On November 1 the Taste of the Trail Duo -- aided and abetted by co-conspirators Bruce Lathrup, Rod Gossett, Mike Egan and Don Hahn -- convened for lunch at central Loveland's big venue restaurant, The Works.  

Sited atop an upslope, and fronted by an extensive parking lot (which, nevertheless, is often filled to overflowing), The Works directly overlooks the bike trail from a distance of perhaps 150 yards.  Bike racks are conveniently located adjacent to the restaurant's entrance.  Built in 1905 as a water filling station for steam locomotives, with later incarnations as a firehouse and public works facility (thus the name), the structure has been elegantly re-purposed as a charmingly rustic (think exposed brick walls) eatery with large garage doors in front which can be opened in fair weather to join the interior spaces with an extensive patio.  Patron capacity has been expanded via addition of a classic railroad dining car located at right angles to the north end of the building -- but even with that, don't be surprised if there's a wait for seating on beautiful summer weekend afternoons; The Works consistently is an extremely popular dining destination along the trail.

While a multi-page menu is offered, The Works' unquestioned "strong suit" is a wide variety of pizzas from their brick oven (see photo). For those who prefer something other than pizza, choices include a broad range of appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta dishes, desserts—as well as a selection of "kids’ dishes."  Full bar service is available, and a continually rotating number of craft (and other) beers are on draft from a total of 25 taps. 

Service was prompt and professional without being obtrusive. During our visit John led off with ordering a Breakfast pizza, which was basically a dry (no sauce) pizza base topped with scrambled eggs, American cheese and a variety of toppings of his choice (including jalapeño peppers), which he pronounced to be absolutely delightful. Bruce went for the same, but without the peppers, and was equally happy with his meal.  Rod elected an Italian hoagie, and was completely pleased with it.  Don got a Caesar Mahi Mahi salad, and noted that while the fish was just fine, he didn't particularly care for the sauce used on it.  Both Mike and George ordered the fish sandwich, but Mike somehow had better luck with his, which he found eminently satisfactory. However, George, seemingly the ever-cursed curmudgeon, found his portion to be simply a heavily breaded slab of something which only might have once been some sort of fish. He deemed it to be unacceptable, sent it back—and ended up drinking IPAs for his lunch, which eventually made him just as happy as his more fortunate (or perhaps more tolerant) companions.

Despite George's unfortunate experience, the group felt that overall—given the restaurant’s ambiance, breadth of menu choices, proximity to the trail, variety of beverage options, great service, generally high food quality, and bike parking—The Works merited four bells.

The Works
20 Grear Millitzer Place, Loveland
Phone: 513/697-8408
Website:  theworkspizza.com
Hours: Sun. to Thurs. 11 am to 9 pm; Fri. & Sat. 11 am to 10 pm
     

November 2017

On October 11, The Taste Adventure crew,  joined by Fred Kindred, Joe Hermann and Mike Egan, convened again in the heart of Loveland to have lunch at one of that area's iconic eateries:  Paxton's Grill, literally just across the street from the Bike Trail.  Aware of the place's well-deserved popularity, we met up early at 11:30, hoping to snag a coveted outdoor table on the snug patio just a few feet away from Loveland's main street.  While our efforts were rewarded, and the weather was glorious, unfortunately the dining experience was marred by a seemingly ceaseless convoy of HUGE dump trucks rumbling by, often drowning out any attempt at normal conversation. 

While obtrusive traffic noise was exasperating, Paxton's food, as expected, was delightful compensation.  The multi-page menu truly offered "something for everyone"—from appetizers to soups to salads to sandwiches to burgers to wraps to platters to kids' meals to desserts—and even vegetarian choices!  (While primarily lunch and dinner oriented, Paxton's even serves breakfast on the weekends.)  With such a broad spectrum of choices, the group took some time deciding, so a dozen chicken wings were ordered for the table, and some of us took advantage of the various craft beers on draft at the full bar.  The tasty wings didn’t last long.

For the main event, Fred ordered a bowl of white chicken chili, and was pleased with it.  Mike chose a Cuban panini (pulled pork, ham and pepperjack cheese on grilled ciabatta bread) with waffle fries ($1.50 extra for the fries in place of the standard chips), and was a happy man.  A bit more conservative, Joe went for the fish sandwich (two cod fillets on grilled rye) which he found delightful.  John, a native Cincinnatian, tried the unique goetta sandwich (grilled, on rye bread with melted Swiss cheese and grilled onions) with waffle fries, and found it exceeded his expectations.  George, intrigued by the Bleu Boy (thinly sliced roast beef topped by roasted tomatoes, shallots, mushrooms and blue cheese crumbles in a balsamic glaze served on a baguette), gave it a try, and was considerably relieved to discover that it tasted far better than it looked.  All five members of the group felt their respective meals were excellent, and well worth the moderate prices charged.  Service was consistently brisk and friendly.

Everyone in the group had eaten before at Paxton's, so there were no surprises; we all agreed it was one of the best restaurants the Trail Taste Adventure had yet visited.  Factoring in food quality, breadth of choice, reasonable prices, proximity to the trail, excellence of service, availability of outdoor seating and offerings of craft beers on draft, it well deserves 4 1/2 bells.

Paxton’s Grill
126 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland
Phone:  513/583-1717
Website: paxtonsgrill.com
Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 11 am to 10 pm; Fri. 11 am to 11 pm; Sat. 8 am to 11 pm; Sun. 8 am to 9 pm 

October 2017

On October 4 John and George, joined by Rod Gossett, Don Hahn, Fred Kindred and Pete Hostetter, ventured into the heart of restaurant-rich Loveland to enjoy outdoor dining at Bike Trail Junction (BTJ) at the location previously occupied by Julian's before a recent fire devastated the entire city block. (BTJ is owned and operated by the owners of Paxton's Grill, directly across the Trail.)  Currently BTJ is offering only outdoor seating and a relatively limited (but quite adequate) menu. The umbrella-shaded tables and a sheltered eating area afford comfortable outdoor dining for as long as reasonable weather conditions persist.  Proximity to the Trail is unrivaled; tables are only perhaps 15 feet from the edge of the Trail, and extensive bike racks occupy the space in between. Traffic noise from Loveland's nearby main street can be obtrusive and annoying at times, particularly when heavy trucks and Harley riders come through.

Three alcoholic beverages are available on draft (an IPA, a stout and a cider), with numerous others coming in cans and bottles. The moderately priced menu is sandwich-oriented, but salads are available, as well as "kids' dishes" such as PB&J, burgers and hot dogs.  Rod picked an Italian sausage sandwich with peppers on a uniquely spiced bun, all of which he found delightful. Fred opted for a tuna salad sandwich, and enjoyed both the quality and quantity. John, to the surprise of many, did NOT order his usual burger; rather, he chose a BLT wrap, and was very happy with it. Don, Dr. Pete and George all went for grouper sandwiches, which were available either grilled or blackened.  Everyone except George commented on the exceptional quality of the breads and buns used in their sandwiches (he didn't eat his, preferring to get his carbs from IPAs). Service was prompt, cheerful and efficient.

Overall, John and George felt the combination of BTJ's exceptional food quality and quantity, comfortable atmosphere, great service, reasonable prices and exceptional Trail proximity merited awarding 4 bells.

Bike Trail Junction
200 West Loveland Avenue, Loveland, OH
Phone: 513/239-5040
Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun. 11 AM to 9 PM

Oct. 2017