Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2011

One of the world's largest Oktoberfest's takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio each year to celebrate the city's German heritage.  Highlight's include: 

• Chicken Dancing -- It's a universal dance of all people who enjoy being silly.  And you can do it with many others on Fountain Square as we do the World's Largest Chicken Dance led by Joe Morgan, a Cincinnati Reds great.
• Bratwurst Eating Contest -- Ok, I have a hard time getting on board with this one, but the current record of 42 Bratwursts in 10 minutes by Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut is pretty impressive by competitive eating standards.  It's also nausea-inducing for those of us who just like eating, but not competitively. 
• The Food - Schnitzel, Strudel, Bavarian Pretzels, Potato Pancakes, Sauerkraut Balls, Goulash.

I'm headed to Oktoberfest tonight -- pictures later! 

Update on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 10:44AM by eatdrinkandbemarried

My obligatory souvenir mug filled with Sam Adam's Oktoberfest.  Yum.

Oh, Oktoberfest.  You dazzle me with your ever-flowing beer, masses of people, and crazy chicken hats.  This year's Oktoberfest saw the most beautiful weather in recent memory, not to be matched by the best Oktoberfest food I've enjoyed in a long while.  Maybe it was the company or the rumbling hunger in my stomach, but whatever the reason, I truly enjoyed this year's Oktoberfest.

Here's a run-down of what I ate:

Sausage with peppers and onions.  Nothing too spectacular here, but it was still delicious.  The onions were cooked to sweetness.  

German nachos -- spiral cut potatoes topped with sour cream, cheese, bacon, and chives. Also, precariously balanced on a newspaper stand because finding room to sit at Oktoberfest is really only for carriage pushers and elbow throwers.  I wish I could tell you more about these chips, but Steve REALLY enjoyed them :-)  The few I had were very tasty.

Strudel.  Flaky, sugary, and warm.  We tried the cheese variety which was non-descript and sweet, but yummy just the same.

AND, MY FAVORITE:

Sauerkraut Balls with Horseradish sauce.  I don't like sauerkraut and you will never find it at my house or on my hot dogs.  However, these little spheres of joy de-bunk what you think you know about sauerkraut.  They are crispy, gooey, and filled with some kind of meat, cheese, and mustard filling.  So, so yummy and not at all the stringy, sour stuff you may find elsewhere.

Overall, this was a great Oktoberfest and worth checking out if you have time -- open today!

I was away and now I'm back!

One perk of my job includes taking students a few times a year to the Higher Ground Retreat and Conference Center in Indiana.  I know some of my readers jetset to various cities and countries as part of their jobs and may fail to see the appeal of my perk -- but here it is:

Desserts.  Freshly baked, warm cookies in the sugar, chocolate chip, oatmeal rasin, and macadamia nut variety.  Chocolate cake -- layers of deliciousness.  Apple pie a la mode.  The desserts here are phenomenal.  AND, I get to eat them with some of the most wonderful colleagues and students, which makes it even sweeter.  Don't be jealous -- well, be a little.

Another perk?  When I came home it was clear that Steve really missed me because this morning I was treated to a breakfast of coffee and french toast. Steve's french toast is vanilla-y and the best way to start a very cool fall day.

Enjoy your weekend! 

Ballpark Food

Today I spent the day at a Cincinnati Reds game -- not a bad way to spend a Thursday afternoon!  My dad's birthday gift this year was today's game in the club seats in the Fox Sports Lounge a.k.a. unlimited food gorging. And gorge we did.  Hot dogs, pizza, peanuts, nachos -- you name it, they had it (except skyline...how is that possible???)

But the surprising part?  They had other types of food that I wouldn't necessarily consider to be 'ball park' but delicious and surprising, just the same:

• Fruit and granola parfait
• Spicy shrimp po'boys (try this recipe)
• Chicken and black beans
• Pulled pork sandwiches
• Cinnamon Twist pretzel

I wish I could show you pictures, but we were all too busy stuffing our faces to take pictures.  Here's a shot of the birthday boy and his girls:

Next time you hit the local ballpark, look for some different offerings -- there has to be something better than stale tortilla chips with neon orange sludge on top!

Hide your Peppers! The Deer Strike Pt. 2

Well, it's happened again.  Those pesky deer have returned and this time they took a new victim:  my green pepper plant!  What's worse?  They didn't have the decency to eat that perfectly plump pepper (good alliteration, huh), instead they snapped it off the plant and dropped it in the hot summer sun to scorch and blister.

It hurts.  Real deep.

Fall Restaurant Week

Don't miss out on Cincinnati Restaurant Week, Sept. 9th - 18th.

Featured restaurants include a few of my favorites around Cincy:

• 20 Brix (try the chicken and waffles)
• Bella Luna (prime rib cannelloni - you can't go wrong)
• Jags (Garlicky steak tartare is the best around town)

The best part? Three course meals for $26.10 and this year the restaurants will be supporting the local chapter of Cystic Fibrosis.

Enjoy!