January 27, 2017
A little over a year ago, we took the grandkids to Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate, which is amazing, by the way. Although we have been there a few times, we had never visited Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield.
In pursuit of some kitchen items, which I couldn’t seem to find on this side of the river, Dave and I took a trip around I-275. We stopped at Old Time Pottery across the interstate from Cincinnati Mills Mall. Their stock is constantly changing and on this day, the items I was in search of were not to be found there. We used to have an Old Time Pottery in Florence and I miss having it so close.
Knowing that Jungle Jim’s was close by, we got back into the car and headed there. The parking lot was pretty full.
Upon entering the store, we quickly realized we could be here for hours looking for the cookware. Spotting a bunch of maps displayed by another entrance, I headed for them. A gentleman who worked there must have noticed my ‘lost look’ and asked if he could help.
After asking him if they had housewares, he laughed and said, “Do we have housewares?”
He pulled out one of the maps and pointed out the section at the back on the other side of the building.
On our way, we saw the yacht above with the Gilligan’s Island crew and lots of tropical fruits. Dave had to check out the seafood. They have tanks of live fish and lobsters.
Just like the Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate, they have a firetruck and loads of hot sauce. Every kind you can imagine and some you can’t.
And back beside the Great Britain display, I found the section I needed. King Kong hovered above it. This place is massive!
Here, you can find every kind of pot, pan, dish, utensil, server, and whatever you need to cook or bake. Yes, I found the items I had been searching for here in the Italian section, a gnocchi board and right behind here, a potato ricer.
Even though I have made gnocchi before, I admit it, I am a sucker for cooking and baking gadgets! These will help make the process a little easier, the end product a little lighter and the ridges on this little board will help the gnocchi hold the sauce. You can use the back of a fork for that, too. Whatever… I told you I like gadgets.
I found a small pair of serving tongs, which will come in handy. We picked up some arborio rice for risotto. They have it in bulk and the price is about half what it is in our local store. Score! This place is overwhelming! Don’t go here hungry! At this point we were hungry and we paid for our things and left but we’ll be back.
From there, we headed west on I-275, which loops around Cincinnati. Just off of I-275 at 6052 State Route 128 in Cleves, Ohio is Kreimer’s Bier Haus, which serves German food and specialty beers. The people who work here are friendly and the food is good. We stopped here for a late lunch.
As you walk in, you are greeted by a hostess and this huge bar.
There is a deck out back where you can be seated at a handmade table with benches in better weather. On this day, we sat inside where more handmade benches and tables are.
Kreimer’s has daily specials, which you can see on the card below. Our favorite day to go here is Sunday! You can order any 2 entrees for $30.00!
There is no Saturday special and yes, that was the day we stopped by here. Since it was lunchtime, I had a salad with grilled chicken and Dave had this impressive plate of food.
His choice was a burger on a pretzel bun loaded with onion straws and french fries. ( Usually, he orders one of their steaks.)
There is also a patio in the back and a bar where you can order your favorite drinks. The back overlooks the Great Miami River. In the summer they have music, too.
Yes, this has become one of our favorite places and we recommend it. It was a successful day in pursuit of kitchen gadgets and an added bonus was stopping at Kreimer’s for another delicious meal. Close to Cincinnati? You need to check out these places!
