Flying Pig through Pictures

I had a totally awesome experience with my first (and maybe only) half marathon this past Sunday when I was one of about 20,000 people participating in Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon. Here's a quick re-cap through some photos I took along the 13.1 mile course.

Me and JJ at Mile 7

My awesome friends who came out to cheer me on at Mile 11Finish Line with my running buddy Julie and Coach Carolyn
After party at the Running Spot tent with our 4 person Relay Team - Team Swine Flew!

Once life settles down a little I plan on posting about how everything went and some more indepth details about the day. Like I said, it was really great - eventhough it rained the first 5 miles or so, I really embraced the morning and took in all the excitement and emotions that came along with completing this goal I'd set out to finish. I can not thank everyone enough for all the support these last few months and especially the days leading up to the big run. I received tons of shout outs on Facebook and also got many text messages from loved ones cheering me on and all of those mean so much to me. Looking forward to recaping things and getting another blog post up soon with the details and hopefully some of the office race day photos!

It's time for pigs to fly!

After months and months of training runs and prep work, tomorrow morning is the Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon. Tonight we went out for an awesome pre-race dinner with my running buddies to Buca di Beppo and loaded up on some yummy carbs like pasta and italian bread. Here's a quick pick of us before we all went home to get our gear ready for the morning. I'm feeling pretty good about things - I've gotten tons of shout outs and good luck wishes through Facebook and text messages, so it's so helpful to have lots of people cheering for me as I embark on this adventure. A few of my peeps are supposed to be out spectating along the course, so that will be fun to look for them along the run. Got all my clothes ready for the early wake up call, so now it's time for bed for some good solid sleep.Thanks again to all my blog readers for your support over these last few months during my training run posts. I'll be thinking of all those who are behind me while I'm out on the course in the morning!

Cincinnati's Bridges

9.3 - that was the mileage on this morning's Half Marathon training run that covered Northern Kentucky and downtown Cincinnati. It was a beautiful morning and a great day to get out before the sun came up to take in some of the lovely sights in the Queen City. The thing about running in Cincinnati is that you'll no doubt find yourself pounding up and down some hills and what some people don't realize is that almost any bridge is actually a big hill. So when you set out to run 9.3 miles and you look at the route laid out by the running coach and you see 5 bridges on the turn by turn directions, there's a bit of an "ugh" feeling that sets in before you even start your first mile.Alas, I pushed ahead and got moving across the first bridge - The Purple People Bridge - this is a pedestrian only bridge, so it's a nice smooth concrete surface to run along. The bridge goes between Newport, KY and the east side of Cincinnati's downtown area, near the some popular park areas called Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove. On most of our runs, this is usually the first bridge we cross, so it's always challenging to start on a hill, but overall I don't find this bridge too tough to handle. Up next, the Taylor-Southgate Bridge - this is the bridge that I find gives me the most trouble. It's 850 meters, which is similar to the others, but for some reason it kicks my butt every time I cross it. And today, we had to cross it twice (gasp) - on the way out and on the way back - but I made it, thankfully. One awesome moment from today's run while on the bridge was that the sun was coming up right beyond the bridge, so it was a bit easier to focus on the beauty of that image rather than the pain my legs were feeling while running the bridge.

Bridge number 3 was the Licking River Bridge (click link for photo). This one runs over the Licking River in Northern Ky and there's a long gradual hill leading up the this bridge, so it's never fun to cross this one and the pedestrian lane is pretty skinny along this bridge which is well depicted in the photo link.
The fourth bridge of today's run was the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge (the far left bridge in the photo). This one is pretty challenging, however I really like this bridge because of the views it gives you of downtown Cincinnati. It runs between Covington and downtown Cincy and it's right next to the home of the Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium, so when it's football season, you might be able to catch the players out on the practice field.

So, there you have it - a quick tour of some of the bridges spanning the Ohio River that I traveled on by foot this morning. While very challenging, there's a part of me that enjoys the up and downs of the bridges. Usually the down part is my favorite but hey no big surprise there because who doesn't love a downhill!

To "fly" or not to "fly"...

13.1 miles

That is the question I'm posing to myself after this past weekend's training group run. I accomplished my longest run ever, like ever in my life, 7.5 miles. It's been a tough two weekends with the groups runs - 6.8 miles of Cincy hills and 7.5 miles of bridges and downtown streets. Despite my nerves, I made it through both runs and felt pretty strong after Saturday's 7.5 miler. So strong that while enjoying breakfast with my friends, my ears perked up when one of them told me that you can participate in both the Cincinnati Flying Pig 4-person Relay Run and the Half Marathon. So, after some research that's where I am today - seriously considering runing 13.1 miles through downtown Cincy and some of my favorite neighborhoods the first weekend of May.

When I started this running journey less than a year ago, I never thought I'd be thinking of taking on such a chalellenge. Once I finsihed the Thanksgiving Day 10k run, I did feel that one day I want to tackle a half marathon, I just never thought it would be this soon - less than a year after I started running. But my energy is up, the excitement is all around me, and I feel like there's no time like the present. I'm already half way through the training with the group, so if I want to continue running with them on the weekends, then I'll be uping my miles b/c they're all training for the half - so why not just go ahead and do it - check it off my life's to do list. If I do it, the race falls 11 days before my 32nd birthday and what better gift to give myself - pride and accomplishment on completing my first half marathon, sounds like a pretty great b-day gift to me!

Thoughts - advice - words of wisdom - I'm ready to hear it all. Have you done a half marathon? If so, what's something you wish you'd known before your race? Let me hear it blogger friends!

Flying Pig Relay Run

It's time to commit to some running events to kick off this year. Signing up for events helps me stay focused on training and also helps motivate me to get off the couch & get moving! So far, the "big" race I've committed to is the Cincinnati Flying Pig relay run. By doing the relay version of the Flying Pig, you create a team of 4 people and the course is broken up into 4 zones, so the longest distance anyone runs is just under 8 miles. Here's the break out on each leg:

Leg 1 - Start line to Eden Park at Mirror Lake = 6.84 miles
Leg 2 - Eden Park at Mirror Lake to Wasson Ave = 5.16 miles
Leg 3 - Wasson Ave to Eastern at Linwood = 7.67 miles
Leg 4 - Eastern at Linwood to Finish Line = 6.55 miles

JJ has already laid claim on the shortest distance - leg 2 - but what he may not be aware of this that particular leg is pretty hilly. The "upside" (pun intended) to choosing this leg is that it goes through the Hyde Park neighborhood, which is well known for being a place where tons of people are out cheering on race runners. After talking with him the other day, he now says he really doesn't care which leg he gets and that he was just joking about wanting the shortest leg.

I think I'm going to run leg 1 - 6.83 miles - this way I can kick off our team run and my team mates, who are probably all faster than I am, can make up some time on the other legs of the run. I'm also excited about running the first leg of the race because I'll be able to meet up with my running group gals! They are all running the half marathon, so I know it will be fun to be with them for the first half of their run. The girls have joined the half marathon training group with the Running Spot, so they're out there in this January cold weather already pounding the pavement. I'm very tempted to join the group also, even though I'll be running 7 miles and not the full 13.2. Being part of the group motivates me to show up at the group runs and push myself when I'm out running. I'll keep you posted if I decide to join.

What's not motivating me right now are the cold temperatures in Cincy - it's snowy, windy and icy and that just doesn't sound like a fun way to get back into running. But I've stocked up on some cold weather running gear, so I just need to bite the bullet, lace up my shoes and hit the ground running (again, pun intended).

I'll be using Cincyspin to track my progress with my running this year. I also plan to load up the Dolce more often once Spring rolls around and hit the bike trails. So, cheers to making the commitment - I hope it's a fun & healthy year filled with bike rides, running events and maybe even some yoga!

Thanksgiving Day Race

This is what I planned on wearing to the Thanksgiving Day Race...
Short sleeve race day shirt, arm warmers, running pants, and my new Asics running shoes...Below is a picture of the additional items I wore the morning of the run...
That's right - it was quite the rainy morning on Thanksgiving Day, so I added the poncho, a baseball hat and a shower cap to the race day outfit!

As it turned out, the majority of the rain came down in the hour leading up to the race, so when we crossed the start line it was only a light sprinkle. Once the race started, I warmed up quickly so I ditched the poncho between mile 1 - mile 2 and the shower cap came off between mile 3 - mile 4. The race was pretty fun despite the rain and I enjoyed seeing all the girls from my training group on Thanksgiving Day!

My time for the race was very similar to my time for my first 10k, so I didn't go breaking any personal records with the Thanksgiving Day Race but it was an awesome accomplishment to finish a second 10k this year. My official time was 1:23:38 and my pace was 13:30 per mile, so I was right on track with my timing all through my training runs.

I enjoyed seeing all the runners and spectators along the race course who were shouting out "Happy Thanksgiving" and other words of encouragement. Some people wore the turkey or pilgrim hats, others had on full turkey costumes - overall, it was a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving Day holiday!

Walking for a Cure

A few weekends ago, I participated as the team captain for the Wendy's Warriors team in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure walk in Cincinnati. We had an awesome time doing the walk and raising money for the fight against breast cancer. Enjoy some of these photos from the event!
A big thanks to everyone who traveled to Cincinnati for the walk. Together the Wendy's Warriors team raised over $3,500 for the Susan G. Komen foundation. If you'd like to continue to help us raise money and awareness for all the great things the Komen society does, please click here to visit our team page.

One last photo I'd like to share with you - below is a picture of me and my college roommates. We all share the wonderful bond of true friendship, a bond that runs deep into our hearts. We've supported each other through getting married, having babies, getting new jobs, and now we are supporting each other as our best friend Wendy battles against breast cancer. True friendship calls on each other to be there for one another during the good times and the bad, much like a marriage. I am proud to call these ladies some of my best friends. In the first few days of our friends diagnosis, we yearned for answers to questions like how could this happen and why did it happen to her? How can we help her or what can we do for her and her family? That's how "Wendy's Warriors" was formed - friends coming together to help one of their own during an unspeakably difficult time. None of us pretend to know what it's like to be in Wendy's shoes, but all of us plan to continue to walk right next to her in her journey to beat breast cancer. Thanks for listening as I've shared with you the reason why I was involved in this year's Greater Cincinnati Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure!

Cincinnati Style Chili

1 1/2 lb of lean ground beef

1 (29oz can) tomato sauce

1 (14 1/2oz can) diced tomatoes (whatever size you like) - I used petite diced

small onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp.. chili powder

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 toe of garlic

3 bay leaves

Brown meat - cook onions with meat - drain grease. Place meat and onions in large pan or crock pot. Add rest of ingredients. Cook slowly 4-5 hours covered. Remove bay leaves and garlic before serving. Serve on a bed of spaghetti and top with grated cheddar cheese. I also like to put onions on top. We also like it as a coney sauce for grilled hot dogs or you can just eat it in a bowl with crackers.

This recipe comes from a new "friend" of mine and it's fantastic. I used the word "friend" in quotes because I've never actually met this friend in person but we've been chatting it up on facebook for about a month! Readers of the blog may remember my awesome new beach bag I got this year and the maker of that bag, 2 Moore Stitches, is the holder of this recipe! She tells me that she thinks the chili is actually better the next day. She also posted that she often makes a double batch of chili and freezes the leftovers.

JJ is a big fan a Skyline Chili and used to eat it almost every night of the week when we first met. As of late, he doesn't eat it as often and when he does he usually subs out the chili for their rice and bean mixture as his topper for the noodles smothered in cheese. However, he's always up for me trying new recipes, so he was totally on board when I suggested having this for dinner one night. It probably came as a big surprised because I've just recently started to even like Skyline.

He took me to Skyline on one of our first dates and I couldn't even finish one chili cheese coney, that's how much I didn't enjoy the taste of Skyline. But about a year ago, I decided to give Cincinnati style chili another try and found that it wasn't so bad after all. With this chili recipe, I tried to crumble the meat up as small as I cook as I was browning it to get a very thin texture similar to the original Skyline chili. The only small change I made from the recipe above was using 1 tsp of minced garlic from the jar, other than that, I followed the directions above and it turned out great. I had a nice sized portion for my dinner and JJ ate 2 plates full, so clearly it was a hit at our house. So thanks 2 Moore Stitches for your Cincinnati Style Chili recipe, I think it will definitely become a staple in my recipe book for many years to come!

Floating down the River

On Labor Day weekend, JJ and I took a little adventure and drove out to Morgan's Canoe Livery and enjoyed a 3 mile canoe ride along the Little Miami River. We went to their Fort Ancient shop, which is in the town of Oregonia, just about 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati. According to their website, the Morgan family built the livery in 1969 and "chose this secluded section of river for its natural beauty and protected isolation, as well as being the best canoeing section on the Little Miami."
It was another beautiful day in Cincy and I've really been wanting to go canoeing all summer. Some how it always seems that every weekend fills up during the summer months and before you know it, time has flown by and we're heading into fall. Now, don't get me wrong, fall is my favorite season and probably a great time to canoe, but I really loved being out on the river soaking up some the last few rays of summer sun. It was pretty crowded that day with lots of other families taking the opportunity to get in some quality time along the river. Our 3 mile trip was nice and relaxing and there hadn't been much rain around, so the canoe actually scrapped some rocks a time or two. Truth be told, most of the very relaxing 3 miles canoe ride for me was spent like this:
Laid back with my feet propped up while my awesome husband did all the paddling. Am I not the luckiest girl in the world, he's the best!

It's a 'Jungle' out there...

Last weekend I met up with my cousin Kara and we headed out to Jungle Jim's for the afternoon. It was a fun day of catching up with each other and checking out all the unique items the international market has to offer.

Just look at the picture below, all of those jars are filled with honey. According to their website, this is known as the Jungle Jim's Honey Table. The table offers hundreds of varieties of honey and more options can be found throughout the store along the international aisles. Now, that's just sweet! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Now this aisle below is the whole reason I wanted to make the trip up to this mega store...

It is an aisle dedicated to chocolates, candies and biscuits from England. I was extremely fortunate to travel to London in the summer of 2000 and participate in a study abroad program. While I did fall in love with many things while traveling to this wonderful place, thinking about all the candy varieties I tried while on that trip brings back some really fun memories! We would have class in the mornings, break for lunch at the Queenslarder Pub in the Bloomsbury neighborhood, where I stayed, and them some classmates and I would stop off at the corner market to stock up on sweets before our final afternoon class.

Below are the ones that I indulged...the Double Decker by Cadbury is by far my favorite. It's a crispy cereal bottom layer, a chewy nougat top layer, all covered in delicious milk chocolate. There is said to be a slight hint of coffee in there too - now I know why I got addicted to them for the month I lived in London!

Kara and I found ourselves in the beer and wine aisle, where the choices were just overwhelming! She picked up a blueberry beer she had heard good reviews on and I bought a build-your-own 6 pack with some summer brews for me and JJ.

Have you been to the 'jungle'?

What are your favorite aisles at Jungle Jim's?

Share, why don'tcha!

Spreading the word...

I was checking out a great blog I read from time to time called get in mah belly, the author of the blog, Liz, was giving a huge shout out to a blog she has recently become "obsessed with" (her words, not mine). So after reading her post, I also wanted to let people know about the Queen City Discovery blog.

The cool thing this blog does is tell the stories of the old, often forgotten about, buildings throughout Cincinnati . The photography is absolutely beautiful. Check out their photo gallery.

I'm probably breaking some "blogger" rules with this post, but I do fully disclaim that I'm pretty much "copying" right off Liz for this one, but I found these pictures of Cincinnati to be sooo great, that I also wanted to share & spread the word about the Queen City Discovery blog.

My 1st 5k experience

Followers of the blog have read about my training for the Heart Mini 5k race that took place this past weekend. This was the first 5k run I've participated in and I can say that it won't be my last! Overall, I had a really good time being part of the event and found the course to be challenging, yet not too bad that I don't want to run ever again!

Mother nature was not too happy over the weekend, so the temps were cool (in the 40s) and the rain came down in spurts throughout the whole morning this past Sunday. Despite these elements, I laced up my new jogging shoes, wore my running pants & our nice new Local 12 team shirts for the Heart Association race. For the larger organized races, runners get a chip to attach to their shoes that tracks their run time & breaks the total time into the pace of each mile ran. I hadn't heard about this part, so when I found the chip in my registration bag, I was a little surprised about how to attach it..but from the photo below, you can tell we got them attached just fine!
JJ and I line up side by side, near the back of the starting line and started our iPods just before the gun sounded to start the race! It was a slow start with almost 1,700 people who ran/walked in the 5k race. (Overall there were over 13,000 people who participated in the Heart Mini Marathon weekend events.) We started out with a slow walk, all huddled together because of the cold and wet rain that came down right as we crossed the start line.

I felt really good for the 1st mile of the run, slow and steady wins the race, I kept telling myself! Heading out of downtown Cincinnati was a great feeling as I was checking out all the different people jogging beside me. The first half of the race included a small incline, but mostly downhill - which is great - but b/c this course was an "out & back", the second half of the race included that dreaded steady incline that felt so nice jogging downhill! At the halfway point (1.5miles), I hit the water stop and turned the corner to head up that hill. I kept telling myself, steady and strong, remembering about my form, trying not to hunch over as my feet shuffled along. I almost made it up the incline without walking, but my breathing got the best of me, and I decided to take a break and walk it out. Once the pavement leveled out, I picked up my pace and jogged it in the rest of the way! Just as we approached the finish line, I popped out my ear buds and heard all the other runners and people cheering us on as we stepped across the finish line. It was really awesome and such an amazing feeling to have completed my first 5k!
I definitely had the "runner's high" that morning, enjoying putting that medal around my neck (and wearing it ALL day long when we got home). I can't say that I'll be a marathoner, but I'll be signing up for more 5k runs and will keep jogging as part of my weekly exercise routine for sure! There will be some pics from along the race route posted soon, so check back in you're interested in seeing us in action. Thanks again for all your support throughout this journey.

Heart Mini 5k Update

I finished the race! That's right...this morning we ran in the Heart Mini 5k race in downtown Cincinnati. It was awesome, despite the weather! Here's a quick video of how I felt after the race. I'll post more about the run and some pictures soon. Thanks to everyone for your support!

I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is showing a great musical comedy called "I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change".

According to the shows website, "I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change" is "Off-Broadway’s phenomenal longest-running musical celebrates the modern-day suburban mating game. Audiences fill the theatre with laughter as the cast explores the joys of dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives, and in-laws."

The musical play is a very funny & realistic interpretation of the challenges and celebrations that go into dating and developing relationships. I found myself laugh out loud at many moments during the various scenes, I also found myself really reflecting on some of the more serious issues the play covers.

If there is any chance you're in the Cincinnati area and have the chance to see this show, I would highly recommend it! (It runs through December 31st - in fact, it would be the prefect way to spend New Year's Eve with your sweetie!)

Click here to go to the playhouse's website for ticket information.

Dessert - Yum!

While enjoying my week of vacation, I indulged in various activities...like eating dessert! Now this is not something I do often, but who doesn't enjoy the tasty treats offered at several dining establishments every once in awhile!


During the rush of finishing up some Christmas shopping, JJ and I stopped off at BJ's Brewhouse the Tri-County Mall last week for a late lunch. Now having already said that I treated my vacation as my "Christmas week", I couldn't pass up the chance to try dessert from this restaurant.


The famous Pizookie, that's right - a half chocolate chip & half peanut butter cookie baked in a pizza pan with 2 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Now come on, seriously the only thing that could make this dessert better might have been some chocolate sauce drizzled on top!

Fountain Square for the Holidays!

Because of my career choice, I tend to have to work during the Holidays. This year, I've been lucky to have a full week of vacation to take during the month of December. Now granted, I couldn't take it the week of the actual Christmas Holiday, so I opted for the week before to get myself in the Holiday spirit!

I've enjoyed a wonderful week of fun and relaxation, really treating this week like it's "my Christmas"! JJ and I decided to spend one evening this week downtown Cincinnati taking in all the Holiday lights and Christmas decorations. Fountain Square underwent a huge remodeling that seemed to last all year long, but it has really turned out lovely and is the perfect spot to enjoy the Holiday season.

All the trees are covered in bright white lights and the Ice Skating Rink is in full swing with lots of people enjoying an evening in Downtown. I braved the rink on those extremely skinny blades and managed to take several laps around the rink without falling! It turned out to be quite a fun night, mostly because JJ held my hand to make sure I didn't fall, but after a few laps I did gain some confidence and soloed around the rink with a smile on my face (and my hands out wide to brace any falls!). As you can see from the picture above, I decided to wear the Santa Hat, which I think helped me embrace "my Christmas vacation" even more!

Fun Night & New People!

I've been enjoying a week of relaxation while on vacation from work.  Last night JJ and I ventured out to meet some new people and enjoyed running into some old friends too!

We attend the 1st annual Cincinnati Women Bloggers Holiday Social at Pachinko's in Covington.   All the money raised at the event was donated to the Interfaith Hospitality Network on Northern KY.  It was an awesome night filled with friends, fun, and tasty cocktails & desserts.

Here's a list of some of the friends (new & old) who I enjoyed meeting & catching up with at the party:

Katy of Kate's Random Musings

Andi of Udandi - the Craft of Money

Barry of Queer Cincinnati

Liz of Get in Mah Belly

Monika of Such a Redkatblonde

Of course, there were several more people in attendance & the lovely ladies of Cincinnati Women Bloggers did a fantastic job organizing the event!  I'm looking forward to attending more of their meet ups and learning more about the benefits of the blogging community.  I can already tell it holds great potential for some fun nights with new friends!

Cheers :)

  

My First Ugly Sweater Christmas Party!

That's right - an ugly sweater Christmas party! Have you heard of this new trend in party themes? I've heard of it recently and was excited to be invited to my 1st one!


Usually on the day of a party, there's a bit of routine in the "getting ready" part. Same questions...What do I wear? Maybe I'll go buy a new top? How should I do my hair? (Etc.) However this past Saturday, there was a bit of a twist to the tasks that go into getting ready for a party.


Task #1 - Go to a store and find the Ugliest Holiday sweater on the rack. Task #2 - Purchase the garment and wear it with pride. That's right, if you are going to dawn an Ugly sweater...you must "Own It" as they say. You must stand tall and proud in the sweater you've found and really have fun with the theme!


Below are some great pics from the party. It was a great celebration of Katy's birthday & the fabulous Christmas season. I enjoyed meeting new people, many of whom are "bloggers", and look forward to hanging out with everyone again in the future!

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

We've been having some wonderful fall weather lately. JJ and I both had a Friday off from work recently so we headed towards Hamilton, OH to check out the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. This outdoor museum is full of art pieces, flower gardens, lakes and walking trails. The spaces consists of 265 acres of woods and gathering areas for people to enjoy.

(This Sculpture by George Sugarman is titled "Cincinnati Story")

(This adorable chocolate lab was our buddy during our visit to the park!)

According to the park's brochure, the land was donated in 1995 by Harry T. Wilks, a Hamilton area businessman. Pyramid Hill Park opened to the public in 1997 and since it's opening they have hosted several community events, such as an Annual Art Fair and a Holiday Light display.

(LW & JJ enjoying our day at the park.)

(This sculpture by Alexander Liberman is titled "Abracadabra")

One cool part about this park is that you can rent an "art cart" for a $15 donation. You can see this decorated golf cart in the picture above next to the sculpture. It's a fun way to explore the park and who doesn't love driving a golf cart!

(This sculpture by Clement Meadmore is titled "Extent")

We had a great time touring this park and I'd recommend it as a day trip if you're in the southwest Ohio area.

Boston Butz, would you eat there?

On Friday, after a great fall afternoon at the park, JJ and I stopped at a restaurant called Boston Butz, a place specializing in Southern Pitt BBQ & homemade pizzas.  I admit that we weren't really looking for a BBQ place, but come on, the name alone makes you wanna learn more, right?  Well, we had to check it out and we were pleasantly surprised to find a hometown place with good food and friendly service!

Boston Butz's is located in Ross, OH - which is very close to the Hamilton and Oxford areas of Southwest Ohio.  Here's a picture of the outside of the restaurant:

After perusing the menu, we started off with an appetizer called Boston Fries.  I'm a potato gal, so with out even knowing what came on the fries, I was game to give them a try.  Now, when these bad boys came out, I was really happy - crispy fries, with provolone and mozzarella cheese melted on top and crunchy bacon bits too!  Take a look - Yummy...

We ordered a small, but both commented on how we could have eaten a large!  Anyways, on to the BBQ sandwiches. The menu offers everything from pulled pork, chicken, & beef, ribs, pork chops, and pizza's.  

I went with the traditional Pulled Pork Sandwich (with the Mild Sauce) and a side of cole slaw. JJ ordered a sandwiched called "The Porker" (with Classic Sauce), which made us both laugh.  "The Porker" is tender pulled pork on a bun with their signature hot slaw.  Both sandwiches were very good.  I thought the Classic sauce was better than the Mild sauce.  

Overall, we enjoyed a great afternoon relaxing on the patio of this fun restaurant.  I make no claims to be an expert in BBQ, but Boston Butz is a cool locally owned & operated business that had good food & good service.  Check it out sometime if you're ever in Ross, OH.

PS - Get the Boston Fries, you won't be disappointed!!