Dinner On A Train

The Cincinnati Dinner Train
2172 Seymour Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45237
(513) 791-7245

For several years I have been trying to book a reservation for the Cincinnati Dinner Train to celebrate my birthday. Two years passed where I visited the website a month in advance to try to lock down dinner during the peak fall foliage season, when it's clear everyone else had the same idea but they moved faster. After the second year miss, I asked for a set of gift certificates for Christmas from my mom. They didn't expire for two years. Just like a procrastinator, I held on to them until the last possible moment. I missed my  opportunity to book my birthday weekend and peak fall foliage again but settled for the second week of November, unfortunately, after daylight saving ended.  The point was I was going, I'd gotten a reservation. I still had to book the reservation in September to get that. I say all of this to say, this is a hot ticket as far as Ohio experiences go. If you want to dine on the Cincinnati Dinner Train, it requires a few months planning.

Saturday I arrived at the location to board the train. It was a little off putting because the entrance is behind another business. I almost thought we were in the wrong place until we saw the train arriving. My date and I were the first to arrive, an hour before we were supposed to be there. We wanted to make sure we had plenty of time for correction if we got lost or somehow ended up in the wrong place. We left the parking lot to ride around in the immediate area, before we were scheduled to board. When we returned there were more cars in the lot and the staff was setting up. A man greeted us as we pulled into the lot, directed us to our parking space and explained where to pick up our boarding passes.

Boarding time was 5pm. I collected my boarding passes that were most likely meant to be really cute souvenirs for a scrap book. Both tickets had my name printed on them, the train car we were dining in and the table where we would spend the next few hours. We were greeted by a cute elderly man dressed in a train conductor's uniform. As we stood in line we were entertained by the Queen City Sisters, a women's singing group who cover songs from the 30's, 40's and 50's A cappella. The trip is designed to take you back to 1949, the singers set the mood. We almost reached the booster stairs to the train when we were stopped to take a photo that we had the opportunity to purchase later on in the ride. Everyone was dressed in late 1940s clothing including the photographer and his assistant.

The reservation was in the New York Central car, a car that was used from 1947 until 1967 in NYC. Before it became one of the Cincinnati Dinner Train cars, it also served as a soft-serve ice cream parlor in Cincinnati.

Once we boarded the train and reached the table, the appetizer was already waiting for us. It was a simple charcuterie plate with summer sausage, a scoop of sun dried tomato spread, crackers and grapes. We were offered tea or water with our meal. The option for beer, wine and cocktails are extra. The entree I pre-ordered when I made the reservation, was salmon, so I ordered a glass of white wine to drink with it later. The second course was a tossed green salad with ranch dressing and a roll. After the salad, the entree was served. They offer three options when you make the reservation, prime rib,boneless chicken breast in white wine sauce or salmon with spicy hoisin glaze.

Though I do not have images of any courses besides the appetizer because of lighting issues, I will at least share my experience. The salad was basic but fresh tasting. The salmon was tender and moist but I was not entirely sold on the hoisin glaze. I am used to a glaze being a little thick and sticky. The glaze on the salmon I was served was juicy and tasted more like citrus than hoisin. It was not what I expected but I still enjoyed it. My favorite part of the meal was dessert. I ordered the pecan pie but also tasted my date's cheese cake. Both were delicious.
   
My date and I shared the table with another couple, residents of Cincinnati. I was worried initially about who our table mates would be but we lucked out with a couple who we had so much in common with, we were like personality mirror images. We had so much to talk about that we spent more time talking when we were supposed to be eating.

Service on the train was impeccable. The wait staff came to check on tables often. My tea stayed filled and plates were removed in a timely fashion. They brought out desserts with candles for those celebrating birthdays and since it was Veterans Day weekend, veterans received a free cocktail of their choice.

We were entertained on and off throughout the night by The Queen City Sisters who sang songs from the 40's. They also sung Happy Birthday to all the people celebrating on the train. In the last hour of the ride they were in the last car performing until we return to the starting point. This train car felt like a 1940s club. There was only a bar, the singers and room to hangout.Past that car was the caboose where everyone was able to pull the train whistle. I felt like a goofy kid, so excited to pull a train whistle. 

This by far was one of my favorite Ohio dining experiences, and I have had a lot. The ambiance is great for a romantic date or a special occasion.  The ride isn't very scenic, there are a few special architectural and historical points of interest, but what they lack in outside views is made up for in the charm, detail and service of the staff. I see myself returning for a round two.

Until next time,
Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!
Kris,

 

Holiday Overload! The Must See Holiday Displays in Columbus 2015

Last year I started a list of residential holiday light displays for those in search of free light displays in the Columbus area.  It has become a tradition of mine to go out searching for over the top, decorated homes. My favorite displays are beautiful or beautifully tacky. They are the kind of displays that take months to create and rack up hundreds of dollars in energy bills. The bill is worth it considering the way these displays make us feel when we look at them. They evoke precious memories of our childhood when things were simpler and exciting. They remind us of the days when some of us believed in magic. 

On Christmas Eve, after Christmas dinner or after you see the new Star Wars movie; take a drive around the Columbus area to check out these cool displays. Grab yourself some snacks, a cup of hot cocoa and take a tour of the best residential displays in your area.  After all, this is something we only get to see once a year.  

 This year I got lots of leads but only had time to check out some of them before my self appointed deadline. So, this list may have some later additions. Some new displays have made the list this year and three displays have returned. The two new light displays are synchronized to music. You can find videos of those displays on my instagram today @krisofohio. I hope you go out and enjoy your tour!

 1.The Musical Angel

Westbrook Village Lights 

Located on Westbrook Village off Holt Rd & Lesbrook Dr.

(near Georgesville) 

I discovered this display last year after I posted my list but I wanted to make sure it made it's debut as first on my list this year.

 

Every year a group of neighbors get together to make the neighborhood beautiful and collect can goods for the Mid Ohio Food Bank. The neighbors put up their lights and synchronize them to a holiday soundtrack. They encourage you to come out to enjoy the free light show but pay it forward by leaving can goods in the drop boxes near the display. 

tips: Keep the neighbors in mind and don't stop in the middle of the street or block their driveways. Pull over beside the curb. Consider visiting during the week when there is less traffic.

 

2.The Christmas Melting Pot 

Guilford Road off Riverside Dr. Upper Arlington

I have visited this home for a few years now and it never gets old. It is beautifully tacky and everyone loves it. It is one of the homes that gets a lot of traffic each year. When I visited, it was late so the house was not completely lit. This photo does it no justice. There are Santas all over the windows on the house.

tips: Pull over to the side of the road so you can get out of the car to take in the details. Also ride around the neighborhood for some beautiful classically decorated homes. There is one just at the right of this home off Guilford.

3.Christmas in the Country

Kropp Rd off of Alkire in Galloway

 This is another photo that does this display no justice, but the light show is definitely worth checking out. This display is on a large piece of property in the Galloway area and is synchronized to music. You can get a better idea of the show from my instagram.

 

tips: pull into one of the long driveways nearby to keep from getting interupted by traffic.

4. All American Christmas 
S.Richardson between W.Mound and Eakin on West Columbus

This is my favorite display each year. I have faithfully visited this home for the last four years. It is always beautiful but he changes and adds things every new season. This year one of my favorite details are gingerbread men playing in the late Cooper Stadium next to Santa's workshop. Also, new this year is a inflatable snowman on the porch and a nativity scene.

tips: Pull over, park if you can to get out and see the details. You can only see the gingerbread men on the soccer field from outside the car. 

5. Land of Lights
Valleyview Dr. off Hague across from YMCA

This display was 50,500 lights last year but they have increased to 57,300 lights this year. The display is a family tradition and is on it's second generation of decorators. It is free to visit but feel free to leave a donation if you love what you see.

tips: Drive up the long driveway and get out to walk around.
 

I hope this has been helpful to all of those looking for places to check out free light displays in Columbus. Check back because I may add new displays before the season ends. For those of you who are looking for lights that aren't in the Columbus area, check out the Tacky Light Tour website. There isn't much for Columbus but there are large lists of homes for many other cities.

Happy Holidays!

Kris, 
 

Whistles, Popcorn & Ice Cream

During the summer, finding things to do during the week can sometimes be tricky. The weekends are much easier with festivals, fairs and interesting events. After the normal places like parks, museums and libraries have been exhausted, what is left? Well, Ohio has many amazing businesses with interesting stories and accolades. Some of these businesses offer factory tours or history tours with delicious treats or cool souvenirs at the end.

Last year my nephew and I enjoyed the Anthony Thomas Factory tour. It was quick, informative and cheap. We were given a free chocolate Buckeye at the end and the modestly priced tickets doubled as vouchers that could be applied toward goodies to take home. Of course we took full advantage.

This year my goal was to make this summer with my nephew mostly about new experiences. So the last two weeks we started our adventures touring a few Ohio businesses that we had not before. The thing is, of three businesses visited, we only got one real tour. Here is the breakdown of our experiences.

The American Whistle Corporation

I can't say that this is the most exciting tour unless you have some kind of affinity for whistles but this is an important company not just to Ohio but to the United States. The company is the ONLY company in the United States that produces metal whistles. The competition is all overseas. They create whistles for the Columbus Police department, and bigger police departments like NYPD. They are even responsible for the whistles used in the Super Bowl. 

For $4 you are walked through the process of creating a whistle. The tour guide takes you from machine to machine, explaining how the machine works and holding up the product for each part of the process. If it's hot outside, expect it to be pretty hot in the factory as well. They also have a rule of no photography in the factory. At the end of the tour you are given a company whistle. At the giftshop you can buy accessories like lanyards or the gold whistle like the ones Super Bowl officials and referees receive as gifts.

Al's Delicious Popcorn 

Founded by a man named Al who has since passed away. Family friends took over the brand and have been running the business and developing new flavors ever since. 

At Al's, the tour is more like watching a video, then tasting a bunch of their 60+
popcorn flavors. You don't get to go behind the scenes; they show you the process and go over some of the company history through the video. We stopped being terribly disappointed after we started tasting popcorn. The guide selected several flavors for the group to taste and then allowed us to pick extra flavors to try. There didn't seem to be a cut off. We probably could have tasted everything if we wanted to. Flavors we tasted included, Bubble Gum, Root beer, Jellybean, Pizza, Mango and Columbus Mix (a mix of vanilla butternut and white cheddar). They offer small $1.25 and $1.50 bags if you want to continue your tasting at home. Which we did. Our favorites were kosher dill and butter pecan.

Graeter's Ice Cream 

The Graeter's have been making ice cream
 since 1868. The fourth generation is still very much involved in the business. They pride themselves with producing the ice cream as they did in the beginning, in a French pot. This process produces a denser ice cream whereas newer ways to produce ice cream allows more air in the cream.

If you have the 15 person minimum that gets you a personal tour guide, this guided tour is probably worth checking out. Otherwise, going to this location when you have a Graeter's up the street from you is kind of a waste in my opinion. The production has been shipped off to Cincinnati so the tour doesn't include getting to see anything being produced. It is just a hallway where a video can be viewed, you can read historical facts, view production photos and get a close up of old equipment. It's kind of cool if you are in the area but I can't say it's destination worthy. My nephew and I stopped in after our tour at Al's Delicious Popcorn. I would recommend visiting them both while in the area. Who can't appreciate popcorn and ice cream in the same day?

If you are interested in these tours and need more information, clink on the business name links.

Until next time,
Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!
Kris,