Sugar n’ Spice serves up diner favorites
Lauren Kaminsky
Contributing Writer
Lauren Kaminsky
Sugar n’ Spice’s flamingo pink paint makes it a bright spot among local eateries.
From the moment you pass through the yellow trimmed wooden door, it’s evident that Sugar n’ Spice is truly a local establishment.
Don’t let the location (just across from the infamous King’s Drive Thru on Reading Road) or the wacky pink exterior deter you from visiting this Norwood establishment.
While other restaurants go to great lengths to recreate the warm atmosphere of a diner, the charm of Sugar n’ Spice is authentic. The wide array of colors, from the burnt orange booths to the pastel yellow ceiling, have stood the test of time and immediately set customers at ease.
The crowd consisted of locals, businessmen and even a Xavier professor. While most customers were decidedly older than myself, I felt right at home. Everyone was refreshingly friendly, with warm greetings and personal inquiries exchanged between the staff and customers.
The atmosphere offered an escape from the monotony of campus life and food. Everything slows down a little when you enter Sugar n’ Spice. Everything, that is, but the service.
Upon seating myself in one of the old turquoise swivel chairs along the u-shaped counter at the front of the restaurant, I was immediately greeted by my waitress who poured me a cup of coffee.
The coffee itself was nothing special, but it was hot, fresh and readily refilled.
The menu offers a variety of breakfast and lunch items. My personalized omelet was chock-full of spinach and mushrooms, almost to the point of excess. The veggies were cooked right into the eggs and piled high on my plate.
Each omelet on the menu comes with a toasted English muffin and ranges in price from $6.25 to $7.25, with the option to build your own for just $4.95 plus the price of fillings.
I also couldn’t resist getting a half order of the restaurant’s wispy thin banana pancakes ($3.25). Though they were delivered a few minutes after my omelet, it was worth the wait.
The cooks somehow manage to serve up pancakes that are both thin and fluffy, with bananas cooked right into the subtly sweet batter. Served directly off the griddle, they all but melt in your mouth.
At $3.75 for a full stack of regular pancakes and $4.25 for specialty versions (banana, blueberry or chocolate chip), these are a must have.
Aside from all the breakfast essentials, the menu features a variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads. I would stay away from the fruit and salad, which are premixed and sitting in bowls in the interior of the counter. Instead, stick to those items prepared in the kitchen.
If you’re in the mood for lunch, pick from the “Hafa-Hef’r” (quarter-pounder), “No Bull” (turkey burger) or “Red n’ Yeller” (grilled cheese and tomato).
The menu includes all the diner essentials, at reasonable prices. Special breakfast combos and seasonal desserts (currently pumpkin and pecan pie) are also listed on a wall-mounted chalk board.
While the pancakes were enough to bring me back, it is the atmosphere and service which make this restaurant truly special.
The 66-year-old establishment has maintained the kind of personalized service which makes customers feel like family. This environment, so rare in today’s world of revenue-driven chains, makes a trip to this nearby diner a must for Xavier students.
‘Art at the X’ offers variety of mediums
Nora Heink
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
You don’t have to look too far on Xavier’s campus to enjoy outstanding visual art.
The art department continually showcases work created by both students and professional artists displayed in places like the Gallagher Student Center and outside of Kelley Auditorium.
If you’ve never been to the Xavier Art Gallery before, you should consider stopping by to see what’s on display.
The gallery is located in the A.B. Cohen Center in the upper lot of the Cintas Center, and is the perfect size for a visit during a gap in your day’s schedule.
It is large enough to showcase a wide range of visual artwork without becoming overwhelming.
The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is closed on university holidays.
Stop by before Friday, Nov. 7 to check out the second annual “Art at the X” exhibition.
For this exhibit over 400 pieces of artwork were submitted by 141 artists in the United States and Canada.
Dr. Eric Lee of the Taft Museum, the show’s juror, selected 75 works for inclusion in the exhibition, which opened on Sept. 26.
In a press release, Lee said that it was difficult to decide which pieces to include.
“I chose the works that spoke to me the most, but also chose works that reflected the range of art submitted,” said Lee. Awards were also given to the show’s best pieces.
The exhibit includes some provoking photographic artwork such as a piece by Andrea Land, from San Francicso, Calif., who submitted “Elizabeth” which captures the subject with spectacular lighting.
A native of northern California, Stephanie Burke’s “Give Me Your Lunch Money,” presents themes of firearms and violence.
“Cheetah,” a sculpture by Cincinnati artist Brigit Ehmer is also featured in the exhibit.
Paintings such as the Tuscan landscape “Montepulciano Muse” by Mary Mark, of New Richmond, Ohio and the modern still life by David Dorsey, of Pittsford, N.Y., entitled “Manet and iPod” are also colorful, noteworthy pieces.
The exhibit’s first-place prize winner, “Poppies and Heroines” by Scott Turi, of Pittsburgh, P.a., explores drug culture and feminist themes with patterned buds and flowers.
Replacing the “Art at the X” exhibit will be a high school junior and senior showcase from Nov. 14 –Dec. 5. It will be followed by an exhibition of artwork created by Xavier media art students from Dec. 12 –Jan. 9.
The works of Xavier art alumni will also be on display on the third floor of the Gallagher Student Center starting Nov. 6.
The exhibitions in Cohen and GSC aren’t the only thing happening in the Xavier arts scene.
On Nov. 14 from 6-9 p.m. at 1939 Cleneay Ave., Xavier’s Society of Visual Arts is hosting a one-night showcase featuring 30-40 pieces by students, faculty and local artists.
This exhibit will be juried, meaning a curator or panel of seasoned artists will select pieces from a body of submitted works for inclusion in the show. This process is very common for both univeristy and professional shows.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to have their work juried and displayed,” said senior Lily Jensen, the event’s coordinator. Jensen hopes students and the Xavier community will come to the informal exhibition to support university and local artists.
In addition to the display of artwork, the event will feature a musical performance by “Vegans Gone Wild,” Jacki Sprinkle and Justin Cancellieri.
The Newswire Etiquette Series: Polite parties
Pees N. Quoos
Etiquette Expert
nnlm.gov
Oh, for the bygone days of top hats, waistcoats and bustles!
The social life of the average Xavier student involves many things, not the least of which is attending weekend parties.
Even if you are not a frequent partygoer, it is still vital to be aware of proper party etiquette. Believe it or not, people will judge you based on your social skils.
Party etiquette really depends on the size and type of party.
Small Parties
A small party may be defined as a gathering of 20-30 people sharing beverages
and good conversation, perhaps engaging in a “sport” of some kind
(and by sport I mean drinking games).
It’s quite important that if you are accompanying a friend to this party and you do not know the hosts personally, that you introduce yourself (make sure it’s OK that you go as well).
You are in someone’s home, sitting on their furniture and drinking their beer, so the least you can do is introduce yourself no matter how caught up in the party you are.
The same goes if you bring a friend– introduce them to the host.
I personally like to introduce people with names and include how they know me or something that the other two might have in common. It’s thoughtful and it breaks the ice.
It’s also important to be a relatively good guest. Avoid bad behavior, like engaging in shouting matches.
However, don’t be afraid to let loose and enjoy yourself at the party and meet new people.
Medium-sized parties
Medium-sized parties are very common at Xavier, and they include about 30-40
people.
They are big enough that you’ll always have someone to talk to and/or avoid awkward interactions with certain people.
It’s important to still be aware of the party’s host and their house, however. At these parties it is acceptable to float amongst the people and leave those that you came with for a while, but standard party etiquette rules apply.
You should be mindful that the house always trumps whatever anyone else has to say.
Follow their rules for beer pong, leave if they ask you to leave and don’t change the music unless you have their permission.
Large, raging parties
Lines of etiquette are blurred at large parties, which constitute 50 or more
people.
Again, standard etiquette applies, but there are other things to be mindful of.
Waiting in line for the bathroom, especially if you are a girl, can be quite a chore, so it’s important to look at the bathroom experience as a team effort.
Get in, do your business and get out so the next person can go. WASH YOUR HANDS! Do not use the bathroom just for primping or hooking up.
Also, I think it goes without saying that the line for the keg is worse than a line for the bathroom.
It’s important to be as quick as possible in this case as well. No lollygagging!
Theme parties
While there are not many theme parties at Xavier, it’s important to follow
the theme of a party, especially when it is a birthday party.
Whatever the birthday person wants, they should get. It is, after all, their birthday.
When deciding a theme for a potential party, creativity is nice, but what is even more important is convenience.
People are more likely to dress up if they can get what they want out of their closet or at Goodwill.
In addition, if it is a birthday party you should introduce yourself to the birthday person and wish him or her a happy birthday. Believe me, even if they don’t know you, they will be thrilled.
What to do if you get sick
This is a very important section– perhaps the most important. Getting
sick at someone’s party is no fun.
It’s always preferable to get sick in one’s own bathroom (or not get sick at all, but hey, things happen).
If you do get sick at someone’s house however, do not dart toward the nearest exit. CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF!
There is nothing worse than waking up in your house the morning after a party and going to the bathroom to find vomit, albeit somenoe else’s, all over the place.
Be sure that you tell someone you were sick and ask the hosts how you can clean it up. Believe me, they will tell you.
Getting sick is awful and it’s always more polite to clean up after yourself, even if you have to leave and come back the next day to do so.
If it is your friend that gets sick, be sure to take charge of the situation. Help him or her in any way that you can.
Let hosts or the group of friends you came with know about the situation and, if you have to, clean up.
If anything, you can hang this situation over your friend’s head until they redeem themselves.
Never, ever, leave the sick person under the responsibility of the hosts.
If the situation calls for it though, make sure the hosts are aware and that you’ve received permission from them.
Catherine Stahl
Diversions Editor
Fight Night
Looking for a fight? Show up at Fight Night from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8 in the Armory and see some exciting boxing and tae kwon do matches among Xavier club members and neighboring groups from UC, NKU and Miami. The Xavier Dance Team will also make several appearances during the event. Tickets are $3 for students, $5 for non-students with proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Midwest Masala Dance Auditions
Do you love to dance? The South Asian Society is holding auditions for the fourth annual Midwest Masala Indian-fusion dance competition the week of Nov. 10-14. No special experience in Indian dance is required. If interested, you can sign up at the Gallagher Student Center welcome desk. Contact Khushboo Doshi at doshik@xavier.edu with questions.
Cincinnati Museum Special Exhibit
SAC will be providing free tickets and transportation to the China Now exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The exhibit highlights modern Chinese art and culture. Buses will be leaving tentatively at 2 p.m. and returning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16 from Buenger circle. Sign-ups are in the SAC office while space is available.
