The Beaune Yard

Cincinnati is a unique destination for food.  In my personal opinion there are a fair number of good restaurants for the type and style of city.  You have your typical chains and your independents that have been there for years serving food for the masses but there are also a fair number of unique places that have really good food.

Recently there has been a revolt in this little food arena with John Robert leaving the group of restaurants he was a partner in.  I have eaten at Chalk (and loved it) and now Lavomatic which are both former John Robert restaurants. 

Lavomatic is a great venue for a hip vibe on eating and drinking.  It is a former Laundromat that has been caught up in the big Surge in Cincinnati to revitalize the area in the Over the Rhine district.  The exposed brick and kitschy signs make for a really nice destination.  Upstairs there is even an exposed outside patio that I am sure if great for drinks with friends from the spring to fall.   The patio was unfortunately closed that night.

I went to dinner with two good friends who enjoy wine and food and was looking forward to a great dinner.  The wine lived up to the reputation but the meal fell a bit short.  I had salmon covered in polenta that was paired with grits and a corn relish.  The salmon was well cooked and it went remarkably well with grits.  The failing of this dish was the monochromatic aspect of the fish and the two side dishes; a very yellow meal.  Dan had the trout and although I am a fan it was bit fishy and did not seem to be the meal that he was looking for.  Jen had the mushroom lasagna.  As she said later, it is hard to make cheese and mushrooms taste bad and my only ding on her meal was that it was served entirely too hot.  We finished off dinner with a Raspberry tort that was not very raspberry and just seemed like it was bought and not baked.  It had a taste that is hard to describe but it was chewy or rubbery or something with an odd aftertaste.  All in all it was not bad but it did not meet my expectations for the food.

Now, it could be that John Robert has left or it could be something else so I sought out the advice a well versed foodie in Cincinnati and asked what he thought.  Unfortunately, he had the same opinion of the restaurant and it was a long standing opinion so the revolt has nothing to do with the food. 

Now for the good news.  We had the Langoustines for an appetizer and although there was not much langoustine to it the mix with the melon was a nice surprise and it was enough for the three of us without being filling.  Darcy, our waitress, was fantastic, personable, and funny.  She took great care of us and made sure that we had a good time.  I think that Lavomatic is a great place to stop and have drinks, maybe even an appetizer but is not on my recommended dining list. 

Remember that life is too short for bad wine or bad friends.