Staycation for the Cincinnati Foodie Family

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Staycations are amazing for several reasons. Sometimes you just can’t afford the big fancy vacation, sometimes you just don’t want that added stress, and sometimes, it is just downright more relaxing to take some time off without leaving home.

Lucky for us, Cincinnati is an incredible city for staycation planning.

This series is designed to give you some excellent suggestions to help you plan your staycation. Feel free to follow the themes or mix and match between them!

If yours is a family full of foodies, you probably already know what a rich food culture we have in Cincinnati. A Cincy staycation can provide plenty of tasty fun whether your family is a family of foodies or aspires to be one.

Staycation for the Cincinnati Foodie Family

Day One

Explore the World

Get adventurous with your eating!

Head to Jungle Jim’s International Market! and get your tummy growling as you make plans to cook a global dinner. Whether you choose Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Mediterranean, Korean, or German cuisine, you are sure to find whatever you need at Jungle Jim’s.

  • Spend a couple hours exploring the aisles of ingredients from all over the world, tasting the samples throughout the store, and drooling over the baked goods and imported chocolate.
  • There’s also a huge selection of wine, beer, and spirits. You can even try one of the sixteen beers on tap at the tasting bar and take home a growler filled with your favorite one.
  • One important thing to pick up while you are there—Lars Belgian Pearl Sugar, found way in the back in the Belgian/German section of the store. It will be an important part of Day Three’s breakfast.

Step it up a notch with dinner and a movie theme night. Pick a movie and cook your globally themed dinner to match. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

  • {Italian} Lady and the Tramp or Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs—spaghetti and meatballs
  • {French} Ratatouille—ratatouille, of course! Or fettuccine alfredo with crepes for dessert
  • {Mediterranean} Hercules—gyros with tzatziki sauce
  • {English} Robin Hood—bangers and mash
  • {Chinese} Mulan—spring rolls and wonton soup
  • {Seafood} Pirates of the Caribbean or Little Mermaid—clam bake, lobster boil, or if your kids are really adventurous, sushi
  • {German} Sound of Music—weiner schnitzel and red cabbage slaw
  • {Jamaican} Cool Runnings—jerk chicken with red beans with rice
  • {Polynesian} Moana – pork and pineapple skewers with rice and coconut chip ice cream

Day Two

Something for Everyone

Being a Foodie can be a bit more challenging once you have kids.

Which is why this staycation week comes with an itinerary with a little something for everyone!

  • Start off the morning by sleeping in… because all good vacations need some R&R.
  • Drive East into Newtown to grab lunch at the Urban Grill on Main
  • Then hop just down the road for the 1pm tour at Doscher’s Candy Factory  (reservations are required; tours are offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays)
  • Finish off the evening at the Little Miami Brewing Company for beers on the river and wood-fired pizza for dinner.

Day Three

Summer Perfected

Remember that ingredient we told you to grab at Jungle Jim’s?

Start your day with authentic Belgian waffles for Breakfast. One of our favorite places to eat in Cincinnati is Taste of Belgium. While we highly recommend that you check it out if you haven’t been yet, our schedule, budget, and waistband do not allow us to go there as often as we’d like. You can make thick, rich, dense waffles at home, and they are almost as good as the real thing.

  • Use this recipe to make some for your family to enjoy while you linger over an extra cup of coffee.
  • Top with strawberries and whip cream or for a s’more version—marshmallow fluff and Nutella. It is vacation, after all.

After breakfast, head to Summit Park in Blue Ash to enjoy the playground and nature playscape.

  • Bring a towel if your kids will want to cool off by romping in the water feature.
  • Check out the view from the observation tower
  • Stop when you are tired and grab some grub at one of the on-site restaurants. 

Swing by the Farmer’s Market on your way out (Wednesdays, 3:30p-7p) for some fresh food and fun tunes.

  • Grab some goodies to take home and add to your dinner.

Day Four

Farm to Table

Nothing makes the tastebuds happier than fresh, local food and produce.

Start the morning by sleeping in… because every vacation needs a little R&R

Pack a picnic lunch and head downtown to Washington Park.

  • Take some time to play in the fountains, and burn energy at the playground.
  • Or bring a book and a blanket and relax and read for a while.
  • Bring a change of clothes so you can easily transition to your evening plans.

The perfect Farm to Table dinner at Findlay Market

  • On Thursdays, the market is open until 6p and you can grab the makings for the perfect farm to table meal.
  • Then immediately step into the Findlay Market Biergarten where they have basic grill tools and grills available for use from 4-8pm. It’s doesn’t get fresher than that!

Day Five

Ice Cream, Berries, & Donuts... Oh My!

Everyone knows calories don’t count on vacation and that includes staycations too!

We think that rounding out the foodie week with some local donuts for breakfast is the perfect way to go.

Explore a local farmer’s market, check out some breweries, or if the season is “ripe” go pick some berries

Finish off the evening with a family stroll and a delicious treat

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