Eats Feature

Comfortably Yum

The answer to a recession? Cheap comfort food
By Heather Smith

You can get a great lunch at Tucker’s for less than $5. Photos By Cameron Knight

There’s a reason they call it “comfort food.” Scientists say it helps us survive — or at least we trick ourselves into believing it does.

A groundbreaking 2003 study by the University of California-San Francisco found that when we’re faced with a series of crises our bodies tell our brains to eat fat and sugar, because they think extra energy through food is what we need to survive. Our brains agree, switching off the stress response as soon as we’ve eaten half a bag of potato chips and going into “Man, it’s all good” mode.

The switch-off is so effective that the study’s researchers go so far as to recommend gorging on comfort food during times of crisis, as long as our debauchery is short-lived.

So it’s no surprise that our country has turned to pizza, chili and mac ’n cheese to deal with the current economic meltdown. Foodies across the country, including NPR food commentator Bonny Wolf and Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines, have noticed a nationwide return to unpretentious food that’s simple, cheap and comforting.

Fortunately, Greater Cincinnati has plenty of that, including one comfort food restaurant recently recognized as among the best in the U.S. So if you’re looking for dirtcheap nirvana, you live in the right place. Here are our recommendations for the best local comfort food dining.

BLUE JAY

Blue Jay

A Northside staple, Blue Jay has been serving neighborhood folk like you and me for more than 40 years. It’s a nearly weekly breakfast destination for my friends and me on lazy Saturday afternoons, when we show up about an hour before closing without attracting annoyed glares from the waitresses.

And that’s what makes this place comfortable: friendly service. But it’s also the bargain-basement prices ($2 $7.95) on all the typical diner fare you’d expect to find in a neighborhood cafe: soups and sandwiches, burgers and fries, eggs and bacon. The Blue Jay also serves up some local flavor with items like chili ($3.50) and goetta ($2.65).

I recently discovered their Cajun Perch sandwich ($5.15), a couple of pieces of spicy breaded perch on your choice of bread with lettuce and mayo. It might necessitate the use of a fork or several napkins, but it hits the spot. And besides, what comfort food isn’t a little messy? (Brian Cross)

4154 Hamilton Ave., Northside, 513-541-0847

CAMP WASHINGTON CHILI

I heard a “financial guru” advise that everyone do three things to beat the economic slump: Don’t spend any money at all for one day, don’t use a credit card for a week and don’t eat in any restaurants for 30 days. I’m down with the first two, but the third? That’s wrong.

If you don’t eat out, restaurant owners, staffs and suppliers don’t eat. I thought we were supposed to stimulate the economy here. Duh! If you cut all the joy out of your life, what are you left with? Heartburn.

So pay the mortgage, and then go out to eat. Go for food you love, but try someplace new. For chili, head to Camp Washington Chili at the Hopple Street exit off I-75. They were voted No. 6 in Bon Appetit magazine’s Top 10 Chili Spots in the January 2009 “Comfort Food” issue, and I’ve got to agree.

Other cities aside, Camp Washington’s three-way ($3.90) is meatier than Skyline and spicier than Gold Star. I’d also recommend the Grilled Ham & Cheese sandwich ($3.75), and the French Fries ($1.39) are outstanding. (Anne Mitchell)

3005 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington, 513-541-0061

FLO’S PLATE FULL OF SOUL

Since Flo’s isn’t a sit-down restaurant, you won’t get that kind of comfort here. The comfort is all in the food, with prices that range from 50 cents to $9.59. Their menu items are all familiar Southern-style dishes — catfish, whiting, chicken wings, mac ’n cheese, cobbler — that are very well executed. Sides include collard greens, potatoes with onions and one of my favorite things in the world, yam fries. (Sides range from the 8 ounces for $4.29 and 12 ounces for $6.29.)

As if all the wonderful home-style lunch options aren’t comforting enough, Flo’s also offers breakfast, the most comforting meal of the day. I’ve never had breakfast there, but I remember something about a pancake sandwich. Enough said.

Due to the lack of actual plates, the chefs at Flo’s are like storks delivering you a little bundle of joy (food baby). On that note, be careful: You might end up overdoing it if you’re indecisive like me and just order everything you consider. Did I mention the friendly prices? (BC)

133 E. Court St., Downtown, 513-421-3567

Green Derby

GREEN DERBY

They’ve been doing it Newport style for 60 years, and my guess is you won’t hear any complaints from the Green Derby’s loyal customers. It’s a comfort food bonanza with everything from mock turtle soup to the Derby Salad ($1.75), a take-off on hot slaw that comes with shredded lettuce rather than cabbage and is topped with crisp bits of bacon.

You don’t want to miss their Famous Halibut Sandwich ($8.95), two logs of flaky halibut served on rye bread with a side of tartar sauce and chips. The country fried chicken ($5.95) is moist chicken breast coated, fried and then doused with a peppery, creamy gravy.

The soup and pies are homemade, and if you aren’t halfway there already you’re just aren’t paying attention. (Lora Arduser)

846 York St., Newport, 859-431-8740

J&J RESTAURANT

A West Side staple for more than four decades, J&J is the spot for no-frills, home-style sustenance. All-day breakfast options are simple and straightforward, and Cincinnati-style chili and some of the best double-decker sandwiches in the city anchor the lunch/dinner choices.

My favorite is the ham and beef with Swiss cheese ($7.55), a towering slab of goodness replete with three pieces of toasted white bread, mayonnaise and, of course, plenty of sliced ham and beef. Nothing is as elementally satisfying to the taste buds as the mix of salty potato chips and J&J’s distinctive mayonnaise. And don’t let the price fool you: It’s big enough to feed two people.

The decor is just as straightforward as the menu, though the recent move to a new space 50 yards from the old spot means that everything is slightly less worn. The gleaming Elder clock over the front doorway is sure to play well with Westsiders, as is a waitstaff who will remind many of Flo from Mel’s Diner. But the pièce de résistance is the old-school iron cash register, a relic from a bygone era that’s as oddly comforting as the food. (Jason Gargano)

6157 Glenway Ave., Westwood, 513-661-2260

KEYSTONE BAR & GRILL

At Keystone, you can listen to your Pink Floyd and eat it too. This bar is known for their half-price mac ’n cheese nights and a jukebox that will bring back memories of our senior prom if you’re in your thirties or forties. One of 10 mac ’n cheese dishes, all half-price on Monday nights, The Pink Floyd ($3.25) offers bacon and caramelized onions smothered with Swiss and cheddar, as heavenly and homemade as your grandma made it.

If you’re a traditionalist, there’s the Loving Spoonful ($2.75), old-fashioned mac ’n cheese with real, thick cheddar and meaty macaroni. You can also build your own mac, choosing from ingredients such as chili, tomatoes, jalapenos, chicken and steak.

If you’re more adventurous, you need to try The Fleetwood Mac ($3.25), the mac ’n cheese version of Insalata Caprese, with fresh mozzarella, pesto and tomatoes. The best part is that each dish feeds at least two, so you’re looking at less than $2 a meal. (Heather Smith)

313 Greenup St., Covington, 859-261-6777

Pepper Pod

PEPPER POD

What’s more comforting than breakfast? And for breakfast any time with a colorful cast of characters, let me suggest the Pepper Pod. This Newport institution has been slinging hash browns since the 1970s, and they’ve got affordable goodness going on 24 hours a day seven days a week.

We went whole hog with the Grilled Pork Chop Breakfast, the priciest item on the menu at $8.99, and it was outstanding: two rib-cut chops seasoned with a little garlic salt and pepper and fried with a side of eggs any style. The Goetta Omelette ($5.65) is absolutely amazing — gooey with cheese, and the goetta is nice and crisp.

But our new favorite comfort food? Pepper Pod’s Loaded Hash Browns ($3.50). They’re potatoes for nachos lovers, crowded with onions, peppers, ham and cheese. And your coffee cup ($1.35) never gets close to empty at the Pod. (AM)

703 Monmouth St., Newport, 859-431-7455

TOM’S POT PIES

Men sometimes refer to themselves as a “Leg Man” or a “Breast Man.” I’m a “Crust Girl.” Have been since I was a wee child guarding the crust of my apple pie from my impish grandfather.

All I can say is that Grandpa better watch his fingers if they get near the crust of my Chicken Pot Pie ($6) from Tom’s Pot Pies. The term “pie” is really a little misleading — Tom’s topping is so flaky it could rival any European pastry maker’s product. The filling is full of big, flavorful pieces of chicken, carrots, green beans, peas and corn.

If you absolutely have to go vegetarian, he even has a pie for that. I promise to advert my eyes as you commit blasphemy against this religious culinary artifact. (LA)

915 Vine St., Downtown, 513-235-2400

Price Hill Chili

PRICE HILL CHILI

Generations of patrons — everyone from blue-collar workers on lunch break to post-church, breakfast-eating families — have grown up on this iconic family-owned and - operated restaurant’s diverse, home-style menu. The doubledecker and specialty sandwiches are perennial favorites, including The Bengal ($5.20): hot ham, mayonnaise, crispy bacon, melted cheese (Swiss or American), lettuce and tomato on a grilled bun.

Various fish sandwiches and dinners, often paired with a delicious dish of mac ’n cheese ($2.50), are popular on Fridays. The massive breakfast menu features everything from a Vegetarian Omelette ($5.50) to French Toast ($4.15). And, of course, a side of goetta ($2.75) is a staple.

But Price Hill Chili is more than just a restaurant; it’s a neighborhood hangout where talk of politics (largely rightleaning, if the many prominent Dick Cheney news clippings that line the rear hallway are any indication) and/or the current state of Cincinnati’s sports teams emanates from nearly every table within its labyrinthine confines. (JG)

4290 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, 513-471-9507

TUCKER’S RESTAURANT

From the outside, Tucker’s looks risky, smack in the middle of Over-the-Rhine with a faded sign. But only to the uninitiated. Step inside, and you’ll feel warm, fuzzy and shivery delicious all over.

The restaurant is a haven for foodies and greasy spooners, professionals and the unemployed, and you can get a great lunch for under $5. I tried the homemade Vegetarian Chili ($3), slightly spicy and oniony, that kept we warm for hours; the Grilled Cheese Veggie DeeeLuxe ($3.75), thick with savory veggies and oozing with cheese; and the crispy and crinkled old-diner-style fries ($1 for a small).

It’s all good, made with love by the Tucker family. Since 1946, the Tuckers have been committed to offering great meals at affordable prices to everyone: neighborhood residents, downtown professionals, the poor, the homeless, the middle class. Go Tucker’s! (HS)

1637 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-721-7123