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On Wednesday, August 9, the Trail Taste Adventure crew (John, Pete, George and newcomer Fred Kindred) made their final Milford stop at the May Cafe, a tiny breakfast and lunch place. It’s a few minutes’ walk from the Milford trailhead, so you can leave your car parked, or lock up your bikes and walk to it.

In addition to providing breakfast until 11 am, May offers an Italian-influenced lunch menu of intriguing soups, salads, sandwiches, espresso-based coffee drinks and even gelato (Italian ice cream). Soft drinks are available, but no alcoholic beverages. Interior seating is limited, but there are two delightful and cozy outdoor eating areas with sun umbrellas and beautiful flowers. Since it was a warm, sunny day, the TTA crew selected the patio at the rear and was happy to find it quiet and serene, despite being adjacent to a parking lot. Customers place their orders at a counter halfway inside the building and are given a number on a stand; servers deliver the food to the tables. Prices are affordable—tabs ran from a low of $7 for George's sandwich (with no drink) up to $13 for Pete's (including his mocha latte).

John:
I ordered the Hot Ham and Swiss on their multi-grain bread.  There are no fries.  When I asked about a side I was told the sandwich comes with a slice of watermelon and a pickle—that’s not a side or a salad.  So I added a bag of chips for a dollar and a Snapple (yeah, no beer—so sad) bringing my total to $10.50.  By far one of the least expensive lunches yet.  It took a while for the food to arrive, which just made me miss that beer even more.  When I finally got my order, the first thing I noticed was that the promised pickle was smaller than my baby finger—just garnish. The sandwich was fine.  The bread was great.  While eating it, though, I couldn’t stop thinking I could have made this at home with some ham, Swiss cheese, a toaster and microwave.  Also, when I finished, I just didn’t feel fulfilled.  That said, if I had just ridden my bike from Xenia and stopped for a bite to refuel, this would have been perfect before heading the 60 miles back to Xenia.  So I upped my initial 2.5 to 3 bell rating to a 3.5, thinking of my visit as a refueling stop along the trail.

George:
I ordered the same as John, despite an unwritten TTA rule that our orders all be different.  My sandwich was palatable but unimpressive, as it was just what anyone could make at home for a much lower cost.  And there’s no beer. Overall, though, I give May Cafe 3 bells, based on service, affordability and trail proximity. It’s a reasonable value, but not a memorable experience.

Pete:
I ordered the Combo, choosing cauliflower soup and half a grilled turkey sandwich with avocado and provolone, along with a latte in a to-go-cup, for a total of $13.  The sandwich was very good with none of the components overpowering the others. The bread was outstanding and grilled to a nice crunch. To my surprise the soup came in a bowl instead of a cup and was excellent. My to-go latte came in a regular cup, but when reminded the waitress changed it out with an apology and a smile. Ambience inside was lacking, but the rear patio was pleasant except for the sun. Umbrellas were provided but they overlapped each other and could not be adjusted. Overall I rate it 4 bells for cost, proximity to the trail, and the food.

Fred:
I had the tomato basil soup & salami/provolone sandwich.  My sandwich was good, but not outstanding. The soup was tasty but could have had more croutons.  I thought the meal was a little pricey. I did like the patio; it was quiet enough to have a nice conversation.  The service was pretty quick. Overall, I’d give May 3.5 bells.

The bottom line: If you want a place to re-energize with a light lunch after time on the trail, this is a pretty good stop.

May Café
5 Main Street, Milford
Phone: 513/831-2233
Website: maycafemilford.com
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am – 3pm

August 2017

On July 12, John and George were joined by Joe Hermann and Pete Hostetter for lunch at Padrino, a comfortable, unpretentious, moderately priced Italian restaurant in the heart of Milford. Trail proximity is excellent; the restaurant is only about a five-minute walk across the river bridge from the Milford trailhead parking lot.  The menu offers the full gamut: appetizers, wings, soups, salads, pizzas and hoagies, as well as heartier entrees and even a children's menu.  Padrino is unabashedly Italian, so that is reflected in the menu choices.  Full bar service, including wine, is available.  Four local craft beers were offered on draft, with numerous others available in bottles and cans.

Padrino is in the center of downtown Milford, so street parking is limited.  However, they have their own parking lot at the rear of the restaurant, and other free parking areas are adjacent to it.  If you park in the back parking lot, you find yourself walking a narrow passageway between buildings to get to the front.  You will pass the covered outdoor eating area which, unfortunately, overlooks nothing but the parking lot, but might be appealing in the evening when ambiance, rather than view, becomes more relevant.  The Friends delegation chose to be seated in the air-conditioned main dining area because the outdoor temperature was near 90 degrees.

Padrino is "family-friendly," so expect to see (and maybe hear) small children. The eating area is basically one large room fronting on the street, with a small bar to one side, and a separate banquet-style room to the rear (along with access to the outdoor patio eating area). Decor is understated but not austere. 

It’s worth mentioning that Padrino had the cleanest restrooms of all the places we have visited so far.

Hoagies proved to be the most popular selection for the group: John had the $8.50 Italian Beef Hoagie with a side of au jus for dipping (great addition).  Of course he opted for fries, to satisfy his fried-food cravings. Pete took the $7.50 Hot Italian Hoagie with standard chips; Joe selected the $8 Meatball Hoagie with chips.  George, ever the odd man out, picked the $12 Chicken Carbonara (diced chicken and bacon over fettuccine Alfredo).  Pete and Joe stuck with water, while the two lushes, John and George, each had a couple of craft beers at $5 a serving.  The hoagie eaters' consensus was that all their sandwiches were "good"–but no one claimed his was either outstanding or memorable.  George was less enthused about his meal; the cubes of chicken were bland and essentially tasteless, and the dish was very light on the Alfredo sauce.  Our server was friendly and funny, but because there were only two servers to handle the fairly robust lunch crowd, the service was a bit slow. 

Padrino offers reasonable value at a relatively modest price and a location convenient to the Trail.  The food is decent.  The atmosphere was decent. More draft beer choices would be nice, but all-in-all it gets a 3.5 bell rating.  We recommend you try it sometime when you are on the trail and passing the Milford trailhead. 

Padrino
111 Main Street, Milford
Phone: 513/965-0100
Website: www.padrinoitalian.com
Hours: 11 am to 8 pm Sun.; 11 to 9 Mon.; 11 to 10 Tues. - Fri.; 11 to 12 Sat. 

July 2017

Black-Eyed Susans bloom near the Grandin Rd. bridge

by Tom McCray

As I rode into Morrow I saw many riders already filling the shelter. Normally this is where I take a break and eat a snack. I contemplated moving on to another location but I saw an unoccupied corner table where I could sit down. There were five other cyclists there, three on recumbent trikes and the other two on upright bikes outfitted with panniers and a trailer. There was already a discussion going on with the guys on regular bikes asking the others how they like their recumbent bikes – a common discussion with recumbent riders. I was curious about the guys all packed up with touring equipment and asked them a few questions.
It turns out they were brothers-in-law out on an overnight adventure. They started their day in Newtown destined for Spring Valley where they planned to camp for the night. From there they would finish in Springfield. One was from Cincinnati and the other from the Columbus area.

There was also a husband and wife team visiting from Terre Haute, riding the trail for a few days and visiting some nearby attractions. They were staying at a bed and breakfast in Yellow Springs.

The discussion came around to our trail and others that members of the group had ridden on: the Great Allegheny Passage, the C & O Canal Towpath from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C., and the Greenbrier River Trail through the southern mountains of West Virginia. I realized that we don’t just have a trail used by local residents; we have a destination trail used by many out-of-state visitors and vacationers. They are coming here to ride our trail.

Just yesterday, a beautiful Sunday, I set out from Corwin and made a point to check the license plates in the nearly-full parking lot. Granted, most of the vehicles were from Ohio, but I also found Texas, Virginia, and Florida plates. During my ride I was stopped by a woman walking the trail. From Kentucky and just passing through, she had heard about the trail and wanted to check out. She had a lot of questions, was quite impressed, and indicated that she and her husband would plan to return in the fall to do a multiday ride.

Our area does have a lot to offer: paved and maintained trails with hundreds of miles of connecting segments, canoeing and kayaking along the Little Miami River, zip-lining over the river gorge, historic sites like Ft. Ancient, nearby state parks and numerous nature preserves. It’s easy to take for granted this wonderful resource almost in our backyard, but the word is getting out. So don’t assume that the rider or walker that you just passed is a local resident. They may be from Hawaii.

July 2017

After researching 20 Brix in downtown Old Milford, we went in knowing this place would be fairly expensive, and value is definitely one of the criteria we look for.   

In Old Milford your options for parking are either on the street or a small parking lot at the back of the restaurant.  Lunchtime is usually light enough that we easily found parking, but evening is sure to present  a challenge.  Walking up you will see a pretty nice outside eating area on the side of the building.  When you enter in the front there is a bar area in an elegant setting.  Not quite our style.  We prefer a more casual setting, and unlike at The Birch, which had a similar feel until our server helped to relax that, the service here didn’t help to soften the stuffiness. 

Temperatures were in the 70s so we chose to sit outside.  We were soon joined by Rod Gossett and Pete Hostetter. We all scrutinized our menus, doing our best to ignore the street noise which hampered conversation in an otherwise comfortable outdoor venue.  The one-page lunch menu had a broad range of sandwiches and other choices, as well as numerous appetizers.  The common denominator was high price; most entrees ranged from $11 to $26.  The burger, always a good price-measuring stick, was $15.  No appetizers appealed to us, at least not at the listed price.  The spotlight is on wine at 20 Brix, and the list ran to seven pages.  Beer drinkers didn't fare as well; there was a one-page beer list, with only one offering on draft:  a Chimay Golden Ale for $10.  (Beer is cheaper at the ball park.)  John, Rod and George opted for less expensive bottled offerings; Dr. Pete prudently shook his head and stuck with water.

John ordered his usual burger. Here’s his take:

We have been to 6 places so far and I have had a burger in 4 of them.  This was the most expensive burger at $15, and it was the least satisfying by far.  On a scale from “McDonald’s” to “Wendy’s,” it was slightly better than McDonald’s, but not as good as Wendy’s.  At $15 I expected something special, but what I got was two premade patties, overcooked, with very little flavor.  It came with fries which were no different than what is served at the previously mentioned fast food places.  With prices like this I was expecting something better.  Service was so-so.  We were rarely checked on for a refill of our beers and for other needs.  Also, I was not asked how I wanted my burger cooked so it came to me well done, which is not the way I like my burgers.

Rod went for the Angus sliders at $12.  These were the first he had ever had, and he was unhappy with them.

Dr. Pete selected the grilled cheese with tomato bisque soup, also $12.  Here’s his reaction:

My grilled cheese had its ups and downs. There was a thin slice of a rather tough white cheese inside with an unknown jam or sauce, perhaps orange marmalade. The bread had a nice crunch. Overall the sandwich was tasty but a little skimpy with the cheese. The tomato bisque was very good. Overall the meal was at or above average and the $12 price tag was a little more than I prefer for a biking lunch.

George is brief as he reviews his cheese and cold cuts plate at $16: 

I was so disillusioned with this plate I declined to even finish what appeared to be a chunk of poor quality baloney.

To cap it all off our server, without asking anyone, brought just one check for the table. We all thought maybe George would just take it and pay for all of us, but no.  She did, however, upon George’s protest, provide us with separate checks.

To be fair, George and his wife had previously had dinner at 20 Brix, and it was a very positive experience.  However, Trail Taste Adventure is all about places that would appeal to trail users at any time of the day.  We are looking for value and an atmosphere that is casual and fun, and 20 Brix failed miserably.  Thus we are hard pressed to award 20 Brix even ONE bell.  This rating is a consensus of the four of us.  It takes into account price, service, menu, atmosphere and satisfaction with each of our meals.  For value and good food, there are better choices among the other places reviewed.

20 Brix
101 Main Street, Milford
Phone: 513/831-2749
Website: 20brix.com
Hours: 11 am - 9 pm Monday, 11 am - 10 pm Tuesday through Saturday

August 2017