Slims
Northside spot is the place to go for comfortable food with exotic tastes
KARI WETHINGTON | CIN WEEKLY
Downtown, Hyde Park, Clifton - these are Cincinnati's tried-and-true culinary hot spots. But quietly rising into this top tier is Northside, with its wide-ranging selection of healthy, homemade and hip dining options.
Whether you're after coffee at Sidewinder or Indonesian at Gajah Wong West - or fresh dishes at Melt, Potluck or Honey - Northside is up for the tasting. (And we have to give a little shout-out to the old-school diners and burrito-happy Comet that also make Northside so special.)
Modest but exotic, Slims is the anchor to Northside's sea of good taste. It's been around long enough to build a devoted following, but with a menu that changes frequently, Slims can feel like an adventure on each trip.
DINING OPTIONS
The first thing to know about Slims is that it's a relaxed place. Don't be fooled by the "prix-fixe" option - like the restaurant says, this is "real comfortable food." Food is creative and carefully made, but it's totally accessible.
Slims' menu has flavors that might be new to you, especially in the Latin American-inspired dishes, but you'll find familiar elements as well. The popular braised lamb shank, for instance, is standard "nice restaurant" fare - but here it's served with mashed yam, plantain crema and black bean tropical fruit salsa ($18).
And there's always something new to taste. "The menu changes every two weeks a little bit," says owner Patrick McCafferty.
Stop by for dinner on Thursday-Saturday nights, or try the popular Sunday brunch. (You can dine á la carte on Thursday or Sunday.)
BRUNCH EXPERIENCE
Slims was bustling at noon on my recent visit for Sunday brunch. I had made reservations, but even without mentioning them we quickly got a table for two. It was a cloudy day so I didn't mind sitting in the back room. (For a nice day, try to sneak to the front, though - those windows are lovely.)
It was crowded, so service was a little spotty - we were waited on by a few servers. Luckily, the food was so good and company so pleasant that we really didn't mind. Slims is laid-back, and it feels good to embrace that.
Brunch here is definitely outside the box, with tacos, a tropical fruit salad with rosemary syrup and an option for lechon asado (a multiple-course Puerto Rican meal). It's comfort food with a few worldly, upscale twists. We started with coffee ($2) in cute, handle-less mugs as we browsed the menu.
LECHON AND ROMESCO
Since I love to sample, I ordered the vegetarian lechon asado, which is a steal at $12.50. The hearty meal started with a virgin pina colada and a greens-and-fruit salad and moved on to a plate full of Puerto Rican staples such as tamales, black beans, rice and cole slaw. Every bite was better than the last.
My friend dined á la carte and had the Spanish omelet with romesco sauce ($6) and a side of crispy rosemary roast potatoes ($2.50). His portions were hearty, and the omelet was tasty, but the sauce really made the meal.
The lechon asado also included flan for dessert, but my server let me substitute a peach and blueberry coffee cake. It was just sweet enough, and perfect for sharing.
