A Night On The Town Featuring Candlelight Concerts and Losanti Steakhouse
Posted on August 29, 2023 Posted by Athena Scalzi 20 Comments
You may remember a post of mine from two months ago over the Best of Hans Zimmer Candlelight Concert I went to in Cincinnati. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to go to another Candlelight Concert. Not even a week after seeing the first one, I got myself a ticket to one in August, and patiently waited.
In my previous post over them, I mentioned that they do tribute performances to popular artists such as Taylor Swift, Adele, Queen, even Bach and Vivaldi. However, this particular show I attended was a bit of a deviation from their standard performances, and I was a little surprised it was even offered. It’s called “Favorite Anime Themes”, and the show featured sixteen iconic anime opening/soundtrack songs, plus a Studio Ghibli medley.
(I’ve gone ahead and put the full list of songs in the comments for y’all to check out.)
The concert was held in The Transept in the Over-the-Rhine area of Cincinnati. Funny enough, it’s only about half a mile from the previous concert’s venue, the Woodward Theater.
The Transept is a gothic-church-turned-event-venue, and it was definitely an impressive establishment.
I was one of the first people there, and managed to get a picture of the inside without anyone in the shot:
And a close up of the stage since I had front row seats:
Like the previous Candlelight Concert I went to, it was a string quartet performance, though this was a different group than last time. This group is called Listeso String Quartet:
(You’re allowed to take photos and videos during the last song of the set.)
This group did an amazing job. Every piece was absolutely spectacular. It filled my heart with joy to hear theme songs from shows I watched years ago performed so beautifully on some of my favorite instruments. I could’ve listened to them all night. I never knew I needed a string quartet performance of anime openings until I got it, and now I want so much more of it.
One of the most interesting parts of going to this concert was seeing all of the different people that attended. I definitely had a particular idea of what kind of people would be there, but I was surprised at the range of demographics in the audience.
On the other hand, unsurprisingly, there were plenty of sightings of things like Totoro purses, anime t-shirts, and even two tweens in cosplay.
I was also surprised at how many people there were. There was probably about a hundred chairs total, all filled, and then a standing balcony which was also crowded with people. It was a great turnout!
The hour passed quickly, and afterwards I walked about two blocks through a lovely public park and arrived at Losanti Steakhouse. I had gone to Losanti after the first Candlelight Concert I went to, and it was so good I just had to revisit it.
Losanti is an Italian steakhouse (I didn’t even know you could combine those two things?) that is modern, intimate, classy, all those good things! I absolutely love the vibe in here, and all the staff and servers are so nice and helpful.
Since I’d been here before, I wanted to make sure I didn’t get anything I had gotten the last time.
The last time around, I had the Queen Bee, the Sage Gimlet, and the Lillet Rose, pictured here:
The Queen Bee was very honey forward, sweet, and herbaceous. The Sage Gimlet tasted like a refined ginger ale, and was refreshing and light. The Lillet Rose was sweet and fruity. They were all great, no wrong choices here.
I also had the crab cake starter, a filet mignon (medium rare), and this super yummy looking truffle mac and cheese:
Needless to say, everything was awesome, and the filet mignon was probably the best I’ve ever had.
So, this time around, I started with the Honeysuckle:
This was sweet, tasted just like honey, smooth, and had a pretty flower! I don’t know about y’all, but I seriously love honey, so this and the Queen Bee are really great choices.
I wasn’t sure what to get for my starter, so the bartender suggested the oysters. They had east and west coast oysters, so I picked west coast, and apparently they were from Washington. I got half a dozen, and they came with their housemade cocktail sauce, housemade ponzu, and housemade hot sauce.
These oysters were so fresh and ultra-buttery-melt-in-your-mouth goodness. I had the first one just with lemon, two with the ponzu sauce, and three with the cocktail sauce. No hot sauce for me, because I’m weak.
I also got a salad. The bartender recommended the Kale Caeser, which was pretty different from other Caesers I’ve had before.
This one had celery and roasted tomatoes, and most noticeably different is obviously the kale as the base. Kale isn’t usually my first choice of leafy green, but this salad was so good! Plus, it was a giant portion.
I also got the Cincy Fizz:
This drink was quite interesting. It was very port forward, so if you like port wine this is definitely a good choice for you. It’s definitely a bit strong for my usual taste, and the foam from the egg white was really interesting texturally speaking. Overall, not my favorite drink, but fun to try.
I decided to try a pasta this time, instead of a cut of meat. I opted for the Orecchiette, with lamb sausage and saffron cream:
I don’t eat lamb all that often, but it was a welcome protein in this creamy pasta. The tomatoes offered a slight acidity to cut through the richness of the saffron cream, and the parmesan and fresh cracked black pepper on top brought it all together.
Again, another generous portion size, and I wanted to save some room for dessert, so I got this boxed up, as well as my salad, and took a look at the dessert menu.
I was torn between the salted caramel gelato and the butter cake, but since the butter cake came with salted caramel gelato, I got that. I expected a slice but got this actual round cake:
This was actually ginormous, and also like the greatest cake I’ve ever eaten?! This thing was off the charts. It’s probably hard to tell in the picture, but the entire cake had this really thin like crystalline sugar layer all over the outside, and it was served nice and warm which made the delicious, creamy gelato all melty and oh my god I actually died and went to heaven upon eating this cake.
One fun thing about this place is that when they bring you the check, they bring it in an old book that you can write in.
I’ve been to quite a few eateries in OTR but Losanti takes the (butter) cake. I highly recommended checking this place out. Not only is the food excellent, but the service is stellar and the atmosphere is perfect.
Which cocktail sounds the best to you? Have you seen any of the anime on the list? What are some places you like in Cincinnati? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
The Concert Playlist (note: Athena wrote this, I am just posting it):
Unravel from Tokyo Ghoul
In Regards to Love – Eros from Yuri!!! On Ice
A Cruel Angel’s Thesis from Neon Genesis Evangelion
Blue Bird from Naruto
Inuyasha Medley
Case Closed (Theme) from Detective Conan
Shinzou Wo Sasegayo from Attack on Titan
Again from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Moonlight Densetsu from Sailor Moon
The World from Death Note
Lilium from Elfen Lied
Mystical Adventure from Dragon Ball
Sono Chi no Sadame from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Gurenge from Demon Slayer
Sparkle from Your Name
We Are! from One Piece
Studio Ghibli Medley
Plus an encore of Feuerroter Pfiel und Bogen from Attack on Titan.
(Athena adds: Now, out of these anime, I have actually only seen six. Tokyo Ghoul, Yuri!!! On Ice, Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Death Note, and Demon Slayer.)
Sounds and looks delightful. Fun post.
Wow! I’d pay just to hear “Cruel Angel’s Thesis’!
Athena, you really need to watch ‘Evangelion’. The original series and two movies are on Netflix, and the reboot movies are on Amazon Prime.
Wow! Sounds like a heckuva concert (and dinner). My acquaintance with anime is fairly sporadic; the only items on the program I’m pretty sure I’ve seen are Inuyasha, Your Name (one of my favorite movies of the last ten years), and most but not all Studio Ghibli movies. (Speaking of which, there’s a wonderful new CD out called A Symphonic Celebration: Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki, with Joe Hisaishi conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing excerpts of his film scores.)
It’s been way too long since I’ve visited Cincinnati, but I used to enjoy hanging out in the area near the University. One place I know is still around is the club/music venue Bogart’s, where I saw a couple of cool bands (Camper Van Beethoven and the Royal Crescent Mob) when I was living there in 1989-1990. I’m also fond of several music stores there, including Shake It Records (which also has books and videos), Mole’s, and Everybody’s.
Anyway, I’m glad you had a good time and I may head by Losanti next time I’m in town!
That sounds like so much fun!!! We need something like this in NYC!
Rob: my husband and I used a Camper Van Beethoven song for “our song” when we got married (Take the Skinheads Bowling); totally flummoxed the band director. Good times
Omaha had lots of Italian steakhouses when I was growing up, unfortunately several of them have since closed due to the families running them no longer having members in the right age range to run a restaurant. Piccolo’s had wonderful prime rib … and if you were lucky, they’d had some left from the night before that was then used to make beef vegetable soup.
Your dinner looks amazing and I am pleased you enjoyed our Washington oysters. Sometimes they don’t travel well, so your review made me happy.
I just had lunch, but now I want cake, LOL.
If you go across the river to Covington, there are lots of great places to eat and drink. We loved Mama’s. If you’re there at lunchtime, The Empanada’s Box has really good empanadas. And if you happen to be there during Hierophany & Hedge’s sporadic open hours I can’t recommend it highly enough. This couple is deep into magic and not the card-trick kind. Their wand selection is mind-blowing. I’d schedule a trip just around going there.
They have these Candlelight concerts here in Chicago as well, and I’ve always been tempted to go. Now it’s definitely on my list, thanks!
I love your choice of restaurant for afterwards. You can always count on a steakhouse for having delicious seafood, which is what I usually order. But I think your pasta with the lamb looks delicious. I’m not a big cocktail drinker, I will just have a single glass of wine and make it last, but the Sage Gimlet sounds yum! So glad you had such a wonderful experience.
I forgot to add, that Kevin Wilson book is terrific and you should give it a try! I think it’s hilarious that they have a seemingly random book for you to sign, unless he’s a friend of the owner.
Being a food and dining critic seems like it would an awesome gig. You are rocking it Athena. I grew up in Cincy, moved away about 40 years ago but would regularly go home to visit. Favorite places for food? Skyline chili after last call and Servatti Bakery come to mind. Favorite places- Playhouse in the park and the nearby art museum are awesome.
This is why I think the ending of Tár is not the horrible ultimate failure for her that it’s often made out to be, but rather an example of her resilience.
OTR has certainly changed since I lived in Cinci in 95-97.
The Hollywood Bowl does music nights showcasing movie and other popular culture music. Someday, when you’re in LA, you should go.
You are my new best friend. You should take me to this place, your treat, and split all the foods. :)
Both the concert and the meal sound marvelous! I’ve seen all of the anime, which include several of my favorites (Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist among them). Kinda wish that Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle had been included – some awesome music in that soundtrack. (For goofy/pop music, the theme from Nerima Daikon Brothers would be fun…)
The food and drinks look super yummy! I haven’t been in that area since my son was a baby. Might have to convince my hubby to do a vacation there soon. I would have loved that concert, but I would have wished there was something from Yoko Kanno’s anime music; her songs for Cowboy Bebop and the Vision of Escaflowne are some of my favorites. I’ve only seen 7 of the anime on the list, but I do love listening to sting instruments!
Keep honing your review skills, Athena! You have a glowing career in front of you as a food critic!
@Holly Knight, thanks so much! :)
@Iain, I have definitely thought about watching it! It’s iconic for a reason, right?
@Rob T., I am dying to see Your Name!
@Lynn G, there are actually Candlelight Concerts in New York, too!
@Steve Nicholson, Mama’s is actually on my list!
@Roberta, thank you so much :)
@Brian, thanks! I appreciate it :)
@GoryDetails, I can’t believe you’ve seen all of them, that’s awesome! FMAB is also one of my fav animes ever :)
@MrsGAM, seven is definitely plenty, you could enjoy this concert even if you hadn’t seen any!
@TheMadLibrarian, aw thanks so much that’s very nice of you to say :)
Italian steakhouses used to be a common form of restaurant, oh, maybe 50 years ago, but they’ve gradually become seemingly dated and have disappeared. I found one a few years ago in Great Falls, Montana, a city that looks forgotten by time, but I’m surprised but pleased (because I like that cuisine) to learn there’s still one in Cincinnati.
As for my food recommendations in Cincinnati, I had a good Thai dinner at Lemon Grass on Madison Rd. in the NE part of town, but my all-time favorite food establishment there is Graeter’s ice cream.