What I Learned This Week: #104

Monday, May 20- Sunday, May 26

The Week in Taste: Social summer kicks off this Memorial Day Weekend. Taste of Cincinnati is a tradition for many…some to make sure they get to it every year, and some to make sure they stay far away every year. Tradition! It is a crowded and not-as-cheap-as-you-would-think event. I like to see what restaurants show up but I really like two relatively recent additions. The incubator/start-up alley is for food that doesn’t yet have a brick and mortar location where there’s always something interesting. In food truck alley I see a lot of trucks I see at events around town, but I haven’t seen any of them since last summer. I miss them. At Taste, I started my food truck summer with an old favorite Best Thing Smokin’. The Fried Fish taco did not disappoint.

The Week in Shots – Part 1: A friend and I have a Thursday Salsa on the Square tradition whereby, shooting each other a secret, meaningful look, we head off to the Rock Bottom Brewery for a shot of Jagermeister. This week we brought a friend who was visiting from Brazil. He was a little shocked or a bit disgusted to see me and my friend throw back the Jager. He took a sip of his shot and said, “this is a digestive, no?” Well, yes. And a memorable, tasty shot.

Three shots of digestive liquor…we’ll all feel fine in the morning!

The Week in Shots – Part 2: Though not to be slung back as a shot, Wodka bar’s chilled vodka infusions are made to be savored. Here is the light capturing a Ginger/Turmeric infusion. It’s light and almost citrusy. Delicious.

Side note, tuR-meric or Too-meric? Where I come from, the R is silent. #controversial

If you can get past the lab sample/nuclear waste glow, you’ll find a delicious ginger/turmeric infusion

The Week in First Impressions: Dog toys???!!!

A suitable cover if you don’t want the neighbors to know your personal business.

The Week I Could Probably Buy a Better Snack: I buy a bag of Kroger salted, roasted, peanuts in a shell every couple of weeks. The bag is one dollar. And for that one dollar, I get peanuts that look and feel like they first had to fall on the factory floor before being swept up into my bag. The shells are thick with what could be a blown on salt solution were factory dust can adhere and dry. So covered with salt and dust. The extra thrill is trying to open the peanut shell with my teeth without letting my tongue touch the shell…because it is gross. The actual $1 peanuts, once I get to them, are fine.