China Moon - a Full Moon of Value

Given our troubled economic times, it doesn’t hurt to curb our eating out expense to some degree. A perfect time for that is at lunch – that hurried meal offering all too brief a respite from a work world of expanding responsibilities and diminishing resources. Those glory days of relaxing two martini lunches are nothing but vague memories somewhat rekindled by viewing the occasional an episode of Mad Men.

The chain food industry response to the downturn has been to offer us so called value meals of fat laden crap and position it as us making an astute decision to participate. “You don’t need a raise, you need more money”. Do I really want two Whoppers for $3.00? Thank you, but I’d rather take the extra money and apply it to more sound culinary choices.

Fantasies of a raise aside, decent bargain lunches are really out there if you look around. Case in point is China Moon, a small strip center Chinese restaurant on Hunt Road in Blue Ash. Yea, yea I know. I’ve made many disparaging comments about Chinese food in the past, but those were mostly aimed at the ethnic food disaster known as the buffet – it may not be good, but you can eat all you want. That is a very dangerous piece of logic.

The China Moon is no buffet, just a small no frills restaurant beside a dry cleaner that dishes out fresh, hot and satisfying food on the cheap; $4.50 to $4.95 for a full meal cheap. Keep in mind that there is cheap Chinese and cheap & tasty Chinese. China Moon is clearly the latter. Their 21 item lunch menu has plenty of selection and also includes your choice of three different soups or the ubiquitous egg roll. You order at the counter, help yourself to water or hot tea then take a seat. If you ordered soup, they will bring that out in advance of the meal. Later, your steaming “made fresh for you” entree will arrive in its very own sectional Styrofoam plate with plastic fork. Trust me, scatter the huge steaming serving across the plate and let it cool down, even an avid piping hot coffee drinker like Hound needs to respect the temperature of this meal. Al Gore is considering sanctions for their part in global warming.

This day, I opted for Kung Pao chicken, extra spicy please, and the hot & sour soup. Not long after helping myself to the hot tea and choosing a table, the hot & sour soup arrives. It is thick, hot, full of tofu, egg and bamboo shoots and piquant from the amount of white pepper - one of the better cups that I have had in quite a long time. The Kung Pao chicken arrived somewhat later and was a huge serving brimming with onions, carrots, peanuts, green peppers, water chestnuts, celery, baby corn and a surprising amount of moist stir fried chicken. I immediately spread it out across the plate in ritualistic fashion knowing that this is indeed a requisite before actual consumption may commence. As always, the veggies are fresh and crisp, the chicken tender and the sauce is thick and somewhat spicy but not overly thick and gelatinous which is often unfortunately the case with Chinese food. Eat like a king for $4.95? Well, not exactly, but it is pretty damn good.

Place your order at the counter

Thick, rich Hot & Sour soup

Kung Pao Chicken, heavy on the Pao please

Are they trying to discourage employee from taking a break?

Bottom line, this is some very fresh tasting Chinese food for the money. Weighing the attributes of value and quality, this wins a four paw rating (out of 5) for bargain food.

China Moon Restaurant

4171 Hunt Road, Blue Ash

Bouquet - a quick bite review

Nicole - another special feature at Bouquet
Until Saturday night, Hound hadn’t been to Bouquet in at least six months. So, the question on my mind now is “why the hell did I wait so long?”. Bouquet is one of those quiet gems tucked away in an unassuming storefront in Covington’s Mainstrasse. Former home to a florist shop, their culinary preparations are now the things of beauty being created here. Attractive to the eye and delectable to the palate. Try that with a dozen long stem roses.

Bouquet is really a combination of a restaurant and wine tasting lounge, with an extensive wine list to back that positioning. The front portion of the restaurant is dedicated to a large wooden bar for wine tasting while the rear is arranged into seating areas that can be combined to accommodate most any size group. Conversation is easy while the light jazz from the sound system sets the mood.

Beer in a wine bar? Couldn't find a wine that
had the word bourbon in it

The dining menu is small, divided into an appetizer / small plate section and another of dinner size entrees. Hound decided that variety was the order of the evening and focused his attention on the small plates menu. After much deliberation, I decided upon the Charcuterie platter, a romaine salad with spiced pecans and a cup of their homemade beef vegetable soup. Yes, I could go into exhausting detail on the ingredients and preparation of each item, but suffice it to say that each dish was a beauty to behold and a pleasure to consume. However, I will note that I could have devoured at least a pound of the hauntingly delicious prosciutto from the Charcuterie platter. Others at the table focused more on the entrees. Rave reviews were uttered between bites of the farm raised Chilean sea bass and the salmon neatly perched on a bed of potatoes and asparagus.

Charcuterie Platter

Split order of Sea Bass

Salmon EntreeBread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Individual Apple Pie

The dessert menu was an equally difficult decision, with the New Orleans bread pudding with bourbon sauce and the individual apple pie with vanilla ice cream ultimately being chosen. Yea, you guessed it; Hound fell for the bourbon sauce. Each was the perfect ending to a very enjoyable meal.

In total, this is one of Hound’s favorite places to dine: a rotating seasonal menu, unique nightly specials, intriguing variety of small plates, a calm ambiance easy for conversation all coupled with a “welcome to our home” style of service so graciously provided by Nicole. Bouquet wins Hound’s first ever five paw rating.

Five Paws

So, you think you know good BBQ, huh?

On the surface, barbecue is nothing more than tender, slowly smoked meat. Pretty simple, right? Well, not really. I’ve been an avid BBQ junkie for about 25 years now and am constantly amazed at what people think is good barbecue. How often have you taken someone’s advice and followed up on their barbecue restaurant recommendations? Admit it, you’ve been there and it’s often a very perplexing situation. Was the restaurant having an off day? Is it me? Does my friend have no idea WTF they are talking about?

Technical definitions and personal preference aside, what is good barbecue? Somewhat seriously, somewhat jokingly: if you like it, its good barbecue. Just don’t expect everyone to agree with you though. Over the years, I have grown to appreciate that BBQ is much more than technique and taste. It is experience, culture, memories, expectation and history all twisted up into one irrational ball. Yea, that’s the BBQ I like.

Case in point, Hound and Lefty were in Owensboro, KY to judge at a barbecue competition and decided to sample some of the famous local cuisine the night before the competition. Many of the locals say if you want good barbecue and a great buffet, go to Moonlight BBQ. However, if you want better barbecue, go to Old Hickory. Sold! Old Hickory it is.

You could smell wood smoke before you got there, the parking lot was full or cars and trucks representing all socioeconomic statuses, people were walking out with sauce on their shirts, big stacks of napkins adorned the tables, the waitress called you honey – all the telltale signs were looking good! I ordered the combo platter: chopped pork, pork ribs and mutton. My heaping plate arrived and I enthusiastically dug in. You call this crap barbecue I snorted to Lefty, my breath still heavy with Woodford Reserve from the pre-dinner planning session back at the hotel. It is to these folks, he replied.

As much as I hate to admit it, he had a very valid point. This was their style of barbecue: over cooked, over sauced, chopped to mush; just the way they grew up liking it. Who is this transplanted southern hound turned Midwest Yankee to tell them any different?

While most entries in a barbecue competition share many commonalities (they have morphed into the taste category of “Competition BBQ”) and lend themselves to critical review, restaurant BBQ is unique unto itself. If you have tasted one, you’ve tasted one. Sure, you’ll get dominant regional styles, but there will be a pretty wide degree of latitude between the individual interpretations of that style in search of uniqueness. Pretty much like a community of churches: one dominant religion with a few variations of that theme, a few fanatic splinter groups and a few completely different religions targeting those of a different mindset. So, good brothers and sisters, which is the true righteous path? Follow He that only serves sauce on the side.

The Green Dog Cafe

Fresh, local, high quality foods served in an environmentally conscious manner in a stylish yet simple setting. Hound understands what they are doing, but there are a few aspects of this restaurant that require a mental shift that may take a little time to get used to.



First and foremost is the walk-up ordering. This just seems odd for a “nice restaurant” where menu items greatly exceed the price and quality of the $5 foot long style of ordering. Further, put some newbies in the line and a single order can be a lengthy proposition. Part of the dining experience itself usually entails sitting with your companion, chatting about the food, sipping a beverage of choice and then sealing the deal with an order. Hound felt a little cheated on the totality of his dining experience.

Another shift is that of expectation. Fresh, organic ingredients, locally renowned chef-owner, trendy surroundings and location – you are primed for an over-the-top culinary experience. Well, not exactly. The sad truth is that quality, good for you food is not necessarily that much, if any, better tasting. Case in point was my roast turkey sandwich. Quality, locally sourced ingredients all the way, but overcooked hard bacon and dry turkey less than delights the palate. The famous Brown / Green Dog fries? Oily and limp. The great Thai sweet chile sauce to dip them in? Replaced by some funky homemade banana laced ketchup. The addictive curry mayo? Yea baby, it’s still there!

Even with these “only Hound’s opinion” shortcomings, I still expect that the Green Dog will sharpen its customer experience and fine tune their menu offerings. However, for now, Hound has to go with three paws out of five.

State Sandwich of West Virginia?

You don’t need to be in West Virginia very long to meet the pepperoni roll. They are everywhere. Bakeries, supermarkets, gas stations, pubs, church bazaars or tailgating before the big WVU game, they have infiltrated the very social fabric of the state.

What are they? Simple, rolls that are filled with pepperoni. Easy answer, but the story goes much deeper.

Rather than have Hound provide a lame account of the pepperoni roll without doing it the true justice it deserves, the New York Times has been kind enough to provide this hard hitting expose of West Virginia and its beloved pepperoni roll. Yea, Hound still makes them.

Read the full story at the New York Times, you will be glad you did. You know, human interest stuff for foodies.

Pepperoni Roll: Exposed!

Chicago Comes to Cincinnati?

Thin crust, thick crust, rustica, deep dish or pan – Hound likes them all. Pizza is just one of those foods you can’t help but like. Start with a nice dough then add just about anything you want to include on top, or even within. This makes pizza the ultimate in custom food. Most every pizzeria has at least “pretty good” pizza – you are hungry, you can eat it. Moving up the scale, there is good pizza and great pizza – and this is where the field dramatically narrows.

Always willing to try new places, several of us recently made a lunch trip to Kenwood to try Chi-nnati’s Pizza, a hybrid name symbolizing Chicago style food mixed with some nods to Cincinnati. Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted at the door and shown to our table. Wow, this is a big place and boy is it empty. Hopefully, Kenwoodians just don’t eat pizza for lunch. They must be across the street getting uber portions of food at the Cheesecake Factory. Speaking of which, I do have grave concerns about what they are doing to the American waistline and wallet, but I’ll save that rant for another time.

The Chi-nnati menu offers a fairly large selection of sandwiches, salads and of course, pizza. Our server warned us that for lunch they recommend a thin crust pizza since you could wait 45 minutes for a deep dish. Thin is in! The guys plan to share an extra large bacon, banana pepper and onion pizza. Basically, this is their specialty BBQ Baconnati pizza with pizza sauce instead of BBQ sauce. There is certain weird shit that even Hound has to draw the line on. One of our female companions gets a small “meat freak” while our vegetarian gal opts for the veggie sandwich. Yes, we’ll have some bruschetta while we wait. Cheezy garlic bread? Yea, that too.

Delivered to a famished crew, the bruschetta was quickly devoured before its photo op. It was a nice appetizer of toasted Italian bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. While pretty good, it could have used some fresh mozzarella and A LOT LESS balsamic. This appetizer was no challenge to my beloved bruschetta at Pomodori in Montgomery. Cheezy garlic bread? It also was devoured before photos and was clearly the superior appetizer.

After the appetizers and a refill of iced tea later, the mongo pizza arrives. Yipes, that’s pretty big even for the three of us.. The small meat freak pizza? Yea, she’ll be taking some of that back to the office. While I didn’t try them, the meat freak and veggie sandwich owners gave thumbs up to their selections.

My pizza? I’m glad you asked. Overall, the toppings were fresh and quite good, though I would have preferred a smokier bacon for this pizza.

The thin crust, while clearly identified as crispy, was a little too crispy for me. That’s crispy in a hard kind of way. I love a good thin crust, but I still need a little softness to be present. This was crunch, crunch pizza. It was a good pizza, but not even close to a stellar five paw rating. Next time, I’ll try the deep dish.

Chi-nnati’s

7980 Hosbrook Road, Madeira, Ohio

(513) 985-4445

Hound's Rating? Three Paws out of Five

Tales of the Tea Goddess

Hound went to Kenwood Towne Center Friday with the Houndettes to look at Macs for Houndette One while Houndette Two was there for the clothes. Houndette One purchased a new iMac (with bonus iTouch!) in short order, but we still needed to wait on the real shopper who would be back to us “in about 10 minutes”. Yea, right.

With no real desire to lug a computer to Forever XXI, we parked ourselves on the nearest open bench. After a couple of “just a few more minutes” calls, I wandered over for some “biscuits” at Godiva. Bought a couple packs of raspberry chocolate cookies and a few on-sale individual size packs of cookies for us to consume while we waited. Have you ever tried to open one of these impermeable foil packs? Yank this way, tear that way to no avail.

Suddenly, a striking Asian Goddess appears from nowhere brandishing scissors to ease my plight. I share my cookies, she offers me tea. Hmm, this tea is really good. I follow her blindly to Teavana, a new specialty shop that sells, you got it, tea and tea paraphernalia. They have around a hundred types of teas neatly arranged in color coded canisters that form a wall in the back of the store. In addition, they offer many unique blends of the various teas, each with a surprising new taste profile. So, how many potential tea blend combinations could you make? Easy answer, quite a few.

I was led around the store to various tasting stations of both hot and iced teas. The tastes and aromas were hypnotizing. Eventually they had me: an iced, decaf herbal tea with pomegranate, apple, lemon, ruby orange and various spices like whole cardamom. Hound had to have it. (this coming from a caffeine addicted, espresso drinking hound) She kindly sold me a tea container, a measuring spoon and blended my teas while I just said yes to all she offered. I can say no to all salespeople, but not to the Tea Goddess.

If you find yourself at Kenwood Towne Center, stop by for a taste. And another. And another. Then, just hand them your wallet. Teavana is located in the new Bermuda Triangle consisting of Bose, Godiva, and now Teavana that you must pass through on your voyage to the Apple Store. Tell the Tea Goddess that the Hound who can’t open cookies sent you.