a path that is still cloudy before me, fraught with peril, certainly difficult (especially compared to now), and infinitely more challenging...but whose life isn't, who that wondered about the world and greatness didn't have that before them...and most importantly if its what will give me a good feeling out of life shouldn't i try?...Perhaps that's the real adventure of life, the real challenge, simply finding the life for you and seeing where it takes you in a world so complex and fraught with hardship. Oh well enough contemplation I am off to grab these two chuckle heads and run off to dinner. Have fun...
(Sorry for grammar and spelling...posted via cell)
Friday, March 7, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Sushi, Snow, and Saki
It fell gently to earth, no more aggressive than an individual drop of water can be, but combined they are referred to as the white death, and they can bring joy to children, frustration to adults, and paralyze a city. The snow and ice fell on Cincinnati last night and like most people I went directly home, battling a skidding car, slush, and an over crowded highway to get there and even while new casters reported from the bridge about how terrible the roads were and advised us to remain indoors, I knew I was headed back out. After quickly walking the dog I bundled up and headed over to Newport on the Levee, a large happy hour had been planned and everyone was supposed to meet at AOI and while most people had canceled I can honestly say I wasn’t about to let a little snow stop me even if it meant dining alone.
Much to my shock however I wasn’t alone when I walked through the doors of the empty sushi bar, I was greeted warmly (all be it somewhat annoyed at my tardiness) by Amy. Amy has appeared in the blog before, largely a friend of Jenn’s she is most notably referred to as the pool shark who whiffed on my table a few weeks back. It turns out that she’s as crazy as me and had braved the snow in the hopes of a good meal and some saki, which is a welcome surprise and provided me the most insight into her character to date, as she is highly complex and intentionally mysterious. Sitting down to dinner the staff seemed relieved to have someone come in but slightly annoyed they had to go back to work, regardless the service was excellent and the meal was wonderful.
While the city froze we drank saki for the sake of it, and in that I think captures my favorite part of the evening, that some people just can’t be deterred and the promise of a good time with friends are their own siren call. Or at least they always have been for me. Bidding my new friend adieu we quietly walked out into the snow and ice, she had driven actually and was able to make it home over the course of an hour without a problem…I however had actually taken a cab in the hopes of staying off the roads. Funny thing about snow storms they tend to cause the cabs to quit running, so there I am standing at the foot of the Purple Bridge already knowing what I am going to do (having secretly wanted to since I hopped in the cab to go to AOI in the first place) but calling cab companies to check. After two quick dials I smiled widely and did an about face to head across the bridge.
Walking home was great, while the snow was terrible for cars it doesn’t affect foot travel much and couldn’t compare to some of the storms I have come across while hiking or skiing out west. The city looked amazing coved in snow and quietly disserted, with the rare exception of someone salting a side walk or pushing a snow blower through fountain square I was alone in the city. I took some pictures on my way home but coming from a cell phone camera they hardly do it justice, I debated taking some video but frowned on it as nothing could really express the tranquil nature of the Queen City in snow and the exciting rush of sliding down embankments, scrambling up sidewalks, and leaving the sole track I saw across the bridge, around the stadium, and up until I reached Fountain Square where several people had made there way to get drinks and photograph the white haze. I laughed as I passed businessmen still in their suit coats fresh from Rock Bottom intentionally slide past the fountain and debate hoping onto the ice rink and smiled warmly as a guy helped his girlfriend walk down the stairs to a cleared off portion of the side walk.
Nights like that tend to restore my faith in mankind and wipe away the cynicism. I only wish that I could have conveyed it to you appropriately, the combination of peace and adventure, the everyday and unique, the fun and the effort, sadly I only think that music would have done the job and my guitar strings are broken. So think back to the last time you had a good hike in nice scenery and drop that in the middle of downtown, that about sums it up. Tonight I am off again to meet some people and have fun undeterred by the threat of more ice, so have fun Cincinnati, and remember that 90% of our lives and choices are simply whether to show up or not.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Black Dog Blog Pub Review: Palomino
As I ascend the elevator and walk through the entry way I am greeted with the distinctly division of a modern bar from an upscale restaurant and the heart warmingly familiar sight of visiting families, dinner dates, businessmen and locals drinking and dining together. I speak of course of the Fountain Square staple Palomino’s. So what you may ask would make someone such as myself, a lover of the path less traveled and local bar coinsurer, choose Palomino’s as his second bar review? Four delectable words; Happy Hour and Broomball. The Palomino’s happy hour has been mentioned various times before on this blog and considering my repeated patronage lately I felt it was worth note, especially when teamed up with the always entertaining Fountain Square Broomball League.
Located on Fountain Square ambiance is never lacking and with easy access to the Aronoff, the ballpark, upscale shopping, and a number of other bars there is certainly no lack of entertainment within walking distance. And of course there is Broomball, a wonderful sport where athletes run about on an ice rink (sans ice skates) in an attempt to knock a small ball into a goal with aluminum or wooden stick and a triangular head called a broom. As near as anyone can tell the modern incarnation of this sport was concocted in Canada and New England in the early 1900’s on college campuses, and yes historical records show that there may have been an incarnation of this game dating as far back as the 10th century. But lets be honest about the modern incarnation of this sport, it had to come from some university somewhere because only a drunk college student would think that it was a good idea to try and run around on an ice rink with a wooden stick swinging wildly while wearing little to no padding. And this is exactly how I was baptized into the sport so long ago at Miami University which has had functioning broomball leagues for over 10 years, so its not surprising that when I found out games were being played in Fountain Square I immediately adapted my schedule to view the games. And this is where Palomino’s truly benefits as it clearly has the best view of the rink from its bar and window tables. The décor is of course excellent but frankly reminiscent of any other nice restaurant in the United States, and while impressive in this fashion is hardly striking in my mind. So for the atmosphere I have to give it a four out of five pints, as you can look out over Fountain Square and see everything from Oktoberfest to Broomball tournaments, as well as, people watch as tourists and business mix in the city center.
But as the title says this isn’t really a restaurant review, it’s a Pub Review so moving on to the bar area…but actually moving is the problem. While nicely decorated and with plenty of tables to sit your drink on the bar area is hardly spacious and during my last visit, while sitting next to the window with a group of five we were asked to scoot in at least three times for waitresses and bar stewards to get by. To a certain extent I expect this with a group trying to cram against a window and around a table designed for three but that’s another part of the problem the area simply cannot accommodate larger groups anywhere but directly against the bar or at one of its elongated tables making a real happy hour out somewhat difficult. So for the bar I have got to give it only a two out of five, not horrible but not a place I am kicking off a high class bar tour.
Now to the heart of the matter on this post, the beer (and in this case the drinks). I did my typical sampling of drinks when I decided to use Palomino during my review. So I started with a Guinness, served cooler then need be it was still excellently poured with a nice head and went down smoothly. I decided to follow this up with a simple combo punch asking for a black and tan made with a pour spoon (something any decent bar tender should be able to manage) and while the waitress didn’t seem to understand what the pour spoon was and frankly looked at me like a mad man placed the seemingly custom order without hesitation. Watching from my perch in the corner I saw the bar tender laugh and look in my direction at which point he held up a pour spoon in his hand and waved it at me….this guy knew what he was doing…and shortly there after I was presented with one of the best black in tans I have ever had. It was excellently poured with a fine and clear distinction. There was no blundering through or blending of these two beers, he presented me with a quality black and tan without question and despite my overly anal request to use a pour spoon in his own clear way expressed his mastery of his art. Given this experience you would think there is little more I could ask, but it was at this point that my friend asked me a terrible question, “Hey Augustus what’s a Caipirinha?” I shuddered before explaining that the caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil and made with lime, sugar, and a specialty liquour called Cachaça. I first came into contact with the drink through my best friend and brother Rudy, who was born in San Paulo Brazil and exposed it to me for the sheer purpose of his own amusement in watching me get drunk while on vacation. So always loving a good drink and in the wake of that excellent black and tan I order a Caipirinha in the hopes it would receive the same treatment. Unfortunatly it came off a little a strong and wasn’t quite blended right, but a true caipirinha is hard to make and in Brazil is considered an art so I cut the bar tender a little slack. So for the beer review I have to give it a five out of five for the quality of beer but place an astric on it that the mixed drinks can be flawed. As for the beer selection it was better then a standard restraunt with several imports and a decent selection of domestics but was still limited so I have to give it a three out of five.
Now this leads me inevitable to both price and food, while normally fairly high priced to meet the décor and objective of the resteraunt the happy hour pricing and menu is excellent. With all draft beers at three dollars, including imports such as Guiness, and dinner sized pizzas at five I have to say that it is a bargin, especially considering the duration of the happy hour with lasts from three to seven. Add in apetizers and mix drink specials and Palomino easily earns a five out of five for price, especially considering I have paid more for a meal at my beloved Sully’s. The food was excellent, I tried two different kinds of pizzas on special and was amazed at the quality and quanity for the price, so the food gets a four out of five, only losing a point because its based largely on its happy hour menu and the full menu I still find somewhat lacking in originality.
This just leaves us with service, in the past few times I have been there the service has been excellent, friendly and attentive. Only once did I have a bad experience when a server was blatently rude to my friend and I, however she wasn’t out serve and was still checking in to make sure we were taken care of so I am willing to excuse her attitude and give a five out of five for service.
So in total, considering atmosphere, price, service, the bar, beer quality and selection I would have to give Palomino a four out of five. I will admit I was on the line with dropping it to a three and a half but this is a glass half full operation so we will round up and go for the full four pints. Finally I want to offer a word of urgency in saying that the end of the broomball season is fast approaching so you may want to check it out quickly. Additional info on the broomball season can be found at http://www.cinweekly.com/ under the events calender or http://www.myfountainsquare.com/. Now if you have stayed tuned through that whole ordeal feel free to check out the updated links on the side for some great blogs, the beer of the month homepage, or Proposition 317 which would make Saint Pats a national holiday and as always HAVE FUN!
Located on Fountain Square ambiance is never lacking and with easy access to the Aronoff, the ballpark, upscale shopping, and a number of other bars there is certainly no lack of entertainment within walking distance. And of course there is Broomball, a wonderful sport where athletes run about on an ice rink (sans ice skates) in an attempt to knock a small ball into a goal with aluminum or wooden stick and a triangular head called a broom. As near as anyone can tell the modern incarnation of this sport was concocted in Canada and New England in the early 1900’s on college campuses, and yes historical records show that there may have been an incarnation of this game dating as far back as the 10th century. But lets be honest about the modern incarnation of this sport, it had to come from some university somewhere because only a drunk college student would think that it was a good idea to try and run around on an ice rink with a wooden stick swinging wildly while wearing little to no padding. And this is exactly how I was baptized into the sport so long ago at Miami University which has had functioning broomball leagues for over 10 years, so its not surprising that when I found out games were being played in Fountain Square I immediately adapted my schedule to view the games. And this is where Palomino’s truly benefits as it clearly has the best view of the rink from its bar and window tables. The décor is of course excellent but frankly reminiscent of any other nice restaurant in the United States, and while impressive in this fashion is hardly striking in my mind. So for the atmosphere I have to give it a four out of five pints, as you can look out over Fountain Square and see everything from Oktoberfest to Broomball tournaments, as well as, people watch as tourists and business mix in the city center.
But as the title says this isn’t really a restaurant review, it’s a Pub Review so moving on to the bar area…but actually moving is the problem. While nicely decorated and with plenty of tables to sit your drink on the bar area is hardly spacious and during my last visit, while sitting next to the window with a group of five we were asked to scoot in at least three times for waitresses and bar stewards to get by. To a certain extent I expect this with a group trying to cram against a window and around a table designed for three but that’s another part of the problem the area simply cannot accommodate larger groups anywhere but directly against the bar or at one of its elongated tables making a real happy hour out somewhat difficult. So for the bar I have got to give it only a two out of five, not horrible but not a place I am kicking off a high class bar tour.
Now to the heart of the matter on this post, the beer (and in this case the drinks). I did my typical sampling of drinks when I decided to use Palomino during my review. So I started with a Guinness, served cooler then need be it was still excellently poured with a nice head and went down smoothly. I decided to follow this up with a simple combo punch asking for a black and tan made with a pour spoon (something any decent bar tender should be able to manage) and while the waitress didn’t seem to understand what the pour spoon was and frankly looked at me like a mad man placed the seemingly custom order without hesitation. Watching from my perch in the corner I saw the bar tender laugh and look in my direction at which point he held up a pour spoon in his hand and waved it at me….this guy knew what he was doing…and shortly there after I was presented with one of the best black in tans I have ever had. It was excellently poured with a fine and clear distinction. There was no blundering through or blending of these two beers, he presented me with a quality black and tan without question and despite my overly anal request to use a pour spoon in his own clear way expressed his mastery of his art. Given this experience you would think there is little more I could ask, but it was at this point that my friend asked me a terrible question, “Hey Augustus what’s a Caipirinha?” I shuddered before explaining that the caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil and made with lime, sugar, and a specialty liquour called Cachaça. I first came into contact with the drink through my best friend and brother Rudy, who was born in San Paulo Brazil and exposed it to me for the sheer purpose of his own amusement in watching me get drunk while on vacation. So always loving a good drink and in the wake of that excellent black and tan I order a Caipirinha in the hopes it would receive the same treatment. Unfortunatly it came off a little a strong and wasn’t quite blended right, but a true caipirinha is hard to make and in Brazil is considered an art so I cut the bar tender a little slack. So for the beer review I have to give it a five out of five for the quality of beer but place an astric on it that the mixed drinks can be flawed. As for the beer selection it was better then a standard restraunt with several imports and a decent selection of domestics but was still limited so I have to give it a three out of five.
Now this leads me inevitable to both price and food, while normally fairly high priced to meet the décor and objective of the resteraunt the happy hour pricing and menu is excellent. With all draft beers at three dollars, including imports such as Guiness, and dinner sized pizzas at five I have to say that it is a bargin, especially considering the duration of the happy hour with lasts from three to seven. Add in apetizers and mix drink specials and Palomino easily earns a five out of five for price, especially considering I have paid more for a meal at my beloved Sully’s. The food was excellent, I tried two different kinds of pizzas on special and was amazed at the quality and quanity for the price, so the food gets a four out of five, only losing a point because its based largely on its happy hour menu and the full menu I still find somewhat lacking in originality.
This just leaves us with service, in the past few times I have been there the service has been excellent, friendly and attentive. Only once did I have a bad experience when a server was blatently rude to my friend and I, however she wasn’t out serve and was still checking in to make sure we were taken care of so I am willing to excuse her attitude and give a five out of five for service.
So in total, considering atmosphere, price, service, the bar, beer quality and selection I would have to give Palomino a four out of five. I will admit I was on the line with dropping it to a three and a half but this is a glass half full operation so we will round up and go for the full four pints. Finally I want to offer a word of urgency in saying that the end of the broomball season is fast approaching so you may want to check it out quickly. Additional info on the broomball season can be found at http://www.cinweekly.com/ under the events calender or http://www.myfountainsquare.com/. Now if you have stayed tuned through that whole ordeal feel free to check out the updated links on the side for some great blogs, the beer of the month homepage, or Proposition 317 which would make Saint Pats a national holiday and as always HAVE FUN!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Sleep deprivation rocks
Sleep, the last bastion of the weary mind, and basically what I have been doing for the past two days. After what can only be described as a pretty wild weekend I spent Sunday and Monday nights passing out on my couch after about ten o clock, apparently the average human can only go so far without sleep (and i dont normally go to bed till 2-3am)…who knew? Regardless, Friday was a blast as my friends and I traveled back to Hyde Park (at the bequest of my friend Pater) to visit RP Murphy’s, the Pub and a smaller Irish (/English) bars for the Great Guinness Toast. I have always been a fan of a good pub, hardly something I have hidden, and convincing some of these guys to drink Guinness made the drive to Hyde Park easily worth it. The toast was a lot of fun, and hopefully you were able to participate. One awkward moment was when I was interrupted by a girl who I had met before on a few occasions but had totally forgotten, possibly one of the most awkward moments someone can have. After being reminded of how I knew her we made small talk for a while before my friends and I left for the Pub where we proceeded to spend the rest of the night. Saturday was spent like most lazy days off, playing pool, walking the dog, watching soccer and hanging out. Saturday night however I took Emily out to eat before we came back to my place to hang out. Sunday Jenn and I went to see Fools Gold, which is honestly pretty funny and reminds me a lot of Romancing the Stone with Michael Douglas (that reference dates me somewhat). Most of the movies redeeming qualities come from the chemistry between Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, as well as, Donald Sutherland’s performance, which seemed to simply be a reflection of his character on Dirty Sexy Money. After the movie I came back to my place with a full intention of writing up my typical weekend review post and throwing it up on the website with a clever link. Instead I took the dog out came back in and went to sleep on my couch till 6am, Monday was the same. Seems like I always rush to recover after getting sick and inevitably about a week later I am exhausted…the cost of living but oh well. Good weekend and having accomplished quite a bit I don’t feel too bad about the late post. I will say that later tonight I will be posting the second bar review of the month, so check that out and as always have fun!
Monday, February 18, 2008
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