You should meet me...

and Tabari (of CinWeekly fame) at Graeter's downtown on Monday. I'll make you a deal: If you ever spot me in there and call me by name, I'll buy you a scoop... Scouts honor. (And I was holding three fingers up as I typed that. Wait, was it two or three?)

GRAETER'S TO OPEN AT FOUNTAIN SQUARE
One of Cincinnati's favorite ice cream spots returns downtown.

Graeter's will open its doors at its new Fountain Square location with a grand opening celebration Monday, Oct. 15. The new Graeter's, 511 Walnut St. at the Fifth Third Center on Fountain Square, is scheduled to be open 6:30 a.m.
to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday; hours are subject to change depending on weather and Fountain Square events.
"We are thrilled to make a return to downtown," says co-owner/vice-president of marketing Richard Graeter. "The large outdoor dining area on the Square, the view of the Tyler Davidson Fountain and the pedestrian traffic around the Square all add up to create memorable experiences for our customers." For more information, call 513-381-4191 or visit www.graeters.com.
Tabari McCoy

Ice cream cake: The breakfast of champions

Earlier this morning, a black raspberry ice cream cake from Graeter's landed in what we at the Enquirer call the "coffee alley" (a narrow hallway with a coffeemaker, an overflowing fridge, two microwaves, a sink and a counter upon which communal food periodically appears). It was gone in about 15 minutes. Now, I've seen some pretty unappetizing stuff disappear in about the same amount of time, but this time it was justified, even if it was only 10 a.m. I probably should have let my slice thaw a bit more before I attacked it with my fork, but I couldn't resist the layers of chocolate cake, black raspberry ice cream and fudge topped with marshmallow sauce and whipped cream. My only gripe was that the black raspberry layer was lacking Graeter's signature dark chocolate chips, but it was still pretty darn good. However, I'll always have a soft spot for Dairy Queen ice cream cakes, which were the highlight of many of my childhood birthday celebrations. Who's your favorite ice cream cake maker?