Restaurant Review-SmashBurger, West Chester, Ohio

So did we really need another restaurant in West Chester, Ohio?

Classic SmashBurger

The answer is...YES, especially when the place serves a great burger! 

SmashBurger opened this past December (2010) in West Chester. I have been there three times and have enjoyed my my experience every time.

The chain originated in Denver, Colorado. I had not heard of SmashBurger until the day I saw a "Coming Soon" sign on the door of the empty space in a strip mall on Cox Road a quarter mile North of Tylersville.

My wife Tammy and I visited on opening day, and were very impressed. Usually restaurant openings can be challenging for the staff, but that visit, and our two additional visits have been very good! 

Food at SmashBurger is made to order. They take your order at the front counter, give you a number, and the food gets delivered to your table within 5 minutes or so. The menu has quite a variety of items. They serve grilled and crispy chicken sandwiches, salads and hot dogs. They also have a nice variety of side items, including haystack onions, fried pepper rings, fried pickles, and sweet potato fries. Of course they serve french fries and their house specialty, SmashFries, are tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic. Pretty original. And very good!

I should add that they also have milk shakes, malts and floats, all made with Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

The highlight of the menu, is of course, the burgers! SmashBurger serves 6 specialty burgers, and usually have a couple of special burgers on the menu also. They give you a choice of a 1/3 pound or 1/2 pound patty, and true to the restaurant's name, they literally smash the burger on the grill as they cook it.

My favorite burger (so far) is the Classic SmashBurger. 1/3 pound is plenty for me. It comes with American Cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, onion and pickles. The toppings are crisp and very fresh. The burger is delicious, and rates two-napkins (you need two napkins nearby, as it is very juicy). In addition, they add their special SmashSauce to this particular burger. The SmashSauce is a tangy combination of mustard and mayonnaise and is a nice addition.

Be prepared for a crowd if you eat at peak dinner hours. My last visit was with two of my children (Mallory and Michael) and my wife Tammy this past Friday, January 21, 2010. The line was to the door, but ended up only being a 5 minute wait until we placed our order. Usually with this type of service you will see people send one person to the register while the rest of the party grabs a table. This can cause problems for people who have already ordered and need a table. The staff at the West Chester SmashBurger do a nice job of managing the dining room so that the people who have ordered their food get seated, thus alleviating the problem.

Sin City Burger!

One last note. I tried one of the burger specials this past Friday, the Sin City Burger, pictured above. Bacon, cheese, onion straws and SmashSauce. Oh, and a fried egg! Excellent!

SmashBurger
7598 Cox Lane
West Chester, Ohio 45069
(513) 847-4840
http://www.smashburger.com/

Restaurant Review-Hot Doggin' It, Loveland/Maineville, Ohio

Storefront

I graduated High School in West Chester, Ohio in 1981. After college I worked in the Chicagoland area for 13 years. Now I'm back in the Cincinnati area. I guess that makes me a transplanted Cincinnatian/Chicagoan? No matter. The point is that when I moved to Chicago I fell in love with the the Hot Dogs served at the traditional Hot Dog stands/restaurants in the area. 1100 of them in the Chicago metro area alone!

I married my wife Tammy in 1986, and when she moved to Roselle, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) with me the first thing she noticed was the all of the Hot Dog restaurants. Quoting Tammy in 1986, "I can't believe they serve Hot Dogs in restaurants!" We were used to cheese coney's in Cincinnati, but nothing like they served in Chicago.

Chicago Dog with Everything!

Portillo's and Teddy's Red Hots were our favorite places when we lived in the Chicagoland area.

We moved from the area in 1999. Since then our desire for a great Chicago style Hot Dog continues unabated. A couple of year's ago Tammy noticed an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer rating the best Hot Dogs in Cincinnati and discovered Hot Doggin' It located in the Loveland/Maineville area.

Hot Doggin' It is located in a strip mall very close to Montgomery Road and Fields Ertel. The storefront actually faces away from Montgomery Road, next to a Domino's Pizza. But in the classic tradition, the location (strip mall) is similar to many of the Hot Dog places you would see in the Chicagoland area.

Hot Doggin' It rates with the best of the Chicago places! Everything is made to order. Go to the counter, owner Ava will take your order. David is usually running the grill and steamer. Sit down and within 5 minutes your order is ready. The fries are made to order. They serve a Charburger, Italian Beef, Italian Sausage (combine the beef and sausage with Hot Giardeniera for a real treat), chicken sandwich and Gyros. They also serve a Maxwell Street Polish Sausage (deep fried as is tradition) and Chili.

Front Counter

My wife and I have probably eaten here 20 times, and although tempted by the rest of the menu (and it is all good judging by the satisfied customers, many of whom are transplanted Chicagoans) I always get a Chicago Dog with everything, and an order of Tamale's (Tom-Tom Brand, 2 per order).

So here is how to assemble a great Chicago Dog. Start with a Vienna all beef wiener. Place it on a steamed poppy seed bun. Toppings are critical. Mustard, bright green sweet relish, diced onions, sport peppers, tomato wedges and a dill pickle spear. Sprinkle with a little celery salt. Done! You have a Chicago Dog and Hot Doggin' It makes it a good as their Chicago counterparts. Oh, one more thing...NO KETCHUP!

I encourage everyone to visit, whether you have a Chicago background or not. Well worth the drive to Loveland/Maineville!

Hot Doggin' It
12082-B Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
(513) 831-DOGG (3644)
http://www.hotdogginit.com/

Restaurant Review-Bruno's Pizza, Liberty Township, Ohio

Bruno's Pizza in Liberty Township has become my "go-to" pizza place. We are fortunate in the West Chester/Liberty Township, Ohio area. We have some quality pizza places to enjoy; Dewey's, LaRosa's, Raymond's, Jet's, Uno's, Donato's, Cassano's (Monroe), Big Dog's, Fratelli's.

I have tried them all. And I enjoy them all. However, Bruno's is my favorite. I have some background with Bruno's, but a little different than many who live in the area. I regularly ate at Bruno's while I attended Purdue University. According to the story on Bruno's Liberty Township Website, the West Lafayette, Indiana location was the original, opened in 1955. Most people in this area know Bruno's in Oxford, Ohio, opened in 1963, but ultimately gaining it's fame for selling pizza by the slice in the early 1970's.

The Bruno's in Liberty Township definitely knows their clientele. The decor is pure Miami University, with pictures of the University, it's sports teams etc. I'm thinking I'll bring in some Purdue swag the next time I visit!

The pizza here is outstanding. When you arrive, you order at the counter. They give you a number and they serve it to you at your table. Bruno's has beer and wine. They also serve subs, sandwiches, hamburgers and salads in addition to a wide selection of appetizers. Spaghetti and lasagna are specialties

The secret to Bruno's success in my opinion is the tomato sauce. I would describe it as tangy, with the just the right amount of spice. If you decide that you are not in the mood for pizza, I highly recommend the lasagna.

When a pizza order arrives at the table at Bruno's, it definitely requires a knife and fork, unless you are one of those folks who doesn't mind burning the roof of your mouth. Patience is key. Wait a couple of minutes for the pizza to cool down, and dig in!

The dough is hand tossed, and the pizza is always perfectly cooked, light brown crust, not too crispy, not too doughy. Cheese and toppings are ladled on generously. They have several specialty pizzas, and a wide amount of toppings to choose from. My family goes pepperoni all the way, but my personal favorite is sausage and mushroom.

We usually get the house salad, with the special house dressing (a very good red wine vinaigrette) as a starter.

My absolute favorite item on the menu is the Bruno Dough. It is possibly one of the most original and delicious appetizers I have ever enjoyed. Bruno's takes small dough balls, deep fries them, then rolls them in garlic, butter and Parmesan cheese. They serve it with a side of their tomato sauce. Delicious!

Bruno's delivers to their immediate area, but eating at their restaurant is my preference.

Bruno's Liberty Township also serves their pizza by the slice and that makes the Miami of Ohio graduates in the area (and Lakota East High School students) very happy. A generous slice of cheese pizza is only a $1.50 and you can add items to it for .25 cents each. They put the slice in the oven for about 2-3 minutes, and it comes out hot and ready to eat!

As I mentioned at the top of this article, we have a lot of very good pizza choices in the West Chester/Liberty Township area. My choice is Bruno's!

Bruno's Pizza
6752 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd
Liberty Township, OH 45044
(513) 777-8333
http://www.brunoslibertytownship.com/

Urbanspoon Rocks!

If you have been reading my blog, you may have noticed links in my restaurant reviews and on the right side of my blog to urbanspoon.com. I really depend on this site for restaurant suggestions, as it combines individual consumer reviews with professional restaurant reviews in an easy to read format. My blog links default to Cincinnati area restaurants on Urbanspoon, as that is where I live, but Urbanspoon covers restaurants all over the US!

Be sure to check it out the next time you are looking for a place to eat!

http://www.urbanspoon.com/

Restaurant Review-El Meson, West Carrollton, Ohio

The NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships 1st and 2nd rounds were being held on the campus of the University of Dayton this past weekend. After watching a great match between Ohio State and the University of Dayton (Ohio State won in 5 sets) our group was looking for a place to have dinner.

My wife and I have been to El Meson in West Carrollton, Ohio several times, but my mother-in-law and boyfriend had not, but were very willing to try based on my recommendation.

I have difficulty describing El Meson. I think the best way to describe it is a Hispanic style restaurant, featuring tapas (small bites) and entree's from multiple hispanic cultures, including Spain, the Caribbean, South America and Central America. El Meson features a full service bar and a decent wine list.

I like the decor inside. It is a Spanish theme with a gift shop featuring jewelry and arts and crafts for sale, and outdoor seating when the weather is nice.

The menu is extensive, almost to the point of being overwhelming. There must be at least a hundred different choices of tapas and entree's. But the wait staff is very knowlegable. There are a couple of items that I have tasted that I like to order every time I visit, the Empanadillas (both beef and salmon) and the coconut shrimp served with a Dijon sauce. But I always like to try something new, and look forward to the wait staff's recommendations.

On this particular evening our table decided to go with tapas to allow for a variety of tastes. We, of course, had the Empanadillas and coconut shrimp. In addition, based on recommendations from the staff, we had Lumpia Shanghai, described as Filipino style egg rolls, filled with beef. These were a table favorite, served with a spicy sweet and sour style sauce. We also tried the chicken, rice and cheese quesadilla (it was huge by the way) and the homemade spanish chorizo sausage sauteed in red peppers and shitake mushrooms. I found the chorizo to be a little tough, but I was the exception at our table as others thought it was delicious.

It might seem a little strange, but my favorite item at El Meson is the homemade Columbian dipping sauce called Aji' that is served with bread at the beginning of the meal. It is a mixture of tomato, green onions, cilantro and vinegar (and other ingredients). I spoon it on just about everything served at El Meson!

One of the small treats that I enjoy at El Meson is the yellow rice and black beans. I like to order both as side and mix them together. And of course add some Aji'!

Our table had a delicious meal on this night. We also pledged to come back, as the variety of items on the menu is so diverse it would take several visits to try them all. In addition, large groups would have a great time due to the festive atmosphere at El Meson!

El Meson Restaurant and Catering
903 E. Dixie Dr.
West Carrollton, Ohio 45449
(937) 859-8229
http://www.elmeson.net/

Restaurant Review-The Wildflower Cafe & Coffee House

A couple of weeks ago we were looking for a good place to go to a family dinner for the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We would have 8 people, my wife, our children (ages 22, 20 and 17), my father and my brother and sister-in-law. We live North of Cincinnati, in Liberty Township, Ohio.

8 is a tough number to go to dinner with during the holiday season. We wanted a place that took reservations, and would be a treat for everyone. My wife had heard about the Wildflower Cafe & Coffee House located in Mason, Ohio, so we decided to give it a try on Saturday night, November 27th, 2010.

What a great place. It is very small (located in a former private home). They took reservations. It has a very quaint and casual feel about it, with the menu posted on chalk boards.

Wildflower boasts a great selection of wines and craft beers. What is most unique about this place is that they strive to use locally sourced and/or organic ingredients in all of their dishes.

With 8 people we were able to try multiple dishes. We started with the Organic Cheese Board (cheeses, olive medley etc.) and the Shrimp Fonduta, served with crusty grilled bread. Both were absolutely delicious.

Two of us had the soup of the day, a white bean and cilantro soup which we enjoyed very much.

Of the entrees we had as a group, the consensus was that the hamburger (served on a pretzel bun and rated #1 in Cincinnati by Cincinnati Magazine) lived up to it's billing. In addition, the quiche served with homemade potato salad and crusty bread with a raspberry jam and the spinach and walnut ravioli were excellent. I very much enjoyed the grilled chicken breast with walnuts and a champagne sauce served over risotto. My father had the Apple Pork chops with potatoes and sauteed vegetables, which he would recommend. My sister-in-law had the Gourmet Grilled Cheese, which for her tasted just ok. My brother had the short rib special, which he enjoyed very much.

Service was very good. They have a very nice patio in the back of the restaurant which I imagine would be very nice to dine at in the summer.

I highly recommend the Wildflower Cafe & Coffee house. You can go and enjoy a very casual sandwich and soup, or try one of their higher-end entree's. My experience on this particular evening is that both are excellent. I look forward to a return visit very soon!

Wildflower Cafe & Coffee House
207 E Main
Mason, Ohio 45040
(513) 492-7514
http://wildflowercafeandcoffeehouse.com/