Review: The Precinct

The Precinct is definitely one of the more "fine dining" restaurants I've been to.  I have only gone now two times, but both experiences have been fantastic.  My husband and I went for our anniversary this year, so we really have just gone on special occasions.  If you are not familiar, The Precinct is one of Jeff Ruby's 5 restaurants in the Cincinnati area and his restaurants are most famous for their fabulous steaks.  The only other Jeff Ruby restaurant I have been to is Walnut Street Grille, which I thought was just okay.

My husband had made reservations, but I am not sure if they are required.  We went on a Monday night, and it wasn't packed but there were plenty of tables occupied throughout our meal.  There is valet parking in the lot, which you almost have to do.  I really don't know where else you would park, but it is very reasonable, I think $3.

The restaurant is housed in what looks like an old Victorian style house.  When you walk into the restaurant, you enter a little lobby-like area that has a small bar, one or two tables and the hostess stand which is surrounded by 8x11 pictures of Jeff Ruby with famous celebrities on the wall.  We enjoyed checking out some of the photos.  Our hostess sat us in the first room on the left when you walk into the restaurant which is very cozy, dimly lit, with a wall of mirrors on one side.  It is inviting without being too pretentious.  This is the only place I have sat, so I'm not sure about the seating/rooms in the rest of the restaurant.

My husband and I started off with a bottle of Zinfandel (his favorite) and looked over the menu.  We didn't really need to look very long though because we both got the same things as we did the last time we went because we liked them so much.  I ordered the Steak Collinsworth which is a filet with king crab, asparagus, and two sauces.  This is served with your choice of a Greek salad or Freddie salad and your choice of baked potato or mashed potatoes.  I decided to get the Greek salad since Ross was getting the Freddie.  He ordered the Oscar Robertson which is a New York Sirloin with the Collinsworth topping.  We also ordered a side of mac n' cheese because it is phenomenal.

Before our salads came some warm bread served with two different butters.  The bread was good...pretty standard bread, but I was glad it was nice and soft.  Our salads came out promptly and were great!  The Greek Salad is a classic Greek served with Romaine, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta, and tomatoes.  Everything was very fresh and the dressing was light and a great compliment to the salad.  I don't normally like olives, but I did try one of these and thought they were pretty good.

The Freddie is Romaine, tomatoes, bacon, and ranch dressing.  It sounds simple, but it is a really great combination of ingredients here.  Everything is tossed together nicely and just the right amount of ingredients.  A nice salad.

Next, our entrees arrived.  I had ordered my steak medium to medium rare, and Ross did the same.  Everything looked and smelled delicious.  The two sauces together with the crab and asparagus and a bit of the filet is heaven in my mouth! It really just melts away to a great mixture of flavors. I absolutely love this meal.  My one disappointment: the steak was more medium to medium well on about 1/3 of the steak.  That was a bit disappointing because the other part was soooo perfectly cooked.  (I should note the last time I went, it was perfectly cooked).  The mashed potatoes (not pictured) were just okay.  I really didn't eat very much of them because of everything else. and they weren't anything special, pretty plain actually.

Ross loved his steak too.  He never has much to say! He just said "it was good!"  He actually did think his was better though the last time too.

The mac n' cheese: Awesome.  How can you go wrong with 6 imported cheeses baked with a crust of bread crumbs on top??  I loved it!

Needless to say, we were absolutely stuffed by the end of our meal.  Our server, who was spot on the entire night, offered a free dessert to celebrate our anniversary.  I couldn't eat anymore! So, she packed a cheesecake to go for me!  I ate it the next day, and didn't think it was anything special. I wouldn't get the cheesecake again.

All in all, I think the Precinct is a great restaurant to go to for a special occasion.  It is pricey, but it is definitely one of the best meals I have had.  The service is awesome, great timing and not in your face too much.  We will most likely come again for another special night :)
~Kate

Food: 4.5
Service: 5
Overall Experience: 5 (It was my anniversary after all!)

Review: Walnut Street Grill

When I heard that Jeff Ruby's was opening a new restaurant that was to be more casual and affordable, I knew I wanted to try it out. Walnut Street Grill is located across from the Aronoff where Bootsy's used to be. I went a couple weeks ago with my friend Kenzie and easily found parking in the Fountain Square garage. We went on a Tuesday night around 6:00 so reservations were not needed.


When we first walked in, we were greeted by a lady sitting at a stand who told us to go up the stairs. The restaurant still looks a bit like Bootsy's did.  As we got upstairs, the hostess greeted us and took us into the "restaurant" area. We looked at the drink list and were excited to see that domestic bottles were $2 until 7:00 and their cocktails/martinis were $5....however, we were disappointed when our waiter told us those prices were only in the "bar" area, kinda annoying$9 otherwise. We asked if we could move in there, and our server was glad to take us. We sat in a comfy booth and began to peruse the menus after ordering our specialty cocktails.  I ordered the grape cooler, and Kenzie had a mango flavored drink. Both drinks were very good and were served in these fun mason jars to give it a little something different. 

Appetizers were only $5 during happy hour which was a plus. The rest of the menu consists of steak burgers, salads, and some other entrees including chicken pot pie, meatloaf, and short ribs to name a few. All of these sounded good, but Kenzie and I both agreed that we needed to try one of their steak burgers. We opted to share an appetizer, share a burger, and a side of Jeff Ruby's famous mac n' cheese.

The pulled pork nachos sounded unique and delicious, so we put in an order of those and the green chile cheeseburger.

The pulled pork nachos arrived first. We both thought the portion was a bit small, but it was enough for the two of us. The pulled pork was warm and sweet atop the nachos.I would have liked a bit more cheese on the nachos because the chips on the bottom were somewhat dry.  Overall, I thought these were just okay. I liked the pulled pork, but I was expecting a bit more pizazz.

Next, our burger arrived. It looked delicious. The bun was toasted nicely but soft and there was an onion ring on top of the bun. This burger had a roasted poblano salsa, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar, and their homemade WSG sauce, which we got on the side. After splitting our burger, we dug right in. I chose to use the WSG sauce, which tasted just like a spicy mayo. The burger was cooked to order; however, I was underwhelmed. This burger to me looked a lot better than it tasted. It wasn't bad by any means, but it was not the best burger I have ever had either. It wasn't particularly juicy, so I definitely appreciated the toppings. Maybe my expectations were set a bit high, being a Jeff Ruby's restaurant, but I wasn't very impressed.

The mac n' cheese was good. I love the mixture of cheeses and that it is baked perfectly with a crust on top. I have had it at the Precinct before and thought it was a bit better there.

Kenzie and I decided to go with one of the $2 beers while we finished our meal. Everything came out on time, but after we got our food, we didn't see much of our waitress after that. In fact, we were both finished with our food and drinks and had to ask another server to get our check for us.

All in all, Walnut Street Grill was just okay. I would be intersted in going back again for happy hour and possibly trying some of their other appetizers since they are on special. I would also give it another chance to try some of their other entrees.
~Kate

Food: 3
Service: 2.5
Overall Experience: 3

New Jeff Ruby's Restaurant Opening

Are you a fan of Jeff Ruby restaurants?  I know we are; however, they aren’t one of those restaurants you can afford to go to all the time.  Walnut Street Grill will be opening on February 28 and is offering a different kind of menu than the regular Ruby’s restaurants.  It will be in Bootsy’s old location (631 Walnut Street) and will offer a range of items.  Walnut Street Grille is specializing in Handcrafted Steak Burgers, ranging from $10.95 to $14.95.  More welcoming prices!  

With some unique burgers (like a Green Chile Burger), the menu will also contain appetizers, fish, salads, and chicken pot pie to name a few.  With a more comfortable, casual feel and nothing on the menu over $25, this is definitely a Ruby’s restaurant I am anxious to try. 

(information gathered from the Business Courier, Wednesday, Feb. 23).