Packhouse Meats

I'm sure you've heard of a restaurant in Northern Kentucky where tipping isn't a part of the dining experience.  It's a novel concept, that I'm sure more restaurants will adopt in the future once they see how successful Packhouse Meats is because of it.  At first, the concept of a restaurant with a menu revolving around meatballs seemed strange, that is until I tried it.  Packhouse Meats is located on the 10th block of Monmouth street in Newport, KY and the interior has a industrial feel, we'll dub it "mechanic shop chic" complete with an operating garage door that they keep open during nice weather.

  The menu was quite unique, a laminated sheet and they provide wax pencils for you to circle what you're having.  It's also broken up in sections; the first section is the choice of meat (which they had a great selection), then you choose the kind of sauce and then how you'd like your "pack" either with a side, a salad or on a slider bun.

  Now to the food, which is what you're hear for right? We ordered the chicken packs, with parmesan cream sauce on the side of a caesar salad, and beef packs with Hunter sauce over mashed potatoes (as suggested by our waiter).  The meatballs were tender, flavorful and huge! The sauces had a great texture and awesome flavor, we definitely approve! Both sides that we had our packs with were delicious, the caesar dressing was definitely homemade and the potatoes had an incredibly smooth texture. 

The beer selection was also great, we enjoyed a Ciderboys peach cider which was incredibly refreshing.  We didn't have a chance to try dessert, but that's a must next time! You can create your own ice cream cookie sandwich, you pick what kind of cookies and ice cream, yum! We will definitely be back and suggest you check them out! The staff was also very friendly and helped us navigate through the menu.

1004 Monmouth street Newport KY 41071

www.packhousemeats.com

Our First Review: Buona Terra

Benvenuto! It took us a while to decide what our first review should be, but after trying this gelato the other night we knew we found a winner.  First off, we both love gelato, even more so after our trip to Europe in 2008.  After one bite of the gelato at Buona Terra, we were both transported to a side street in Rome to a small, unknowing gelato shop that we ducked in to escape the rain.  No passport required for this Mt Lookout gem! With so many flavor options to chose from, they have a flavor for every palate.  If you like tart, traditional gelato the Lemon is for you.  If you're looking for something sweet and creamy, the Cinnamon Roll is absolutely fantastic! After reviewing the eclectic menu, we've definitely found many reasons to come back to Buono Terra.  They've got both savory and sweet crepes, macaroons, coffee, tea and the Frizzante! The Frizzante is a float made with sorbetto and San Pelligrino, that tops my list for what I'll be having next time! The shop itself is small, but adorable with modern decor and friendly staff.  They'll also give you a taste of any of the gelatos, since it's so hard to chose we definitely had to take them up on this.

Cinnamon Roll

Lemon

Check out Buona Terra on Instagram @buonaterra_gelato.

Find them at 1028 Delta Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45208