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.

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.