December 2020 – Pursuit of Delights

There is certainly something extremely commendable about taking a huge leap and stepping out on faith, especially when things around you are going crazy (insert all of the craziness of 2020 here!) This is exactly what owners Ashley and Austin Heidt did. And we appreciate them so much for it because they have added an EXPERIENCE (not just a restaurant) to the city and it’s everything we didn’t know we needed!

Before we thought of doing a Behind the Scenes, we each had the opportunity to dine in and loved every bit of it. So much that we just HAD to meet the people behind it all. In today’s post, we provide you with 6 reasons why this should be your next place to visit.

1. The Staff

If you’ve had a chance to meet Ashley and Austin Heidt, I am pretty confident that you already love them. They are the type of people who’s positive energy is just contagious. You can absolutely tell they love what they do and do what they love. Prior to this, Ashley was a corporate event planner and Austin worked at Frasca Food & Wine, while also becoming a sommelier (level 3 to be exact!) The merge of their experiences really brings Dear to life.

But it’s not just them. Every staff member has these exact traits. They make you feel like you’re having the best meal in the comforts of your own home. They are warm, pleasant and so very attentive. What’s also great is they all know the menu like the back of their hands. You could ask the bartender, the host, your server, or anyone else on staff any question if you’re torn on what to get and they will guide in a very descriptive way. And they never steer you wrong! Trust them!

2.The cocktails

I highly encourage you to sit at the bar and have a cocktail before going to your table (although you can also eat there as well). The bar is just lovely and the bartenders are all great. We enjoyed having a casual conversations before we transitioned to the next space. They also have a nice lounge space upstairs that you are welcome to sit and have a drink at. And when the weather warms up, you HAVE to visit their outdoor bar. It’s hip and modern while still maintaining their cozy feel.

3.The Dinner Service-

Ok, the dinner is I N C R E D I B L E in every way! The kitchen is led by executive chef, Brian Young. If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because he was on season 16 of Top Chef. I am obsessed with that show and was so happy to see he’d joined the team. Their Sous Chef, Austin Helfin works hand and hand with him to bring their vision to our plates. The food is all uniquely crafted, using seasonal ingredients. This means the menu will change which is always so exciting to me! Literally, every bite you take will have you swooning! They’re innovative, yet not so far out that they leave you missing the meals you know and love. They take all of your favorites and step it up several notches. It is just so good y’all! It’s hard to name a favorite, as they are all so tasty, but some of our favs are the short ribs, tempura squash, lamb sugo, and chicken fried mushrooms. And don’t forget the dessert, which is prepared by pastry chef Caitlin Steininger. MY GOODNESS!

4.The Butchery & Market

Did you know they also have a butchery and market space? Yep, sure do, as if they couldn’t get any better! They are open in the morning and afternoon and are perfect for a quick grab and go. They offer take-home cuts of meat, house-made charcuterie as well as sandwiches, coffee, and soft-serve ice cream. I’ve also tried their breakfast biscuit sandwich and donuts (on the weekends) and they were mouthwatering! This quite literally makes them an all purpose restaurant with the perfect neighborhood feel.

5.The Wine Club

As we mentioned, Austin is a level 3 Sommelier, which is a huge accomplishment btw! So what person person to pick your wines for you than him?! With his expertise, they offer a comprehensive selection which also comes with virtual wine tastings where he walks you through each one. There are 2 tiers, each with 4 bottles of wine, priced at $75 or $150. The difference is based on the quality of wine. We mentioned cocktails above as well, but they also have many great wines in house to pair with your meal.

6.The overall experience

Hopefully you can tell by now that Dear really gives you an experience. They are very serious about their hospitality and quality. It shows in their actions, food and even the decor. The space is so beautifully crafted from the moment you walk up to the door to the patio. It is the type of place that you just never want to leave and keeps you coming back for more. They offer private events of all sorts. Whether it’s baby shower, wedding shower, promotional celebration, a birthday or more, I guarantee this is the perfect place to book.

Ashley and Austin, thank you for following your dreams and providing us all with a home away from home. We can’t wait to visit again! Cheers Ya’ll!

Can you all believe that December is already here? We are now wearing our sweaters, drinking hot cocoa, burning our favorite holiday candles, and gearing up for Christmas! My the time has flown by this year, or some may be saying “Heck yeah, goodbye 2020 and HEEELLOOO 2021”. LOL! 2020 has been one heck of a roller coaster but we are not letting that stop our holiday cheer! We are back with our final partnership of the year with Ohio. Find It Here. to bring you some fun activities to do during the holidays with family, friends or your significant other in the comfort of your home or own personal family space. Around the holidays everyone likes to do holiday gift guides. This is similar. Think of this as our quarantine holiday activity guide ;p . What makes this one so fun and special is we decided to end our partnership, guiding you through our very own hometown, the Queen City herself, CCCCINNCINNAATTII! Ohhhh yeahhh, all of the activities we share can be done safely social distancing, so grab your coats, grab a few of your friends and/or family, grab your mask and let’s get active in the Queen City!

Shop Till You Drop – At Home!

While this is the time of year to get out and holiday shop, this year is a little different. Did you know that you and your friends can still make holiday shopping fun, easy and convenient? Yep, you sure can! Online shopping has become the new day and age shopping and is super convenient with what is going on now in the world. Shopping online provides so much ease and less chaos in the comfort of your own home. Tiff Squared loves to shop and is enjoying being able to do so in a safe and comfortable environment. I could online shop for hours! The good thing about online shopping is there is something quick and easy for everyone just a click away. If you know anything about Tiff Squared or watch our stories (if you do not, you should 😊), we love candles! We are always trying to find the best candle companies around, plus there is nothing like the holidays with family and nicely scented candles burning! With my love for candles and online shopping, I had the opportunity to support a local female-black owned candle company called Yellow Dahlia Candle Co. What I love about Yellow Dahlia is that their candles are nice and softly scented but still permeant. I also love her clean and simple white candle packaging. Their candles are also affirmation candles. Their vision is all about embracing your truth and self-healing. If you love candles as much as we do, go check out Yellow Dahlia.

While we do love candles, there are tons of other stores like clothing that provide online shopping. Check out clothing vendors such as Vici Dolls, Nordstrom, Good Night Macaroon, Pink Lily Boutique, and so much more. A lot of online vendors are having sales so check them out as well.

TIP: Another fun way to online shop is to FaceTime a friend or two and online shop while chatting with friends. You can still get your friend’s opinions as well as show them on the spot your fun finds! Why shop online alone when you have friends one facetime call away?! : p

Let the Light Guide You

With the pandemic still on our doorstep, many are feeling the effects of the holiday times being different. However, let the lights guide you! Every year, Ohio. Find. It Here celebrates Holidays in Ohio with a campaign to support the Ohio Holiday Lights Trail. They encourage Ohio’s 88 counties to go all out on Holiday themed decorations. From fancy lights to full on displays, this still allows everyone to celebrate and get into the holiday spirit. This year Ohio. Find It Here. is promoting their Holiday Lights Trail as a drivable tour. While the physical light trails are fun, this year is all about lights in the comfort of your own car. One of the drivable light trails that I attended was Light Up Middletown. This light trail is held at Smith Park. The park was lit up with all the holiday colorful, festive, and fun lights you could imagine. This is the perfect activity for families. I went with my husband and two small daughters. It was the best 2-in-1 combination. You get a good, socially distanced, family experience as well as see all the lights. My 4-year-old loved being able to see the lights and point out the different objects such as Santa, reindeers, whales, candy canes, and more. We also made it even more fun and played Christmas music and recorded little family videos of everyone singing for our great memories. They do have a channel that you can tune into as well for Christmas music. Our favorite part was seeing the light display of Santa’s workshop. It felt like everything we ever read about in Christmas books came to life for 10 seconds in a cool light display. The light display was huge and colorful and looked like a real-life Santa’s Workshop. Light Middletown was a good experience. It was about a 1-2.5-mile-long drive through light display that showcased tons of holiday lights. It is a fun and quick experience. It takes approximately 20 min. from start to finish. We genuinely enjoyed the drivable lights trail and will add this to our family holiday traditions!

Some other local drive-through light displays are as follows: The Guernsey County Courthouse Light Show (Cambridge), A Story Book Christmas (Zanesville), Gallipolis in Lights (Gallipolis), Journey BOREALIS (Hamilton), Holiday Lights at Lost Creek Reserve (Troy), Columbus Commons Holiday Lights presented by the AEP Foundation (Columbus), WonderLight’s Christmas (Hebron), Holiday Lights at Easton (Columbus), Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights (Delaware), Christmas by Candlelight (Marion), Upper’s Winter Fantasy of Lights (Upper Sandusky), Blaze of Lights (Bluffton), Sandusky County Fairgrounds Winter Wonderland (Fremont), Winterfest (Cleveland), and Joy Christmas (Columbiana).

Now Let’s Eat Holiday Meals From Home!

Now we are Tiff Squared, the foodies with the mostest. LOL! You know we cannot just give you activities without any food suggestions. While the activities and experiences are fun, you will be sure to work up quite the appetite. If you’re like us, you’ve also enjoyed experiencing restaurant’s special holiday menus and temporary offerings. I also love the decorations that each place uniquely comes out with. This year clearly has changed the dining scene, and many are wishing to eat at home instead. What’s great is, you can still support them and experience their delicious offerings at the comforts of your own home! Almost everyone has either their full menu or something special, but we decided to focus on two specific ones:

Goose and Elder

Goose and Elder’s full menu is incredible, but what you might not know is they also have some of the best fried chicken in the city! They began offering it as a special on Sundays, but thankfully, they have “The Flock” which can be ordered at any time! It includes:

10 pieces of all-natural fried chicken

1-quart mac n cheese

Their “big” salad

2 orders of crème brulee

Outside of it being simply delicious, I love this as a holiday to-go option because my family usually has fried chicken for either Christmas or New Years. The nostalgia warms my heart. If you don’t have enough people in your household to finish it all, split it up and do a safe drop off at other family member’s homes! They will love it! No cooking for you all! Just eating good!

Pastabilities with Crown Republic

If you are busy, but love to cook, Crown Republic’s pasta kits are the perfect option for you. They provide you with all the necessities while taking the hard work out of it. I chose the truffle cream pasta, although they have others to pick from. Included in my bag were:

Their house made pasta

House made sauce

Truffle oil

Parmesan cheese

Instructions

The instructions were so easy to follow. I had a full meal within 20 minutes or less. I added chicken and mushrooms to mine and garnished with their suggestions of red pepper flakes, basil, and parmesan cheese. So easy and so tasty! They serve 4-6 people and are just as tasty as having them in person!

If you’re feeling like dessert and a cocktail to make for the full experience, try one of their weekly holiday drink specials (featured is the cranberry mule) and their holiday wrapped “Mama’s Cookies”, which reminded me of baking cookies at home with my mom!

Be sure to order one of their holiday meals to go as well! Their offerings look scrumptious!

As they say, all good things must come to an end! While we have enjoyed this partnership and guiding you all through some of Ohio’s best cities, it is now time for you to get out and explore all that Ohio has to offer in a safe manner. Online shop, drive through a light trail, and order take-out from local restaurants, but whatever you do stay safe, wear a mask, and have fun!

6 Reasons Why You Should Have a DEAR Experience

Holidays in Cincinnati