Jungle Jim’s has over 200,000 square feet of space in which they sell over 150,000 items.
Upon entering the store you can either sign up for a tour or just pick up a map to help you find your way. When we entered we chose the map and started our shopping adventure by working our way through the different countries of the world. Each country is represented with shelves of foods imported from that country.
From there the food became more as we know it in regular markets, broken down by categories; soups, canned foods, or meat, for example. But even at this point things are different. The decorations are unbelievable. Anything is possible. Jungle Jim’s has a real navy fire truck to mark the location of the hot sauce and a pirate ship to mark the location of foods from the islands.
Jungle Jim’s also has events such as cooking classes and wine tasting. In their ads they ask you to spend the day and I would guess some people could. For us it was a fun side to our visit to Cincinnati.
With so much going on, we will have to leave Boston and New England for a while to write about current happenings.
My youngest daughter is starting her last year of law school and worked as an intern in Cincinnati, Ohio this summer. My wife and I decided to go to Cincinnati a couple of weekends ago to visit her and to try some new restaurants. When I asked her about a really good steak, she recommended Jeff Ruby’s Precinct at 311 Delta Ave.
I have eaten at Jeff Ruby’s in Louisville, Kentucky, where the atmosphere is formal, so I was concerned that only had jeans, and no jacket to wear. I quickly learned that if you eat in the bar area of Jeff Ruby’s Precinct the dress code is much more relaxed.
Jeff Ruby’s Precinct Entering the bar areaJeff Ruby’s Precinct Entering bar area
Upon entering the bar we were greeted and seated at a high-top table. They do have booths in the bar but they were all reserved by people who had called ahead. The waitress was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu.
Jeff Ruby’s Precinct offers a wide selection of appetizers as well as a raw bar. We didn’t order any of these because I remembered from the last time I ate at Jeff Ruby’s in Louisville that the size of the steak and the amount of food that comes with it was more than enough.
My wife and daughter ordered the special which was a nine oz. filet. I ordered the A. J. Green, which is a fourteen oz. New York Strip. All of their entrees are served with your choice of either a Freddie or a Greek salad and either a baked potato or mashed garlic potatoes.
My wife and I had the Freddie while my daughter chose the Greek salad. Both were good and you can not go wrong with which ever you choose. The steaks were great and cooked to perfection. If you choose to eat at the Precinct please do not put anything on your steak until after you have had a chance to taste it as the chef has prepared it.
Jeff Ruby’s Precinct The 9oz. FiletJeff Ruby’s Precinct The A. J. Green a 14 oz New York Strip
As for drinks with the meal I had a draft Harpoon IPA, which went well with great flavor of the steak. We also had Duckhorn Merlot. This was a wine that we had not tried before, but it is one that we will look for again. The Duckhorn was very smooth and its flavor is a compliment to steak.
When you are in Cincinnati, Ohio looking for a good steak dinner please consider Jeff Ruby’s Precinct. Again the dress code is more relaxed in the bar area and there were people with children the day we visited.
The environment is very enjoyable and welcoming. I enjoyed the decor of the bar area and the less-formal interaction with the staff. The prices, however, are the same as you would pay in the restaurant. The 9 oz. Filet special was $44.75 including your salad and potato. The A. J. Green (14 oz New York Strip) was $50.75 with salad and potato. These prices may seem on the high-end, but wait until you taste these steaks.
