December 20, 201212 yr http://www.slate.com/articles/life/drink/2008/11/the_long_slow_torturous_death_of_zima.html
December 21, 201212 yr ^And Moerlein is better than Great Lakes... One of the things I miss most about Cincinnati is Moerlein. Another is watching the riverfront take shape. I wish I liked Moerlein better than Great Lakes (for obvious Cincy vs. Cleveland reasons) but I think Great Lakes beers are way better than Moerlein. There are very few if any Moerlein beers that I really like. And I think the others like Hudy, Little Kings, etc are horrible. But to each their own.
December 21, 201212 yr ^And Moerlein is better than Great Lakes... One of the things I miss most about Cincinnati is Moerlein. Another is watching the riverfront take shape. I wish I liked Moerlein better than Great Lakes (for obvious Cincy vs. Cleveland reasons) but I think Great Lakes beers are way better than Moerlein. There are very few if any Moerlein beers that I really like. And I think the others like Hudy, Little Kings, etc are horrible. But to each their own. I know it sounds homeristic to declare Moerlein better than GL, but I don't care for the finish of Great Lakes' brews. They're not very clean, and basically, Great Lakes tastes overpriced. Moerlein's OTR and Christkindl Winter Ale both top anything GL is putting out that I've tried. OTR is flat-out excellent and should be at every bar in Cincinnati. I've been pleased to find it in a few different places, in bottles no less. I prefer bottles to draft any day.
December 21, 201212 yr ^I also really like the Saengerfest. I could drink that beer for the rest of my life and not get tired of it. Perhaps we should create and move this discussion to "The Great Beer Thread" or something similar since this is pretty off topic.
December 21, 201212 yr Has anyone been to Mahoghany's within the past month? I'm curious about the experience of being there and the service now that it's been open for a little bit. I thought Dunnhumby including apartments in the project would have been good for the Banks and for UOers. A residential tower downtown with new, sterile environs is a competitor of the Banks. Being the only game of its kind in town, there isn't a need to impress anybody aesthetically.
December 22, 201212 yr I've been to Mahogany's once in October. Place was PACKED. A good band was playing. We waited 40 min for a table and there were still 4-5 people ahead of us so we ended up going to Tin Roof (also only time I've been there). Both seemed to be doing well. Mahagonys crowd was about 80% black and Tin Roofs was about 95% white. Mahoganys crowd was well dressed, lots of suits and dresses, hats, etc. had a Forest Park crowd vibe and the age range was mainly 30-50 but there were some folks who looked even older. Tin Roof was shorts and t shirts, had a mix of NKY, Clermont county and northern suburb youths feel. Average age range seemed to be 25-35 Was fun to swing by both, but I don't think I'll ever go back unless there's something very specific to check out.
December 22, 201212 yr I've been to Mahogany's once in October. Place was PACKED. A good band was playing. We waited 40 min for a table and there were still 4-5 people ahead of us so we ended up going to Tin Roof (also only time I've been there). Both seemed to be doing well. Mahagonys crowd was about 80% black and Tin Roofs was about 95% white. Mahoganys crowd was well dressed, lots of suits and dresses, hats, etc. had a Forest Park crowd vibe and the age range was mainly 30-50 but there were some folks who looked even older. Tin Roof was shorts and t shirts, That's white people for you, I notice that when I hit up the MCL (a cafeteria chain in Columbus and Indy) on Sunday afternoons. The black people all look dapper and put-together. Dignified. Meanwhile the white people wear those oversize white t-shirts with a bunch of corporate logos on the back that they throw at you for free in college or at 5Ks, flip flops and sweatpants. I get so sick of the general population disrespecting the public realm by looking like they just rolled out of bed. Look at how well the audience was dressed for this infomercial from 1993, the "Grunge Era". You wanna talk about a grunge area; that's today! And restaurants have to take it! There's very few nice restaurants that will tell someone to put on a jacket for example and won't say anything about flip-flops. Even when people spend $100 on a meal, they still demand that they be allowed to look destitute! The restaurants need the sales too bad to have a dress code and you don't want to hear people unleash the fury when told they want to create an air of class in their restaurant by not allowing people dress like 5-year-olds. What would happen if you created a block of restaurants and bars at The Banks or the Arena District or wherever where people had to look at least as nice as they did in public in a CBD in 1995? Or even one where formal wear was required? Think about it -- until 2000 people just did it voluntarily anyway. Really it's only American whites that demand to look like a child at all times. The rest of the developed world and even much of the third world demands better. Is there any chance of it becoming "cool" again to dress up every once in a while? Would the block fail?
December 22, 201212 yr CincyGuy45202 & GCrites80s: That is a vey unfair comparison. Mahogany's presents itself as a fairly upscale restaurant with price points, decor and ambience to match. If you parse through some photos that people have tagged the restaurant in, the dress is a bit nicer than a typical casual restaurant. The Tin Roof, on the other hand, states that it is a "laid back" music venue where you can "kick back and have a good time." Their price points, decor and ambience is cheap and straightforward. (And what's up with their FB page?) If you want a proper comparison, since we are going on a "black versus white" appeal - let's stack Mahogany's with a more upscale venue - like Crave?
December 22, 201212 yr >people dress like 5-year-olds. It's because everybody's fat. Fat people attempt to distract you from the fat by wearing stuff that's even bigger than needed. It's not clothing, it's a cloaking device.
December 22, 201212 yr Woa woa- Leave me out of that! haha I was just describing two restaurants I went to back to back that were right next to each other. I wasn't criticizing or complimenting either. I wouldn't expect people to dress up at Tin Roof because that's not what it is. I agree on the Crave and Mahogany's comparison, but I didn't happen to go to those back to back. Plus, it's in no way a racial thing. There are plenty of white folks who dress up nice for certain things (Crave, Ruby's, etc.) but there are places like Mixx where the crowd is african american and is dressed casually. The style of those two restaurants that are right next to each other just happens to be complete opposites and I thought it was interesting and kind of a cool thing for The Banks that right next door you have two places that cater completely to different audiences, yet both were respectively good for what they were trying to do. It's not like all white people dress like crap, but sure in general American culture has become WAY more casually dressed, and since America is ~70% white that means a lot of white people dress very casual now compared to 25 and 50 years ago. >people dress like 5-year-olds. It's because everybody's fat. Fat people attempt to distract you from the fat by wearing stuff that's even bigger than needed. It's not clothing, it's a cloaking device. I will however agree on this. Went to a countryish concert recently with a girl I was seeing and I was shocked at the size of the audience members. Living downtown you forget how incredibly overweight much of the exurbs (and midwest in general) are. There were 8-10 year olds that probably weighed more than I do. disgusting. So back to the Banks. Any bets on which quarter construction will start? I'm going with (Calendar year) 3rd Quarter but wishing it was 2nd Quarter.
January 3, 201312 yr Jimmy John's set open at The Banks in April. Nice addition that will probably be slammed before/after games. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/01/03/new-eatery-to-open-at-the-banks-on.html
January 3, 201312 yr Jimmy John's set open at The Banks in April. Nice addition that will probably be slammed before/after games. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/01/03/new-eatery-to-open-at-the-banks-on.html This has been in the works for a while. Will be between the JR and still unopened Wine Guy. Carryout only location.
January 5, 201312 yr Jimmy Johns provides a good quick eat option. Overall I hope the area gets a little more diverse with its offerings - less sports bars and more sushi, middle east, mexican, jamaican etc at some point. The area seems like it has a lot of options for a game like environment and is okay but I do hope for a little more diversity in food offerings.
January 5, 201312 yr Jimmy Johns provides a good quick eat option. Overall I hope the area gets a little more diverse with its offerings - less sports bars and more sushi, middle east, mexican, jamaican etc at some point. The area seems like it has a lot of options for a game like environment and is okay but I do hope for a little more diversity in food offerings. While that'd be nice, I wouldn't expect it. Folks in this thread have basically said that the Banks is like the My First Urban Experience for well-heeled suburbanites, and I pretty much agree. I expect everything that goes in at the Banks will be really safe choices and almost always national names. hopefully we'll see some retail in forthcoming phases - appropriate tenants might include Crate & Barrel, Apple, Anthropologie, etc.
January 5, 201312 yr Jimmy Johns provides a good quick eat option. Overall I hope the area gets a little more diverse with its offerings - less sports bars and more sushi, middle east, mexican, jamaican etc at some point. The area seems like it has a lot of options for a game like environment and is okay but I do hope for a little more diversity in food offerings. While that'd be nice, I wouldn't expect it. Folks in this thread have basically said that the Banks is like the My First Urban Experience for well-heeled suburbanites, and I pretty much agree. I expect everything that goes in at the Banks will be really safe choices and almost always national names. hopefully we'll see some retail in forthcoming phases - appropriate tenants might include Crate & Barrel, Apple, Anthropologie, etc. Yet, among the existing Banks tenants, Holy Grail, Mahogany's and Moerlein Lager House are local names with zero national recognition. I'd like to see them maintain a balance. I wonder if Larosa's will be the first pizza place to open at The Banks, or will someone else jump in first? As a Dayton native, I think something like Marion's could absolutely clean up at The Banks. They moved into Mason so they're inching south. :clap:
January 5, 201312 yr If we're getting Dayton pizza down here , I want Cassano's, dagnabbit. Will the Jimmy Johns deliver & if so, where? the basin?
January 5, 201312 yr I wish Dewey's would move down there but maybe the Newport on the Levee location is too close? Although Tom and Chee has one in Newport and on Walnut so that's not much farther.
January 5, 201312 yr As a Dayton native, I think something like Marion's could absolutely clean up at The Banks. They moved into Mason so they're inching south. :clap: While I would absolutely love a Marion's at The Banks, the build their stores at shopping centers/strip malls. They couldn't afford a downtown location. The rent alone would be too expensive as their stores typically are around 10,000-square-feet and seat 500. This latest Marion's expansion, their first since 1991, totaled $6M for the 2 stores and was paid entirely from savings. It'll be at least another decade before they expand again. If we're getting Dayton pizza down here , I want Cassano's, dagnabbit. Will the Jimmy Johns deliver & if so, where? the basin? Cassano's, ha! It should be noted that the last Marion's to be built before 2012 is the Town & Country location in Kettering. Marion bought a closed Cassano's, tore it down, and built his smallest store simply to prove to his former partner that he could be successful where Vic Cassano had failed. :evil: I'm sure Jimmy John's will deliver. Their former 4th St location did but I don't recall the boundaries. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
January 5, 201312 yr Drive to Fairfield "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
January 6, 201312 yr The wife and I take Chipotle or Jimmy John's into Reds games every time we go. Beats paying $5 for a warmed-over slice of LaRosa's or $7 for a cheeseburger, and yes, the stadium security is cool with bringing food in. This is great if JJ's is open until 7 or 8p on game nights. They should do well. The 4th Street location closed at I think 6p weekdays, and I'm pretty sure was closed altogether on weekends.
January 8, 201312 yr Bakersfield 2.0 at the Banks? Jefferson Social, a neighborhood bar and restaurant serving Mexican street food, will move into a more than 4,000-square-foot space at the Banks riverfront development. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/01/08/jefferson-hall-owner-opening-bar-and.html
January 15, 201312 yr Wine Guy makes a name change, shifting focus to food Tom Demeropolis When the latest tenant at The Banks opens in the next few weeks, it will have a different name than when it was announced. The Wine Guy Wine Shop Wine Bar & Bistro is now WG Kitchen & Bar, said owner Craig Decker. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/01/14/wine-guy-makes-a-name-change-shifting.html
January 17, 201312 yr So their old name was "Wine Guy Wine Shop Wine Bar & Bistro"? "Craig Decker, owner of WG Kitchen & Bar, said the new name will help let more potential customers know that his establishments aren't just for wine drinkers." Maybe potential customers thought that because wine was in the name three times!
January 17, 201312 yr The new name is terrible IMO. "Craig Decker, owner of WG Kitchen & Bar, said the new name will help let more potential customers know that his establishments aren't just for wine drinkers." Now wine drinkers will think his establishments are just another bar in the mix. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
January 22, 201312 yr The new name is terrible IMO. "Craig Decker, owner of WG Kitchen & Bar, said the new name will help let more potential customers know that his establishments aren't just for wine drinkers." Now wine drinkers will think his establishments are just another bar in the mix. Maybe if they go just by the name. If WG at the Banks is anything like the one in Rookwood, the walls will be covered with bottles of wine, making it obvious to any passersby.
January 30, 201312 yr Checked out WG today. No wine bottles adorning the walls. Just looks like a restaurant... maybe with a slightly Italian-ish vibe.
January 30, 201312 yr Checked out WG today. No wine bottles adorning the walls. Just looks like a restaurant... maybe with a slightly Italian-ish vibe. Do they have bottles for sale (retail) at all?
January 31, 201312 yr So now that there are no more retail spaces at The Banks phase 1, lets recap the local vs national restaurants. LOCAL Holy Grail Mahoganys Wine Guy Jefferson Social NATIONAL/CHAIN Tin Roof Crave Yard House Johnny Rockets Jimmy Johns Ruth's Chris Toby Keith's Orange Leaf (barely counts) Will be interesting to see how things change for phase 2
January 31, 201312 yr So now that there are no more retail spaces at The Banks phase 1, lets recap the local vs national restaurants. LOCAL Holy Grail Mahoganys Wine Guy Jefferson Social NATIONAL/CHAIN Tin Roof Crave Yard House Johnny Rockets Jimmy Johns Ruth's Chris Toby Keith's Orange Leaf (barely counts) Will be interesting to see how things change for phase 2 There's actually one more space to fill. The SW corner space (closest to the Suspension Bridge, near the Smidlapp Event Lawn stage) remains available. And that would seem to have restaurant written all over it also.
February 1, 201312 yr So how long will it be till all of these restaurants start to cannibalize themselves?
February 1, 201312 yr So how long will it be till all of these restaurants start to cannibalize themselves? Debbie Downer ^ I would think that these restaurants, particularly the national chains, did their homework and aren't just coming in with complete ignorance of the other restaurants in the Banks/downtown.
February 1, 201312 yr Well, it depends. Sometimes franchisees don't do their homework or don't realize that the value of being associated with the franchisor is much lower than they thought. I don't know what proportion of the chain restaurants at the Banks are franchises, if any.
February 1, 201312 yr So now that there are no more retail spaces at The Banks phase 1, lets recap the local vs national restaurants. LOCAL Holy Grail Mahoganys Wine Guy Jefferson Social NATIONAL/CHAIN Tin Roof Crave Yard House Johnny Rockets Jimmy Johns Ruth's Chris Toby Keith's Orange Leaf (barely counts) Will be interesting to see how things change for phase 2 What about the Lager House? It might technically be in the Smale Park, but you have to count it.
February 1, 201312 yr I left it out because I was mainly thinking of the list as comparing the leasing strategy of the banks developers & Jeffrey Anderson real estate. Lager House is amazing, but they had no part of getting it or financing it so I didn't include it.
February 2, 201312 yr Does anyone have any info on the high-rise spot for the first phase...and the hotel? I just remember seeing that in renders.
February 2, 201312 yr I've been told hotel will likely start construction this summer but they'll be asking the city for a lot of money. The office tower won't start until there's a major tenant and I could see them waiting a couple years and not rushing anything. Phase 2 could also start this summer depending on $$$
February 2, 201312 yr So does the All Star game increase the odds of people wanting to have their businesses in the Banks? Any office or hotel would have quite a bit of publicity being directly next to the stadiums during the game I'd think. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I'm hoping come game time Phase II, the hotel, and the office tower in Phase I are complete. All this parred with more park and the streetcar will make an amazing impression for our city.
February 3, 201312 yr ^ I could see the hotel being completed. Wouldn't hold my breath for the office building!
February 3, 201312 yr ^Yeah, it seems like a hotel would want to be a part of the excitement. As for the office tower, has anyone heard ANY sort of news about an interested tenant? It has been QUITE a while since we've heard any sort of news about them searching for an anchor. I wonder if there have been any sort of leads in that regard.
February 3, 201312 yr I believe they shopped the site to dunnhumby, but we know how that went. Haven't heard anything else. It might take a while. There's a lot of office space downtown. I'd rather them wait than have a major glut of office space.
February 3, 201312 yr Yeah that seems like a good idea. Hopefully more and more class C and B office buildings are converted into residential so there is an eventual demand for new Class A office space.
February 7, 201312 yr Could someone tell me what is planned for the space just north of the Lager house and directly east of the Current apts? Being so close to the stadium it'd be nice if this vacant spot was developed.
February 7, 201312 yr Could someone tell me what is planned for the space just north of the Lager house and directly east of the Current apts? Being so close to the stadium it'd be nice if this vacant spot was developed. A hotel directly across from the stadium and town homes right in front of the "event" lawn.
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