Guru

 Guru Indian Restaurant
2303 Buttermilk Xing
Crescent Springs, KY 41017-1622
(859) 341-5858
(Located next to Outback)

    When I first tried Indian food, i absolutely hated it. Whatever I got was just too strong and I thought that I hated all Indian food in general. After eating lunch with T.J. at work one day and discovering my strong love for Indian food I have been begging to go back ever since!

     Guru Indian Restaurant is a sister to Ambar Indian Restaurant in Clifton. While the food tastes exactly the same due to the same owners, I prefer Ambar's atmosphere. It is a lot more ecclectic, busy, and exciting while Guru was extremely quiet and could almost feel awkward. Nevertheless the food is delicious!

    First we will start with my choice which I will never stray from because it is SO delicious. The Chicken Tikka Masala. As pictured below. In the menu they describe the sauce as a savory tomato, onion, and butter sauce. I have to say it doesn't taste like tomatoes that much the sauce is just very savory and unique in my opinon. Most of the specialities are served over a bed of rice. You can also chose your spice level. I picked a 3 and it wasn't spicy at all, I think it depends on who is cooking.

      T.J. decided to branch out and try something new, the Chicken Tikka Saag.(pictured below) This is a dish with a creamy spinach sauce. The sauce is very thick and although T.J. liked it at first, he didn't like it towards the end. It has a ton of spinach in it, so althought I didn't taste it, it seemed a little overpowering. T.J. has a few co-workers that actually love this dish so it may be for you! He wished he would have stuck with one of his favorite dishes that Chicken Shahi Korma which actually incorporates nuts and raisins for a different taste.

     We are both chicken fans but the restaurant also has many vegetarian, shrimp, and even lamb specialties. We would also recommend getting Nan with your dinner. Nan is a flat traditional indian bread. You can get many different types of Nan but we got the Paneer Nan which has cheese baked in. The Nan is a more plain flavor so it contrasts really well with the bold flavors of the actual meals. Here is a picture of T.J. with our Nan.

     If you have never tried Indian food before, I have a couple suggestions for you. I know that Guru sometimes offers a lunch buffet where you could go and try many dishes. That information is not on their website but I'm sure you could call and find out the times and prices for that. I would also recommend going for lunch since the prices are cheaper and portions are smaller, take a friend with you so you can also try their meal. Also, don't give up if you don't like your first experience with the food. Most likely it is like nothing you have ever tasted before so it may be out of your comfort zone. It truly is delicious and I believe that everyone can find something on the menu they will fall in love with.

Dinner was around $30. Coupons can be found in REACH magazine.

What's your favorite Indian meal?

--Lauren

Rio Grande

Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant

(859) 292-8750

34 Carothers Rd

Newport, KY 41071

Rio Grande Mexican restaurant is a local favorite for T.J. and I. It is a very low key restaurant with a come as you are atmosphere. Sometimes on Fridays and Saturdays they are packed and you may have to wait for a few minutes but you will get seated pretty quickly.
Rio Grande has more traditional Mexican fare including burritos, tacos, faijitas and taco salads. I got the burrito grande which is what I get every time I go there and the best part is that it is only 7.99! It's a large plate of food that includes rice and refriend beans on the side. The actual burrito can have chicken or beef. I opted for the chicken inside. The top is full of shredded white cheese. The cheese is one of my favorite parts of the burrito, it is a type of mexican cheese that doesn't have a harsh flavor and makes the burrito very creamy. It also has sour cream and a big tomato on top. T.J. got the same thing as I did but we also recommend the taco salad which is delicious as well.
When we went this time T.J. asked for a side of guacamole but they just brought him out a bowl of it and didn't bring out his burrito even though he asked for one. They then brought out the burrito and apologized but charged 3.29 for the guac! That's crazyness! So a word of caution would be not to ask for a side of guacomole and just pass on it when you go there, it's not THAT good anywas.
Still we would recommend checking it out if you have never been there before. I have heard they have great frozen margaritas as well but haven't gotten to try them yet. Hopefully after January 23 I will have a margarita party there!

Adios Amigos!
Lauren

Fall Favorites

I know that T.J. and I haven't eaten at any new places in awhile. I have a newfound love for Indian food so I am really hoping I can write about Ambar in Clifton soon. I am very into the fall season, it's one of my favorites so I thought why not discuss some awesome fall foods and the reason that fall is so great.

#1. Caramel Apples!
Who doesn't like a great caramel apple? There is a place called Schneiders Sweet Shop in Bellevue Kentucky that has a lot of different variety of home made caramel apples. Some of the varieties include caramel apples with M&M's, caramel apples dipped in chocolate, and of course the classic caramel apples with nuts. They are very delicious and I wish I had a picture to show you. My family is going camping this weekend and I am making a caramel apple dip. If it turns out good I will have to share the recipe with all of you.

#2. Hot chocolate!
Hot chocolate is soooo yummy if you ask me and my friend Mallory's Mom makes DELICIOUS home-made powder. My suggestion from a can would be to use a mix that uses milk instead of water. This creates a much richer flavor. Also there are mini marshmallows out now that are in the shape of ghosts, perfect for Halloween.

#3. Pumpkin Flavors!
Everyone has their own favorite pumpkin flavor whether it be pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, or pumpkin bread. T.J.'s favorite is a pumpkin roll, I haven't seen any in the stores yet so I may have to get a recipe from my sister Lisa who has made several before.

What's your favorite fall treat?

Cosmo's

Cosmo's Grille Pub
604 Main Street, Covington, KY 41011-1332
(859) 261-1330


The weather this weekend in the Cincinnati area was so wonderful! There could not be a better time to head down to MainStrasse and eat outside. We chose Cosmo's after it was recommended to us by a friend.

The outdoor seating was nice there were several tables lined up on the sidewalk and when we walked inside there was literally NOBODY sitting in there. However, the inside did include a larger bar where a couple people were sitting and having a drink. They do have a large beer menu that includes tap and bottle selections. The outside seating is dog friendly, which we will have to remember when our dog's broken leg gets healed.

The food menu included mostly sandwiches and burgers but did have some specialty grilled meals and pizzas. Cosmo's also had a large array of appetizers. I settled on the wildcat sandwich due to the fact that I love spicy food. This was a breaded chicken breast that was covered in buffalo sauce. The ranch that accompanied the sandwich was delicious and I have to guess that they made it or mixed it in house because it was so creamy and not too thick. The sandwich is normally served with chips or pasta salad but I would reccomend upgrading to the fries for an extra 95 cents. They were delicious, just the right texture and I would guess they were beer battered because of their unique taste. Yum. T.J. couldn't keep his hands off of them!
That brings me to T.J.'s sandwich. He decided to get something quite unique and tried a twist on a local classic-the brat. Cosmo's cut the brat in half and served it on tasty bread with sauerkraut and a mayo sauce. He really enjoyed the sandwich and said that the bread was delicious! T.J. got a side salad with his meal which came with lettuce, cheese, olives, and again that tasty ranch dressing!

Our service was actually pretty bad throughout the meal. The waitresses were not around too often or seemed to be tending to other tables if they were. One waitress was mostly just carrying on a casual conversation with a table that was right next to us. At the end of the meal someone took our drinks to bring us refills and never brought them back! That was odd. The weather was so beautiful outside though that it was tough not to stay positive. Keep in mind that we went for lunch and I have heard at night it shifts mainly to a bar like atmosphere and things can get a little more crazy. During the day however, it was peaceful and laid back.

Our meal was around 17 dollars.

Head down to MainStrasse September 10,11, & 12 for OKTOBERFEST! I can't wait to see all the tasty treats that will be available for that!

Lauren

Bard's Burgers

Bard's Burgers
3620 Decoursey Avenue,
Covington, KY 41015
(859) 261-9115
Bard's Burgers truly is a "mom and pop" classic restaurant. The place itself is tiny. There are booths lined against both sides of the room and just a few tables in the middle. They have a counter up front and swinging doors that lead back to the kitchen. You almost feel like this place has been here forever and they haven't changed a thing. The menu is small but somewhat original, and the food is common but tasty.

T.J. and I both ordered double burgers. I thought the patties would be a lot smaller than they were and wished I only would have gotten a single. You can get all the common dressings on your burger like pickles and onions or you can try something a little different like blue cheese. Other than that, they really are just burgers, but what sets them a part is the freshness in which they are made. It tastes like the kind of burgers you got at home made in a skillet out of hamburger meat that was pattied right in your kitchen. This makes the burgers not completely round which I think gives the burger some character. It also was a little burnt on the outside, but it was not unpleasant at all. Their fresh cut fries were the best ones I have ever had. They had the perfect amount of salt and were cooked just the way I like them, which means they were not soggy! Unfortunately, they were out of milk so we didn't get to try their milkshakes, maybe next time.


Also on the menu were fried twinkies for dessert and also something called a ripper. A ripper is a deep fried hot dog that is fried until it is about to rip open. I don't think it would be something I would like but is an interesting feature for a burger joint.

I'd also like to point out that our bill was only 18 dollars so it's good food for a pretty reasonable price. When you're there, check out the pictures! They have a burger challenge that you'd have to be crazy to try!

Until next dine!
Lauren

T.J.'s Birthday at Miyoshi

Miyoshi
8660 Bankers Street
Florence, KY 41042-4242
(859) 525-6564


I heard about Miyoshi restaurant a year ago when one of my college professors told me it was her favorite joint to get sushi at. She said that they built the place for Toyota executives in the area to go eat at. I figured it must be good and pretty authentic since Japanese people would be eating there frequently, and when we walked in, we were the minority. Everyone there was Japanese except for one other couple. This excited me because I figured the restaurant would be the highest quality of Japanese dining but also the closest I could get to eating REAL Japanese food prepared and served the way it would be in Japan.

The atmoshpere wasn't that great, it felt very small and stuffy almost. The walls were painted beige and extremely plain with no art or decorations up on them. It just didn't feel very inviting when you sat down. It almost felt like you were sitting in an office building, I feel like they could definitely use some more pieces that would be interesting to the eye.

Of course, we had to try the sushi so we ordered a spider roll...YUM! I loved the flavor of the spider roll and the pieces were huge so you really had to split them in half. T.J. said he still enjoys some other restaurant sushi's more, but I really liked it. It was also good to be confident that the sushi was freshly prepared. I still don't understand how people can eat sushi off a buffet...GROSS! The menu also provided a vast array of appetizers separated into a hot and cold section. We didn't try any of these.

For dinner we got similar entrees. I tried the teriyaki chicken while T.J. tried the teriyaki salmon, they were kind of the only things we could pronounce on the menu! I would do some research before I went if I were to go again. Before the main course we got miso soup and a salad. I preferred the miso soup over the salad while I think T.J. preferred the salad. Each were tasty in their own way though. Both the chicken and the salmon were cooked to perfection. Very tender and juicy. T.J. said it was the best salmon he's ever tasted. It was nice to be able to eat something that was high quaility like this seemed to be. It was prepared beautifully on oddly shaped plates which made the food look even tastier! The teriyaki sauce was very mild which is the opposite of what I am used to. Although it may not have had quite as bold of a flavor, the whole meal felt very light and fresh, which was nice for a change.

The service kind of sucked. Our drinks were empty a lot. They only give you chopsticks at the table and I asked for a fork(really need to learn how to use chopsticks better) It took about 10 minutes for our forks to get there and the food was sitting right in front of us.

Overall, I think that Miyoshi had good, fresh, authentic food. It's not a place that T.J. and I will frequent, but every once in awhile I wouldn't mind going. Our bill was about 38 dollars for two entrees and the sushi. Some entrees did cost about 20 dollars though.

Hope T.J. enjoyed his birthday dinner! Also sorry for the lack of pictures, I couldn't find many online. I am going to start taking my own from now on!

Rice, teriyaki, and Chopsticks!
--Lauren

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