Gluten-Free Banana Crumb Cake

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Lovely for snacking. Gluten-Free Banana Crumb Cake.

A certain someone in our household has a sweet tooth. And- best of all- he not only likes to eat cake, he likes to bake it, too (apparently baking can be a form of meditation for some folks, a calming, distracting respite from toiling away in one's head for hours, excavating the various thematic elements underpinning character motivation, conflict and story arcs. All those juicy, gnarly, invisible threads and knots we movie viewers take for granted when we settle in with our gluten-free popcorn to watch a screenplay come to life.

Something I've learned, living with a screenwriter (aside from the fact that baking is therapy)?

Don't judge the script by the movie.

Because chances are the script was good.

Chances are the script was tight and wry and sharp. And moving. And funny. Chances are the script made you leak a well-earned tear. Or two.

Then came the notes.

From the director. From the actor. From the producer. And the producer's girlfriend. Her dentist.

So the script gets whittled. And weakened. And tweaked. Scenes are added to make a character more likeable (How 'bout we give him a dog- or a koi pond?). Then locales get switched (apparently producers believe New Mexican Pueblo humor translates without a glitch to Australia's Gold-Coast). The language once precise gets watered down with unimaginative phrases you've heard before (not every actor can improvise like Robert De Niro I am sorry to tell you).

Sometimes the collaborative magic of filmmaking works.

And sometimes it doesn't.

And baking ensues.

Lately?

We always have cake in the freezer.

Light and laced with cinnamon, a banana cake perfect with coffee.

Cinnamon streusel topped banana snacking cake.

Gluten-Free Banana Crumb Cake

This gently sweet coffee cake recipe has a soft crumb topping laced with cinnamon. For big banana flavor, use soft ripe bananas.
Ingredients:

1 cup almond or hazelnut flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups organic light brown sugar
3 large free-range organic eggs, beaten
1/3 cup organic coconut oil, melted
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract

Crumb topping:

1/4 cup organic light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (may omit)
2 tablespoons rice or almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 10x12-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment.

Add the almond meal, gluten-free flours and starch, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, xanthan gum, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the eggs, coconut oil, mashed bananas and vanilla. Beat for two minutes until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Make your crumb topping. Sprinkle it over the cake batter. Pat down gently.

Bake in the center of the oven for 33 to 35 minutes until done. Check the center for doneness with a wooden pick. The cake should appear slightly golden brown at the edge, firm to a light touch. 

Note: If for some reason (you may have a smaller, or hotter, oven) the crumb topping begins to brown too much, loosely tent the top with foil.
Cool the cake on a wire rack.

Wrap, bag, and freeze leftover slices for easy on-the-go treats.

Makes 18 square pieces.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

Gluten-Free Goddess Banana Crumb Cake

Cake makes everything better.

Note-- I'm now using less brown rice and brown rice flour, and eating fewer rice cakes, etc. Here's why- there is elevated arsenic in rice.

Karina's Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

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The best gluten-free apple crisp I've made. In this lifetime anyway.

I've been pondering identity lately. As in, am I the I writing this as Gluten-Free Goddess--- or am I a word-free, less defined kind of I that isn't actually I at all, but merely a spark in the collective energy source that is the great Mystery? Or Universe. Or Divine. Or whatever conceptual nomenclature you prefer.

Am I my thinking mind- or am I more of an essence, what we call soul, a truth beyond the assumed collection of thought patterns, personality traits, and personal history framed by a set of beliefs and separation known as the ego?

I do know I am not my disease.

One of the reasons I chose not to use the word celiac in my blog title was for just this very reason. I do not define myself as a celiac. In an identity sense. Yes, it says so on my medical records somewhere (in full disclosure, I think it actually says "possible sprue, resolved by the patient going gluten-free" because I couldn't afford an endoscopy). But I do not identify with my disease. That would be identifying with my gastro-functional limitations.

Hello, my name is Karina. And I have screwed up villi.

But I am not my screwed up villi. Just as I am not my post-cataract artificial lens implants. Or my salt and pepper hair that bristles like a squirrel on my prone-to-migraines head. I am also not my post-menopausal body that has brilliantly succumbed to a force superior than lunges and squats.

In the end gravity wins, I am sorry to tell you.

The older I get, I find less and less comfort in defining myself at all- never mind defining myself by my various bodily quirks (not to mention, my southerly migrating butt). I derive no solace in my mental quirks either. My beliefs, or assumptions or my random monkey thoughts. Even my skills are a poor capture of who I really am. I do not identify with how many paintings I've painted or sold, or how many likes I receive on Instagram. I do not crave recognition as a mirror. The promise of fame and fortune remains less than compelling.

I instead wander the hours of my days seeking answers that lead to more questions. Not answers that close the book. As in, subscribing to a system that has it all "figured out".

As Anne Lamott says, certainty is the opposite of faith.

Certainty is finite.

The end of growth. It clips the wings of possibility- the bigger truth that exists beyond my small understanding. Closing the book on the question of Who am I, exactly? would be foolish. The Big Mystery is far greater and more full of awesome than I can ever attempt to imagine. And whatever micro-teeny part I play in this infinite universal system called Life, I intuitively know one aspect of it, thanks to five-plus decades of living. Whatever It is, It is fluid. Everything changes. Including time. The past, present and future. The Universe (it's expanding, you know, faster than they first calculated). My experiential perception of myself (also expanding). The I that does not exist, because the I is only ego. The nattering, unreliable voice in my head.

So if this I does not exist--- who is craving this apple crisp?

Perhaps the only sensible response is this.

Be one with the apple crisp.

Now that I can do.

Quinoa flakes are the secret ingredient in this apple crisp.

Karina's Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe

Ever since I started using quinoa cereal flakes in crisp and crumble toppings I've been dreaming of making an apple crisp. In the past I've used a pancake mix, or a blend of gluten-free flours to make a sugary topping. But quinoa flakes kick it up to a new level of flavor (not to mention, add a whole grain goodness to the endeavor). The texture is delightfully light. And the organic coconut oil gives it a buttery melt-in-your-mouth delicacy I haven't enjoyed since giving up moo-cow dairy.

Ingredients:

6 apples (Macintosh, Delicious, Pink Lady, Gala)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons tapioca or arrowroot starch
1 cup quinoa flakes
3/4 cup brown rice flour (or sorghum flour)
1 cup organic light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup organic coconut oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8x11-inch gratin or baking dish with vegan buttery spread. Set aside.

Peel and core the apples. Slice them and toss into a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat. Add the maple syrup and stir. Dust with tapioca starch and stir again to coat the slices. Pour the slices into the prepared baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the quinoa flakes, brown rice flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt and whisk to blend. Add the coconut oil in pieces and using a whisk or a pastry cutter, cut the coconut oil into the flour blend until you have an even, sandy mixture.

Spoon the mixture all over the top.

Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes. Cover the top loosely with a piece of foil and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or so (depends upon the size/type of apples), until the apples are fork tender and the sides of the crisp are bubbling. (The foil will help keep the topping from browning too much.)

Allow the crisp to cool before serving- though slightly warm it is luscious. We had leftover apple crisp the next day, chilled, right out of the fridge, and Darling it was fabulous cold, too. It tasted like apple pie.

Serves 8.

Baking time : 40 to 45 minutes.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

G-free apple crisp warm from the oven. It's also fabulous chilled.

Karina's Notes:

Quinoa flakes make this crisp and crumble topping light and delicate. If you cannot find quinoa cereal flakes (check your local market's hot cereal section) you can order them on-line. Yes, I suppose you could substitute rolled oats- but I find even gluten-free rolled oats rather tough to digest, and they make a heavier gluten-free apple crisp. Not nearly as lovely as using quinoa flakes.

I used brown rice flour and it was perfectly flavorful. You don't need starches- or xanthan gum- in this topping recipe. If you need to be rice free, I suggest sorghum flour.

To keep it completely starch free, omit the tapioca starch in the apple filling. I did, and it worked beautifully- though the juices would be thicker if you add the starch.

This fabulous recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, and xanthan gum free. Holy tap dancing Goddess. That's a lot 'o free.

Enjoy sugary treats in moderation. Gluten-Free Goddess advises consuming no more than 2 tablespoons of sugar a day.

Review: Tony's

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I recently had one of the best dining experiences I've had in a really long time! Granted, I haven't been out to eat very much lately, but I was more than impressed by the food, service and experience I had at Tony's. I went on a Saturday evening with my aunt, which was my second time dining there and her first. My boss at work turned me on to Tony's Steakhouse about a year ago after he raved about how amazing it was and that the steak is better than Jeff Ruby's. That got my attention because I love Jeff Ruby's! 

Tony Ricci is the owner of Tony's and, according to their website, has worked in upscale dining for over 25 years. I know he was previously the general manager at Jeff Ruby's Precinct for a very long time, and he has certainly taken his knowledge and experiences from there to create a fantastic restaurant of his own!  

When my aunt and I arrived for our 6:30 reservations, the restaurant was already starting to fill up, and there was a crowd forming at the bar. You instantly get a good vibe when you walk in the door. They have such a warm and inviting atmosphere. I love that you can see the chef's cooking in the kitchen and the servers pulling their orders. Soft, classical music (think Frank Sinatra) plays in the background. A jazz band was setting up near the bar a little later in the evening. While some may describe Tony's as a "fancy" restaurant, it doesn't feel stuffy or cold like other "fancy" restaurants.

We were seated right away by a friendly hostess and a server immediately came over to fill our waters. Then our main server came over to fill us in on that nights specials, take our drink orders and give us bread and butter. The butter is topped with a crunchy garlic salt that is delicious. I couldn't get enough!

My aunt and I both decided to order the filet mignon. It came with a choice of mashed or baked potatoes and a salad, which is a great value for only $34. I chose the caesar salad based on the recommendation from our server. She said the homemade caesar dressing is amazing, and she was right! For a simple salad, it was quite delicious! There was a small hint of flavor from the anchovies, but not too overbearing, which is my fear with homemade caesar dressing. I broke the Parmesan crisp into pieces and sprinkled it over the top of the salad, and it added the perfect crunch and flavor to the salad.


My aunt went with the wedge salad, which was an iceberg wedge with ranch or blue cheese dressing (she chose ranch), bacon and tomatoes. This looked delicious as well, and she really enjoyed it!


After another piece of bread and butter, our entrees made their way to the table. I chose to get the mashed potatoes (which I forgot to take a photo of) with my filet. It was such a treat to have homemade mashed potatoes. They were creamy and garlicky and yummmmy, although we had so much food I could hardly eat them.

My filet was outstanding. I ordered it "medium rare plus" and it was cooked to perfection. I ordered it Oscar style, which comes with crab meat, bernaise sauce and asparagus. This is my favorite way to order a filet! My only complaint was that there were a few shells still on the crab meat. This was disappointing, but the filet with the bernaise sauce was out of this world delish and made up for that little snafu!

Oscar style filet - sorry it's sideways! Wouldn't let me flip it around!

My aunt ordered her steak "medium plus" and hers was cooked to perfection as well. On our way to dinner, she was telling me how she likes a lot of pink and no red in her steak and no restaurants ever get it right. I was glad Tony's got it right for her! She ordered hers with a side of mushrooms and the baked potato. I've had the baked potato before, and it is delicious. As you can tell from the picture, it's huge, and it's covered with garlic and salt and served with butter. Seriously...what's not to like??


Halfway through our dinner, we saw my boss (ironically, the same one who originally told me about Tony's) across the restaurant and chit chatted with him for a few minutes. After we finished our entrees, our server came over and told us that my boss wanted to treat us to dessert. What a great surprise! Although we were stuffed to the gills, we managed to make room for a couple desserts. Usually there are only one or two things on a dessert menu that I like (usually the ones with chocolate!), but the dessert menu is quite extensive at Tony's. It was the toughest decision of the night! Tony's mother makes homemade tiramisu and cannolis at her home and brings them to the restaurant. Last time I went to Tony's, I had the cannolis and they were amazing, but I wanted to try something different this time. I decided to get the pot de creme. This chocolatey, custard dish was rich and delicious and was topped with whipped cream and strawberries. It tasted like the inside of a chocolate truffle. I'd highly recommend for chocolate lovers, although I'd suggest sharing because it is super duper rich. We were so excited about dessert, we forgot to take photos! L

My aunt got the vanilla bean creme brulee, which was also amazing. It was much lighter than the pot de creme so we shared the two and they balanced each other out perfectly. It was crunchy on top and smooth and creamy inside. It was served room tempeture, which I like. Sometimes creme brulee is served chilled, and I don't like that as much. Sorry again for no photos!

To wrap up this really long post...I think it's clear that I would highly recommend dining at Tony's! The whole experience, from the service, to the ambiance, to the food is outstanding! Our server was amazing...she was friendly and attentive and made great recommendations. And both times I've been to the restaurant, Tony is there and he greets every single table and asks how your server is doing and how the food is. It is such a nice touch and makes you feel "special" - as cheesy as that sounds! I will most certainly be back!

~Kris

Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall: 5

Review: Barresi's

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I first of all have to note that if you follow a lot of Cincinnati Food Blogs, you will feel that this is repetitive of Cincinnati Bites post.  Apparently, we were both at Barresi's on Valentine's Day! So, check out his blog too for more reviews if interested :)

I have lived near Barresi's for a really long time and have never gone.  I walk past this restaurant on my neighborhood walks at least 3 times a week and had often wonder what it's like on the inside. Kris and I have both have lived near hear and always talked about going but never did.   From the outside, Barresi's looks like a renovated stucco home with vines and flowers painted on the outside of the building.  It appears very charming from the outside and was always a mystery to me.  I had heard that this was a pretty pricey place, which was why I had never gone before.

I typically am able to talk Ross into going to a nicer restaurant for Valentine's Day.  Yes, we do go out for Valentine's Day.  It really is a good excuse for me to go to nicer restaurants that we wouldn't normally go to :)  When I suggested Barresi's, he immediately agreed.  He had been wanting to try it too!

We made reservations since it was a holiday and knew that it can fill up quickly.  We made early reservations though and I think we would have been able to go on in and have a seat.  Barresi's is a very warm and inviting restaurant.  We were greeted by a hostess who offered to take our coats for us and led us to the hostess stand to check in for our reservation.  The inside of Barresi's is pretty close to what I imagined it to be.  Lots of rooms that have eclectic touches that make you feel like you're at home.  We were led to an upstairs dining area that was broken into 2 or 3 separate rooms.  We sat toward the back next to a fireplace.

After looking over the wine list for a minute, I selected a glass of wine and Ross opted for a beer.  Our server was attentive and friendly, but appeared a bit nervous.  She may have been new, but this didn't bother us in the slightest.  She was very knowledgeable and shared good opinions about the menu items.  The full menu was not available this night, but there were still plenty of options.  As we looked it over, a basket of their famous Zeppoles.  These things were AMAZING.  I had never heard or tasted such things before, but these were addictive.  Zeppoles are little square bites of fried dough and had just enough salt and garlic.  They were served with butter.  I tried not to eat too many before even ordering my meal because I wanted to save room, but I could have easily eaten that entire basket of these.

There were so many different menu items that sounded delicious that it was hard to decide.  After asking the server her opinion and going back and forth a couple times, I decided to get the Beef Crab Gorgonzola.  This was twin filets with lump crab meat, topped with a mushroom and artichoke Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Need I say more!?

Ross ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Crabmeat Cardinale.  This was one of our server's suggestion and was one that I almost ordered too.  All the entrees were served with a house salad and a side pasta.

The salads came out first.  These were just OK.  I was actually expecting a better salad. The house dressing was pretty good for the most part, but again, just fine salads.

Now, for my complaint that really has nothing to do with the restaurant itself.  Ross and I were enjoying the quiet ambiance of the restaurant, which was pretty quiet overall until the table next to us was sat.  This was a family of 5 or 6 people with two boys and 3 or 4 adults.  I don't mind groups, kids, or even noisy groups; however, this was by far one of the most annoying tables I have EVER sat by in my entire life. Keep in mind this was Valentine's Day in a more "upscale" restaurant that is pretty quiet.  The kids were fine, but the adults talking to these kids was so distracting that it pretty much ruined my dinner.  The continuous nitpicking then complimenting, then correcting, then praising...it was all too much for me.  This non-stop banter continued the rest of the meal....

So, for the rest of my food...I can easily say it was delicious.  The filets were cooked perfectly, juicy and tender.  The crab, filet, and gorgonzola cream sauce was a very rich and flavorful combination.  There was a little earthiness from the mushrooms and artichokes, but overall the entire dish was spot on.  It was definitely a very rich and creamy sauce, so if that's not your thing this wouldn't be your dish, but I loved it and would easily order it again!
My meal was also served with a side of pasta.  I'm not really sure why, I didn't need the pasta, but I tried it.  The red sauce was pretty good overall, but I honestly didn't have more than a bite or two of this, so I can't say a whole lot about it. But it was nice to try their homemade sauce :)

Ross also loved his lobster ravioli.  This also had a lobster cream sauce served with it.  I thought the portion was a good size and a really unique option for Italian.  I tried this as well and liked it a lot, but liked mine better :)

Barresi's was a great choice for a restaurant for a special occasion. Like I said, Italian food is one of my favorites and this did not disappoint.  I wish that the rest of the patrons had been a little more tolerable because it really was completely distracting and made it difficult to pay attention to anything else!

Service was overall good, nothing that stood out, but average overall.  But if you want a nice, family-owned neighborhood restaurant, this will definitely give you what you're looking for.
~Kate

Food: 4.5
Service: 3.5
Overall Experience: 3 (due to the other guests)

Review: Pompilio's

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My friend has been raving about Pompilio's in Newport for a couple months now.  She said she loved the small local feel of the restaurant and really enjoyed her meals that she has had here.  I do love Italian, so when my husband was recently craving Italian, I suggested we give it a try.

Pompilio's is located in the small neighborhood of Newport, KY and there is a location in Independence too.  It is well-known for having a scene from Rain Man filmed here.  There was plenty of parking options located on the neighboring streets.  I loved the location, making it definitely feel like a neighborhood gem.

Upon walking in, I was a little taken aback.  The bar area was packed with people...and smoke.  I forgot that Kentucky still allows smoking in restaurants.  I am not one who typically is bothered by smoke actually, but this was pretty intense.  We were led to the hostess stand in another room who asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking.  We chose the latter.  We were immediately seated to a cozy booth in the back of the restaurant.

As we got comfortable I was able to take a minute to soak in the ambiance and patrons of Pompilio's.  I liked how the interior had a feeling of being in a family restaurant.  There was a variety of patrons, including families, children, and couples.  It wasn't too loud and had some great eccentric pieces adorning the walls.

Ross and I took some time looking over the menu after ordering our drinks.  The menu is huge.  It offers specialty dishes, pastas, chicken, salads, appetizers, and more.  It really is pretty extensive.  I asked our matter-of-fact waitress what she recommended, and she suggested the chicken tortellini which was one of the dishes I was debating, so I went for it.  This was served with a side salad.  Ross decided to order the Cannelloni.  He has never ordered this before, so I was surprised, but it sounded good! He wanted a Caesar salad with his meal.

As we waited, a server brought us some bread to snack on.  This was pretty boring.  It really just was white bread.  It seemed to me like bread that I could get from a bag at the store.

Next, came our salads.  These salads were too a bit disappointing.  It was a portion of iceberg lettuce topped with two cucumbers and two tomatoes.  I had the Italian dressing, which was just okay. Ross didn't really care for his salad either.  It was over-dressed making it taste a bit soggy.  Not terrible, but not that great either.


At this point, we were excited for our entrees to come.  We finished our drinks and chatted while we waited....and waited...and noticed that the table who was sat 10-15 minutes after us received their entrees.  We weren't terribly bothered by this, but we did notice it.  Our waitress did stop by a bit later and apologized for the food taking longer than normal, which was nice to acknowledge.  Finally, our food arrived.

The chicken tortellini is sauteed with garlic, basil, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes and served in a Parmesan cream sauce.  This overall was just okay.  I thought there was way too much cream sauce making it a little too rich for me.  Other than that, I really liked the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken was pretty good too.  This was a big portion and had about half to take home.  I think this was a decent dish, but just too much cream/cheese, in my opinion.

Ross' dish was not good.  I really can't even try to make it sound good.  I thought it was terrible.  The cannelloni tasted rubbery to me.  It was stuffed with beef and Italian sausage, which really had no flavor.  Ross chose Alfredo sauce on top of it, and I didn't think that had any flavor either.  It really needed some salt and pepper at least.  This was a very bland dish.  I also thought for Italian food it was a small portion. Ross didn't mind though because he didn't like this either.

I was so disappointed in Pompilio's!  I really wanted to like this place.  I thought the interior and exterior is really unique and a lot of people seem to enjoy it.  It was busy, but not on a wait, and prices are pretty fair.  My friend who recommended it said that she has only had the red sauce and really likes that, so if I ever do go back, I guess I will have to try that.  The food and service was just mediocre in my opinion. I don't need a server who is overly friendly or anything like that, but ours was really just down-to-business.  Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear other thoughts on this place.
~Kate

Food: 2
Service:2
Overall Experience: 2.5

Review: Tony's

To contact us Click HERE
I recently had one of the best dining experiences I've had in a really long time! Granted, I haven't been out to eat very much lately, but I was more than impressed by the food, service and experience I had at Tony's. I went on a Saturday evening with my aunt, which was my second time dining there and her first. My boss at work turned me on to Tony's Steakhouse about a year ago after he raved about how amazing it was and that the steak is better than Jeff Ruby's. That got my attention because I love Jeff Ruby's! 

Tony Ricci is the owner of Tony's and, according to their website, has worked in upscale dining for over 25 years. I know he was previously the general manager at Jeff Ruby's Precinct for a very long time, and he has certainly taken his knowledge and experiences from there to create a fantastic restaurant of his own!  

When my aunt and I arrived for our 6:30 reservations, the restaurant was already starting to fill up, and there was a crowd forming at the bar. You instantly get a good vibe when you walk in the door. They have such a warm and inviting atmosphere. I love that you can see the chef's cooking in the kitchen and the servers pulling their orders. Soft, classical music (think Frank Sinatra) plays in the background. A jazz band was setting up near the bar a little later in the evening. While some may describe Tony's as a "fancy" restaurant, it doesn't feel stuffy or cold like other "fancy" restaurants.

We were seated right away by a friendly hostess and a server immediately came over to fill our waters. Then our main server came over to fill us in on that nights specials, take our drink orders and give us bread and butter. The butter is topped with a crunchy garlic salt that is delicious. I couldn't get enough!

My aunt and I both decided to order the filet mignon. It came with a choice of mashed or baked potatoes and a salad, which is a great value for only $34. I chose the caesar salad based on the recommendation from our server. She said the homemade caesar dressing is amazing, and she was right! For a simple salad, it was quite delicious! There was a small hint of flavor from the anchovies, but not too overbearing, which is my fear with homemade caesar dressing. I broke the Parmesan crisp into pieces and sprinkled it over the top of the salad, and it added the perfect crunch and flavor to the salad.


My aunt went with the wedge salad, which was an iceberg wedge with ranch or blue cheese dressing (she chose ranch), bacon and tomatoes. This looked delicious as well, and she really enjoyed it!


After another piece of bread and butter, our entrees made their way to the table. I chose to get the mashed potatoes (which I forgot to take a photo of) with my filet. It was such a treat to have homemade mashed potatoes. They were creamy and garlicky and yummmmy, although we had so much food I could hardly eat them.

My filet was outstanding. I ordered it "medium rare plus" and it was cooked to perfection. I ordered it Oscar style, which comes with crab meat, bernaise sauce and asparagus. This is my favorite way to order a filet! My only complaint was that there were a few shells still on the crab meat. This was disappointing, but the filet with the bernaise sauce was out of this world delish and made up for that little snafu!

Oscar style filet - sorry it's sideways! Wouldn't let me flip it around!

My aunt ordered her steak "medium plus" and hers was cooked to perfection as well. On our way to dinner, she was telling me how she likes a lot of pink and no red in her steak and no restaurants ever get it right. I was glad Tony's got it right for her! She ordered hers with a side of mushrooms and the baked potato. I've had the baked potato before, and it is delicious. As you can tell from the picture, it's huge, and it's covered with garlic and salt and served with butter. Seriously...what's not to like??


Halfway through our dinner, we saw my boss (ironically, the same one who originally told me about Tony's) across the restaurant and chit chatted with him for a few minutes. After we finished our entrees, our server came over and told us that my boss wanted to treat us to dessert. What a great surprise! Although we were stuffed to the gills, we managed to make room for a couple desserts. Usually there are only one or two things on a dessert menu that I like (usually the ones with chocolate!), but the dessert menu is quite extensive at Tony's. It was the toughest decision of the night! Tony's mother makes homemade tiramisu and cannolis at her home and brings them to the restaurant. Last time I went to Tony's, I had the cannolis and they were amazing, but I wanted to try something different this time. I decided to get the pot de creme. This chocolatey, custard dish was rich and delicious and was topped with whipped cream and strawberries. It tasted like the inside of a chocolate truffle. I'd highly recommend for chocolate lovers, although I'd suggest sharing because it is super duper rich. We were so excited about dessert, we forgot to take photos! L

My aunt got the vanilla bean creme brulee, which was also amazing. It was much lighter than the pot de creme so we shared the two and they balanced each other out perfectly. It was crunchy on top and smooth and creamy inside. It was served room tempeture, which I like. Sometimes creme brulee is served chilled, and I don't like that as much. Sorry again for no photos!

To wrap up this really long post...I think it's clear that I would highly recommend dining at Tony's! The whole experience, from the service, to the ambiance, to the food is outstanding! Our server was amazing...she was friendly and attentive and made great recommendations. And both times I've been to the restaurant, Tony is there and he greets every single table and asks how your server is doing and how the food is. It is such a nice touch and makes you feel "special" - as cheesy as that sounds! I will most certainly be back!

~Kris

Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall: 5

Review: Barresi's

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I first of all have to note that if you follow a lot of Cincinnati Food Blogs, you will feel that this is repetitive of Cincinnati Bites post.  Apparently, we were both at Barresi's on Valentine's Day! So, check out his blog too for more reviews if interested :)

I have lived near Barresi's for a really long time and have never gone.  I walk past this restaurant on my neighborhood walks at least 3 times a week and had often wonder what it's like on the inside. Kris and I have both have lived near hear and always talked about going but never did.   From the outside, Barresi's looks like a renovated stucco home with vines and flowers painted on the outside of the building.  It appears very charming from the outside and was always a mystery to me.  I had heard that this was a pretty pricey place, which was why I had never gone before.

I typically am able to talk Ross into going to a nicer restaurant for Valentine's Day.  Yes, we do go out for Valentine's Day.  It really is a good excuse for me to go to nicer restaurants that we wouldn't normally go to :)  When I suggested Barresi's, he immediately agreed.  He had been wanting to try it too!

We made reservations since it was a holiday and knew that it can fill up quickly.  We made early reservations though and I think we would have been able to go on in and have a seat.  Barresi's is a very warm and inviting restaurant.  We were greeted by a hostess who offered to take our coats for us and led us to the hostess stand to check in for our reservation.  The inside of Barresi's is pretty close to what I imagined it to be.  Lots of rooms that have eclectic touches that make you feel like you're at home.  We were led to an upstairs dining area that was broken into 2 or 3 separate rooms.  We sat toward the back next to a fireplace.

After looking over the wine list for a minute, I selected a glass of wine and Ross opted for a beer.  Our server was attentive and friendly, but appeared a bit nervous.  She may have been new, but this didn't bother us in the slightest.  She was very knowledgeable and shared good opinions about the menu items.  The full menu was not available this night, but there were still plenty of options.  As we looked it over, a basket of their famous Zeppoles.  These things were AMAZING.  I had never heard or tasted such things before, but these were addictive.  Zeppoles are little square bites of fried dough and had just enough salt and garlic.  They were served with butter.  I tried not to eat too many before even ordering my meal because I wanted to save room, but I could have easily eaten that entire basket of these.

There were so many different menu items that sounded delicious that it was hard to decide.  After asking the server her opinion and going back and forth a couple times, I decided to get the Beef Crab Gorgonzola.  This was twin filets with lump crab meat, topped with a mushroom and artichoke Gorgonzola cream sauce.  Need I say more!?

Ross ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Crabmeat Cardinale.  This was one of our server's suggestion and was one that I almost ordered too.  All the entrees were served with a house salad and a side pasta.

The salads came out first.  These were just OK.  I was actually expecting a better salad. The house dressing was pretty good for the most part, but again, just fine salads.

Now, for my complaint that really has nothing to do with the restaurant itself.  Ross and I were enjoying the quiet ambiance of the restaurant, which was pretty quiet overall until the table next to us was sat.  This was a family of 5 or 6 people with two boys and 3 or 4 adults.  I don't mind groups, kids, or even noisy groups; however, this was by far one of the most annoying tables I have EVER sat by in my entire life. Keep in mind this was Valentine's Day in a more "upscale" restaurant that is pretty quiet.  The kids were fine, but the adults talking to these kids was so distracting that it pretty much ruined my dinner.  The continuous nitpicking then complimenting, then correcting, then praising...it was all too much for me.  This non-stop banter continued the rest of the meal....

So, for the rest of my food...I can easily say it was delicious.  The filets were cooked perfectly, juicy and tender.  The crab, filet, and gorgonzola cream sauce was a very rich and flavorful combination.  There was a little earthiness from the mushrooms and artichokes, but overall the entire dish was spot on.  It was definitely a very rich and creamy sauce, so if that's not your thing this wouldn't be your dish, but I loved it and would easily order it again!
My meal was also served with a side of pasta.  I'm not really sure why, I didn't need the pasta, but I tried it.  The red sauce was pretty good overall, but I honestly didn't have more than a bite or two of this, so I can't say a whole lot about it. But it was nice to try their homemade sauce :)

Ross also loved his lobster ravioli.  This also had a lobster cream sauce served with it.  I thought the portion was a good size and a really unique option for Italian.  I tried this as well and liked it a lot, but liked mine better :)

Barresi's was a great choice for a restaurant for a special occasion. Like I said, Italian food is one of my favorites and this did not disappoint.  I wish that the rest of the patrons had been a little more tolerable because it really was completely distracting and made it difficult to pay attention to anything else!

Service was overall good, nothing that stood out, but average overall.  But if you want a nice, family-owned neighborhood restaurant, this will definitely give you what you're looking for.
~Kate

Food: 4.5
Service: 3.5
Overall Experience: 3 (due to the other guests)

Review: Pompilio's

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My friend has been raving about Pompilio's in Newport for a couple months now.  She said she loved the small local feel of the restaurant and really enjoyed her meals that she has had here.  I do love Italian, so when my husband was recently craving Italian, I suggested we give it a try.

Pompilio's is located in the small neighborhood of Newport, KY and there is a location in Independence too.  It is well-known for having a scene from Rain Man filmed here.  There was plenty of parking options located on the neighboring streets.  I loved the location, making it definitely feel like a neighborhood gem.

Upon walking in, I was a little taken aback.  The bar area was packed with people...and smoke.  I forgot that Kentucky still allows smoking in restaurants.  I am not one who typically is bothered by smoke actually, but this was pretty intense.  We were led to the hostess stand in another room who asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking.  We chose the latter.  We were immediately seated to a cozy booth in the back of the restaurant.

As we got comfortable I was able to take a minute to soak in the ambiance and patrons of Pompilio's.  I liked how the interior had a feeling of being in a family restaurant.  There was a variety of patrons, including families, children, and couples.  It wasn't too loud and had some great eccentric pieces adorning the walls.

Ross and I took some time looking over the menu after ordering our drinks.  The menu is huge.  It offers specialty dishes, pastas, chicken, salads, appetizers, and more.  It really is pretty extensive.  I asked our matter-of-fact waitress what she recommended, and she suggested the chicken tortellini which was one of the dishes I was debating, so I went for it.  This was served with a side salad.  Ross decided to order the Cannelloni.  He has never ordered this before, so I was surprised, but it sounded good! He wanted a Caesar salad with his meal.

As we waited, a server brought us some bread to snack on.  This was pretty boring.  It really just was white bread.  It seemed to me like bread that I could get from a bag at the store.

Next, came our salads.  These salads were too a bit disappointing.  It was a portion of iceberg lettuce topped with two cucumbers and two tomatoes.  I had the Italian dressing, which was just okay. Ross didn't really care for his salad either.  It was over-dressed making it taste a bit soggy.  Not terrible, but not that great either.


At this point, we were excited for our entrees to come.  We finished our drinks and chatted while we waited....and waited...and noticed that the table who was sat 10-15 minutes after us received their entrees.  We weren't terribly bothered by this, but we did notice it.  Our waitress did stop by a bit later and apologized for the food taking longer than normal, which was nice to acknowledge.  Finally, our food arrived.

The chicken tortellini is sauteed with garlic, basil, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes and served in a Parmesan cream sauce.  This overall was just okay.  I thought there was way too much cream sauce making it a little too rich for me.  Other than that, I really liked the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken was pretty good too.  This was a big portion and had about half to take home.  I think this was a decent dish, but just too much cream/cheese, in my opinion.

Ross' dish was not good.  I really can't even try to make it sound good.  I thought it was terrible.  The cannelloni tasted rubbery to me.  It was stuffed with beef and Italian sausage, which really had no flavor.  Ross chose Alfredo sauce on top of it, and I didn't think that had any flavor either.  It really needed some salt and pepper at least.  This was a very bland dish.  I also thought for Italian food it was a small portion. Ross didn't mind though because he didn't like this either.

I was so disappointed in Pompilio's!  I really wanted to like this place.  I thought the interior and exterior is really unique and a lot of people seem to enjoy it.  It was busy, but not on a wait, and prices are pretty fair.  My friend who recommended it said that she has only had the red sauce and really likes that, so if I ever do go back, I guess I will have to try that.  The food and service was just mediocre in my opinion. I don't need a server who is overly friendly or anything like that, but ours was really just down-to-business.  Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear other thoughts on this place.
~Kate

Food: 2
Service:2
Overall Experience: 2.5