a new addiction

one saturday morning, about a month ago, a miracle happened. i woke up and didn't want to throw up. which was perfect timing; that evening we were scheduled to go to quatman's (i guess officially named quatman cafe) for brian's birthday.

we've been wanting to hit up quatman's for some time, since the debate still rages about who has the best burger in cincinnati. we love terry's turf club and were anxious to see if quatman's measured up.

the quatman's experience is the polar opposite of terry's. no cramped dining area (although it probably gets pretty tight when all the tables are full), no hour long wait for a table, no bazaar of neon lights (just a miller lite sign and a burger beer pendant lamp over a corner table), no peanut shells on the floor, no foie gras option to top the burger. the only similarities i saw were limited menus and food served up on paper plates.

the first thing brian got excited about was that they have hudy delight AND moerlein on tap. i think that scenario might play heavily into brian's idea of heaven. i was impressed they had caffeine free coke. i'm simple to please. miller lite in a can please. any domestic you would like is available.

now for the main event. we all ordered cheeseburgers (brian ended up ordering a second) and fries. as you can see in the photo, simple presentation with only pickles and onion. bottles of ketchup and mustard are on the table. there is a delicious elegance in the burger's simplicity. i think that's what makes me want to return (and we did, just two weeks later). as much as i like a variety of options sometimes i just need simpe.

i recall that when we wrote about terry's, someone had commented about quatman's no frills burger being superior. i had said at the time i preferred burgers all souped up with sauces and toppings, but now i might be eating my words. cause quatman's burger is damn good, without getting sequins in my eyes.

we've already been back again, when eric's birthday rolled around last weekend. yep and he had two burgers that time. i admit i wanted another, but i'm watching my figure.

terry's is a wild spectacular circus, a bit of the old razzle dazzle, while quatman's is hanging out in the backyard playing cornhole. i've only been to the circus once, but i hang out in backyards almost every weekend. before we wrote this we had exchanged a few emails. it went something like this. i think i am addicted to quatmans. me too. are you free saturday? alright quatmans at 6.

another nice thing about quatmans is that two people can have a pitchers of beer, 2 cans of beer, and 2 burgers and fries and ITS ONLY $25!!!! the norwood paper even has a coupon for $1 off.

stupid gps

monday night i met some friends up in norwood for dinner. yes, even i can manage to find my way to and from norwood. no thanks to my not-so-trusty gps. more on that later.

i got to betta's italian oven just fine. it's a jolly place with wood-fired pizzas and basic italian kitchen dishes. they are no longer byob, so it was good i forgot the bottle of wine i had set out otherwise it might have been awkward.

we shared a carafe (or two) of a house red. i think it was called will's red. it was an acceptable table wine, although it tasted downright terrible after eating my salad with sweet 'n' sour garlic dressing. the dressing was so acidic it burned my chapped lips and didn't really tickle my taste buds too much.i opted for the four seasons pizza, a pie divided in sections (um, 4) with different toppings on each - kalamata olives (whole! pitted!), basil, tomatoes, and prosciutto. it wasn't exactly what i expected because due to my poor reading comprehension skills, i thought all 4 toppings were on the whole pizza. but whatever. the crispy crust was great. the sauce and cheese were just ok.


















mark got the diavolo sauce and i really liked its spiciness in contrast to my rather bland red sauce.

the calzones looked pretty yummy, big and gooey. although, there was a lack of presentation detracted from its appeal.my favorite part of the meal was my dessert (dessert is the whole point of the meal, after all). all the desserts were good and generous portions, but mine was exceptional. the amaretto cake was moist and almond-y without the limp handshake feel some alcohol soaked desserts have. the wine was also not so good after eating the cake.
word is, betta's will soon be expanding with a full bar and coffee counter with pastries for those early norwood mornings. not something i am likely to enjoy, as my stupid gps cannot get my ass home. it kept trying to put me on the highway by the frisch's, where there IS NO LONGER AN ENTRANCE. i circumnavigated dark norwood streets with the white witch who lives in my gps intoning "calculating route" with each corner i circled. finally, i decided to just take montgomery until i reached something i recognized and came home through clifton. technology frequently does not improve my quality of life. (ok, i know the gps has to be updated, but it's so frustrating!)