Have you ever walked into a place you've never been and instantly felt like you've been there before? It's a funny feeling, but that's how I felt walking into the brand new OTR spot, Ché. There's a sort of comforting familiarity seeping from the plentiful natural wood and dim lighting. Vibrant colored lights hang above the gorgeous wood bar and rustic lanterns highlight the high tops. The back section feels like a pub with its neon beer signs and a Guinness mirror. But, with an exceptional Argentinian chef working wonders in the kitchen, the food is anything but your typical "bar fare". With empanadas, pizza, and plenty of beers on tap, I have no doubt that Ché will become a familiar favorite among the OTR crowd.
After a day of driving through a snowstorm in northern Michigan, I was elated to see soup on the menu. I've found some butternut squash soups to be overly sweet, but Ché's is perfectly balanced. It's like getting a warm hug, which I so desperately needed after the day I'd had. As I gushed over the soup to Chef Alfio after our meal, he proudly told me that the recipe is his mother's. Of course it is, a recipe that good had to have come from a home kitchen.
They have a nice selection of classic and modern empanadas to choose from. Traditional selections like carne are mixed in with new twists such as buffalo chicken and shrimp scampi. The empanadas come with three different sauces in little wooden bowls. We tried a few different ones since you can mix and match. My favorite was the jamon y queso because as you may know, I cannot resist hot cheese.
I know you've all been enjoying this bit of warm weather...but this is Cincinnati. Get real. We'll be buried in snow again soon enough. Spring will come (well, according to that little fur ball in the ground anyway), and before you know it we'll be sipping drinks on the back patio! But until then, head to Ché and enjoy the cozy atmosphere. It'll warm you right up! I promise.
Until next time,
EK
*Ché is located in Over-The-Rhine at 1342 Walnut Street. There's typically plenty of street parking on Walnut and it's one block east from the Vine Street restaurant district. For more visit www.checincinnati.com
Got a place you think I need to check out? Don't know where to take your date?
Shoot me an e-mail at cincychronicles@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do :)