It has been the long touted goal of certain corporate coffee chains to make people feel connected to their coffee shop. Of course, this is rather difficult if the shop doesn't reciprocate. The alternative? Slip into a chair at Baba Budan's in Clifton Heights for some coffee, food, or cold one. You'll find local artists on the walls and stage (or perhaps at the end of the bar) and a friendly barista behind the counter.

We have given you what we thought was the best of the Taste of Cincinnati.  Now, we want to know what great non-corporate dishes you tried at the Taste.  Leave us a comment here and tell us what you think was the real Best of Taste.

As a vegetarian, I'm usually limited to pretzels, fried potatoes and a liquid diet (beer) at Cincinnati's street festivals. Not at Taste of Cincinnati! This year, I left as stuffed and happy as my bratwurst-loving boyfriend.

Check out our local Best of Taste winners. During two trips to the Taste this weekend, we visited no corporate chains.

Well we are through Round 1 and 2 of delicous local food and we have some definite winners.  In case you forgot (or never heard), our Taste of Cincinnati Challenge brings what we consider the actual taste in the city - only locally-owned restaurants and no chains winning Best Damn Dish.

So, go check out our Taste of Cincinnati Challenge page for the winners so far, including Strauss Haus, Bangkok Bistro and Taste of Belgium.

I can't wait. Now I have a place to find good pizzas, hoagies, and grinders within walking distance.  This is good news for the neighborhood, and for all the workers in the Baldwin Building, LAGA, and up and down Gilbert Ave.

When you order at Cilantro Vietnamese Bistro, you may think with a mixture of relief and disappointment that you've managed to snag soup and Vermicelli at one of the only layman-friendly Vietnamese restaurants in the city. Don't dwell on it for too long, though, because you've still got to decide what kind of spices you want; your desired sauces or dressings; what kind of noodles, etc, etc. As you munch later on, you might try to count what other Cincinnati Vietnamese restaurants you had ordered this dish from; we promise you won't need to relinquish your chopsticks hand to add it up.

Buy Cincy spends many a weekend in Northside at the fabulous local restaurants (Melt, Slims, Honey...) and the eclectic businesses (ShakeIt Records, Bughouse Video, Casablanca Vintage Clothing Store...). Add some of the city's coolest bars (the Comet, the Gypsy Hut, and of course, Northside Tavern), and you've got a great place to play.

Soon, we'll be hanging out there on Wednesday nights, too, when the Northside Farmers Market opens for the season.