A “SOCIAL”ly Minded Mission

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Findlay Market, which is part of Cincinnati’s growing food scene, is the home of many established and up and coming restaurants. Findlay Market is a farmers’ market. In recent years, it has expanded its doors by allowing young chefs to perfect their craft. This is a way to give young entrepreneurs a chance to get their products out to market in an affordable manner. Not only does Finlay Market help the “at-home baker/chef”, it also lends a helping hand to culinary students through their Findlay Market Culinary Program. Recently, Findlay Market launched a culinary project called Social OTR. When we heard about their opening, we were eager to find out more. We sat down with the previous Hospitality Manager, Cat Amaro, to take a behind the scenes look into Social OTR.

So how did the concept of Social come to be? We are glad you asked! 😊 Social was the final product of a pilot program idea of General Manager, Anthony Berlin. The idea of Social was to be a non-profit restaurant operated by Findlay Market in partnership with City Link, that strives to provide guest with a one of a kind dining experience with a socially minded mission. Berlin wanted Social to serve as a learning melting pot for up and coming chefs. This idea created an internship site for students in the Findlay Culinary Training program. In the program, students work alongside professional staff to prepare them for a career in the culinary industry. They then started raising money for the program which then made the idea a reality.

The concept of Social is to be able to provide each student a real-life experience of what to expect in the restaurant industry, but still give the comfort of a learning playground. The curriculum is based on what local restaurants are looking for. The menu is based on choosing skills for students to practice. In the Culinary program, the students learn culinary skills and soft skills (i.e. how to prepare for interviews, the business side, etc.). Considering this is a restaurant, students also get to come in and learn and prep for dinner and brunch just as they would in the industry.

 

The fun and cool thing about dining at Social is, it looks and feels like a normal running establishment. As a guest if you do not know the story, you would not know Social was a concept of a “mock” restaurant experience for the chefs. You do not realize the chefs are in training. From the service to the food everything runs smoothly. After talking to Cat and being shown around, we were able to try some delicious dishes that we want to share.

DUCK FAT FINGERLINGS – served with Rosemary aioli. If you are looking for a sharable snack that is familiar, these are the fries for you. The duck fat lends a flavor booster and the aioli adds the cherry on top.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD – grilled scallion, quark, blueberry panko, roasted pink peppercorn. This salad was bright and flavorful. The fresh tomatoes paired with the panko crusted quark and the greens, was a delightful combination.

CRAWFISH HANDPIES – served with spicy remoulade. I have heard of crawfish handpies before but had never had them. I was delighted to be able to try these babies. They were good and added a nice seafood addition to the menu. There is also plenty to share. This dish comes with two BIG hand pies.

SHORT RIB RAVIOLO – manchego. Yum, yum, yum! There is nothing like a homemade pasta dish. You can never go wrong with a classic like ravioli. We enjoyed this dish and appreciated the love that went into making these stuffed little shells.

CHICKEN ROULADE – bulgogi, bok choy, bamboo rice, micro cilantro. This is considered one of their large plates. If you order a few small plates, the large plates are big enough to share. This chicken dish was flavorful, and we enjoyed every bite. It’s a nice spin to plain boring chicken.

Now we can’t try dinner and not have dessert! The desserts are a nice end to your dinner. Let’s look at what desserts we had the pleasure of trying.

COOKIE JAR – variety of homemade cookies. This dessert was fun and nostalgic. The cookies came out in a T-Rex Cookie jar. It remined me of going to grandmas and grandma having the cookie jar filled with my favorite cookies. The two flavors of cookies were Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodle.

PANNA COTTA – served with raspberry sauce and crumble. Like most panna cotta, this was light, airy and flavorful. The sauce is a nice addition and the crumble adds a nice crunch. This was perfect for the summer.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES – These homemade cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream. They are made with lots of chocolate and some crunchy mix-ins. They are also soft and chewy.

We asked Cat what the top selling dishes are as well as is their menu seasonal. Her response was the top sellers are $1 Oysters (served all day everyday in the Alley at Social), Short Rib Ravoli and the Cookie Jar. If you love seasonal changing menus, you are in luck. Social’s menu changes with the season to provide the freshest in season ingredients in a flavorful dish. They want you to feel like you are getting a home cooked meal made with love.

From the concept to the execution, they are truly offering us a Socially Minded Mission.

Behind the Scenes with Milk Jar Café

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The fun thing about Cincinnati’s food scene is that it is forever growing. Every time you turn a corner something new and trendy is popping up, and I love this. I also love seeing new food culture brought to the Queen City as well. Within the last few years, Bubble Tea and Rolled Ice Cream have become a new favorite of many people in many different cities. Like other cities, Cincinnati was put onto this growing trend by the owners of Milk Jar Café, Jimmy Lin and Kevin Chen. What is Milk Jar Café you ask? Milk Jar is a café that serves the most recent popular desserts that include, Thai Ice Cream (rolled), a Cereal Bar, and Bubble Tea.

THAI ICE CREAM: What’s up with Rolled Ice Cream? With Rolled Ice Cream it’s all about the show. The process takes about two minutes. It starts with a cream base and your choice of mix-ins. It all gets combined on a cold surface set to a temperature of -18 Celsius. Then its chopped and mixed before it hardens. After that, it is smoothed out and rolled. After the process is over, the customer gets to choose unlimited toppings to place onto their ice cream.

 

BUBBLE TEA: Bubble Tea has been a popular Asian drink that has been around the USA for the past decades. The evolution of bubbles comes from the traditional Black Ceylon Tea combined with milk and bubble (Tapioca or Boba as it is commonly called). Customers can choose their base tea and their toppings. Boba adds texture to tea. Fruit Tea is also an option here at Milk Jar. Customers can choose to blend their tea with the fruit they prefer. They newest trend in the milk tea industry is Milk Cap and it is delicious. I was able to try their homemade Milk Cap Tea. Milk Cap tea is a tea that is topped off with soft, salted, creamy cheese foam. This tradition is big in Asia and very trendy. The idea here is to be perceived that you are drinking cheesecake on top of tea. The foam tastes just like cheesecake.

CEREAL BAR: Cereal Bar is a new trend that is growing in California and New York. Jimmy and Kevin thought, “hmm, its pretty simple why not add it to our café as well”. The process is simply allowing customers to choose their favorite cereal from a list, choose their dressing or drizzle, choose their toppings and then finally fresh milk will be provided to them.

Let’s take a pause and discuss how Milk Jar came to be:

Milk Jar Café opened in Hyde Park on September 1, 2018. Childhood friends Jimmy and Kevin wanted to combine three things: Rolled Ice Cream, Bubble Tea, and Cereal. Both friends are of Asian descent and culture. Like many other entrepreneurs who are proud of their culture, Jimmy had the idea to combine western treats of Asia with eastern treats of Asia. Ice cream comes from western Asia while Boba Tea is more from the eastern part of Asia. Jimmy then brought Kevin in on the idea and Milk Jar Café was born!

 

Owners, Jimmy and Kevin

Press Play to September 2018:

Uniqueness is a key factor at the forefront of opening any new food/drink location. What is cool and unique about Milk Jar is everything is fresh, and they do not use powders like most bubble tea companies. The teas are fresh and imported from Asia. The way they make their Boba Tea is different from American tea shops. If fruit is used, its fresh pressed fruit mixed with tea. They strive to bring more Asian culture into what they are doing. Fresh tea leaves, fresh fruit, everything is FRESH! What is also unique is the combination of Rolled Ice cream and Tea. It brings the business of ice cream and tea together. Most shops are just one or the other.

Another awesome factor to this duo is they are environmentally friendly. The cups that the tea comes in are reusable. If you bring your cup back, you will receive 5% off your next order. They also have a reward stamp card program. Once you have received 10 stamps you can get a Rolled Ice Cream or Tea of your choice for free.

Rolled Ice Cream and Bubble Tea?! Yes, Please!

In China the culture is to drink cold dessert tea while hot tea is more for social and religious purposes. The most common teas are Jasmine and Oolong. In China, these are the teas that they drink when friends and family are over. In Japan the most common tea is Matcha Tea. They offer tea in a fast-casual style environment. Their menu is filled with fun tea combinations as well as different ice cream combinations. I asked them what the top sellers of tea and ice cream are, and they quickly raved about Jasmine Tea and the Cookie Monster Ice Cream.

I enjoy a good trend especially when it comes to food. However, with any trend you either love it or hate it. I can say I have become a big fan of the Bubble Tea trend. I love a good tea and then adding Boba to it for texture. I also enjoy a different but familiar ice cream flavor. While doing the behind the scenes, I was able to try three of Milk Jar’s desserts.

The ice cream flavor I tried was the Banana Pudding. It was their vanilla milk-based liquid mixed with Nilla Wafers and Bananas. It literally tasted how it sounds. It was delicious! I got the fruitiness from the bananas while the creaminess came from the ice cream itself. Then add the crunch of the Nilla Wafers and boy was it a party in my mouth! This was definitely a good choice.

Now I couldn’t come to a Tea spot and not try their most trendy tea. I tried the Watermelon Jasmine Tea with Milk Cap, the Dirty Milk Boba, and the Thai Milk Tea with Boba. Dirty Milk Tea is Caramel or Brown Sugar milk with flavored custard pudding. Thai Milk Tea is simply Thai Tea with a splash of Half and Half poured on top. I must say all were amazing and brought something different to my taste buds. I enjoyed everything I tried and can say Milk Jar is my go-to spot when I what a Thai Milk Tea.

I truly enjoyed my experience at Milk Jar. They will provide you with excellent service, affordable tea and ice cream, and friendly smiles. Trying anything on the menu will be a real delight. We hope to see you there and don’t forget your delicious bubble tea or ice cream on the way out.

 

In the Kitchen with Tablespoon Cooking Co.

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Growing up, my family was pretty big on cooking; with a home cooked meal almost always on the table. I was often right there in the kitchen with them learning as much as I could. This helped me develop a love for cooking that still remains. While living in the greater Cincinnati area, I’d attended a few cooking classes at different establishments, but never with Tablespoon Cooking Co (whom I’d heard was one of the best). Over the past few months, I finally attended an assortment of their classes and fell in love!! In this post, you’ll read about the specific classes I attended as well as the history of TableSpoon Cooking Co. from my sit down with the owner, Jordan Hamons. Read more

Austin: Let’s Talk Food!!

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When I told friends I was traveling to Austin for a short period of time, everyone raved about how great the food is and threw out multiple locations to try. I knew Austin was known for good food, but I wasn’t sure of what besides tacos and BBQ. I mean, the full state of Texas is known for those specialties. What I was pleasantly surprised with were the many restaurants that fell out of this scope that were also delicious. I was only there for a short period of time but am proud to say I conquered a lot. Here is the list I’ve gathered of great places to visit next time you’re in the city (judge me not if I left a few top places out… my belly is only so big ).

 

Torchy’s Tacos

This restaurant came highly recommended by a friend of mine who used to live in Texas. I was told I MUST get the queso. Now I completely understand why. What I love about it was the topping of guacamole, cotija cheese, cilantro, and diablo sauce. If you’re like me, you’re one that has a hard time deciding between guac and queso. With this, it all comes in one. For. The. Win!! It also was seasoned perfectly and comes with a generous amount of chips.

 

Now for the tacos… I would suggest looking at the menu in advance. They offer such a large variety of unique combinations that it’ll have you staring at the menu for a while- in a good way (unless you’re getting hangry). Luckily the waiter working the bar counter helped me with a few suggestions:

The Fried Avocado- Topped with refried pinto beans, pico, lettuce, cheddar jack cheese, and poblano sauce- unique and perfect for vegetarians

The Crossroads- Topped with smoked beef brisket, grilled onions, jalapenos, cilantro, avocado, jack cheese, and tomatillo sauce

The Trailer Park- Topped with fried chicken, green chiles, lettuce, pico, cheddar jack cheese, and poblano sauce

All of them were VERY tasty, but my favorite, hands down, was the Crossroads, which I was told was also one of the most popular.

Torchy’s is such a quick and easy place to dine in with great Tex-Mex food. For sure give them a try!

 

Suerte

If you’re looking for a slightly upscale, hip Mexican restaurant, Suerte is the place to be. They are fairly new and have already won quite a few awards. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has a nice patio should weather permit you to sit outdoors. What I loved about Suerte was how friendly the staff was and how everyone helped each other. It appeared as if there was no single waiter assigned to a table because they all pitched in.

I will say the food is a bit pricey, but it is also delish! It’s one of those restaurants where, along with the quality of food, you are paying for the experience as well. Their menu comes in small plates so keep this in mind. If you’re looking to get full, you are looking to spend a pretty good amount of money. However, you will not be disappointed if you do. I ordered the Huarache with smoked chicken, salsa verde, and manchego cheese + another item that has now been taken off of the menu! Forgive me, I forgot the name, but trust me, it was great!

 

Gus’s Fried Chicken

Gus’s fried chicken is not only in Austin, but since it was my first and only time having it, I want to take a moment to talk about it. Ya’ll… fried chicken speaks to my soul! And Gus’s Fried Chicken got it RIGHT! Their chicken was crispy, but not with a hard crunch (major bonus) and had a slight spice to it, but not enough for someone who doesn’t like spicy food to dislike it (another major bonus). You can eat inside or take it to go. It’s a great place to take the family for a quick bite. The sides are also pretty good. I went for the mac n cheese and greens which you really can’t go wrong with when pairing with fried chicken. If I had more time I would have absolutely gone back. If you have a Gus’s near you, GO! You’re in for a real treat!

Ciclo

First off, if you know anything about Four Seasons hotels, you know they all have amazing restaurants. The Four Seasons in downtown Austin was no exception. Their restaurant is called Ciclo and was fantastic! Ciclo is a modern Texas kitchen featuring locally inspired flavors and ingredients with a Latin influence (umm… YUMM!) Between the patio, the live music, the perfect plating, and incredible food, I was in heaven! They also have great drinks. I would highly suggest one of craft cocktails such as the Music City Blues (rosemary-infused waterloo #9 gin + blueberry-honey water + lemon). Ok… I know you’re reading this for the food, so let me get to it.

To start, I ordered the sweet corn empanadas. They were the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Empanadas are one of my menu go-tos so to find that it was perfectly buttery and flaky was awesome! For my entrée, I ordered the Lomo Saltado which was seared beef tenderloin + creamy jasmine rice + tomato + onion + cilantro + crispy potato + soy sauce jus. Super tasty! This restaurant was also pricey (to be expected at a Four Seasons), but it is so well worth the money. I could have sat on their patio and ate their food every day of the trip and been perfectly ok with it.

 

Next up.. Soursop

Soursop is a Pan-Asian food truck that has been open for 2 years and they are crazyyy good! If you’ve noticed, it’s rare for me to get just one item, even if it’s just me, because I like to get a true feel for the food vibe and their taste patterns. It was no different here. I ordered the riblets with sweet chili, honey, lime, toasted rice powder, cilantro and the waterburger with melted cheese, thai basil ranch, waterfal slaw. I was soooo satisfied. I literally could not stop eating the riblets, which made it hard to finish the burger, but I sure gave it my best effort. The Asian flavors were spot on!

Although they are a food truck, they have plenty of picnic tables outside. They are also connected to a brewery that welcomes you to come in and use their tables to eat- even if you aren’t ordering beer. Soursop is definitely a palette pleaser!

 

Here Nor There

Here Nor There is a Speakeasy that was recommended to me by one of my friends. If you’re in town, you must jump on the opportunity to go quickly. The first thing to do is download their app. From there, you sign up as a guest by linking your account to LinkedIn (yes… real official) then request a reservation. They will then contact you to confirm your reservation. They get very busy – especially on the weekends- so try to do so in advance.

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures or videos because they are not allowed! I really appreciated this because it almost forced everyone to keep their phones away. Use your imagination with me for a second…. Imagine walking down a private street that you can’t get into unless you enter a private code. Then imagine walking down stairs that make you feel like you’re going into a dungeon (a little freaky but keep going…) Now imagine walking into a dim room that is GORGEOUS and filled with soft, elegant décor with comfy couches, private booth space, a bar, and the best cocktails you will probably ever have in your life. This entire experience was like no other. Any time I am in Austin in the future, Here Nor There will absolutely be on the list. The secrecy of it made it even better!

 

Franklin Barbecue

Last but not least… Franklin Barbecue! Because did you really go to Austin if you didn’t eat the BBQ??? I don’t think so! I was warned about the long lines and was referred to other BBQ restaurants in the area if I didn’t want to wait, but Franklin showed up on just about every list of top places to eat so I felt like I had to try it out. I thought if I just got there right around when it opened, the line wouldn’t be that long. WRONG! I arrived 30 minutes after they opened and the wait was almost 2 hours. Thank GOODNESS I met the best people in line, Alex and Joe who saved my spot while I checked out of my hotel and prepared for my flight home. Yay for new friends! If it weren’t for them, I would have either missed my flight or not gotten to try them out (The food was so good that I just might have been ok with missing the flight). I ordered the brisket, ribs, sausage and potato salad and Whew!  It was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had. Especially the ribs!!!!! If I had to wait 2 hours again just for them, I would! In the heat! Pro tips for this place: 1. Get there before they open. Like, way before. 2. Get comfy and grab a lawn chair. They have plenty of them waiting for you. 3. Be patient. We all want the good food, but good food takes time!

Considering I was only in Austin for 3.5 days, I’d say I did pretty darn good exploring the food. With as good as I ate, I would hop at the chance to go back and dive even deeper. If you’ve been, leave a comment with your favorite locations! Hopefully you were as stuffed and satisfied as I was!

Happy Austin Eating!