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Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield – Destination Shopping for Cincinnati’s Serious Foodies!

Jennifer Cox — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:46:07 +0000

Welcome to the Jungle!

Where can you feast on a lunch of fresh smoked salmon sushi under a giant, pink elephant head? Where can you watch the enormous can of Campbell’s Soup enjoy a good time on a giant swing? What other grocery brings shoppers in to shop, in a tour bus? It can only be Jungle Jims!

Jungle Jim’s location is 5440 Dixie Highway (Route 4) in Fairfield, but going there feels like a shopping vacation! Depending on where you live in the Greater Cincinnati area, it can be a bit of a drive. From Milford or Eastgate, it’s about 30 – 35 minutes. From points in Mason, it will be perhaps 20 – 30 minutes. If you live in the Hyde Park, Mt Lookout area, again, about 30 minutes. But seriously. What else do you have to do on your day off? Laundry? Wash the floors? Nope….plan a trip to the Jungle.

The lively animated characters will entertain the kids, and the food selection will knock your socks off. We can take a ½ hour just looking at the cheese selections. As Jungle Jim’s boasts over 1400 cheese selections in just the International Cheese section alone, before you even hit the deli, you can see why we get stalled! The bakery is just painful to enter if you have a sweet tooth. So many dessert options. So little time. There is an outstanding deli of course. Select one or two of the overwhelming number of delicious prepared salads to enhance your main course. There is a Natural Foods section, International Foods, and fresh Seafood. You just have to go.

Soup on a swing? Why not!

We had our smoked salmon sushi lunch, and were treated to a complimentary taste of the hot cider. We found the free samples of an outstanding fresh antipasto, and then tried the sample of whipped salmon mouse on a flat pretzel. Yes, if you are lucky, you can graze your way through the store. Saturday and Sunday are the big sample days.

There are more than just groceries here of course. The Shasta store is fun. As in “She Hasta Have That”. Clever. If you have errands to run, there is a bank, post office and pharmacy to help check those chores off the list. Be sure to check out the 2009 America’ Best Bathroom award winner. I don’t generally recommend any particular locations “comfort station”. Just trust me on this one.

There isn’t enough room here to discuss this place. I haven’t even mentioned the monorail, the humidor or the wine selection. Visit their site for all the latest information, including cooking school information and the online flyer of weekly specials.

More Cincinnati real estate information can be found at RealCincy.com

Things to do in Cincinnati – March

Jennifer Cox — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:07:04 +0000

The chill in the air today prompts no one but the lionhearted to venture out into the cold air. However, promises of “lamb-like” (is that a word?) weather is forecasted for this weekend. Highs in the 50’s and 60’s sound good to me! Need something to do to keep busy this month? Hopefully you’ll find a few good ideas below.

• Getting ready for the boys of summer! Spring training is underway. Get ready for the Reds winning 2009 season with a visit to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum. Downtown. Free admission for active military & veterans
• Take advantage of the last days of the skiing & snowboarding season while you can at Perfect North Slopes. Close to Greater Cincinnati in Lawrenceburg, IN
• Restaurant Week starts March 16th! This is a great value! March 16 -22, you can visit 29 locally owned restaurants and take advantage of a 3 course prix-fixe dinner for $26.09. Enjoy Andy’s Mediterranean Grille, Behle Street Café, Bella Luna, Tink’s Café ( a favorite of mine), Brown Dog Café (another one of my favorites) Chalk Food & Wine, China Gourmet, Pompilios, Nicholson’s ( I love this place) and plenty more! Get more information here!
• Timon of Athens. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Through March 22. Here’s the Story: frozen credit markets, corrupt government officials, bankruptcy, foreclosures, extravagant spending by the “haves” and the expense of the “have not’s”. Sound familiar? Set in 1607, not 2009, you’ll wonder how mankind has not learned a lesson or two.
• The Aronoff hosts the Cincinnati Ballet’s production of Sinatra Suite+ More. New to Cincinnati, this show brings classy to meet classic. March 27 – 28
• Playhouse in the Park presents “The Foreigner” starting March 10th. A shy Englishman pretends to not understand English while staying in a rural lodge in Georgia. Of course, those around him assume they are free to speak and scheme….and it only gets funnier from there. Go see the show and have a good laugh
• You can’t go wrong with Cooking School at Jungle Jims. The following list is just a short example of the cooking classes available this month at Jungle Jims:
March 9 – Knife Skills
March 14 – Wine & Food Class: Italian Style
March 10 – Guest Chef Molly Steven works with Best American Recipes
March 23 – Guest Chef Justin Dumcum features Cooking with Spirits
March 24 – Beer & Food Class: England’s Fun, Food, and Best Brews
March 26 – A Greek Easter Feast
For more information and to see the other class offerings this month go to the Jungle Jim’s site.

More Cincinnati real estate information can be found at RealCincy.com

Things to do in Cincinnati – January 2009

Jennifer Cox — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:25:34 +0000

It’s the start of a New Year! January always brings the promise of fresh beginnings and new starts. I hope your 2008 was a good year, and your 2009 will be even better! I’ve taken some time off over the Holidays to clean the home office, tidy a drawer or two, and get re-organized. I promised the treadmill that we would spend a little more time together this year. Now that I’m organized and healthy….let’s go out!

Since January in Cincinnati can be a little gray and a little chilly, we need some nights out to look forward to. I have some great ideas for you to get out and keep busy. Hang in there! Spring is coming!

• Ryan McGuinness’s Aesthetic Comfort. Jan 6 – Feb. 15. Free! Cincinnati Art Museum. Contemporary graphic art installation in a black-lit environment. Looks cool!
• Central Ohio Based Comedy Show. January 9. Jackson St. Underground in the Know Theatre of Cincinnati. Three comics from Columbus and one from Cincinnati. Call 513/300-5669 for information
• Cincinnati Wedding Showcase. Jan 10 – 11. Sharonville Convention Center. Is your “Big Day” this spring? Come out for fashion shows, entertainment, florist, gift ideas and more!
• George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. Jan 14. Madison Theater. Atomic Dog is stuck in my head already.
• Monster Jam. Jan 3. US Bank Arena. Grave Digger, Donkey Kong, Avenger & Brutus
• Need more Monster Truck? Ok…then check out Monster Truck Nationals Tour. Jan 16 – 17. Bank of Kentucky Center, N. KY University. Get tickets here to a family-friendly show, including TreadHead Ted. I don’t know who that is…but I supposed Monster Truck Fans of all ages will be glad to see TreadHead Ted at the pit party prior to the show!
• Dancing with the Stars. Jan 17. US Bank Arena. Dancing celebrities & pro’s make it look easy
• Grease. Jan 20 – Feb 1. At the Aronoff Center, Broadway Across America Series
• Funnyman Ron White. Jan 23. The Taft Theater. Get tickets here
• Travel, Sports & Boat Show. Jan 16 – 18, Jan 21 – 25. Duke Energy Convention Center. It will get in the mood for summer vacation in the middle of winter
• Cavalcade of Customs. Jan 9 – 11. Duke Energy Convention Center
• Travels of Angelica. Jan 20 – Feb 20. Playhouse in the Park at Mt Adams. A time-traveling tale that looks interesting! I think we’ll go see this one. It looks good

More Cincinnati real estate information can be found at RealCincy.com

Welcoming the Youngest, New Cincinnatians!

Jennifer Cox — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:08:35 +0000

Greater Cincinnati is a pretty good place to be a kid. Nearly every suburban community has attractions and festivals, arts and sports programs. There are the “big ticket” major attractions, like Kings Island or The Beach Water Park. There are free parks to climb on play sets, ball fields to enjoy and trails to burn off steam. In fact, our parks and recreation systems are some of the best around, with more acreage of green space and devoted urban parkland than other major urban areas. We have wonderful museums to visit. Learning while having fun is the best way to learn! If you are considering a move to Cincinnati, you may be interested in checking out this list of fun things to do with kids.

Paramount’s Kings Island – The jewel in the crown of the Queen City! Located in the northeastern suburb of Mason, this park is the area’s biggest attraction for kids.

Great Wolf Lodge – The official resort of Kings Island, this large indoor water park is exclusive for the lodge’s guests. Fun, decorated suites, tailored to kids. Activities galore, and good food too!

The Beach Water Park – Located in Mason, across from Kings Island, this 35 Acre water park has a “water coaster”, water racing slides, inner tube rides, wave pool and plenty more to help keep you cool in steamy Cincinnati summers.

The Cincinnati Fire Museum – Antique memorabilia and a real fire pole to slide down! Ring the bell and climb on the fire truck.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden – The second oldest zoo in the country. Treat your family to a zoo-pass so you can get in to sneak peeks of new attractions.

Cincinnati Museum of Natural History and Science – Featuring the Children’s Discovery Center, an interactive exhibit where kids can do some “hands on” learning. It’s worth checking out the gift shop for really special items. Your budding scientist will thank you.

Cincinnati History Museum – A museum in an art deco train station….very cool. Visit Cincinnati in Motion, and the working radio studio.

Coney Island – On the Ohio River, Anderson. A really good time at a major attraction, but on a smaller scale. Sunlite Pool at Coney has a large shallow section for the littlest Cincinnatians. More adventurous kids will like the 500 foot waterslide. There is a Ferris wheel, pedal-boat trips and a great playground area.

Newport Aquarium – Newport on the Levee, Newport KY – One of the newest area attractions. Walk under and into the sea, thanks to the large acrylic tunnels. Surround yourself with sharks, eels and a giant Pacific octopus.

Game Works – Newport on the Levee – Drop them off, go get something to eat at one of the Levee’s restaurants for big people, and pick them up later. They still won’t want to leave. 25,000 square feet of interactive games and virtual-reality craziness. This brainchild of Steven Spielberg does become an “over 18” night spot after 10 pm.

OMNIMAX Theatre, Union Terminal – Once you have exhausted the Museum tours, bring the kids back to the OMNIMAX Theatre to view movies on a domed ceiling, above your head. If you’ve never seen an OMNIMAX movie, you need to. It’s quite an experience.

This is just a short list of ideas to help you get comfortable with the Cincinnati area. To see an even more complete list of ideas and attractions, be sure to let us know where we can send you your copy of The Insider’s Guide to Cincinnati. You’ll find more great ideas to keep away the “boredom bug”.

More Cincinnati real estate information can be found at RealCincy.com