Keller's IGA Reconstruction

In Progress
 

The floor plans posted outside had a couple interesting features: a beer cave in the back and a cafe type sitting area at the front entry.

Ravine at McMillian

Excellent!! Contractor is currently widening the sidewalk at the very top of Ravine:
 

Temple of Love at Mt Storm

While my son was playing some pickup soccer, daughter and I walked over to the Mt Storm Playground. As usual, she made some new friends. We also watched some young women practice fire-eating, climbed some trees and looked in vain for an open toilet. Why does the Park Board tease us so?

As we walked back to the soccer field, we stopped at this structure, which, like a shiny beacon seems to attract wayward hikers. It's had a scaffold around it for many months, and I'm begining to wonder if anyone is really repairing it:
 

 

From the Cincinnati Park webpage:
Clifton’s 57-acre Mt. Storm is the site of the 19th-century estate of Robert Bowler. The Temple of Love gazebo-pavilion is all that remains of Bowler’s once grand homestead; it was designed in 1850 by Adolph Strauch, former supervisor of the Imperial Gardens in Vienna and designer of Spring Grove cemetery. In his magnificent home (razed in 1917) Bowler entertained the Prince of Wales, Charles Dickens and other 19th-century celebrities.

Picture I took in 2007:
 

And finally, photo of my grandmother here a long time ago:

Skyline Chili Painted

I notice that Skyline, Clifton was re-painted last week. The new paint job made some original decorative work more visible. The building had a name in the stone, which was visible for one day or so before it was covered with a plastic sign:

Flowers:

The Skyline script over the original lettering:

Bulova neon clock:

Bad House, Bad House

Has anyone else ever noticed this little 1970 modular house in Corryville? It has hardly any windows and is completely out of place, especially since it occupies a corner.

 

I'd like to do a post about the church seen behind soon.

[Were: 232 Oak Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219] NE cor Oak and Bellevue

Smurfs

Seen near UC yesterday before the football game:

 

iZEN and the Duttenhofer's Block

The block of McMillan, bounded by Clifton, West Clifton and Calhoun, has grown into a dynamic block. Tons of thriving businesses. I guess, since the rest of the street has been demolished all the activity has concentrated into the remaining buildings.

For some reason the food here seems to be leaning Asian, with King Wok, Cilantro, Maki, Thai Express, Chef Chen Red Pepper, and an Indian place on Calhoun. These are all in this same block, along with at least a dozen other notable eateries, and numerous shops and bookstores.

Both Thai Express and Cilantro were closed Sunday, so we had to try one of the new "Asian" offerings in this block. We settled on iZen, which has only been open 3 days:

It is owned by a recent UC grad, and he greets each customer with a loud "welcome". The offerings are mainly what he calls a cheese roll, which is fish or meat, wrapped with rice and vegetables in seaweed into a roll, that is sliced and then covered with cheese and microwaved. He also has fresh sushi, tempura, smoothies, and ice-cream with fresh fruit. It works well as a take-out because the rolls are meant to be heated in the microwave for 1.5 minutes to be ready to eat, and the sushi is already plated and ready to go.

I guess this is what you could term fusion comfort food. Definitely not authentic Japanese dishes with the cheeses and sweet corn and all, but somehow satisfying. I'll be back.

Dishes are $10+. Atmosphere is bright, clean and better suited for carry-out, if you know what I mean. Only a few tables.

A few shots of the neighbors:

Tea N Bowl, Cincinnati's first bubble tea place:

Maki:

Thai Express:

iZen phone: 381-5909
[where: 212 W. McMillan Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219]