The Senate

Since in 'Nati, I have devoured the most delicious hot dog of my life (sorry Dan's Dogs!). The Senate is a trendy restaurant located in my favorite area, Over the Rhine. It draws quite the crowd each night despite how tiny the space is inside. The Senate is known for its incredible gourmet hot dogs. My friends love to order "The Lindsay Lohan," an all beef dog topped with goat cheese, carmelized onions, bacon, arugula and balsamic. I for one cannot pass up the classic Chicago dog-- its topped with a heaping pile of tomato, mustard, onion, neon relish, sport peppers, pickle and celery salt. Yum! 

Chicago Dog

Poutine fries: fries, braised short rib, cheese curds, gravy, poached egg

Lindsay Lohan dog

Merry Little Cincinnati Christmas

Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati

It was so fun to be greeted back to Cincinnati following Thanksgiving in Medina by all of the holiday lights. There is nothing happier and cozier than Christmas lights! Here you will find some of the Christmasy scenes I have captured thus far, but I am looking forward to adding more throughout the month!

Hyde Park Square

Newport on the Levee

....my Charlie Brown Christmas tree! 

...Here's to a merry Cincinnati Christmas Season!

Saturday (BRRR)Runs

I am under the covers, bundled up in my warmest clothes, while drinking a cup of hot tea and I am still shivering! It has been a cold but very fun day of running! The day began with the Color Run in the morning and it ended with the Reggae Run in the evening!

I got to do the Color Run here in Cincinnati with my parents. We sported green bandanas and white/grey clothes in preparation for a colorful outcome to the race! We were dressed for the theme, but we certainly weren't dressed for the weather! BRR! We huddled together until it was time to start!

I anticipated machines shooting paint at the runners throughout the course; however, volunteers were in charge of spraying and throwing colored powder at the participants.

 

My Mom got hit the best out of any of us---she even had colored streaks in her hair!  It was definitely the wildest I have ever seen her look! Here is a picture of my Dad with one of the race signs!





                                          We had a great time!

In the evening, I did the Reggae Run with my good friend Sarah, who started work on the same day as me! We quickly became friends and weekly running partners.

The Reggae Run began in Cincinnati in 1994 in memory of Maria Olberding. Through its years of success, the Run has partnered with the Make A Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio to support the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions in the area. The event takes place in Ault Park and begins with a 5k and ends with a reggae band, food, and drinks for several hours.

The course involved many hills, but the pretty houses along the way made up for it. Below is a view of open land from the Park---I had no idea how huge Ault Park is and I am looking forward to spending some time in the area soon.

Below (to the right) is a a picture of a portion of the tents that were set up for the after-race party!

The BonBonerie Bakery and Cafe

Bonbonerie: (noun) A small fancy box or dish for bonbons.

Since in 'Nati, I have driven past the BonBonerie Bakery and Cafe every day on my way to and from work. Almost every morning I think to myself, "one of these days I'm going to stop there for coffee and breakfast." I have yet to do this, but my first visit yesterday afternoon has me convinced to do this very soon!

I was lucky to have my parents visit on Friday and so we treated ourselves to our first taste of BonBonerie. My Mom and I agreed that it was the best bakery we have ever been to! The desserts are beautifully decorated and most importantly, they're sweet to the taste!









Not only does the BonBonerie have a bakery and cafe, but it also has a tea room and gorgeous patio!

Tea Room

I am looking forward to returning to the BonBonerie soon! 

Patio

Me!

Bakersfield

Tacos, tacos, tacos! 

Bakersfield is a restaurant in Over the Rhine that I had been looking so forward to trying since in 'Nati. Tonight my friends Emily and Maggie joined me for my first taste of the restaurant's margaritas and tacos. They were just as fresh and delicious as they look! The waiter serves the tacos on a large tray and identifies each for the table, similar to how sushi is presented. The menu allows you to to choose as many different types of tacos as you please versus ordering one dish. 

Bakersfield

Front open window

Bakersfield is a small agricultural town in California with Mexican influence. The"Bakersfield Sound" is 

an era of music described as "country rock n' roll." The restaurant's atmosphere is full of character to represent the history behind the name. 

Loveland Bike Trail

Thanks to my sweet friend Jane, I am now familiar with the Loveland Bike Trail. This is without a doubt one of the best discoveries I have made since moving to Cincinnati. It reminds me so much of my favorite place to run at home. Loveland is named "the sweetheart of Ohio," which I thought was an awfully cute slogan. The town's bike trail is a part of the Little Miami Scenic River Trail and so it extends for miles and miles. It is beautiful. The entrance to the trail is surrounded by several restaurants, a sweet shop, and a cute boutique. There is also a small park with picnic tables where I spotted bike riders having a picnic following their ride. I would love to pack a picnic the next time I head to the trail!

It was too beautiful of a Fall day to be trapped inside, so I headed to the trail this afternoon. Because the tires of my own bike were flat, I decided I'd rent a bike from the shop. Little did I know, I would be "sporting" a purple bike with flowers and wide-set handlebars for today's ride. I must say that I was not feeling particularly sporty! But it definitely made me smile. I can't wait to head to the trail to run or bike ride again soon!

Lululemon Running Group

Since in 'Nati, I have joined Lululemon's running group on Sunday mornings at 9am. The group runs two 3-mile loops. I have been so happy to be involved in this group since moving here. It is a great way to meet people outside of work, and I am always excited to meet others who have similar interests as me. It has also helped me to learn new running routes and to hear about various races that are coming up around the area. I hope to continue to be a weekly member of the running group...And maybe, just maybe, a discount to the store will someday be included as a perk for my participation!!!

Hyde Park Farmer's Market

I live less than a mile away from the Hyde Park Farmer's Market, which is open on Sunday's from May to October. I've learned to love Farmer's Markets since attending them  for numerous summers in Medina with my Mom (and sometimes Dad, too). I love the small town feel of Medina's Farmer's Market. The morning is spent buying vegetables, kettle corn, breads, and pastas (at least in our case it is!). We often run into people that we know and love to grab breakfast at Marie's while watching the commotion of the Farmer's Market from the window. 

The Hyde Park Farmer's Market is a perfect option for me when I do not feel like driving out to Findlay Market. It even has some live music (above) just like Findlay Market. Though I don't wind up running into anyone I know (at least not so far!), it still gives me that small town, fun Sunday morning feel. Plus it allows me to buy fresh, inexpensive vegetables for the afternoon's Pinterest recipe cooking!!

Hudepohl 14k & Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

My friends Sarah and Caroline came in from Lexington, KY for the weekend! We ran the Hudepohl 14k (8.6 mi) in downtown Cincinnati this morning. It was a gorgeous morning to run and we were really pleased with our race. We were greeted at the finish line with the sponsor's beer, which I am sure our bodies didn't appreciate post-race. Though the course was not particularly scenic, I was still able to check out some different areas of the city while running. The race was meant to be a tour of Cincinnati's breweries both past and present. 

Following our race, we walked over to Oktoberfest Zinzinnati for some more beer and hearty German food (good thing we just ran!). I had been looking so forward to Oktoberfest, which is considered to be the biggest and best Oktoberfest second to that in Munich! Fountain Square was closed off every which way to allow for the weekend's event. There was a variety of German beers and German food, including bratwursts, hot pretzels, and creme puffs! Here is a picture of one of the men in charge making a toast to the crowd (check out the girl next to him in the pretzel outfit!).

End of Summer Nights

The Summer has been a whirlwind! It began in Pittsburgh, moved to Medina (with a week in Hilton Head), and finally landed in Cincinnati. Since in 'Nati, I have tried to take advantage of some of the events occurring around town. I was welcomed to the city with 4th of July fireworks at Ault Park, where I sat in front of the cutest little boy. As he watched the fireworks, he continuously yelled "this is the best day of my life!" It was so sweet.

 Though I don't have pictures from all of the events that I have attended, here are two nights that I spent with new friends. I went to a Red's baseball game where the crowd was very pleased to return home with free LaRosa's pizza and free UDF ice cream despite the team's loss.

The next week I planned a gathering with new friends at Washington Park in Over the Rhine. We saw a free bluegrass concert on a beautiful night! It was fun to discover such a beautiful park in the middle of the city. Though it has been so fun to do such different activities with new friends, I continue to miss the friends nearest and dearest to me! 

Findlay Market

Since in 'Nati, one of my favorite activities involves heading downtown on Sunday mornings to Findlay Market. I was ecstatic when I discovered this market, which is open 7 days a week. I love the idea of purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, bread, and sweets from local farmers and establishments in Cincinnati. It is so much more fun than the grocery store! Oftentimes there is live music which makes the environment that much more fun to be in. It is surrounded by restaurants, stores, and bakeries along the side streets, so I must always be conscious of how much I am spending when I am there!

Famous Eats

Following a long weekend of moving into my apartment, it was only appropriate to spend my first night as a Cincinnatian indulging in the city's finest barbeque and ice cream. There was no better welcome than The Montgomery Inn's ribs and Graeter's ice cream. It was delicious and well worth the stomach ache!

Welcome to Cincinnati!

Since in 'Nati, I have moved into a quaint apartment in the suburb of Hyde Park. I am lucky to have found such a comfortable place to serve as my home away from home. I am located just a walk away from both Hyde Park and Oakley Squares and a short drive from Mt. Lookout. These areas are bustling with unique restaurants, bars, and boutiques...and is home to one of my favorite ice creams of all time, Graeter's black raspberry chip! This blog is devoted to documenting my exploration and adventures in my new city of Cincinnati, Ohio.