In general, it’s our policy to not review big national chains.

After all with most chains, maybe excluding service, what you get in one should be nearly identical to what you get at another. Not much point in reviewing that. On top of that – we love Cincinnati (and surrounding areas) so we want to highlight all the things that make this place special, not the things you can get anywhere.

It’s for that reason that we really, really appreciate when a big chain gets serious about localizing their offerings to make them unique and special to the area. That’s where Smashburger and Christian Moerlein come in.

Lotus root isn’t exactly a really common food here in the States, much less the seeds of the lotus plant. This is a shame as both are really tasty – and so we’d like to change that.

Eaten both raw and cooked in everything from salads to main entrees to desserts, lotus root and seeds are common in East Asian cuisines, but can also be found in other parts of the world (as far away as Columbia!) In particular the seeds are a delicious snack and addition to foods. Not to mention, the flower itself is absolutely gorgeous.

Donut places can be hard to find if you aren’t in a city, and even then in Cincinnati it seems like there aren’t very many specialty donut shops. It gets even harder when you attempt to narrow your choices down to ‘local only’ and eliminate chains. Some places, like Graeter’s, sell donuts – but the selection is severely limited and it’s not really their thing. The northern suburbs of Cincinnati have essentially no choices for the sugary breakfast treat – or at least that’s what I thought until we stumbled upon Stan, the Donut Man.

Stan’s doesn’t have a big sign on the street, so even though the shop is clearly visible in the strip mall it’s located in it is easily overlooked. I’ll give you a hint – It’s on Cincinnati-Dayton road between I-75 and Tylersville road, so if you pass either you’ve missed it.

“Did we walk by it?” was all I could think as we walked up and down Huron street looking for the restaurant we’d heard so much about.

Elate has built a reputation for its dashing decor and creative cuisine. A reputation that we had to test.

If we could just find it.

Our phone GPS wasn’t helping, and it wasn’t until we happened to stop and consider calling that I spotted it – an unassuming restaurant on the corner of Huron and Clark residing officially within the Hotel Felix.

You can’t go to Chicago and not eat in Greektown. I’ve been told this over and over by relatives who live in and friends who frequently visit Chicago. So when Adam and I found ourselves in Chicago we made sure to pay Greektown a visit.

Greektown isn’t that big, however there are still several restaurant and bar choices. The Parthenon doesn’t have a very obvious exterior other than a small and simple sign, despite being a huge place. Inside you’re greeted immediately by the host and then seated. There’s ample dining space, two bars and even a banquet area. The low-lighting and yellow tones gave the place a warm feeling.