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Girl’s Nights on 21c’s Cocktail Terrace!

IT’S GIRL’S NIGHT!!!

Pursuit of Delights was recently given the opportunity to host 15 of our friends at 21c Hotel’s cocktail terrace in Downtown Cincinnati for a fun girl’s night!  If you’re unfamiliar with 21c Museum hotel, they are a Louisville based combination contemporary art museum and boutique hotel chain. Since opening in 2006, they have expanded to 7 additional locations in different states- with more coming soon! They have won many awards as the top hotel in America and also named in the top 10 of the world by some!

There’s a pretty cool museum at each location that is open 24 hours a day and is free of charge. Yes, FREE! It is North America’s only museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art of the 21st century. Each location also has an onsite restaurant reflecting the flavor of its city. Another fun trend you’ll notice is the iconic penguin. Every location has them throughout the establishment, but each in a different color. Lastly, if you’re ready for your body to be transformed, be sure to visit the spa. It will likely be one of the best you’ve ever received. Trust me on this!

Now…more about 21c Cincinnati’s cocktail terrace…

The terrace is open seasonally at 5pm Wednesday-Saturday as long as weather permits. You must enter through Gano Alley and take the elevator to the 11th floor. Once you’re there, behold….a cocktail terrace with an amazing view of downtown Cincinnati! The location is in such a great spot and allows you also to see Mt Adams and other areas of the city off in the distance. There are lounge couches, high top tables, and low tables all available to fit your liking.

As mentioned, Pursuit of Delights had the pleasure of hosting a girl’s night on the terrace and we had a blast!! We were able to try their unique cocktails and try light bites from Metropole, the restaurant located on the main floor.

For cocktails, I’d highly recommend one of their signature slushies, such as the “Kiss From A Frose” or one of their signature cocktails, such as the “My Little Red Bike”. The Little Red Bike is served in a bottle ya’ll so be aware of this if you are self-conscious about how it looks (we personally loved the presentation of it!)

For light bites, we all shared a few servings of the hummus and pita, meat and cheese, and chips and salsa. It was the perfect amount of food to snack on while having a drink and enjoying the ambiance. My personal favorite was the chips and salsa. I don’t know what they season their chips with, but they were SO GOOD! Next time I go, I will likely try the oatmeal cream pie to pair with my slushie for a bit of childhood nostalgia. :)

For those wondering about the weather, of course we are now in the heat of summer and it is HOT, but don’t let this deter you from visiting. There are plenty of shaded areas to choose from. We went when the temperature was 90 degrees, but were not overwhelmed with heat due to the shade. Once the sun went down, it was even better. Speaking of, when you go, pleaseee try to stay and watch the sun set. The colors in the sky are simply beautiful and will make you have a newfound appreciation of the city.

 

If you’re looking for a relaxing night filled with great drinks, great views, and an intimate vibe, you should absolutely visit the cocktail terrace. It was the perfect way to end a Saturday night in a space that was not overly crowded, but was still lively. You can also rent this space for 20-75 of your guests for a private event as well!

 

Thank you 21c for the opportunity to have this event. It was everything we needed to have a spectacular girl’s night!

 

June Is Ohio Wine Month!!

Did you all know June is Ohio Wine Month?!! Well, ladies and gents, it sure is! If this was news to you too, no worries! You’re just in time to start celebrating for the second half of the month! Pursuit of Delights partnered with Ohio Wines to visit one of their official wineries- which means the wine is made in Ohio and grapes grown in Ohio.  It was so hard to choose just one, as there are over 300! In the end, we kept it local and visited the top-rated wine shop in Cincinnati… Henke Winery. How we’d never been there before is still a surprise to us, but we are so glad we finally did!

Henky Winery is an urban winery located in the West Side of Cincinnati. They have been established since 1996. When we entered, it felt as if we walked into one of our family member’s home (who happened to be serving delicious wine ). They’ve grown to become one of the top urban wineries and have won a multitude of medals such as one of their most recent- Top 10 Urban Wineries by Wine Enthusiasts! How impressive! The size is also quite surprising. It is much larger than it appears to be with multiple rooms. Accommodating many guests would be possible even though it may not look it from the outside.

What we love about them is all their wines are made in their own cellar. I assumed they would have a small selection, but there are multiple dry, sweet, and sparkling red and white options to choose from. If you’re unsure of what to get, start with a tasting! You will receive five selected wines for $10 and get to keep the glass! Whoop! My favorite white was the Chardonnay which won a double gold in the Ohio wine competition. For red, my favorite was the Norton, which is made from an American grape. Thomas Jefferson said this was probably one of the best American grapes to make wine from. These grapes are grown in Winchester, which is about 75 miles away. Henke certainly would’ve made Thomas Jefferson proud with their Norton! As if your selection was not hard enough, they also have 3 more coming back soon: The Sparkling Wine, Rose´, and Cranberry Apple (I personally cannot WAIT to try this one!)

I want to also take a moment to talk about the food options offered. Their food is American/eclectic with a variety of appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, and desserts. We began with the cheese and charcuterie board, which you really can’t go wrong with. It’s a great way to snack while continuing with your tasting. For entrees, we ordered the Atlantic Cod Filet (which came with a side and salad) and the Linguini Carbonara. They were both fantastic and cooked perfectly. The carbonara could have easily been two meals for anyone. I would also recommend adding a bread basket considering you may be drinking a decent amount of wine!

This was such a cute winery to visit! I was pleasantly surprised by the amazing wine and rich food. You can see their full wine selection and food menu by visiting their website. In preparation for the weekend, we hope you take the time to visit one of the Ohio wineries in celebration of Ohio Wine month! We highly recommend Henke Winery, as it’s charming, has great wine, and the owner Joe is extremely personable and certainly knows his wine! Their metals decorate every room so as soon as you walk in the door, you’ll know you’re in for a great treat!

If you want to explore additional locations, you can find a full list of the certified Ohio Wineries here. Maybe we’ll even see you at one! :)

 

Cheers and Happy Wine Month!

Friday Feature: Taste of Cincinnati

If you’re a true Cincinnatian, you know the Taste of Cincinnati comes to the downtown area every Memorial Day weekend. Some people plan their weekend around it, knowing there is no chance they’ll miss it. Others plan their weekend around avoiding the area due to the traffic and crowd. I am one who tries to attend every year- even more now since moving to downtown. So how did 2019 compare to previous years? Read on to find out! Read more

Old European Charm at Grand Finale!

Sunday Sunrise

While Cincinnati and the surrounding areas are known for up and coming restaurants, we can’t forget about the oldies that started this restaurant thing many years ago. Many years ago, like 43.5 years to be exact. That’s right, Grand Finale opened in August of 1975. Grand Finale has serviced many clients over the years. In fact, their clientele is generational. Families who have discovered Grand Finale, introduce their children to the restaurant who in turn introduce their children. It is a unique phenomena. Pursuit of Delights is no stranger to the new kids on the block, but interesting enough we wanted to see how the old heads do it. We had a chance to give Grand Finale a try and wanted to give you a quick behind the scenes look at what they have to offer. Let’s take a walk through this old yet charming establishment.

 

The Puff

Warm Mixed Berry Cobbler

Why should you even stay for the Grand Finale? That’s an amazing question! The Grand Finale Restaurant started out as a dessert restaurant. Hence their name “Grand Finale”. I guess the saying “Save the best for last” holds true in some cases, especially this one. You have to save room for their dessert. They are a nice portion and their desserts are pretty tasty. The originators, Cindy & Larry Youse, retired in 2006. At that point in time, they sold the business to their tenured management team. In which the current owner, Virginia Chambers, started working for them in February 1977. She has taken pride in the restaurant’s original European concept as well as the buildings Old European charm. She has kept many things the same as when the restaurant first opened; as well as, adding a few new things to help keep the interest of the younger crowd. Hospitability, Old European charm, and great food are the key elements that Virginia and her team stand behind to continue the legacy started almost 44 years ago.

In most up and coming restaurants, they have more of a new century modern vibe with little to medium space to accommodate large groups. However, Grand Finale provides a spacious dining area where generational families can continue to enjoy a dinner together. Don’t have a large group, that’s ok because they can also accommodate date night for 2 people, or a couple’s date night for 4 or more. Grand Finale prides itself on its ambience and décor dedicated to the originators’ influences of their travels in Europe but mostly maintaining the actual history of the building. The building was built in the late 1850’s. During that era, it was a Saloon and a grocery store. The tin ceiling in the main dining room is original; the back bar in the main dining room came from the Florentine Inn in Germantown, Ohio; the back bar in the cabernet room came from a barber shop in Hyde Park; the chandelier in the tea room came from a West Virginia mansion. They built the brick garden room with a touch of New Orleans in its design. The décor reflects a country French flair with antique furnishings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their menu has something on it for everyone! Larry’s passion in creating the menu was all about the sauces. In 1975, as their menu evolved from desserts to light country French foods; Quiche, crepes, soups & homemade breads & desserts. Over the years, their scratch kitchen, has expanded the menu to include steak, chicken, fresh fish & pasta concepts. We had the pleasure to sit down and try multiple menu items they have to offer as well as a few drinks. We tried the Bacon, Lobster & Sundried Tomato Deviled Eggs, the House Salad, the Bleu BLT Wedge, Kielbasa & Lentil Soup (special), Steak, Chicken Ginger, Rosemary Potato Gratin, and of course the GRAND FINALE – dessert, The Puff and the Warm Mixed Berry Cobbler. Talk about having to be rolled out of there. We left stuffed! They also have fun and tasty drinks. We tried the Sunday Sunrise, Pomegranate Margarita, and the Blue Cranberry. We also hear guests travel far and wide for their Chicken Ginger, Spinach or Mushroom Crepe, Avocado Salad Dressing & The Puff. Also, if you love brunch as much as we do, you can join them for Sunday Brunch on Sunday’s from 10:30 am – 2:30 pm. It’s a buffet, so come hungry!

We asked Virginia what makes Grand Finale unique. Her response was, “I’m not sure it is any one given thing – devoted customers, loyal staff (we have a ten+ year team member list on our menus), recipes that have stood the taste test of time, and consistency to name a few.” While Cincinnati does have a lot of new kids on the block, we can never forget about the legacies that are still around. Even though they have now been in business for over 40 years, reminding people that they are here is important. With that being said, remember it’s always polite to pay homage and “Respect your elders” 😉! Go give them a visit!

Warm Mixed Berry Cobbler & The Puff

 

Grand Finale Website

Flying into Aladdin’s Eatery

Where can you get amazing, authentic Mediterranean food while being surrounding by hip decor and a cool bar? Aladdin’s Eatery in Downtown Cincinnati! If you have been a subscriber to Pursuit of Delights for some time, you may have noticed we do not feature chain restaurants often. However, after dining at Aladdin’s newly opened location, we had to make an exception! The menu might be the same, but the vibe has been kicked up to make for a fun, yet welcoming experience.

 

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Praises are Certainly Due for Lucius BBQ

If you’ve walked around the Pendleton area, you may have noticed a few businesses opening within the past year. While exploring the area, if you’ve been on Broadway, you may have also heard live music, laughter, and smelled the aroma of BBQ floating through the air. Sound familiar? Then you have discovered the deliciousness of Lucius Q! Opened March 15th, 2018 by 3 owners (Aaron Sharpe, Shane Spears, and Jeff Keate), Lucius Q is a neighborhood joint with its roots centered on music and food (Yes Please!). They were named in honor of Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus who was well known for his leadership and selflessness. Pursuit of Delights had the pleasure of sitting down with two of the ultra-friendly owners, Aaron and Jeff, to hear more about the history of their fun vibe restaurant! 

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