At the end of October, it was my month again to pick for the monthly outing of the Happy Mouth Supper Club. I selected the Iron Horse Inn, which has newly reopened in Glendale after being closed for a while. Chef Stefan Marcus is at the stove, and does a very nice job!

Almost the entire Happy Mouth group was there (with a few guests: Beth, Julie, and Terry) and we were seated downstairs in the restaurant’s formal dining room. Our server took exceptional care of us all night.

We started with a mussels appetizer compliments of the Chef, then went into other appetizers — the excellent Red Pepper Bisque and the night’s special soup of Creamed Spinach and Cognac. Both were awesome, as were the Lobster Strudles we enjoyed. Afterward, Chef sent out a small green salad with duck confit. The salad was lightly dressed, and the duck confit was very tasty.

After that, it was into entrees. Everyone fell quiet, which is a sure sign that people are enjoying their meals quite a bit! Desserts were great, too!

Closed since early January 2008, the IRON HORSE INN in Glendale Ohio has recently reopened. The building has a storied history, and it is great to see it open again under new ownership. Wendy and I have dined there twice as guests of the restaurant. This is a “preview-review”. Both of our meals have been in the upstairs dining room, so this review focuses on that space.

The IRON HORSE INN has clarified the vision of the restaurant, envisioning it now as two distinct eateries contained under one roof — downstairs presents a fine dining menu while upstairs has re-adopted the original name of the restaurant “Bracker’s Tavern” (which is slightly confusing…) and offers upscale bar food. It is possible to enjoy an informal meal with a cold beer or a nice glass of wine upstairs or to dress up and enjoy the fine dining options offered in the formal dining room downstairs. The downstairs dining room also features a chef’s table that, while not located in the kitchen, promises as-yet-unknown (to me) special treatment from the chef.

The exterior of the building has been spruced up — and it needed it since it had been neglected. The restfully-colored exterior is invitingly lit and the restaurant beckons with a warm glow. The patio out front is a great place to get a drink and a meal on a comfortable evening. Entering the front doors of the restaurant, you can either climb the short set of stairs to the second floor (an elevator is available and the entire restaurant is handicapped-accessible) for an informal meal or meet the front-of-house manager straight ahead, whose desk is placed at the French-door entrance to the downstairs (formal) dining room. The manager’s desk is imported from Vietnam and is decorated with crushed eggshells (really! — we checked this out with Robin, the owner) and is prettier than you would imagine.

Upstairs, there is a new sitting area just past the top of the stairs that provides a nice place to wait for a table, should the need arise. This new sitting area replaces a small dining room that was wasted space most of the time, and it houses another of the eggshell-decorated furniture pieces. The dark green walls, exposed ceiling beams, and long dark-wood bar of the dining room create a comfortable lodge-y feel. The tables are well-space, so your dining neighbors do not become your dining companions.

The kitchen has received a face-lift with the appointment of Chef Stefan Marcus as Working Chef in charge of the kitchen. His team puts out creative, confident dishes that give testament to Chef Marcus’ years of experience. The kitchen demonstrates restraint — there are no superfluous ingredients or garnishes on the plates. In conversation with Chef Marcus, his enthusiasm for the new venture is evident and infectious. He’s got big dreams for the IRON HORSE, and appears to be in a good position to make them come true.

In our meals there so far, we’ve sampled Jerk Chicken Quesadillas, Crab Cakes with house-made Remoulade, Clam Chowder, Buffalo Chicken Penne with a bleu cheese sauce, and a couple different Paninis with Sweet Potato Fries. Everything has been top notch (standout favorites include the Buffalo Chicken Penne, the Crab Cakes, and the Sweet Potato Fries) and the menu offers sufficient variety to remain interesting for some time. I don’t know if they run specials upstairs or not; on our two visits (one of which was a preview) there were no specials.

They offer “Funny Name Wines” in Bracker’s Tavern, too… an ever-changing selection of value wines with, well, funny names. While I think the idea is somewhat hokey, it seems to work and the couple different wines we’ve tasted have been very good values and reasonably drinkable.

For the most part, the IRON HORSE INN feels like an established restaurant, mostly free of the “opening jitters” experienced by some new places. However, on our visits, there have been a few issues ranging from menu grammar & spelling errors (”Tuna Tar-Tar”, anyone?!), the lack of short descriptions (or even just regions) on the “Funny Name Wines” list, and a few service issues (the wrong entrees were delivered to our table on one visit) reveal that this is, in fact, a new restaurant with a few growing pains.

But the IRON HORSE INN is worthy of your visit right now, and will continue to grow and mature through the startup. It might just become your new (old) favorite restaurant.

(We will eat downstairs soon and I’ll post about that.)

Contact the IRON HORSE INN at 513-772-3333.

I learned recently that the IRON HORSE INN, long a fixture in the Glendale restaurant scene, has closed its doors.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this closure. We’ve spent many enjoyable evenings at the Iron Horse over the last 5+ years, from the time we took the Happy Mouth Supper Club there for a great meal, to my working in the kitchens with Chef Jackson, to getting to know Chef Chris and his variety of brulee recipes (Wendy pines for his S’More Brulee).

Sadly, the last several times we dined at the IRON HORSE over the last year or so, we knew something was wrong. The quality of both the food and (especially) the service degraded quickly (we waited an hour for appetizers on Christmas Eve 2007). We could sense the end was coming.

But still, when the end came, we still feel a bit sad. Hopefully, a new owner will take over the IRON HORSE and return the great building to its rightful place on the landscape of Glendale, and Cincinnati’s restaurant scene.

Bon chance, IRON HORSE INN. It was good to know you.

UPDATE (January 10, 2008): I just spoke to one of the owner’s of the IRON HORSE who confirmed that they’re currently “open only for private parties” while they “explore some other opportunities”. Typically, the HORSE closes for New Year’s holiday, but this year they’ve “extended” that closing… indefinitely. The owner said that they’ll email us with any additional news.

Tonight’s wine dinner was very nice — Wendy & I joined Cindy, Mo, Angel, and Greg for a very nice meal at the Iron Horse Inn. Chris & Devin did a nice job of explaining the wines.

First Course
Deconstructed Spicy Crab Sushi
Clean State Riesling
I really liked the Riesling. The first taste was almost overpoweringly sweet, but the second (and subsequent) tastes were much more balanced. It went very nicely with the crab sushi, which was “deconstructed” — the components of the dish — nori, spices, crab, and a sauce — were spread out on the plate.

Second Course
Grilled Salmon, Creamy Rosemary Polenta, Tomato Gravy
Bootleg Chianti
The saLmon (hi Mo!) and the polenta went well together, the gravy and the polenta were okay together, but the combination of all three components was less than the sum of its parts. The wine (which was good) was paired with the gravy and tasted pretty good, but the overall dish and wine wasn’t one of my favorite pairings.

Third Course
Pork Tenderloin, Truffled Wild Mushroom Blue Cheese Compote
Bootleg Southern Red
I didn’t care for the blue cheese component to the mushroom compote, but I was shouted down by my tablemates, who liked it. The pork was well-prepared, moist, tender, and flavorful. The pairing with the wine — which is a blend of 25% Primitivio, 25% Negroamaro, 25% Montepulciano, 25% Uva di Troia — was very nice.

Fourth Course
Vanilla Bruleed Rack Of Lamb, Toasted Couscous, Grape Tomatoes, Baby Spinach
Root One Cabernet Sauvignon
Before & during this course, we sampled a duck breast dish that we enjoyed at a previous wine dinner and has now been added to the dinner menu at the Iron Horse. Man, that’s a good dish! The rack of lamb was a nice compliment to the duck, and was an excellent course in its own right. I really like couscous and could eat a large bowl of it, and it went nicely with the lamb, which was crusted with a bit of vanilla sugar. The Cab was a nice wine and paired well.

Dessert
Chocolate Flourless Torte, Espresso Anglaise, Blackberry Compote
Unico (Gran Reserve) Cabernet Sauvignon
As loyal readers of this site know, I am not a huge fan of chocolate desserts, but this torte was very nice. The anglaise was very good, and the compote was a necessary ‘high note’ of sweetness.

After dinner, Angel, Wendy, Greg, and I sat around and talked (and drank — thanks for the Moscato d’Asti, Angel!) for a couple hours. It was a nice visit to end a nice meal!

This evening was the first-Saturday Wine Dinner at the Iron Horse Inn. Wendy & I joined a bunch of friends at the table for a great meal. Our party was 13 people strong! We love taking new people to the Iron Horse — all we have to do is get them to attend once, and they’re hooked!

First Course
Torched Scallop Appetizer, Apple-Cider Gastrique
Ferrandiere Chardonnay
A pair nicely seared scallops atop the gastrique. Very simple, but very delicious. Typically, we don’t care for Chardonnays, but Brian Scott (the wine guy for the night) has helped us to see that we do, in fact, like French Chardonnarys.

Second Course
Roasted Winter Squash Bisque, Green Peppercorn-Merlot Drizzle
Apex Merlot
The soup was warming, hearty, and well-flavored. The drizzle added a very nice counterpoint to the rich flavors, and it paired well with the Apex Merlot, which was a standout wine of the evening.

Third Course
Cherry-Maple Glazed Duck Breast, Gorgonzola Sweet Potato Puree
Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel
This was a lovely dish. The maple on the duck breast is a natural pairing and it was delicious. The sweet potato puree was good, but I missed the flavor of the gorgonzola.

Fourth Course
Char Grilled Ribeye, Guiness-Soy Demi-Glace, Sesame Whipped Potatoes, Fried Onions
Omrah Cabernet
The standout in this course, for me, was the sesame whipped potatoes. They were really tasty!

Dessert 
Mandel Brot 
Moscato D’Andrea
This was sort of a once-baked biscotti with dried blueberries and white chocolate chips. Very, very tasty and soft enough to be enjoyable.

The Iron Horse Inn Restaurant & Vintner Select presents:
Frog’s Leap Winery

This evening, we dined at the Iron Horse Inn for their monthly “third-Tuesday” wine dinner, this one focusing on wines from Frog’s Leap Winery.

First Course
Fried Spicy Salmon Roll, Plum Sauce & Sweet Soy
2005 Sauvignon Blanc
I thought this course was very successful. The salmon roll was large, well-prepared, and very tasty.

Second Course
Tuna Tartare 3 Ways
2005 Chardonnay
I love tuna. I love tartare. This was a very nice dish — LOTS of tuna on each plate. I enjoyed more than my fair share because one of our fellow diners (hi Doug!) doesn’t love seafood and was ready to share.

Third Course
Duck Rillette
2003 Merlot
Rillette! Who does rillettes on a menu anymore? This was a wonderful throwback dish that was very enjoyable. Most folks at my table didn’t know what rillettes are and had never tasted it. Everyone enjoyed it.

Fourth Course
Strip Au Poivre, Cigar Smoked Grape Tomatoes
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Oh, those tomatoes were awesome!

Dessert
Blackberry “Death By Chocolate”
2004 Zinfandel

On Saturday, February 3, 2007, Wendy & I joined Gail, Bill, Joanne, Bob, Mike, Greg, Laramie, and Mark at a table at the Iron Horse Inn for their first-Saturday Wine Dinner. While it wasn’t the best wine dinner we’ve ever attended, it was still an enjoyable evening out with good food, friends, and wine. Here’s what was on the menu:

First Course
Parsnip Puree, Vanilla Oil, Blue Crab
Lobster Cove Chardonnay
This was a nice, warming pureed soup to start the meal. Though I am not a fan of Chardonnay in general, this unoaked wine went well with the course.

Second Course
Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Foie Gras
Gold Leaf Merlot
Loyal readers of this site know that I am a big fan of foie gras. However, this dish has to be considered a ‘miss’… First, the peanut butter was overpowering and the white bread didn’t add anything. The foie was good, but it was cold.

Third Course
Southern Fried Arctic Char, Smoked Trout Pasta Salad, Red Pepper Oil, Chive Oil
Four Kings Meritage
I enjoyed the components of this dish, but the combination did not add up. Eaten seperately, the char was very nice, the smoked trout pasta salad was good. Eaten together, I was left scratching my head as to the combination. The Four Kings Meritage was an enjoyable wine.

Fourth Course
Slow Braised Veal Osso Bucco, Roasted Root Vegetable “Cassoulet” Style, Pork Confit
“Handprint” Merlot
I really like Osso Bucco, and it was a perfect dish for the cold weather we’re enduring in Cincinnati right now. I missed the bones (and the marrow!) which for some reason weren’t included on the dish. The wine was a lovely compliment to this dish, and the hand-painted bottles are beautiful.

Dessert
Chocolate Fig Newton Crème Brulee
Fro-Zin Icewine
The Icewine was really, really tasty — a ‘keeper’ from this menu. The brulee was good, but overly rich.

Tonight we attended a Wine Dinner at the IRON HORSE INN. Wendy and I have been attending most of the wine dinners there for the last four years or so, and this was a particularly enjoyable one, as it contained one of the best single courses & pairings we’ve had there.

First Course:
Baby arugula salad, pomegranate vinaigrette, almond crusted goat cheese, roasted beets
2005 First Love White Wine
I am a fan of goat cheese, and this course highlighted the ingredient well. Chef Chris loosened the goat cheese with some cream to make it softer. The roasted beets were beautiful and delicious. The wine, a white blend, was decent on its own and improved with the food.

Second Course:
Blue cornmeal fried lobster tail, dueling sweet & spicy pear puree
2005 Mallee-Sands Chardonnay
The fried lobster tail with two colors of sauce around it was a simple, dramatic presentation. The lobster was tender and flavorful.

Third Course:
Candied Bing cherry duck breast, sweet potato puree, maraschino cherry drizzle
2005 Pure Love Meritage
Truly a highlight of this meal and of the wine dinners at the IRON HORSE. A lovely duck breast was properly prepared to get rid of most of the thick fat layer, then roasted and candied before being set atop sweet potato puree. A maraschino reduction was drizzled around. The Meritage (rhymes with “heritage”) wine was perfect with this course. This one, I hope, is destined for the regular menu.

Fourth Course:
Char-grilled Ribeye, wild mushroom citrus compote, asparagus, black tea Concord grape reduction
2004 Mothers Milk Shiraz
As difficult as it was to follow the superior duck course, this course made a good attempt. I thought the flavors of the compote weren’t as unified as they could be, but I understood where Chris was heading. The Shiraz was wonderful.

Dessert:
Banana Fosters Crème Brulee
2004 Carol Shelton Late Harvest Trousseau Gris
Chef Chris is exploring brulees of different types (a fact that Wendy is very happy about). These desserts tend away from my preferred dessert styles (fruit tarts and the like), but they’re still very good. The Trousseau Gris was really good without being overly sweet.

The IRON HORSE INN present Wine Dinners at 7:00pm on the third Tuesday of most months (usually not in December). Five courses with paired wines are $60 per person. Vegetarian menus available with advanced notice. Reservations strongly recommended.

This evening was the year’s last monthly (third-Tuesday) Wine Dinner at the Iron Horse Inn in Glendale, and the 14 people in our party sincerely enjoyed the event. Iron Horse blows it out a bit for the last wine dinner of the year — it’s a sparkling wine dinner, and this year’s was very, very good indeed.

Iron Horse Restaurant
The Annual Sparkling Wine Dinner

Special Guest: Jennifer Jackson with Cutting Edge Selections

First Course
King Crab, Mascarpone and Goat Cheese, Orange Yuzu Miso Sauce
2001 Marques De Gelida Brut Cava

Second Course
Steamed Blue Mussels, Smokehouse Almonds, Chorizo
2003 Llopart Reserva Rose Brut Cava

Third Course
Lobster 3 Ways: Butter Braised Lobster, Sauce a la Américaine, and Lobster Grits
2000 Huia

Fourth Course
Honey Pecan Crusted Rack of Lamb, Roasted Root Vegetables, Candied Pecan Dust
Duval Leroy Champagne NV

Dessert
Lemon Raspberry Meringue Brulee
2005 Clarte Moscato D’ Asti

Tonight’s dinner was the monthly Wine Dinner at the Iron Horse Inn. Ted, Tracy (her first wine dinner in some time!), Angel, Mike, Greg, Wendy, and I met at ‘the Horse’ to partake of the following menu:

The Iron Horse Restaurant
Treats From Our Cellar 2
August 15, 2006

First Course
Roasted Prawn, Apple Fennel Leek Compote, Chives
2002 Robert Weil, Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, Ger.

Second Course
Chilled Sweet Potato Bisque, Cumin Scented Goat Cheese Crostini
2002 Dutton Goldfield, Syrah, Cherry Ridge Vineyard, Russian River Valley

Third Course
Moroccan Lamb Cassoulet
2001 Cadence, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard,
2000 Chateau St. George, St. Emillion, Fr.

Dessert
Black Forest Crème Brulee
Jonesy Old Tawny Port