Though mainly residential, Fort Thomas loves independent fare and entertainment - from gourmet burgers and cover bands, to rich Italian and singing servers. Here's your agenda for a fun weekend in the neighborhood.
Start your weekend on South Fort Thomas Avenue, especially if you're taking that Friday half-day. Sarelli's Café, an adorable sandwich shop, has signature sandwiches such as the Corona Battered Codfish and The Neptune Tuna: tuna salad coupled with wheatberry, lettuce, tomatoes and Swiss cheese. The BBQ Pulled Pork wrap and "Best Ham & Cheese" panini look like real winners, too.
Midway Café is rooted in the the sports bar tradition, offering wings, quesadillas, tacos and more greasy fixings nightly. It has some nice touches, too. Try a 12- to 33-oz pour of owner Tim Gabenesch's home-brewed Midwest Wheat, or a basket of 45-cent wings, a deal offered Saturday and Sunday.
The pub has an easy happy hour from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.: $10 buckets of beer and $2 cans of Milwaukee's Best (Beast, ahem). Consider it a warm up event before the weekend's entertainment - DJs and bands liven up the joint Friday and Saturday, saluting country, pop and rock 'n' roll. Sadly, the pub's kitchen is closed, but dining options are less than a block away.
The café is good about maintaining a daily blog touching on their specials (thecobblestonecafe.blogspot.com ). Last week, the good folks here offered deals on gumbo-flavored chili, broccoli-cheddar quiche and homemade meatloaf. If you're looking for a no-frills place that makes you feel like a loyal customer before the first bite, grab lunch here.
The 915 Pub is the city's burger haven, where locals sink their teeth into gourmet creations such as the barbecue-smothered Memphis Burger and the Italian (pepperoni, provolone and pizza sauce). Try one - and come back for Burger Mania Wednesdays, when five-topping burgers are $5. Bands rock the pub on the weekends.
A family-style neighborhood restaurant, Fort Thomas Pizza offers more than just good pizza. Order the Brogie Hoagie - steak coupled with pizza or mushroom sauce, mozzarella cheese, pickles and onions - or its cousin, the 3BH, also known as the barbecue-bacon Brogie Hoagie. The buffalo-chicken-ranch pizza is among the signature options.
Date night - where are you going? Vito's Café, known for fine wines and rich Italian food. Its Wheel of Parmigiano is a no-brainer choice when you're with a friend or a sig; the sampler includes vegetables, chicken, shrimp and veal. Take your time eating that or the unique pasta entrées - servers sing musical numbers when they have a moment, showing off their grad school talent.
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