By Bob Wilhelmy Dining Editor Tradition has to be one of the most powerful words in the Jewish lexicon. At 20 Brix Restaurant, traditions of fine dining are held in reverence, according to GM Clay Mitchell. For instance, one tradition of outstanding eateries of the past is the idea of freshness and quality of foods, [ Read More...]

By Bob Wilhelmy Dining Editor A person’s name on a restaurant means something, in my book. No better example will you find of just how much it can mean than at Tony’s, where Tony Ricci is out to wow you. He believes with conviction in “genuine hospitality and great food.” He told me so, and [ Read More...]

By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor Carlo and Johnny is going on 13 years of business. This is no accident, as the restaurant has managed to cultivate a personality of sophistication and elegance. The restaurant is chiefly a steakhouse, with General Manager Joshua Peyton noting the fact with pride: “We specialize in steaks. Dry aged steaks, [ Read More...]

By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor No one will argue with a happy accident. I went in to Johnny Chan 2 unaware of the lunch buffet that was soon to greet me, and the feeling of accidental perfection, the release that accompanies a stroke of good luck, was something I would pay money for. The only [ Read More...]

By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor Restaurants are like movie genres. Popcorn mass-appeal schlock? That’s fast food. Fancy, “I want to impress my date” foreign film? Anything with $35 entrées. It actually gets rather complicated, with Adam Sandler movies occupying their own universe: the new stuff is like an inner city McDonald’s, the old stuff is [ Read More...]

By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor It took a little while, but we are finally seeing the rebirth of spring. The pleasant side of nature has again come around to offer a fresh new take on our surroundings; a green, enveloping warmth that bridges the all-too-cold winter with the all-too-hot summer. It’s a time of other [ Read More...]

On the cutting edge of Izzy’s

Making dough at Marx Bagels

By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor If there were ever two total opposites, I bet they’d be Routine and Adventure. Routine means repetition and sameness, while adventure is specifically about new experiences. Opposites can, however, mix. How many times have you driven through Blue Ash, cruising down Kenwood Road on auto pilot? Wouldn’t it be odd [ Read More...]

By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor For any music fanatics out there, you may have noticed that as your favorite band ages they “mature.” For better or for worse, early albums tend to be loosey goosey and experimental, while later ones are polished, controlled, and have lots of compression. All creative arts can be measured in [ Read More...]