LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: Downtown Historic Loveland

TAHONA Loveland Impresses the Community at Sneak Peek Dinner and Taco Tuesday!
by Cassie Mattia the Loveland Food Guru

Loveland, Ohio – Downtown Historic Loveland welcomed TAHONA Kitchen + Bar on July 13th just in time for Taco Tuesday! TAHONA Kitchen + Bar specializes in Mexican Street Style Food and “TAHONA” style Tequila.

TAHONA Kitchen + Bar, which is a part of a local successful chain of restaurants called Looking Glass Hospitality, opened its first location in 2017 in Summit Park in Blue Ash. TAHONA, meaning “the large stone wheel that is used to crush the roasted hearts of agave known as piñas into a fermentable mash,” uses only the freshest produce and slow-roasted meats as well as freshly squeezed juices and homemade ingredients for their cocktails.

Prior to TAHONA Loveland’s grand opening, Scott Schmidt, Founder of Looking Glass Hospitality, invited Loveland Magazine to take a tour of the newly renovated TAHONA Loveland, located at 117 Karl Brown Way. Schmidt indulged us in an exclusive on-camera interview explaining just why TAHONA is the home of the Walking Taco and what the “time-honored TAHONA technique” entails when producing their Patron Roca Silver Tequila for their infamous TAHONA Margarita.

From the TAHONA Pineapple Mango Guacamole to the Vegetable Marinated Tofu Corn Taco to the legendary Donut Holes; TAHONA has a little something for everyone! Did I mention they specialize in Tequila inspired cocktails like “The TAHONA” (made with homemade ginger syrup), “The Granada Mojito,” and of course Fruit Margaritas? TAHONA also serves a twist on an Old Fashioned called “Clyborne’s Peach Old-Fashioned,” which is to die for!

After speaking with Schmidt and hearing all about the mouthwatering menu I knew I had to try out TAHONA immediately so myself, David Miller (LM Editor), and my boyfriend, Adam Ploof, headed down to TAHONA Blue Ash to try out the menu. We were unbelievably pleased with the atmosphere, the food, and the cocktails!

Shortly after my TAHONA Blue Ash experience, myself and David were cordially invited to a “sneak peek” dinner at TAHONA Loveland, which took place on Saturday, July 10th. We were thrilled to get the opportunity to see the new TAHONA location and of course we were happy to eat more tacos! David and I were able to bring along 3 guests to try out TAHONA Loveland on Saturday night and let me tell you our guests were happy to accept the invitation!

The TAHONA Loveland experience ended up being incredible! The street-style Mexican restaurant definitely succeeded in proving why it is the perfect addition to the Downtown Loveland food culture. I was so impressed by both TAHONA locations that I decided to create a video capturing both experiences on my YouTube Channel, Beast Mode With Cassie! Click the video below to see my “TAHONA Kitchen + Bar Experience!”

If you missed out on my one-on-one on-camera interview inside TAHONA Loveland with Looking Glass Hospitality Founder Scott Schmidt, click the Loveland Magazine TV video below!
To stay up to date on all things TAHONA Loveland follow them on FaceBook. For TAHONA Blue Ash updates follow their FaceBook page.

For more updates on Loveland’s new restaurant openings and food culture stay tuned to Cassie The Food Guru!
Jul 15, 2021
The 2021 4th of July Loveland Parade Stayed True to America’s Red, White, and Blue!
Cassie Mattia’s Latest Loveland Salad includes all of Downtown’s 4th of July Festivities!

by Cassie Mattia,

Loveland, Ohio – The streets of Loveland were filled with patriotism as the community gathered around to enjoy one phenomenal 2021 Independence Day Celebration in the heart of Downtown!

Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Loveland’s 4th of July celebration was canceled so many Americans across Cincinnati missed out on celebrating America’s birthday Loveland-style. In preparation for this year’s celebration, many didn’t know what to expect, but as the 4th of July drew nearer one thing became clear; friends, families, and community members wanted to bring in Independence Day together with a bang. That couldn’t have been more true as the Loveland 2021 4th of July celebration kicked off at Noon and the sea of red, white, and blue filled Downtown Historic Loveland.

The beautiful sunny day was filled with activities, local vendor booths, food trucks, live music, and rides for the kids. At 4 PM Nisbet Park hosted the “Kids Zone,” which included exotic animals on display, potato sack races, martial arts, face painting, jugglers on stilts, the Loveland Robotics Team, pirates, inflatables, festival rides, and much more!

There was of course no shortage of food and drinks as the local food trucks rolled into Downtown Loveland at 4 PM as well. Crowds of festive Americans had the choice of lining up to receive ice cream from the Loveland Dairy Whip, 4th of July grill out cuisine from The Right Stuff Grill, delicious Southeast Asian-style food from the Sea Cuisine Food Truck, unique burgers and sandwiches from Stellar Street Eats, on-the-spot homemade lemonade at The Lemonade Stand, or a mouth-watering smoothie from The Smoothie King Food Truck.

As civilians ventured down the Loveland Bike Trail live patriotic music filled the air, creating an unbelievable atmosphere throughout Downtown Loveland. Russel Kuzuhara performed at Jackson Street Market as adults enjoyed nice cold beverages from the beer booth. Later the Bluewater Kings Band took the stage at the Nisbet Park Amphitheater as friends and families danced to the high-energy 6 piece ensemble.
The featured event of the night was the Loveland Parade, which brought in hundreds of Americans from all over the Cincinnati area just to catch a glimpse of patriotism in its best form! As local organizations, businesses, churches, Disney Princesses, circus performers, the LPD, the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department, and city officials made their way down West Loveland Avenue in their decked-out Americana vehicles kids lined the streets with their families for candy, popsicles, and even toothbrushes tossed out by those in the parade. The atmosphere couldn’t have been more perfect for those that attended and of course, the community felt more united than ever before!

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to commentate the entire parade while Loveland Magazine’s Editor, David Miller, streamed all of the action on Facebook Live for those who wanted to enjoy the Loveland Parade from their homes or vacation spots.

If you missed out on the 2021 4th of July Loveland Parade check out part 1 and part 2 of Loveland Magazine TV’s Facebook Live footage below!

https://www.facebook.com/361028064446/videos/545819269757466

As the sunset on Downtown Loveland, people began to claim their front row seats to the Annual Loveland Firework Show that started promptly at 10 PM. The firework show didn’t disappoint as friends and families camped out on blankets and lawn chairs while staring into the beautifully lit sky! Loveland’s Independence Day celebration ended with a firework grand finale that left those who were watching with an overwhelming feeling of love for America and the Americans surrounding them.

If you weren’t able to catch Loveland’s 2021 4th of July festivities, check out the videos below captured by David Miller on Loveland Magazine TV and the photos taken by Alex Eicher and Bob Kessler!

Loveland 4th of July Firework Photos by Alex Eicher

Check out these videos taken by David Miller on Loveland Magazine TV from Loveland’s Independence Day Celebration!

Loveland 4th of July Firework Photos by Bob Kessler

Bob Kessler took these particular photos from the East bank of the Little Miami River looking towards the Tufts Schildmeyer Family Funeral Home. (All Photos © 2021 Bob Kessler)

For more of the latest Loveland event coverage stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With Me, Cassie Mattia!
Jul 7, 2021
Bands and Brews Brings the City of Loveland Together to Celebrate Summer!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – It was a beautiful Summer night at the first installment of Bands and Brews in the heart of Downtown Historic Loveland last Saturday!

Families and friends grabbed their lawn chairs, blankets, and their favorite beverage and gathered around the Fountain Greene as they enjoyed live entertainment by the Counting Skeletons and Everything’s Jake.

The fun-filled night kicked off at 6 PM with the Counting Skeletons performing their personal “Dance-able Rock” favorites. As Bone Head, Bon “E” Phish, Phred “Big Bones” McAllister, Skeleton Keys, Jon Bone-m, and Dead Ear got the crowd rocking and rolling kids from the surrounding families joined the Skeletons on stage showing off with their best dance moves!

Check out the video below that I took of the Counting Skeletons rocking out with the community’s kids!

After the Counting Skeletons finished their set, the crowd intermingled with one another as many members of the community had not seen each other since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Next on the entertainment line-up was Everything’s Jake featuring the trio of Ben Duke, Joe Cremeans, and Marianne Puntenney. The community of music lovers grabbed their beverages from the President of the Little Miami Chamber of Alliance, Cee Cee Collins, and intern, Amanda Fox, and once again gathered around for one heck of a show!

Everything’s Jake ended the night with a bang playing everything from R&B to Blues to Pop. As everyone swayed and grooved to the sweet harmonies of Everything’s Jake it was clear that the first rendition of Bands and Brews was a Summer success!

Check out the video below captured by Loveland Magazine Publisher David Miller of Everything’s Jake!

Bands and Brews 2021 will be going on every month throughout the Summer from 6 PM-10 PM on the Fountain Greene in Downtown Historic Loveland. The next installment will be on July 3rd and will feature Model Behavior.

Loveland Magazine wants to take the opportunity to say thank you to presenting Bands and Brews sponsors ReMax Preferred Group, and The Brittney Frietch Team, as well as LMRCA, BRS Insurance, Paxton’s Grill, Ramsey’s Trailside, Suzi Cree from Keller Williams, and Historic Loveland on the Bike Trail for making the event such as success!

Missed out on Bands and Brews last Saturday? We have got you covered! Check out the photos taken by Loveland Magazine photographer Alex Eicher!

Photos by Alex Eicher

Photos by Alex Eicher

Loveland Magazine photographer Alex Eicher

(Click on any photo below to view larger)

Stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With Me, Cassie Mattia for more on what’s going on this Summer in Downtown Loveland!

Jun 17, 2021
Bands and Brews Coming to Downtown Loveland This Saturday!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – The warm weather is finally here and Downtown Loveland is more than ready to bring the community back together once again to celebrate Summer 2021!

The Little Miami River Chamber of Alliance (LMRCA) has been working harder than ever planning events as Ohio slowly but surely returns back to normal after all the COVID-19 chaos canceling the majority of events last Summer.

Kicking off this Saturday, June 12th in the heart of Downtown Historic Loveland is the Summer Concert Series, “Band & Brews,” brought to you by presenting sponsors ReMax Preferred Group, and The Brittney Frietch Team. Other sponsors include LMRCA, BRS Insurance, Paxton’s Grill, Ramsey’s Trailside, Suzi Cree from Keller Williams, and Historic Loveland on the Bike Trail. The fun-filled event will be held on the Fountain Greene from 6 PM-10 PM and will feature local bands Counting Skeletons and Everything’s Jake.

Counting Skeletons is composed of a group of veteran musicians that are based out of both Cincinnati and Dayton. This local band is all about getting their audience up and dancing as they focus primarily on the ’70s, ’80s, and today’s “Dance-able Rock” hits! Bone Head, Bon “E” Phish, Phred “Big Bones” McAllister, Skeleton Keys, Jon Bone-m, and Dead Ear are all a part of Counting Skeletons.

Click below to listen to Counting Skeleton’s “Super Moon!”

<a href=”https://countingskeletons.bandcamp.com/album/super-moon”>Super Moon by Counting Skeletons</a>

Everything’s Jake, featuring trio Ben Duke, Joe Cremeans, and Marianne Puntenney, will also be headlining the first round of Bands and Brews on June 12th. This local band plays a little something for everyone, from R&B to Blues to Pop and Rock, Everything’s Jake is bound to get you singing along!

The LMRCA encourages those who are attending to bring lawn chairs and blankets so that they can comfortably watch the live entertainment. Drinks will be sold at the event!

Bands and Brews will take place each month throughout the Summer in Downtown Loveland from 6 PM to 10 PM and will feature only the best local bands! On July 3rd Model Behavior will take the stage and on August 14th both the Frogman Band and Time Stamp will be performing.

As more details come in about Band and Brews The Summer Concert Series, Loveland Magazine will be here to deliver to you our loyal readers the latest news!

We hope to see everyone celebrating Summer together at the first installment of Bands and Brews this Saturday at Fountain Greene in Downtown Loveland beginning at 6 PM! Let’s kick-off together a beautiful Summer 2021!

For more updates on Loveland events and entertainment stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With Me, Cassie Mattia!

Jun 8, 2021
A Peek into RODI Italian –Historic Downtown Loveland’s Latest Restaurant Addition!
by Cassie Mattia

Rob Peloni

Loveland, Ohio – As the holidays are right around the corner, many are looking for that perfect family gathering spot where they can safely sit down, catch up with loved ones, and enjoy an affordable yet delicious meal. Well, the wait is almost over as Rodi Italian, located in Historic Downtown Loveland at 115 Karl Brown Way, is set to have its soft opening in December.

In August I visited Rodi to get a feel for the beautiful Italian eatery and wow was I impressed! From the traditional Italian family recipes to the plethora of Italian wines, to the rustic decor, I knew that this soon-to-be Loveland hot-spot would take the community by storm! To see my on-camera interview with Roberto Peloni, Rodi Italian’s owner and head chef, click below!

[Video Interview] Authentic Italian Restaurant Plants its Roots in the Heart of Downtown Loveland!

Since my last visit to Rodi Italian, the restaurant has been totally transformed! Loveland Magazine’s Editor in Chief, David Miller, myself, and my nephew, Emmett, visited Rodi last week just to see the transformation, and after seeing all the new additions, we are more than excited to welcome Rodi Italian into the Loveland restaurant culture!

Peloni walked as through his restaurant as he explained what went into all the new restaurant additions and how proud he was of what Rodi was becoming.

Since August, Rodi Italian’s Stefano Ferrara Neapolitan Wood-Burning Pizza Oven has been installed and is up and running. Peloni said that they recently made their first pizza and he couldn’t wait to share them with Loveland! Click the link below to see a video of Rodi Italian’s first pizza being made in their brand new pizza oven!

https://www.facebook.com/rodiloveland/videos/165089161926803

Each pizza served on Rodi Italian’s menu will be Neapolitan style and cooked from scratch in their 900-degree wood-burning pizza oven. Some of the unique pizza’s that will be served on Rodi Italian’s menu is, Brussels, which will include shaved Brussel sprouts, pancetta, and fontina, finished with ricotta and lemon drizzle, Figs, which will have olive oil, fontina, fresh figs with gorgonzola, and fig puree, and The Fun Guy (FUNGHI), which will include cream, Tallegio, fontina, sausage, a blend of mushrooms, and sea salt. Gluten-Free pizza crust will be available as well.

As we walked through Rodi Italian Peloni showed us another one of their newest additions, The Faema E91Coffee Espresso Machine, which will feature Cafe Filicori Coffee straight from Bologna, Italy! Rodi Italian is the only restaurant other than a few spots in New York, California, and Chicago, that will have this specialty coffee. Peloni shared with us that his restaurant will be serving Brunch on Saturday’s and Sunday’s, he just hasn’t decided on the hours as of now.

As an Italian myself, when I think of a traditional Italian meal I always end up grabbing a beautiful Italian wine that will pair nicely with my meal. Peloni reassured me that finding the perfect wine to match my meal wouldn’t be a problem at Rodi Italian as the restaurant will feature over 70 different labels from Italy and California. As I looked around Rodi Italian I could already see that wine would be a major part of the restaurant as it had gigantic beautifully sculpted wine holders framing one of their doorways and a state of the art mahogany bar located in the heart of the restaurant surrounded with chairs for guests. Rodi Italian’s one-of-a-kind bar was built by The Cincinnati Wood Collaborative, a group that specializes in repurposing wood. The bar will also include 10 beers on tap and 10-15 bottled beer options.

What goes better with a glass of wine than a traditional Italian appetizer or salad? No need to look any further as Rodi Italian will have plenty of legendary family recipes for the community to enjoy! Rodi Italian’s salads and small plates section of the menu will feature items such as The Cesare (an old family recipe), which includes anchovy, garlic, and romaine, the Burrata Tartufato, which is a ball of hand-pulled burrata cheese over arugula, shaved black truffles, and crostini, and the Sacchetti ‘Beggar’s Purse’ (a house specialty), which will feature a pizza dough purse filled with roasted garlic and herbs in olive oil.

Although Rodi Italian’s menu isn’t entirely official yet, Peloni was kind enough to give Loveland Magazine the okay to share a few of the Pasta options, “Chef Rob’s Seasonal Menu,” and the Dinner Plates. A few of the Pasta menu items, which will be made from scratch in the restaurant, that grabbed my attention was the Rodi Pasta, which features Fusilli (GF option available) sauteed with thin onion, pancetta, green peas, and white wine, the Family Recipe Lasagna, a traditional meat sauce lasagna created by Peloni and his family, and the Risotto Al Porcini, which includes Porcini mushrooms, shallots, and green peas.

Peloni told us that he will consistently be featuring a Seasonal Menu crafted by him using ingredients that are in season for that particular time of the year. One of the seasonal meals that caught my attention was the Ravioli Di Zucca, a pumpkin filled ravioli sauteed in brown sugar and sage finished with pieces of toasted hazelnuts. YUM!

Rodi Italian’s Dinner Menu also includes a “Plates” section and of course a few items for the Bambini’s a.k.a The Kids! One particular item on the Plates section that sounded delicious is the Cacciuco, which includes clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, white fish, and salmon in a tomato and fish stalk broth. This traditional seafood soup originated in Liguria where Peloni’s family is from. Of course, we can’t forget about the Bambini’s menu, which will feature Kids Antipasto, Mini Cheese Pizza, S’ghetti, and the Cheese and Fries Pizza (a kid favorite in Italy), which will literally be an 8-inch pizza, covered in tomato sauce, and mozzarella topped with french fries!

The Faema E91Coffee Espresso Machine, which will feature Cafe Filicori Coffee straight from Bologna, Italy!

Walking through Rodi Italian and seeing what the building was in August compared to what it is now has made us more than excited to introduce this traditional family Italian restaurant to the community! Like I mentioned previously Rodi Italian is set to have a soft opening in December but as for the official date, Peloni said he will announce it via Rodi’s Facebook Page or Website. Rodi Italian’s dinner hours are set to be Tuesday – Friday 11:30 A.M. – 10 P.M. Again Peloni plans on opening up on Saturday’s and Sunday’s for Brunch, but the hours are yet to be set.

Rob Peloni showing me the early draft of the RODI menu

We want to thank Rodi Italian and Rob Peloni for letting Loveland Magazine be a part of the Rodi journey and we cannot wait for opening day! Take a few moments to check out our photo album featuring our walk-through at Rodi Italian last Friday!

Click on an image to see it larger and to click through the photo album.
For more of the Loveland Salad with me, Cassie Mattia, stay tuned!
Nov 23, 2020
Caroline Ginder and Jordan Collins Awarded Seth Mitchell 2020 Scholarships!

Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Students across Ohio have felt and continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the remainder of the school year canceled as well as graduation and all the fun events that go along with it, many students did not get the opportunity to be a part of their Annual Senior Night missing out on receiving Senior Awards and Scholarships.

Steve and Connie Mitchell could not bear the thought of not giving out the annual 2020 Seth Mitchell Scholarships to the LHS Senior applicants so they decided to give the scholarships away virtually! The Mitchells usually make an annual visit into town to personally hand out the scholarships on the Senior Award Night.

Connie and Steve’s, son and decorated war hero, LHS graduate, Captain Seth Mitchell was killed on October 26th, 2009 at age 30 when two helicopters collided while he was supporting combat operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. At the time of tragedy, Captain Mitchell was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA, and was part of the Marine Corp HMLA 367 Scarface unit. Captain Mitchell piloted an AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter.

Seth volunteered for the fatal mission.

If you would like to learn more about Captain Mitchell’s story click on the links below to access Loveland Magazine stories of the past about Mitchell.

Please join us Saturday – to keep Captain Seth Mitchell’s memory alive

Why there is a Captain Seth Mitchell HERO 5K

In memory of Captain Mitchell both, his family and friends not only hold “The Seth Mitchell Hero 5k” in Downtown Historic Loveland every year, but they also give away “Seth Mitchell” scholarships to two well accomplished LHS Seniors. Below is Steve and Connie Mitchell’s explanation of how the scholarship recipients were selected this year.

“As you probably guessed we were unable to do personal on-site interviews with our 2020 Seth Mitchell scholarship applicants. However, we summoned help from some younger folks and proceeded with the interviews through Google Hangout,” the Mitchell’s explained, “Yep, Steve and Connie on Google Hangout. Who’d of thought that? Loveland High School also did not have their annual Senior Night on May 13, so the scholarships were awarded virtually. We had 18 applicants this year and personally interviewed six before awarding two scholarships. Your scholarship committee consisting of Greg Carpinello, Damien Cook, Mollie Schrichten, Marisa Sobb, (all friends of Seth and ’97 LHS graduates) Connie and I, take seriously the process to recruit, interview and select candidates. All the kids were deserving and we are especially proud of the recipients.”

The $3,500 Let Us Never Forget Seth Mitchell Scholarship was founded by the Mitchell Family and the “Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Foundation.”

The scholarships are funded by the Seth Mitchell Hero 5K, in which both Seth’s friends and family run, in memory of Seth every year.

This year the 2020 “virtual” Let Us Never Forget Seth Mitchell Scholarships went to Jordan Collins and Caroline Ginder! Below are the biographies for both scholarship winners provided by the Mitchell’s.

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Jordan Collins is the 2020 scholarship recipient and she has a spirit similar to Seth.

She was and still is involved in many theatrical and musical productions. She is a National Honor Society member, volunteers through Mom’s Hope, and works part-time.

Jordan will be paying a large part of her college costs.

She has a “do something” attitude, a strong work ethic, and knows no stranger, being kind to all. She is not afraid to fail in the pursuit of her dreams and is strong in the face of adversity.

She hopes to pursue her theatrical dreams at Syracuse University.

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Caroline Ginder is also a 2020 recipient of the Memorial Scholarship. Caroline was described by one of her references as “being self-motivated, goal-oriented, and a fine example of caring more about her teammates rather than herself.”

She participated in many school events such as Tiger’s Inc., LHS Women’s Soccer, NEST, and National Honor Society.

Caroline will be attending Ohio State University where she will pursue medicine. She hopes to someday be a part of Doctors Without Borders.

Like Jordan, Caroline is paying a share of her college costs as well.

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If you would like to learn more about the Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Foundation you can visit their website at yellowribbonsupportcenter.com.

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If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved with the Seth Mitchell Hero 5K this year you can visit the event’s website at sethmitchell5k.org.

The 11th Annual Seth Mitchell Hero 5k will take place on Saturday, October 10th at 11 AM in Nisbet Park in Historic Downtown Loveland, Ohio.

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You don’t have to run or walk in the race to support the scholarship program. You can donate now or volunteer your time and skills!

Congratulations to both Caroline and Jordan for being selected to receive the Never Let Us Forget Seth Mitchell Scholarships!

Jul 5, 2020