Official Cincinnati Roadie Thread

[rjs246]

The idea of you two sitting next to each other makes me wish I was going. Who can pass up a scnene like that? Kisses and manhugs everywhere.

[ice grillin you]

Cheesesteak joint Balboa's knuckles into Dink's downtown Cincinnati space
Business Courier of Cincinnati
by Lisa Biank Fasig Staff Reporter

Dink's, the downtown luncheonette that brought low-priced Frito pies, gravy fries and Chicago dogs to office workers, is changing ownership to become an eatery dedicated to Philadelphia's best-known foods.

Owner Kent Vandersall, who opened the Vine Street eatery in April 2006, is selling his lease and expects the deal to be completed by next week. His last day will be Feb. 8. The new owner, former Subway franchisee Harish Sonecha, plans to reopen March 3 as Balboa's Philly Steaks and Pizza.

For Vandersall, the move was more about time than business. As the general manager of the Phoenix downtown, he's been pulling down two full-time jobs.

"It's just too much work," he said.

Sonecha and his partner, Tej Thakar, will specialize in authentic Philly cheese-steaks, with the meat and bread flown in from Philadelphia. They also will make New York-style pizzas, with the dough coming from the East Coast, and lastly, they will sell Tastykakes, the snack cakes made and sold in Philadelphia.

This is the second Balboa's for Sonecha, a Philadelphia native. He opened his first location last November in Indianapolis, where he had operated several Subway franchises. He also had operated some franchises in Cincinnati but wanted a change of pace.

"We've all had enough of the franchise stuff and decided we want to do things the way we want," he said.

Debi O'Dell, general manager at Diamond Properties, which owns the building at 628 Vine St., said Sonecha signed a five-year lease after looking at other downtown sites. She hooked him up with Vandersall.

"I know that Kent was interested in giving up his business," she said.

But Vandersall, who is from Long Island, N.Y., said he'd do it again. "It's been a blast," he said. "I don't regret anything."

[Seabiscuit36]

I had a dream i was on the roadie with my wife, Igy, Sunmo, and Sarge.  For some reason we were traveling from bumblefarg Georgia up to north dakota.  IGY spent half the dream fighting over Steve Downie, and upcoming players for the flyers and eagles, while sun and sarge were trying to convince my wife to show her titties.  I'll go ahead and say thats a very accurate display of what the roadie is going to be. 

[rjs246]

You dream about people on CF. Might be time for a new hobby.

[Seabiscuit36]

I know, second time in 4 years, and it still scares me

[SunMo]

sometimes, there are things that i think about that i never tell people.  might be a strategy to investigate.

[ice grillin you]

[Seabiscuit36]

sometimes, there are things that i think about that i never tell people.  might be a strategy to investigate.

what do i care

[Feva]

IGY...  's official sign guy. 

[Father Demon]

I had a dream i was on the roadie with my wife, Igy, Sunmo, and Sarge.  For some reason we were traveling from bumblefarg Georgia up to north dakota.  IGY spent half the dream fighting over Steve Downie, and upcoming players for the flyers and eagles, while sun and sarge were trying to convince my wife to show her titties.  I'll go ahead and say thats a very accurate display of what the roadie is going to be. 

So, did she show the titties?

[ice grillin you]

sun was a motorboatin son of a bitch

[Seabiscuit36]

sun was a motorboatin son of a bitch

lol

[SunMo]

sun was a motorboatin son of a bitch

lol

no more posting in this thread unless you're going

[Seabiscuit36]

[Father Demon]

Cincinnati Bengals
PAUL BROWN STADIUM :: Opened 2000 :: Capacity 65,500 - Ranked #19 in the NFL by SI.com

TICKETS
Average Price Per Ticket    $65.85
Price Range Of Tickets    $55-$250
Ticket Availability    Games sold out since Nov. 9, 2003.
"Cincinnati fans have become, over the past few years, a very loyal bunch -- almost to the extreme. If you're a Bengals fan, that's great; if you support the other team, things can get a bit out of hand." Most appreciate the fact that Bengals fans are generally "united in their overall zaniness" nowadays, in comparison to the 1990s, when the "atmosphere was often, 'Oh, how are we going to blow this game.'" And though some say "you can [now] feel the buzz as soon as you exit the highway," many find the crowd "very rude and foul-mouthed." "There are a lot of individuals who don't have any regard for little kids, cursing the opposing team and any fans of that team who happen to be sitting in the area." "Fans seem to feel they are owed something". In response, the team has begun operating a "JERK hotline, a phone number you can call and alert security about a problem in the stands. If they find the people too rude, they will kick them out."  (get it on speed-dial for in-game fun!!)
SCORE    7 out of 10

FOOD & SOUVENIRS
Hot Dog    $3.00
Soda (20 oz.)    $3.75
Beer (16 oz.)    $6.50 -- not bad
Expected Meal Cost    $10-$15
Program    $5
Cap    $15.00
"You must check out the hometown favorites -- Gold Star Chili and Montgomery Inn BBQ, of course." That isn't all, say those who feel "no football stadium has such a made-for-game day experience like a Cincinnati chili cheese hot dog." As "it seems like there is a food or beverage stand every few feet," "local fare is easy to find," such as Donatos' "great" pizza." Of course, that isn't the only placed to grab a drink, as bars serving Bloody Marys and a host of "nice specialty beer vendors" can attest.
SCORE    7 out of 10

ACCESSIBILITY
Parking    $21.00
"The stadium is downtown, so fans can arrive from N/S/E/W, which prevents major congestion." Inexpensive parking close to the stadium isn't easy to find, but "there is plenty downtown within 8-10 blocks." Additionally, "parking across the Ohio River in Kentucky and walking across the suspension bridge makes the commute easy." A water taxi and a $1.00 shuttle bus ride also offers "easy" access. While public transportation is relatively limited, Bengals Express buses offer rides in from the Cincinnati suburbs "that couldn't be any easier." "Leaving the game is always a bear," but with "several routes in and out of the city," it's never too bad."
SCORE    5 out of 10

TAILGATING
"Until recently, tailgating was the only reason to go to the stadium." With parking near the stadium "pricey and limited to season-pass holders," the tailgating scene "covers about a square mile" in "many far-flung locations." Dispersed from "absolutely phenomenal" Longworth Hall -- an old railroad building about twice the length of the stadium -- to a "huge parking lot next to a gravel pit," Bengals tailgating is "a mix between Halloween, Christmas and New Year's Eve." "People have ambulances painted orange and black," grills are cooking "classic Midwestern fare (brats, burgers, chili, etc.)" and "lots of alcohol" is around. Games of parking lot football abound, as do games of cornhole (Chuggie's gonna LOVE this!), "a bean bag toss game similar to horseshoes named as such because the bean bags are filled with corn." "The festive atmosphere" stretching "a mile in both directions along the river" has gained a following so "intense" that Bengals wide receiver "Chad Johnson himself has even walked about the tailgates for the experience."
SCORE    8 out of 10

STADIUM ATMOSPHERE
"There aren't a lot of bells and whistles inside," but Paul Brown Stadium is "beautiful, fan-friendly and convenient." "The view of the field from any seat is amazing." "Nice, wide-open stairs are all around," and it's "very easy to get to and from the restroom without missing much action." "A fan zone outside the stadium" is "like a country fair, with games for kids and adults." And "a lone escalator on the north side of the stadium is very odd but has a great view," while "the jungle façade around the perimeter of the field adds a nice touch". "The design is artistic, but still enjoyable to the average Joe". For all of its pluses, PBS also has "a lot of plain cement color," leaving some with the impression that "the place feels kind of cold." At the facility, though, it's clear you're in for a Midwestern winter, courtesy of the stadium's "open sides, which allow for a lot of wind to come through." But those are minor quibbles for a place most Bengals fans list as "a nice stadium, considering my taxes paid for it."
SCORE    8 out of 10

NEIGHBORHOOD
"The surrounding land is a no-man's zone, left undeveloped because city and county officials cannot agree how to develop it." That has left the stadium flanked by "a town hall, banks and executive offices -- which are all closed on game days -- on the Ohio side" of the river. "Some great bars are about a 10-minute walk away," and "a 15-minute walk across the river" to Newport-on-the-Levee in Kentucky puts you in "a wonderful historic area with outdoor patios, cafes and jazz bars." It's hard for many to escape the reality Cincinnati has drug "its feet so much on building up the neighborhood so that the Kentucky side of the river is the place to be."
SCORE    4 out of 10

BOTTOM LINE
After years of drudgery on the Ohio River, it seems the Bengals have gotten their act together. While those efforts have advanced in fits and starts on the field, they have blossomed in full in the team's seven-year-old stadium. For all of its aesthetic leanings, Paul Brown Stadium still satisfies the traditional meat-and-potatoes yearnings of the NFL fan, with hearty Midwestern fare inside and outside the stadium, and with a stadium design that doesn't hide from the weather. The surrounding neighborhood has been slow to catch up, but if the team keeps attracting the crowds it has been of late, developers won't eschew the money-making opportunities throngs of people with disposable income present.
FINAL SCORE    41 out of 70