Cincinnati Magazine - March 2024 Edition

SERVERS AND BARTENDERS REACH A TIPPING POINT b y J I M DeB R O SS E

ARTSWAVE CALLS TO SUPPORT THE ARTS b y CA R R I E B L AC K M O R E

KINDNESS IS A TRAP p. 32

Best NEW Restaurants TOP 10 PLACES TO EAT NOW

GOOD STEW-ARD Cioppino with mussels, clams, salmon, and lobster, served with ciabatta at Five on Vine.

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H M O N A D E R M AT O L O G Y

7JG %CjNG of the Body Treatments When stubborn fat doesn’t respond to diet or exercise, you may consider turning to treatment options. Mona Dermatology’s body contouring providers break down the differences between the two top non-surgical options, CoolSculpting Elite and EmSculpt Neo. The good news: both treatments can deliver results by summer, without downtime.

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H M O N A D E R M AT O L O G Y

Amanda Schmidt, LME

How do both treatments work?

Emsculpt Neo stimulates muscle contractions using high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology, and reduces fat using radiofrequency heat. Thanks to the radiofrequency, some skin tightening may also occur. CoolSculpting Elite uses cooling technology to cause apoptosis, killing unwanted fat cells in the treatment area. Both are FDA-approved and very safe when performed by a trained provider.

How many treatments are needed and how long are appointments?

Most commonly, a CoolSculpting appointment will last one to two hours.

The applicators are placed on the treatment area, and the cooling process in each area takes from 35 to 75 minutes. At our office, thanks to having the Elite technology and multiple devices, you can treat multiple areas of the body at the same time!

Emsculpt Neo treatments, on the other hand, are once a week for four weeks and last 30 minutes each. For both technologies, the number of

monadermatology.com

Meet your providers

Kylee Finn, RN

treatments needed depends on your desired results and how many areas of the body you want to focus on.

The best way to get an estimate is to schedule a free consultation, where your provider can help create a plan that’s right for you.

Will both treatments give similar results?

Both treatments eliminate fat cells through heating or cooling technology. However, each technology offers a slightly different approach, and that can affect your overall outcome. Emsculpt Neo’s combination of muscle stimulation and fat reduction will help with overall tightening and abdominal toning in addition to targeting stubborn fat. CoolSculpting is excellent for those who want to solely focus on fat reduction. It is also a great choice for targeting a specific, pinchable pocket of fat (for example: inner thigh fat or “bra fat”). If you have a BMI over 35, EmSculpt Neo is not the right choice as the HIFEM technology will not effectively reach the muscle fibers. In that case, CoolSculpting

Elite or a combination of the two treatments may be best.

Is there downtime?

Both treatments allow you to return to normal activities such as work or social commitments the same day.

After an EmSculpt Neo treatment, you may experience soreness the next day, similar to after a challenging workout.

After a CoolSculpting Elite treatment, you may experience swelling, tenderness, or—in rarer cases—bruising for about a week after treatment. After all CoolSculpting treatments, you will also notice numbness in the area where you were treated. How long this lasts may vary from person to person.

Which treatment is best?

Ultimately, this depends on your goals! At our Kenwood-based office, we perform hundreds of treatments of both EmSculpt Neo and CoolSculpting Elite each year. The best way to decide which treatment (or combination of treatments) is right for you is by coming in for a free consultation.

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IN FOCUS THE DINING ROOM AT THE APERTURE IN WALNUT HILLS.

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BEST NEW RESTAURANTS From oysters to Mediterranean meze, foodies have plenty of new places to explore—and we’ve got the top 10 of this new crop of dining options.

RESTAURANT AND BAR WORKERS REACH A TIPPING POINT P. 52

Servers, bartenders, and line cooks are banding together to push business owners to improve pay, protect tips, and find a better work/life balance.

A RENEWED CALL TO SUPPORT THE ARTS P. 56

As ArtsWave approaches its 100th anniversary, the fund-raising organization asks Cincinnati once again how much do we value our culture and our artists.

BY CARRIE BLACKMORE

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Jim Scott leads the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade

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ROCK MUSICIAN WARREN ZEVON FAMOUSLY SAID, AFTER LEARNING OF HIS LUNG cancer diagnosis, he was reminded to appreciate the little things in life and “enjoy every sandwich.” He was being interviewed on Late Night With David Letterman in 2002, and he would die less than a year later.

Zevon’s sandwich advice became a widely shared meme, and I embraced it as a mantra. His musical friends, from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen to the Pixies, even produced a tribute album of his songs titled Enjoy Every Sandwich.

For the past 20 years, literally every time I eat a sandwich I hear a voice in my head saying,“Enjoy every sandwich.”It’s the same voice that says“Righty tighty, lefty loosey” whenever I have a screwdriver in my hand or“Turn into the skid”when I drive on snow. Do you have a voice in your head repeating decades-old instructions? I hope I’m not the only one.

Sandwiches are one of the basic building blocks of our culinary world. They’re humble, they’ll go anywhere with you, and they just want to make you happy—kind of like your dog. Sure, you can occasionally dress them up and hope they behave, but they’re more comfortable just hanging out on your lap. Is the sandwich man’s other best friend?

I’ve extended my “enjoy” mantra over the years to most food experiences, especially eating out. Diving into the area’s top 10 new restaurants in this issue (page 36), I’m really impressed with all of the time and talent that went into launching these businesses. I’ve eaten at just three of them so far, and I enjoyed every dish. I can’t wait to try the others.

We all know that not every restaurant visit is awesome. Sometimes the food isn’t great, the service is off, they lose your reservation, or they forget to put alcohol in your drink. But so many different details go into a dining experience: the person you’re with, the smile on the hostess’s face, the ace parking spot you nabbed, the music playing in the background. I try to focus on something I can enjoy at each place, and let everything else go. Thanks always for the reminder, Warren!

J O H N F OX

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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ILLUSTR ATIO N BY L A R S LEE TA RU

This marks the third Best Restaurants issue Brandon Wuske has helmed for Cincinnati Magazine, and this year’s Top 10 has a twist (“Best New Restaurants,” page 36). Our chefs are getting national attention, and local hospitality groups are opening exciting new spots, he says. “The last few years have been a period of venturing out in spite of steep challenges, and I’d love to see that trend continue. Though fewer challenges would certainly be nice.”

M. LEIGH HOOD Contributing writer M. Leigh Hood loves revisiting old restaurant favorites, and this month she checks out an updated, but still neon bright, The Turf Club in Linwood (page 84).

“By the time you come back to an old haunt,” she says, “it’s become something new, a fresh experience with familiar bones.”

SAMUEL GREENHILL Covington-based photographer Samuel Greenhill captures the chaos and pressure facing hospitality workers in “Restaurant and Bar Workers Reach a Tipping Point” (page 52). He likes to use Photoshop, he says, “to explain the abstract ideas that a photo itself might not be able to communicate on its own and help represent how complex our world is.”

THEY’VE GOT SKIN IN THE GAME These UC College of Medicine faculty-clinicians are at the forefront of medical and surgical dermatology. They see the most complex cases. And they provide the most advanced care. From hosting studies that lead to new medicines to researching skin cancer treatments and prevention, UC Physicians dermatologists are able to bring the most up-to-date therapies directly to patients. It’s an impact that’s more than skin deep. It’s indispensable medicine, right here in Cincinnati.

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PHYSICIANS College of Medicine

Left to right: Katherine Baquerizo, MD; Leigh Stone, MD; Cristin Shaughnessy, MD; Kyle Rismiller, MD; and Rachel Johnson, MD, all assistant professors in the Department of Dermatology.

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NOTHING RAINS ON JIM SCOTT’S PARADE The beloved media icon stays positive despite his health issues. S T E V E N R O S E N

J

IM SCOTT IS REALLY LOOKING

forward to serving as the Honorary Grand Marshal of the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade on March 28. “I love the parade,” says the retired WLW radio personality during a mid-January interview.

He’s done just about everything else associated with the event, which has been a Cincinnati Reds tradition since 1919. Last year, at age 80, Scott walked the entire three-mile route.

His devotion to the parade, the Reds, and Findlay Market merchants is consistent with his support for the traditions and people of Cincinnati in general, which is why he’s long been such an admired, even beloved, figure in this city. He retired as WLW’s morning personality in 2015, ending almost 47 years in Cincinnati radio. “ T h e F i n d l ay M a r ke t P a ra d e Committee was thrilled to flip the script and announce that Jim would be the one leading the parade from Findlay Market to the stadium,” says CONTINUED ON P. 22 ILLUSTR ATIO N BY R EM IE G EO FFR O I

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THEATER

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH

Cincinnati Shakespeare presents a modern in-the-round staging of Julius Caesar, who was assassinated on March 15 (Ides of March on the Roman calendar). There’s a 7:30 p.m. show that day, if you’re a history buff, and plenty of others during the March 1–24 run. cincyshakes.com 2 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A R C H 2 0 2 4

SPEAK EASY

A LIFE OF HIGH NOTES AND CRESCENDOS X A professor emeritus at UC’s College of Medicine and director of orthopaedic surgery at Cincinnati Children’s for 29 years. The first Black graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.

A music lover who teaches jazz history at CCM in retirement.

Alvin Crawford, M.D., is surely a modern-day Renaissance man. He recounts his amazing life in The Bone Doctor’s Concerto, published by the University of Cincinnati Press in November, and here.

Your amazing journey begins in childhood.

Can you share some of the details? I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, in a community called Orange Mound. I went to a school where all the educators were African American, and our community was all Black. I was raised by a single mother and had two siblings. We were poor, but I didn’t know how poor until later.

When did you get into music? I started playing music in junior high and got into band; I had an ear for music and loved it. Our school had a strong music program, and I started in trumpet, moving to clarinet and saxophone. I decided

that I wanted to be a studio musician and got a scholarship to Tennessee State University.

How did a college musician make the jump to medicine?

The idea of pursuing medicine was posed by my brother, who asked me, “You’re always looking for challenges; why don’t you consider medicine?” So I went to the Department of Physics at Tennessee State to take the prerequisite courses. I got into Meharry Medical College [a historically Black university in Nashville], but the University of Tennessee College of Medicine at that time did not admit African Americans. My mom dreamed big; she was a nurse at the City of Memphis Hospital, where she put a bug into the chief of surgery’s ear.

What inspired you to write the autobiography? I’ve been fortunate to live a wonderful life, but it hasn’t been easy. I hope this book gives kids hope and the reinforcement that, if they love working hard, they can make their dreams work in spite of obstacles.

—SARAH McCOSHAM READ A LONGER INTERVIEW WITH CRAWFORD AT CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM

PH OTO G R A PHS BY J O N ATH A N W I LLI S

I L L U S T R AT I O N BY E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O / S P E A K E A S Y P H O T O G R A P H P R OV I D E D BY A LV I N C R AW F O R D / P O P L I F E P H O T O G R A P H BY M I K K I S H A F F N E R

K e l ly L a n s e r, d i re c to r o f When I visit Scott at a Northern communications and strategic Kentucky rehabilitation hospital initiatives for the market. where he gets assistance with feeding Being the parade’s Honorary Grand a n d o cc u pat i o n a l , p hys i ca l , a n d Marshal may seem like a natural, alspeech therapies, he’s smiling, polite, welcoming, and funny. When I ask what most de rigueur, progression for Scott he’s doing to stay strong, he quickly adds now that he’s retired. But the honor is especially poignant and resonant given a slight but crucial—to him—rejoinder his health challenges. to the question: “And positive!”

In 2021—on Opening Day, as fate He tells it like it is. “It’s a fatal would have it—Scott’s doctor told him disease,” he says. “So one of these days it was likely he was showing symptoms it will get me. When you know your related to amyotrophic lateral time is limited, you shouldn’t sclerosis (ALS). Another phywaste it. But one thing that sician confirmed the diagmakes me mad is what ALS nosis. According to the ALS did to my voice. I’m looking A s s o c i at i o n web s i te, t h e into technology to help me communicate in the future.” disease has its own tragic natural progression, weakening Opening Day Scott is determined that muscles that impact physical The parade begins his short-term future includes function. Scott revealed the at Findlay Market being this year’s Honorary at noon March 28.

Grand Marshal of the parade. diagnosis to the public in findlaymarket August 2023. A grim irony: ALS “Yes, why not,” he says. “I may parade.com is also known as Lou Gehrig’s be in a wheelchair, or I may be in disease, named after the baseball legend a convertible. Or I might levitate.” When who had it in the 1930s. the laughter in the room ceases, he turns When Scott was announced as serious. “Being in the parade to me will Honorary Grand Marshal at Redsfest in be a statement that I’m not going to quit.

December, he had to appear via video as I’ll probably be in a wheelchair, but I he was in a rehab facility recovering from probably won’t be the only person there pneumonia. That bout took his ALS in a wheelchair.”

I ask him why he endeavors to be symptoms “over the cliff,” says Donna positive given the personal hardships.

Hartman, his wife of 23 years. And it especially affected his vocal power and “Do you know the expression ‘spark clarity. “It did its damage,” she says. “But joy?’ ” he replies. “If I see somebody in left was his grace, his charm, his wit. His a wheelchair, I say, Hi, champ, what’s personality was the same, you just had your name? And I give a thumb’s up. My to lean over close to his mouth to hear dad always said everybody deserves him.” recognition.”

9JKVƂGNF .QXGNN 2CUUCIGU /CTEJ s/C[ ^ Ticketed. Free for members.

Whitfield Lovell: Passages is organized by the American Federation of Arts in collaboration with Whitfield Lovell. Major support for the national tour and exhibition catalogue are provided by National Endowment for the Arts and the Terra Foundation for American Art.

In Cincinnati, this exhibition is financially assisted by the Patricia Kisker Foundation.

Whitfield Lovell (American) The Red I, 2021, conté on paper with attached found object, Courtesy American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York

STYLE STYLE COUNSEL COUNSEL

Julian Collins OCCUPATION: Senior program manager of community engagement at Interact for Health STYLE: Classic menswear in bold prints How did you get into sewing? As a child, my favorite cartoon/Disney movie was Cinderella, for the scene where the mouse and the animals make the dress. Also, both my grandparents sewed. My mother sewed.

My aunt sewed. Even my father knows how to sew. I started college at DAAP for fashion. Did not last. Picked [sewing] up on my own in 2016 through books and YouTube.

Why did you decide to DIY your sewing education? I lasted about a quarter and a half [in school], mostly because you focus on the drawing or the color. You touch no machines or see fabric. I was not having fun. What reactions do you get to your bright colors and patterns? It’s a great conversation starter. In my community engagement work, especially from the power dynamics of philanthropy, when you’re going into the community and meeting people, sometimes people are nervous because you’re the funder. When they can see that I’m a real person and we can talk about other things, that helps. You have to be your full self to be of service and of good use to the world. In addition to your day job, you are a sewing influencer. What does that entail? I’m like an ambassador.

I work with a sewing machine company called Bernina. I’m also a pattern designer.

And I do that through my social media. Are there a lot of men in this realm? There are not a lot, but we have a nice community of us. If you really think about it, a sewing machine is nothing but a jigsaw with a needle. So if you like woodworking, a lot of times you’ll like sewing too.

—JAC LY N YO U H A N A G A R V E R

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4

GEORGIE AT WIEDEMANN’S BREWERY AND PUB

The second I got out of my car at Wiedemann’s Brewery and Pub, Georgie walked up to greet me. Georgie also carries on the legacy of a brewery that’s over 150 years old. The owners decided to honor their company’s history by naming the cat after George Wiedemann, the German immigrant who founded Wiedemann’s Fine Beer in Newport in 1870.

1 GARY AT EARTHWISE PET HARPER’S POINT

Parading around an organic pet supply shop in Harper’s Point, you’ll find the handsomest store manager you ever did see. He’s chubby, talkative, and has an excellent selection of fashionable ties. This is Gary, the store cat for EarthWise Pet. Gary started his career at the store as an adoptable cat from Ohio Alleycat Resource.

People didn’t want to adopt him because of health issues that included gastrointestinal problems and FIV. Eventually a veterinarian recommended that Gary be put down, but owners Dan and Lisa Woods nursed Gary back to health and officially adopted him as the store pet.

Gary may follow you around the store to assist with your shopping or lead an impromptu yoga session from the front counter. Keep an eye out for the occasional “Gary special” (a partially opened bag of food that he broke into).

2 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A R C H 2 0 2 4

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ALL FELINE DENIZENS OF PURRFECT DAY CAT CAFÉ

3

All cat enthusiasts in town know that Purrfect Day Cat Café in Covington is the place to be. It has great coffee drinks, cocktails, pastries, and most importantly a room full of cats for you to play with and adopt. I wouldn’t be able to name all the kitties at Purrfect Day even if I tried— thousands of cats have been adopted through the café.

P H O T O G R A P H S ( 1 ) CO U R T E S Y P U R R F EC T DAY C AT C A F E / A L L O T H E R S BY C L A I R E L E F T O N

ADDY AT SUDER’S ARTSTORE

This tortoiseshell cutie is Addy. She’s lived at Suder’s Art Store since January 2018, as much of an Over-the-Rhine staple as the 100-year-old art supply shop itself.

EMPLOYEES OF She may be cute, but THE MONTH she can be a bit tem1:Adoptable cats from Purrfect Day Cat Café. peramental. “We call 2: Addy lounges in the art store’s office on her favorite her Princess Addy. plush chair.

Does that tell you 3: Georgie the brewery cat will come to greet you when a ny t h i n g ? ” j o ke s you visit Wiedemann’s.

4: Gary, the feline manager Sharon Suder. You’ll at EarthWise Pet, shows off his keen fashion sense. need a sharp eye to find her—in a woodpaneled store filled to the brim with items, Addy can blend in to her surroundings. (Pro tip: Her favorite spot is the easel section.)

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DANIA BARAZI IS ALWAYS UP FOR A CHALLENGE. WHEN THE LOCAL REAL

estate agent decided to take on this sprawling North Avondale property, she did so as both buying and listing agent and then as the general contractor for its renovation. Barazi, the daughter of Syrian immigrants, saw the project as the chance to prove her mettle as a rounded property professional.

Built in 1906, the home passed through the hands of several owners, including Florence Turner, whose adult son, Ted, was already purchasing radio stations and collecting the capital that would allow him to create his media empire, Turner Communications, and eventually, CNN. But the North Avondale home wasn’t for Ted—it was for his teenage sister, Mary Jane, who was ill with lupus. When Mary Jane died at 17, Florence sold the property to Ursula Hassel, who raised her eight sons in the cavernous seven-bedroom home. While Barazi 2 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A R C H 2 0 2 4

and her team were renovating, family members of the late owner dropped in regularly—as did North Avondale neighbors who shared fond memories.

“We have been told that 3848 Dakota Avenue was the place to be, especially on the porch and in the warmer months,” says Danielle Silver, marketing coordinator for The Barazi Group. “The community seemed to have loved Ursula, and we loved hearing so many stories about her.”

During the renovation, Barazi kept many of the charming original details that made the home shine through the 20th century, including the intricate woodwork and vintage bathroom tiles, but sprinkled in modern touches, including dusty pink paneling in the dining room, all-new appliances in the kitchen, and contemporary fixtures that make the house feel luxe while paying homage to its celebrated past.

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Dr. Know is Jay Gilbert, radio personality and advertising prankster.

Submit your questions about the city’s peculiarities at drknow@cincinnati magazine.com

DR. KNOW

to hear it again. That area, they insist, is a “tree lawn” or a “dog walking area,” thank you very much. The staffers who barricade themselves behind “devil’s strip” declare it to be universal. They come from northern Ohio and Michigan, which is where dialect experts place the term’s origins.

The Doctor, however, stays diligently focused on your question: Whatever you wish to call the accursed grassy thing, it is definitely the city of Cincinnati’s property.

So is the sidewalk itself, but homeowners sadly know that they are still responsible for all maintenance. You could, perhaps, remind your neighbor that it is technically illegal to park a car there at all. She would probably invite you to call the cops and see how that goes. Stay in touch.

Q+ A

My dad helps me with my income taxes.

He says that back when all tax returns were sent by mail, the Dalton Street post office stayed open until midnight every April 15, and it was a big party.

Long lines of cars, free food, bands playing, etc. How crazy did it get, and when did it end? —SLAPHAPPY RETURNS DEAR SLAPHAPPY:

My neighbor’s friends park in front of my house in College Hill. I wouldn’t mind, but they half-park up on the sidewalk, muddying the grass on the little devil’s strip. I complain, but my neighbor says too bad, that’s city property. Is she right?

Who’s responsible for that little grassy area?

—SHOVE THY NEIGHBOR

DEAR SHOVE:

Whatever hostilities rage between you and your neighbor, they don’t compare to the firestorm you have created at our offices. You called that little grass rectangle between the curb and the sidewalk the “devil’s strip.” One faction here never heard this expression and never wants

3 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A R C H 2 0 2 4

The Doctor salutes you and your father for working on your taxes now, unlike certain deadbeat Doctors. In Days of Yore, lastminute crowds gathered at the downtown IRS office on March 15, the tax deadline until 1955. The extra month provided that year reduced the number of stragglers by a whopping zero percent.

Several area post offices staffed up for the annual ’til-midnight deluge, but by the 1990s the Dalton Street facility near Union Terminal had become Procrastination Party Headquarters.

Cars backed up onto I-75, with vendors handing out free pizza, sandwiches, bagels, Excedrin, etc. Various bands performed.

Tax protesters protested. IRS employees volunteered for dunking booths. Radio stations, which shall not be named, broadcast ridiculous stunts.

After online tax filing surpassed ILLUSTR ATIO N S BY L A R S LEE TA RU

50 percent in 2005, the crowds dwindled. By 2010, Dalton Street was closing at 8 p.m. CVG became the last resort, and only until 11. Now when you file, your computer never hands out free pizza, nor does it play a Dixieland version of “Taxman.”

Cincinnatians used to send our tax returns every April to the big IRS complex in Covington. Now that it’s gone, I notice my payment voucher says “Cincinnati, OH 45280.” Where is that? If for some reason I had to drop off my 1040 at the last minute, where is ZIP Code 45280? —GOING POSTAL DEAR POSTAL:

Our readers are obviously in tax season, and the Doctor is here to help. To reach ZIP Code 45280, just take Riverside Drive from downtown to Bains Street, park your car, jump into the Ohio River, swim about 100 feet out, and there you are—this is precisely where UnitedStatesZipCodes.org places 45280. You may prefer instead to follow MapQuest’s directions to Eighth and Vine streets. Other websites confidently informed the Doctor that 45280 is in Norwood.

Or Spain. One site says it’s in Turkey.

The truth: 45280 is the “IRS Cage” (that’s what they call it) at the aforementioned Dalton Street post office in a totally separate and super-secure location. Maybe.

Might be in Roswell or Gitmo.

Nobody from USPS felt like giving the Doctor specifics. But for decades, your snail-mailed 1040s have almost always landed first at a post office and not at the Covington IRS. In earlier years, your form said 45298 or 45999, just to throw you off the scent. The new 45280 debuted in 2010, and for some reason it collected returns from 13 states but not from Ohio; we were bumped to Missouri.

Regardless, on April 15 do not bring your tax return to Dalton Street after dark! You could be sharing an empty parking lot with a sadly misinformed Dixieland band.

M A R C H 2 0 2 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 3 1

WE LCO ME TO MIDDLEHOOD

BY JUDI KETTELER

Kindness Is a Trap

IS BEING MEAN THE OPPOSITE OF BEING KIND? NOT ALWAYS.

W

WHEN YOU START A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (PAC) WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS TO DEfeat school board candidates endorsed by an extremist group like Moms for Liberty, you might wind up with a few detractors. You will probably get called a leftist troublemaker.

A Biden puppet. A radical. An idiot. Maybe even a Communist, if you’re Amy Madigan’s character and it’s the school board meeting scene in the movie Field of Dreams.

You may also get called hateful. Mean. Unkind. That’s exactly what happened last fall during our school board election in Madeira. While I do not have the spunk of Madigan’s character, rallying her fellow parents against censorship and book banning, I did write quite a few rousing social media posts about what happens in school districts when the book banners take over. And though my neighbors and I didn’t have Kevin Costner by our side, we fought like hell against the reactionary agenda threatening our district.

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Because of our efforts, we were called a hate group by a small but very vocal minority. We were labeled Really Mean People and told that we were terrible examples for our children, who were watching us behave badly. The phrase “Shame on you!” was leveled quite a few times.

Spoiler alert: The community overwhelmingly agreed with us, and the nonpartisan candidates beat the Moms for Liberty ones by a margin of 3–1. All over the country, Moms for Liberty candidates running for seats on school boards lost. I wrote about the trend for CNN.com. There may have been a party at a friend’s house.

Being part of a PAC to keep the nonsense away from our school board was one of most gratifying, interesting, meaningful things I’ve done as a citizen. It felt like a small, great thing in a world full of big, bad things. So why did the charge of being unkind bother me so much?

In part, the charge is illogical. It’s completely bananas to say “Calling attention to discriminatory ideas that would harm families, cause teachers to quit, and turn our district into a media circus is really hurting people’s feelings!” But also, God, what if I’m actually mean?

I THINK OF MYSELF AS A KIND PERSON. When someone is talking about me, I want them to say, “Judi? Oh, she’s really nice.”

And when they say it, I want them to mean that I’m caring, empathetic, and able to focus what others may need.

Yes, it’s because I’m Midwestern. Yes, it’s because I’m a woman. (America Ferrera’s monologue in Barbie went viral for a reason.) But I still think there’s one more factor, probably something to do with the trauma of being picked on when I was younger and seeing other kids picked on and how absolutely terrible it made me feel.

At some point, I made a promise to myself: I will never be mean like that.

But is it mean to fight for your community? Can you tell the truth about harmful ideas and policies without picking on people personally? Yes, I believe you can.

And I believe that’s exactly what we did.

Yet the nagging voice inside me says, Let’s also make the world kinder. I just don’t know what that means anymore.

Something is happening with kindness.

In the words of Stephen Stills, What it is ILLUSTR ATIO N BY D O L A SU N

WELCOME TO MIDDLEHOOD ain’t exactly clear. This much I know: Kindness is being weaponized. Especially by those governing our public schools.

You need look no further than the Forest Hills School District for an example.

In 2021, a slate of school board members who ran on a platform of “anti-CRT” (not

Except this Culture of Kindness banned assignments that asked students to consider their race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or socioeconomic class. It doesn’t sound very kind to me to erase a young person’s identity inside the walls of their school.

I’VE COME TO LOATHE THE CULTURE OF NICE. OF TOXIC POSITIVITY. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN “NICE” AWAY SOCIAL POLICIES AND PROBLEMS. really a thing, but whatever) swept in. There was low voter turnout, typical for off-year elections. These new board of education members immediately passed a “Culture of Kindness” resolution. It sounds so lovely: a culture of kindness! I wish children, with their tendencies toward surliness, would be kinder to each other.

In the end, after more than a year of protests, a lawsuit, and another election—this time lots of people came out to vote—the Forest Hills school board repealed its “kindness” resolution in December 2023. But it’s such a doozy that this gaslighting effort, a slap in the face to families, was tried in the name of kindness.

So I ask, once again, what does it mean to be kinder to one another? What is the value of niceness, and when is it just a trap, a glossing over of people’s anguish?

MY 15-YEAR-OLD SON HAS TAKEN TO saying derisively to me, “You’re too nice.”

He means it as an insult. A suggestion that I don’t understand the world the way he does. That I am too passive. That I don’t fight back enough. (Side note: It’s really fun to get life advice from teenagers.)

I usually just shrug and say, “I like being nice.” And then I say other things under my breath that aren’t all that nice.

But yes, I do like being nice. As I’ve gotten older, I’m better at giving people the benefit of the doubt. I’ve worked to become less judgmental, less entitled, and less personally offended by poor service or poor manners. I spent much of my 20s and 30s thinking a great majority of people were idiots, but now I tend to adopt the attitude that most people I encounter are probably

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trying to do the best they can with what they have.

Of course I still have my moments of frustration, when I rant against some ridiculous on-hold time or a poorly designed public bathroom. But I wouldn’t say I walk around spoiling for a fight when it comes to how people are treating me.

At the same time, I’ve come to loathe the culture of nice. Of toxic positivity.

Thoughts and prayers. Good vibes only.

Live, laugh, love. I especially detest the idea that you can “nice” away discrimination and policies that do harm and that we should all just “get along” instead of “focusing on the things that divide us.” As if focusing on them is the problem, versus the things themselves. Shouldn’t we all be mad as hell about inequity and unfairness built into systems versus trying to “kindly” smooth over thorny topics and prohibiting our children from considering how their experiences and identities have shaped them?

Being nice by offering a smile to the ex-

hausted worker at the drive-thru who got your order wrong is undoubtedly a better practice than being mean. But when the extremists come with their homophobic, transphobic, racist, book-banning agenda, “being nice” can take a flying leap.

It’s never been more important to be nice.

It’s never been less important to be nice.

Both things are true. What an uncomfortable, uneven, uncertain toggle. But where else are we to live if we want life to keep getting better for more people? Kindness alone won’t get us there. In fact, it may inhibit real change.

I VOLUNTEERED AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL’S concession stand a few weeks ago. There was a big sports tournament, and between making walking tacos and ringing up bottles of Gatorade I chatted with another parent volunteer. Our conversation turned to the school board election. She told me she’d helped campaign for one of the nonpartisan people who got elected, at which point

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I told her that I was part of the PAC that helped defeat the Moms for Liberty candidates. “Thank you,” she said. “I so appreciated what your group did.”

“It was one of the best things I’ve ever been part of,” I said. And I wanted to add, “I hated that some people thought we were mean.” But then I remembered the end of Field of Dreams. (You knew it was always going to come back to that, right?)

Kevin Costner wants to go with the ghost ballplayers into the corn, but Ray Liotta says he isn’t invited. Costner, who built the field, is mad and says something like, “I’ve done everything you asked. I never once asked what was in it for me.” To which Liotta responds, “Is that why you did this, for you?” Yes. No. Both.

Being called “not nice” is a drop of nothingness in the bucket of terribleness that awaits when we let politics and culture wars dominate our school boards. I will bare my teeth every time they try. But, seriously, what was in that corn?

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PLATTER UP Opal’s menu includes Koji dry-aged duck breast (with wheatberry hominy, preserved cherry, cane syrup gastrique, and Brussels sprouts); wood-fired grilled cauliflower (with citrus supremes, fennel pollen, salsa brava, feta, and Marcona almonds); and octopus (with carrots, harissa, tapenade, dukkah, and Aceto balsamic).

2024 BEST

NEW

BY Brandon Wuske

PHOTOGRAPHS BY Catherine Viox

Despite volatility brought on by the pandemic, the local food scene has welcomed a number of new high-end restaurants over the past two years. From oysters to Mediterranean meze, foodies have plenty of new places to explore—and we rank 10 of the best.

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1

FIVE ON VINE 1324 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4301, fiveonvine.com

Five on Vine serves as an extended rebuttal against the tired argument that American food is bland and boring, proving that there can be excitement in comfort. The restaurant— the fifth venture from Anthony Sitek and Haley NutterSitek’s Crown Restaurant Group—achieves such excitement through meticulous attention to detail. The meat is butchered in-house, the bread and pasta are made from scratch, and the bacon is house-cured.

House-butchered beef and house-made pasta come together beautifully in the pappardelle stroganoff, served with chunks of short rib as tender as the noodles themselves.

Beef stroganoff was one of my favorite childhood dishes, an almost certain spirit lifter. And Five on Vine’s version brought me back home, grown-up palate in tow.

I’m convinced many diners will have a similar experience with at least one of Five on Vine’s dishes. And that’s the point. The Siteks envisioned Five on Vine as a way of reintroducing Cincinnatians to long-beloved dishes, whether that relationship began at a kitchen table or in a restaurant booth.

These love letters to classics literally plaster the walls—the restaurant is adorned with local restaurant menus going back to the 1940s and newspapers that date back to the 1880s.

But that doesn’t mean the menu, which Anthony Sitek and Corporate Chef David Bever rework every few months, is limited to the confines of southern Ohio. Thick, cleanly acidic fried green tomatoes make an appearance, as does a bountiful cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew created

by Italian American fishermen in San Francisco. “Gracie’s Meatballs,” named in honor of Sitek’s grandmother, uses her unique blend of raisins and pine nuts.

Service is as warm and comforting as the food. You have Nutter-Sitek, as well as Director of Operations Brenna Alderman and Food and Beverage Director Alex Stevens, to thank for the fascinating display of historic menus. If, decades from now, I see an old Five on Vine menu gracing the walls of some local eatery, I’ll take a moment to look back fondly.

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THE FIFTH ELEMENT (Clockwise from above) Five on Vine’s elegant circular booths; fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese, bacon, frisée, and tomato jam; the espresso martini features Wheatley vodka, chocolate, and brown sugar.

2

NOLIA KITCHEN 1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 384-3597, noliakitchen.com

NOLA, DARLING Nolia’s goat pepper pot (goat, root vegetables, and pickles) comes with crispy Dominican fried bread known as yaniqueque; the lamb shank (bottom) is served with popcorn rice, currants, and walnuts in a curry emulsion.

AWW SHUCKS (Opposite page) Exceptional oysters are only the beginning at Atwood, where the menu also includes confit cabbage, Atlantic-caught red snapper, and crème fraîche with caviar.

When I made my first visit to Nolia Kitchen last year, I knew it had something special. Now the whole country knows. First, the James Beard Foundation named Nolia a finalist for best new restaurant in the United States, then Esquire included it on its list of the 50 best new restaurants in the country.

Not a bad year.

According to Chef/Owner Jeff Harris, diners have responded to the accolades. He’s usually greeted by a line when he opens the doors to his cozy restaurant at the corner of 14th and Clay.

Sometimes, a line of newbies—not exactly sure of the unassuming restaurant’s location—will line up on the opposite corner. Nolia’s popularity is literally spilling into the streets.

Luckily, little seems to have changed: Harris still commands the open kitchen with grace and gusto, and Sous Chef Korry Wolfgang still fires out dishes with precision. Such consistency is extremely refreshing, especially given the volatile nature of the restaurant industry.

According to Harris—who was born and

raised in New Orleans, and taught to cook by his great-grandmother, Jimmie Lou—there is a misconception that Nolia’s menu is limited to Cajun and Creole food. Yes, both cuisines are represented here, and the juicy, fresh-out-of-the bayou crawfish with a simple, tangy remoulade is a wonderful example of the former. But the restaurant’s scope covers all of the diverse cuisines and cultures that comprise the modern South.

That’s why you’ll find West African–influenced dishes like the tender, fatty lamb shank, which gets dressed with walnuts and currants and slathered with a curry emulsion. One of the specials, a dish of twin chutneys (banana and eggplant) served with a fermented cassava dough called banku, is another nod to West African culinary tradition.

(Lead Cook Daniel Rhodes came up with the latter dish, based on flavors and techniques he encountered in culinary school.)

Nolia’s menu—in fact, the entire experience— is the result of a team firing on all cylinders.

No wonder they’re lining up outside the door.

3 Atwood Oyster House opened in the former PearlStar space in November 2023, and it seems to have found its footing almost immediately. It certainly helps that the restaurant is helmed by so many accomplished industry veterans: Chef Seth Ridgill cooked at Kiki, Pastry Chef Kayla Hunley came from Al-Posto and Pleasantry, and General Manager Brandon Moore previously worked Boca’s front-of-house operations.

Atwood has done an excellent job of working closely with coastal purveyors to curate a focused but eclectic selection of oysters. At the time of this writing— a month after Atwood’s opening—more than 20 varieties of oyster have passed through Atwood’s doors, each with a unique flavor and finish.

The rest of the menu consists of southern coastal cuisine prepared with rigorous French technique. There’s an emphasis on seasonality: the Winter Salad is a bright medley of arugula, apples, pepitas (hull-less pumpkin seeds that eat like pine nuts) and ricotta.

There was no dressing, save a kiss of brown butter vinaigrette, which ended up being all the salad needed.

The wild-caught fish is as fresh and deliberately sourced as the eponymous oysters. A soft, nutty, perfectly blackened grouper perched atop a creamy parsnip purée—the bite of which served as an excellent counterpart to the mild fish. Ridgill’s dexterity with fish should come as no surprise. Before moving to Cincinnati, he spent years working in acclaimed restaurants in the southern seafood capital of Charleston, South Carolina.

ATWOOD OYSTER HOUSE 1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4256, atwoodoysterhouse.com

Hunley’s imaginative desserts offer the perfect cap to the ambrosial menu.

Fig leaf mousse gets coated in a tart cranberry glaze and encircled by kataifi, strands of shredded phyllo. It’s the sort of dessert that could easily tip into “too tart” or “too sweet” territory, but Hunley handles it deftly.

The modern, clean-lined space, adorned with busts and oil paintings (curated with the help of neighborhood artist Alex Frank) matches the elegant food.

It’s stately without being stuffy, somehow both timeless and hip. Like everything else at Atwood, it’s the result of a delicate, highly successful balancing act.

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4

COLETTE 1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-1018, coletteotr.com

THE FRENCH CONNECTION Colette’s Mille-Feuille features caramelized puff pastry, crème légère, and cherries; Chef/Owner Danny Combs.

LET THERE BE LIGHT (Clockwise on opposite page) The Aperture Chef/Owner Jordan Anthony-Brown; lamb served with tahdig, harissa, and tzatziki; charred carrot with ras el hanout, merguez, dukkah, and mint.

Chef Danny Combs made a name for himself at Boca and Sotto before venturing out on his own. At his new “mostly French” restaurant Colette, which occupies the former Zula space across from Washington Park, he has built a more laid-back home for his focused, pristine cooking.

As one might expect from a Sotto alum, the pasta is sensational. It’s made in-house and finds its way into dishes like the herbed cavatelli, bright green mini shells that soak up the liquid of the accompanying bits of braised lamb neck. And while I didn’t expect to see made-from-scratch pasta on a French menu, I quickly learned that Colette excels at defying expectations.

While there is classic bistro fare, like steak frites, on Colette’s concentrated menu, there are also less familiar but equally classic French dishes like Brandade de Morue and the savory puff pastry known as Vol-au-Vent. The former, a silky emulsion of whipped salt cod served with rustic bread, was my favorite dish. Served warm and peppered with chives and roe, the dish ate like a creamy bowl of mashed potatoes, with the briny flavors of the sea ladled over them.

While the cavatelli and brandade were studies in richness, Combs can also work wonders with a cleanly acidic dish like the shredded Parisian carrot salad, seasoned with parsley and toasted hazelnut. The dessert menu is not to be missed either, if my creamy, yeasty Mille-Feuille is any indication.

One can turn to the extensive drink menu (also “mostly French”) to find a wine or cocktail to go with any dish on offer. I saw several diners stop in for a quick drink at the large bar near the front of the restaurant.

Like Zula, Colette would function just fine as a wine and cocktail bar, though I can’t imagine coming to a place this good and not eating something.

5

THE APERTURE 900 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, (513) 872-1970, theaperturecinci.com After several pandemic-related setbacks, Chef/ Owner Jordan Anthony-Brown has finally opened his Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Walnut Hills’s historic Paramount Square Building. Four years in the making, The Aperture was worth the wait.

No stranger to fine dining, Anthony-Brown previously served as sous chef at Boca, and before that, sous chef at Michelin-starred Rose’s Luxury in Washington, D.C. He brings an eclectic balance to The Aperture’s menu, which draws on flavors from across the Mediterranean. Often, those touches are subtle; cultured butter, which begs to be spread over airy focaccia bread, gets a smoky touch of za’atar seasoning. Lamb shoulder from Kentucky’s Freedom Run Farm gets coated with harissa and served with a crispy Persian rice called tahdig.

Likewise, the sublime charred carrots are served with Middle Eastern spice blends like dukkah and ras el hanout as well as mint and crumbles of lamb merguez sausage. Brined, poached, and cooked over coals, the carrots themselves eat like a tender smoked sausage. It’s a dish that perfectly encapsulates The

Aperture’s commitment to serving substantial versions of traditionally lighter fare. Anthony-Brown has been doing different iterations of carrot at his various pre-Aperture pop-ups over the last several years and it’s hard to imagine one more flavorful than this.

Seasonality plays a big part in everything the restaurant does, especially the desserts. A key lime tart came topped with fresh winter citrus like blood orange as well as grated celery root for added nuttiness. Given its seasonal leanings, and the playful imagination of Anthony-Brown and team, it’s safe to say that The Aperture’s impressive initial menu will be the first of many.

For a restaurant so serious about food—and exceptional wines—it’s refreshing to see it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The original cocktails have offbeat names like “#lemon” and “I’m Her.” The catchy playlist is heavy on old-school hip-hop. The photos on the wall were taken by Assistant General Manager Trevor Biggs. At heart, The Aperture is a neighborhood restaurant, albeit one that’s bound to bring people in from all over.

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6

BARU

595 Race St., downtown, (513) 246-0150, barusushi.com

On my initial visit to Baru, I was a little skeptical. When a place leans this heavily into late night drinking, food is usually an afterthought; it’s an upsell served to dampen the next morning’s hangover or satisfy the cravings that a handful of cocktails can bring. But true to owner Tyler Wogenstahl’s vision, this is a place where the food is equal to the excellent drinks.

Every detail is exquisite, starting with the space. Sleek, yet splashy—complete with undulating lights and giant red tigers that look like some futuristic neon silkscreen— Baru’s atmosphere promises both fun and quality. And that is exactly what Chef Robert Grace’s menu achieves.

Grace, whom Wogenstahl brought up from Nashville, dazzles our dining scene with dishes like the coyly named “Quail Egg,” a sweet, amber yolk that sauces a flying fish roe (tobiko) nigiri in a wonderful sea-meets-sky harmony. Putting quail egg on the menu at an accessible, convivial izakaya might seem like a bold move, but Baru thrives on such boldness. And the warm dish really does go great with a cold Sapporo.

Another sushi dish, gravlax nigiri, perfectly encapsulates what Baru is about. Gravlax—a traditional Nordic preparation of salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill—sits atop a bed of warm yuzu rice in a fusion of North Atlantic and Pacific. And if such a fusion seems forced, keep in mind that salmon sushi is itself a Norwegian-Japanese fusion.

Desperate to unload a glut of salmon in the 1980s, Norwegian fishmongers introduced “salmon sushi” to sushi bars all over Japan. By leaning heavily into Norwegian seasonings and citrusy yuzu, Grace has made this relatively recent fusion somehow more Norwegian and more Japanese.

Baru, which went from conception to opening in just eight months, is willing to embrace bold flavors while still achieving symmetry. If every bar had a food menu this good, I’d go carousing a lot more often. Maybe it’s a good thing that this eatery is unique.

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7

AL-POSTO ITALIAN RISTORANTE

2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, al-posto.com

Around this time last year, Owner Austin Heidt partnered with Giovanni Ranieri to rebrand Dear Restaurant & Butchery, turning it into Al-Posto (which roughly translates to “at the spot”) in the same beautiful former bank on Hyde Park Square. While the Dear menu ran the gamut from refined American comfort food to French brasserie fare to Italian pastas, Al-Posto’s menu is much more focused. Now, the cuisine is decidedly southern Italian, reflecting the region where Ranieri grew up.

Fortunately, the restaurant retains a cut-nocorners attitude. The pasta is made in-house and is generally not to be missed. The supple chew and floury flavor aren’t set adrift in a sea of sauces and seasonings. Simple, focused preparations allow the pasta to shine. This is certainly true for the cacio e pepe, hearty bucatini noodles with enough pepper and pecorino to give them some zing.

ON A ROLL (Above) Baru’s quail egg is served with soy pearls and tobiko; the gravlax nigiri (left) is cured salmon atop yuzu rice, with red yuzu kosho and yuzu condiments.

SPOT ON Al-Posto’s colorful dining room (right) is becoming a gathering place for Hyde Park regulars.

Finding standout seafood here should come as no surprise, given the restaurant’s largely coastal southern Italian provenance. Dishes like the spicy garlic shrimp Diavolo, the buttery branzino with its perfectly crisp skin, and the blackened salmon are on my “Year’s Best Seafood” shortlist.

And equal attention has gone into Al-Posto’s exceptional wine list (Heidt is also the restaurant’s wine director), which is heavy on Italian varietals.

The service at Al-Posto is spot on, with servers deftly guiding diners through the menu and accompanying wine list.

One of the themes of this year’s list is exceptional new restaurants replacing beloved old ones (Five on Vine replacing The Mercer, Nolia replacing Please, Colette replacing Zula). And while Dear carved out a name for itself with its in-house butcher and farm-to-table ethos, I know Cincinnati will embrace this spot as well.

8

ALCOVE 1410 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 371-5700, madtree.com/locations/ alcove-bar-restaurant

Alcove lives up to its name, the embodiment of a green oasis at the corner of Vine and 14th streets.

A lot of care goes into the space’s bright, floral design—it features more than 300 square feet of plant-covered “living walls,” pruned weekly by their creator, Urban Blooms.

Equal care and attention goes into the seasonal farm-to-table menu. A collaboration between one of the area’s most beloved breweries (MadTree Brewing) and one of its most venerated chefs (Stephen Williams of Covington’s Bouquet bistro), it’s an uncomplicated affair featuring exceptionalbut-approachable dishes. As one might expect in a restaurant where plants cover most of the walls, vegetables are done very well here. The simple, clean pear and fennel salad stood out as did the dish of roasted carrots served with oil and breadcrumbs.

Like its produce, much of the meat is sourced from local and regional farms. A Denver Cut (a

lean cut taken from the shoulder) of steak came from Sakura Farms in nearby Westerville, Ohio.

Among other local vendors, Rich Life Farms, Urban Stead Cheese, and Eli Settler (a.k.a. “Eli the Farmer”) all contribute to Alcove’s menu.

This is a restaurant that takes sustainability seriously, and sustainability has a funny way of going hand-in-hand with quality.

When I made my first two visits to Alcove, I didn’t have brunch. This was a mistake. Brunch is often little more than a fun afterthought to the much more polished dinner menu, but this eatery’s brunch menu proves that Alcove executes well no matter the time of day.

The loaded potato hash served with chunks of Cincinnati chili–spiced beef, crème fraîche, and shredded cheddar, hits all the right chili parlor notes for a creative and craveable breakfast dish. I think it’s safe to say that Alcove has found its niche.

9

LUCA BISTRO 934 Hatch St., Mt. Adams, (513) 621-5822, lucabistro.com

’WICH WAY (Left) Alcove’s fried chicken sandwich with marinated cucumbers, honey chile crisp, greens, and lemon aioli.

MERCI BEAUCOUP Luca Bistro serves up authentic French food at affordable prices, including moules frites (mussels steamed in white wine and served with fries) and a cherry clafoutis dessert.

Luca Bistro opened in October 2022, but it feels like it has been around for decades.

The unabashedly French restaurant, with its French posters, bright red outer paneling, and chalkboard menu proclaiming its specials to passersby, fits into its Mt. Adams environs so perfectly that it’s hard to imagine Hatch Street without it. That, combined with warm service, timeless French fare, and relaxed joie de vivre makes this a true neighborhood establishment.

Chef Frederic Maniet grew up in the south of France and has done an excellent job transporting his native cuisine to a quiet corner of Cincinnati. These are the dishes that culinary Francophiles often crave, prepared in a straightforward, time-honored way. Some dishes are more familiar to the American palate, like the peppery steak frites, cooked to order and served with thin, crunchy fries.

As with Colette, some dishes are more familiar in France, though if there is any justice, they will gain serious traction here. One dish I’d certainly love to eat more of is Bouchées à la Reine, a buttery, flaky puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms, peas, Gruyère cheese, and béchamel sauce. It’s a dish so warm and comforting it makes chicken pot pie seem aloof by comparison.

Luca Bistro is a warm, gentle reminder that French food can be convivial and affordable. Freed from the hushed restraints of haute cuisine, this is the perfect meal for an animated post–art museum conversation. And there is plenty of approachable French wine to be had, as well as an espresso machine for those looking to live the café life. Walking out of Luca Bistro, you can’t help but feel like you’ve just left a homey French café. For a brief second, Mt. Adams feels like Montmartre.

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10 OPAL 535 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-0629, opalrooftop.com

The new eatery atop the Republic Bank Building in Covington has quickly vaulted its way onto the short list of best views in Greater Cincinnati. But it made this list because the food reaches enticing heights as well.

The hip-ly minimal menu (many of the dishes have one syllable names like “Duck” or “Fish”) centers around the restaurant’s 88-inch wood-fired grill.

Since said grill is a rarity in the region, Executive Chef Eric Polhamus and Chef de Cuisine Craig Lewis (both formerly of Branch) scouted out accommodating restaurants in Columbus and Detroit to see the 2,200-pound grill in action. You can taste the grill’s handiwork on the cauliflower appetizer, which also

FROM THE TOP Opal’s 88-inch grill (above) is the restaurant’s center, second only to its stunning panoramic views.

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comes with citrus supremes, fennel pollen (a potent and rather pricey spice), salsa brava (a smoky Mediterranean sauce, not to be confused with the ubiquitous Latin American salsa), feta, and almonds.

Usually, when a seemingly simple dish is followed by a laundry list of ingredients, it’s a bad sign, but at Opal, the pantry’s-worth of ingredients are well-balanced and rarely cover up the grilled flavor.

The duck is also an excellent grilled dish. The kiss of flame locks in the duck’s juices while a medley of wheatberry hominy, preserved cherry, and cane syrup gastrique (a sort of refined sweet-and-sour sauce made from caramelized sugar and vinegar) add the sweetness that one expects to flavor a good

game bird. The accompanying Brussels sprouts are soft and tangy, steeped in a red wine sauce.

According to Owner Bill Whitlow (who, with his wife Morgan, also owns Rich’s Proper Food & Drink and Hangry Omar’s), Opal’s menu started small as the team figured out which dishes worked best with its signature grill. The selections, like the restaurant, have continued to grow. You can expect tweaks and seasonal changes to a menu this committed to fresh meat and produce.

As for the name, I am told that “Opal” was chosen because of the way the precious gemstone captures light to produce an ever-changing view. In this case, it’s a brilliant view, lit by fire.

COMING

SOON

As you can tell from our Best New Restaurants list, the past couple of years have given local foodies a lot to be excited about. It looks like 2024 is shaping up to be a particularly flavorful year as well.

These five restaurants either just opened or are about to open, and we can’t wait to try them.

The Davidson The Thunderdome Restaurant Group has an impressive track record of successful restaurants (like Bakersfield, the Eagle, and Pepp & Dolores, just to name a few).

That’s why we’re licking our chops for its latest effort, The Davidson. This selfdescribed “American Brasserie” will feature a blend of French and Italian influences. And given Thunderdome’s past efforts, we can expect a focused menu and unwavering

commitment to quality. TRG didn’t have to look far for a name for this upcoming restaurant: Fountain Square and its iconic Tyler Davidson Fountain will be right across Vine Street—it will occupy the former Royce space.

Wildweed I was a big fan of Chef David Jackman’s cooking at the nowshuttered PearlStar, which is why I was elated to hear that his recent pasta pop-up, Wildweed, was mov-

ing to a permanent location in Over-theRhine. Made-fromscratch pasta will be the star of Wildweed’s ever-changing menu.

I visited Wildweed in the old Pleasantry location late last year.

My divine dinner of roasted carrots and rabbit mafaldine (a ribbon-shaped Neapolitan pasta) ranked among the best meals I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to see what Chef Jackman and his team do with the larger, more permanent space at 1301 Walnut.

Alara Looking Glass Hospitality Group—the team behind Emery, S.W. Clyborne Co., Toast & Berry, and Tahona Kitchen + Bar—is planning to open Alara in Madisonville’s Madison Square development sometime in 2024. At 8,000 square feet, it’s a massive space, and one meant for sharing: funky, sharable dishes, inspired by the owners’ travels, seem to be the theme at Alara. Already home to hip local favorites

like Element Eatery and The Summit Hotel, Alara will be another big draw.

in 1967. We’re excited to see what this downtown restaurant has to offer.

Court Street Kitchen

The 1931

With recent openings like Lalo Chino Latino Kitchen, Hawkers Alley, and Mid-City Restaurant, Court Street has quickly become one of downtown Cincinnati’s go-to spots for eclectic, imaginative cuisine. Add Court Street Kitchen to that list. Chef/Owner Braheam Shteiwi’s menu promises upscale American dishes like an intriguing Lamb Wellington. Shteiwi is no stranger to the restaurant business: He was a traveling chef for Jeff Ruby’s, and he opened MIA Italian restaurant in Oxford, as well as Caruso’s Ristorante & Bar in Fairfield. The latter is a reimagining of a restaurant his father opened in downtown Cincinnati

There is a welcome trend in fine dining lately: a glamorous revival of classic dishes from the era of cocktail hours and supper clubs. You can see this trend at work at Five on Vine, and I suspect you’ll also see it at The 1931, soon to open in the old Orchids space at the Hilton Netherland Plaza (pictured).

Named after the year the gorgeous Art Deco hotel opened, the menu will feature some items that were served at its first dinner service nearly a century ago. And while I have enjoyed drinks and bar bites at the hotel’s timeless bar in the years since Orchids closed, a space this dazzling deserves a full-service restaurant. I love that the space’s culinary future is also its past.

In early January, Crown Restaurant Group announced that it will partner with 3CDC to open an eatery in The Foundry, the high-profile mixed-use building at the corner of Fifth and Vine streets downtown.

At press time, the restaurant didn’t have a name.

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THE

BEST DISHES I ATE

IN

2023

Last year was incredibly delicious for yours truly. I enjoyed dishes I had always wanted to try but previously had a hard time finding around here (like the Grandma Slice), and I also sampled some entirely new cuisines (like Afghan food). Both are proof that our local cuisine continues to widen and deepen. Novel or not, all of the dishes on this list were unbelievably tasty.

Bolani at AFGHAN GRILL This is my must-order appetizer every time I go to this delicious Liberty Township eatery. Thin, fried flatbread, folded over leeks, positively begs for a dip in the accompanying green chutney. As the first true Afghan dish I’ve ever tried, it set a high bar.

7129 Liberty Centre Dr., Liberty Twp., (513) 644-2171

Carnitas Taco at EL BARRIL Come for the beer and TVs at this spacious Mexican sports bar, stay for the perfect carnitas tacos.

Crispy (but still foldable) tortillas filled with tender, juicy strips of pork pair perfectly with a cold Modelo. As for toppings, a simple combination of onion, cilantro, and salsa lets the pork shine.

940 Pavilion St., Mt. Adams, (513) 381-6112, elbarrilmexican.com

Wagyu Meatballs

Grandma Slice

at JEFF RUBY’S

at TROPHY PIZZA

Ordering a bowl of meatballs before a Jeff Ruby’s steak might seem like piling on, but it was the right call. Served with a bright red tomato gravy and creamy cheddar grits, this warm dish brings a little Southern comfort to an Italian classic.

These are the meatballs you wish your grandma made.

Any New York pizza aficionado should be familiar with the “Grandma Slice,” a thin, square-cut slice (with robust tomato sauce on top of the cheese) that comes from Sicily by way of Long Island. This Evendale spot is one of the only local places that serves it, but when it’s this good, I’m OK with that.

505 Vine St., downtown, (513) 784-1200, jeffruby.com

10325 Reading Rd., #102, Evendale, (513) 769-1111, mytrophypizza.com

!'".3 % ' 0" ! at THE LÜBECKER When crispy, golden-brown schnitzel extends several inches past the toasted pretzel bun, you know you’re in good hands. In this case, those hands belong to Olaf Scheil, who’s on a mission to rescue German food from its bland, starchy stereotypes. Mission accomplished.

Located at Queen City Radio, 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 204-9631, thelubecker.com

+" ā . ,! at SOUL SECRETS This soul food spot makes delicious fried catfish, served in two massive filets that you’ll almost certainly need to take home. The filets are hand breaded in a seasoned, house-made coating that flavors the mild, tender fish without overpowering it. While it goes great with tartar sauce, I still swear by yellow mustard.

1434 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-7685, soulsecretscincy.com

Assorted Oysters at SEN BY KIKI This small Findlay Market stall offers a bespoke oyster experience. Make your selection—or better yet, ask the knowledgeable employees for a recommendation—and watch as they shuck and serve your oysters with hot sauce and mignonette. Sen is part of the Japanese word for "fresh," and it doesn't get much fresher than this.

1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 813-3284

Guiso de Butifarra y Alubias Blancas at CONSERVA If you think this Spanish dish of peppery sausage, white beans, garlic, onion, tomato, and flecks of parsley and red pepper is a mouthful to say, you should try eating it. If there were such a thing as Spanish soul food, this hearty, stew-like dish would certainly be it.

225 Elm St., Ludlow, (859) 261-0680, conservatapasbar.com

P H OTO G R A P H BY J E R E M Y K R A M E R / M O D E L CO U R T E SY H E Y M A N TA L E N T / I CO N S BY AG ATA K RYC H

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T N A R U RESTA R A B D AN S R E K R WO A REACH

GA A S TO R RO S S E N B A e I D R

BY A D

BY J I M AT I O N R T S U ILL

NO

G N I P P I TP OINT Servers, b a r te n d e rs, and line cook s left the hospitali ty i n d u st ry in drov es d u r i n g the pand emic. Tho se who remain ar e banding together to p u s h r estauran t and bar owne r s to i m p rove pay, p r o te c t t ips, and fi nd a better wo rk/life ba lance.

P H OTO G R A P H S BY J O N AT H A N W I L L I S

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M A R C H 2 0 2 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 5 3

I

t was four years ago this month that the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the U.S. and shut down a majority of workplaces and even entire industries. None were devastated more than food and drink businesses, whose revenue model depended on close, personal customer interactions in mostly indoor spaces.

The extraordinary efforts of restaurant and bar owners and staff to keep the lights on via creative pivots—takeout and delivery menus, pop-up outdoor seating, togo drinks, ghost kitchens—have been well documented. And immensely appreciated.

5 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A R C H 2 0 2 4

But the post-pandemic “normal” continues to buffet the famously fickle hospitality world, especially among rank-and-file employees.

It’s clear from media coverage and anecdotal evidence that a lot of servers,

cooks, bartenders, and other front- and back-end workers did not return to the industry after being laid off or quitting during the pandemic. Many tell horror stories of low pay, long hours, lack of overtime compensation, wage theft, harassment, and poor treatment by customers, including a backlash against tipping.

Locally and nationally, restaurant employees are now unionizing like never before and filing more complaints with labor and equal opportunity officials while also pushing for legislation to eliminate the lower hourly minimum wage for tipped employees. (Under Ohio law, tipped workers are guaranteed a minimum wage of $5.25 per hour, while non-tipped employees are guaranteed the standard minimum wage of $10.45.) Some are even questioning the use of tips, period, as part of the American food service industry.

Restaurant owners say higher wages and labor shortages since the pandemic are making it harder than ever to stay in business when profit margins in the industry are parchment thin to begin with.

Sixty percent of new restaurants fail within a year, while 80 percent don’t last five years, according to the National Restaurant Association.“A number of restaurants have increased wages to attract employees during our nation’s current labor shortage,” the association says on its advocacy page. “Yet, many are seeing that increased wages aren’t bringing back or recruiting new talent.”

Business owners won’t get much sympathy from their employees. “We’re overworked, and we’re underpaid by our employers because we take tips,” says Emily Spring, a veteran bartender and server who’s become an informal advocate for local restaurant workers, primarily in Over-the-Rhine. “And we’re completely dependent on the mood of the person on PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMUEL GREENHILL

ston, a B n a c i w s shutdo ays Jes c i s ” m , e k d c o ba page). e pan g e h t o t i t s g t o n n i p r a p ome du lize s not w estaurant (o h u a f g e o n i r t e o o l R “B t a ’s e e me.” m i mad oppin o t t C t t t a a n e h ed t orta cuisin d p e m e i n s chef de I a “

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the other side of the bar or sitting at a restaurant table for our livelihood.”

Besides the stresses inherent in their jobs, bartenders and servers are also expected to “perform” their tasks in the larger sense of the word—gladly and efficiently with a smile and kind words for their customers, even if their own lives happen to be a wreck. “No matter what is going on at home, no matter what text message I receive during my shift about my mother who is sick, about a friend who has died, I’m still there,” says Spring. “And if I don’t perform, guests may not be satisfied and I’ll see fewer tips.”

A new study conducted by Richfield Research on behalf of casinos.us claims that, unfortunately, Cincinnati ranks as the second worst U.S. city for customer behavior toward servers. The top five rudest behaviors, according to restaurant workers, are customers snapping fingers, complaining about things the server can’t control, demanding special treatment, refusing to tip, and leaving a mess.

The pandemic shutdown, followed by the closure of many restaurants, showed employees in the industry how little financial security they had. Spring was one of those who lost her bartending job during that period. “I had friends who moved in with their parents, moved in with their friends, left the state because they had to go live with their parents or families or friends, or who just decided, Hey, I’m gonna take an Amazon warehouse job or work at a place that has to stay open because I live paycheck to paycheck and I can’t pay my rent right now,” she says. “That was reality for a lot of us, and it was scary.”

Hospitality employees are working to find their rightful place in the postpandemic economy, and their efforts are helped in large part by a continuing labor shortage in the industry, experts say.

More than that, Spring argues, “it’s just that folks are advocating for themselves now. They don’t want to make this kind of money any more. And they don’t want to close the bar at 2 a.m. and open the restaurant the next day.”

BON APPETIT MAGAZINE REPORTED that 2022 was an “unprecedented” year for union organizing among restaurant workers, particularly at chain operations like Starbucks, Chipotle, and McDonald’s.

The magazine tied the trend to the rising gap between executive pay and employee wages and a more positive view of unions among Americans in general.

But the article also pointed to another important factor, COVID-19. “At the pandemic’s worst, when thousands of Americans were dying per day, restaurant workers faced one of the highest mortality rates in any industry,” the story says. “Since 2020 many service workers have left the restaurant industry altogether, citing burnout and chronic understaffing as their reasons for finding work elsewhere.”

Spring has received training in labor rights and legal action from the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center (CIWC), a nonprofit advocacy group for workers and immigrants. The organization’s director, Brennan Grayson, says he receives a regular stream of complaints from those in the Cincinnati restaurant and bar industry.

While U.S. Department of Labor officials say they keep no demographic data on victims of restaurant violations, Grayson says the complaints among kitchen staff to CIWC are mostly from immigrants.“Salaried” dishwashers, for instance, may work 60-hour weeks without overtime pay, he says.

Front-of-house restaurant complaints are less likely to involve immigrants, but nonpayment for overtime is a common

complaint among servers and bartenders as well, he says. “Then the other problem we run into are people’s tips being mishandled or taken by management and tipped workers, who are getting paid a lower minimum wage, being asked to do a lot of work that isn’t actually going to earn them tips. They don’t get the chance to earn that money because they’re doing operational duties.”

At his Maize and Americano restaurants, owner Angel Batista skirted paying overtime to employees by dividing their hours between the two locations. An employee filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor and in September 2022 was paid back wages of $550.

In 2021, nearly 50 employees at 50 West Brewing Company filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the owners, complaining that its restaurant forced them to share their tips with non-tipped employees in the early months of the pandemic the year before. The suit is pending in federal court in Cincinnati.

Jen Mendoza sued The Drinkery in Over-the-Rhine in 2016 because in both of her jobs—a bartender serving drinks and a manager booking bands—she was classified as an independent contractor and told she was on her own to collect tips. Such informal arrangements are common in the bar and restaurant industry, says Mendoza, especially in Over-the-Rhine because “it’s a hip kind of place” where young people want to work. The suit was settled for an undisclosed sum.

Another byproduct of the industry’s labor shortage has been an increase in illegal child labor practices.“The food service industry has the highest number of child labor violations out of any other economic sector,” says Scott Allen, a Department of Labor spokesman for the Midwest region. Child CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 7 3 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 5 5

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Clyde M. Abbott of Fourth Street is first on the alphabetized list: $100. E.W. Edwards, president of the Fifth-Third Union Trust Company, comes later: $50,000. As do B.H. Kroger ($50,000), William Cooper Procter ($50,000), and James N. Gamble ($25,000). Most of the donations are for far less, though, $5 or $10.

The bound relic was assembled after Anna Sinton Taft, daughter of iron industrialist David Sinton, and her husband Charles Phelps Taft, half-brother of President William Howard Taft, posed a challenge to their fellow Cincinnatians in 1927. It was the Roaring Twenties, and World War I was behind them. Cincinnati was the 16th largest city in the nation, 400,000 residents and growing.

Anna was the wealthiest woman in Ohio at the time, having inherited much of

her father’s fortune. Charles had made a name for himself as owner of The Cincinnati Times-Star newspaper and later as a state representative. He also owned the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies baseball teams, although not simultaneously.

The Tafts were great fans of art and music and avid collectors of paintings, porcelain, and antiques. They were among the original founders of the Cincinnati Art The Carnegie

Museum, and Anna also played a part in launching the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera. Also the Cincinnati Zoo, but that’s for another story.

In 1927, the Tafts pledged to donate their downtown mansion (today the Taft Museum of Art) and extensive art collection to the people of Cincinnati along with an endowment of $1 million to care for it in perpetuity. They wanted the endowment to provide ongoing financial support to the symphony, opera, and art museum as well.

“There is no reason if intelligent direction is given to the natural interest and ability of the people, why Cincinnati should not be recognized as one of the greatest centers of art and music in the United States and in the world,” reads the letter signed by the Tafts and transmitted with the deed for their property. They made the commitments under the condition that the people of Cincinnati prove their appreciation for the arts and raise an additional $2.5 million to

( O P E N I N G S P R E A D, L E F T ) ( C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T ) P H O T O G R A P H S ( M U R A L ) B Y M I L E S J . W O L F / ( C I N C I N N AT I P L AY H O U S E I N T H E PA R K ) B Y M I K K I S C H A F F N E R / ( B L I N K ) C O U R T E S Y A G A R / ( C I N C I N N AT I S H A K E S P E A R E C O M PA N Y ) C O U R T E S Y C I N C I N N A T I S H A K E S P E A R E C O M P A N Y / ( C S O ) C O U R T E S Y C I N C I N N A T I S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A / ( B A L L E T ) B Y H I R O M I P L A T T // ( O P E N I N G S P R E A D C O L L A G E ) P H O T O G R A P H S B Y S T O C K . A D O B E . C O M / ( M A D A M E B U T T E R F LY ) P H I L I P G R O S H O N G / ( B L I N K 2 0 1 9 ) R O O T E D M E D I A H O U S E / ( B L I N K 2 0 2 2 ) A G A R / ( C A C ) B Y R YA N K U R T Z / ( C I N C I N N A T I A R T M U S E U M A R T W O R K ) C O U R T E S Y C I N C I N N A T I A R T M U S E U M / ( Y M C A M U R A L ) M I L E S J . W O L F

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IN DECEMBER 2009, JONATHAN Sears found himself stuck in Cincinnati.

Here to participate in a pop-up art exhibition called Across the Board, he’d planned to stay for two weeks until “snowmageddon” swamped Washington, D.C., where he was living, and he was stranded.

Sears had just finished a graduate degree in design at the University of Maryland, done a bit of teaching, and wasn’t sure what was next. With unexpected free time on his hands, he visited various art galleries around here. “D.C. is a museum town with all the art experiences you could dream of, but no one really sells art,” says Sears.

“I started exploring here, and people were selling artwork. It was strange, like, Wow, people are actually buying work here.”

Sears had already been hired to do a couple of design jobs and decided to stay.

59

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in age, race, and ability.

The impact of this expansion of mission and funding is highlighted in an economic study released by ArtsWave and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber in January, showing $1.6 billion in direct and indirect impact from local arts and culture businesses between 2019 and 2022. The study projects that impact to grow to $2.8 billion over the next four years.

“Familiarity is critical if we expect these incredible institutions that we’ve built together to have future audiences, participants, and artists,” Kintner says.

“The last thing Cincinnatians would want is an empty Music Hall.”

ArtsWave turns 100 on May 21, 2027, and as that day approaches the organization reissues the challenge posed by the Tafts and asks: What are the arts worth to Cincinnati?

on

grow the endowment.

“The money was raised quickly,” says Alecia Kintner, president and CEO of ArtsWave, the organization that grew out of the family challenge made nearly 100 years ago.

As ArtsWave approaches its centennial in 2027, it’s reminded of those beginnings, Kintner says, and transformations over the years in name, mission, and vision.

ArtsWave still wants Cincinnati to be recognized as one of the greatest centers for art and music in the U.S. and the world, but the methods to reach that goal have changed.

The endowment created to help fund a handful of the city’s largest arts institutions is today a pillar of support for the arts throughout all of Greater Cincinnati, touching more than 150 artists and arts organizations across a 13-county region in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana.

Still a community-led fund-raising campaign, more than 25,000 individuals and businesses donated $11.8 million to last year’s ArtsWave campaign. The money provided Sustaining Impact grants to cover an average of 5 percent of an arts organization’s expense budget for three years running; catalyst grants to support individual arts projects and arts education programs; and a variety of other funding available to individual artists, musicians, and artistic groups to produce new works.

Jonathan Martin worked for symphonies in Atlanta; Charlotte; Cleveland; Dallas; and Spokane, Washington, before joining the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as president and chief operating officer in 2017. Nowhere has he encountered an organization like ArtsWave.

“Cincinnati has philanthropic support for the arts and music in its DNA,” says Martin, “and ArtsWave is a big part of that.” Not only is it the CSO’s second largest annual benefactor, he says, but it’s also “a sort of tentpole under which the entire arts community lives.”

Through the decades, ArtsWave has morphed into a one-stop shop for the region’s artistic community, providing guidance and professional development in everything from grant writing to budgeting to becoming a new nonprofit board member.

The organization has more recently finetuned its mission to bolster an arts community that’s reflective of the region’s diversity

Today, he is executive director at PARProjects, an art and education nonprofit he founded in Northside in 2015.

Devoted to diversifying art and creating the physical space for it, PAR’s campus on Hoffner Street features a recording studio, animation studio, woodshop, and other spaces to create or present art. Rental fees are kept affordable, Sears says, and this past summer it created several opportunities for local artists during its summer stage series, featuring local and regional musicians and artists, and OUR-Block Party, a street festival held in September with more than 30 local artists, musicians, pop-up shops, local restaurants, and businesses.

PAR-Projects wouldn’t exist without ArtsWave, says Sears. “I call them our first and forever major supporter, someone we can actually count on.”

PAR is one of 48 regional arts organizations receiving a Sustaining Impact grant this year. The unrestricted annual operating funds can be spent however an organization sees fit. But even before PAR was chosen for the grants, ArtsWave was there, Sears says.

He participated in its Boardway Bound training program for prospective board members, and ArtsWave helped the organization establish its own board of trustees and connected PAR with community partners such as architects and city leaders.

One time, PAR applied for a Catalyzing Impact grant and ArtsWave came back with the money requested, plus more. “They gave us some extra funds and connected us with a marketing team to flesh out our concept,” says Sears.“We didn’t think we needed that, but we definitely did.”

The list of arts organizations receiving SustainCONTINUED ON PAGE 76

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labor cases in restaurants both nationally and in Ohio have more than doubled since 2019 (nine in Ohio in 2019 compared to 26 in 2023).

Mio’s Pizza locations in Mariemont and Milford were two of the biggest offenders.

In Cincinnati, 12 minors under the age of 16 were exposed to the risks of workplace burns and injuries by using manual grease

an hour—well above the legal minimum for both tipped and non-tipped employees— plus pooled tips for servers and a portion of all employees’ health insurance coverage.

While operational costs in general have risen since the pandemic, the two biggest inflationary factors have been food and labor, each up about 20 percent, says Salazar.

“And it’s not only the financial increases, it’s the smaller number of folks we have in our industry. We lost a lot during the pandemic.”

Inflation hit sales at pricey restaurants like Salazar especially hard during and after the pandemic when consumers began to balk at dining in close quarters but also at paying higher prices for the dining experience.

The cost of the fine-dining extras “went up incrementally,” he says, “even some of the

“THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CHILD LABOR VIOLATIONS OUT OF ANY OTHER ECONOMIC SECTOR,” SAYS SCOTT ALLEN, A U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SPOKESMAN. fryers, operating gas ovens with an open flame, moving pizza in and out of broiler ovens, and using a mechanical dough puller.

Sixteen minors were also assigned to hours in excess of federal limits. One of its restaurant managers was denied overtime payment while making a weekly salary of $584, or a little more than $30,000 a year.

At the Milford location, then operated

by Black Cat Pizzeria, Inc., investigators found nine minors under age 16 performing the same hazardous cooking and baking operations, plus 20 minors working in violation of federal limits for work hours.

A manager there, too, was owed overtime back wages. The violations occurred before the Milford location was sold to new owners in late 2022.

Even restaurant owners who treat their employees fairly, however, face pressure as well. Jose Salazar, six-time nominee for the James Beard Award as the region’s best chef, closed his highly regarded Salazar restaurant in Over-the-Rhine late last year (he also owns Mita’s and Goose & Elder) after saying the numbers weren’t working any longer. He pays staff members at least $15

smaller things like the linens, employee parking passes, and health insurance.”

Salazar notes there’s been some decrease in food costs in recent months, allowing him to lower prices at Goose & Elder.

ATTITUDES AMONG RESTAURANT EMployees toward their jobs and work/life balance changed dramatically during and after the pandemic, says Jessica Baston, chef de cuisine at Coppin’s Restaurant in Covington. “With the three months of people being home during the shutdown, it made them realize that, you know, I don’t want to go back and give my entire life to this,” she says.“I needed that time to realize what was important to me.”

Sexual harassment and discrimination, long a part of the restaurant industry, are still present in the workplace, but offenders are also more likely to be fired or punished, thanks to increased awareness of and conversation around inappropriate behaviors.

Baston left Maize and Americano after five years as a manager and sometimes chef because she says no one there was being “held accountable for their actions, whether it’s a

chef that’s being handsy or verbally abusive or abusing alcohol or drugs.” She reports being much happier now at Coppin’s.

The uncertainties and financial insecurities of working in the restaurant industry are driving a growing national effort to eliminate the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers and raise the minimum wage for all workers. Called One Fair Wage, the nonprofit campaign started in the Boston area in 2016 and has chapters now in seven states, including Ohio. The goal is to change rules for tipped workers at the local, state, and federal level.

One Fair Wage laws have now passed in California, Minnesota, Maine, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. Contrary to expectations, campaign supporters say tips in those areas have actually increased with the increase in minimum wages.

In Ohio, One Fair Wage has gathered 200,000 signatures for a voter referendum to be placed on the November 2024 ballot, Ohio campaign manager Mariah Ross says.

The proposed state law calls for increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 and then indexing it to inflation. It would also end the sub-minimum wage in Ohio for tipped workers, including those who are under 20 years old.

The prospect of making good money in just a few days of stressful work is what draws many servers and bartenders to the hospitality industry, especially to pricier establishments. But even in the OTR sports bar where she works, Spring says she can make $50 an hour on a Saturday night “just serving up domestic beers.”

Still, tips depend on how busy an eatery or bar is and the willingness and ability of patrons to reward those who are serving them. Some in the food service industry would like to see tipping go the way of the historic bondage from which it came.

Tipping began in the Middle Ages in Europe when masters would hand a little pocket change to servants who performed their duties especially well. In the 18th century, the custom transitioned from masters and servants to customers and service industry workers. Wealthy Americans traveling in Europe after the Civil War brought the tradition back to America, where owners of restaurants and other hospitality businesses were more than happy to pay newly M A R C H 2 0 2 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 3

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emancipated slaves with tips alone. In 1938, when the first federal minimum wage of 25 cents per hour was passed as part of FDR’s New Deal, restaurants were exempted, codifying the lower pay for workers in the industry.

Ross says eliminating the tipped minimum wage isn’t about social justice alone.

“We’re not going to just be increasing human rights for over 3 million Ohioans,” says the One Fair Wage campaign manager.

“We’re going to be adding almost $2 billion into the Ohio economy by increasing wages.”

The National Restaurant Association, the leading business organization for America’s food service outlets, disagrees.

In a policy brief issued in April 2021, the group argued that the new $15 per hour minimum wage will hurt smaller businesses already reeling from the pandemic and labor shortages, leading to fewer jobs and more restaurants eliminating the tips that many workers have come to rely on.

Aside from the wage and tip debate, the restaurant industry in recent years has made moves toward curbing employee abuse. Starting last year, the prestigious James Beard Award for the nation’s top regional chefs now includes an ethics investigation of finalists. As a result, Alabama chef Timothy Hontzas of Johnny’s Restaurant, a finalist for the Best Chef: South category in 2023, was disqualified for allegedly berating employees and yelling at customers for not shutting the restaurant’s front door.

The awards’ ethics component was triggered in 2020 by an anonymous letter from staffers at the James Beard Foundation calling on senior leadership to address “pay disparity, inadequate benefits, long hours, and challenging working conditions” in the industry. The letter demanded that the foundation hire a human resources representative to “focus on community culture.”

Locally, some restaurants say they’re getting the message. Chris Todd, director of operations for Via Management Company—owners of Nicola’s, Via Vite, and Forno Osteria restaurants—says he’s seen dramatic changes in the industry over the past five years, especially since the pandemic. Gone are the days when an

®

enraged chef could throw plates of food on the kitchen floor because servers weren’t keeping up with customer orders, behavior Todd says he witnessed in his days as a server 10 years ago. “That certainly was not the trajectory that we as an industry should have been on,” he says.

Work/life balance is also improving in the industry, he says.“People are scheduling more realistic hours and setting more realistic expectations with the amount of production that is expected from salaried and hourly employees,” says Todd. With the labor shortage creating other opportunities for restaurant workers, managers are “really concentrating a lot more on a company’s culture.”

More transparency in the pay process for tipped employees has been a management goal of his own restaurant group, Todd says. And with new software that allows managers to keep track of tips at the point of sale to avoid confusion or mishandling, payroll transparency is easier than ever. “Our current policy is that anyone who wants to see their tips or their daily pay is more than welcome to,” he says.

Restaurant owners and managers who break the law or abuse their employees can no longer expect their victims to be silent, Spring says. Thanks to advocacy groups like Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center and One Fair Wage, hospitality employees are learning about their rights.

Much of the local networking among bartenders and servers takes place during informal gatherings at OTR establishments, says Spring, most often in the early morning hours after work and during off days on Monday and Tuesday. The gripe and therapy sessions are also a way of providing mutual aid to one another, “both mental health-wise and with substance abuse and just being there for one another,” she says, adding that she recently arranged Narcan training for 26 bartenders.

Customers, too, can help, Spring says.

“I want people to know and understand that, behind that server’s apron, behind that bar, behind that kitchen, we are human beings with real things going on in our lives,” she says. “Respect us, tip us, don’t yell at us. Just treat us with mutual respect, and everyone will be better for it.”

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CINCINNATI

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ing Impact grants includes the original groups supported by the Tafts’ endowment and many others, large and small, from all over the region: Price Hill Will, Wyoming Fine Arts Center, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum, and numerous choirs, theater groups, and dance troupes.

The Carnegie offers performing and visual arts and art education, and it logs thousands of hours bringing art into Northern Kentucky classrooms. Emergency relief allowed the organization to keep developing virtual lessons as the schools moved to distance learning. The money also allowed The Carnegie to pivot to limited-capacity art exhibitions and the creation of an outdoor theater series at the Covington Amphitheater, which audiences really wanted, Best says.

She recently left The Carnegie to become community relations manager at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, where, among other tasks, she books local musicians to play in the

“ARTSWAVE ACTS AS A MEGAPHONE FOR THE ARTS,” SAYS KIM BEST OF THE CARNEGIE. “AND THEIR PANDEMIC EMERGENCY GRANTS HELPED US MAKE IT THROUGH.” The Carnegie in Covington is Northern Kentucky’s largest multidisciplinary arts venue and has been a recipient of a Sustaining Impact grant for many years, says Kim Best, its former executive director.

“ArtsWave acts as a megaphone for the arts,” Best says, and has helped The Carnegie tell its story through the years.

Operating out of a historic Carnegie Library since 1972, the dome-topped building on Scott Street houses one of the last remaining full-sized Carnegie auditoriums in the U.S. The Carnegie’s mission is to use the historic building as a place where emerging and established artists can create, perform, and exhibit art, while providing educational opportunities for the Covington community.

Along with its sustaining support, ArtsWave provides Carnegie employees with access to healthcare coverage through its ArtsWave Consortium Plan, Best says, and helped them hang on during the topsyturvy pandemic years thanks to more than $100,000 in emergency relief. “That was definitely key in The Carnegie making it through,” she says. “We were able to keep our staff on payroll and continue programming in a very unorthodox way.”

7 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A R C H 2 0 2 4

airport, welcoming Cincinnatians home and giving visitors a taste of what the area has to offer. “Having a vibrant art scene is so important,” says Best. “It’s something that sets Cincinnati and this region apart.”

AS ONE MIGHT EXPECT, IT TOOK SOME serious reimagining for the Tafts’ original plan to evolve into what ArtsWave is today.

The organization’s first big shift occurred in 1949. Until then, the family endowment had been enough to support the four original arts institutions, including the Taft Museum of Art, which opened in 1932. But as post–World War II inflation crept in, the fund started running a deficit.

The organization decided to launch another giving campaign, branding it the Cincinnati Fine Arts Fund. Volunteers started soliciting annual donations from Cincinnati’s business executives and wealthy arts lovers.

Then, as the story goes, a secretary at General Electric turned the operation on its head. The Fine Arts Fund had become a professional organization by the early 1970s, with the late Paul Sittenfeld as its first paid executive director. The annual letter soliciting donations from top-level executives

arrived at GE, and a secretary read it and asked aloud, “What are we, chopped liver?”

Mary McCullough-Hudson, who became executive director in 1994, says the woman wanted to donate to the campaign herself.

GE rolled out the first companywide giving campaign to its employees in the 1970s, which resulted in the Fine Arts Fund cracking $1 million for the first time.

Good timing, says McCullough-Hudson, because other arts organizations had come knocking for support.

With workplace giving on the rise, the Fine Arts Fund expanded to support Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Contemporary Arts Center, and May Festival in 1977 and started offering project grants for the first time to smaller arts organizations. The campaign mimicked the United Way model, allowing employees to pledge a small part of their paycheck to the cause.

The fund grew as companies like Procter & Gamble, Fifth Third Bank, and The Cincinnati Enquirer created workplace campaigns.

Then, in the early 2000s, corporate philanthropy moved toward impact-driven giving, says Kintner. The Fine Arts Fund’s big donors, including P&G, wanted to see data from the organization that tracked its spending outcomes. The Fine Arts Fund surveyed its donors, and one of the findings shocked them: Eighty percent of donors had never interacted with any of the large arts institutions they were supporting.

The question then was Why are people giving?, Kintner says. The organization commissioned a study to dig deeper. “What emerged is that, regardless of whether the donors participated, they could see the arts created a more vibrant economy and a more connected community.”

It was time for the organization to take a hard look at itself again. Everything needed to change, including how and which arts organizations received funds. The original “big eight” organizations receiving aid were resistant, of course, says McCulloughHudson, worried that they’d lose their funding. But leadership in those organizations also knew it was time for a change.

She and her board pressed them, asking, Do you want to continue to get the same piece of a shrinking pie, or do you want to take a slightly smaller piece of hopefully a growing pie if we can increase our relevance to the community?

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SUPPORT THE ARTS Ultimately, in 2010, the Fine Arts Fund became ArtsWave. “Fundamentally, we went from asking ourselves, What do the arts need? to What does the community need through art?” Kintner says.

LISA SAUER HAS SEEN THE RIPPLE EFfect the arts have on Cincinnati. Now retired, she was a senior vice president at Procter & Gamble when she joined the ArtsWave board. She served for the maximum of nine years and came to recognize how art connects the community and makes Cincinnati a better place to live.

“I had been giving to the campaign for years but had never seen the work of ArtsWave close up,” says Sauer. While serving on a grants committee, she got to see how award decisions were made. “It was a rigorous process, and I saw what they were really trying to achieve. I went from a passive supporter to being really passionate about the organization.”

Her husband, Jon Moeller, is CEO of

P&G and has also served on ArtsWave’s board. His perspective is a bit different because of the 10 years he spent on the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Board of Trustees.

He’s particularly proud of the work around the creation of a DEIA plan at the art museum, shifting its priorities in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. “It got us thinking very deliberately about how the museum could be a more impactful institution within the city,” he says.

“How we could connect different groups of people within the city, so we weren’t some clubhouse on a hill but a vibrant part of our city, making it better for everyone.”

Speaking from the perspective of leading P&G, Moeller says the arts also play a crucial role in attracting and retaining top talent in Cincinnati. Events like BLINK, which is supported by ArtsWave, bring millions of visitors and millions of dollars in economic impact, he says. The eyepopping multi-day art and light festival returns in October.

He and Sauer are cochairs of the 2024 ArtsWave campaign, and they aren’t shy about asking every individual to support it. “People will say, Well, I love the Cincinnati Art Museum or I love the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and I want to put my money there, but it’s an and not an or,” Sauer says.

“You can’t have a great city with one or two thriving arts organizations. You need a strong arts ecosystem that delivers on the promise of a more vibrant economy and connected community.”

In 2025, ArtsWave wraps up a 10-year plan known as the Blueprint for Collective Action, says Ray Gargano, vice president of community investment. The overall goals are to deepen the arts’ roots in our region, bridge cultural divides, enliven neighborhoods, and fuel creativity and learning.

ArtsWave awards grants based on the Blueprint’s goals, as well as what’s called the Lifting As We Learn plan, adopted in 2020 to codify its commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access across the

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Cincinnati arts scene. The organization has now instituted Circle grants to build capacity in regional arts organizations that are either Black-led or predominately serve Black Cincinnatians. There were eight winners in the 2023 cycle, including Bi-Okoto, a professional African dance and drum company that’s expanding educational programming at its cultural center in Pleasant Ridge, and the AfroSwag Hair and Fashion Show.

PAR-Projects received a Circle grant in the last cycle, too, for its new visiting artist and education program. To date, ArtsWave has commissioned work from 27 artists in the new Black and Brown Artist Program, a partnership with the city of Cincinnati.

Another new initiative, launched in 2023, is More Arts, More Kids, designed to provide every student in grades 1–6 with an annual arts field trip. The first outing occurred in October and involved bringing 2,500 third graders from Cincinnati Public Schools to the Taft Theater for the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s production

of SpongeBob the Musical: Youth Edition.

“As arts education declines in the school systems, this is about developing the next generation of artists, ticket-holders, and donors,” Gargano says. “That way our children will know what the arts are and where to find them.”

Kintner doesn’t tiptoe around the fact that the annual campaign could use a boost.

Fund-raising stalled at around $12 million before the pandemic, and people’s habits have changed since then, as have workplaces themselves. In the January economic impact report, the organization determined that to keep up with inflation, the campaign would need to be $20 million by 2027.

The CSO’s Martin says the orchestra has evolved alongside ArtsWave. “Once you look at yourself as a community service organization, that requires you to know how well you’re serving the entire community,” he says. “We use music to serve and enrich the community, much the way a college uses education or a hospital

uses medicine. Our magic is music.”

And that’s meant bringing music to the community, too, says Martin. Two summers ago, CSO began the Brady Block Party series, performing in the West End, Price Hill, Bond Hill, Westwood, and Evanston.

“We’re building the program with community leaders,” he says. “Even with just one or two concerts, you can feel a fellowship growing.”

Martin implores future donors to follow in the footsteps of the Cincinnatians who heeded the Tafts’ challenge back in 1927. “Arts organizations are like every other business. They need money to sustain them,” he says. “Without ArtsWave, we wouldn’t have a full-time orchestra and wouldn’t be able to attract the musical talent, the guest conductors, and the guest musicians. We’re in a music director search now, and we’re able to compete for talent with some of the world’s great orchestras because the company is strong and healthy.”

M A R C H 2 0 2 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 9

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D NE

BRUNCHIN’ IN NEWPORT P. 82

FOODIE INFLUENCER Q&A P. 82

BACK TO THE TURF CLUB P. 84

AFTER-DINNER DRINKS P. 84

SUPER BOWL Jeffery Harris, chef/ owner at Nolia, plates the restaurant’s swordfish dish, which is served with kidney beans, tomato, andouille, and locally made bread.

PH OTO G R A PH BY C ATHERINE VIOX

M A R C H 2 0 2 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 8 1

TABLESIDE WITH...

TAKEOUT HERO

KAIT LOTT

THE INSTAGRAM INFLUENCer showcases Cincinnati’s food scene.

Why did you start your Instagram account, @kaitskravings? I started my IG account because I was on a weight loss journey. I was eating really healthy Sunday through Friday and then would have amazing cheat days on Saturdays. This led me to explore multiple restaurants and bars, and I just loved taking pictures of all my food adventures. My friends kept encouraging me to create a food page because they said my photos were so pretty.

Press On DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC, PRESS ON MONMOUTH EXPANDED ITS MENU and hours to accommodate diners who were looking to the Newport coffeeshop for dinner options later in the day. Now four years on, the café has mainly gone back to just its breadand-butter hours—breakfast and lunch—while holding on to some of the menu items that got it through those early months of the crisis that had everyone relying on DoorDash and UberEats. One such item is the customizable bowl, made up of a base of either tater tots, sweet potatoes, or quinoa and rice, topped with a protein (there are lots of options to choose from, including sausage, goetta, bacon, and vegetarian gravy), and then loaded with flavors to suit your palate. Get spicy with the Southwest, which comes with smashed avocado, black bean salsa, pico de gallo, cheddar, and chipotle sauce, or earthy with the Mediterranean of tomato, kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber, hummus, arugula, and a cilantro lime vinaigrette.

If you’re an early riser, you’ll be happy to spend your morning here, knee deep in breakfast options. The goetta, bacon, and ham breakfast sandwiches, all served with a medium Press on Monmouth, egg on a brioche bun, are a handful, but the What Came First 421 Monmouth St., Newport, (859) 261(fried chicken, egg, and hot honey) steals the sandwich show.

—AIESHA D. LITTLE 8 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A C R H 2 0 2 4

3397, pressonmon mouthnky.com

Do you consider yourself a food blogger or a food influencer? If being a food influencer means “influencing people to support local, invest directly in the local community, try something new, and hopefully find a new place that brings them joy,” then yes, I’m definitely more of a food influencer.

What does being a foodie mean to you? Experiencing joy and life through the lens of food. My favorite thing about food is how it brings people together and how much we can learn about one another through cuisine.

What are your long-term goals?

I would also love to host a Food Network show, highlighting local aspiring foodies, chefs, restaurateurs, and more, especially in Midwestern cities! – A I E S H A D . L I T T L E FYI instagram.com/kaitskravings

Read a longer interview with Kait at cincinnatimagazine.com

PH OTO G R A PH BY D E V Y N G LI S TA / ILLUSTR ATIO N BY C H R I S DA N G E R

INTERNATIONAL DELIGHT

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Surf at the Turf HE TURF CLUB (FORMERLY TERRY’S TURF CLUB) is best known for its highly customizable gourmet burgers, but there’s more to enjoy beneath the rainbow of neon signs.

The TTC Fish Tacorita—tempura-battered fried cod with red cabbage slaw made with key lime, tangerine, kiwi, cilantro, and serrano, all topped with almonds, hazelnuts, pineapple, avocado, tomato, and tomatillo in a flour tortilla—bundles vivid color, texture, and flavor into a burrito-shaped package. The generous serving of flaky white fish makes the core, and the rest of the ingredients build out from there.

Layers of crisp slaw, tangy kiwi, savory avocado, and crunchy nuts make the meal feel like a swaddled salad. Pops of sweet pineapple keep things interesting, and the cilantro, tomato, and tomatillo work overtime to harmonize all the moving parts.

To get the most out of the Tacorita’s sweetness, add your favorite salty side. While most diners love the restaurant’s fried corn on the cob and onion rings, we lean toward the duck fat fries. Their delicate, crispy texture contrasts the Tacorita’s meatier bites, scratching an itch the lean fish, fruit, and vegetables can’t. When these two share a plate, they make each other better. — M . L E I G H H O O D

T

The Turf Club, 4618 Eastern Ave., Linwood, (513) 840-5049, theturfcluboh.com

TAKE 5

THE AFTER PARTY

Originally served in the 18th century to aid digestion, afterdinner digestifs are still all over restaurant and bar menus.

NONINO This amaro (which means “bitter” in Italian) is a grappabased liqueur with a bittersweet blend of herbs, spices, and roots. $10. Lost & Found Bar, 22 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 834-8441, lostandfoundotr.com 1

GALLIANO Often used in cocktails like Harvey Wallbangers, juniper, cinnamon, and anise add a sweet complexity to this vanilla-flavored herbal liqueur. $10.

The View at Shires’ Garden, 309 Vine St., 10th floor, downtown, shiresrooftop.com

—AIESHA D. LITTLE 8 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M M A R C H 2 0 2 4

2

AMAROULETTE WHEEL Not sure what to get?

Let the wheel decide for you. You can spin for one of eight digestifs, including the artichoke leaf–infused Cynar. $7 per spin.

HomeMakers Bar, 39 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 394-7559, homemak ersbar.com 3

MONTENEGERO This drink has a blend of 40 botanicals (including eucalyptus and orange peels), which harkens back to the original recipe created by an Italian distiller in 1885. $17.

Al-Posto, 2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, al-posto.com 4

MALÖRT Believe or not, this infamous Chicago classic is supposed to settle nausea, not create it. With such an acquired taste (wormwood, anyone?), this is more of a dare than a recommendation. $5.

Molly Malone’s, 112 E. Fourth St., Covington, (859) 4916659, mollymalones irishpub.com 5

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS VON HOLLE

SPRING

METROPOLITAN CLUB sÁJj=¢sjू ZÈ J^ ࣐ॹࣈࣉू ࣉࣇࣉ࣋ ࣃॹ࣐ु࣊ࣇ ेgे Our lavish four-night dinner series returns to celebrate the bounty of Spring. Be sure to #savorthedate for this ʹɷɔ̍ʹȲ ȬɔɷɔɷɆ Ȳ˗ʜȲʟɔȲɷȦȲ ȉɷȬ Ȳɷɣʁ˘ ȉ one-of-a-kind meal in a fun and festive atmosphere.

Limited tickets available.

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WHERE TO EAT NOW

AMERICAN 88 BARBECUE 90 CAJUN/CARIBBEAN 92 CHINESE 92 ECLECTIC 93 FRENCH 96 INDIAN 96 ITALIAN 100 JAPANESE 100 KOREAN 101 MEDITERRANEAN 102 MEXICAN 102 SEAFOOD 102 STEAKS 103 THAI 103 VIETNAMESE 103

DINING GUIDE CINCINNATI MAGAZINE’S

dining guide is compiled by our editors as a service to our readers.

The magazine accepts no advertising or other consideration in exchange for a restaurant listing.

The editors may add or delete restaurants based on their judgment.

Because of space limitations, all

(513) 644-9365, cozyscafeandpub.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$$

AMERICAN

THE EAGLE OTR

BOOMTOWN BISCUITS & WHISKEY Boomtown leans hard into the Gold Rush theme: prospector-style overall aprons on servers, bluegrass tunes humming, and rustic decor details.

And the dense grub isn’t for the faint of heart.

Arrive with an empty belly, ready for a carbo load.

The biscuits are all they’re cracked up to be, and the gravy’s not playing around, either. Sample its biscuits and gravy styles with a gravy flight. Or try The Yukon, an anytime breakfast sandwich, featuring fried chicken on par with the best the city has to offer. By the end of the meal, you’ll feel a little out of place without your own denim getup.

9039 U.S. Route 42, Suite H, Union, (859) 384-5910, boomtownbiscuitsandwhiskey. com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Wed–Sat. Breakfast and lunch Sun. MCC. $

BROWN DOG CAFÉ If you haven’t had a plate of Shawn McCoy’s design set in front of you, it’s about time. Many of the menu’s dishes show his knack for the plate as a palette. A trio of grilled lamb T-bone, sirloin, and prawns in scampi butter is a standout. The eye for detail and contrasts of colors and textures belongs to someone who cares for food.

of the guide’s restaurants may not be included. Many restaurants have changing seasonal menus; dishes listed here are examples of the type of cuisine available and may not be on the menu when you visit.

To update listings, e-mail: cmletters@cincinnati magazine.com

EYES ON THE PIES

Wayfarer Pizza is opening in Dayton, Kentucky, later this year. The East Coast–style pizza joint—the brainchild of Pho Lang Thang co-owner Mike Dew—currently offers monthly pre-orders.

instagram.com/ wayfarerpizza

1000 Summit Place, Blue Ash, (513) 794-1610, browndogcafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat. MCC, DS. $$

COZY’S CAFÉ & PUB On a visit to England, Jan Collins discovered the “cozy” atmosphere of London restaurants built in historic houses. She brought that warm, comfortable feeling back to the United States in opening Cozy’s. Though the atmosphere in the restaurant is reminiscent of Collins’s London travels, the food remains proudly American. The produce in virtually every dish is fresh, seasonal, and flavorful.

The braised short rib stands out with its cheesy grits and haystack onions along with a portion of tender meat. And when it comes down to the classics, from the biscuits that open the meal to the carrot cake at the end, Cozy’s does it right.

6440 Cincinnati Dayton Rd., Liberty Twp.,

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The revamped post office at 13th and Vine feels cozy but not claustrophobic, and it has distinguished itself with its stellar fried chicken. Even the white meat was pull-apart steamy, with just enough peppery batter to pack a piquant punch.

Diners can order by the quarter, half, or whole bird—but whatever you do, don’t skimp on the sides. Bacon adds savory mystery to crisp corn, green beans, and edamame (not limas) in the succotash, and the crock of mac and cheese has the perfect proportion of sauce, noodles, and crumb topping. The Eagle OTR seems deceptively simple on the surface, but behind that simplicity is a secret recipe built on deep thought, skill, and love.

1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 802-5007, eaglerestaurant.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner Mon–Thurs. MCC. $

EMBERS The menu here is built for celebration: poshly priced steak and sushi selections are meant to suit every special occasion. Appetizers are both classic (shrimp cocktail) and Asian-inspired (shrimp tempura); fashionable ingredients are name-checked (micro-greens and truffles); a prominent sushi section (nigiri, sashimi, and rolls) precedes a list of archetypal salads; Kobe beef on sushi rolls sidles up to steaks of prime; non-steak entrées (Chilean sea bass or Dover sole with haricots verts and almondine) make for high-style alternative selections. Talk about a party.

8170 Montgomery Rd., Madeira, (513) 9848090, embersrestaurant.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $$$$

MR. GENE’S DOGHOUSE Cumminsville is home to arguably the best hot chili cheese mett and chocolate malt in Greater Cincinnati. A family-owned business that began as a simple hot dog stand more than 50 years ago, Mr. Gene’s still attracts lines of loyal customers at its windows. Can’t stand the heat? Order the mild chili mett—more flavor, fewer BTUs. And if you still haven’t embraced Cincinnati-style coneys, try the Chicago-style hot dog with pickles, onions, relish, mustard, tomato, and celery salt; a pork sandwich;

KEY: No checks unless specified.

AE American Express, DC Diners Club DS Discover, MC MasterCard, V Visa MCC Major credit cards: AE, MC, V $ = Under $15 $$$ = Up to $49 $$ = Up to $30 $$$$ = $50 and up

or wings (a sign proclaims “So hot they make the devil sweat”). Although the chocolate malt is the biggest seller, we love the $3.75 pineapple shake, made with real pineapple.

3703 Beekman St., South Cumminsville, (513) 541-7636, mrgenesdoghouse.com. Open Feb– Oct for lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MC, V. $

GOOSE & ELDER The third restaurant from chef Jose Salazar, Goose & Elder is a more everyday kind of joint compared to his others. The prices are lower, and most of the dishes, from burgers to grits, are familiar.

Salazar’s menus have always hinted that the chef had a fondness for, well, junk food. But junk food is only junk if it is made thoughtlessly. Goose & Elder has pivoted toward breakfast and brunch fare recently, but everything here is still made with little twists, like the fried bologna sandwich with Dijonnaise and pickles. Even the fries, crinkle cut and served with “goose sauce,” a mildly spiced mayonnaise, are wonderfully addictive. The restaurant demonstrates that what we now consider “fast food” can be awfully good if someone makes it the old-fashioned, slow way.

1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 5798400, gooseandelder.com. Breakfast and lunch Mon & Wed–Fri, dinner Mon & Wed–Sun, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

IVORY HOUSE The menu here generally doesn’t reinvent dishes or introduce outlandish flavors, but simply pays attention to enough little things to make the results unusually good. The Wagyu is served in cheeseburger form, but the exceptional tomme from Urban Stead gives it that extra something.

The cocktails are things you’ve probably seen before, but everything—from the Death Valley Old Fashioned to the Queen City’s Bees Knees—had an extra dash of liveliness from a house-made element, like a rhubarb honey syrup or the raspberry shrub. Even when an ingredient seems out of left field, like the burnt grapefruit hot sauce on the Hamachi, it never tastes as unusual as it sounds.

The hot sauce is just a hint of sweet citrusy spice that melts into the grits—a softly intriguing element rather than a slap in the face.

2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, (513) 3890175, ivoryhousecincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$$ ICON BY JOE HOFFECKER

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WHERE TO EAT NOW

THE NATIONAL EXEMPLAR The classics are here—prime rib with horseradish and au jus; liver and onions; an eight-ounce filet with béarnaise—plus some new favorites, including Pappardelle al ragu with Tuscan-style beef ragu, carrots, peas, grana cheese, and parsley. Or choose from classic breakfast options like eggs benedict with country ham, vine-ripened tomatoes, and hollandaise sauce and the egg sandwich with your choice of goetta, ham, or bacon. The dinner menu also features burgers, risotto, pasta, seafood, and plenty more lighter options.

6880 Wooster Pke., Mariemont, (513) 271-2103, nationalexemplar.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

OTTO’S Chef/owner Paul Weckman opened Otto’s, named after his father-in-law, with $300 worth of food and one employee—himself. Weckman’s food is soothing, satisfying, and occasionally, too much of a good thing. His tomato pie is beloved by lunch customers: Vine-ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and chopped green onions packed into a homemade pie shell, topped with a cheddar cheese spread, and baked until bubbly. Weckman’s straightforward preparations are best. This is, at its heart, a neighborhood restaurant, a place with its own large, quirky family.

521 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-6678, ottosonmain. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Fri, brunch and dinner Sat– Mon. MCC. $$

RED FEATHER KITCHEN Historically peasant-grade cuts of meat get the full Pygmalion treatment at Red Feather in Oakley, where there’s deep respect for the time and tending necessary to bring a short rib, pork chop, or steak to its full potential. After a quick sear to lock in juices, the steak takes a turn in the wood-fired oven. While primal cuts play a leading role, the supporting cast is just as captivating. The asparagus soup is especially pleasant on a spring evening and the crispy skin on the salmon acts as the foil to the plump, rich flesh.

Service here only improves the experience.

3200 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 407-3631, redfeatherkitchen.com. Dinner Wed–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$$

RED ROOST TAVERN At its best, Red Roost Tavern—located in the Hyatt Regency, downtown—meets its singular challenge with verve: offering a locally sourced sensibility to an increasingly demanding dining public while introducing out-of-town guests to unique Cincinnati foods. Take the goetta, rich pork capturing the earthiness of the steel-cut oats, served as a hash with sweet potatoes and poached eggs. The seasoning added a restrained, almost mysterious hint of black pepper. But the kitchen’s talent seems straightjacketed. Chefs thrive on instincts not covered by the five senses; restaurants thrive by taking careful risks. Red Roost seems to be struggling to find its third eye, and sometimes the entrées don’t live up to their ambitions.

151 W. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 354-4025, redroosttavern.com. Breakfast and lunch Sat & Sun, dinner seven days. MCC,DS. $$

RON’S ROOST Ron’s stakes its reputation on its fried chicken, serving roughly 10,000 pieces weekly. It takes a few minutes, since each batch is made to order. Ron’s also serves chicken 18 other ways, including chicken livers in gravy. It’s all about the chicken here, but the menu is five solid pages of other stuff good enough to be called specialties: Oktoberfest sauerbraten, Black Angus cheeseburgers, fried whitefish on rye, hot bacon slaw, lemon meringue pie (homemade, of course), and the best Saratoga chips this side of Saratoga.

3853 Race Rd., Bridgetown, (513) 574-0222, ronsroost.net.

Breakfast Sun, lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

THE SCHOOLHOUSE RESTAURANT An old flag stands in one corner and pictures of Abe Lincoln

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and the first George W. hang on the wall of this Civil War–era schoolhouse. The daily menu of familiar Midwestern comfort fare is written in letter-perfect cursive on the original chalkboard. Once you order from a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to your high school lunch lady, the elevated lazy Susan in the center of the table begins to fill up with individual bowls and baskets of cornbread, slaw, salad, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and vegetables. The deal here is quantity. More mashed potatoes with your fried chicken? More cornbread with your baked ham? You don’t even have to raise your hand.

a nice selection of wine and beer, and well-made, homey food. The small, focused menu has a classic American quality (salads, steaks, burgers) with enough surprises to keep things interesting. Many of the dishes are designed with open spaces to be filled with whatever is available in the kitchen that day, an advantage of an unfussy style. You don’t go to Wildflower expecting a certain kind of perfection; you accept that your favorite dish from last time might be made differently tonight, or no longer available. Like the farmhouse that Wildflower occupies, the imperfections are part of the charm.

8031 Glendale-Milford Rd., Camp Dennison, (513) 8315753, theschoolhousecincinnati.com. Lunch Thurs–Fri, dinner Thurs–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

207 E. Main St., Mason, (513) 492-7514, wildflowermason.com. Dinner Mon–Fri. MCC. $$$

SOUL SECRETS You no longer need an event to celebrate with a fish fry. At Candice Holloway’s restaurant, Soul Secrets, fried chicken and fish are always on the menu. Servers wearing T-shirts that read “my ancestors sent me” introduce guests to a trim menu full of the best soul food. You can’t go wrong with the fried fish platters. The whiting is good, but the catfish is divine. The cornmeal breading is so perfectly seasoned you won’t need salt, and the light crunch it adds doesn’t hide the star of the show. So soft it’s nearly fluffy, the catfish melts in your mouth. Each catfish platter delivers two enormous pieces of fish along with two sides and a cornbread muffin that may be the best in Cincinnati. This is the kind of meal you take home with you—not just in your heart but in a box—because chances are low you’ll conquer all the fish and sides in one go.

BARBECUE BEE’S BARBEQUE You’ll want to get to Bee’s early if you want to avoid the line of friendly regulars. The restaurant’s smoker churns out a variety of meats—including brisket, pulled pork, ribs, turkey breast, and two kinds of sausage—so it’s easy to see why they keep coming back. If you enjoy the spicy grease that oozes out of a good chorizo, you’ll love the Cincinnati Hot Link, which tastes like the delicious love child of a chorizo and a hot mett. Word to the wise: Bee’s opens at 11 a.m. and closes when they run out of meat. Understandably, this doesn’t take long.

1434 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-7685, soulsecretscincy.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $

5910 Chandler St., Madisonville, (513) 561-2337; 1403 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-2337, beesbarbecue. com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $

SYMPHONY HOTEL & RESTAURANT

ELI’S BBQ

Tucked into a West 14th Street Italianate directly around the corner from Music Hall, this place feels like a private dinner club. There’s a preferred by-reservation policy. Check the website for the weekend’s five-course menu, a slate of “new American” dishes that changes monthly. You can see the reliance on local produce in the Greek lemon chicken soup. Salads are interesting without being busy, and the lemon lavender sorbet is served as the third-course palate cleanser with the five-course menu. Main courses of panseared rainbow trout, grass-fed strip steak, and a veggie burger hit all the right notes, and you can end with a sweet flourish if you choose the strawberry lavender shortcake.

210 W. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-3353, symphonyhotel.com. Dinner Fri & Sat. $$

TELA BAR + KITCHEN Classically conceived but casually executed comfort food, including a royale with cheese, mac and cheese topped with a Mr. Pibb–braised pulled short rib, and steak frites with garlic aioli. Servers are slightly scattered, yet enthusiastic and friendly, with a good grasp of the beverage program.

1212 Springfield Pike, Wyoming, (513) 821-8352, telabarandkitchen.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

TRIO Trio is nothing if not a crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re in the mood for a California-style pizza or filet mignon (with roasted red potatoes, sauteed spinach, crispy onions, and a red wine demi-glace), the menu is broad enough to offer something for everyone. It may lack a cohesive point of view, but with the number of regulars who come in seven nights a week, variety is Trio’s ace in the hole. A simple Margherita pizza with Roma tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, and mozzarella delivered a fine balance of crunchy crust, soft cheese, and sweet, roasted tomatoes. Paired with a glass of pinot noir, it made a perfect light meal. The service is friendly enough for a casual neighborhood joint but comes with white tablecloth attentiveness and knowledge. Combine that with the consistency in the kitchen, and Trio is a safe bet.

7565 Kenwood Rd., Kenwood, (513) 984-1905, triobistro.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC. $$

THE WILDFLOWER CAFÉ Wildflower Café is not the sort of place that tries to wow anyone with feats of inventiveness. Its formula is simple but satisfying: lots of mostly local meat and produce, a menu that continuously changes with available ingredients,

Elias Leisring started building his pulled pork reputation under canopies at Findlay Market and Fountain Square in 2011. Leisring’s proper little ’cue shack along the river serves up ribs that are speaking-in-tongues good, some of the zazziest jalapeño cheese grits north of the MasonDixon line, and browned mashed potatoes that would make any short-order cook diner-proud. The small no-frills restaurant—packed cheek-by-jowl most nights—feels like it’s been there a lifetime, with customers dropping vinyl on the turntable, dogs romping in the side yard, and picnic tables crowded with diners. The hooch is bring-your-own, and the barbecue is bona fide.

3313 Riverside Dr., East End, (513) 533-1957; 133 West Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 533-1957, ext. 2, elisbarbeque.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

SINNERS & SAINTS TAVERN You won’t leave this Texas smokehouse/sports bar hungry. From the brisket—served with Texas BBQ sauce, white bread, and pickles, or on toasted sourdough—to the chicken thighs, you can’t go wrong with these richly smoked flavors. Several dishes, like the Korean-style pork belly, the pulled pork naan tacos, and Bigos stew, draw on global influences, while the sides take flavors back to the country (try the creamy coleslaw, the house-made mac and cheese, and chili-spiced cornbread). The restaurant’s character shines through its decor, which includes hanging hockey memorabilia, pictures of public figures and tables made from real NBA courts.

2062 Riverside Dr., East End, (513) 281-4355, sinsaintsmoke.com. Lunch Sat & Sun, dinner Wed–Sun. MCC. $$

WALT’S HITCHING POST A Northern Kentucky institution returns. Roughly 750 pounds of ribs per week are pit-fired in a small building in front of the restaurant, with a smaller dedicated smoker out back for brisket and chicken. Walt’s ribs begin with several hours in the smokehouse and then are quick-seared at the time of service. This hybrid method takes advantage of the leaner nature of the baby-back ribs they prefer to use. Each rib had a just-right tooth to it where soft flesh peeled away from the bone. One hidden treasure: Walt’s homemade tomato and garlic dressing. Slightly thicker than a vinaigrette yet unwilling to overwhelm a plate of greens, the two key elements play well together.

3300 Madison Pke., Ft. Wright, (859) 360-2222, waltshitchingpost.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

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WHERE TO EAT NOW

pub-style items for those who may be squeamish about crawfish tails (which can be added to just about anything on the menu). You’ll also find a roundup of oyster, shrimp, catfish, and alligator po’boys, as well as a selection of hardwood-smoked meats.

3742 Kellogg Ave., East End, (513) 834-7067, swampwatergrill.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun, brunch Sat & Sun. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

CAJUN/ CARIBBEAN BREWRIVER CREOLE

More than 800 miles from New Orleans, this may be as close as you can get to the real deal here in your own backyard.

The menu fully leans into Chef Michael Shields’s penchant for cuisine from the Crescent City. His six years of training under NOLA’s own Emeril Lagasse comes through in a scratch kitchen menu that spans a range of the city’s classics. The enormous shrimp and oyster po’boys—the former protein fried in a light and crispy beer batter and the latter in a hearty cornmeal breading—are served on fluffy French bread loaves and dressed with lightly spicy rémoulades.

The jambalaya packs all the heat of a late summer day in the French Quarter without masking a hint of its satisfying flavors. Paired with a Sazerac and nightly live jazz, you may just feel tempted to start a second line.

KNOTTY PINE ON THE BAYOU

The Pine serves some of the best Louisiana home-style food you’ll find this far north of New Orleans. Taste the fried catfish filets with their peppery crust, or the garlic sauteed shrimp with smoky greens on the side, and you’ll understand why it’s called soul food. Between March and June, it’s crawfish season. Get them boiled and heaped high on a platter or in a superb crawfish etouffee. But the rockin’ gumbo—a thick, murky brew of andouille sausage, chicken, and vegetables—serves the best roundhouse punch all year round. As soon as you inhale the bouquet and take that first bite, you realize why Cajun-style food is considered a high art form and a serious pleasure. And you’ll start planning your return trip.

6302 Licking Pke., Cold Spring, (859) 781-2200, theknottypineonthebayou.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

CHINESE

4632 Eastern Ave., Linwood, (513) 861-2484, brewrivercreolekitchen.com. Dinner Tues–Sun, brunch and lunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $

SWAMPWATER GRILL

At first blush, this place is a dive where homesick Cajuns can find a good pile of jambalaya. But thoughtful details like draft Abita Root Beer and char-grilled Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell signal its ambition. Bayou standards like jambalaya, gumbo, and fried seafood also make an appearance. But the extensive menu also features amped-up

AMERASIA

A sense of energetic fun defines this tiny Chinese spot with a robust beer list. The glossy paper menu depicts Master Chef Rich Chu as a “Kung Food” master fighting the evil fast-food villain with dishes like “fly rice,” “Brocco-Lee,” and “Big Bird’s Nest.” Freshness rules. Potstickers, dumplings, and wontons are hand shaped. The Dragon’s Breath wontons

will invade your dreams. Seasoned ground pork, onion, and cilantro meatballs are wrapped in egg dough, wok simmered, and topped with thick, spicy red pepper sauce and fresh cilantro. Noodles are clearly Chef Chu’s specialty, with zonxon (a tangle of thin noodles, finely chopped pork, and mushrooms cloaked in spicy dark sauce and crowned with peanuts and cilantro) and Matt Chu’s Special (shaved rice noodles, fried chicken, and seasonal vegetables in gingery white sauce) topping the menu’s flavor charts.

521 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-6121, kungfood. online. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Sat. MCC. $

CHINESE IMPERIAL INN

The chilies-on-steroids cooking here will have you mopping beads of garlic-laced sweat from your brow. The musky, firecracker-red Mongolian chicken stabilizes somewhere just before nirvana exhaustion, and aggressively pungent shredded pork with dried bean curd leaves your eyes gloriously glistening from its spicy hot scarlet oil. Even an ice-cold beer practically evaporates on your tongue. Do not fear: not all the dishes are incendiary. Try the seafood—lobster, Manila clams, Dungeness and blue crabs, whelk, and oysters—prepared with tamer garlicky black bean sauce, or ginger and green onions. The Cantonese wonton soup, nearly as mild as your morning bowl of oatmeal, is as memorable as the feverish stuff. Sliced pork and shrimp are pushed into the steaming bowl of noodles and greens just before serving. Think comforting, grandmotherly tenderness.

11042 Reading Rd., Sharonville, (513) 563-6888, chineseimperialinnoh.com. Lunch and dinner seven days.

MC, V, DS. $

GREAT TANG

Although the (24-page!) menu features classic dishes in every style, the specialty at Great Tang is the refined coastal cuisine of Zhejiang. If you like spice, you can get still the Sichuanese and Hunanese classics. One dish will hint at the surprises in store for people who are mainly

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used to Chinese takeout: the lovely Xian cold noodle. The dish is exquisitely layered: the creamy and nutty undertone of sesame paste, mixed with notes of tang and spice, topped with the bright pop of cilantro. The combination of textures is also delightful, with crunches of cucumber and sprouted mung and the softness of the flat noodles. And that tofu! It was wonderfully meaty, with dense layers, substantial and satisfying as a counterpart to the noodles. Be as brave as you are in the mood to be. Ask for some suggestions and prepare to be astonished.

7340 Kingsgate Way, West Chester, (513) 847-6097, greattangohio.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Mon, dim sum Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

ORIENTAL WOK

When Mike and Helen Wong opened Oriental Wok in 1977, the couple wanted to recreate the glamor and refinement of the Hong Kong-Cantonese cuisine they knew. Today, locals and expats alike enjoy authentic Chinese and Chinese-American dishes in dining rooms reminiscent of Beijing. Beyond the elephant tusk entryway and fish ponds and fountains is the warmth and hospitality of the Wong family, service on par with the finest establishments, and very, very good food. Best are the fresh fish: salmon, grouper and sea bass steamed, grilled or fried in a wok, needing little more than the ginger-green onion sauce that accompanies them. Oriental Wok is the tri-state’s longest-running family-owned Chinese restaurant for a reason.

317 Buttermilk Pke., Ft. Mitchell, (859) 331-3000; 2444 Madison Rd., Hyde Park, (513) 871-6888, orientalwok.com. Lunch Mon–Fri (Ft. Mitchell; buffet Sun 11–2:30), lunch Tues–Sat (Hyde Park), dinner Mon–Sat (Ft. Mitchell) dinner Tues–Sun (Hyde Park). MCC. $$

THE PACIFIC KITCHEN

The monster of a menu can be dizzying. Ease in with some top-notch Korean Wings. These slightly bubbly, shatter-crisp wings are painted with a thin gochujang chili sauce (a foil to the fat). It takes 24 hours to prep the Cantonese duck, between a honey-vinegar brine to dry the skin, a marinade of star anise, bean paste, and soy within the resealed cavity, and the crispy convection oven finish. Dolsot bibimbap had plenty of crispy rice at the bottom of the stone bowl, and the accompanying banchan were soothing yet flavorful. Even dishes like a Malaysian goat stew resonated with rich, original flavors.

8300 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 898-1833, thepacific.kitchen. Lunch and dinner Mon & Wed–Sun, dim sum lunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

SICHUAN BISTRO

Like many Chinese restaurants that cater to both mainstream American and Chinese palates, this strip mall gem uses two menus.

The real story here is found in dishes of pungent multi-layered flavors that set your mouth ablaze with fermented peppers and fresh chilies and then just as quickly cool it down with the devilish, numbing sensation of hua jiao, Sichuan pepper. Its numbing effect is subtle at first: appetizers of cold sliced beef and tripe, as well as slices of pork belly with a profusion of minced garlic, lean toward the hot and sweet; mapo tofu freckled with tiny fermented black beans and scallions, and pork with pickled red peppers and strips of ginger root, progress from sweet to pungent to hot to salty—in that order. Alternated with cooling dishes—nibbles of rice, a verdant mound of baby bok choy stir-fried with a shovelful of

garlic, refreshing spinach wilted in ginger sauce, a simply sensational tea-smoked duck— the effect is momentarily tempered.

7888 S. Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 770-3123, sichuanbistro.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

UNCLE YIP’S

Long before sushi somehow un-disgusted itself to the Western World, China had houses of dim sum. Uncle Yip’s valiantly upholds that tradition in Evendale. This is a traditional dim sum house with all manner of exotic dumplings, including shark fin or beef tripe with ginger and onion. As for the seafood part of the restaurant’s full name, Uncle Yip has most everything the sea has to offer, from lobster to mussels. The menu has more than 160 items, so you’ll find a range of favorites, from moo goo gai pan to rock salt frog legs.

10736 Reading Rd., Evendale, (513) 733-8484, uncleyips.com. Lunch and dinner seven days.

MCC, discount for cash. $$

ECLECTIC ABIGAIL STREET

Most people who’ve eaten at Abigail Street have favorite dishes that they order every visit: the Moroccan spiced broccoli, for example, or the mussels charmoula, with its perfect balance of saffron, creaminess, and tomatoey acidity. Many of the new items on the menu have the same perfected feeling as these classics. Working within a loose framework of Middle Eastern and North African flavors, Abigail Street has never fallen into a routine that would sap its energy. Offerings like

BUCK UP

Chef couple Caitlin and Brian Young plan to open Young Buck Delicatessen in Over-the-Rhine this spring. The highly anticipated deli will make its home in the former Holtman’s Donuts location on Vine Street. youngbuck

deli.com

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ICON BY CARLIE BURTON

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WHERE TO EAT NOW

the wood-grilled lamb, with apricot, harissa, and pickled Persian cucumbers, feel just as accomplished as old favorites like the falafel, beautifully moist and crumbly with a bright parsley interior. The restaurant is always watching for what works and what will truly satisfy, ready to sacrifice the superficially interesting in favor of the essential.

1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-4040, abigailstreet.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

BOCA With its grand staircase, chandelier, and floor-to-ceiling draperies, Boca has an atmosphere of grandeur and refinement. There is a sense of drama not only in the decor but in everything it serves. In some dishes, there is a painterly sense of contrast and surprise, like the maple tuile served with the maple mascarpone cheesecake. In others, there is a dramatic suspense, like the whole egg yolk quivering in the center of the beef tartare waiting to be broken. While staying mostly grounded in the fundamentals of Italian and French cuisine, Boca has an air of international sophistication that sets its food apart. The hamachi crudo, an old standby on the menu, takes Japanese flavors and gives them new dimensions with grapefruit suprêmes and slivers of shishito pepper. This is food of extraordinary creativity and flair.

114 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 542-2022, bocacincinnati.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

BOUQUET RESTAURANT Normally diners aren’t pleased when a restaurant runs out of something. At Bouquet, though, surprise

changes to the menu are simply a sign of integrity.

Chef-owner Stephen Williams is serious about using seasonal ingredients, and if the figs have run out or there is no more chicken from a local farm, so be it. The flavors at Bouquet are about doing justice to what’s available. Preparations are unfussy, complexity coming from within the vegetables and proteins themselves. A spring salad—wonderfully fresh and vibrant, so you know the strawberries included have just come off a nearby vine—is dressed with candy-striped beets, jerk-seasoned pepitas and whipped goat cheese. This determination to make something delicious out of what’s on hand, to embrace limitations, gives the food at Bouquet a rustic, soulful quality.

519 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-7777, bouquetbistro. com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

CHÉ This spot draws on authentic Argentine recipes, including the empanadas. Choose from a dozen different crispy, perfectly cinched dough pockets, with fillings ranging from traditional (a mixture of cumin-spiced beef, hard-boiled egg, and olives) to experimental (mushrooms, feta, green onion, and mozzarella). There are also six different dipping sauces to choose from, but you need not stray from the house chimichurri.

1342 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine; 2038 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville, (513) 345-8838, checincinnati.com. Lunch Tues–Sun, dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. V, MCC, DC, AMEX. $$

CROWN REPUBLIC GASTROPUB What makes Crown Republic special isn’t its handful of outstanding dishes. It’s the place’s sheer consistency.

No single dish is absolutely mind-blowing or completely original, but when almost everything that comes out is genuinely tasty, the service is always friendly and attentive, and (stop the presses!) the bill is quite a bit less than

you expected, you sit up and pay attention. The crab and avocado toast, served on toasted bread with lime juice and slivers of pickled Fresno chiles, is a prime example of what makes Crown Republic tick. The cocktails are equally unfussy and good, like the Tequila Honey Bee, made with tequila reposado, honey thyme syrup, lemon, bitters, and mezcal rinse, which adds a smoky kick.

720 Sycamore St., downtown, (513) 246-4272, crownrepublicgastropub.com. Lunch and dinner Wed– Sun. Brunch Sat & Sun. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

THE GOVERNOR This Milford restaurant playfully elevates diner classics.

Breakfast is available all day so if you’re looking to greet the morning with decadence, try the Madame Rangoon, a thick slab of brioche toast smothered in crab whipped cream cheese and eggs. Sandwiches also get an inventive twist here. The “Governor Tso’s chicken”—a crispy fried chicken breast glazed with a General Tso’s–inspired sauce, topped with apricot slaw and served on a toasted brioche bun—is a gigantic, happy mess of a sandwich, but the sweet glaze faintly evokes the namesake “General” while letting the sublimely fried chicken lead the charge. Order a side of bowling alley fries and ask for the housemade red dip.

(You’ll thank us later.)

231 Main St., Milford, (513) 239-8298, governordiner. com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon–Sun. Breakfast and lunch Sun. Brunch seven days. MCC. $

THE LITTLEFIELD Inside a modest 1,500 square-foot space on Spring Grove, just south of Hamilton Avenue, at least 70-odd bourbons behind the bar drive this little restaurant’s philosophy. The menu is meant to be limited, the better to support and celebrate the bottled flavors upfront. There are surprises: the crispy onions served atop the fried Brussels sprouts; skewered golf balls of mild, peppery ground lamb get a faint crust from the final sear. You’ll also want to order the Lebanese chicken katsu—panko-crusted cutlets of chicken,

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served with spicy curry yogurt-dressed slaw, Lebanese pickles, and black garlic molasses.

3934 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, (513) 386-7570, littlefieldns.com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues–Sun, brunch Sat & Sun. V, MC. $

MAPLEWOOD KITCHEN At Maplewood, you order at the counter, then find a table, and a server will deliver what you’ve selected. There’s no cohesive cuisine, rather, the menu takes its cue from all corners of the globe: chicken tinga, guajillo chicken are all represented, along with the satisfying Maplewood hash with goetta and local mushrooms. Brunch is available all day so try the light lemon ricotta pancakes or the avocado benedict.

525 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-2100, maplewoodkitchenandbar.com. Breakfast and lunch seven days. MCC. $$

MELT REVIVAL In this Northside sandwich joint, the restaurant’s name pretty much dictates what you should get. Diners have their choice of sandwiches, including the vegetarian cheesesteak—seitan (a meat substitute) topped with roasted onions, peppers, and provolone—and The Gobbler, turkey burger served with curried aioli, red cabbage slaw, pickled red onions, and arugula. For those who require meat in their meals, try the verde chicken flatbread: juicy pieces of chicken intermingle with pesto, zucchini, and provolone.

Not sure you’ll want a whole sandwich? Try a half-sandwich with a half-salad or half-soup order—a popular selection with the lunch crowd.

4100 Hamilton Ave., Northside, (513) 818-8951, meltrevival.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues—Sat, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $

METROPOLE Metropole has been remarkably stable since it opened in 2012. Even when chefs have left, the organization has pro-

moted from within, kept popular dishes on the menu, and maintained a certain vibe, a balance between sophistication and rustic-ity. Its vegetarian fare contains many of its most inventive and delightful creations. The seared salmon is served with miso wild rice, asparagus, pickled bok choy, and sesame seeds. The blistered shishitos, served with burrata and preserved lemon, encapsulates Metropole at its best: fun and whimsical, but rooted in careful execution of deep and satisfying flavors.

609 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 578-6660, metropoleonwalnut.com. Breakfast Wed–Fri, dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. V, DS, MC, AMEX. $$

grazing, and not-quite-brawny, straightforward sandwiches and main dishes. Try the Faroe Island salmon, a bowl of cock-a-leekie soup, or check out the shepherd’s or Scottish BBQ style burgers or the turkey reuben with Russian dressing. And the bar’s clubby intimacy makes it easy to belly up and enjoy their impressive collection of single malts or a Scottish ale.

625 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 564-9111, nicholsonspub.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$

NOLIA

MITA’S It’s fitting that chef Jose Salazar named this restaurant after his grandmother, because there is something deeply homey about the food at Mita’s. With a focus on Spanish and LatinAmerican tapas, it always feels, in the best possible way, like elevated home cooking. Its sophistication is modestly concealed. The flavors are bold and direct, whether the spicy freshness of the ceviche de camarones with passionfruit leche de tigre or the intensely bright sourness of the pozole verde. In dishes like the alcachofas y hongos, the chef hits every register: the acid of red espelette peppers to balance the earthy ramp-garlic hummus, the crunchy pistachios against the soft sautéed mushrooms and artichoke hearts. But what mainly comes through is the warm-hearted affection a grandmother might have put into a meal for a beloved grandson. It’s the kind of big hug everyone needs from time to time.

501 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-6482, mitas.co.

Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$$

NICHOLSON’S To remind local diners that they were here before those young dog-toting punks with their exposed brick and crafty ales in Over-the-Rhine, Nicholson’s branded themselves Cincinnati’s “first and finest gastropub,” and revamped the menu to include plenty of snacks and small plates for

Chef/Owner Jeffery Harris, a New Orleans native, prepares the cuisine of his beloved city with sophistication and flair, drawing on all the influences that have contributed to the cuisine of the Big Easy—from West African to French to Japanese to Haitian. The menu changes seasonally, with almost a complete overhaul each time. If classic New Orleans dishes do show up on the menu, they’re likely to get delightfully unexpected touches. Take the duck and oyster gumbo. Harris deconstructs the typical stew, building on a base of popcorn rice, instead of the more typical long grain, and a decadent duck fat roux. It’s exquisitely prepared food served in a funky, laid-back atmosphere.

1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 384-3597, noliakitchen.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

THE QUARTER BISTRO Quarter Bistro has multiple personalities: one part clubby neighborhood joint, one part dinner and a movie with a dash of lusty romance. The Bistro Burger, a half-pound of black Angus beef, is seasoned but not overly so, with a sturdy-but-not-too-chewy bun. The 18-hour short ribs are the star, and reason enough to skip the movie next door.

Braised into a flavor bomb of meat candy, it’s served with papardelle pasta, roasted vegetables, and onion straws.

With the no-lip service, The Quarter Bistro could be well on the way to making middle age look sexy.

6904 Wooster Pke., Mariemont, (513) 271-5400, qbcincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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WHERE TO EAT NOW

RUTH’S PARKSIDE CAFÉ

The spiritual successor of Mullane’s Parkside Café, Ruth’s brings back the vegetable-forward menu with a few concessions to contemporary tastes. Dinner options now include steaks and heavier entrées. But the stir-fries, beans and rice, pasta, and the traditional option to add a protein to an entrée (tofu, tempeh, chicken, or local chorizo) for an upcharge are all old standards. While dishes are generally hearty, they are rarely too rich, leaving room to freely consider dessert.

There is a small selection of baked goods, including a gooey butter cake, homemade fruit pies, and Madisono’s Gelato.

1550 Blue Rock St., Northside, (513) 542-7884, ruthscafe.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$

SACRED BEAST

Sacred Beast advertises itself as a kind of upscale diner, but the real gems are the oddball dishes that don’t quite fit the diner mold. The menu can be disorienting in its eclecticism: foie gras torchon is next to fries with lobster gravy, and a king salmon is next to a diner breakfast and deviled eggs.

Winners are scattered throughout the menu in every category. On the cocktail list, the Covington Iced Tea, a lemon and coffee concoction made with cold brew, San Pellegrino, and vodka is oddly satisfying. The service is good, and there is some flair about the place—including vintage touches, from the facsimile reel-to-reel audio system to the mostly classic cocktails—even within its rather chilly industrial design. In short, go for the unique grub; stay for the elegant, shareable twists on classic snacks.

1437 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 213-2864, sacredbeastdiner.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. MCC. $$

SENATE

Ever since it began dishing out its lo-fi eats, Chef Dan Wright’s gastropub has been operating at a velocity few can match. From the howl and growl of supremely badass hot dogs to the palate-rattling poutine, Senate has led the charge in changing the local conventional wisdom about what makes a great restaurant. Consumption of mussels charmoula means either ordering additional grilled bread to soak up every drop of the herby, saffron-laced broth or drinking the remainder straight from the bowl and perfectly crisped and seasoned fries inspire countless return visits.

1100 Summit Place Dr., Blue Ash, (513) 769-0099, senateblueash.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MC, V, DS. $

THE STANDARD

Owners Paul Weckman and Emily Wolff offer a pared-down menu of small plates and sandwiches. It’s simple but satisfying, with a small-town diner vibe. After a complete menu overhaul that shifted the restaurant away from its Pan-Asian street food concept, The Standard focuses on Americana classics, like smoked brisket chopped cheese, smash burgers, smoked wings, and chili.

434 Main St., Covington, (859) 360-0731, facebook. com/thestandardcov. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $

TASTE OF BELGIUM

Jean-François Flechet’s waffle empire grew from a back counter of Madison’s grocery at Findlay Market to multiple full-service sit-down spots. There’s more on the menu than the authentic Belgian treat, though it would be a crime to miss the chicken and waffles: a dense, yeasty waffle topped with a succulent buttermilk fried chicken breast, Frank’s hot sauce, and maple syrup. There are also frites, of course, and Brussels sprouts—served with pancetta and sherry vinaigrette—plus a gem of a Bolognese. And let’s not forget the beer. Six rotating taps offer some of the best the Belgians brew, not to mention those made in town.

1135 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 396-5800, and other locations, authenticwaffle.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues–Sun, breakfast and lunch Mon, brunch Sun. MCC. $

20 BRIX

This restaurant mixes Mediterranean influences with home-

spun choices, and he comes up with some marvelous food.

Lamb meatballs with melted onions and romesco sauce are sweet and peppery, and their simplicity partners well with a lush Zinfandel. The excellent wine list, arranged by flavor profiles within the varietals, features dozens of varieties by the glass in five-ounce or two-ounce pours, which makes it easy to try several.

101 Main St., Milford, (513) 831-2749, 20brix.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS, DC. $$

TERANGA

West African cuisine consists of mostly simple, home-style dishes of stews and grilled lamb with just enough of the exotic to offer a glimpse of another culture. Be prepared for a few stimulating sights and flavors that warm from within. An entire grilled tilapia—head and all—in a peppery citrus marinade and served on plantains with a side of Dijon-coated cooked onions is interesting enough to pique foodie interest without overwhelming the moderate eater. Stews of lamb or chicken with vegetables and rice are a milder bet, and Moroccan-style couscous with vegetables and mustard sauce accompanies most items.

The dining room atmosphere is extremely modest with most of the action coming from the constant stream of carryout orders.

are unrivaled in our humble opinion) and an avocado and shrimp salad, or opt for a more hearty entree—like cassoulet—for dinner. If you’re an early bird, a Croque Monsieur (with a sunny side-up egg) is a great way to start the day.

1801 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 455-3720, frenchcrustcafe.com. Breakfast and lunch Wed–Sun, dinner Thurs–Sat. MCC. $$

LE BAR A BOEUF

If it’s been a couple of years since you’ve been to Le Bar a Boeuf—the late Jean-Robert de Cavel’s fun-yet-refined French bistro located on the first floor of the Edgecliff Private Residences in East Walnut Hills—it may be time for a revisit. The formerly burger-centric menu now approaches the full repertoire of bistro classics. The menu reads like a greatest hits list of bistro fare, with escargot, beef tartare, duck leg confit, steak frites, and French onion soup all making appearances. As France’s influence on American fine dining has waned, it’s refreshing to see a restaurant committed to not only preserving the French classics but reinvigorating them.

2200 Victory Pkwy., East Walnut Hills, (513) 751-2333, lebarboeuf.com. Dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $$

8438 Vine St., Hartwell, (513) 821-1300, terangacinci. com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

INDIAN

THE VIEW AT SHIRES’ GARDEN

The name of this restaurant demands that one question be answered first: So, how’s that view? Well, it’s impressive.

Especially if the weather cooperates and you can get a seat outside. Most dishes are rotated out every six months, but a few remain staples from season to season. Try the panroasted chicken, featuring a Freebird Farms skin-on breast.

Or go for the Chef’s Feast for Two, a shareable steak with an Argentine shrimp salad and two sides. The cocktail list offers high, low, and zero proof options alongside a well-rounded beer and wine selection.

309 Vine St., 10th Floor, downtown, (513) 407-7501, theviewatshiresgarden.com. Dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$$

YUCA

Yuca is in The Fairfield’s former space, retaining much of the same modern, airy, and inviting café vibes with a neighborhood feel, but boasting a menu certainly worth a commute. In the mood for a hearty breakfast? Indulge in the Fat Zach, a heaping corn gordita packed to the brim with chicken, chorizo, and scrambled egg, served with avocado, pineapple pico, and sweet and spicy potatoes.

There’s a full drink menu ranging from coffee to Bloody Marys—or a selection of margaritas and palomas if you’re looking to stick around.

700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, (859) 360-0110, yucabycedar.com. Breakfast and lunch Tues–Sun. MCC. $

FRENCH CHEZ RENÉE FRENCH BISTROT

Based on American stereotypes of French food—that it’s elaborate, elitist, and expensive—one might expect Chez Renée to fall on the chichi side. Instead, it’s elegant in an everyday way, operating on the principle that it is better to excel at simplicity than to badly execute something complicated. The formula is not complex: Simple ingredients, generally fresh and from nearby, prepared without much fuss. Warmed brie is served with thyme, almonds, fruit, and bread, and the chicken risotto is served with creamy mushrooms. This is solid, tasty food, both approachable and well-executed. It’s well on its way to becoming, as a good bistrot should be, a neighborhood institution.

233 Main St., Milford, (513) 428-0454, chezreneefrenchbistrot.com. Lunch Fri & Sat, dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $$

FRENCH CRUST

Located in the old Globe Furniture building at the corner of Elm and Elder Streets, this Jean-Robert de Cavel creation offers French fare in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. Swing by for lunch and have a quiche Lorraine (French Crust’s quiches

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AMMA’S KITCHEN

Muthu Kumar Muthiah serves traditional southern Indian and Indo-Chinese vegetarian cuisine, but with a sizable Orthodox Jewish community nearby, Muthiah saw an opportunity: If he was going to cook vegetarian, why not also make it kosher? Muthiah prepares every item—from the addictively crunchy gobhi Manchurian, a spicy Chinese cauliflower dish, to the lemon pickle, tamarind, and mint sauces—entirely from scratch under the careful eye of Rabbi Michoel Stern. Always 80 percent vegan, the daily lunch buffet is 100 percent animal-product-free on Wednesdays. Tuck into a warm and savory channa masala (spiced chickpeas) or malai kofta (vegetable dumplings in tomato sauce) from the curry menu. Or tear into a crispy, two-foot diameter dosa (chickpea flour crepe) stuffed with spiced onions and potatoes.

7633 Reading Rd., Roselawn, (513) 821-2021, cincinnati. ammaskitchen.com. Lunch buffet Mon–Fri (all vegan on Wed), dinner seven days. MC, V, DS. $

BRIJ MOHAN

Order at the counter the way you might at a fast food joint, except the shakes come in mango and there’s no supersizing your mint lassi. The saag, full of cream in most northern Indian restaurants, is as intensely flavored as collard greens in the Deep South—real Punjabi soul food. Tarka dal is spectacular here, the black lentils smoky from charred tomatoes and onions, and the pani puri, hollow fried shells into which you spoon a peppery cold broth, burst with tart cool crunch. Follow the spice with soothing ras malai, freshly made cheese simmered in thick almond-flavored milk, cooled and sprinkled with crushed pistachios.

11259 Reading Rd., Sharonville, (513) 769-4549, brijmohancincinnati.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner Tues– Sun. MC, V, DC, AMEX. $

I TA L I A N A TAVOLA

In 2011, Jared Wayne opened A Tavola Pizza with two friends just as OTR was blowing up. A Ferrara pizza oven was ordered from Italy; Wayne, a skilled woodworker, built custom tables; and the menu was fleshed in with trendy crowd-pleasers like charcuterie and craft cocktails. Fast-forward a decade. The OTR outpost is closed but the second location is still going strong in the ’burbs: A Tavola Madeira capitalizes on the menu from the Vine Street location, including the fresh and zesty artichoke pizza on a Neapolitan crust; gooey mozzarella-filled arancini, or risotto fritters; and the zucchini mozzarella. Wash down your small plates with a glass of crisp and grassy Sannio falanghina or an ice-cold Rhinegeist. They’re definitely going

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GarnishCincinnati.com • (513) 791-CHEF (2433)

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Monday, March 11, 2024

MadTree Brewing Oakley Taproom,

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General Admission: 6 pm

Join Cincinnati Magazine at our annual Best Restaurants Tasting Event at MadTree Brewing. Enjoy bites from this year’s top restaurants and sample treats from our key sponsors while enjoying MadTree’s brews.

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WHERE TO EAT NOW

to need a bigger parking lot.

PEPP & DOLORES

VIA VITE

7022 Miami Ave., Madeira, (513) 272-0192, atavolapizza.com. Lunch and dinner seven days.

V, DC, MS, AMEX. $

As with all of Thunderdome’s restaurants, you get a sense that they want to deliver a meal that satisfies many different kinds of people. The prices are reasonable, with pasta entrées about $15. The dishes are familiar in their flavors, but everything feels balanced, modulated and gradually perfected. There is lovely variety: the limone pasta is zippy with lemon and chili flakes, and just the right mixture of tart and creamy; the deep meaty flavors on the mushroom toast are balanced with a nice acidity; and the heat in dishes like the eggplant involtini is just enough to wake up the sauce without overwhelming the flavor.

The menu has a wealth of excellent vegetarian and pasta-alternative options.

Via Vite serves up crowd-pleasing entrées, including the Pietoso family Bolognese, over penne, right on Fountain Square. (Add in a golf-ball-sized veal meatball heavy with lemon zest, and it’s an over-the-top comforting main dish.) The same applies to the risotto, where a few small touches add sophistication. Carnaroli rice results in a glossier, starchier dish. A puree of asparagus turns the risotto an eye-popping green, and the poached lobster garnish creates a nice back-and-forth between vegetal and briny flavors. Braised lamb shank over polenta is comforting workhorse, and the flavorful Faroe Island salmon with roasted carrot puree, caramelized Brussel sprouts and truffled brown butter balsamic vinaigrette.

1501 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 419-1820, peppanddolores.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

520 Vine St., downtown, (513) 721-8483, viaviterestaurant.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

AL-POSTO Al-Posto is an upscale southern Italian spot that reflects the same commitment to quality ingredients and delicate preparation that made its predecessor Dear such a gem. Appetizers include classic sharables like marinated olives (prepared with orange zest, rosemary, and Calabrian chile), baretta with grilled focaccia, and coppa (a cured pork served with preserved peppers and almonds), but it’s the pasta (which can be ordered as an entrée or a first course) that’s not to be missed. We recommend the Cacio e Pepe, a seemingly simple dish comprised of bucatini (similar to spaghetti, but thicker), black pepper, and a sharp pecorino Toscano. Since you’re probably wondering, “AlPosto” roughly translates to “at the spot.” Located in the middle of Hyde Park Square, this eatery seems poised to become the culinary focal point of the neighborhood.

2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, al-posto.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. V, DC, MS, AMEX. $ $

FORNO

ON THE BLOCK

Allez Bakery recently opened a new café directly across the street from its Main Street location in Over-the-Rhine.

The new space will be home to all of the bakery’s prepared food, including soup, sandwiches, and salads. allezbakery.

com

Cristian Pietoso’s second restaurant has all the bones of an upscale eatery, but the menu is infused with enough Italian soul to make nonna proud. In most instances, raving about a side of creamed corn wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the menu. Here, that side dish—kernels swimming in a pool of truffle-laced heavy cream that demands sopping up—is evidence that each component is purpose-driven. The red wine–braised honeycomb tripe, which carries a warning label (“Don’t be scared!”), and the tagliatelle bolognese with traditional beef and veal sauce are examples of the elevated, adventurous comfort food that Pietoso strives for.

3514 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 818-8720, fornoosteriabar.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$

NICOLA’S Chef/Restaurateur Cristian Pietoso carries on the legacy of his father, Nicola, as the elder Pietoso’s Over-the-Rhine eatery celebrated 25 years in business in 2021. You can still get the old Italian classics, and they’ll be as good as ever, but the rest of the menu has blossomed into a freewheeling tour of modern American cuisine. Any establishment paying this level of attention to detail—from the candied slice of blood orange on the mascarpone cheesecake to the staff’s wine knowledge—is going to put out special meals. Rarely have humble insalate been so intricately delicious, between the perfectly nested ribbons of beets in the pickled beet salad or the balance of bitterness, funkiness, and creaminess in the endive and Gorgonzola salad. Order an old favorite, by all means, but make sure you try something new, too.

1420 Sycamore St., Pendleton, (513) 721-6200, nicolasotr.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DC, DS. $$$

PRIMAVISTA Besides offering the old-world flavors of Italy, Primavista also serves up a specialty no other restaurant can match: a bird’s eye view of Cincinnati from the west side. The kitchen is equally comfortable with northern and southern regional specialties: a Venetian carpaccio of paper-thin raw beef sparked by fruity olive oil; house-made fresh mozzarella stuffed with pesto and mushrooms; or artichoke hearts with snails and mushrooms in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce from Lombardy.

Among the classics, nothing is more restorative than the pasta e fagioli, a hearty soup of cannellini, ditali pasta, and bacon. Most of the pastas are cooked just a degree more mellow than al dente so that they soak up the fragrant tomato basil or satiny cream sauces. The fork-tender osso buco Milanese, with its marrow-filled center bone and salty-sweet brown sauce (marinara and lemon juice), is simply superb. Desserts present further problems; you’ll be hard-pressed to decide between the house-made tiramisu or bread pudding with caramel sauce, marsala-soaked raisins, and cream.

810 Matson Pl., Price Hill, (513) 251-6467, pvista.com. Dinner Wed–Sun. MCC, DC, DS. $$

SOTTO There are certain books and movies that you can read or watch over and over. Eating at Sotto is a similar experience: familiar, but so profound and satisfying that there is no reason to ever stop.

Unlike other restaurants, where the techniques are often elaborate and unfamiliar, the magic at Sotto happens right in front of you, using ordinary elements and methods. When you taste the results, though, you realize that some mysterious transmutation has taken place. Orecchiette with rapini and pork sausage comes in a buttery, lightly starchy broth with a kick of spice that you could go on eating forever. From the texture of the chicken liver mousse to the seasonal fruit sauce on the panna cotta, most of the food has some added element of soulfulness.

118 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 977-6886, sottocincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

SUBITO

Billed as “Italian comfort food,” this sister restaurant to 20 Brix offers the classics (like lasagna and chicken carbonara) plus hoagies and meatball sliders, an impressive wine list, seasonal martinis, and a decadent signature appetizer—garlic knots, doughy buns smothered in olive oil and garlic. Best of all, Barraco’s pizza sauce, which is comprised of roasted tomatoes and basil, is so garden-fresh that one can’t help but wonder: If this is real pizza, what have we been eating all these years?

Focusing on Northern Italian cuisine, Subito carves out its own worthwhile place in the landscape. Most of the items on the menu—from pizza to various pastas—will be familiar, but there are delightful surprises, like the vegan torta di ceci.

At the base of the dish is a light, flaky farinata— a griddled pancake made out of chickpea flour.

Topped with pickled red onion, and covered with nectarine and toasted almonds, the whole dish is rounded out with a touch of tangy sweetness from a blackberry balsamic vinaigrette. Everything at Subito is done with intelligence and a light touch.

111 Main St., Milford, (513) 965-0100; 14 N. Grand Ave. Ft Thomas, (859) 957-4082, padrinoitalian.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

311 Pike St., downtown, (513) 621-4500, thelytleparkhotel.com/dining/subito.

Breakfast and lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

PADRINO

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J A PA N E S E ANDO You don’t go just anywhere to dine on uni sashimi (sea urchin) or tanshio (thinly sliced charcoalgrilled beef tongue). Don’t miss the rich and meaty chyu toro (fatty big-eye tuna), or the pucker-inducing umeshiso maki (pickled plum paste and shiso leaf roll). Noodles are also well represented, with udon, soba, or ramen options available. And don’t forget to ask about the specials; owners Ken and Keiko Ando always have something new, be it grilled koji or marinated amberjack smoked salmon crudo, delicacies that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in any of those Hyde Park pan-Asian wannabes. The only thing you won’t find here is sake, or any other alcohol.

Bring your own, or stick to the nutty and outright addicting barley tea.

11255 Reed Hartman Hwy., Blue Ash, (513) 954-0041, andojapaneserestaurant.com.

Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$$

BARU Baru, the sleek izakaya in the former MidiCi space, prioritizes bar dining, which is meant to be enjoyed alongside its eclectic drinks list. The menu is broken down into drinks, sushi, “small plates,” “plates,” sides, and ishiyaki. Start with clever cocktail offerings, like the Japanese Highball (which uses Japanese whiskey), the Saketini, or the sweetly spicy Wasabi Margarita. Sushi chef Samson Kim’s offerings are—like the rest of the menu—fun and funky. The sushi menu is varied, but concise, featuring a trio of ahi tuna, spicy tuna, and escolar, as well as a quail egg nigiri. If sushi got the party going, the theatrical ishiyaki kicked it into high gear. The term refers to dishes that diners grill tableside on a hot stone. We went with the Sakura Wagyu, sourced from Ohio’s own Sakura Farms. For all its convivial buzz, Baru is also a spot where solo diners can enjoy a few peaceful bar-side bites.

Tthe Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna from the small plates section brought the same level of freshness and quality as the rest of the menu. Sometimes it pays to dine alone.

595 Race St., downtown, (513) 246-0150, barusushi.com. Lunch Mon-Fri, dinner seven days. . MCC. $$$

KIKI Kiki started as a pop-up at Northside Yacht Club, then leapt into brick-and-mortar life in College Hill. Your best bet here is to share plates, or simply order too much, starting with the edamame, salted or tossed in tare, a savory dipping sauce. Add the karaage fried chicken, with the Jordy mayo and the pepe meshi, confit chicken on spaghetti and rice that somehow works. And, yes, the ramen, too. The shio features pork belly and tea-marinated soft-boiled ICON BY JOE HOFFECKER

egg, but the kimchi subs in tofu and its namesake cabbage for the meat.

5932 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, (513) 541-0381, kikicincinnati.com. Lunch Sun and dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $

KYOTO Owner Jason Shi seems to know everybody’s name as he chats up diners, guiding them through the extensive sushi and sashimi menu. Five young sushi chefs, all part of Shi’s family, work at light speed behind the bar, a choreography backlit by rows of gleaming liquor bottles.

Dinner proceeds with glorious chaos as a feisty Carla Tortelli–like server delivers one dish after another—slivers of giant clam on ice in a super-sized martini glass, a volcanic tower of chopped fatty tuna hidden inside overlapping layers of thin avocado slices, smoky grilled New Zealand mussels drizzled with spicy mayo, and delicate slices of a samurai roll—all between shots of chilled sake.

12082 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 5838897, kyotousa.m988.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$

MEI Mei’s menu is meant to represent traditional Japanese cuisine, appealing to the novice as well as the sushi maven. It is divided into sections that encourage a progressive meal of small dishes: One each for hot and cold appetizers, noodles, sushi and sashimi, special rolls, soups and salads, sushi dinners (with miso soup), and combinations (such as tempura paired with sashimi).

Deep-fried soft shell crab comes with ponzu sauce—a dipping sauce made of rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and citrus juice—and the kind of yakitori that you can find on the streets of New York. Bento boxes—lacquered wooden boxes divided into compartments—offer the neophyte a sampling of several small dishes. Mei’s are lovely: deep red and stocked with tempura, cooked salmon, sashimi, stewed vegetables, and a fabulous egg custard with shrimp and gingko nut. Mei’s sushi— nigiri, maki, and handrolls—is exceptionally good with quality cuts of fresh seafood. The staff is knowledgeable, extremely efficient, respectful, and attentive, even when it’s at peak capacity.

8608 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 8916880, meijapaneserestaurant.com. Lunch Sat & Sun, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

ZUNDO RAMEN & DONBURI A stark contrast to Styrofoam cup soup, chef Han Lin’s ramens are a deep and exciting branch of cuisine, capable of subtlety, variation, and depth. The simplicity of the dish’s name hides a world of complexity. Zundo uses the traditional Japanese building blocks of flavor—soy sauce, miso, sake, mirin—to create something freewheeling and time-tested. Bowls of ramen come with a marinated soft-boiled egg half, roast pork, green onion, and a healthy serving of noodles. Each has a distinct identity, like the milky richness of the tonkotsu, the rich and buttery miso, or the light and faintly sweet shoyu ramen. A transformative add-in is the mayu, or black garlic oil. Dripped on top of one of the subtler broths, it adds a deep, mushroom-y richness, with the hint of burned flavor that makes barbecue so good.

WILD STARTS HERE

220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 975-0706, zundootr.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

KOREAN RIVERSIDE KOREAN RESTAURANT Come for the jham bong—a seafood soup with flour noodles in a spicy broth with pork, shrimp, squid, mussels, and vegetables. Revered for its medicinal properties, the dinner-sized soup will leave your eyes glistening and your brow beaded with sweat. It’s a detox for your overindulgence, rejuvenation for when you’re feeling under the weather. Expect crowds on weekends. Expect too, that dozens of them have come for dolsot bibimbap, PHOTOGRAPH BY TK FREELANCER

With over 18,000 acres, 22 parks and conservation areas, and 84 miles of trails throughout Hamilton County, there is always something new to discover.

FIND YOUR WILD at GreatParks.org

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WHERE TO EAT NOW

the hot stone pots filled with layers of rice, vegetables, meat or tofu, egg, and chili paste. Characterized by its electric color and addictive flavors, Riverside Korean’s version is a captivating bowl of heaven.

512 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 291-1484, riversidekoreanrestaurant.com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

MEDITERRANEAN ANDY’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILLE In this lively joint with a burnished summer lodge interior of wood and stone, even the food is unrestrained: rough-cut chunks of charbroiled beef tenderloin, big slices of onion and green pepper turned sweet and wet in the heat, skewers of marinated and charbroiled chicken perched on rice too generous for its plate. Co-owner Andy Hajjar mans his station at the end of the bar, smoking a hookah pipe that fills the air with the sweet smell of flavored tobacco, while the friendly but hurried staff hustles through.

906 Nassau St., Walnut Hills, (513) 281-9791, andyskabob.com. Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days.

MCC. $$

CAFÉ MEDITERRANEAN Chef-driven Middle Eastern cuisine leans heavily on Turkish tradition here. The baba ghanoush uses seared eggplant, which adds a pleasant smokiness to the final product.

Börek is described as a “Turkish Egg Roll,” wrapping feta and fresh and dried herbs into phyllo dough and frying it lightly to brittle flakiness. The pastry arrives atop a vivid cherry tomato marmalade, which adds a welcome dimension of barely sweet fruitiness. While there is a smooth, simple hummus on the menu, you should go for the classic sucuklu hummus, which is spiked with sujuk, a common beef sausage popular all over the Middle East.

3520 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 871-8714, mediterranean-cafe.com. Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

PHOENICIAN TAVERNA No matter how much restraint you go in with, meals at Phoenician Taverna quickly become feasts. There is just too much that’s good, and everything is meant to be shared. With fresh pita bread continuously arriving from the ovens, and a table of quickly multiplying meze (hummus, falafel, muhammara), there is a warmth and depth to the cooking that envelops you. With such traditional cuisine, you may think there isn’t much left to discover beyond simply executed classics prepared according to time-tested methods. But there are always new discoveries as the flavors mingle from plate to plate: the tabbouleh with the hummus, mixed with a touch of harissa, or the smoky baba ghanoush spooned onto falafel. Phoenician Taverna keeps taking these classics a little further.

7944 Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 770-0027, phoeniciantaverna.com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues– Sun. MCC. $$

SANTORINI Steak, eggs, and home fries. Jumbo haddock sandwich with Greek fries. Chocolate chip hotcakes with bacon. Notice something wrong with this menu? Chicken Philly cheese steak sandwich with Olympic onion rings. Yep, it’s obvious: What’s wrong with this menu is that there’s nothing wrong with this menu. Greek feta cheese omelette with a side of ham. It’s been owned by the same family for more than 30 years. Santorini has diner standards, like cheeseburgers, chili five ways, and breakfast anytime, but they also make some Greek pastries in-house, like spanakopita and baklava.

3414 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, (513) 662-8080.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon–Sat, breakfast and lunch Sun. Cash. $

SEBASTIAN’S When the wind is just right, you can smell the meat roasting from a mile away. Watch owner Alex Vassiliou tend to the rotating wheels of beef and lamb, and you understand how Greek food has escaped the American tendency to appropriate foreign cuisines. Sebastian’s specializes in gyros, shaved off the stick, wrapped in thick griddle pita with onions and tomatoes, and served with cool tzatziki sauce. Alex’s wife and daughter run the counter with efficient speed, and whether you’re having a crisp Greek salad with house-made dressing, triangles of spanakopita, or simply the best walnut and honey baklava this side of the Atlantic (often made by the Mrs.), they never miss a beat, turning more covers in their tiny restaurant on one Saturday afternoon than some restaurants do in an entire weekend.

5207 Madison Rd., Madisonville, (513) 785-0000, mazuntetacos.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $

MESA LOCA Sitting on a corner of Hyde Park Square, it’s easy to see that Mesa Loca has an absolute dream of a location. The pandemic forced a few changes to the seafood-centric menu, but those dishes still on the menu indicate what Mesa Loca could be. The tuna ceviche is nicely balanced: tart, with a little spicy creaminess, and a good crispy tostada. One of Mesa Loca’s appealing qualities is its dramatic flair: The yucca fries come stacked on the plate like a late-stage game of Jenga, and the sour-and-spicy rub is quite delicious and striking against the bright starchy white of the fries.

5209 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, (513) 471-2100, sebastiansgyros.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. Cash. $

2645 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-6372, mesalocahydepark.com. Lunch and dinner seven days.

MCC. $$

SULTAN’S MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

NADA

The meze, a parade of small plates and appetizers—the refreshing yogurt dish with cucumber, mint, and garlic known as cacik, and its thicker cousin haydari, with chopped walnuts, dill, and garlic—is rounded out with flaky cheese or spinach bourekas, falafels, soups, salads, and more, while baked casseroles or stuffed cabbage and eggplant dishes (dubbed “Ottoman specials”) augment the heavy focus on kebabs: chunks of lamb and beef on a vertical spit for the popular Doner kebab (a.k.a. Turkish gyro), peppery ground lamb for the Adana kebab, or cubed and marinated for the Shish kebab.

7305 Tylers Corner Dr., West Chester, (513) 847-1535, sultanscincinnati.com. Lunch and dinner seven days.

MCC, DS. $$

MEXICAN EL VALLE VERDE Guests with dietary issues, high anxiety, and no Spanish may take a pass, but for hardy souls, this taqueria delivers a memorable evening. Seafood dishes are the star here— ceviche tostadas, crisp corn tortillas piled high with pico de gallo, avocado, and lime-tastic bits of white fish, squid, and crab; the oversized goblet of cocktel campechano, with ample poached shrimp crammed into a Clamato-heavy gazpacho; and simmering sopa de marisco came with langoustines, mussels, crab legs, and an entire fish—enough to feed three.

6717 Vine St., Carthage, (513) 821-5400, Lunch and dinner seven days. $

HABAÑERO It’s easy to find a cheap burrito place around a college campus, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one as consistently good as Habañero, with its flavors of Latin America and the Caribbean wrapped up in enormous packages. Fried tilapia, apricot-glazed chicken breast, hand-rubbed spiced flank steak, shredded pork tenderloin, or cinnamon-roasted squash are just some of the ingredients for Habañero’s signature burritos. All salsas are made in-house, from the smoky tomato chipotle to the sweet-sounding mango jalapeño, which is hot enough to spark spontaneous combustion.

358 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, (513) 961-6800, habanerolatin.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $

MAZUNTE Mazunte runs a culinary full-court press, switching up specials to keep both regulars and staff engaged. Pork tamales arrive swaddled in a banana leaf, the shredded pork filling steeped in a sauce fiery with guajillo and ancho chilies yet foiled by the calming sweetness of raisins. The fried fish tacos are finished with a citrusy red and white cabbage slaw that complements the accompanying mangohabañero salsa. With this level of authentic yet fast-paced execution, a slightly greasy pozole can be easily forgiven.

Don’t miss the Mexican Coke, the margaritas, or the nonalcoholic horchata.

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The brains behind Boca deliver authentic, contemporary, high-quality Mexican fare downtown. You’ll find a concise menu, including tacos, salads and sides, large plates, and desserts. The Pork Al Pastor tacos, zesty with salsa verde and sweet with grilled pineapple, are definite crowdpleasers. If you’re biased against Brussels sprouts, Nada just might convert you. Their crispy brussels, served with chipotle honey and candied ancho pepitas, are a deliciously intriguing starter.

600 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 721-6232, eatdrinknada.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

TAQUERIA CRUZ The menu at this four-table mom-and-pop welcomes you to “a little piece of Mexico.” The huaraches (spelled guarachis here), are flat troughs of thick, handmade fried masa dough the approximate shape and size of a shoeprint, mounded with beans and slivers of grilled beef or chili-red nubs of sausage, shredded lettuce, a crumble of queso fresco, and drizzle of cultured cream. Should you have an adventurous side, you can have your huarache topped with slippery tongue, goat meat, shredded chicken, or pork. There are stews, carne asada plates, and sopes—saucers of fried masa much like huaraches, only smaller.

518 Pike St., Covington, (859) 431-3859. Lunch and dinner seven days. Cash. $

TAQUERIA MERCADO On a Saturday night, Taqueria Mercado is a lively fiesta, with seemingly half of the local Hispanic community guzzling margaritas and cervezas or carrying out sacks of burritos and carnitas tacos—pork tenderized by a long simmer, its edges frizzled and crispy. The Mercado’s strip mall interior, splashed with a large, colorful mural, is equally energetic: the bustling semi-open kitchen; a busy counter that handles a constant stream of take-out orders; a clamorous, convivial chatter in Spanish and English. Try camarones a la plancha, 12 chubby grilled shrimp tangled with grilled onions (be sure to specify if you like your onions well done). The starchiness of the rice absorbs the caramelized onion juice, offset by the crunch of lettuce, buttery slices of avocado, and the cool-hot pico de gallo.

A shrimp quesadilla paired with one of their cheap and potent margaritas is worth the drive alone.

6507 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield, (513) 942-4943; 100 E. Eighth St., downtown, (513) 381-0678, tmercadocincy. com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $

SEAFOOD MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S The daily rotation here reads like a fisherman’s wish list: fresh lobsters from the coast of Maine, ahi tuna from Hawaii, clams from New England. But high-quality ingredients are only half the equation; preparation is the other. Herb-broth sea bass, served with roasted fingerling potatoes, makes the taste buds dance. The spacious digs and attentive waitstaff bring a touch of class to Fountain Square and make it a sophisticated destination. It’s likely to remain a favorite.

After all, it’s right in the middle of things.

21 E. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 721-9339, mccormickandschmicks.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $$

ROSEWOOD SUSHI, THAI & SEAFOOD

Chanaka De Lanerolle sold Mt. Adams Fish House back in 2011, and Rosewood Sushi, Thai & Seafood is its reincarnation—and reinvention. Most of the menu tends toward fairly conservative takes on classics, like well-seasoned crab cakes and thick, creamy chowder full of seafood. The handful of ethnic experiments on the menu are among its most vibrant offerings, including a Mediterranean fish stew that takes inspiration from the North African coast. Tender, fluffy couscous soaks up a fiery but sweet tomato sauce that showcases chiles and peppercorns, golden raisins, and lovely firm cashews, and the stew itself is packed with mussels, shrimp, and chunks of fish.

3036 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 631-3474, oakleyfishhouse.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$$

STEAKS CARLO & JOHNNY

The stars of the menu are 12 delectable steaks that could sway the vegi-curious to recommit. Not sure which to choose? If you prefer brawny flavor over buttery texture, go for one of the three bone-in rib cuts. Or if it’s that meltin-your-mouth experience that raises your serotonin levels, C&J features several tenderloin cuts, including the premium six-ounce Wagyu filet. There are the usual suspects of raw bar, seafood, pork chops, et al, if you’re interested in nonbeef alternatives.

9769 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery, (513) 936-8600, jeffruby.com/carlo-johnny. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$$

blue cheese dressing. Jumbo is Morton’s decree: Oversized martini and wine glasses, ethereal towering lemon soufflés, roomy chairs, and tables large enough for a plate and a laptop. Even steaks billed as “slightly smaller” weigh in at 8 to 10 ounces.

441 Vine St., downtown, (513) 621-3111, mortons.com.

Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

THE PRECINCT

Part of the appeal of the Ruby restaurants is their ability to deliver deep, comfort-food satisfaction. And the steaks. The meat is tender with a rich mineral flavor, and the signature seasoning provided a nice crunch, not to mention blazing heat. The supporting cast is strong—the basket of warm Sixteen Bricks bread with a mushroom truffle butter, the addictive baked macaroni and cheese, the creamy garlic mashed potatoes, the crisp-tender asparagus with roasted garlic and lemon vinaigrette—and dinner ends on a sweet note with a piece of Ruby family recipe cheesecake. Neither cloyingly sweet nor overwhelmingly creamy, it’s a lovely slice of restraint.

311 Delta Ave., Columbia-Tusculum, (513) 321-5454, jeffruby.com/precinct. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$$

TONY’S

He is a captivating presence, Tony Ricci. Best known for his 30 years in fine dining—including the Jeff Ruby empire while managing the venerable Precinct—Ricci has built a life in the hospitality industry. Much of Tony’s menu is right out of a steakhouse playbook: jumbo shrimp and king crab legs from the raw bar; Caprese, Greek, and Caesar salads; sides of creamed spinach, mac-and-cheese, asparagus, and sautéed mushrooms; toppings of roasted garlic or Gorgonzola butters to accompany your center cut of filet mignon. There are boutique touches, though, that make it stand out—a garlic herb aioli with the calamari, steak tartare torch-kissed and topped with a poached egg, a superb rack of lamb rubbed with aromatic sumac and served with mint pesto.

12110 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Township, (513) 6778669, tonysofcincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

JEFF RUBY’S

Filled most nights with local scenesters and power brokers (and those who think they are), everything in this urban steakhouse is generous—from the portions to the expert service. White-jacketed waiters with floor-length aprons deliver two-fisted martinis and mounds of greens dressed in thin vinaigrettes or thick, creamy emulsions. An occasional salmon or sea bass appears, and there’s a small but decent assortment of land fare. But most customers, even the willowy model types, inhale slabs of beef (dry aged USDA prime) like they’re dining in a crack house for carnivores. The best of these is Jeff Ruby’s Cowboy, 22 ounces of 70-day dry-aged bone-in rib eye. This is steak tailor-made for movers and shakers.

505 Vine St., downtown, (513) 784-1200, jeffruby.com.

Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DC. $$$$

LOSANTI

A bit more upscale than its sister restaurant, Crown Republic Gastropub, Losanti is also more conservative in its offerings. Service is friendly and informal, and though the meal feels like a special occasion, prices and atmosphere are right for, say, a date, rather than a wedding anniversary. The filet mignon, rib eye, and New York strip are cut to order for each table (there are a few available weights for each). The steaks themselves are totally irreproachable, perfectly seasoned, cooked to precisely the right point.

Losanti even makes the steakhouse sides a little special.

Sweet and smoky caramelized onions are folded into the mashed potatoes, a nice dusting of truffles wakes up the mac and cheese, and the sweet corn is at least freshly cut off the cob and recalls elote with lime and chile.

1401 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4213, losantiotr.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE

No one has replicated the concept of an expensive boys’ club better than Morton’s. Amid the dark polished woods and white linen, the Riedel stemware and stupendous flower arrangements, assorted suits grapple with double cut filet mignons, 24 ounces of porterhouse, pink shiny slabs of prime rib, overflowing plates of salty Lyonnaise potatoes, or mammoth iceberg wedges frosted with thick

THAI GREEN PAPAYA

Inside this simple dining room, replete with soothing browns and greens and handsome, dark wood furniture, it takes time to sort through the many curries and chef’s specialties, not to mention the wide variety of sushi on the somethingfor-everyone menu. Have the staff—friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable—help you. When the food arrives, you’ll need only a deep inhale to know you made the right choice.

The Green Papaya sushi rolls are as delicious as they look, with a manic swirl of spicy mayo and bits of crabstick and crispy tempura batter scattered atop the spicy tuna, mango, cream cheese, and shrimp tempura sushi—all rolled in a vivid green soybean wrap.

2942 Wasson Rd., Oakley, (513) 731-0107, greenpapayacincinnati.com. Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

SUKHOTHAI

Nestled in the nearly hidden Market Place Lane, this tiny restaurant isn’t exactly slick. A chalkboard lists the day’s specials, usually spicy dishes worthy of an adventurous diner. But if it’s noodle dishes and curries you’re after, Sukhothai’s pad kee mao—wide rice noodles stir-fried with basil—is the best around. Served slightly charred, the fresh and dried chilies provide enough heat to momentarily suspend your breath. Pad Thai has the right amount of crunch from peanuts, slivers of green onion, and mung sprouts to contrast with the slippery glass noodles, and a few squeezes of fresh lime juice give it a splendid tartness.

The crispy tamarind duck is one of the best house specials, the meat almost spreadably soft under the papery skin and perfectly complemented by the sweet-tart bite of tamarind.

8102 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 794-0057, sukhothaicincin.com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues–Sat. DS, MC, V. $

TEAK THAI

Owner Chanaka De Lanerolle has said that he decided to

bring back Teak’s take on Thai food because of the renewed vibrancy in Over-the-Rhine, which he compared to the energy he felt in Mt. Adams during his time there. But for all of the hype around the restaurant’s re-emergence on the scene, it’s probably best to consider it a reimagining rather than a reopening. While long-time favorites show up on the menu, prepared by many of the same kitchen staff members from Mt. Adams, some adaptations have been made to better meet expectations of modern diners.

Letting go of preconceived notions about Teak will serve you well. With a two-sided, standalone sushi menu and a wide variety of main plates ranging from small bites to signature dishes, you have plenty of room to craft your own dining experience.

1200 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-8325, teakotr. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

THAI NAMTIP

Classic Thai comfort food on the west side from chef/owner Tussanee Leach, who grew up with galangal on her tongue and sriracha sauce in her veins. Her curries reign: pale yellow sweetened with coconut milk and poured over tender chicken breast and chunks of boiled pineapple; red curry the color of new brick, tasting of earth at first bite, then the sharply verdant Thai basil leaves, followed by a distant heat. Tom Kha Gai soup defines the complex interplay of flavors in Thai food: astringent lemongrass gives way to pepper, then Makrut lime, shot through with the gingery, herbaceous galangal, all yielding to the taunting sweetness of coconut. Even the simple skewers of chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce are rough and honest, dulcified by honey and dirtied up by a smoky grill.

5461 North Bend Rd., Monfort Heights, (513) 481-3360, thainamtip.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MC, V. $

WILD GINGER

The ability to satisfy a deep desire for Vietnamese and Thai fusion cuisine is evident in Wild Ginger’s signature Hee Ma roll—a fortress of seaweed-wrapped rolls filled with shrimp tempura, asparagus, avocado, and topped with red tuna, pulled crab stick, tempura flakes, a bit of masago, scallions, and of course, spicy mayo. It’s tasty, even though the sweet fried floodwall of tempura and spicy mayo overpowered the tuna completely. The spicy pad char entrée was a solid seven out of 10: broccoli, carrots, cabbage, succulent red bell peppers, green beans, and beef, accented with basil and lime leaves in a peppercornand-chili brown sauce.

3655 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park, (513) 533-9500, wildgingercincy.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

VI ETNAM E S E PHO LANG THANG

Owners Duy and Bao Nguyen and David Le have created a greatest hits playlist of Vietnamese cuisine: elegant, brothy pho made from poultry, beef, or vegan stocks poured over rice noodles and adrift with slices of onions, meats, or vegetables (the vegan pho chay is by far the most flavorful); fresh julienned vegetables, crunchy sprouts, and herbs served over vermicelli rice noodles (again, the vegan version, bun chay, is the standout); and bánh mì. Be sure to end with a cup of Vietnamese coffee, a devilish jolt of dark roast and sweetened condensed milk that should make canned energy drinks obsolete.

1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 376-9177, pholangthang.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS, DC. $ CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, (ISSN 0746-8 210), March 2024, Volume 57, Number 6.

Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 1818 Race St., Ste. 301, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2024 by Cincinnati Magazine LLC, a subsidiary of Hour Media Group, 5750 New King Dr., Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098.

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M A R C H 2 0 2 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 0 3

CINCY OBSCURA

Living Proof IF YOU’RE CATCHing an FC Cincinnati game at TQL Stadium or shopping at Findlay Market this spring, you might find it easier than ever to locate a parking spot: Just look for the 70-foot-tall living wall.

The installation is one of the latest feats of high-flying architectural greenery from Cincinnati-based Urban Blooms. And according to the company’s founder and CEO, Tyler Wolf, it might just be the second largest living wall in the U.S. Covering a massive 3,274 square feet, the wall features more than 8,000 living plants on 104 panels holding 16 species of perennial plants, including evergreen junipers; native heuchera; and flowering plants like catmint, geranium, liriope, and phlox. Living walls in urban settings purify the air, lower noise pollution, cool cities, and beautify the neighborhood as bona fide public art installations. “Just days after the first few panels were installed, we saw bumblebees, hummingbirds, and butterflies buzzing around the garage,” Wolf says. “[Which is] not something you normally see in an urban center or in a parking garage.”

—LAUREN FISHER

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Enjoy the sweet traditions

Savor Your

MIAMI MOMENTS In 1929, Myron Timothy “Tuffy” Potter launched Tuffy’s Sandwich Shop in Oxford, Ohio — located in a small basement on Miami’s campus. It quickly became the hangout spot for generations of Miami students.

The most cherished menu item was always Tuffy’s specialty, toasted rolls. Although the sandwich shop no longer stands, this 100-year-old tradition is still a staple on campus today.