HangOverEasy is a small, local Ohio chain of brunch diners, founded in Columbus and currently operating in a half-dozen locations. They feature a full bar and a menu full of hearty breakfast and lunch items. Their latest location happens to be down the road from my house, so my family and I stopped in recently for breakfast.

Fire in the Hole

I started with the “Fire in the Hole” bloody with vodka, Bloody Mary mix, a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto rim, banana peppers, and celery. This was pretty spicy, so definitely order one if that is how you like it. They also offer several other Bloody Marys, along with several mimosa options. My wife couldn’t pick between the mimosas and was happy to find a flight option, which allowed her to sample three of them.

Chicken & Waffles

For breakfast, I really enjoyed the chicken & waffles. The chicken is battered with buttermilk and hot sauce and is served with spicy maple glaze on top of a full buttermilk waffle. I would absolutely order this again. The serving size was huge, which was also to be said for the other dishes that my family had, like the omelets, frog eyes (fresh-baked biscuits smothered with local sausage gravy), and a huge double stack of buttermilk pancakes. You will not leave hungry!

Of the three Thunderdome restaurants on the two blocks of Vine St, Krueger’s Tavern is the one I visit the least. I think my last visit was back in 2016, but the food is excellent, so I should definitely stop in more regularly.

Spicy Chicken Parm

First up, you definitely need to try the spicy chicken parm sandwich with crispy chicken, spicy vodka sauce, pepperonata, pesto, arugula, and provolone on a Blue Over potato bun ($14). A lot is going on with this sandwich, and the flavors really work well together. It is not super spicy, but it does have a little kick thanks to the vodka sauce. The blend of peppers and onions in the pepperonata makes for a really great sandwich topping. The cheese helps hold it all together; otherwise, this could be a messy sandwich to eat.

Hot Beer Cheese

The hot beer cheese is also delicious. It is made with Kronenbourg 1664 and sharp cheddar, and a large portion of it is served with 3 pretzel sticks ($12).

Lemon Hummus

The lemon hummus is unique and also very good. It is topped with Mediterranean-spiced carrots, cauliflower, and smoked paprika and served with toasted pita ($11).

El Barril Mexican Sports Bar and Grill has a prime location in Mt. Adams at the corner of Pavilion and St. Gregory. My wife and I were in the mood to try something new to us, so we popped in for a dinner date.

Inside

The restaurant space is pretty large, especially for Mt. Adams. It’s sort of an indoor/outdoor location, with a large covered patio and large garage doors that open the indoor space in all directions. Certainly a nice place to visit when the weather is good, but the food is just as good as the location, and therefore worthy of a visit no matter the season.

Margarita

My wife and I shared a pitcher of margaritas ($26.99 for the gold), and they were very tasty. Even though they were not prepared to order, it did seem that they had been prepared recently and had great fresh ingredients.

Chimichanga

My typical Mexican restaurant order is the chimichanga. Theirs is a large tortilla, filled with shredded chicken, beans, and cheese, deep-fried, and topped with lettuce, guacamole, tomato, and sour cream. This is served with rice and beans ($15.25). This was very good and the ingredients were fresh!

Chile Verde

My wife ordered the chile verde, a delicious plate of slow-cooked pork simmered in a savory green chile sauce. Again served with rice and beans, along with tortillas on the side ($18.50). Another really good dish, and one that is not very common in the Cincinnati area. Go give it a try!

I finally made it out to MadTree’s newest venture, MadTree Parks & Rec, out in Summit Park of Blue Ash. This location is somewhat similar to the Oakley taproom, a big open space with a large bar in the middle, but also different in several ways. First of all, this is more of a restaurant, with table service, and a very nice expanded menu. Second, while the taproom is somewhat kid-friendly, the newest spot is super family-friendly with a kids’ menu along with indoor and outdoor play spaces.

Goetta Sandwich

Brunch is served all day, every day. And while I typically am not a brunch guy, I had to try the goetta sandwich topped with candied bacon, American cheese, pickled jalapenos, lettuce, and ranch dressing. This comes served with hash browns for $16. This was a great sandwich, with a perfectly cooked, thick slice of goetta, a unique set of toppings, and it should definitely not be skipped. The hashbrowns are also awesome, shaped into a ball and filled with a tasty potato and cheese mixture. I wish the food at the Oakley taproom was more like this, since this location is very close to my home.

Dave’s Hot Chicken started in 2017 with $900 in a parking lot in California. It has grown to nearly 300 restaurants globally. The location near my house opened a couple of months ago.

Outside

Orders are placed at the counter and prepared fresh, so there is a little bit of a wait even when they aren’t busy. The menu is pretty simple, led by their famous chicken tenders, which can be served alone or as a slider sandwich. They also have chicken bites, fries, mac & cheese, and kale slaw to round out the menu. All chicken can be served with no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot, or “reaper,” which includes a disclaimer for how hot it truly is.

Mural Inside

For my dinner, I ordered Dave’s #3 so that I could sample a variety of the offerings ($13.49). This included a tender served on sliced bread with pickles and a slider served on a potato bun with kale slaw, pickles, and Dave’s sauce. Fries are also included in the meal deal. This was a lot of food! I think next time I might just get the slider meal, as each tender is actually really thick and filling.

Dave’s #3

I ordered my chicken with hot sauce, and it was pretty dang hot! I tried the tender alone, but found myself dipping it in the side of Dave’s sauce to cool it off some. The slider didn’t feel as hot since it had slaw, pickles, and Dave’s sauce already drizzled on it. I might try the medium heat level next time, or just stick with the slider and the hot sauce.

Mt. Carmel Brewing Company has been around for 20 years! With so many breweries coming (and now going) in Cincinnati, it’s worth noting that Mt. Carmel is still doing their thing and doing it well. My wife and I stopped in for lunch recently. Their outdoor space is better than ever, and it’s a great place for a meal or to hang out over a couple of pints.

Cincy Hot Sandwich

For lunch, I enjoyed the Cincy Hot Sandwich, a hand-breaded fried chicken breast topped with their signature HOT Denzel wing sauce, country-style slaw, and blue cheese dressing ($14). The sauce had a pretty good amount of heat, but the slaw and blue cheese tamed it down a bit. Overall, a really solid sandwich.

The G.O.A.T. Salad

My wife and I also split the G.O.A.T. salad ($11 full / $6.50 half). This combination features spinach, goat cheese, red onions, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and candied walnuts, accompanied by a house-made balsamic dressing. This was a great salad, highly recommended!

Carnitas Tacos

My wife enjoyed the carnitas tacos ($13 for 2). The house-braised pork shoulder is super tender and comes topped with grilled jalapenos, queso fresco, pico de gallo, and salsa verde. Great tacos!

I’m torn with MexCantina. Sure, it is better than Mesa Loca, the former occupant of the space, but there are still other Mexican restaurants in the area that I enjoy more. I do think the space is well-appointed, brighter than it ever has been, and inviting to anyone passing by. Plus, the patio is the best in the area!

Bar

The made-in-house tortillas and the included maker space are really awesome! This might be the highlight of the restaurant honestly.

Fresh Tortillas

The chimichanga from the specialties menu is a ton of food ($16.99 for chicken)! It includes two deep-fried burritos topped with housemade cheese sauce. But most of the plate was occupied by a large serving of both rice and beans. The chimichangas themselves were a little bland aside from the cheese sauce. Fortunately, some guacamole, pico, and sour cream were provided on the side to add some flavor complexity.

Chimichanga

Chicken fajitas came out sizzling with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes ($20.99). On the side is a plate with lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, pico, beans, rice, and of course a container of fresh tortillas. I thought the price was actually a little high for this dish, but it was split between two family members, thus making it a good option for sharing. I think the overall sentiment was that it was a good dish, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Fajitas

The trio enchiladas is a pretty-looking dish of grilled chicken enchiladas topped with cheese, ranchera, and verde sauce ($14.99). After having this dish on a return visit, I think I can say that what I think is lacking is much of any flavor on the grilled chicken, thus making any of the dishes a little underwhelming. I think if the chicken was shredded and cooked with some other ingredients, it could be a better filling for many of the dishes.

Trio Enchiladas

There are many BBQ restaurants in the Cincinnati area, and Pig Candy BBQ is near the top of my list. Located in the California neighborhood, out by Riverbend Music Center, sits this cozy restaurant that occupies a former jail. All meats are smoked on site and served fresh with a wonderful selection of sides and some fun specialty items like a waffle sandwich or quesadilla.

Inside

I think their Bama Turkey sandwich is top of the menu for me. It combines thick-sliced turkey, layered with tomato, onion, and dill pickles, with white sauce on the side ($10). The turkey is really good, and I like having some additional toppings on the sandwich rather than just coleslaw. Sides can be added for $4 and include the pickled onion and peppers, which are awesome.

Bama Turkey

Another unique item is the Pig Mac Bowl, a bowl of mac and cheese, topped with pulled pork, red sauce, and slaw ($10). This is a full meal in a bowl, and there is no need to add a side to it. It’s a really good option.

Pig Mac Bowl

The pulled pork sandwich is topped with white and gold sauces plus slaw on the side ($8). Plenty of meat is piled high on the butter toasted bun, and it’s full of smoke plus very tender.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

A full kids’ menu is available, plus local craft beer, hard seltzers, wine, and mimosas. It’s a wonderful place to stop before a concert or even for Sunday brunch.

Parkside came to our neighborhood a couple of years ago and has quickly become our go-to spot in Hyde Park Square. It has it all: reasonably priced food, kids’ menu, great draft beer, cocktails, a nice patio, and wonderful staff. If you’ve been to their sister restaurant, Delwood, expect pretty much the same experience here, but with a completely different menu, which is great!

Dip Duo

For starters, we almost always order the dip duo, which includes both their guacamole and pimento cheese dip, served with corn tortilla chips ($12). I love the pimento cheese dip and could order that alone ($10), but for $2 more, throw in the guacamole too! Another great appetizer is the Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls, featuring pulled chicken, mozzarella, pepperoni, zucchini, Crystal Hot Sauce, and blue cheese crumble ($6 each). Also, the Parkside chopped salad is nice to split as either an appetizer or a side. It combines romaine, tomato, red onion, avocado, roasted chickpeas, goat cheese, and honey dijon vinaigrette ($7 half).

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

There are three items on the main menu that I rotate between. The grilled chicken sandwich is a Peruvian marinated chargrilled chicken breast topped with roasted garlic aioli, white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and onion ($15). This is probably my most ordered. I also really like the veggie burger, which is a falafel patty topped the same as the chicken sandwich ($13). If you like falafel, definitely give this a try. I also order the boneless wings from time to time, which is a rather large portion of hand-battered chicken ($15). Don’t forget to wash it all down with a Three Floyds Zombie Dust pale ale, which is always on tap ($7).

After over 20 years of hosting edpaffjr.com (and other sites too) from my home PC’s, I have moved everything to a shared server at DreamHost. The final straw for this move came as the power supply on my newest PC died for a second time. Keep in mind that this machine is almost 20 years old! It was struggling to keep up anyway, so rather than buying another power supply, I bought this hard drive docking station on Amazon to pull the files I needed off the 2 hard drives in this old PC. So far things are mostly working as they were before, with one big change being the old photo gallery I was using for years hadn’t been updated in many years and I couldn’t get it running on PHP 8, so I uploaded all these old photos onto old posts that can be viewed in the gallery category. Now that the site is running much faster, perhaps I’ll update more regularly again. Time will tell!