Do you recall the time when one dined in hotels with well-appointed lobbies? Elevator rides taken to a dining room nestled between living quarters where one imagines very highbrow things happening? Me neither. Upon arriving at View restaurant in the Edgecliff Private Residences on Victory Parkway, however, I was transported to a more sophisticated time.   

If you've dined at Green Dog Cafe, you know that chef/owner Mary Swortwood puts the panache in organic, sustainable and seasonal dining with a plentiful lunch, brunch and dinner menu. Green Dog not only does a body good but, with local and regional vendors, it also does a community good. Mary sits for a quick Q&A.  

As with any cuisine not executed well, vegetarian and vegan food can be underwhelming. And overcompensating for meat-based proteins with tofu and soy simulations can be an even more dangerous culinary game. Such are the challenges that The Loving Cafe in Pleasant Ridge struggles with: to offer healthy and ethical fare that's fresh, flavorful and satisfying.  

I must have flunked my geography lessons. When I made plans to dine at Pera Mediterranean restaurant in Mount Lookout Square, I was thinking of the eastern Mediterranean — Greece and Turkey. I did not think I would pass through Italy.  

Now that the holidays are over and out-of-town friends and family are sleeping in their own beds, a relaxing dinner out is called for. The Quarter Bistro in Mariemont, with its warm and intimate red decor, answered the call for a friend and me on recent chilly evening.