BREAKING BREAD WITH LA BREA BAKERY

Have you ever tried La Brea Bakery? If not, you're in luck! To celebrate 25 years of dedication to the craft of artisan baking, La Brea Bakery is bringing their fresh-baked bread to Cincinnati for a four-day sampling. Founded in 1989, the bakery has been continually ranked as the premier artisan bread brand in the country.

Image provided by Dave Estep Photography

Image provided by Dave Estep Photography

On Thursday, September 11, you can get your taste of over-fresh goodness at Fountain Square starting at 8:30AM, or on Saturday, September 13 at 12:30PM at Newport on the Levee. Keep an eye out around town for unannounced sampling opportunities. Plus, if you catch a glimpse of the breadmasters, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram or Twitter as #BreakingBread for a chance to win prizes.

NATIONAL DONUT DAY

National Donut Day was established in 1938 by Salvation Army as a depression-era outreach initiative. It pays tribute to Salvation Army volunteers who prepared donuts for thousands of soldiers during World War I.  Since that time, National Donut Day events have been held in cities across the country by local Salvation Army units.  This marked the fifth year that the local Salvation Army has partnered with the Greater Cincinnati Retail Bakers Association for the event, which was held on Fountain Square.

Donut Day featured local celebrities playing themed games, such as donut stacking and a donut hole toss. Others attended wearing their finest glazed fashions.

I counted thirteen sweet shops distributing their signature donuts -- ironically, a baker's dozen. Neighborhood notables included: Holtman's Donuts, Bonnie Lynn Bakery, Bonomini Bakery, Harrison Home Bakery, North College Hill Bakery, Regina Bakery, Schmidt's Bakery, and Wyoming Pastry Shop as well as larger patisseries Busken Bakery, Dunkin' Donuts, Servatii's, Graeter's, and Bakery Hill at the Midwest Culinary Institute (Cincinnati State).

With so many tastes, I was glad that several shops cut their donuts into quarters to offer a bite without having to commit to a full portion (although, I won't complain that some of my favorite places did have whole donuts for the taking!) A most popular event, some shops saw queues reach seven people deep, just to snack on their sweets.

Honorable Donut Day Mentions

Best All-Around Donut:
Holtman's Chocolate Iced w/ Sprinkles
(Unless you're offering me a lemon-filled pastry, sprinkles will win me over every time.)

Best Structural Integrity:
(Held up in the bag while out in the heat and sunshine)
Bakery Hill's glazed with chocolate caramel crumble. Not only did it look elegant, but it tasted fantastic too.

Favorite Surprise:
Schmidt Bakery's Cherry Thing-a-Ling
Only sold during Presidents' Day Weekend, I've heard tales of friends making an early morning journey to Schmidt's shop in Batesville, Indiana to get this coveted sweet. These sell out super fast, so I was excited to have the chance to finally taste one.

FOOD TRUCKIN' FOR JOSH CARES

Mark your calendars! Local nonprofit Josh Cares is hosting its second annual lunchtime festival on Wednesday, June 18 from 11:00am - 2:00pm on Fountain Square. Food Truckin' for Josh Cares will features dishes from 11 of the city's best food trucks:

• C’est Cheese — gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches
• Street Pops — handcrafted popsicles
• Eli’s BBQ — pulled pork sandwiches
• New Orleans To Go — po-boys and Cajun fare
• Blue Ash Chili — classic Cincinnati chili
• Red Sesame — Korean barbeque and tacos
• Catch-A-Fire Pizza — wood-fired craft pizzas
• Urban Grill — hearty sandwiches on grilled brioche buns
• Dojo Gelato — Italian-style ice cream
• SugarSnap! Sweet Treats —  cupcakes, cookies and coffee
• Texas Joe — Tex-Mex tacos

In addition to savoring a variety of food, attendees can also enjoy afternoon shopping at mobile fashion boutique Truck Shop.

Food Truckin’ for Josh Cares, which drew nearly 1,000 people and raised over $17,000 in 2013, is free and open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at the event for $2 each, and redeemed for items at any of 11 participating food trucks. Proceeds from the event help Josh Cares provide companionship and comfort to children hospitalized in critical and chronic care units at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Be sure to stick around for the “Golden Spatula Awards” contest, with best entree and best sweet treat chosen by a celebrity panel that includes Elizabeth Mariner, Co-Publisher and Creative Director for Express Cincinnati; Ilene Ross, chef and editor of 513Eats.com; and Jeremy Lieb, Executive Chef at Boca. 

Judging will be headed up by Warm 98 hosts Bob Goen and Marianne Curan, who will be broadcasting live from the event, and emceed by Frank Marzullo of Fox 19.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY ROUNDUP

Looking for some weekday ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? One of my personal favorites is celebrating the Cincinnati way by going to Skyline Chili and ordering a green four way. All day long, the spaghetti is dyed green! Same great taste, festive in holiday color.

Starting at 11:30am on Monday, Fountain Square kicks off it's all-day Celtic celebration with live music and traditional Irish food from Cheeky Meat Pies for both lunch an dinner. Of course, green beer will be available as well.

Music Line Up:
11:30AM: Blue Rock Boys
5:00PM: Roving Rogues
6:30PM: Dulahan

Vietnamese restaurant Quan Hapa transformed into O'Hapas for St. Patrick's weekend.

For some Northern Kentucky fun, head over to Molly Malone's in Covington, where the party spills out of the bar and into the street. Irish dancers perform alongside The Emerald Society Police & Fire Pipes & Drums as Celtic music is cranked out all day long. Irish pub food will be served, and yes, there will be green beer here too.

Interested in a historical experience? The Irish Heritage Center located in the East End hosts family-friendly festivities including performances by Silver Arm, Ceol Mhor, Dark Moll, Celtic Font with Mick McEvilley and Mai Hernon, Clark & Jones, Lauren Holt and Donny Rolfes, Green Key, Erickson Academy of Irish Dance and the McGing Irish Dancers. The event starts at 1:30PM. at 3905 Eastern Avenue and includes a St. Patrick's Day Mass at 3:00PM.

How will you be celebrating this St. Patrick's Day?

FROTHY FRIDAY: BOOKSELLERS

Another weekend, another Polar Vortex. Why not curl up with a good book and sip on some hot chocolate? Stop by The Booksellers at Fountain Square to pick up a new read and grab a hot beverage from their cafe. Blended with dark chocolate and any milk or non-milk alternative of your choice, Booksellers's cocoa has a thin consistency with a smooth finish and comes with or without whipped cream. A crowd favorite is the Peppermint Hot Chocolate, but you can add any flavor of your choosing from their selection of coffee syrups.

HOXWORTH BLOOD CENTER'S 75TH BIRTHDAY

In 1938, a new assistant surgeon, Paul Hoxworth, came up with the idea for a community blood center to supply citizens of Cincinnati with transfusions while they were in the hospital. Along side his wife and three staff members, Hoxworth collected 3,400 blood donations in their first year. Seventy-five years later, the nation's second blood center employs over 289 people and provides 300,000 blood components to patients at more than 30 hospitals in three states.

In celebration of this milestone birthday, Hoxworth Blood Center hosted a party for the public to attend on Fountain Square. Hot chocolate, KIND snacks, games and prizes, the festivities highlighted the landmark occasion. One game included tossing a ball through a cut out hole marked with your blood type. I made it on the first try and won an adorable Hoxworth bear!

 

In the season of giving, consider making one of the following donations to Hoxworth:

Blood: takes 10 minutes, can give again every 8 weeks

Platelets: takes 2 hours, can give again every 2 weeks

Platelets and Plasma: takes 2 hours and is collected simultaneously, can give again every 2 weeks

SNOW SHOW: DECEMBER

When the first breath of winter settles in and there are no more leaves to peep, look around as a soft white blanket coats the city. While icy roads may have you stuck inside, a walkable snow show awaits right outside your door.

INSIDE OUT CINCINNATI

Over 1,100 people stepped in front of the lens to be part of Inside Out, the latest exhibit to open at Contemporary Arts Center.

Showcased are the works of French artist JR, who creates art for a variety of public spaces. His themes focus on people standing up for what they care about by postering black & white portraits of the community upon city surfaces. Cincinnatians were encouraged to become part of this international art project by visiting the Inside Out photography van, which operates like a mobile photobooth. Hundreds lined up each day to take part in the free project, with faces both young and old, and varying economic and lifestyle backgrounds.

Some pictures needed a redo.

Inspired by JR’s street pastings, Inside Out provides a global platform for people to transform their personal passion into public art. Participants in Cincinnati had their portraits displayed at the Contemporary Arts Center and at Fountain Square. In addition to being pasted on the street, images are also added to the online album, consisting of over 120,000 people from more than 108 countries.

Inside Out runs through February at the Contemporary Arts Center. The public display on Fountain Square will be up through the end of October.