Taking time to explore my new area, yesterday it was Bellevue's turn. It's like going back 50 years…read morein time when "downtown" was the place to be...you know, when you're alone is life is making you lonely... Very walkable and plenty of parking. Lots of cute little restaurants and bars. But Monday isn't the best time to go because many little places were closed. I'll go back on First Friday, which is supposed to be a blast. I walked all the way to Dayton...Kentucky that is. That's a story for another day. People are friendly in this town - at least in the stores that are open on Monday. I did kinda laugh when I saw the sign for the Beach Park. Just the thought of a beach on this river. Don't get me wrong...I love the river and the river traffic. But I wouldn't put my little toe in that water. Next time I head down think I'll take the levy...love walking on the levy. At least the Newport levy. I'll report back on Bellevue levy.

FACT: Bellevue is super underrated. There are so many great charming NKY neighborhoods and Bellevue…read moreis definitely towards the top of that list. There are so many small businesses that make this part of town such a great place to visit. Among the coffee shops and restaurants, visiting Bellevue Beach park is also a great time to be had. It's peaceful and serene with lots of great river views. If you're looking for a spot to grab coffee or lunch, make it a point to start checking out some of these businesses. Besides, who can pass up a chance to stop by The Party Source (enormous booze outlet) while you're in this neck of the woods. If you haven't taken the time to visit and explore Bellevue, make sure you do - it's such a charming part of greater Cincy.

Milford is definately a family oriented community. The area is growing fast in retail stores and…read moreparks. My favorite is Old Milford. I would not like to live here since it is overcrowded, under construction all the time, and traffic is bad.

I love visiting Milford. I do so at least once a week now. Its not just a city, but truly a…read morecommunity. It is absolutely filled with locally owned businesses that have pride in where they operate. The residents have pride in their city too. I've seen them line the streets near 275 to cheer on a highschool team as they leave for a playoff game. Recently tornados/winds affected the Day Heights area and everyone came out to help each other clean up. There is great dining, shopping, and parks. My favorite area is the downtown Old Milford section. It has everything youd expect from a small village with tree lined streets, lamp posts, shops and restaurants. Even with all this it is peaceful and outdoorsy as it's right near the river. You can park your car for free and just wander up and down the street enjoying all it has to offer. They are also offering DORA in this area... which is a designated outdoor drinking space. Grab a cocktail or beer to enjoy as you stroll. Many of the food businesses have outside dining too. The businesses not only support those in the community, but each other as well. One local business provided free lunches to students during the pandemic when schools closed. There really is something for everyone, in every price range. In addition, it's an area that is always growing! If youd like to enjoy something different, with a great small town feel, head east to Milford, Ohio!

I'm Right Here Mural is a massive and nice mural located on the exterior wall of popular Newport…read moreKentucky Newport on the levee. Best viewable and visible from the large roundabout you hit before entering te levee area. Mural is well done and has a comic strip type vibe to it. Pays homage to all of the hero's in the healthcare industry. An industry that has been through it especially these last few years. So a very nice way to pay tribute to these folks. Overall a beautiful mural and a great addition to the Newport Kentucky area.

The best way to describe the location of this mural is that it is on the loading dock wall on the…read morefar left exterior (as facing it) of the Newport on the Levee shopping area. It was a collaborative effort between St. Elizabeth Health Care and ArtWorks and was painted in 2021. Evan Hildebrandt served as the lead artist on the mural and managed a team of six apprentices to paint it. The mural is painted in a comic-book style and depicts a health care worker wearing a mask saying "I'm right here." There is a speech bubble in the lower left corner that says "Thank you." I am assuming that is from any member of the general public. On the top of the mural you will see a banner that reads "THE HEALTHCARE HEROES SAVE THE DAY." The mural uses basically 3 colors, blue, green, and white. Even though, there are only a few colors used in the mural, it still works for me. I like the message and join with the people behind the mural and would like to say thank you to all the healthcare workers out there. Even though the mural is a bit after the height of COVID, it is never too late to say thank you. For those that would like to park and get a closer look, there are a ton of commercial garages available to park, that all have varying rates. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions such as the Levee, and aquarium or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Nowhere to park as a resident, inconsiderate millennials loud and drunk until early hours, garbage…read moreall over, vomit and urine on sidewalks and even by Immaculata Church. Pretty view of the river, but, that's about it. Towne Properties does not provide assistance readily when needed for major repairs or wild animals ie - raccoons and snakes

What an adorable little area of Cincinnati! I was in town visiting a friend for a few days and…read morewhile I was there, we spent an hour or so cruising around town so he could show me all the things he loves about the place he calls home. While he doesn't live in the City of Mount Adams, he knew I would really like the area so we made a point to check it out. I kept saying, "are we really in Ohio right now?!" I seriously felt like I was in another city or hell, even another country at some points. The staggering of the homes along the hillside, the beautiful, luscious green park, the fun art and small businesses hidden on tiny corners... Gah I loved it all. Sure, it was a bit of a maze trying to make our way through the streets. However, that just added to the appeal. Pro tip - Check out the view up at the very top! Whether you climb the stairs or drive up, it's surely a sight to see.

No, no, no... it's not cannibalism of football players. Taste of the NFL is an annual event that…read moretakes place in hometown football stadiums across the country as a fundraiser for homelessness and hunger. The Cincinnati Bengals' Taste benefits one of my favorite charities: Freestore Foodbank. The event features 45 of the city's finest chefs and restaurants serving one or two delectable samples at each booth. The entire Bengals team and Ben-Gal Cheerleaders are in attendance at the event for guests to snap photos with and get autographs. There is also a gigantic silent auction, a live auction of event packages going for $2,000+, and of course, an open bar. There was more than enough food samples here to fill me up. Everything looked incredible; I wish I had room for more! Some of my favorites included: - Burnell's Restaurant: White bean hummus, shamander mutabal, and crispy flat bread. - Cincinnati Cooks! Catering: Cubano chicken, greens, bacon with fried cornbread. Spicy chicken cutlet on a sweet Hawaiian bun with paprika sauce. Key lime pie. - Sugar Cupcakery: Sweet corn cupcake with raspberry frosting. - Second Course: Seared shrimp & steak with lemon, cilantro and garlic. Gazpacho shots. - J. P. Chocolatier: Chocolate bacon truffle. - La Petite Pierre: Lobster ravioli with a saffron tomato sauce. - Aramark: Roasted garlic Dijon lamb with orange pepper risotto. - Jean Robert's Table: Spicy chicken confit salad with Mediterranean couscous. - Eat Well: Devils food whoopie pie. Pretty much everything was delicious. The only thing I didn't like was the martini from SkinnyGirl. The drink tasted watered down because they put ice in the mix to keep it cool. Bartending Basics 101: NEVER put ice in a martini! Price per person: $150.00 (Keep in mind, this is a fundraising event for charity. Every $150.00 provides 600 meals to those in need. And you definitely get your monies worth in unlimited fine food and free alcohol.)

I've had the pleasure of attending this event for the past 3 years in a row as a former Freestore…read moreFoodbank (FSFB) employee and loyal volunteer to the organization. Let me tell you this event does not disappoint. This event is one of the FSFB's most popular fundraisers for Cincy area foodies and football fanatics alike. The event is a great opportunity to get those Bengals autographs you've always wanted and the opportunity to eat and drink yourself into a food coma. At almost $200 for a ticket, you better believe that some of Cincy's best restaurants are showcasing what they've got. There are restaurants that I've seen represented every year, like my personal favorites Tom + Chee and Holtmans and of course Cincinnati classic Jeff Rubys. There are always new showings (or new to me showings) too. Some of the standouts to me this year: Taste of Belgium- They had a pulled pork and mango chutney topped waffle. Hello delicious. Alfio's Buon Cibo- The ravioli was spot on Nashville Hot- This was a new to me restaurant. It wasn't fancy or extravagent, just a tasty waffle with some tasty hot chicken. Jag's- I've sampled their food previous years and it's always tasty. Loved their creative smores dessert this year. Holtmans- You redeemed yourself from last year by not running out of donuts and from the previous years I've attended by providing FULL SIZED donuts (instead of donut holes) to us Tom + Chee- You'll have to wait in line for their delicious sandwiches but the owner is down to earth and keeps you entertained while you wait for your fresh and delicious DONUT GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH There were a bazillion other tasty bites but these are the ones I remember as standouts. PRO TIP if you come to this event- to make the most out of your ticket, definitely definitely have a "sharing buddy." This way you can try one of everything without having to toss half your tasting plate. Word of advice for the restaurants- While I love the larger portions this year, I felt like a lot of my bites got wasted because I only wanted a taste with over 20-30 other bites I needed to taste. It just seemed a bit silly to be wasting food at an event where the benefiting charity was a hunger relief organization. Can't wait to volunteer next year and all the years to come!

I absolutely love Mason. I lived here for over 4 years in the Landen section, and wish I hadn't…read moreleft. It is a great place to live, work, and has so many great activities! It is a safe city comparatively. The schools are excellent. In 2020 it was even awarded 21st best place to live in the USA taking in to account many factors! The cost of housing here is a bit higher than other places in greater Cincy but it is well worth it. Taxes are comparable and your car/home insurance will be less. There are plenty of parks for outdoor activities, easy access to highways, ample restaurants and shopping, and a really great community center! The community center offers so much for residents year round! There are classes, a work out facility and more! Police and fire do a nice job and are very reliable. It has a great sense of community and pride in it. I really cant say anything bad about Mason, Ohio!

Oh Artworks, how you woo me. The second best thing to a piece of Charley Harper eye candy is a…read morepiece of Edie Harper eye candy. *places hands over mouth/nose and begins SNL Stefon voice* located in an overpriced parking lot behind the know theatre, this mural has EVERYTHING: quilt patterns, modernist art, vomit from a Below Zero patron (it doesn't have this, it's actually well-kept), a cat. Just blocks away from the Charley Harper "Homecoming" mural, this piece of art is a favorite of mine and honors Edie Harper (a graduate of the Cincinnati art academy), Charley's wife. The mural captures Edie's parallel to her husbands, but also maintains her unique style of lithography. Anytime you want to slap a Charley/Edie Harper on the side of a building...I'm cool with it.

Love this mural! I was leaving Below Zero, and I had never noticed this mural before! I love all…read morethe beautiful colors and shapes, I'm not into Art History but I hear this is by Charley Harper's wife Edie! I love cats, so naturally this became a quick favorite of mine! Can't wait to find more fun, hidden gems!

My canning experience is slim and definitely never used beets! Gorman was so gracious to offer us…read morethis opportunity. Who knew summer school could be so much fun? We shredded beets, juiced lemons and set a big pot of brine to cook. This was something I never would have done on my own. Some of us hung out while our jars were getting their bath. The brine was so aromatic with clove, bay leaves, orange zest, honey....I could go on. I "can" not wait to open mine. Of course I always enjoy meeting fellow Yelpers! I look forward to heading out to Gorman's next month for their sunflower festival. Thanks again!!!

I really enjoyed tonight's canning class at Gorman Heritage Farm. Everyone there was so friendly…read moreand the ladies of Team Kickass were great to work with. We pickled and canned beets over the course of the evening, doing everything from peeling and grating the beets (thank goodness for latex gloves) to placing the jars in the water bath. The brine included ginger, orange peel, cloves, juniper berries and more--it smelled amazing and I'm looking forward to trying out our creation. My one complaint is that I was hoping for a really basic Canning 101-type class. I know nothing about canning and have been afraid to attempt it on my own, so I really wanted a class that would address the basics. E.g., how to sterilize your jars, make sure they seal, not give anybody botulism. This class was not that. We canned something, but I didn't walk away understanding the "why" behind the steps and I definitely still wouldn't attempt it on my own. The farm itself is a really neat location and it looks like they have some cool programming. They sell their own chicken, pork, eggs and other products. I'm not sure I'd take another class unless I really knew what I was getting into, but I'd likely come back for the sunflower festival or to buy some farm fresh eggs. Edited to add: I think the overall issue with the class was it was more about production than learning. The canned beets required a lot of prep, and at times it felt like we were prep cooks in the back of a kitchen, just moving from task to task, racing against the clock. Now do this, now do that. We did end up with an interesting canned product at the end, but didn't learn much along the way. I agree with other reviewers who suggested canning something simpler so there'd be more time for instruction and Q&A.