Local 127 – Cincinnati

As the only working chef in the US who is also a Master Sommelier, Steve Geddes is an anomaly. Achieving the honor of Master Sommelier is impressive enough as there are fewer than 200 of them worldwide, but Steve decided that where he really wanted to be was in the kitchen. He moved to Cincinnati last year and is now head chef at Local 127, a restaurant that opened in the fall of ’09.

As well as being so accomplished, Steve is also a genuinely nice guy. Knowing that he was a Master Sommelier, we asked for some advice on wine pairings. Not only was he was happy to offer guidance on wines and answer questions about the menu , but he also talked with us at length about becoming a chef, suppliers, rare breed Ossabaw pigs and even sent out some samples of their amazing copa and lardo. Later, when he saw us peeking into the kitchen he said ‘come on in, that’s why we took off the doors’. Like I said, a genuinely nice guy, and passionate about sourcing, sustainability and the local food economy. Where possible, the food on the menu comes from within a 127 mile radius and Steve tries to support local suppliers as well as farmers by, for example, procuring his spices from the Colonel in Findlay Market rather than purchasing them from a wholesaler.

The menu has a ‘cured and pickled’ section with seven house made options to choose from.  We went with the chef’s choice, a selection of four of the seven. Clockwise from the top they were smoked chicken with pickled radishes and a Madeira sauce, a velvety smoothy chicken liver pate with Riesling gelée and pickled pears, smoked golden trout from Idaho but house smoked and a pork terrine with picked beans. They were served with thin crispy toasts.  My favorite was the lightly dressed and very moist trout, but I thought both the pate and terrine were excellent too. Only the smoked chicken failed to excite, mostly because the sauce was a little overpowering.

We decided to share some small plates rather than ordering a main dish. First out was potato skins with crispy pork, cheddar and chives topped with a surprisingly light but very cheesy foam (they would be a really good bar snack). Next was sublime house made gnocchi- large, pillowy-soft, pan seared dumplings with buttery sauteed mushrooms, vibrant pesto and salty parmesan which gave the dish a wonderful range of flavors. Both the pan searing and the puffed rice added an appealing contrast in texture. While potato soup sounds like more of a winter dish, this chilled version was refreshing, soothing and surprisingly flavorful. The bowl, sans soup, arrived at the table with a small mound of potato salad and a swirled pattern of green garlic dressing. The soup came separately and was poured from a mason jar by the server. The fourth small plate, a herb risotto with smoked chicken, preserved lemon and puffed rice was another winning dish. The smoked chicken was better utilized here and the dish was light and spring-like, but satisfying. The preserved lemon gave a fragrant citrus aroma.

Full as we were it was still hard to resist the lures of the local cheese plate, especially as we had some red wine left. All of the cheeses (Tomme, Barren Co. Blue and Kentucky Rose) came from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese in Kentucky  and were all new to me. The Tomme was rich and creamy, the Barren Co. Blue was a Stilton-esque tangy ripe blue and the Kentucky Rose was a light, buttery blue. They were served with honeycomb, thin apple slices, pecans and raisins.

Overall, it was an exceptional meal. Service was generally very good and my only real criticism of Local 127 is that the decor seems mismatched with its farm to table mission. The menu has a rustic feel both in content and design and the aforementioned mason jar service furthers that impression, but the decor, most of which is inherited, is too polished and has something of a slick ’80s hotel feel. A more eclectic decor, similar to FARM Bloomington would have been a better fit with the ethos of the kitchen. Inconsistent aesthetics aside, Local 127 is definitely worth visiting if you are in Cincinnati. I will be looking for excuses for another trip soon.

Also noteworthy was the attached bar named Tonic on Fourth which has an interesting cocktail and punch menu. They make a lot of their own ingredients such as bitters, grenadine and ginger liqueur. There is also a limited selection of food available in the bar.

Road Trip: Cincinnati

Following the success of our Cleveland road trip, we decided that it was time for a food filled excursion to Cincinnati. This time we weren’t following in the footsteps of Anthony Bourdain, but we did have some great suggestions via comments on the Cleveland post. Thanks to the readers who were so forthcoming with ideas.

For those of you who know me, and or Cincinnati, it is probably no surprise that I wanted to check out Findlay Market, Ohio’s oldest continuously operated market. Findlay Market is in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and encompasses the market building and the surrounding colorful storefronts. The market is smaller than the North Market but has more raw ingredients and less take-out meals, with less of the food court feel of the North Market. I was on the search for Goetta and with the number of competing butchers it was easy to find.

Goetta is a Cincinnati specialty, similar to scrapple but made with oats instead of cornmeal. It has a coarser, more grainy texture than scrapple and (in my opinion) less seasoning. Continuing on the meat theme we also stopped at Kroeger and Sons who stock more than 30 types of sausage including sausages made from duck, bison and even camel. There are a number of delicatessens and we found some interesting cheeses, meats and some great pretzel buns from Servatis.

We couldn’t resist the enticing gelato from Dojo Gelato. They had a number of interesting flavors including (tastes just like it sounds) malted milk and a cinnamon scented churro, that was the favorite in our group.

Another highlight in the market was Colonel de Ray’s Herbs & Spice and Everything nice. The staff were extremely helpful letting us taste and smell all sorts of salts, sugars and spices, telling us about their provenance and talking about what each one can be used for. Luckily for us it was a fairly quiet afternoon and they had more time to chat and we took full advantage of the opportunity to linger. I came home with a couple of treats: bourbon barrel smoked sea salt and truffle salt (which is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G on popcorn).

Next stop was Terry’s Turf Club, proclaimed by the Restaurant Widow to be the best burger in Ohio. Terry’s is a little off the beaten track, out on Eastern Avenue but definitely worth the drive.

I loved the Americana decor, with the vintage signs and coolers, the peanut shells on the floor and the obvious pride in the food. It’s quirky but it feels authentic – it’s what TGI Friday’s aspire to.

So, on to the burger. I can’t claim to have eaten nearly enough burgers to be able to judge whether this was the best burger in Ohio, but I can tell you that it was really good. Cooked to order with all manner of interesting options, it was juicy, meaty and had a bun that was up to the job. The bun was soft yet sturdy and despite all that juicy goodness it never got soggy. The bun was from Shadeau Breads somewhere to check out on my next trip to Cinci. Actually I think a full day’s bakery tour might be necessary with Servatis, Bonbonerie, Bonomini and Shadeau all on the agenda.

Have you ever been to a burger joint that serves foie gras or jamon Iberico de Bellota? Or that offers halloumi and lump crab as a cheeseburger topppings? Also worth mentioning was the beer, cocktail and whisky selections. Terry’s has something for everyone, from fast food addicts to food snobs.

The burgers are substantial and left us feeling satisfied but stuffed. It was time for a walk and we headed to Mt. Adams to admire the view. Mt Adams is a quaint neighborhood with narrow hilly streets and panoramic views, that almost fools you into thinking you are in San Francisco. You can see over the river into Kentucky, and sad to say that was all the temptation we needed to make our next stop The Party Source.

For those of us living in Ohio with its prohibition-esque liquor laws, The Party Source is the Bali Ha’i of liquor, calling us over the border to purchase from its fantastic range of beer, wine and spirits, including many that are unavailable on the ridiculously restrictive Ohio approved liquor list. Unsurprisingly, being in Kentucky, it has a great selection of bourbon and rye and it is also has an impressive range of single malt scotches. I will admit to spending most of my time in that aisle.

Our final destination was Jungle Jim’s International Market. Jungle Jim’s is a grocery store, but it is unlike any other grocery store – and it is legendary. It is somewhere I have been hearing about since I moved to Ohio.

It is hard to describe Jungle Jim’s. You can start with statistics:

6 Acres of food
50,000 international products
1,400 hot sauces
78 Olive Oils

and go on and on… It may be the only grocery store that offers tours – or food safaris. It also offers cooking classes and has a theatre that shows a movie about the store.  It has award winning restrooms, a monorail and countless attractions that would be more at home in an amusement park. These include animated figures, full size trucks, cars, boats and animals. It is vast, mind boggling and insane, along the lines of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Jungle Jim’s have a large selection of English foods and one of my purchases was a large bottle of Ribena. I resisted buying too much more but there is temptation galore. You aren’t allowed to take photos inside the store, so you will have to imagine all of this craziness for yourself…. or go there and check it out.

It was a fun day, and just like our trip to Cleveland it whetted my appetite to go back and explore more of Cincinnati, try some chili and fit in a trip to the American Sign Museum. If you have other food recommendations for Cincinnati, or for other day trips in Ohio, please let me know. I hear that Tony Packo’s in Toledo is somewhere I should experience at least once.