Increasing ingredient costs, rising rents and intricate interior decorating details have pushed the price of entrees to $40 or more at some upscale eateries. It seems 40 is the new 30, even in restaurants where jeans and children are staples. The New York Times 10/21/06

SIGNS AVAILABLE ON SMOKING LAW   To help businesses in Greenhhills, Forest Park and Springfield Township advertise Ohio's new smoking ban that goes into effect December 7th, free signs are available courtesy of the Winton Woods Community Coalition. You must post signs telling people about the ban. To get a free sign, call 513-742-2203.

No Smoking Stickers Available From ORA

Make Sure You’re in Compliance by December 7

The statewide smoking ban is just around the corner. Will your business be legal?

The ORA will help you be in compliance with new 3” x 5” vinyl stickers with the international symbol for no smoking. These stickers meet Ohio Department of Health standards and carry a toll-free telephone number for reporting violations. Stickers are available with your choice of an adhesive front or back. A pack of 10 stickers costs $5. (Stickers must be displayed at all entrances.) To order, CLICK HERE for an online form or contact the ORA Membership Department at 614-442-3535 or pkoscelnik@ohiorestaurant.org .

No smoking signs also are available for free on the Ohio Department of Health web site, www.odh.ohio.gov. You will need to have a color printer because this sign is required to have the circle and bar to be in red. You can use the ODH signs as a temporary fix until you get your order of stickers from the ORA.

Ohio voters passed Issue 5 on Nov. 7, 2006, creating Ohio’s indoor smoking ban under a new chapter of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) effective Dec. 7, 2006. This new law requires “public places” and “places of employment” prohibit smoking as of that date. These business and organizations must also post “No Smoking” signs that contain the telephone number 1-866-559-OHIO (6446) for reporting violations; and remove ashtrays and other smoking receptacles.

• Welcome: Announcements of restaurant schedules.
• Koka Coffeehouse re-opened: They have been closed since May 2005. Hours are 6:30-10 a.m. Mon-Fri. 2726 Eastern Ave., East End 513-321-4200
• Happy 2 year Anniversary: to Alreddy Cafe in Historic Depot Square in Sharonville. A kid-friendly train-shaped fountain. Breakfast served all day, lunch for all ages. Located at 11083 Reading Road. Open 7-3 p.m. 513-563-4550
• Chipotle Online Ordering - They call it "Don't stand in line" to order, go to www.chipotle.com
• Gold Star for Soldiers - If you know a soldier who has returned home from their duties, you can arrange a Gold Star reception at www.goldstarchili.com for them. When you see a soldier at Gold Star being honored with a banner and a cake, feel free to shake their hand!
• Kids now eat FREE at Hofbrauhaus in Newport! On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, children under the age of 12 can choose anything for the Kinder Menu for free, one for each regular meal ordered by the adults they are with. 859-491-7200
• One Restaurant and Lounge in Mason has added a children's menu & is open for lunch.  Lunch is served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.Wednesday-Friday. They also now offer adults a three-course meal on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. An appetizer, entree and dessert from the special menu is $35. 202 W. Main St., Mason 513-336-0042
• The Pub at Crestview Hills is now open for lunch from Wednesday to Friday.   8.11
• Sugar n' Spice in Paddock Hills is now open for dinner from 4-8 and 4-9 on weekends. Located at 4381 Reading Rd., 513-242-3521.   9.23
• Orchids has a new chef. Todd Kelly started in mid-July at the fine dining restaurant at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. He has worked in Philadelpha and Pittsburgh and Rubicon Restaurant in San Francisco. 35 W. 5th Street, downtown 513-421-9100
• Dee Felice in Covington is serving lunch. The regular dinner menu with a few new salads is to offer with half orders of most entrees available. Open at 11 a.m. at 529 Main Street. 859-261-2365    11.9
• Burrito Joe's located at 328 E. Fourth Street is now serving breakfast. The choices are breakfast burritos in various combinations of egg, cheese, bacon, sausage and black bean. Breakfast hours are 7-11 a.m. Mon-Fri. 513-721-5637   11.9
• The Golden Lamb in Lebanon has new operators - Stevens Hospitality. The Golden Lamb will retain its traditional American menu and atmosphere. They will have a multi-million dollar renovation and remain open while they work.
• Cafe Istanbul Debuts New Chef and New Menu - The Turkish restaurant in Newport on the levee will offer more familiar menu items including Pistachio-Crusted Filet Mignon, Mediterranean Style Ribeye, Vegetable Lasagna, Halibut and Carppacio Salads. Quick lunches will be available with flatbread pizzas and sandwiches and new desserts.The new Turkish chef is Cengiz Saraman. 859-581-1777   10.31
• The Colonial Cottage Inn in Erlanger went smoke-free on November 16th.   11.17
• Marble Hill Chocolatier is offering pastries at its cozy little chocolate lounge in O'Bryonville. Tea, coffee and exotic cocoas are also served. 513-321-0888 www.marblehillchocolatier.com   11.17
• Cheeseburger in Paradise is now open for lunch. 513-753-4593 www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com     11.17
• Porkopolis is now serving breakfast - from 7-11 a.m. located at 1077 Celestial St. in Mt.Adams. Call 513-721-5456 for more info.     12.7
• Downtown Hamilton eatery, called The Homestead, - gets a new owner, Dawn Koking. Located at 139 Main Street, the restaurant will be open in February, 2007.
• The Palace Restaurant at the Cincinnatian Hotel has a new chef. - Romuald Jung, or Chef Romy, is a native of Alsace-Lorraine. He describes his style as simple and intense. The Palace is located at 601 Vine Street. 513-381-6006
• Vito’s Café - in Fort Thomas has a new chef. Michael J. Cuffaro was most recently the chef de cuisine at JeanRo Bistro. He’s creating a new menu for the café. 859-442-9444   2.15
• Javier’s  - moved from Court Street to the old Buskin location across the street from the downtown library at 100 E. Eighth. He will be open for breakfast, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon-Fri. 513-381-3287

• Cumin Serves Lunch - The East Hyde Park modern Indian restaurant offers several of its unusual salads.  Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.  3520 Erie Ave., 513-871-8714; www.cuminrestaurant.com.

• It’s a wrap at Gold Star - Gold Star Chili has added burritos to its menu for the first time.  There’s a crispy chicken burrito, chili beef and grilled chicken burrito, all with chipotle ranch sauce ($4.99).

• White Castle at 80 - White Castle has been in Cincinnati for 80 years now.  Its first area location opened in 1927 at 714 W. Walnut St.  There are now 49 stores in the area.  To celebrate, the home of the slider is giving away every 80^th order free, all year long.

• Taft owns café - which opened in Deer Park 3 years ago, moved into the space formerly used by Baltic Restaurant at 4924 Hunt Road. The new site seats 50 people. 513-745-0666

• Chef C Gourmet Restaurant - Mark Bowers has become the executive chef at the Lindner Café at the Taft Museum of Art, and the café is now owned and operated by the museum rather than by a catering company.  His menu includes a shrimp salade Nicoisem a ragout of lamb and a roasted vegetable pita sandwich.  It’s open 11 a.m.-2 p.m.  Tuesday-Saturday & noon-2 p.m. Sunday.  For reservations.  513-352-5140.

• Walt’s Barbecue in White Oak moved into its new building in April ’07 - . It now has eating for 230. The original location, a former Taco Bell, was torn town for parking. The new building is adjacent. 6040 Colerain Ave., White Oak . www.waltzbarbecue.com 513-923-9800

• Chef C Gourmet - previously located in Deer Park, has moved to Blue Ask at 4924 Hunt Road. 513-745-0666

• Morton’s - It will move out of the lower level of Tower Place mall and reopen in the second floor of the Carew Tower on August 6, 2007. It will be open for dinner nightly.

• Universal Grille - 909 Vine St., downtown is no longer open for lunch. The owner Peter Laffoon says the restaurant is getting back to its core mission of ‘’diversity through fun’’ in the evenings. They are open from 5-10 p.m. daily; and for the food in the bar it goes till 11 p.m.

• Uncle Yips Seafood and Dim Sum - has closed in Fairfield and moved back to its previous location in Evendale at 10736 Reading Road. 513-733-8484.

• Boloco in Clifton has become Currito - The address is 222 Calhoun Street. 513-281-1500

• The Federal Reserve Lounge - is leaving its location at 4th and Race and will reopen at the Newport Levee where Southview BBQ was.

• The Blind Pig Grille & Bar – located downtown tradition in the Carew Tower arcade. Chris Bronger He plans to tweak the menu. Open 6:30a.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 513-621-1332

• New owner at Hathaway’s - is the new name for Geoffrey’s Grille in White Oak. They have changed the menu also. It is located at 5880 Cheviot Road. 513-385-9999

• Jennifer Kagy cooking at Bridge Café in Milford. - Open 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday 203 Mill Street. 513-576-1323

• Mokka - the breakfast and lunch restaurant in Newport is moving to the former Syndicate space. 859-581-3700

• Nectar - is now serving Sunday brunch from 10a.m.-2p.m. 513-929-0525

• Pacific Moon - Dim sum (small dishes) returns to Pacific Moon on the Levee on Saturday and Sunday’s from 10a.m.-3p.m. 859-261-6666

• Hathaway’s Diner - Tower Place Mall is Renovating It will reopen February 4th, 2008

• Nada - is now open for lunch 11a.m.-3p.m. Dishes cost $7-14. Nada is located at 600 Walnut Street, downtown. 513-721-6232

• The Point Restaurant - will relocate to the ground floor of Panorama Apartments near 4th and Russell streets in Covington. That will make room for fast food restaurant It’s Greek to Me to expand into the Point Restaurants’ former location at 45 W. Pike Street. Both restaurants provides training for Point Clients, who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. They will be open for breakfast, lunch and early dinner and have a Sunday buffet.

• Gold Star Moving - The St. Bernard location will move to Mitchell Ave in Spring Grove Village by May 2008.

• Geno's Barbeque and Family Diner - which had been in downtown Milford for the last two years, has moved. Their new address is 1241 Ohio, 1/4 mile past Milford High School.

• Welcome: Opportunities Announcements
• Dessert First!: is a recipe book fundraiser with delicious recipes from ORA chefs, owners, operators as well as students and teachers from the ProStarrt Program. The book cost is $12.95 per copy + shipping and handling and applicable sales tax. 100% of the proceeds go to OHEF to help educate, train and mentor Ohio's ProStart students. You can purchase these books for $8.00 ea. & sell them for YOUR fundraiser at $12.95. Orders can placed on-line at www.ohef.com or by calling 614-442-9374.
• Our members can immediately begin to enjoy 20% off regularly priced merchandise at Jos. A. Bank. Call 1-800-285-2265 or email corporatecard@jos-a-bank.com to receive your corporate card to receive your discount!
• Get 40% off of Gift Certifiates from Cincinnati Originals. Part of a National Group that pools marketing efforts to create local, regional and national awareness of some of our best locally-owned restaurants. Members include Behle Street Cafe, Bella Luna, The Pub, Kona Bistro, La Petite Pierre, Mesh, Polo Grille, Sturkey's and Jean Robert at Pigall's. Four times a year the organization will hold an online auction of discounted gift certificates beginning at 8:00 a.m. Only 400 are available. Visit www.cincinnatioriginals.com to see how the auction works.