You know you’re getting old when you determine where you will eat based on ease of parking. That is precisely why I have not been to Mount Adams in years. Aside from parking, I really don’t have the T&A to get into the hot nightspots anyway. Luckily, for brunch there is a reasonable expectation of a parking spot and no expectation of cleavage.   

Most people I know fully support “buy local/eat local” values. But as we start the new year, let’s take a minute to give respect to the bedrock of that idea: “mom and pop” businesses.   

If you feel like we’re heading into the New Year in survival mode, you’re not alone. These are wicked times, dear readers, and it’s hard to keep yourself from worrying about whether you ought to stockpile canned goods or raise chickens in the backyard. I’ve thought about both. The chicken idea got nixed when I saw a possum the size of a Smart car strolling along the top of my fence one night.  

Everybody gives their readers a year-end wrap up list of the best dishes they tried over the past 12 months, so I decided to surprise you. What follows are our Dining Team’s biggest surprises of 2011.   

When I was growing up, my dad insisted that on every New Year’s Day we eat sauerkraut and knockwurst. He’d cook a giant roasting pan full of it. Jumbo sausages, bursting with fat, surrounded by kraut, apples and onions and god knows what, and we had to dig in or else.  

The idea of “pizza by the slice” has been around in major metropolitan areas forever, but it seemed a long time coming to Cincinnati — at least for anyone other than the late-night crowd. Fortunately, Downtown was recently blessed with a by-the-slice pizza option open for lunch, dinner and late night snacking: Cincy by the Slice.   

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered Turquoise (628 Vine St., Downtown). This Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant, which opened in October, is owned by Levant Kurucay, who previously owned Cafe Istanbul at Newport on the Levee.  

I used to think ham was the furthest back piece of the pig I’d ever eat, since trotters don’t appeal to me. But, no! I’ve had pigtail. And I liked it. Don’t let the image of a curly pink spiral deter you. The pigtail I ate at the newly opened Abigail Street in the Gateway Quarter was discreetly uncorkscrewed into bits of delicious porky goodness.  

It’s hard to believe that Nicholson’s Tavern & Pub (625 Walnut St., Downtown, 513-564-9111; nicholsonspub.com) has been around for more than 14 years. One of the reasons they’ve lasted so long is that the owners are not afraid to evolve. They are always looking for new ways to increase business and promote excitement about the restaurant.    

At the Iron Horse Inn in Glendale, there’s a new sheriff in town. His name is Chef Ernesto Luna, and he’s shaking things up a bit with a seasonal menu. As you dine at the Iron Horse, you’ll hear trains in the near distance and have a pretty good meal.    

What’s cooking in December? For a start, there’s the new cookbook from Chef Todd Kelly of Orchids at Palm Court. Kelly, the American Culinary Federation’s 2011 Chef of the Year, teamed up with local food blogger/Midwest Culinary Institute graduate Courtney Tsitouris of Epi-ventures to share recipes from one of my favorite restaurants in the city, scaled down to prepare at home.
  

Local foodies, step down from your window ledges and rest assured that while Local 127 has moved, it has not abandoned its commitment to a farm-to-table philosophy. In fact, Chef Steve Geddes said that the move into the space once occupied by JeanRo Bistro was partly designed to make the “table” a better match to the food.   

You’ve likely seen the TV commercials for the latest product by provocative soda brand Dr Pepper, Dr. Pepper Ten, and either flipped the channel instantly or watched in disbelief as a major advertising campaign appears very obviously to be stating that this soft drink is for men only. It is not subtly suggested with scenes of “manliness,” like bros playing a little touch football or, in the event of (any) weather, Madden NFL 12. In the excruciating commercial spots, a buff, cliché action hero type.  

I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way I think that it became a rule that bookstores must provide food and beverage, in addition to literature. Almost all modern bookstores have cafés offering coffee, sweets and sandwiches. However, Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Rookwood Pavilion really goes the extra mile. Not only do they have specialty coffee drinks and desserts, they make substantial, healthy full meals and have a complete bar.   

When the word gets out about Mad Mike’s Burgers & Fries (6420 Dixie Hwy., Florence, 859-647-6444), you’re not going to be able to push your way through the crowds to get in. Put the paper down now and go, and you can finish reading this when you get back.