The Next Pete

Lotsapetes

As I’m sure you’re aware, I’ve been thinking about Pete Rose a lot lately.  To be sure, he’s got a pretty significant mystique about him.  Perhaps I shouldn’t call it a “mystique,” as that seems to imply a sort of mysterious quality.  There’s nothing myterious about Pete.  Love him, hate him, or love/hate him, as I think I do, he’s a face value sort of dude.  Nothing wrong with that.

Ask anyone what Pete Rose means to the city of Cincinnati, and they’ll tell you, without fail, that it all comes down to the hustle.  Sprinting to first on a walk.  Bowling over Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game.  The competitive spirit.  The fact that he played baseball the way it should be played, in an era when very few were (are?) playing the game that way.  In a nutshell, we Cincinnatians (and, ahem, Northern Kentuckians, if I may) know a thing or two about the value of hustle.

As a result of this, there has been an ongoing series of Reds players who we seem to have dubbed, almost without thinking, “The Next Pete Rose.”  As far as I can remember, in reverse chronological order, the next Pete is/was:

• Adam Rosales
• Ryan Freel
• Chris Stynes

Never mind the fact that Freel and Stynes never “worked out,” so to speak (i.e., they just weren’t that good).  I *know* that there have been more next Petes.  Does anyone remember any other ballplayer being tagged as the next Pete Rose?  Any who’ve been likewise favorably compared to Pete?  I’m specifically interested in Reds/former Reds who’ve been tagged with it, but any ballplayer will do.  Class?

Christian Moerlein Takes It Hard To The Hole, So To Speak

I was quite pleased to see a beer article greeting me when I looked at the front page of today’s Enquirer.  It’s not often that an above-the-fold headline catches my attention these days–at least, not in a good way.  Nevermind the fact that I had a HELL of a time finding this article on the Enquirer’s website.

Seriously, Enquirer.  Get your website together, because we all know the print version isn’t going to last that much longer.  How hard is it to make things easily searchable, and visible for that matter?  But I digress.

Christian Moerlein, maker of Cincinnati beers, is bringing yet another one back from the dead–and for seemingly no other reason than nostalgia.  I’ve never had Burger beer, though I’ve seen old-ass cans on shelves in friends garages.  They were, if I remember correctly, next to the cans of ’81 Hu-Dey beer.

In sum, this Christian Moerlein character is winning my respect, over and over.

Maps Tell You Where To Go

via Building Cincinnati:

Yesterday, OKI released this year’s Cincinnati Bike Route Guide.  It’s available as a .pdf. 

Before looking at it, I’d never really used a bike route map before, nor had I ever really closely looked at one.  The level of detail here is pretty impressive–it points out hills and organizes specific streets and thoroughfares into “preferred,” “not recommended,” and “use with caution” statii.  There are also designations for mixed use paths (sometimes referred to as MUPs), bike lanes, and difficult-to-handle spots. 

So, in short, this is a useful map.  Good to have on hand in a pannier bag or backpack if you’re going out on a jaunt one weekend.

Cincinnati’s Ronnie Dobbs

Ronwell!

According to this report from the Enquirer, it looks like Cincinnati po-po might have their own Ronnie Dobbs on their hands.  Now, I don’t really have much commentary on Timothy Akers (the Dobbs wannabe in question) himself–and how could you, really?  This isn’t anything more than an “It is what it is” situation. 

If you don’t feel like reading the story, here’s a summary: this dude has been arrested a whole shitload of times.  Like, 102 or something.  It’s pretty wild. 

What strikes me about this news story is that it’s a news story to begin with.  The journalist probably asked someone at the station, “So, who’s been arrested more than anyone else?”  The answer that they got led her to the public record, and SHAZAM! News story.  In all seriousness, this Akers dude is interesting, and I can only hope that the Enquirer spins this into an uber-awesome Ronnie Dobbs-esque story. 

Maybe we can arrange an Akers-Shadow Hare cage match.  Hmm…

Chalk Food+Wine – Who Needs the French, Anyway?

Back in January, Jean Robert de Cavel (of The Maisonette fame) parted ways with the immediately inaccurately named Jean Robert Group family of restaurants.  The group (terribly) re-branded itself as the Relish Restaurant Group and began realigning its holdings.  Some, like the neglected and disappointing Edgecliff Bistro and the extremely expensive and highly lauded Pigall’s closed their doors.  Others, like the now hilariously named JeanRo Bistro downtown, and Chalk Food+Wine in Covington, remain open.  Amusingly, like so many other Cincinnatians who lose their jobs, Jean Robert ended up at Cincinnati State.

The Basics

Chalk inhabits an unassuming storefront on Greenup Street in Covington, right at the foot of the Suspension Bridge in what could only very loosely be called a burgeoning dining district.  Molly Malone’s, the Keystone Grill, Down Under, and the Greenup Café inhabit this small square.  The presence of various City of Covington buildings makes parking a relatively easy task with plenty of meters, unattended lots, and street space.

The wait staff all wear jeans and the décor is intimate and comfortable.  It’s a perfect kind of date place if you’re looking to leave your dress slacks at home but still want to impress the girl with your gourmet palate.

The Food

The food is fancy but accessible and reasonably priced.  The menu is organized into four basic sections:  appetizers, side dishes, sandwiches, and entrees.  Of course, being a chic bistro kind of place they give them names like “Small Plates” and “Hand Food” but try not to hold that against them.

My dinner companion and I opted for a pretty traditional assortment:  glasses of wine (selections by the glass range from $6-$15), one appetizer (chicken spring rolls, $8), two entrees (both were off-menu specials – soft shell crab and bone-in pork loin, $20 and $25 respectively), and 2 desserts (chocolate mousse and whipped mango cheesecake, $7 each).  All told, a gourmet meal for about $85.  I won’t bore you with the breakdown of each and every dish, but suffice it to say that everything was perfectly cooked and interestingly prepared.  Our server, Chase, was entertaining and attentive.

The Verdict

Chalk really is a quintessential date restaurant.  The space is relatively small, but the staff is attentive without being overbearing.  You can sit and leisurely enjoy your food (we ate over the course of about 2 hours) without every feeling rushed.

Having eaten at Chalk when de Cavel was still defining the experience, and now since, and I can certainly say that the quality and arrangement of the food has lessened.  The presentation of the menu is different now, but not necessarily worse.   The desserts, while still reasonable, were especially better before.  Many menu items are accessible and familiar: grilled cheese ($8), rosemary french fries ($5), and a house burger ($10)?  Yes, please; and all absolutely delicious.

Overall, I give Chalk a “Better than Good but not quite Great” in the proprietary TCM scale.

Do You Fix Things? The Man Wants You!

TCM is looking for someone to write a how-to column on a once-a-month-or-so basis.  Specifically, we’re looking for interesting stories explaining how to fix the normal stuff in and around the house–with plenty of fuckups involved.  Photos are a plus.  So, can you write?  Do you always wreck your house the first time, only to get it right the second time?  Get in touch with us for more details if you’re interested in a regular, unpaid article.