Rocky and I are headed to MU's games at Cincy, St John's, & Seton Hall next week. We're also catching the WV @ UConn and the Nova @ Syracuse games while we're in the area. (Not bad for a one week trip huh? :) Really looking forward to seeing some great basketball!) We'll be in Cincy, Syracuse, and Hartford for one days/night each and in Manhattan for 4 days/nights.
We try to meet up for one basketball trip a year like this and like to hit up local places while we're in the areas. Last year we were in Pittsburgh and we hit up Pitt campus, the science center by Heinz field (awesome walk-through of a submarine), Monongahela Incline (sweet look at the behind the scenes machinery while it is running), Primanti Brothers sandwich shop (interesting and good - loved the black and tans with em), an old fashioned ice cream sundae parlor, and a number of local pubs/bars. We had a bit of trouble trying to buy bottled beer there (drinking in the hotel) at first until we found out you have to go to special places to get it (beer distributors and bars only).
I'm looking for suggestions for the following:
- places to go (touristy and otherwise)
- must-try locations to eat (with a general dress code of jeans and casual shirts)
- bars/pubs to try. We particularly enjoy microbreweries but any decent places are welcome ideas. Along this line, we also sometimes spend a day or night hanging out at a sports bar that offers free Wi-Fi (often buffalo wild wings or similar but we like to try places with more local flavor as well)
Any local things to watch out for (like the beer restriction found in Pittsburgh) or general tips would also be welcome.
We have a group of 8 guys going down to Cincy this weekend. Hope we can get a good W down there. Not sure where I tickets are but we'll of course all be in gold
Cincinnati - Tons of restaurants and bars near the river, some on the Ohio side and some on the Kentucky side. Brewery-wise, the only place that stands out is Hofbrauhaus. It's German restaurant/brewery, next to the aquarium on the KY side. Food is fine, beer is good.
Things to do:
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - amazing but very intense
Newport Aquarium (KY)- definitely designed for kids/families, but I pet a shark which was pretty cool.
Reds Hall of Fame - haven't been but my baseball fanatic friends liked it. You can also tour Great American Ballpark.
Near campus:
Good Fellas(Fellows) - small place, cheap beer and food. Convenient for a beer before the game.
Mac's Pizza and Pub - good mix of college students and locals, good pizza. Also convenient before/after the game.
Buffalo Wild Wings on campus
But if you want to do the "you know you're from Cincinnati if you've ever eaten..." experience, then you have to eat at Skyline Chili (there's a bunch). Think Real Chili meets Coney Island and pack the tums.
Heading down to Cincy as well, made the trip two years ago. We spent most of our time in Newport at the Hofbrauhaus, and plan on going there Saturday night.
If you find any microbreweries let me know... I was looking for somewhere with a tour and haven't seen a thing.
Montgomery's Boat House in Cincinnati is a must for ribs.
http://www.montgomeryinn.com/boathouse/boathouse_home.php (http://www.montgomeryinn.com/boathouse/boathouse_home.php)
1. Skyline
2. Skyline
3. Skyline
4. Skyline
5. Skyline
Quote from: drewm88 on February 15, 2010, 12:55:35 PM
1. Skyline
2. Skyline
3. Skyline
4. Skyline
5. Skyline
Gross.
Quote from: NavinRJohnson on February 15, 2010, 07:55:06 AM
Montgomery's Boat House in Cincinnati is a must for ribs.
http://www.montgomeryinn.com/boathouse/boathouse_home.php (http://www.montgomeryinn.com/boathouse/boathouse_home.php)
That and Skyline were on my list when rolling through the Queen City, but my bro and I ended up staying (and eating) in Covington.
Cool little city. Wish I could have explored it more.
I'm part of the group of 8. Staying at the Millenium and eating at Nicholsons on Saturday night.
thanks for the suggestions so far.. we've had skyline.. it was ok. The other cincy thoughts are very cool.
Any for Hartford, Syracuse, or NYC?
Quote from: spiral97 on February 15, 2010, 11:28:31 PM
thanks for the suggestions so far.. we've had skyline.. it was ok. The other cincy thoughts are very cool.
Any for Hartford, Syracuse, or NYC?
If you're in Syracuse you absolutely have to go to Funk'n'Waffles. It is a waffle place with the vibe of an east-side MKE coffe house. Additionally you get to say "Fu**in Waffles" :)
Their menu (http://www.funknwaffles.com/) is ridiculous. The fiancee and I had the brussels waffle and the pulled pork waffle and they were both out of this world :D
It's on the Syracuse hill, so it's walkable as long as you're close to campus. A definite "must" from my short time on the 'Cuse campus (one day :P).
Cincinnati:
Agree with the Montgomery and Hofbrauhaus recommendations. Steaks? Any of the Jeff Ruby restaurants. Nicholson's Tavern & Pub on Walnut is good (Scottish, good beer and sandwiches). The Orchid Room at the Hilton downtown is a spectacular place for drinks or Sunday Brunch. It is unique...art deco...quite beautiful and very historic--but for drinks and a view. A bit stuffy for dinner.
For NYC:
Head down to Greenwich Village, for a great burger at Corner Bistro. 331 W. 4th St.
About 3-4 blocks away is a great bar, with an awesome beer selection. The Blind Tiger; http://www.blindtigeralehouse.com/
And of course, McSorely's on East 7th is always fun.
I'll be hitting up Cincy this weekend as well with a group of 19 - staying at the Hilton right downtown. Like MUfan12 said, the Hofbrauhaus is a must...so much fun 2 years ago when I was there. It's not actually in Cincy but across the river in Newport (right across the street from Newport on the Levee). I was not impressed with Skyline when I had it.
Might want to check out the Xavier campus...I toured it when I was deciding on colleges and was very impressed with what a beautiful campus it was. Curious to see if it is as nice as I remember it or if I built it up as a high school senior!
the old train station is an architectural gem,maybe take a swing by the new ball park and take pictures throwing snowballs. Like Baltimore and Milwaukee the base of good German eats is tough to beat. In a way you'll feel quite at home.
Quote from: foreverwarriors on February 16, 2010, 03:58:01 PM
Might want to check out the Xavier campus...I toured it when I was deciding on colleges and was very impressed with what a beautiful campus it was. Curious to see if it is as nice as I remember it or if I built it up as a high school senior!
Xavier is nice, but extremely small. Urban like MU, but a contained campus. Similar to St. Thomas in the Twin Cities, but really very small.
Quote from: Skatastrophy on February 16, 2010, 08:48:21 AM
If you're in Syracuse you absolutely have to go to Funk'n'Waffles. It is a waffle place with the vibe of an east-side MKE coffe house. Additionally you get to say "Fu**in Waffles" :)
Stopped in, had an awesome Monte Cristo (w/ham) waffle for dinner. Despite your coffee house description, the place surprised me as much less commercial (and much less focused on the waffles) than I expected. But yeah, reminded me of a Boulder coffee house (including the employees).
Didn't have a ton of time in Cincy, but did get the BBQ Ribs & Chicken combo at Montgomery and a couple Dunkelbiers at Hofbrauhaus.
Touring in NYC was limited a bit due to weather (rain & snow 3 of the 4 days), but we did find quite a few good brews and pizza. Sadly, didn't get to Greenwich Village, but finally figured out the subway pretty well before we left, so we'd get around better next time.
Thanks again for all the tips. Still a day to go, but a good trip overall.
You guys are completely redeemed from your less than stellar road trip win/loss ratio in years past. Well done.