National Waffle Day was last Wednesday so what better way to celebrate than heading over to on of Liberty Center’s finest new establishments, Taste of Belgium?

Hands down, my favorite meal is Chicken and Waffles. Now, if you look on their menu, it’s there as Waffle and Chicken. Nothing’s different. Just as good, if not better than any other Chicken and Waffles around.

We went around brunch time so as many of you know, they better have the good java to keep us coming back, at least for Emily and I. We’ve been to other locations so we already knew going in, the Joe was good. From lattes to black coffee and even for those looking to get the party started early can throw in some Bailey’s Irish Cream. Don’t judge, we’ve all been there.

But the food is and always has been delicious and has more than just fried chicken and amazing waffles. They have burgers, steaks, salads but if I’m heading to Taste of Belgium, a salad will never be on my plate. If I want a salad, I’ll go to Panera. Junie had the mac and cheese, that was amazing and Emily had the McWaffle and that was just as good. The McWaffle is a split waffle stacked with an over-easy egg, smoked bacon, melton Gruyere served with maple syrup and frites (fries). Deeelicious!

The point is, if you like great food and are not concerned about the calories you’re planning on ingesting for your next meal, go check it out. They are open till 9 and have a great selection of beers as well so no matter the time of day, you can’t miss.

The food was excellent as always, the service was great, the coffee was good. My grade, 9.1.

If you haven’t been to Taste of Belgium, make it a priority in the upcoming weeks and let me know what you think.

Have a great week and for all you obnoxious buckeye fans, Go Irish and Rudy wasn’t offside.

Respectfully,

Mike “The Golden Domer” Weghorst

Taste of Belgium Menu

Coffee is just good for the soul, especially on these mornings when we’re waking up to a little bit of chill in the air. And with the chill becoming more present, pumpkin spiced latte fans rejoice. Your time is here!

I went to Crimson Cup, on 747 across from Kroger (no s at the end Kroger for those who feel the need to make every establishment plural), this morning after I dropped Junie off at the sitter.

Crimson Cup is attached to the Telhio Credit Union and shares the same entrance. I’m not the biggest fan but my guess is that it doesn’t bother other people as much as it does me. When I go to a coffee shop, flavor is first and experience is second and first impressions are everything. When I go to a coffee shop, I don’t want to walk into a bank. Just my two cents.

Banking aside, I really enjoyed my time there this morning. For new places, I always order an Americano so I can get the full flavor of the beans they use. It was really good. Not too dark but just enough bite going down to let you know it’s no light roast either. But not a whole lot of uniqueness either. I would say it tasted like most Americano’s I get when going to different coffee shops.

But they had a great selection to choose from and could not believe it wasn’t their pumpkin spiced latte they were promoting but an apple pie latte. With all the calories I ingested this weekend between a wedding and the Bengals game, that sweet treat will have to wait till next time.

I did like the setup of the coffee shop side of the building and they do have a covered patio outside to sit to take time for yourself and enjoy your java drink. I sat out there and found it to be quite peaceful.

At the end of the day, it’s about flavor and I would say the flavor was pretty good. I will definitely be going back. My grade: 8.4 on the coffee. Next time I’ll be sure to grab some grub and maybe more of a fun drink to go along with it.

Respectfully,

Mike “I’m going to forget about that loss Sunday and move on to whipping those Cowboys” Weghorst

Crimson Cup

I definitely do not throw back the cold ones like I did back in the day. The beating my body takes just from one drink keeps me away from one of things I used to enjoy, especially during those college days. Goodness gracious, we used to go out all night, wake up the next morning and feel nothing. Nowadays, I have a bud light and I’ll be on the couch till Monday morning. Not really, but you get the point. I know it’s not as bad for some people but lately, it just hasn’t been worth it to partake in an adult beverage except for special occasions like weddings and or Bengals games.

Because I stay away from the suds, you’d rarely find me at a Brewery. However, with a friend in from out of town, he wanted to go to Grainworks and I had heard the food was good since they had installed their own kitchen. If you drink beer or not, if you like food, this place is solid. Emily’s a wing nut so she indulged in some smoked wings where the meat fell off the bone. I had the buffalo chicken grilled cheese drizzled with a little ranch that put it over the top with a side of their Saratoga chips that I must say are seasoned to perfection. They even threw in a few of my favorites in the batch, you know, the wet soggy ones covered in grease? Always a good find. June had some chicken tenders and let’s admit, those can be hard to screw up, but she loved them. All while it being a Tuesday night it was not very crowded which gave her a lot of space to run. Her favorite part was the Bud Light tap that is available for everyone to use right next to the entrance. It’s where anyone can fill up their water cup if they are feeling a little dehydrated but for June, it was the greatest toy she had ever seen. So, if you haven’t been, do not be confused by the barrel with the tap that says Bud Light, I can assure you, it is water.

My grade, 9.0 because I hear their beer is good too.

And as this is a time year has it for giving thanks, please know how thankful I am for all of you who read these articles and take the time for feedback. It’s so much fun hearing back from so many people who either razz me on my grades or thank me for the recommendation.

From Emily, June, and myself… May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump, May your potatoes ‘n gravy have nary a lump, May your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize, May your Thanksgiving dinner stay off of your thighs.

Have a great and happy Thanksgiving.

Mike “Gobble till you Wobble” Weghorst

Who Dey! Who Dey! Who Dey think they gonna beat them Bengals!

It’s funny to see the national media consistently pick against Joey B and our Bengals. And the Bengals will once again be underdogs heading into Kansas City. But you know what? I’ll take Burrow over any quarterback out there. The Bengals roll Arrowhead Stadium and knock off the Chiefs 31-21. Phoenix, here we come!

I digress again. Prices at restaurants are soaring everywhere. Emily and I are continuously taking notes on what places have been able to stay the most reasonably in our area, especially when it comes to convenience. Many of those reading this are parents, and time is always at a premium. We did take out from Red Robin last week, the store off Union Centre in West Chester, to feed a group of four and Junie, five altogether. The food was fantastic, and the gentleman who brought our food to the car was very polite and personable. The cost, my goodness. And yes, I’m aware I clicked on the “complete order” button. I know prices are up but if my memory serves me correctly, to feed the five of us with a five-dollar tip was just a little over seventy dollars. Here’s the part that chapped me, you go through the payment process online, and when you hit submit to pay, a 20 percent tip is added to the total. Sorry, it’s not my job to pay your employees fair wages. Right, wrong or indifferent, I’m not going to leave a 20 percent tip for carryout. If we sit in? Every day of the week and twice on Sunday. If the service is exceptional, I’ll do better than 20 percent.

Emily had the burger, and I had the turkey burger. Both were very, very good. June bug also had a burger and enjoyed the large, seasoned fries. Yes, the food lived up to their slogan! Yummmmm!

So here’s my take, if you want food from a decent franchise chain restaurant and need the convenience factor? Red Robin is probably a solid choice. However, expect to pay and then asked to spend some more for carryout. I’d be curious to see how their prices compare to those of a Chili’s, Applebee’s, or some other fine institutions where burgers and chicken fingers are always deeeeelish!

My grade 7.4. If you don’t autofill a 20 percent tip on carryout, it would probably be an 8.

Respectfully,

Mike “Send Them Refunds” Weghorst

Who Dey!