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October 21, 2005
A taste of success, Bistro style
The Quarter Bistro is an example of how it is possible to become successful and create a great name for yourself in just a short time.
The Bistro, located at 6904 Wooster Pike in Mariemont – between PNC Bank and The Mariemont Theatre – has become one of the Cincinnati-area’s most venerated restaurants in less than 18 months.
“We are able to offer everyone an experience that is different from the rest of Cincinnati ... and we have really captured the bistro experience,” Quarter Bistro General Manager Adam Kleshinski said.
With an aesthetically eye-friendly-landscaped front patio, a fine-crafted and well-polished bar with a grade-A eclectic list of wines, liqueurs and beers, and a spacious dining room lit with robust colored lamps, the Quarter Bistro does, in fact, offer a relaxing fine-dining experience.
The restaurant focuses on serving fresh fish, seafood, steaks and pasta and leans heavily on French-Mediterranean and Asian influences.
The quality and consistency of the food we serve is paramount. Our service and ambiance are great,” Kleshinski said, “but I take the most pride in that this restaurant is working and is successful, whereas the two restaurants in this location prior to us couldn’t make it.”
Yes, people have tried before to create a dining experience and attract clientele, but they faltered.
A major reason for the success is due to the flexibility and creativity of owner Jim Evans and the ardent work ethic of Kleshinski.
Kleshinski started as a busboy when the location was called the Latin Quarter. Frankly, he just wanted a job and told management he would do whatever necessary to get his foot in the door.
“I wanted to become a business professional and told them I would learn everything about the establishment (from knowing all the wines on the wine list to running inventory),” he said.
He was hired, worked hard, and quickly climbed the ladder. As a result, he witnessed the shortcomings of the first two restaurants and when Evans purchased and opened the Quarter Bistro, Kleshinski brought to him a list of all the areas where the prior businesses failed to produce a good product.
He also handed Evans a list of ideas to bolster the new business. Evans implemented the necessary changes and now the Quarter Bistro has been named a 4-Star restaurant and considered one of the 14 best restaurants by the local media.
The bistro’s taste derives from two sources: The first is the expertise of executive chef Brian Brinkman.
Brinkman, a former apprentice of Jean Roberts (The Maisonette), brings a reputation and creativity to the Quarter Bistro.
The second is its wine.
“We aim for wines both with great value and great ratings. Our list is exemplary of the best wines available across the nation,” Kleshinski said. “Take the best wine list you can find in town. Then, choose the best wines from off that list and subtract $20 – that is our wine list.”
The Quarter Bistro is open seven days a week. It is open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday thru Thursday; 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. (Note: the closing times indicate when the kitchen closes; the bar area is open longer depending on business).
For more information, call 271-5415.
Posted by johnston at 01:32 PM
October 07, 2005
Christmas shopping doesn't have to be hairy
Treating yourself to a haircut and professional shave is a good gift to oneself.
But it can also be a gift from you to another person.
The holidays are fast approaching and Mariemont Barber Shop owner Ron Salzano has gift certificates available for every man.
All one has to do is walk into the barber shop and tell Ron how much they want to spend on the gift certificate.
"I have people who come in here all the time to buy gift certificates for their family or friends. But I think the gift of giving a man a shampoo, haircut and a shave would be treat for any man, not to mention a good gift," Salzano said.
For example, haircuts and shaves $13.50 each. The haircut also includes getting your hair washed. There is the “businessman’s special”, which includes a wash, haircut and scalp massage for $16. The cleansing facial package is also $13.50. So, a person may come in, get a gift certificate for one haircut, or five haircuts and five shaves, or anything else they want to include with the certificate.
"The certificates are popular with people who are expecting out-of-town guests and would like to treat their visitors to a relaxing hour," Ron said. “Men come in here and feel relaxed. A lot of men don’t go to salons because they feel intimidated,” he says.
The village locale is a full-service barbershop, not only offering haircuts, shaves and facials but also good conversation, sports TV for the fan and cartoons for the child.
To learn more, stop in at 6880 Wooster Pike or call 271-7676.
Posted by johnston at 11:11 AM
October 05, 2005
The magic of elves and a future vision
The vision of seeing Santa and his elves hard at work is one of the most cherished and potent memories of Bill Spinnenweber’s life.
Shillito’s Department Store, located in downtown Cincinnati, handcrafted a holiday display in 1955 as a Christmas attraction for the city. The display, comprised of approximately 75 animated stuffed elves, was designed for its original store windows on Race Street, with each window featuring a scene of the moving elves on the North Pole.
In some scenes the elves would be playing with each other, in other scenes the elves would be working feverishly with Santa Claus reading letters and building toys.
Each scene, whether it was in a mail room or the toy shop, was made brilliant by the seemingly lively robotic little people dressed in reds and greens and fluffy, blizzardly beards.
“These window displays have been part of Cincinnati’s past generations. Both children and adults were fascinated by the displays,” Spinnenweber, the Director of Operations for the Mariemont Inn, said, adding he was one of the many people that found the elves intriguing. “I talk to people today and many of them still remember the displays and the festive Christmas decorations.”
The elves display, which for so long was a permanent setup in the downtown store and only opened to the public around the holidays, was discontinued in the 1980s when Shillito merged with Federated Department Stores – which ultimately renamed themselves Lazarus.
As a result, the last toy was built, the last letter from a child to Santa was read, and the enjoyment of the elvish display was over.
Years went by. The echos of children’s laughter and of the elves’ hammerstrokes became nothing more than a faded memory. And the elvish display nearly forgotten.
But, in 1997, when Lazarus moved to Fountain Square, two Boy Scout Troops found and purchased the entire exhibit.
The elves were old and their electric motors were not as fine-tuned and oiled as they used to be. So the scout troops went to work on the elves, fixing gears and replacing wires.
Once cleaned and tuned-up, the scouts put the elves back to work at the Old Dent School House. All the elves resumed sorting the mail in the mail room, checking lists and working with Santa on the toys in approximately 14 different holiday scenes.
The scouts called their event “Everything Christmas” and it grew in popularity every year. In addition to the numerous display scenes, the exhibit also featured the opportunity for children to have their picture taken with Old Saint Nick.
“A lot of us had gone through the department store’s Santa’s Workshop as kids, so it was really neat as adults to create this,” said a volunteer of the scout troop. “We can relive our childhood a little bit.”
But, to Bill Spinnenweber, it just wasn’t about reliving his childhood; he also wanted to create a new generation of childhood memories for today’s Greater Cincinnati children.
In January 2005, he purchased the display ... every elf, every prop, every last item associated with the original Shillito Department Store elvish holiday exhibit.
“The display was in danger of being sold to another individual who planned on moving it to Louisville.
“I hated to see the exhibit moved out of Cincinnati and I thought it would be a good opportunity to be a part of the few true holiday experiences,” he said.
Bill has been ardently working throughout the summer to convert each scene to be semi-portable.
He hopes to display the exhibit soon so that everyone in the village, and the Cincinnati area, can live (and re-live) the magic of Santa’s elves. He has the exhibit, now all he needs is a place to let the elves make their Christmas cheer.
In fact, Bill is presently working on creating a village Christmas tradition. It is his vision to bring to Mariemont the “Christmas Experience”.
“No other area in Cincinnati has as much potential to execute a Christmas-themed experience than Mariemont,” he said.
The holiday experience would include the current luminiaria event, old towne square tree lighting, and horse-drawn carriage rides, in addition to the elf display, Santa visits and pictures, a Christmas market for local artists, live reindeer visits, an outdoor Christmas light display, live music and carolers, ice sculpture contests, holiday food contests and more.
Posted by johnston at 11:36 PM
October 01, 2005
Shop more, shop longer
In case you haven't noticed, Sara Benjamin's has posted new hours of operation.
Which means two things: More hours and more shopping.
Sara Benjamin's is a women's boutique located at 6810 Wooster Pike, right next to the Dilly Deli.
The new hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday thru Friday and now noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
call 272-2280 for more information.
Posted by johnston at 11:18 PM