• 5035 Deerfield Blvd.
    Mason, Ohio 45040
    513.701.7656
    Get Directions
  • Hours of Operation:
    M-TH     11A to 11P
    F            11A to 12A
    SAT       12P to 12A
    SUN      11A to 10P
    *Kitchen closes 1 hour prior to closing.

Blog

  • Thu, 2012-02-16

    Meet Executive Chef, Ethan Snider

    Jessica Alexoff

    Originally from Cincinnati, Executive Chef Ethan Snider graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in 2004.  He has spent the last 4 years as the Executive Chef for The Boca Grande Club in Boca Grande, Florida and recently returned to Cincinnati. Chef Ethan is excited to be a part of The Polo Grille family and we are happy to add such great talent to our team.

    We sat down with Chef Ethan and asked him a few fun questions to get to know him a little better.


    1. What inspires you when you’re cooking?

     What inspires me the most when I’m cooking is the ability to be creative and making something out of nothing. I have been cooking since I was a little kid and growing up as the only child with a working mother, I learned how to be creative at an early age. I would go through the cabinets trying to find what I could create out of ingredients that we already had. It’s the same creativity I use when I’m writing a menu or coming up with new specials.

     

    2. What is your favorite thing to make?

     People ask me that question all the time! I’m not sure I can give you one single answer. Again, I love being creative so my favorite thing to make is something that is innovative, creative and different.

     

    3. If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

     Cheese and crackers. I love all sorts of cheeses and it’s usually what I eat when I’m at home. I would say that about 90% of the time I have a plate in the refrigerator with five or so different cheeses on it and when I get home I just pull it out, pour some wine and that’s my meal.

     

    4. Why do you like working at The Polo Grille?

     One big reason I like working here is because everyone on the Polo Grille team is great. Everyone works so well together and we have a fantastic team, which can really make all the difference in a work environment.

     

    5. What is a simple yet important cooking technique or tip you can give us?

     Put the recipe book away. Put down the measuring cups and spoons and just start creating dishes on your own. I feel that when you get so technical, it’s easy to screw up.  When you just follow your instinct and hope for the best, a lot of times it will go really well.

    Continue Reading >>
  • Mon, 2012-02-13

    Looking for a great Cocktail for Valentine’s Day?

    Jessica Alexoff

    Our Bar Manager and certified Sommelier, Eileen Spang has done it again! She has created an amazing craft cocktail just in time for Valentine’s Day. This is a great drink that you can make at home or stop into The Polo Grille and let one of our bartenders make it for you.


    Check out the recipe and a video below.

     

    Valentini Recipe


    2 oz. premium vodka

    1 oz. Saint Germain Elderflower liqueur

    1+1/2 oz. white cranberry juice

    1 small squeeze of raspberry sauce

    Shake all ingredients vigorously over ice and strain into a martini glass that is drizzled with more of the raspberry sauce!

    Continue Reading >>
  • Wed, 2011-12-28

    Looking for a great holiday cocktail recipe?

    Jessica Alexoff

    It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for making cocktails!
    Eileen Spang, our cocktail guru at The Polo Grille has created some amazing cocktails that are perfect for your next holiday get together or special occasion.

    Below is the recipe for the Candy Cane Martini. It is sure to be a huge hit among all your friends and family.

    Candy Cane Martini
    1 Crushed Candy Cane (for garnish)

    1 Whole Candy Cane (for garnish)

    2 ounces any Strawberry Vodka

    1/4 ounce White Crème de Menthe

    2&1/2 ounce of Red Cranberry Juice

    Martini Glass

     

    Crush the candy canes in a sealed baggie. Put the crushed candy cane in a saucer.

    Put some water in another saucer then roll the entire rim of a martini glass, ensuring that the entire rim is wet.

    Roll the wet rim in the crushed candy.

    Add Ice to a Martini shaker glass then add all the wet ingredients.

    Shake well and strain into the Martini glass.

    Hang the other candy cane on the side of the glass.

    Continue Reading >>
  • Thu, 2011-11-10

    “The Big Switch”- American Hand Crafts on Tap at The Polo Grille

    Jessica Alexoff

    We have some exciting new changes coming to The Polo Grille’s beverage program. We are hopping on the American Hand Craft bandwagon! Over the next couple of weeks, we are switching out most of our draft beers for some great American Hand Crafts. Bar Manager and wine sommelier, Eileen Spang has put a lot of research and thought into the new beers going on the 12 taps behind the bar. By mid-November, as the kegs for the current beers run out, we will have all the taps switched over to our new beers.

    The American Hand Craft craze is in full effect and we get it. AHC have such diverse styles and more layers of flavors. Currently, American Hand Crafted beers are the fasted growing segment out there. As a company with a strong emphasis on our beverage program, we want to stay cutting edge. There was a time were Harp and Guinness were hard to find and very innovative. That isn’t the case anymore so we need to keep up with the times and stay cutting edge.

    To put it simply, America makes good beer! We have really great resources for beer ingredients. America has hops throughout different parts of the country. The beers we are going to have available at The Polo Grille are from breweries in Colorado, California, Oregon, Delaware and other places around the United States.

    Below are the brews you can expect to see popping up at The Polo Grille over the new few weeks. Stay tuned to our facebook page for information on when we will be tapping each beer.

    The Polo Grille’s 12 Draft Beers:

    1) Alltech Brewery - Kentucky Bourbon Barrel
    2) Stone Brewing Co. - Stone IPA
    3) Breckenridge Brewery - Avalanche Ale
    4) North Coast Brewing Company - Scrimshaw Pilsner
    5) Breckenridge Brewery - Agave Wheat
    6) Left Hand Brewing Company - Left Hand Milk Stout
    7) Yuengling - Yuengling Lager
    8) Stella Artois - Stella Artois
    9) Samuel Adams – Samuel Adams Seasonal
    10) Miller Brewing Company - Miller Lite
    11) Belhaven Brewery - Belhaven Scottish Ale
    12) Seasonal Rotating Tap

    Continue Reading >>
  • Mon, 2011-10-17

    Looking For A Great Fall Drink Recipe?

    Jessica Alexoff

    To celebrate the launch of this year’s Woodford Proprietors Reserve we created the Burnt Orange Julep.  Inspired by the classic Kentucky cocktail the Mint Julep, we made our own version using our Woodford Proprietors Reserve and burnt orange simple syrup. It is served over ice and garnished with a burnt orange.

    Since the debut of the Burnt Orange Julep in the beginning of September, it has become one of our more popular cocktails. We thought we would share the recipe with you so you can bring a piece of The Polo Grille with you to your next party. It is the perfect fall cocktail!


    THE POLO GRILLE’S OFFICIAL PROPRIETOR'S BLEND COCKTAIL: THE BURNT ORANGE JULEP

    2 oz. - Woodford Reserve
    ½ oz. -Burnt Orange Simple Syrup

    In a small rocks glass, over ice, combine 2 oz. of Woodford and Burnt Orange Simple Syrup. 
    Garnish with a burnt orange twist made by Channel Knife.

    BURNT ORANGE SIMPLE SYRUP

    3 Oranges (medium sized)
    1.5 oz. - Orange Zest made with Channel Knife
    1 cup - White Sugar
    1 cup - Water

    Materials Needed:

    Channel Knife
    Large Rarebit
    oz. Scale
    Pan
    Stove
    Rubber Spatula
    Strainer
    Squeeze Bottle

    Using a Channel Knife, zest about 3 medium oranges to get 1.5 oz. of orange zest into large rarebit.
    Use brulee torch to blacken the zest.
    Pour into pan under low heat.
    Pour 1 cup of sugar into rarebit (to pick up all remaining oils).
    Next, pour sugar into pan.
    Using a spatula, mix orange zest and sugar over heat for 1 minute. Next, add 1 cup of water.
    Stir to combine.
    Pour syrup through a strainer into squeeze bottle.

    Of course, when you drink a Burnt Orange Julep at The Polo Grille, we use our own Woodford Reserve Proprietors Blend. When you make the cocktail at home you can use the regular Woodford Reserve for your Burnt Orange Julep but we think it drinks best with our own proprietor blend.

    Continue Reading >>
  • Wed, 2011-10-05

    Wine Divas Invade The Polo Grille

    Jessica Alexoff

    It seems like every time I go into The Polo Grille, it is buzzing with Wine Divas. I’ve been with the company for about a year and a half and I just recently participated in a Wine Diva class at The Polo Grille. I definitely didn’t understand how truly cool this program is until I took this class.  

    The Wine Divas started at The Polo Grille over six years ago. For the past six years, each and every class has been completely booked. There are over 800 official Wine Divas to date. Some Divas have even returned to take the class again, bringing new Divas with them.

    The Wine Divas course is broken into three classes: Basic Whites, Basic Reds, and Old World vs. New World. The cost to join is $75 and includes all three 3 classes taught by industry experts, educational materials, wine sampling, appetizers and a Wine Diva membership card.  The membership card is valid for one year upon completion of the course gives members a 50% discount on bottles of wine and exclusive invitations to wine events throughout the year.

    I must start out by telling you more about the industry experts that teach the class. Mary Horn and Laura Landoll generously share their knowledge with all of our divas. As Level II Sommliers and the only two women in the State of Ohio who have ever been eligible to sit for Master Sommlier, they are the best of the best. Their knowledge, humor and lack of “wine snobiness” make them excellent teachers. They have been teaching Wine Divas for 5 years now and we love having them as a part of this program.

     

    The class is meant to be educational and informative, but it’s also meant to be very light and fun. We often have women get their friends together and make this a ladies-night-out. The classes start out with a drawing to pick the “wine diva of the day.” Mary and Laura spend some time talking about the topic of the class and then it’s on to the tasting. Mary and Laura do a great job making the class one big discussion about wine.

        

    My favorite part about the class was the component tasting. We tasted four different liquids without knowing what they were, in order to taste the different components that are found in wine. The four components in wine are sweet/dry, acid, tannin and alcohol. Later, we tasted the liquids that represented these components and found out we drank sugar water solution for the sweet/dry taste, cream of tartar and water solution for acid, alum and water for tannin and diluted vodka for alcohol. It was interesting for me to see the reaction that my mouth and body had to each of these components. Afterwards, during the wine tasting portion of the class, I was actually able to pin-point a component in the different wines I tasted.

     

    Whether you are looking for a fun girl’s night out or looking to learn more about your favorite after work hobby, I highly recommend you sign up for next season’s Wine Divas. It will be held in January, February and March of 2010. Sign-ups will be announced in November and you will want to hurry because these classes fill up fast!

    Continue Reading >>
  • Thu, 2011-08-18

    Meet The Polo Grille’s very own Certified Wine Sommelier

    Jessica Alexoff

    We are proud to say that we have our very own Wine Sommelier, Eileen Spang. Eileen has been with Tavern Restaurant Group for nine years and has been the Bar Manager at The Polo Grille for five years. She is also a member of the TRG beverage committee and is known for her love of wine.

    Sommelier is the French term for cellarmaster or wine steward. A Sommelier is someone who has a love for wine and is eager to spread their knowledge with others. They can describe the regions, grapes, vineyards and vintages of an assortment of wines from all over the world. However, not just anyone can earn this prestigious title. One must pass The Certified Sommelier Examination and it takes a lot of time, passion and knowledge.

    Pronouncing it correctly is half the battle. Sommelier [suhm-uhl-yey; Fr. saw-muh-lyey] Click here to hear it pronounced.

    As the Bar Manager and Sommelier at The Polo Grille, Eileen is responsible for researching new wines, setting up tastings with wine representatives and ultimately creating the wine list each year. From the taste to the price, Eileen uses her expertise to pick the best possible wines for the customers at The Polo Grille.

    We sat down with Eileen to learn more about receiving her Sommelier certification.

    When did you receive your Sommelier certification and how long did it take you to complete?

    I received my Sommelier certification on April 15, 2011. I took a two day crash course at Cincinnati State and studied really hard for about two weeks before the test. You definitely need to have previous wine knowledge for the course I took because it’s a lot of information. I have been studying wine for over 15 years. You also have to drink a lot of wine and taste a lot of wine to be able to understand it, talk about it and pass a test.

     

    What was the most challenging part about getting certified?

    I have a great palate and have always been able to talk about wine with people so that wasn’t the hard part. To me, the most challenging part was all the geography and history. We studied every wine growing country in the world. There’s a lot of information about wine to learn because it has such a history. There are so many things that go into making wine that one may not think about, such as the way it is farmed, the laws and guidelines or the way it reads on a label.

     

    What is the most interesting thing you learned while studying to get certified?

    The most interesting thing I learned is that I still have a lot to learn. When I started studying wine, I never realized how much there is to learn. It truly is a life long hobby.

     

    As the Bar manager for The Polo Grille and as a member of the Beverage Team at Tavern Restaurant Group, how have you benefited now that you have your Sommelier certification?

    I think the biggest benefit to me is that I’m now able to teach the staff about wine in a way they can better comprehend. It’s a method I learned in class called the Deductive Tasting Method. It breaks down wine into sight, smell/aroma and taste. I’ve been able to incorporate the method here at The Polo Grille and engage the employees. I’ve challenged them to build a vocabulary of wine terms that they can use to describe wine in a way that will be appealing to our guests.  

     

    What advice would you give to a person trying to get their Sommelier certification? 

    I think you truly have to love wine and have to have a passion for learning about it if you want to reach the level of a Sommelier.  Read about wine everyday, study for the test for a long time and taste a lot of wine.

    Continue Reading >>
  • Wed, 2011-08-03

    You don’t want to miss Pink-A-POLOoza at The Polo Grille!

    Jessica Alexoff

    We are teaming up with Team TaTas in the battle against breast cancer. Pink-A-POLOoza is just around the corner. We hope you can join us for this great fundraising event for Team Ta-Tas and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

    Team Ta-Tas is a group of women helping raise awareness and raise money for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  75% of all the money raised stay here in our community.  The money is used to provide breast health education, provide free mammograms, and support many other breast cancer programs right here at home.  The remaining 25% is used for research.

    Pink-A-POLOoza will take place on Friday, August 5th here at The Polo Grille. We will be serving Polo-Tinis and featuring our special Ta-Ta-Tini. There will be other activities such as raffles and silent auctions, shopping, mini spa treatments and light snacks. You will also be able to enjoy a free sweet treat from YAGOOT!

    We have a great selection of raffle items.  Each vendor has generously donated an item or basket and we also have gifts/gift certificates from the following businesses: Massage Envy, Becoming Mom, Loveland Canoe and Kayak, Joey & Roman Salon, Brothers Bar and Grill, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Cincinnati, McAlister’s Deli and more.

    You can also sign up for the 2011 Race for the Cure during the event.  If you sign up at the event you will be entered into a drawing for a Deerfield Towne Center gift certificate!

    Below are some of the awesome vendors joining us for the evening.  Each one will be donating a portion of the night’s sales back to Team Ta-Tas and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Hope to see you there and don’t forget to wear your pink!

     

    ART BY CINDY RAFFERTY WILLIAMS

    www.cindyraffertywilliams.com

    SILPADA

    WWW.SILPADA.COM/ANGIE.HELMER

    GIRLY BEADS BY CARMEN

    http://www.girlybeadsbycarmen.com

    PURE ROMANCE

    http://kendrasmiley.pureromance.com

    BEAUTICONTROL

    WWW.BEAUTIPAGE.COM/JEANENE

    THIRTY-ONE

    WWW.MYTHIRTYONE.COM/JLCARTER

    Devine Design by Kim

    Continue Reading >>
  • Thu, 2011-07-28

    Heart Healthy Options at The Polo Grille

    Jessica Alexoff

    Last summer, The Polo Grille joined The Christ Hospital in their Heart Healthy Restaurant Partnership Program. Nutritional experts have analyzed our menu and indicated the items that fit within heart healthy requirements. Each entrée is consistent with American Heart Association guidelines and has fewer than:

    • 650 calories
    • 20 grams of fat
    • 7 grams of saturated fat
    • 800 mg of sodium
    • 100 mg of cholesterol

    The Polo Grille has a separate heart healthy menu because so many items on our menu meet the nutritional requirements! Ask your server or bartender to see a menu.

    Here are some of our most popular items off our Heart Healthy Menu:

    Polo Citrus Salad - Mixed greens, golden raisins, apples, orange segments, dried cranberries, peanut brittle and gorgonzola cheese with a citrus vinaigrette dressing.

     

    Calories: 250
    Fat:12G
    Cholesterol: <5MG

    Sodium: 270MG
    Saturate Fat: 2G
    Carbohydrates: 32G
    Protein: 3G
    Fiber: 2G

    Weight Watchers Points Plus: 7

     

    *For a complete lunch, add some protein. Ask to add grilled chicken to your salad and you will still be within the Heart Healthy Guidelines.

     

    Heart Healthy Oven Baked Goat Cheese - Roasted tomato sauce and herbed goat cheese served with flatbread crisps.

     

    Calories: 170
    Fat:11G
    Cholesterol: 25MG

    Sodium: 270MG
    Saturate Fat: 6G
    Carbohydrates: 14G
    Protein: 7G
    Fiber: <1G

    Weight Watchers Points Plus: 5

     

     

    Tilapia Chimichurri - Grilled tilapia, chimichurri sauce, lime crème and chive oil served with tomato scallion rice.

     

    Calories: 350
    Fat: 9G
    Cholesterol: 85MG

    Sodium: 550MG
    Saturate Fat: 2.5G
    Carbohydrates: 32G
    Protein: 41G
    Fiber: 5G

    Weight Watchers Points Plus: 9

     

    Ahi Tuna Mignon - 8 oz seared ahi tuna, apple-pepper salsa and wasabi.

     

    Calories: 340
    Fat: 3G
    Cholesterol: 100MG

    Sodium: 340MG
    Saturate Fat: 5G
    Carbohydrates: 21G
    Protein: 54G
    Fiber: 2G

    Weight Watchers Points Plus: 8

     

    To view our entire Heart Healthy Menu, click here.

    For more information about the Heart Healthy Restaurant Partnership Program at The Christ Hospital, click here.

    Continue Reading >>
  • Tue, 2011-07-19

    Recipe: Maryland Crab Cakes with Roasted Corn Salsa

    Jessica Alexoff

    Something you may not know about Thom Milliken, our Executive Chef at The Polo Grille, is that he specializes in seafood dishes…it’s kind of “his thing.”  Chef Thom used to own his own seafood shop and some of the items on our menu are Chef Thom’s favorite recipes!

     

    Maryland Crab Cakes are extremely popular and we are often asked for the recipe. This is a great recipe to give out because they are easy to make and are loaded with crab meat. Our authentic Maryland Crab Cakes are healthy as well since they are seared in a small amount of olive oil (not deep fried) and made with only enough bread to hold them together.

     

    Of course we think no one can make them like Chef Thom, but here is the recipe if you want to try them at home. We also included the recipe for the Roasted Corn Salsa which is how we serve them at The Polo Grille for a delicious and well balanced meal. Enjoy!

     

    MARYLAND CRAB CAKES


    1 LB LUMP CRABMEAT

    2 EGGS

    2 TBS MAYONNAISE

    ½ CUP CRUSHED SALTINES

    ½ TBS OLD BAY SEASONING

    ¼ TS DRIED THYME

    1 TS WORCHESTERSHIRE SAUCE

    1 TS LEMON JUICE

    ¼ CUP SLICED SCALLIONS

    1 TS CREOLE MUSTARD

    ¼ KOSHER SALT

     

    In a bowl, combine eggs, mayo, Tabasco, thyme, lemon juice, mustard, salt, Old Bay, green onion, Worcestershire and Whisk to combine.  Crush up saltines and add to egg mixture.  Next add crabmeat and mix gently. Be careful not to break up lumps.

    Portion into cakes and sauté in olive oil approximately 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through.

     

    ROASTED CORN SALSA

     

    3 CUPS SWEET CORN

    1 CUP DICED ROMA TOMATOES

    ¼ CUP DICED RED ONION

    ¼ CUP DICED RED BELL PEPPER

    1 TS CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES

    2 TBS CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO

    2 TBS OLIVE OIL

    1 ½ TBS RICE WINE VINEGAR

    2 TS CHOPPED GARLIC

    2 TS KOSHER SALT

    1 TS BLACK PEPPER

     

    Heat skillet until it’s scorching hot.  Add corn to dry pan.  Allow to brown then stir continuously until corn is not wet and has a roasted appearance.  Lay out on sheet tray to cool.  Combine with other ingredients and check seasoning.

    Continue Reading >>
Home

The Polo Grille Blog

Meet Executive Chef, Ethan Snider

Jessica Alexoff
Thu, 2012-02-16

Originally from Cincinnati, Executive Chef Ethan Snider graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in 2004.  He has spent the last 4 years as the Executive Chef for The Boca Grande Club in Boca Grande, Florida and recently returned to Cincinnati. Chef Ethan is excited to be a part of The Polo Grille family and we are happy to add such great talent to our team.

Read more
Add new comment

Looking for a great Cocktail for Valentine’s Day?

Jessica Alexoff
Mon, 2012-02-13

Our Bar Manager and certified Sommelier, Eileen Spang has done it again! She has created an amazing craft cocktail just in time for Valentine’s Day. This is a great drink that you can make at home or stop into The Polo Grille and let one of our bartenders make it for you.


Read more
Add new comment

Looking for a great holiday cocktail recipe?

Jessica Alexoff
Wed, 2011-12-28

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for making cocktails!

Read more
Add new comment

“The Big Switch”- American Hand Crafts on Tap at The Polo Grille

Jessica Alexoff
Thu, 2011-11-10

We have some exciting new changes coming to The Polo Grille’s beverage program. We are hopping on the American Hand Craft bandwagon! Over the next couple of weeks, we are switching out most of our draft beers for some great American Hand Crafts. Bar Manager and wine sommelier, Eileen Spang has put a lot of research and thought into the new beers going on the 12 taps behind the bar. By mid-November, as the kegs for the current beers run out, we will have all the taps switched over to our new beers.

Read more
Add new comment

Looking For A Great Fall Drink Recipe?

Jessica Alexoff
Mon, 2011-10-17

To celebrate the launch of this year’s Woodford Proprietors Reserve we created the Burnt Orange Julep.  Inspired by the classic Kentucky cocktail the Mint Julep, we made our own version using our Woodford Proprietors Reserve and burnt orange simple syrup. It is served over ice and garnished with a burnt orange.

Read more
Add new comment

Wine Divas Invade The Polo Grille

Jessica Alexoff
Wed, 2011-10-05

It seems like every time I go into The Polo Grille, it is buzzing with Wine Divas. I’ve been with the company for about a year and a half and I just recently participated in a Wine Diva class at The Polo Grille. I definitely didn’t understand how truly cool this program is until I took this class.  

The Wine Divas started at The Polo Grille over six years ago. For the past six years, each and every class has been completely booked. There are over 800 official Wine Divas to date. Some Divas have even returned to take the class again, bringing new Divas with them.

Read more
Add new comment

Meet The Polo Grille’s very own Certified Wine Sommelier

Jessica Alexoff
Thu, 2011-08-18

We are proud to say that we have our very own Wine Sommelier, Eileen Spang. Eileen has been with Tavern Restaurant Group for nine years and has been the Bar Manager at The Polo Grille for five years. She is also a member of the TRG beverage committee and is known for her love of wine.

Read more
Add new comment

You don’t want to miss Pink-A-POLOoza at The Polo Grille!

Jessica Alexoff
Wed, 2011-08-03

We are teaming up with Team TaTas in the battle against breast cancer. Pink-A-POLOoza is just around the corner. We hope you can join us for this great fundraising event for Team Ta-Tas and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Read more
Add new comment

Heart Healthy Options at The Polo Grille

Jessica Alexoff
Thu, 2011-07-28

Last summer, The Polo Grille joined The Christ Hospital in their Heart Healthy Restaurant Partnership Program. Nutritional experts have analyzed our menu and indicated the items that fit within heart healthy requirements. Each entrée is consistent with American Heart Association guidelines and has fewer than:

Read more
Add new comment

Recipe: Maryland Crab Cakes with Roasted Corn Salsa

Jessica Alexoff
Tue, 2011-07-19

Something you may not know about Thom Milliken, our Executive Chef at The Polo Grille, is that he specializes in seafood dishes…it’s kind of “his thing.”  Chef Thom used to own his own seafood shop and some of the items on our menu are Chef Thom’s favorite recipes!

 

Read more
Add new comment
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