Return to Cincinnati: Montgomery Inn Boathouse

The last time I had ribs within the greater Cincinnati area, a players strike was looming in Major League baseball. It was August 1994 and my parents had driven the family out to Cincinnati for a visit. We saw a couple Reds-Dodgers games, the last series for the Redlegs that season. Montgomery Inn is a local institution, founded by the late Ted Gregory, a k a The Ribs King. I went to Montgomery Elementary School, just down the Montgomery Ave. from the Inn.

The Gregories now have four locations, including the downtown Montgomery Inn Boathouse. A circular building that looks out onto the Ohio River and the banks of Kentucky. We were lucky enough to get get a seat right against the large glass windows on the first floor. That picture above is of a riverboat making its way down the river. This picture is of the Boathouse. A place that did not disappoint.

We had seen a great game on Sunday. The Reds held of the Blue Jays, 2-1. Brian and Nick were offended when Fransisco Cordero, the Reds closer, entered the game in the 9th to "Enter Sandman" — Mariano Rivera's entrance music at Yankee Stadium. But they got over it by the time we got some drinks and fresh, hot Saratoga chips with hot Montgomery Inn barbecue sauce for dipping.

We told the waiter, Jerry, that we've been traveling for days and this was our first real chance to sit down for a good meal. He told us to take our time, brought us some Greek meatballs for another appetizer and said we could order our main meal whenever we'd like.

When we finally got around to it, Jerry brought us some excellent barbecued pork. I went with a slab of ribs. Nick and Brian got a combinations of ribs and pork chops. All were pleased. You can see in the pictured that I first had to have a rib before I could take a picture of it. Brian enjoyed, this trip, making fun of Nick and me for taking so many pictures of our food. But Cincinnati has some food you just can't get many other places.

My mom should be proud of me finishing all the ribs in one setting. I'm fairly sure she never allowed my brother or I from ordering a full slab when we were kids. And rightly so. Even though Shelby, my brother, and I were convinced we could do it.

One of the fun things about the Montgomery Inn is all the sports memorabilia on the walls. I wonder if the original Montgomery Inn still has that statue of Pete Rose when you walk in.

The Boathouse does have this great picture of Pete and Hulk Hogan. The picture was in a dark corner and I had lighten it a lot. I always took Pete for more a Macho Man guy. But I'm sure he and the Hulk had a few things in common.

After the meal, we polished it all off with some coffee and Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip ice cream. That meal right there crossed a few things off the Queen City to-do list.

Below are a couple more shots of the Ohio River and banks of Kentucky. But we saved that state for the next night. Also is some Ken Griffey Jr. memorabilia.

We're rolling through some traffic just outside Pittsburgh. But we're at our exit. Hoping to be at PNC Park by 6ish.

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