Nada

600 Walnut St
Cincinnati, OH 45202

(513) 721-6232


Nada is truly a joy to blog about for more than one reason. First off I want to talk about the atmosphere. Nada is a modern restaurant that incorporates bright, fun colors and dim lighting to make it feel more intimate. Although it is loud and very close quarters, it can still provide a romantic environment with candles at each table and large open windows. I would recommend suggesting a seat by the window when you make reservations because those tables seemed to be more separated from the other tables around them. The restaurant is on 2 levels and both level incorporate a bar and some bar seating. They have a full menu of specialty mixed drinks, wines, and imported beers. It would be a great place to go for some drinks after work or with friends on a night out.


Now lets go on to the food, if you didn't already know Nada is a Mexican restaurant, but not in a traditional sense. Some dishes come highly Americanized and they even offer green beans as a side dish. The chips and salsa cost extra but I was glad we got them because the chips came out warm and the salsa was delicious. The salsa almost had 2 flavors, initially it had a little bit of a sweet taste to it and then after it sat on your tongue it had a spicy kick at the end. It was not a very thick salsa but it was tasty nonetheless. For dinner, Tj and I decided to go with the "large plates" options. The other choices they have are tacos, soups and salads, or what they call iron pot dishes. Obviously they also have appetizers which we noticed a lot of people were ordering and having them with their drinks. The appetizers were very small and only came with 2 things on them per dish. For example if you order the taquitos appetizer there will only be 2 taquitos on the plate. So nothing big to share with a large group.


T.J. ordered the Yucatan Chicken which is described on the menu as an all spice-chile rubbed breast. The chicken came served over a bed of green beans with cauliflower, squash, and salsa also accompanying the plate. The chicken was juicy and the spices gave it such delicious flavor. I was glad that T.J. let me try a bite. All of the sides on the plate had different tastes, some were sweet and some were savory-would be great to eat all together but T.J. broke it apart and ate all the sides separately.

I ordered the chicken and corn enchiladas. This came with 3 enchiladas served in a very thick sauce. It was almost like a tortilla soup and it had a very spicy taste to it. They serve the meal with a spoon so you can spoon it over top of your enchiladas and it tasted so wonderful. The tortillas were soft and baked to perfection and inside of the tortilla they had corn, beans, salsa, and even couscous. Hands down it was the best enchilada I have ever tasted with so many different flavors that were pleasant to my taste buds. The meal was savory and spicy one of my favorite combinations! MUY BEUNO!

I felt the food was priced a little high for what you get. Our bill came out to be about 42 dollars, definitely nothing that would break the bank for just the 2 of us, but might be quite expensive for a family to go eat at (my family has 12 people). I will say it's probably not the best atmosphere for young children as it is noisy and there are a lot of people carrying hot food trays around and making alcoholic drinks. Best for a night out with the girls, date night, or drinks after work.

I can't wait to go back and try more of their menu although i'm not sure if I could stray from those enchiladas!!

Adios!!
Lauren

Jeff Ruby's The Waterfront

$
Watch out blog readers this place is pricey!
After that disclaimer I will have to say that the food is out of this world.

First, before the meal comes out they bring you bread with mushroom butter! YUM! My boyfriend and I are both huge fans of mushrooms and the combination that they make is just delicious. The Freddie salad is their take on a BLT which i would highly recommend. These things both prepare you for your amazing meal about to come.

I chose the 12 ounce fillet Mignon and it was to die for. The taste almost melted right in your mouth. You can choose toppings for your steak also, such as onions or mushrooms, which I opted out of because I enjoyed just tasting how flavorful the meat actually was.
My boyfriend got Jeff Ruby's Jewel which he figured he couldn't go wrong with because of the name... WELL it was good but the steak came on the bone which was a lot of work to cut up and he actually had to ask them to put it back on the grill as parts of it were RARE which is not our cup of tea.

Forget mashed or baked potatoes for your side! Go for the mac and cheese. This is not kraft. It's like no macaroni I have ever tasted before. It comes to your table in your own personal pan where it has been cooked with crumbles on the top. The steam rises off as soon as you put your spoon in and the taste is just great.


The environment is one of the most vital parts I think. It is romantic. It overlooks the Ohio river and as the sun is going down it is one of the prettiest places to be. Not to mention while you are there you get treated like you are a movie star (and you sometimes may be among them). Everyone is waiting to greet you and talk to you, your drink never gets emptied, you are never left wondering when something is coming. From start to finish you are welcomed.

Stay for the night atmosphere, the live bands or piano player, and an all around good time.

Until our next dinner together,
Elle.