Looking for an interesting pizza place that would deliver, last night I went through a couple inches thick stack of menus which had been collecting for years in the buffet.
Lots were out of business, more were out of fashion – had lost their initial energy, and were not much fun any more. Burrito Joe’s has been gone for year, but 3 menus remained. Udipi is now Amma’s Kitchen. What’s for Dinner is long gone and still mourned. (Coffee Emporium’s resurrection of the eggplant sandwich is but a pale glimmer of the original, which I still miss.)
Cafe Istanbul has left the Levee, moved to downtown, and gone through several names. Little remains of their former splendor. Simone’s has been gone lo these many years. Thai Express remains and is still one of the best – but parking or even stopping your car is pretty nigh impossible. Several Caribbean / Jamaican places have come and gone and come again. Amol never matched its neighbors. New World Cafe closed years ago, followed much later by the passing of New World Books.
Eat Well closed last week – it was never fun. Bombay Palace was located in the graveyard of restaurants – about one a year opened and closed in that space on Short Vine. Aralia – Sri Lankan cuisine – would have been great but for having the owner’s daughter as server. Perhaps she could have made it as the accountant.
China Food’s predecessor was good. United Nation of Islam was good for a while. Myra’s Dionysus is still fabulous after all these years. And Floyd’s nearby is still very good – try those lima beans! Suzie Wong’s Asian Eats gets less creative, but still works for the neighborhoods. Formosa on Court Street is but a distant memory.
Pomidori’s (Pomi’s) still delivers and still has those wonderful ovens. Habanero’s remains one of the best and cheapest latin american menus anywhere. Indian restaurants everywhere – the three best: Dusmesh, Ambar (+ Baba in Oakley) and Krishna.
Cafe Moca has become Cafe DeSales, still the lifeblood of the ‘hood. I think Total Juice is still downtown. Skyline (my DC grandson’s favorite) is everywhere – and I like their vegetarian black beans and rice. And there was an old bus schedule in the pile, from when I used to work at UC.
The good news is that Cincinnati, which has long been a foodie’s town, is today better than ever!! c