Friday Night Weekend Picks

My mom ~finally~ came to visit me after five long months, and she had many restaurants and bakeries in mind that she wanted to try.

We began our Cincinnati foodie journey with the delicious chorizo queso at Lalo’s. I was super excited to take my mom here because Lalo’s recently opened up a new storefront and it was such a great atmosphere. We ordered the chorizo queso, and I also tried the specialty Jarritos soda with the guava flavor.

After our pre-dinner snack, we waited a while for our late reservations at Pepp and Dolores. This was one of the places that my mom specifically requested, and I was excited for another excuse to try my favorite, so far, Italian restaurant in Cincy.

I began with trying a new drink that my mom had found the recipe for – the Aperol Margarita, which has both of my favorite drinks, Aperol and tequila.

I began telling the waitress what was in the drink – tequila, Aperol, grapefruit, lime juice, and club soda – and she said that was basically a Palmona cocktail but instead of a ginger beer or soda, you add Aperol. It was delicious and refreshing with hints of Aperol, but mainly tasted like a grapefruit margarita.

For the appetizer, we had to order one of the bread choices, and my mom chose the Housemade Ricotta spread with grilled sourdough bread. This, of course, was just as delicious as it sounds and I order every time I dine at Pepp and Dolores. We also tried the Artichoke Alla Guida which was fried artichoke with a lemon vinaigrette – yum. This was super delicious with the tart lemon flavor and the artichoke was crispy and perfectly cooked.

For my meal, I ordered the new item on the menu – Beet and Goat Cheese Ravioli. Now, I was not exactly sure if I liked roasted beets, but I figured I would try it. The ravioli was delicious and the color made it almost too pretty to eat.

I loved going out of my comfort zone and trying something I had never had before – it was worth it.

My mom ordered the Sunday Sauce which was the regular spaghetti and meatballs and she loved her order as well.

Both Lalo’s and Pepp and Dolores were the perfect starts to the weekend with my mom. These are two of my favorite places here in Cincinnati, so I was more than happy to enjoy it with my mom to begin the weekend together.

Lalo’s: 26 W Court St, Cincinnati, OH

Pepp and Dolores: 1501 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH